In many cases, the sheer deterrence of a high-ranking wizard far surpassed that of high-ranking warriors, rangers, and other professions.
"I'll count to three! If you still haven't dropped your weapons and knelt on the ground in surrender — then he will be your example!"
He flicked the rope, and the remaining charred fragments were scattered across the ocean. That display of power immediately sowed doubt among many of the pirates.
Unfortunately, they were in the middle of the sea, surrounded on all sides by boundless water. Even if they wanted to flee, there was nowhere to go.
"One!" Leilin's face twitched slightly, and without the slightest hesitation he began counting.
"Two!!" Two beams of frost ray shot out, instantly freezing the pirates who had attempted to flee into ice sculptures.
"Three!!!" A heavy killing intent had already filled Leilin's eyes.
That murderous gaze instantly shattered the pirates' last shred of mental composure. They threw down their weapons one after another, dropping to their knees on the deck, weeping bitterly.
"Robin Han, tie them all up!"
Leilin rubbed his fingers together. After all, he couldn't very well execute every last pirate prisoner — then who would sail the ship?
On Earth, a captain facing a mutiny from the majority of his crew would have no choice but to pick between a fight to the death and dying in battle. But for Leilin, who possessed extraordinary power, suppressing an entire ship in the blink of an eye was a trivial matter.
"At once, Captain!"
Though they had witnessed the young master's power before, the guards' eyes were still filled with reverence.
With the pirates in no state to resist, the guards on deck subdued them with ease. The cabins below were a bit more troublesome, but before Leilin even had time to grow impatient, Isabel had already taken care of it.
Even without Leilin stepping in, Isabel's abilities were more than sufficient to handle the situation — though there would have been many more pointless casualties without his intervention.
In the end, every captive who had participated in the mutiny was bound and herded onto the deck.
Meanwhile, the guards and the small number of pirates who had been rescued — those who had taken no part in the rebellion — set up several massive wooden crosses.
Leilin stood before the pirates with a calm expression. He said nothing, yet the pirates below began to tremble uncontrollably.
But Leilin, having already resolved himself to carry out a purge, had absolutely no intention of letting them off.
"Find me the ringleaders of this mutiny!"
Following Leilin's order, and with other pirates pointing them out, several defiant-looking pirates were pushed forward.
"Only four or five? That's too few." Leilin shook his head. "Robin Han, use the every-fifth-man execution rule to pick out a few more!"
The remaining pirates were herded together in terror. As Robin Han counted off, every pirate whose number came up as five was immediately dragged out by the soldiers. Then the count began again, and another five unfortunates were selected.
This method, known as decimation in Leilin's previous life, involved executing condemned men through a lottery-like selection process. Though in modern times it was regarded as nothing but savagery and bloodshed, it served as an extremely effective deterrent.
"Carry out the executions!"
Leilin waved his hand, and his men swarmed forward, binding all ten prisoners to the crosses.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Along with the horrifying sounds of hammering that made the other pirates tremble, iron nails were driven into non-vital areas of their bodies. Thin trickles of blood streamed steadily down from each nail.
"You bastard! I won't let you get away with this!" "Even in death, I'll drag you down to hell with me!"
"Sir! Please forgive us! Please forgive us!"
A chorus of screams, mixed with curses and pleas for mercy, all crashed into Leilin's ears at once.
"Spirited, are we? I hope you can keep that up tomorrow!" Leilin said with a faint smile.
This method of crucifixion through nailing was profoundly inhumane. The slow bleeding from the wounds would gradually drain the condemned toward death, and the sheer terror of that slow process could drive even a mentally stable person to madness.
Moreover, those with sturdier physiques might survive until the following day — but that would bring no benefit whatsoever, only more intense pain and suffering. The scorching sunlight over the sea would draw out every last drop of moisture from their bodies, desiccating them into dried husks!
In the end, they would face only three possible deaths: bleeding out, sunstroke, or thirst.
Many of the captives who envisioned this scene immediately wet themselves, not daring to raise their eyes to look at Leilin ever again. The stench of urine spread across the deck.
"As for the rest of you prisoners — I'll magnanimously pardon your crimes. All you'll receive is ten lashes each... Now get up and clean this deck! If I find even a single speck of filth on it tomorrow, I'll make you lick it clean! Is that understood?!"
Leilin bellowed.
Before one had earned enough goodwill to command loyalty, reverence and the threat of death could serve as an effective means of controlling subordinates. Of course, that prerequisite was possessing overwhelming force — and among Leilin's men, was there anyone who could possibly surpass him?
Crack! Crack! Crack!
The whips used to punish the pirates had been soaked in seawater beforehand. The salt on them effectively prevented wound infection, but it also brought far more excruciating pain.
Yet these fortunate pirates didn't dare utter a single complaint. They began scrubbing the deck at an accelerated pace, the sight of their comrades nailed to the crosses serving as a vivid reminder of the price of betrayal.