The two blue crabs were noticeably larger than the red ones, boasting superior defense and attack power. Initially, they held their own, trading blows with the red crabs. But as the skirmish dragged on, the red crabs, with their numerical advantage, started to gain the upper hand.

"Argh!" The male blue crab suddenly let out a pained shriek.

A sneaky red crab had darted in, its pincer clamping down on one of the blue crab's legs. The male blue crab, now in agony, slowed considerably. Seizing the opportunity, more red crabs surged forward, quickly overwhelming him. He struggled fiercely but was ultimately outnumbered and pinned to the ground.

"Darling!" The female blue crab roared in anguish, frantically rushing forward to rescue her mate. But she was quickly intercepted by three red crabs. After a brief struggle, she too was forced to the sandy floor.

The red crab leader, a leering grin on his face, advanced towards the female blue crab.

"You bastard! What do you think you're doing?" The male blue crab bellowed, his eyes burning with fury.

"What do you think?" The red crab leader's grin widened into a wicked sneer. "I'm going to have my way with her, right in front of you!"

"I'll kill you!" The male blue crab was practically spitting fire, struggling with all his might. But he was firmly held down by seven or eight red crabs, completely immobilized.

"No, please don't..." The female blue crab was on the verge of tears.

"Cry all you want. The louder you cry, the more it fuels my desire for conquest!" The red crab leader cackled.

"You damn animal!" Hank Fowler cursed under his breath. He gripped the entrenching tool and charged forward. His level 3 upgrade had significantly boosted his speed. He moved like a tiger, a whirlwind of furious energy.

"Die!" In a mere two seconds, Hank reached the beach. He swung the entrenching tool with both hands, bringing it down on one of the red crabs.

The red crab, utterly stunned by Hank's aura, froze in place, forgetting even to flee. The entrenching tool, carrying the force of a thunderbolt, slammed into the red crab's shell.

Crack!

The shell shattered completely, collapsing inward, spilling out the crab's innards. With a final shriek, the red crab fell lifelessly to the ground.

The entire beach fell into a stunned silence. All the red crabs were dumbfounded. Where had this human come from? He was too powerful, too savage!

The two blue crabs were equally shocked. Why was Hank here? And why was he so brutally attacking the red crabs? Was he here to save them? But that didn't make sense. They were enemies, after all. There was no reason for him to rescue them.

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But before they could process it further, Hank struck again, a sweeping blow that sent two more red crabs flying.

Ah! Ah!

Two more agonizing cries, and two more red crabs were instantly killed, their bodies mangled beyond recognition.

"Boss, what do we do?" The remaining red crabs were panicking.

The red crab leader's lip twitched. He glared at Hank, fuming. "Human, we didn't provoke you! Why are you attacking us?"

Hank, radiating menace, snorted. "These two blue crabs are my friends. Bullying my friends is the same as bullying me! If I don't kill you, who will I kill?"

"Huh?" The two blue crabs were completely bewildered. So Hank really was here to save them! And he considered them friends? This turn of events was completely beyond their expectations.

"I didn't know they were your friends. We'll leave right now," the red crab leader said hastily. He was reluctant to give up on the blue crabs just like that, but he had no choice. Hank's power was terrifying, far beyond their own. To oppose him was to seek death.

"You think you can just bully my friends and walk away? As if!" Hank scoffed. Killing these red crabs would not only give him experience points but also provide him with food. There was no way he was letting them go so easily.

"Human, you're pushing us too far!" The red crab leader roared, gnashing his teeth. "Brothers! This human doesn't want to let us go, and we can't just sit here and wait for death! Let's all attack together! We'll fight to the death!"

"Fight!"

"Kill him!"

The remaining red crabs surged towards Hank Fowler. The red crab leader glanced back, then swiftly retreated towards the sea, diving into the water and disappearing.

"Looking to die!" Hank roared, swinging the entrenching tool in a frenzy. Each strike crushed a red crab.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

After a dozen or so impacts, all the remaining red crabs lay dead, slaughtered by Hank. The beach was littered with their corpses. Some were even smashed into a pulp, a truly gruesome scene.

"He's so strong!" The two blue crabs were stunned.

Hank surveyed the carnage, a satisfied smirk playing on his lips. Then, his gaze shifted to the two blue crabs. "You two alright?" he asked with a slight smile.

"We're fine, thank you for saving us!" The male blue crab expressed his gratitude. If it weren't for Hank's timely intervention, the outcome would have been unthinkable. He would have undoubtedly died, and his mate would have suffered a terrible fate. Hank Fowler was their savior, and a thank you was definitely in order.

Hank waved his hand dismissively. "It was nothing, don't mention it."

The male blue crab suddenly remembered something. "Human," he began, looking at Hank with a puzzled expression, "why did you save us?"

Hank smirked. "Didn't you guys help me get two treasure chests yesterday? That was a big help. I'm a man who values loyalty. You helped me, so it's only natural that I help you!"

The entrenching tool silently griped in his mind, "Shameless!" He clearly just wanted the two blue crabs to help him fetch treasure chests! What loyalty was he talking about?

"So that's it," the male blue crab said, realization dawning on him. He immediately declared, "Human, from now on, whenever I see a treasure chest, I'll bring it to you!"

That was exactly what Hank was waiting for. He chuckled. "You help me get treasure chests, and I'll watch your backs! If anyone dares to bully you in the future, just come to me. I'll take care of them for you!"

"That's great!" The male blue crab was overjoyed. They had already witnessed Hank's strength. With such a powerful protector, their safety was practically guaranteed.

The female blue crab suddenly piped up, "Oh, right! We found a treasure chest this morning."

"Where is it?" Hank's eyes lit up.

"I'll go get it!" The male blue crab said, quickly scurrying into the nearby rocks. Moments later, he returned, carrying a blue treasure chest.