Usopp spotted the seagull emblem on the opposite ship's sails, along with bright cannons aimed their way, and panicked.
"They're not… gonna shoot at us, are they?"
"When did they even get here?"
Luffy stared at the Marine ship, scratching his head in confusion.
"This is the first time I've been this close to a Marine vessel. I wonder… if their cannonballs come flying over, can I throw one back?"
Alex was instantly reminded of when he first met Nami — escaping that fat hag Alvida's ship on a little dinghy, only to be chased and shelled by multiple Marine warships. The memory made him scowl.
"Why not just slice the cannonball in half?"
Zoro said offhandedly to Alex.
Johnny and Yosaku had already ducked behind cover at the sight of the Marines.
"I don't think I've seen your Jolly Roger before."
A man with pale-pink hair, a scar across his right cheek, and iron knuckle-dusters stepped onto the Marine ship's bow. He called out to them:
"I'm Marine Headquarters Lieutenant Fullbody the Iron Fist. Who's the captain? Name yourselves!"
"I'm Luffy! We just put up our flag recently!"
"I'm Usopp — I drew that flag! Pretty good, right?"
The two shouted back, tripping over each other to answer, leaving Alex speechless.
A Headquarters lieutenant, huh? Alex sized him up. Honestly, the guy didn't even seem as threatening as Captain Morgan from Shells Town. Not worth his attention.
"Never heard of you lot… but those two in the back, I have seen before."
Fullbody ignored Luffy and Usopp, turning his gaze toward Johnny and Yosaku. His lip curled.
"You two… bounty hunters who specialize in catching rookie pirates, right? Finally got caught yourselves?"
"Hey, Yosaku, this guy's insulting us."
"Yeah, I heard. Says we only go after small fry… Well, I don't do anything without a profit, but I think we should teach this arrogant jerk a lesson. Don't you agree, Johnny?"
Both drew the swords strapped across their backs and challenged Fullbody.
Thirty seconds later…
Johnny and Yosaku were back on the Going Merry, faces swollen and bloodied like beaten pigs. Alex could only facepalm. These guys claim they've fought alongside Zoro? The gap is night and day.
"You guys really suck," Luffy said bluntly.
"No, he's just too strong," Johnny muttered.
"Yeah… we're evenly matched. Could've gone either way," Yosaku insisted.
Around them, scattered bounty posters caught Nami's attention.
Alex glanced between Fullbody — standing pristine and smug on his deck — and Johnny and Yosaku — bloodied and humiliated. The contrast was painful to watch.
"Fullbody, don't bully the weak, okay? Let's go already," a pretty woman clung to Fullbody's arm and cooed. Her syrupy tone nearly made Alex vomit all over Nami.
What the hell? We're just sitting here minding our own business, and suddenly we're labeled 'weaklings'?
Alex didn't think of himself as especially powerful, but against Fullbody? He was certain he could take him down in two moves.
"Consider yourselves lucky. I'm on leave today, just here to eat. But when I'm on duty… next time I see you, you won't live."
Fullbody raised his iron-knuckled fist toward them, then strolled off with his date.
"Good thing he left fast. Otherwise, he'd be dead," Alex muttered, noticing Nami crouched with a bounty poster in hand, looking grim. Before he could ask, Usopp yelled:
"This is bad! The Marine ship's aiming their cannons at us!"
"Sink that ship. It's an eyesore."
Fullbody, leaving with his date, flashed them a thumbs-down. Alex caught the gesture clearly.
What a two-faced bastard. Says he's on leave, pretends to walk away… then orders his men to open fire. Pathetic.
BOOM! BOOM!
Two cannonballs screamed toward the Going Merry.
"They're really firing at us!" Usopp shrieked.
"Leave it to me! Rubber Slingshot!"
Luffy sprang up, stretching his arms wide to catch one cannonball. One hand gripped the ship's mast, the other the bow, using his body as a slingshot.
"I'll take care of the other one."
Alex stopped Zoro from drawing his swords. Catching it and throwing it back sounded much more satisfying.
With a sharp flick, the fishing line launcher strapped to Alex's left wrist shot out, sticking perfectly to the incoming cannonball.
Just as he prepared to hurl it back at the Marines — disaster struck.
The cannonball Luffy had caught slammed into him with such force that his hand slipped from the bow. Still holding the mast, he swung like a pendulum… straight into Alex.
The impact sent Alex — and the cannonball he held — flying toward the Marine ship. The cannonball Luffy deflected? It dropped squarely onto the floating restaurant Baratie.
BOOM! BOOM!
Two explosions erupted — one on Baratie, one on the Marine ship.
Fullbody, about to board a small boat to the restaurant, froze at the sight of both targets hit.
"What the hell's going on?"
"Report, sir! A man flew over with a cannonball — we're handling it!"
A Marine saluted from above.
"Are those pirates doing a suicide attack?" Fullbody scoffed. "Fine. Just have it sorted before I'm done eating." He left without another thought.
Five minutes later…
"What do we do? Alex flew onto the Marine ship! Should we save him?" Usopp trembled.
"He hasn't asked for help. He'll be fine," Zoro said, yawning.
Nami's expression was strange. Johnny and Yosaku kept silent, sensing her mood.
On the Marine ship, Alex stood surrounded. He'd told them — let him leave and they'd call it even.
But the Marines accused him of attacking them with a cannonball — a provocation.
Seriously? You fired first, and now I'm the bad guy?
If they wouldn't let him go, he wouldn't bother talking. Extending his fishing rod from his arm brace, he prepared to fight.
That's when he noticed something unexpected — a fellow pirate in captivity.
The man looked half-dead: lips cracked, body frail, like he'd been denied food and water for days. But in his eyes burned a fierce will to survive…
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