A dead silence fell over the Marine base courtyard.
Then, like a breaking dam, that silence was shattered by the furious roar of Captain Morgan.
"A DEVIL FRUIT USER!" he bellowed, his bloodshot eyes locked on Luffy. "He's eaten one of the sea's cursed treasures! Guns are useless against him! USE YOUR SWORDS! ALL OF YOU, CHARGE! CUT HIM TO RIBBONS FOR ME!"
The tyrant's command snapped the Marines out of their stupor. Though their hearts were still pounding with fear at Luffy's absurd power, their fear of Morgan was greater. With a collective roar, they drew their swords and charged towards Luffy and Zoro like a wave of steel.
Koby, who had just regained consciousness from the gunshot, watched in horror as dozens of sharp blades rushed towards them. He had fainted when Luffy was shot at, only to wake up in an even worse nightmare.
"Luffy-san! Zoro-san! Look out!"
Luffy just stood there, that same goofy grin plastered on his face. He was getting ready for a good fight.
But Zoro moved first.
He bent his knees slightly, and in a split second, he vanished.
The charging Marines found only empty space where he had been standing.
"Where did he—"
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
A whirlwind of steel was born.
Zoro moved with unbelievable speed, his three swords weaving a dance of destruction. He wasn't cutting to kill. He was simply neutralizing.
The sword in his mouth, Wado Ichimonji, blocked an oncoming slash. The two swords in his hands, one sweeping horizontally, the other vertically, parried dozens of other blades simultaneously. The piercing sound of metal on metal filled the air.
Then, the whirlwind stopped.
Zoro stood firm in the center, in a challenging stance. All the first-wave soldiers were frozen, their blades locked against Zoro's three. None could advance, none could retreat.
"Move one more inch," Zoro growled, his voice muffled by the sword in his mouth, but the threat was crystal clear, "and you die."
The soldiers trembled. The breath of the grim reaper was on their faces. They truly believed that if they moved, the demon before them would tear them to pieces.
In the tense silence, Zoro glanced at Luffy.
"Hey, Straw Hat. Looks like I'm a criminal now one way or another. I'll keep my end of the promise."
He turned his focus back to the trapped enemies.
"But get this straight. I have a dream. To become the world's greatest swordsman. If you ever get in the way of that dream..."
"I won't hesitate to gut you myself, Captain."
Luffy just laughed. "Awesome! I like the sound of that!"
He looked at the soldiers being held in place by Zoro. "Hey Zoro, duck!"
Zoro didn't ask why. He instantly crouched down.
Luffy took a deep breath, stretching his right leg far back.
"Gomu Gomu no Muchi!"
His leg whipped around in a wide arc, like a giant leather whip, sweeping across all the pinned soldiers.
WHACK!
A satisfying sound echoed. All of them were sent flying, collapsing on top of each other like dominoes, unconscious.
"We... we can't beat them!" one of the remaining soldiers whimpered.
Witnessing the scene, Morgan grew even more enraged. He looked at his remaining, hesitant men.
"USELESS FOOLS!" he roared. "If you cannot defeat them, you are not worthy of serving me! PICK UP YOUR GUNS! POINT THEM AT YOUR OWN HEADS AND DIE WITH HONOR!"
The brutal command stunned everyone, including Koby. This was no longer a Marine Captain. This was a raving madman.
The soldiers were terrified, but none dared to commit suicide. They were trapped between two monsters on one side, and a tyrant even more frightening on the other.
Luffy stepped forward, drawing Morgan's attention.
"Hey, Axe-Hand old man!" he yelled. "Your fight is with me!"
It was a direct declaration of war.
Morgan let out an animalistic roar and charged at Luffy. The giant axe on his arm came down with enough force to split a ship in two.
WHOOSH!
Luffy dodged it easily. He bent his rubbery body like a dancer, evading the axe's path. The blade slammed into the ground, creating a deep fissure and sending stone fragments flying.
"Is swinging wildly all you can do?" Luffy taunted, his arm stretching out. "Gomu Gomu no Pistol!"
His fist flew straight into Morgan's gut.
THUD!
Morgan staggered back a few steps, but he didn't fall. His body was incredibly tough. He roared, continuing to swing his axe wildly.
Luffy and Morgan engaged in a fierce battle. Luffy was agile and unpredictable, while Morgan was powerful and durable. Luffy's punches sent Morgan stumbling, but Morgan's axe also came dangerously close to hitting him several times. The entire courtyard became their battlefield, fences were sliced apart, the ground was torn up.
While all attention was focused on the fight, a shadowy figure moved stealthily.
Helmeppo.
He had picked up a pistol and was now creeping towards Koby, who was still injured and unable to move.
He pressed the black muzzle of the gun to Koby's head.
"STOP, STRAW HAT!" Helmeppo shrieked, his voice shrill with a mix of fear and triumph. "If you don't stand still, I'll blow your friend's brains out!"
The battlefield froze.
Luffy, who was about to deliver another punch, stopped instantly. He turned around, his eyes growing cold.
"Luffy-san! Don't worry about me!" Koby yelled. "Keep fighting!"
But Luffy didn't listen. To him, nothing was more important than a friend. He completely ignored Morgan, who was standing right behind him.
Morgan saw his golden opportunity.
"YOU FOOL! IN BATTLE, THE ONE WHO TURNS HIS BACK FIRST, DIES!"
He raised his axe high, aiming for Luffy's exposed back to deliver the finishing blow.
But he would never get the chance.
A flash of light. Zoro had appeared beside Morgan as if from nowhere.
He rushed forward like the wind, his three swords at the ready. A name echoed, like the roar of a demon from the underworld.
"Oni... Giri!"
Three impossibly sharp slashes cut across Morgan's body almost simultaneously, forming a deadly cross.
Time seemed to stop.
Morgan stood motionless. The axe on his arm fell to the ground with a loud clang.
Then, three deep gashes appeared across his chest. Blood erupted.
The tyrant of Shells Town collapsed, his eyes still wide with disbelief at his own defeat.
Helmeppo, witnessing his father's fall, was so horrified he dropped his gun. Luffy didn't miss the opportunity, delivering one final, contemptuous punch to his face, knocking him out for the second time that day.
Silence fell.
Then, from beyond the walls of the base, cheers began to erupt. The townspeople had witnessed everything. They were celebrating the fall of the tyrant.
Morgan's reign... was over.