"—Aaaahhh!"
The peaceful calm of the small town shattered beneath a wave of sharp, panicked screams.
"Damn it, the Battleaxe Pirates are here!"
"They must be here for revenge!"
"Don't panic! There are Marines stationed on the island. These pirates won't run wild for long!"
The town's central plaza had been entirely seized by a group of vicious-looking pirates.
Cowering in the middle were the unlucky residents who hadn't escaped in time, huddled together, trembling.
"Where are those Marines?! Bring our captain out right now—
or don't blame us if we slaughter every hostage here!"
The scar-faced pirate barked, brandishing his axe threateningly.
"Go ahead and try—if you're tired of living."
"You—who's there?!"
The scar-faced man spun around in fury—
only to see a Marine officer draped in a Justice coat approaching at a steady pace, a squad of Marines at his back.
"Huh? A little Marine brat?
You were the one running your mouth just now?"
The scar-faced man sneered, his grotesque scars twisting with the motion.
Behind him, one of the trembling pirates stepped forward.
"V–Vice Captain… it's him. He's the one who captured Captain Rock!"
"What? That kid?"
The scar-faced pirate froze in disbelief—
but then something clicked.
His eyes widened in horror.
"Wait—
isn't he the Marine rising star everyone's been talking about?
The one no pirate has escaped from in two whole years…
the so-called Light of the Marines—
Longinus?!"
"Y-yes… it's him."
Longinus continued walking with composed steps.
"You've come for Battleaxe Rock, yes?
I can hand him over…"
his voice steady, unhurried,
"…but only if you guarantee the safety of these civilians."
"S-Stop! Stop right there!"
The scar-faced pirate shrieked like a cornered housewife,
backpedaling in a panic.
"Don't come any closer! S-Stay away from me!"
Not only Longinus' Marines, but even the distant onlookers nearly burst out laughing.
Was this truly the brutal, bloodthirsty pirate terrorizing the seas?
"Too strong…! Major Longinus is terrifyingly strong!
His presence alone scares pirates half to death!"
"Of course! Major Longinus is a hero of the Marines—
he's rescued hijacked ships, wiped out pirate crews across the sea,
even helped suppress a full-scale national rebellion!"
Though Longinus rarely stayed on this island,
the townsfolk still spoke of him with pride.
Hearing the townspeople worship Longinus—
and openly disdain him—
the scar-faced pirate finally snapped out of his fear
and replaced it with rage.
"Longinus!
You'd better act smart and hand the captain over!
Or don't blame me if I start killing hostages!"
He pressed his blade closer to a hostage's throat.
"You Marines who call yourselves 'justice'—
you won't stand by and watch innocents die, right?!"
"I've already sent men to bring Rock from the prison," Longinus replied coldly.
"But mark my words—
if even one person behind you is harmed,
I'll hunt you to the very ends of the Grand Line,
and when I drag you to Impel Down,
you'll beg for death before I'm done."
At the mention of Impel Down—the hell dreaded by all pirates—
the scar-faced man involuntarily shivered.
"You—hurry up!
A-And no tricks, you hear me?!"
Minute by minute, his composure crumbled.
He was supposed to hold the advantage—
so why were his hands shaking?
Damn those idiots!
he cursed internally.
If they'd told me the guy who captured the captain was SAINT LIGHT LONGINUS,
I'd have let Rock rot in jail before coming here!
"Major Longinus! We've brought Battleaxe Rock!"
A group of Marines marched forward, escorting a hulking figure nearly five meters tall.
Yet the brute—Captain Rock—showed no hint of resistance.
He shuffled forward like an obedient child,
and when he saw Longinus…
a visible tremor ran through his huge frame.
"Go on," Longinus said coolly.
"Your men came to 'save' you."
"Huh?"
Rock recoiled in terror.
"N-No, this has nothing to do with me!
I didn't tell them to rescue me!
Major, please believe me!"
Watching the hulking terror of the seas whimper like a bullied child—
the townsfolk and Marines alike felt their worldview collapse.
"Captain, d-don't be scared!
I—I have hostages!
Even if he's Saint Light Longinus,
he wouldn't dare harm you!"
the scar-faced vice captain said, face twitching.
"Shut up, Bart!
I know you've always wanted me dead!"
Rock bellowed.
"At a time like this you think I'd fall for your tricks?!
Stand aside—
I'm going to Impel Down for reformation labor!"
The plaza fell silent.
…Did he just say he'd rather go to Impel Down willingly?!
Even the onlookers were dumbfounded.
Meanwhile, the pirates fell into chaos again.
What kind of plot twist is this?!
They'd risked life and limb to rescue their captain…
and the idiot wanted to turn himself in?
"Enough! All of you shut up!"
Bart—the scar-faced vice captain—roared at his crew
before turning back to Rock with a venomous glare.
"If you're too scared to escape, fine!
I'll be the captain from now on!"
He jabbed a finger toward Rock.
"But before you go—
tell me where the treasure map is!
Otherwise I'm not leaving!"
Ah.
Now everything made sense.
The townsfolk and Marines all nodded knowingly.
This is how real pirates act.
The scar-faced man's plan was clear—
take the treasure, discard the captain,
earn fame and riches,
and rise as a great pirate.
What he didn't plan for…
was the one man even his captain feared more than death itself—
Longinus.