Chapter 7: The Surprise of Observation Haki and Morgan's Tyranny
The naval warship, like a massive steel sea beast, cut through the waves, heading straight toward Ralph and the others. The distance between them rapidly closed, soon entering an unsettling firing range.
"Boom! Boom!"
Cannonballs whistled across the sky, landing on either side of the pirate ship, sending towering white plumes of seawater into the air. Salty spray drenched the deck like a torrential downpour. The next shot would likely not miss.
"We're not pirates! We're not pirates!" Koby risked being blown to bits as he rushed to the bow, cupping his hands around his mouth and shouting toward the warship with all his might, his voice distorted by fear.
Luffy followed suit, cupping her hands and loudly retorting: "Koby, you're wrong! We are pir—"
"Mmph—!"
Before the word "pirates" could escape her lips, Ralph swiftly clamped his hand over her mouth from behind, forcibly cutting off the rest of her declaration.
"Don't cause trouble, Lufia!" Ralph urgently whispered in her ear.
Luffy would have none of it! She was someone who proudly declared her pirate identity! She immediately began struggling fiercely, her rubbery body writhing like a slippery fish in Ralph's arms.
In the struggle, Ralph inevitably had to tighten his grip around her to restrain her. The warmth of the girl's body, the unique elastic texture of her rubber skin, and the faint tickle of her short hair brushing against his chin instantly transmitted through their thin clothing.
Ralph's heart skipped an unbeatable beat, stirring within him.
Was... was this considered an embrace?
Unfortunately, he was the only one feeling stirred.
Luffy was not the type of romance heroine who would blush, her heart flutter, or her affection skyrocket from close contact. Her mind held only one thought: Why was Ralph stopping her? Dreams should be proclaimed loudly!
Her struggles intensified, and it seemed she was about to use her rubber abilities to bounce Ralph away.
Knowing he couldn't hesitate any longer, Ralph explained at top speed:
"Koby! It's for Koby! He wants to join the navy! If we just temporarily hide our pirate identities, Koby will be seen as a hero who helped eliminate pirates with us. The navy will be happy to accept him!"
"But if the navy finds out Koby has been mingling with us 'pirates,' he'll never become a marine! His dream will be ruined!"
"So that's it!"
As expected, whenever it involved "dreams"—whether her own or others'—Luffy instantly calmed down. She stopped struggling, blinked her large eyes to show understanding, and no longer attempted to proclaim their identity.
Ralph finally breathed a sigh of relief and slowly released her, his palm seemingly still retaining that peculiar sensation and warmth.
Meanwhile, Koby at the bow had heard Ralph's words clearly. He spun around, looked at Ralph, his eyes instantly reddening as tears streamed down his face.
"Mr. Ralph... You actually acknowledge my dream! And you've even considered it so thoroughly for me! I... I'm so touched! Waaah..."
[Ding! Koby's favorability has greatly increased due to your respect for his dream and selfless assistance. Relationship reached: Friend. Reward granted: Observation Haki (Beginner).]
A cool, peculiar sensation instantly flowed into Ralph's mind, as if a third eye had quietly opened between his eyebrows. The surrounding world seemed to become clearer.
Ralph froze instantly, his heart gripped by an invisible hand before beginning to beat wildly—even more frantically than when he had hugged Luffy earlier!
Observation Haki?! It's actually Observation Haki!
He struggled to control his facial muscles to avoid breaking down in tears like Koby.
Koby! I should be thanking you instead!
He had thought Koby could only offer some basic navigation skills at present, never expecting that raising his favorability would directly unlock the top-tier Observation Haki talent he wouldn't display until the future!
Truly, virtue is its own reward! Fortunately, he hadn't overly discouraged Koby's dream of joining the navy, leading to such an unexpected fruit!
Haki is an essential power for the strong in this world.
Armament Haki enhances offense and defense, crucial for confronting ability users;
Conqueror's Haki represents royal qualifications, one in ten thousand;
While Observation Haki embodies perception pushed to extreme levels! It allows predicting attacks, sensing auras, even glimpsing emotions, and foreseeing the future! Though it doesn't directly boost combat power, it enables him to evade countless unexpected deadly dangers!
Deserter King... no, Brother Koby, you're not entirely useless after all!
Overjoyed inwardly, Ralph thought: As long as you don't screw me over in the future, we'll always be good friends!
Looking at it another way, since he was destined to become a pirate, having an "inside man" like Koby in the navy was something to celebrate!
Meanwhile, the naval ship's cannon fire ceased. It seemed Koby's shouting had worked, or perhaps the enemy had spotted the tightly bound Alvida Pirates on deck through their telescopes.
As the ships drew alongside, several naval soldiers cautiously boarded to inspect.
"It really is the 'Iron Mace' Alvida Pirates with a 5 million berry bounty!"
"Captured by just three... kids?"
"How is this possible?!"
Disbelief was written all over the sailors' faces. In these East Blue waters, Alvida was quite notorious.
Amid the navy's astonishment, Ralph saw a glittering financial future, Koby saw a bright career path, while Luffy—having been told by Ralph not to speak recklessly—felt utterly bored, her stomach growling with hunger. She just wanted to dock quickly and eat meat.
The navy soon transferred Alvida and her crew to the warship, instructing Ralph to sail the pirate ship to Shells Town's dock for docking.
Ralph seized the moment to inquire about the bounty. The handling naval officer stated: "If identities are verified, the bounty will naturally be paid to you. That's the rule."
During the docking process, Luffy's sharp ears caught the naval soldiers' whispers, frequently mentioning a name—"Pirate Hunter Roronoa Zoro"—seemingly located in the Shells Town they were approaching.
"Zoro? Who's that?" Luffy tugged curiously at Koby.
Koby, relatively well-informed, explained in a hushed, slightly fearful tone: "A terrifying swordsman! They say he hunts pirates for bounties. Incredibly strong—like a... a demon beast of a man!"
"A man like a monster?!" Luffy's eyes instantly lit up like lightbulbs, her face brimming with the excitement of discovering a new toy. "That sounds amazing! Maybe we can invite him to join our crew!"
Seeing Luffy so enthusiastically discussing another "man," Ralph inexplicably felt a sour sensation rising in his heart, as if he'd swallowed an unripe lemon whole.
Is this... jealousy?
He thought somewhat helplessly, never expecting to experience such a day himself.
But what could he do? Should he stop Luffy from seeking her destined companions? If the storyline were completely altered, would this long-awaited adventure still be the legendary tale filled with passion and bonds?
Besides improving Luffy's favorability, didn't Ralph himself also want to meet those diverse companions in person, fight alongside them, and become friends!
Be more confident!
He took a deep breath, suppressing that petty emotion. The man who would become the Pirate King, the Sun Goddess's partner, shouldn't rely on jealousy but absolute strength.
So what if he's a man like a monster? If I want to, I can be one too!
As if to prove he didn't care at all, after the ship docked, Ralph didn't follow the eager Luffy to find Zoro. Instead, he chose to take Koby to the marine base to collect the bounty.
At the base, they met the highest-ranking officer here—Colonel Morgan.
Unusually tall with a cold steel jaw embedded in his face, the most striking feature was his right hand—gone from the wrist, replaced by a gleaming giant axe. "Axe-Hand" Morgan lived up to his name.
However, Morgan's first words made Ralph frown.
"Hmph! I truly am the greatest man in this world!" Morgan tapped his axe-hand against his steel jaw, producing a dull thud, his tone extremely arrogant. "Even the most ferocious woman at sea, Alvida, surrendered voluntarily upon hearing the mighty name of 'Axe-Hand Morgan'!"
Ralph's heart sank: This is bad!
He knew Morgan had mental issues, becoming arrogant after hypnosis, but he never expected it to be this absurd.
The bounty... Could there be trouble?
He had a foreboding feeling.
But exchanging bounties for pirates was a rule set by the World Government. If it couldn't be honored at a marine base, wouldn't all the bounty posters worldwide become worthless paper?
As feared, trouble arrived.
When Ralph stepped forward to claim Alvida's bounty, Morgan glanced at him with eyes full of arrogance and disdain, waving his axe-hand:
"Bounty? Alvida surrendered out of fear for my mighty name. What does that have to do with you two lowlifes? Get lost!"
Ralph immediately turned his gaze to the lieutenant who had previously promised to pay the bounty. The lieutenant looked troubled, stepping forward bravely and whispering in persuasion:
"Colonel Morgan, this... this isn't according to regulations. We've verified that they did capture Alvida. The marine's credibility..."
"Shut up!" Morgan roared furiously, lifting his booted foot and kicking the lieutenant to the ground hard. The massive axe blade then pressed against the lieutenant's neck, radiating murderous intent.
"The one who holds power is the greatest in the world! And here, I am the one with the most power! How dare you defy me?!"
His voice echoed throughout the base hall, filled with unquestionable arrogance.
Koby beside him was completely terrified, his face pale and his body trembling like a sieve. This scene had completely shattered his image of the Navy as just and orderly.
However, Ralph remained unusually calm, as if he had long anticipated this outcome. He didn't even show a trace of anger, merely saying indifferently:
"In that case, we'll take our leave."
Without a bounty, why bother capturing pirates? At worst, he could just take Lufia and release Alvida, then wreak havoc here!
After speaking, he grabbed the still-trembling Koby and turned to walk toward the door.
"Halt!"
Morgan's grating, metallic voice suddenly rang out behind them, carrying an unquestionable command.