After hanging up the phone, Hiroto looked toward those shocked and helpless Marines, as well as Tashigi, who was terrified but still drew her blade against him.
"We... we're going to die, aren't we?"
"Even Captain Smoker lost..."
"Can we really win?"
"We're definitely dead, brothers!"
The Marines were in a constant state of commotion, and fear spread visibly among them.
"For justice!"
Despite her fear and knowing she was no match, Tashigi still firmly gripped her long sword.
The terrified Marines around her looked at each other, then united behind Tashigi as if they had found their backbone. The justice weighing on their shoulders wouldn't allow them to kneel and surrender to a pirate.
'Like general, like soldier, I suppose.'
Hiroto shook his head, gripped his sword in a reverse hold, and then activated Nukiashi. Invisible slashes suddenly erupted, and the remaining Marines were defeated one by one, completely losing their ability to fight.
Tashigi tried desperately to counterattack during this time, but found to her despair that she was powerless.
Until finally, Hiroto flashed in front of Tashigi and delivered a kick.
Boom!
...
Inside the mansion's main hall.
"The Marines... they'll win, right?" Kaya asked nervously while bandaging the servants.
"They will."
Supported by two servants, the newly awakened old butler, Merry, comforted her, "So, you can leave first. Once the Marines win, I will properly arrange for their treatment."
"No, Merry, I won't leave."
Kaya shook her head, her eyes red and brimming with tears. "The thing with Kla... Kuro made me think a lot. I used to be very selfish and caused everyone a lot of trouble. Now, I want to treat everyone around me well."
The brush with death had made Kaya realize many things. She was unwilling to abandon the servants who were willing to risk their lives for her safety... no, they should be called her 'family'. Every person injured here had watched her grow up.
"..."
Merry hesitated, wanting to say that her presence here was the real trouble.
With those amateur medical skills, what could she possibly save?
He didn't know what to do with the stubborn Kaya.
Those Marines can win, right?
Boom!
The wall shattered, and a large hole was blasted into the mansion's hall.
Tashigi flew backward through it and slammed against the hall wall. Finally, with her head hanging low, she slowly slid to the floor, clearly having lost her ability to fight.
"That's..."
Merry was dumbfounded, recognizing her as the female Marine who had previously guaranteed she would protect them.
Tap... Tap...
The sound of footsteps rang out, causing everyone to instinctively look over. Through the hole in the wall leading to the courtyard, a slender figure holding a long sword slowly walked out.
Amidst the drifting dust, countless Marines lied on the ground wailing. The blood flowing freely made that person look like a bloodthirsty demon.
Is this... the pirate with a bounty of 40 million berries?
Merry and the servants stared blankly as the person approached. What they saw wasn't a human figure, but some terrifying, invisible entity.
Hiroto...
Kaya unconsciously held her breath, feeling a pressure like a mountain-toppling wave crashing over her. The heart in her chest beat more violently than ever before. Her body could no longer bear it, and her legs gave way as she collapsed to the floor.
Her congenital deficiencies made her body sickly and weak, to the point where she couldn't even leave the island. Her heart was still pounding wildly, as if trying to explode before its owner was killed.
Time seemed to slow down, yet the figure moved swiftly.
Amidst the belated horror of Merry and the others, he stopped in front of the pale Kaya, who was clutching her chest.
Hiroto looked down at the girl trembling with fear, bent over, and extended a large, broad hand toward Kaya.
"It's okay, you're safe."
"..."
Kaya stared blankly at the large hand, then at the calm Hiroto. After a moment's hesitation, she reached out her hand. When she grasped that large, broad hand, she suddenly felt her wildly pounding heart gradually calm down, as if she were no longer afraid.
Then she was pulled up. The large hand let go naturally, which actually made her feel a bit of loss.
"We can give you money, all of it, just don't hurt our young lady." Merry finally reacted and spoke hurriedly.
"What are you saying? Do you take me for a pirate?"
"..."
Merry was speechless.
You have a 40 million berries bounty, if you aren't a pirate, then what the hell are you?
Hiroto frowned. "Kuro is dead. I killed him. His body is in the courtyard. How you handle it is your own business. You owe me a life-saving debt. Those Marines came for me, it has nothing to do with you. Finally, I'm not here to rob you. I just came along with Binmock."
Binmock!?
The familiar name startled Merry, but he quickly breathed a sigh of relief.
No matter what, as long as there was no malice toward them, it was fine.
After thinking for a moment, he steeled himself and said, "To express our gratitude for saving our lives, please tell me what reward you require?"
No matter what the other party said next, as long as it didn't threaten Kaya, he was prepared to agree immediately even if they wanted all of Kaya's family fortune. This person was simply too terrifying, he didn't want to take even the slightest risk.
"Do you have a ship?" Hiroto asked after a thought.
"A single-masted sailing ship with a sheep's head design."
He was just short of saying 'Going Merry' directly.
Merry was stunned for a moment, then immediately said, "We do."
"What's the name?"
"The Going Merry."
"Then that's the one. I don't want anything else. After all, I've caused you quite a bit of trouble."
Having achieved his goal, Hiroto couldn't help but show a warm smile.
Kaya, watching from the side, was momentarily dazed.
The Going Merry was a light caravel. Although Hiroto didn't know much about such things, if it could make Luffy and the others marvel, its quality was clearly top-notch. The most crucial part was the huge gain from taking the Going Merry.
"Cough, cough!"
Amidst the coughing, at the end of the gaze everyone instinctively cast, Tashigi struggled to lift her head, her gloved hand constantly groping around her. She seemed to be looking for something.
"Even now, you're unwilling to give up the fight?"
Hiroto walked past Kaya and came before Tashigi, who couldn't find her weapon and could only struggle to stand by leaning against the wall.
"I... I am a Marine... for the justice of the Marines..." Tashigi tried to say something intermittently.
However, she was immediately interrupted by Hiroto. "For the justice of the Marines? I won't deny that some of you Marines are indeed decent. But as for the justice of the Marines, you'd better go back and check what it means to 'destroy a country in three years'. Even if it was a non-affiliated nation, that was still an evil deed of your Marines."