The sound of the metallic jaw hitting the stone floor echoed in the heavy silence.
Every Marine stood frozen, watching the tyrant who had once seemed invincible reduced to a headless corpse. The sea breeze carried the scent of iron and salt, sending a chill down the spines of everyone present.
"Captain Morgan... is dead..." a soldier whispered, his voice trembling as it broke the quiet.
Zoro, though pale and weak, forced himself to stand upright. His hand rested on the hilt of his sword, his gaze sharp and wary as he scanned the surrounding Marines. "Hey! If any of you want to avenge this guy or try to arrest us... bring it on!"
But as Zoro braced for another round of slaughter, something unexpected happened. The Marines looked at each other, and suddenly, a massive cheer erupted.
"WE'RE FREE!!!"
They tossed their rifles and caps into the air, dancing with joy. "No more living in the shadow of that tyrant! Long live freedom!" Some even cast looks of profound gratitude toward Viktor and Luffy.
Luffy tilted his head, utterly bewildered. "Huh? Why are they so happy that we killed their boss?"
Viktor let out a soft chuckle. "That is the reality of a reign of terror." He walked over to Morgan's head, his expression cold.
[Ding! Defeated "Axe-Hand" Morgan.]
[Combat Evaluation: A.]
[Reward Obtained: 500 Ninja Path Points.]
Since you believed that the strong devour the weak, Viktor thought as the system notification chimed in his mind, you should have been prepared to eventually... become the weak one.
"What are you mulling over, Viktor?" Luffy's voice interrupted the Vice-Captain's "cool" moment. "That's too deep for me! More importantly—I'M HUNGRY! MEAT! I NEED MEAT!!"
As if on cue, Zoro's eyes rolled back, and he began to topple over backward.
"Whoa!" Viktor moved with lightning speed, catching the future greatest swordsman. "Dead?"
Zoro cracked one eye open, his voice a faint rasp. "I'm... starving to death... you bastard... three weeks without food..."
Viktor shook his head and hoisted Zoro onto his back. "Let's go, Luffy. I heard him; Zoro said he's treating us to a feast."
"You... damn liar! I never... said that!"
"ALRIGHT!! MEAT! DELICIOUS MEAT!!" Luffy cheered. Under the complex stares of the Marines, the trio strolled out of the base as if they owned the town.
Half an hour later, inside Rika's family restaurant.
Empty plates were stacked like a mountain—Luffy's handiwork. Zoro had finished a dozen bowls himself and was now leaning back, picking his teeth with a satisfied sigh.
"Burp! I'm back among the living! Three weeks without a meal, I really thought I was a goner."
"Huh? You're full already?" Luffy asked, his mouth stuffed with meat on the bone. He looked like a hamster. "I've only reached thirty percent capacity!"
Viktor, having eaten his fill, sipped his tea elegantly. He looked at the two bottomless pits, specifically at Zoro's vibrant green hair, and couldn't help but activate his "poison tongue" mode.
"To survive that long without food or water is impressive," Viktor said, leaning in to inspect Zoro's head. "Is your anatomy special? Are you actually marimo? Do you photosynthesize?"
Zoro froze. "Ha?"
"It makes sense," Viktor continued with a straight face. "Only plants can last that long on sunlight alone. Good news! We won't need to pack food for you. We'll just leave you out in the sun to recharge."
BANG!
Zoro slammed his fist on the table, a vein throbbing on his forehead. "WHO ARE YOU CALLING MARIMO?! I'M A HUMAN!"
"Ah! You bastard! I've been putting up with you since you stuffed those rice balls in my mouth! You want to go, Red-Eye?!"
"Hahaha!" Rika, Koby, and even Luffy burst into laughter at Zoro's explosive reaction.
Viktor ignored the rage and turned to the landlady with a charming smile. "Sorry about their appetites. Zoro mentioned he'd like to pay extra for the trouble."
"I NEVER SAID THAT! STOP SPEAKING FOR ME!"
"Haha, it's fine!" the landlady laughed, wiping her hands. "You're the heroes who saved this town! This meal is on the house!"
"Yeah!" Rika added, looking at them with hero-worship. "You guys are so cool! Just like the heroes from legends!"
Luffy grinned, bits of meat flying. "Shishishi! Of course! I'm the man who's gonna be King of the Pirates!"
Zoro stopped arguing and turned serious. "Oh, speaking of that." He crossed his arms. "If you're claiming to be King, your crew must be huge. Where's the ship? Where are the other members?"
Luffy swallowed and shook his head. He held up his greasy fingers to count: "Viktor... me... and you!" He held up three fingers proudly. "Exactly three people!"
"WHAT?!" Zoro shouted, leaning back in shock. "Just three of us? That's not a crew, that's a group of friends!"
"What's the big deal?" Luffy argued. "We're all strong!"
"And the ship?" Zoro pressed. "A pirate crew needs a ship."
Viktor chuckled and pointed toward the docks. "Right there. That's our mighty vessel."
Zoro looked. Next to the giant warships and merchant vessels, bobbing pathetically in the waves... was a tiny wooden boat meant for four people. It had one small sail and required oars.
Zoro turned back to see Luffy's beaming face and Viktor's calm smile. He massaged his temples. "I... think I joined the wrong crew. Is it too late to quit?"
"Too late," Viktor said with a smirk. "Once you're on the boat, it's for life, Marimo-swordsman."
"STOP CALLING ME MARIMO!!"
After the bickering died down, they got to business. "Alright, Captain, Vice-Captain," Zoro sighed, accepting his fate. "Since we're a team, where to next?"
Luffy jumped up on his chair, arms raised, eyes burning with a hunger for adventure. He shouted the name:
"TO THE GRAND LINE!!"
The air in the restaurant seemed to freeze.
Pffft—!!
Koby sprayed water everywhere, jumping onto a table in a panic. "IMPOSSIBLE! IMPOSSIBLE!! NO WAY!!" He paled, waving his hands frantically. "Luffy-san! With just the three of you and that tiny boat, the Grand Line is suicide!!"
"That place is... the Graveyard of Pirates! It's a literal hell!!"