Inside the restaurant, the atmosphere remained heavy following the mention of the "Grand Line."
The landlady, wiping down a table, looked at the incredibly young trio with deep concern. "I've heard travelers mention it.
That sea is called the 'Graveyard of Pirates.' Once you enter, no one comes back alive... it's a place of monsters, natural disasters, and madness."
"Hahahaha!" Luffy, still chewing on a piece of meat, laughed without a care in the world. "But the ONE PIECE is there! So we have to go!"
"No helping it then." Zoro leaned back, crossing his legs and resting his hands behind his head with a fearless grin. "Since I've joined this 'wrong' crew, I might as well take a stroll through hell."
Koby felt a wave of helplessness wash over him. He turned his pleading eyes toward Viktor. "Viktor-san, you'll stop them, right? You know how dangerous—"
"Koby."
Viktor spoke, cutting him off.
"Yes, Viktor-san!" Koby straightened his back instinctively.
Viktor set down his teacup. "You're going to be a Marine, aren't you?"
Koby froze. He looked at the three pirates who had just saved his life. The hesitation in his eyes gradually ebbed away, replaced by a resolve he had never felt before. He took a deep breath and shouted:
"Yes! It's probably laughable... Viktor-san. I don't have a Devil Fruit, I don't have powerful swordsmanship, and I'm even a coward. But since meeting you all, I want to change! I want to live for my own beliefs!"
Koby squeezed his eyes shut, his body trembling. He was prepared for the mockery, just like the days he spent on Alvida's ship.
One second. Two seconds.
The expected laughter never came. Koby cautiously opened one eye. Luffy was sitting cross-legged on his chair, snot and tears running down his face, looking at him with an expression of profound emotional movement.
"Waaaaah... Koby! Well said! Go! Since you've decided, go and become the King of the Marines!!"
"Huh? What?!" The emotional atmosphere shattered instantly as Koby waved his hands in a frantic retort. "Luffy-san, stop joking! There's no such title as 'King of the Marines'! It's 'Marine Admiral'!"
As the group bickered, the restaurant door was suddenly pushed open.
Creak—
The room went silent. A Marine Lieutenant Colonel, draped in a coat emblazoned with "Justice," walked in with a squad of fully armed soldiers. His gaze eventually settled on Luffy's group.
"I've heard you are pirates. Is it true?"
"Yeah!" Luffy said proudly, thumping his chest. "We're a three-man crew now! Hahaha!"
The Lieutenant Colonel looked at the unguarded, smiling face, remained silent for a moment, and then slowly removed his cap.
"Everyone is grateful to you. If not for you, our base and this town would still be living under the shadow of Morgan's tyranny."
But in the next heartbeat, he put his cap back on, his tone becoming stiff and cold. "However, since we know you are pirates, we cannot remain silent as Marines.
For the sake of our reputation and position... please leave immediately! In return, we will not report your current location to Headquarters."
The onlookers were outraged.
"Hey! Marines! How can you do this? They're our saviors!" "That's right! Weren't you lot the ones cowering under Morgan just a moment ago?"
The Lieutenant Colonel's face turned pale at the accusations, but he didn't back down, merely clenching his fists.
"Fine! Then we're leaving!" Luffy didn't seem angry at all. He packed up the remaining food and stood up. "Viktor! Zoro! Since we're full, let's go! Thanks for the meal, Landlady!"
Zoro grabbed his three swords and followed. "Honestly, Marines are so thick-headed."
Just as the three were about to walk out, and while Koby stood frozen, not knowing how to say goodbye, a sudden change occurred.
Whoosh!
Viktor, who was walking at the back, suddenly spun around and grabbed Koby by the back of his collar, jerking him forward. In the horrified gaze of everyone present, a black, razor-sharp kunai was pressed against Koby's fragile throat.
"Hey! Marines!" Viktor's face was no longer warm; it was filled with a chilling indifference. "This brat was a hostage we picked up along the way.
I planned to use him for labor, but since we're leaving, he's just baggage."
Viktor patted Koby's pale cheek with the side of the kunai and sneered. "If you want him to live, bring us ten days' worth of food and fresh water! Now!"
The Marines, who had wanted to help, immediately turned pale and raised their rifles.
"Fine! No problem!" The Lieutenant Colonel waved his men down, his expression extremely solemn. "Please do not harm the hostage! We will prepare the supplies immediately!"
Less than five minutes later, several large bags of supplies were brought to the door. Viktor glanced at them, a satisfied smirk playing on his lips. "Glad you're being sensible."
With that, Viktor raised his leg and delivered a blunt kick to Koby's backside.
Thump! "Oof!"
Koby rolled across the floor like a bowling ball, landing right at the Marines' feet.
"He's all yours." Viktor pocketed his kunai, hoisted the supplies, and turned to walk away.
Luffy and Zoro were already ahead. Neither of them looked back, but their lips were curling upward.
"Heh..." Zoro chuckled softly. "That bastard thinks of everything. He even scammed them for supplies." "Shishishi! Viktor is so mean," Luffy said, laughing harder than anyone.
At the restaurant entrance, Koby lay on the floor, staring blankly at the ceiling. His rear hurt, but his heart felt warm.
Viktor's kick had looked heavy, but it carried almost no force. He had done it on purpose... he had staged that scene to sever Koby's connection to the pirates in front of the town.
Koby's eyes welled up. Viktor-san, Luffy-san, Zoro-san...
"Hey! Are you okay, young man?" The Lieutenant Colonel walked over to help him up.
Koby suddenly sprang up, standing perfectly straight. Ignoring the dirt and tears on his face, he shouted at the officer:
"Sir! Please let me join the Marines!!"
The officer blinked.
"I'll do anything! Chores, scrubbing floors, cleaning toilets!" Koby yelled with every ounce of strength. "I want to be a Marine!"
A soldier nearby frowned. "Colonel, this kid's background is unknown, and he was just with pirates..."
"I am—" Koby took a deep breath, Luffy's fearless smile flashing in his mind. "The man who will become a Marine Admiral!!"
Silence. The Colonel looked at the sobbing, trembling boy. "Many of our comrades have fallen," the Colonel said gravely. "Marines carry the weight of Justice. If you want to join, you must be prepared to die for it. Can you do that?"
"YES! I'M NOT AFRAID!!" Koby screamed.
The Colonel was silent for two seconds, then a small smile touched his lips. "Fine. I approve."
At the Shells Town docks, the sea breeze was gentle.
"You really think of everything, don't you? That act was on purpose," Zoro grumbled as he hauled the heavy bags of supplies onto the tiny wooden boat.
Viktor stood at the bow, tossing a "borrowed" apple into the air and taking a crisp bite. "Oh? I thought my acting was quite convincing." He chewed and spoke with a muffled voice. "It cleared the kid's name and solved our ration problem. It's called strategy, Marimo-head. Ever heard of it?"
"You bastard!" Zoro's veins throbbed as he watched Viktor do nothing but eat. "Help me move these things!"
"I'm the brains," Viktor said righteously.
"Three-man Pirate Crew—SET SAIL!!" Before they could argue further, Luffy had hopped onto the bow and untied the lines.
As the wind caught the small sail, the boat drifted away from the shore. At that moment, rapid footsteps echoed from the pier.
"LUFFY-SAN—!! VIKTOR-SAN—!! ZORO-SAN—!!"
The three looked back. Koby was standing at the edge of the pier, with a neat row of Marine soldiers behind him. He waved frantically, crying as he shouted:
"I'll never forget this kindness as long as I live!! One day, we'll meet again!!"
"See ya, Koby!!" Luffy stood at the bow, waving back with a sun-bright smile. "Next time we meet, we'll be enemies!!"
"Goodbye, Big Brothers!" Rika ran out too, waving with all her might.
Suddenly, the Lieutenant Colonel stepped forward.
"ATTENTION—SALUTE!!"
Snap!!
Every Marine, including Koby, raised their right hand in a perfectly synchronized salute toward the small, departing pirate boat. It was the salute of Shells Town's Marines to "True Justice."
On the water, Zoro watched the scene, a small smile appearing. "Hmph. What a bunch of strange Marines."
"Strange, but not bad, right?" Viktor turned around, looking out at the boundless ocean.
He paused, his expression turning slightly awkward. "Wait... by any chance, does anyone here actually know how to navigate?"