Chapter 6 The "Surprise" That Falls From the Sky
The colonel's office on the top floor of the naval base.
The heavy curtains blocked out the sunlight, making the room appear gloomy.
"Soldier, tell me."
Colonel Monca sat behind a huge mahogany desk, half his face hidden in shadow, only the metal jaw embedded in his chin gleaming coldly.
"I'm the greatest in the world, right?"
The naval soldier standing opposite him nodded vigorously.
"Yes, yes! Colonel Monka! Your greatness is beyond question!"
"Then why…" Monka's voice was low, "have the townspeople been offering less treasure lately?"
"Uh...that..." The soldier, sweating profusely, stammered his explanation.
"Because the townspeople's economic situation is also limited, plus the recent harassment by pirates..."
"Um?"
Monka suddenly raised his head, his fierce eyes fixed on the soldier.
"That's not a reason," Monka said coldly.
"The problem is that they don't have enough respect for me."
"As long as they are afraid of me enough, I will sell my children to raise the money."
"Colonel Montez!"
Just then, the office door was violently kicked open.
The two naval soldiers who had been driven in by Victor stumbled in, their faces ashen.
"Something terrible has happened!"
"What's the panic!"
"Pirates! Pirates have broken in! And they want to challenge you!"
One of the soldiers, panting heavily, cried out in terror.
"If you don't go down, they're going to kill Master Bellemere…"
The room fell into a deathly silence.
Monka slowly stood up, his already tall figure now appearing even more imposing.
His eyes widened as if he had heard an unbelievable joke.
"Pirates? You're challenging me?"
"Crack—Boom!"
Monka swung his arm violently, and the perfectly intact mahogany desk was instantly cleaved in two by a flash of cold light, the cut as smooth as a mirror.
Splinters flew everywhere, startling several sailors so much they nearly collapsed to the ground.
A huge double-edged axe was attached to his arm, with wood chips still clinging to the blade.
"How dare someone provoke me, 'Axe-Hand' Monka!"
Monka roared, his voice so loud it made the windows rattle.
"Listen up, all of you! Since I am your colonel, I hold the highest military rank!"
"That means—I am the most powerful and the most correct person here!"
He strode out of the wreckage of the desk, his eyes filled with a terrifyingly sinister glint.
"Pass down the order! Everyone, immediately go to the top floor and erect my giant stone statue!"
"To celebrate my impending execution of these arrogant rats, I will make the entire town of Shells witness my heroic deeds!"
"As for those pirates..." Morgan sneered, gripping his giant axe tightly, "I will personally chop off their heads before that happens!"
"Yes, Colonel Monka!!"
...
Meanwhile, in the corridors inside the base building.
"Hmm? Where exactly is it?"
Luffy looked around, still holding the Helmeppo who had been beaten beyond recognition.
Seeing that the guy hadn't said anything for a while, Luffy simply stopped and slapped that swollen face a few more times.
"Hey, you asshead, wake up! Tell me where Zoro's sword is?"
Bellemere felt like dying at that moment.
First, his wrist was broken by that red-eyed devil, and now this straw-hat madman is using him as a punching bag to slap him across the face.
His face was swollen like a steamed pig's head, and his eyes were squeezed into slits.
"Waaah... Stop hitting me... I'm in... in my room..." Bellemere cried incoherently.
"Oh? Where is your room?"
"It's right up there... Please, stop hitting it..."
Having gotten the answer, Luffy immediately grabbed Helmeppo and ran upstairs. Soon after, he kicked open the door to a luxuriously decorated bedroom.
The walls of the room were adorned with various valuable decorations, but in the corner, three knives leaned quietly against the wall.
One white scabbard, and two black scabbards.
"Found it!"
Luffy's eyes lit up, and he rushed over and picked up the three swords.
"Hmm? There are three? Which one is it?"
He tilted his head and thought for a moment, then smiled: "Whatever, three people, one for each of us! So cool!"
Luffy skillfully slung the three swords on his back and casually tossed Helmeppo to the ground like trash.
Just then, a series of hurried and rapid footsteps came from outside the corridor.
A large number of naval personnel were running towards the rooftop, shouting slogans.
"Quickly! Hurry up! Colonel Monca has ordered that the statue be erected immediately!"
"We need more people over there! Go pull the rope!"
Luffy's curiosity was instantly piqued, and he ran to the edge of the corridor to peek inside.
"Wow, what are all these people rushing off to?"
Upon hearing this, Bellemere, who was lying on the ground, had a wicked glint in his eyes.
This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!
My father might be on the roof right now.
If we can lure this idiot to the rooftop, my father will definitely tear him to pieces there!
"Ahem... This... Pirate Lord..."
Despite the excruciating pain, Berumeber forced a smile that looked more like a grimace. "The place they went to, at the very top... that's where our most precious treasure is hidden..."
"Treasure?!"
These two words were like a switch; Luffy's eyes instantly turned into golden Beli symbols, and his tongue lolled out.
"Really?! Is there delicious meat and treasure?"
"Of course…" Bellmeber sneered inwardly, continuing to coax, "That's a place only the strong can go."
"Okay! Thanks, Butthead!"
Luffy had no doubts at all, and turned around to rush towards the stairs leading to the rooftop with the flow of the Marines.
Watching Luffy's disappearing figure, Helmeppo revealed a sinister smile.
"Go to hell, you idiot! My father will chop you into mincemeat! Hahahaha—ouch!"
Because he laughed too hard, he aggravated the wound on his face, and his sinister smile instantly turned into a scream.
...
The rooftop of the base building.
The wind howled.
Dozens of sailors were chanting slogans as they struggled to pull a huge object covered by a canvas using pulleys and thick ropes.
"One, two! Pull!"
Just as everyone was sweating profusely, a figure wearing a straw hat suddenly darted up.
"Treasure! Where is the treasure?!"
Luffy looked around with shining eyes, but saw nothing but a group of exhausted marines and a large rock covered by a canvas.
"What...?"
Luffy pouted in disappointment, looking at the statue that had only been half-erected.
"What an ugly, broken stone, is this also treasure?"
Bored, he walked to the edge of the rooftop and peered down.
Looking down, they saw that the atmosphere on the playground below was already tense.
Victor and Zoro are facing a group of fully armed marines alone.
Opposite them, a tall man with an iron axe in his hand was walking towards them with a murderous look on his face.
"Oh no! Oh no!"
Luffy slapped his forehead, "I was so focused on finding the treasure that I forgot Viktor is still waiting down there! And I haven't even delivered Zoro's sword yet!"
Jumping from that height wouldn't kill you, but it would be too slow.
Luffy's eyes darted around, and his gaze fell on the huge stone statue behind him that had just been half-raised.
"Hehe, I've got it!"
Luffy took a few steps back and suddenly stretched out his arms.
"Rubber, rubber—"
His hands instantly stretched out, like two elastic ropes, tightly wrapping around the neck of the giant stone statue.
The sailors who were pulling the rope were stunned, staring at this bizarre scene.
"What...what the hell is that? Its arms have grown longer?"
Ignoring everyone's astonishment, Luffy used the elasticity of the rubber to back up to the edge of the rooftop, his body taut like a bow ready to be released.
"—Rocket launcher!!!"
"collapse!"
The immense elasticity is released instantly!
Luffy shot off at breakneck speed towards the training ground below, like an arrow released from a bow.
However, everyone underestimated the power of Luffy's attack, and... how unstable the stone statue was.
Under the immense pulling force, the Colonel Monca statue, which was not yet properly secured, emitted a teeth-grinding scraping sound.
"Snap!"
The rope snapped.
"Aaaaaah! The statue! The colonel's statue has fallen!!" the sailors screamed in terror.
The giant stone statue was pulled down by Luffy's force.
Following Luffy's trajectory, it tumbled and rolled with a rumble before veering off the edge of the rooftop—
whoosh whoosh whoosh—
Luffy flew ahead, followed closely by a gigantic stone statue weighing several tons, exuding an aura of world-destroying power...
It slammed down on Colonel Morgan, who was about to show off below... right on the head!
"Victor—! Zoro—! I'm here!!"
From mid-air came Luffy's excited shouts.
Below, Colonel Monka, who had just walked to the center of the parade ground and was about to deliver a powerful speech, suddenly felt a darkness descend upon him.
He looked up in confusion.
"Um?"Chapter 7: The Ninja's Tactics - Using Someone Else to Do the Deed!
"Um?"
Colonel Morgan, who was about to give a pretentious speech, looked up in confusion.
The next second, his pupils contracted violently, and his eyes almost popped out.
Because he saw "himself"—
The enormous stone statue's head, accompanied by a whistling sound, was crashing down on him like Mount Tai!
"You bastard!!"
In the face of life and death, Monka demonstrated the physical prowess befitting a branch colonel.
He instinctively lunged to the side, tumbling awkwardly into a heap.
"Thump—!!!"
A deafening roar erupted, and the earth seemed to tremble.
The enormous stone statue crashed heavily into the center of the playground and shattered into pieces instantly.
The flying stones stirred up a cloud of dust that completely enveloped an area of several meters in radius.
Wow! What a loud noise!
Luffy landed on the ground using the rebound force of the rubber, staring wide-eyed at the ruins before him.
Zoro took the three swords that Luffy handed him and quickly tucked them into his waistband.
He then pulled out the white Wado Ichimonji and bit it in his mouth, holding one in each hand, his eyes instantly turning sharp.
"Thank you, Luffy."
Zoro felt the familiar touch of the sword hilt, and his aura surged.
"Now I finally feel alive again."
He glanced at the billowing smoke and dust, and sneered, "Being hit by such a big rock, Monka must be crippled even if he doesn't die."
"That's not necessarily true."
Viktor stood to the side, his eyes gleaming red. "In the story, there's a rule: 'no harm even with smoke.'"
As if to confirm his words.
"call--!"
A powerful gust of wind suddenly burst forth from the smoke, and the dust that was enough to obscure vision was actually cleaved apart by a giant axe!
Monka's figure came into view.
Although he was covered in dust and dirt, his once-proud navy coat was now tattered and torn.
But the ferocious aura of choosing its prey was even more overwhelming than that of Congchou.
"You...how dare you do this to my statue!!"
Monka's eyes were bloodshot, and veins bulged on his forehead as he walked out of the ruins step by step.
"I am Axe-Hand Morgan! I am the only king of this place! You lowly pirates..."
"call out!"
Before he could finish speaking, a pitch-black kunai pierced the air, growing larger and larger in his eyes, heading straight for his throat.
"Hmph! Just as I thought, you're nothing but a sneaky little mouse!"
Monka scoffed dismissively and casually swung the massive metal axe-wielding hand.
"clang!"
The kunai was easily blocked and bounced to his feet.
"You think you can hurt me with a child's toy?"
Monka revealed a cruel, sinister grin.
However, Viktor, who was opposite him, showed no disappointment whatsoever; instead, a cold smile curled at the corner of his lips.
He formed a "寅" mudra with one hand and whispered:
"burst."
Monka paused for a moment, then subconsciously looked down.
The end of the kunai he had blocked had a piece of paper with strange runes attached to it, which was now glowing with a blinding red light.
"boom--!!!"
A violent explosion suddenly rang out at Monka's feet!
Flames soared into the sky, and rubble flew everywhere.
The explosive tags are not powerful enough to kill a strong person with this kind of physique.
However, if detonated at close range without any warning, its destructive power is still astonishing.
"ah!!"
Monka let out a scream as his... genitals were blown to pieces and he was thrown away by the huge shockwave.
"Let's go!"
The instant the kunai was blasted away, Viktor flashed forward like a cheetah.
He caught the kunai that was spinning around in mid-air, gripped it tightly, and lunged straight at Monka.
Wow! That explosion was so cool! I want one too!
Seeing this, Luffy shouted excitedly and stretched his arm back sharply, "Gum-Gum—Pistol!!"
"Me too!"
A cold glint flashed in Zoro's eyes as he raised three swords, shouting, "Three-Sword Style!"
The three launched an attack simultaneously!
"Damn stinking rats! I'm going to kill you all!!"
Monka, who was in mid-air, was completely enraged.
Although his legs were covered in blood, he was, after all, a battle-hardened naval captain.
Faced with Luffy's rapidly approaching fist, he didn't dodge or avoid it. Instead, he stretched out his intact hand and grabbed Luffy's outstretched wrist tightly!
"Got you!"
With a roar, Morgan used the elasticity of Luffy's arm to pull hard, instantly causing Luffy to lose his balance due to the immense force.
At the same time, he used his waist to generate force, turning Luffy into a meteor hammer and smashing him hard at Viktor and Zoro who were charging towards him!
"Waaaaah! Let me go! I'm dizzy, I'm dizzy!" Luffy yelled in the air.
This move was extremely ruthless, directly blocking Viktor and Zoro's attack routes.
"Tch, what a brute force monster."
Facing Luffy's onslaught, Victor did not retreat. His forward momentum suddenly halted, and his hands moved in a blur as he rapidly formed hand seals.
Hai-Xu-You-Shen-Wei!
Viktor suddenly looked up, his crimson Sharingan eyes locking onto Morgan's.
"Illusion Technique: The Technique of Seeing the Abyss!"
Monka, who had been looking furious, suddenly stiffened.
In his field of vision, Victor, Zoro, and Luffy suddenly disappeared.
Instead, he was confronted with the image of his deepest fears—
He saw himself being sent to a military court, stripped of his rank, and imprisoned in Impel Down.
And he was humiliated like a dog, trampled underfoot by Captain Crowe, who wore round glasses.
"No...no! I am the greatest! I am the colonel!!"
Morgan screamed in terror, his eyes glazed over, and the hand that had been gripping Luffy lost its strength due to extreme fear, involuntarily letting go.
"Huh? You let go?"
Before Luffy could react, he felt a tightening around his waist.
Viktor rushed forward and caught his out-of-control body, landing him steadily on the ground.
"Zoro! Now!" Victor shouted.
At this moment, Zoro had already rushed in front of Morgan.
Although Monca was briefly stunned by the illusion, his instincts as a warrior remained.
Just as Zoro's three swords were about to strike him, a strong sense of danger forced him to deflect them to the side.
"Pfft!"
Three deep, bone-revealing knife wounds appeared on Monca's chest, and blood spurted out.
"ah!!"
The excruciating pain instantly snapped Monka out of her fear of the illusion.
He looked at the wound on his chest, and the fear in his eyes instantly turned into a frenzied killing intent.
I'm going to tear you to pieces!
With a roar, Morgan brought his giant axe down on Zoro, whose strength had been exhausted, with a whooshing sound!
Zoro's attack was weakened by hunger, and his body was stiff, about to be struck.
"Zoro! Bow your head!"
Luffy's furious shout came from behind!
Zoro didn't even think; his body instinctively obeyed the command, and he instantly ducked down.
At the same time, a rubber foot suddenly appeared.
"Rubber—a stamp!"
Luffy kicked the axe handle, the immense force causing Morgan's axe to veer off course and smash a large crater in the ground.
Monka was also thrown backward by the force, leaving his front door wide open.
Just as Zoro was about to get up and give chase, a foot suddenly stomped heavily on his shoulder.
"Hey?!" Zoro exclaimed in surprise.
"To borrow a knife for use."
Viktor's voice rang in his ears.
Before Zoro could react, he felt his hand lighten as Viktor casually snatched the black sword away.
Victor then used Zoro's shoulder as a stepping stone.
With a burst of chakra, he leaped high into the air, leaving a black afterimage as he appeared above the unsteady Morgan.
The Sharingan glowed brightly red, locking onto the weakest point on Morgan's neck.
At that moment, Monka's neck appeared to him as if a red line marked the cutting trajectory.
"Uchiha-style swordsmanship - decapitation".
Viktor gripped the knife with both hands and, using the momentum of his fall, cleanly and decisively slashed diagonally down at Monka's neck.
"brush--!"
A sickening scraping sound rang out, followed by the dull thud of a sharp blade piercing flesh.
Monka's roar abruptly stopped.
Time seemed to stand still at that moment.
The next second.
A grotesque head with a metal jaw flew high into the air and spun several times in the sunlight.
Finally, with a "thud," it rolled to Luffy's feet.
The massive headless corpse of Moncada remained in the posture of wielding an axe.
After stiffening for two seconds, he collapsed to his knees, blood gushing from his neck like a fountain, staining the naval base's parade ground red.
Viktor landed steadily, flicking his longsword downwards to wipe away the blood droplets from the blade.
He turned around, sheathed his sword back into Zoro's scabbard, who was still staring in disbelief, and wore his usual elegant smile.
Zoro looked at the smiling Viktor and was furious.
"You really are a bastard!"
"Good teamwork, everyone."
The entire naval base was deathly silent.Chapter 8: A Three-Person Group? Their Goal is Hell!
The head with the metal jaw rolled to the ground with a dull thud.
The entire naval base fell into a deathly silence.
All the naval soldiers stared wide-eyed as the once arrogant and seemingly invincible tyrant was now a cold, headless corpse.
The sea breeze carried the stench of blood from the ground, sending chills down one's spine.
After a few seconds of silence, someone finally reacted.
"Colonel Monka... has been killed..."
A soldier's trembling voice broke the silence.
"incredible..."
"That Monka... he's actually dead..."
Despite his weakness, Zoro forced himself to stand up straight.
His hand rested on the hilt of his sword, and he looked around at the navy men with a mixture of resentment and wariness in his eyes.
"Hey! If anyone still wants revenge for this guy, or wants to arrest us... bring it on!"
Just as Zoro was preparing for the next round of battle, a strange thing happened.
The nearby sailors exchanged glances and looked at each other.
Suddenly, someone started it, and everyone burst into unprecedented cheers.
"Very good!!!"
The sailors shouted excitedly and threw their rifles and caps high into the air.
"We're liberated! We're finally liberated!"
"No more being dominated by Colonel Morgan! No more trembling in the shadow of this tyrant!"
"Long live the Navy! Long live freedom!!"
Several bolder marines even cast grateful glances at Victor and Luffy.
Luffy looked at the cheering marines, tilted his head, and looked confused.
"Huh? Why are they so happy that we killed their colonel?"
Viktor stood aside, watching this absurd scene, and chuckled softly.
"This is what they call a reign of terror."
Viktor stepped forward, glanced at Monka's unseeing head, and a cold glint flashed in his eyes.
[Ding! "Axeman" Monka defeated.]
[Battle rating achieved: A.]
[Reward received: 500 Ninja Points.]
Hearing the pleasant system notification in his mind, Victor said quietly.
"Since you believe in the survival of the fittest and treat others like ants to be trampled on, then you should have been prepared to become a weakling long ago."
However--
"What are you saying, Victor!"
Luffy tilted his head even further, directly interrupting the vice-captain's moment of showing off.
"This is too complicated for me! More than that, I'm hungry! I want meat! Meat!!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Zoro swayed, his eyes rolled back, and he fell straight backward.
"Hello!"
Viktor reacted quickly and caught the future great swordsman.
"Dead?"
Zoro struggled to open one eye, his voice so weak it was like a mosquito's buzz.
"I'm... starving! You bastard... you haven't eaten for three weeks..."
Viktor shook his head helplessly and picked Zoro up on his back.
"Let's go, Luffy. I heard Zoro say he's treating us to dinner."
"You...bastard! I...I didn't say that!"
"Yay!! Meat! Delicious meat!!"
Under the complex gazes of the navy personnel, the three swaggered out of the naval base.
...
Half an hour later.
Inside Rika's restaurant in Shellstown.
The table was piled high with empty plates, a masterpiece of Luffy.
In front of Zoro were a dozen empty bowls, and he was picking his teeth with a toothpick with a satisfied expression.
"belch--!"
Zoro let out a satisfied burp and breathed a long sigh of relief.
"Ah! I'm alive! I hadn't eaten for three weeks, I almost thought I was going to die!"
"Hmm? Are you full already?"
Luffy's mouth was stuffed full of meat with bones, his cheeks puffed out like a hamster's, and he mumbled, "I'm only a third full!"
Viktor had already eaten his fill, and now he elegantly took a sip of tea.
Looking at these two gluttons, especially Zoro whose hair was still shiny green even though he was full, I couldn't help but switch into my sarcastic mode.
"It's truly amazing that you can go without food or water for so long."
Viktor stroked his chin, scrutinizing Zoro's head with an inquisitive look.
"Is it because of your special structure? Are you actually green algae? Photosynthesizing?"
Zoro froze as he picked his teeth: "Huh?"
Victor explained in a serious tone, "After all, only plants can survive for so long through photosynthesis."
"Hmm, good news! Looks like I won't need to prepare food for you anymore, I can just put you out in the sun to dry off."
"Bang!"
Zoro slammed his fist on the table in anger, veins bulging on his forehead, and roared at Viktor.
"Who are you calling algae?! I'm a human!"
"Ugh! You bastard! I've been putting up with you ever since you stuffed that rice ball into my mouth! Want to fight, you red-eyed bastard?!"
"Ha ha ha ha!"
Seeing Zoro's flustered state, Rika, Coby, and even Luffy couldn't help but burst into laughter.
Viktor completely ignored Zoro's anger and turned to give the proprietress, who was clearing away the dishes, a charming smile.
"Sorry, ma'am, these two guys eat way too much. Zoro said he'd give you a little extra money."
"When did I ever say that! Don't speak up for me without my permission!"
"Haha, it's alright!" the proprietress said with a smile as she wiped her hands.
"You are the heroes who saved this town! This meal is on me! Eat whatever you like!"
"That's right!" Rika looked at the group with admiration. "The older brothers are really amazing! They're like heroes from legends!"
Luffy, spewing bits of meat from his mouth, laughed loudly: "Hehehe! Of course! I'm going to be the Pirate King!"
Upon hearing this, Zoro, who was sulking with Viktor, suddenly stopped and his expression became more serious.
"Oh, speaking of that."
Zoro crossed his arms and looked at Luffy.
"Since you dare to declare that you want to be the Pirate King, your pirate crew must be quite large, right? Where is your ship? Where are your other crew members?"
Luffy swallowed the meat in his mouth and shook his head.
He stretched out his greasy hands and began to seriously count on his fingers: "Victor... me... plus you!"
Luffy held up three fingers, looking proud: "Exactly three people!"
"ha?!"
Zoro's eyes widened, and he exclaimed in disbelief.
"So now it's just the three of us?! Is this even considered a pirate crew?!"
"What does it matter!" Luffy said matter-of-factly. "We're both very strong!"
"What about the ship?" Zoro asked, unwilling to give up. "Surely there's a pirate ship, right?"
Victor smiled and pointed out the window towards the dock: "Look, that's our pirate ship."
Zoro looked in the direction Victor was pointing.
Beside the massive warships and merchant ships, pitifully bobbing up and down with the waves... was a small wooden boat that could probably only seat four people.
Even with just a small sail, it still had to be rowed by hand.
Zoro stiffly turned his head, looking at Luffy with a bright smile and Viktor with a calm expression, and couldn't help but painfully rub his forehead.
"Am I... on a pirate ship...? Is it too late to get off now?"
"Too late," Victor added with a grin. "Once you're on board, it's for life, you green-haired swordsman."
"I told you not to call me 'green algae head'!!"
After a period of playful banter, the group finally got down to business.
"Well, Captain, First Mate... sir," Zoro sighed, asking resignedly.
"Now that we've teamed up, where should we go next?"
Luffy jumped up from the chair, raised his hands, his eyes gleaming with a thirst for adventure, and shouted that name:
"Of course it's the Grand Line!!"
The moment those four words were uttered, the air in the restaurant seemed to freeze for a moment.
"puff--!!"
Koby, who was drinking water, spat it out and jumped onto the table in terror, clutching his head and screaming:
"Impossible! Impossible!! Absolutely impossible!!"
Coby's face turned pale with fright, and he frantically waved his hands: "Mr. Luffy! With just the three of you and that small boat, going to the Grand Line is just suicide!!"
"That place is... a pirate's graveyard! It's a real hell!"Chapter 9: Become the King of the Navy!
Inside the restaurant, the atmosphere became somewhat somber because of the words "Grand Line".
The proprietress wiped the table while looking at the excessively young teenagers with concern.
"I've also heard passing travelers mention that the area is known as the 'graveyard of pirates'."
"Once you enter the Grand Line, no one ever comes back alive... It's teeming with monsters, natural disasters, and madness."
"Ha ha ha ha!"
Luffy was still chewing on meat when he burst into carefree laughter.
"But ONE PIECE is right there! So we absolutely have to go!"
There's nothing we can do about that.
Zoro crossed his legs, put his hands behind his head, and curled up a fearless smile.
"Now that I'm on this pirate ship, I guess I'll have no choice but to venture into hell."
Looking at these two lunatics, Koby felt a deep sense of powerlessness.
He turned his head and looked at Viktor with pleading eyes.
"Mr. Victor, you will stop them, right? You know how dangerous it is there…"
"Koby."
Viktor suddenly spoke, interrupting him.
"Yes, Mr. Victor!" Koby straightened up instinctively.
Victor put down his teacup. "You're going to become a Marine, right?"
Koby was stunned.
He looked at the three pirates who had just saved him, and the hesitation in his eyes gradually faded, replaced by an unprecedented determination.
He took a deep breath, then raised his head and said loudly:
"Yes! It's ridiculous, isn't it... Mr. Victor."
"I don't have a Devil Fruit, I don't have powerful swordsmanship, and I'm even a coward."
"But since I met you all, I've wanted to change! I want to live for my beliefs!"
Koby closed his eyes tightly, his body trembling slightly.
He was mentally prepared to face the ridicule of the crowd, just like he had done on Alvida's ship.
One second, two seconds.
The expected laughter did not come.
Koby cautiously opened one eye.
Luffy was sitting cross-legged on a chair, his face covered in snot and tears, looking at him with an extremely moved expression.
"Waaaaah... Koby! You said it so well!"
"Go! Now that you've made up your mind, go and become the King of the Navy!!"
"Ha ha?!"
The touching atmosphere shattered instantly, and Koby frantically waved his hands and complained.
"Luffy-san, stop joking! There's no such thing as 'King of the Navy'! That's a Marine Admiral!"
Just as everyone was making a ruckus, the restaurant door was suddenly pushed open.
"Squeak—"
The once bustling restaurant instantly fell silent.
A naval lieutenant commander, wearing a coat with the word "Justice" on it, walked in with a serious expression, leading a squad of fully armed naval soldiers.
The lieutenant colonel's gaze finally settled on Luffy and his two companions.
"I heard you're pirates, is that true?"
"Yes!" Luffy made no attempt to hide it, even patting his chest with a hint of pride.
"Now we're a three-person pirate crew! Hahaha!"
The lieutenant colonel looked at that unguarded smiling face, remained silent for a moment, and then slowly took off his hat.
"Everyone is very grateful to you."
"If it weren't for you, our base and this town would probably still be living under the shadow of Monka's tyranny."
But the next second, the lieutenant colonel put his hat back on, his tone becoming stiff and cold.
"However, now that we know you are pirates, as marines, we cannot remain silent."
"For the sake of the Navy's reputation and position... please leave here immediately!"
"In return, we will not report your whereabouts to headquarters."
The onlookers immediately objected and stood up to criticize.
"Hey! Navy!"
How could you do this! They are our benefactors!
"That's right! Weren't you all just too afraid to move because of Monka's tyranny?"
Faced with the accusations from the crowd, the lieutenant colonel's face turned ashen, but he did not back down; he simply clenched his fists.
"Alright! Let's go then!"
Luffy showed no sign of anger. He picked up the remaining food and stood up decisively.
"Victor! Zoro! Now that we've eaten, let's set off!"
"Thank you for the treat, landlady!" Luffy waved with a smile.
Zoro picked up his three swords and followed, saying, "Seriously, the Marines are all so inflexible."
Just as the three were about to walk out the door, Koby was still standing there, not knowing how to face this moment of parting.
"brush!"
An unexpected change occurred.
Viktor, who had been walking at the back, suddenly turned around, grabbed Koby by the back of his collar, and yanked him hard.
Amidst everyone's horrified gazes, a jet-black, sharp kunai was pressed directly against Koby's vulnerable neck.
"Hey! Navy!"
The gentleness that had been on Viktor's face was gone, replaced by a chilling indifference.
"This kid is a hostage we took along the way. We originally planned to use him as a laborer, but now that we're leaving, keeping him around is just a burden."
Viktor patted Koby's pale cheek with a kunai and sneered.
"If you want him to live, send us ten days' worth of food and fresh water!"
Upon hearing this, the navy men, who had initially wanted to persuade the sailors to stay, immediately changed their expressions and raised their guns.
"Okay! No problem!"
The lieutenant colonel immediately waved his hand to stop him, his expression extremely serious.
"Please do not harm the hostages! We will prepare the supplies immediately!"
In less than five minutes, several large bags of supplies were delivered to the door.
Viktor glanced at the supplies on the ground, a satisfied smile curving his lips.
"You guys know what's good for you."
As soon as he finished speaking, Victor raised his foot and kicked Koby in the butt without any hesitation.
"Bang!"
"Ouch!"
Koby rolled like a gourd all the way to the feet of the Marines.
"You guys got off easy."
Viktor put away his kunai, picked up the supplies, and turned to leave.
Luffy and Zoro walked ahead without turning around, but the corners of their mouths couldn't help but turn up.
"Ah..." Zoro chuckled softly, lowering his voice, "That bastard really came up with everything; he even managed to get the supplies."
"Hehehe, Victor is such a bad guy."
Although Luffy said that, he was smiling more happily than anyone else.
Ignoring the wary gazes of the navy, the three swaggered toward the dock.
At the entrance of the restaurant.
Koby lay sprawled on the ground, staring blankly at the ceiling.
My butt hurts, but my heart is warm.
Although Mr. Victor's kick looked heavy, he didn't use much force at all.
He did it on purpose...
Koby's eyes instantly reddened, and tears streamed down his face uncontrollably.
He deliberately put on this act to distance himself from me... Viktor-san, Luffy-san, Zoro-san...
"Hey! Are you alright, kid?" The lieutenant colonel came over and tried to help him up.
Koby suddenly jolted awake, sprang to his feet, and stood ramrod straight.
He didn't bother wiping the dust and tears from his face, and shouted loudly at the stern-faced lieutenant colonel in front of him:
"Lieutenant Colonel! Please let me join the Navy!!"
The lieutenant colonel was taken aback.
"I'll do anything, from odd jobs and mopping floors to cleaning toilets!" Coby shouted hoarsely. "I want to join the Navy!"
A nearby naval soldier frowned.
"Lieutenant Colonel, this kid's identity is unknown. He was just hanging out with pirates..."
"I am--"
Coby took a deep breath, and Luffy's fearless smiling face appeared in his mind.
"I'm going to be a Marine Admiral!!"
The entire room fell silent.
The lieutenant colonel looked at the boy in front of him, who was crying and trembling.
"Many of our comrades have sacrificed their lives," the lieutenant colonel said in a deep voice. "The Navy carries 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 shouted.
The lieutenant colonel was silent for two seconds, then the corners of his mouth turned up slightly.
"Okay. I approve."
...
Shellstown Wharf.
A gentle sea breeze is blowing.
"You bastard, you've thought of everything. You did this on purpose, didn't you?"
As Zoro laboriously carried the large bags of supplies delivered by the Navy onto the shabby little wooden boat, he couldn't help but complain.
Viktor stood at the bow of the ship, tossing a stray apple in his hand, and took a bite.
"Oh? I think I acted pretty well."
Viktor chewed on an apple and mumbled, "It not only cleared that kid's name but also solved our food problem for now."
"That's strategy, understand, Green Algae Head?"
"You bastard!" Zoro's forehead veins throbbed as he glared at Viktor, who was only talking and not doing anything. "Come help me move these things!"
"I'm all about brains," Viktor declared confidently.
"The Three-Man Pirate Crew—Set Sail!!"
Before the two could finish arguing, Luffy had already jumped onto the bow of the ship and untied the mooring rope.
As the sea breeze blew, the small boat slowly left the shore.
Just then, hurried footsteps came from the embankment.
"Mr. Luffy—!! Mr. Victor—!! Mr. Zoro—!!"
The three of them turned around and looked back.
Koby stood on the shore, with a row of navy soldiers standing neatly behind him.
Koby waved his hand, sobbing uncontrollably, and shouted:
"I will never forget this kindness!! One day, we will meet again!!"
"Goodbye, Coby!!" Luffy stood at the bow of the ship, waving his arms vigorously, his smile as bright as the sun. "Next time we meet, we'll be enemies!!"
"Goodbye, big brothers!" Little girl Rika also ran out, waving frantically.
Just then, the lieutenant colonel suddenly stepped forward.
"All - salute!!"
"brush!!"
All the marines, including Coby, raised their right hands in unison, giving the highest military salute to the pirate boat that was gradually disappearing into the distance.
This is the Navy of Shellstown, a tribute to "True Justice".
On the sea.
Zoro watched this scene with a slight smile on his lips: "Hmph, what a strange bunch of marines."
"It is indeed strange, but not bad, is it?"
Viktor turned around and looked at the boundless sea.
"Wait a minute... does anyone know anything about navigation?"Chapter 10 I thought it was a speed bump!
On the vast ocean, a lone little wooden boat drifts with the waves.
Viktor lay at the stern of the ship, his hands behind his head, seemingly resting with his eyes closed, but in reality, his consciousness was immersed in the system mall.
Looking at the "600" points of ninja virtue balance that makes obsessive-compulsive disorder feel very comfortable.
Victor's finger hovered over the virtual interface for a long time.
After hesitating for a moment, he decisively clicked to buy.
[Ding! 300 Ninja Points consumed to exchange for a C-rank Ninjutsu: Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique.]
[Ding! 200 Ninja Points consumed to exchange for an E-rank Ninjutsu: Substitution Jutsu.]
[Current balance: 100 points.]
"Phew... After working so hard all day, I'm back to square one."
Viktor looked at the remaining three digits and sadly shut down the system.
Just then, a foot kicked his shin without any politeness.
"Hey! Viktor! Stop playing dead, it's your turn to row!"
Zoro gripped the oar, veins throbbing on his forehead, and glared at the so-called "first mate" with obvious displeasure.
Victor immediately rolled over.
"I've already said it, I'm a brainy person."
"This kind of physically demanding work should naturally be left to swordsmen or rubber men with unlimited stamina."
"Huh? You bastard..." Zoro gritted his teeth. "Speaking of which, where are we going?!"
"Huh?" Luffy, who was playing in the water by the edge of the boat, turned around and said matter-of-factly, "Just go with the flow!"
Zoro yelled in frustration, "I'm telling you! Wanting to be a pirate but not knowing a single thing about navigation, isn't that strange?!"
Luffy picked his nose: "That's not strange, is it? I've always been like this."
"That's not surprising at all!!"
Enraged, Zoro couldn't help but shake the ship violently.
Wow!
Luffy lost his balance, and the straw hat he cherished on his head was ripped off his head, caught by the sea breeze, and flew out of the ship.
"Ah!! My hat!!"
Luffy's expression changed drastically, and he frantically reached out to grab it, but grasped at nothing.
Just as the hat was about to fall into the sea, a slender hand suddenly reached out.
"brush!"
Victor did not get up, but simply supported himself on the deck with one hand.
His body leaned out of the ship's side at an incredible angle and firmly grasped the edge of the straw hat.
Then, with a flick of his wrist, he tossed the hat back to Luffy.
"Give."
Victor lay back down and said lazily, "Stop arguing, you two idiots."
Luffy took the straw hat, carefully brushed off the dust, and put it back on.
He looked at Viktor, a rare hint of seriousness in his eyes.
"Thank you, Viktor. This is more important to me than life itself."
"Gurgle gurgle—"
Luffy clutched his stomach, his expression instantly turning sour.
"Ah... speaking of which, I'm so hungry. Viktor, do you have anything to eat?"
Victor's lips twitched: "Don't change so fast, you bastard!"
Zoro turned his head suspiciously and looked at the large packages placed in the middle of the cabin.
That was a ten-day supply of supplies they had extorted from the Navy.
However, when he opened the package, he was completely petrified.
Apart from a few buckets of fresh water, the dried meat, fruit, bread, etc. that were originally packed full have all disappeared, leaving only a pile of empty wrappers.
"that..."
Luffy guiltily looked away and whistled.
"You bastard!!" Zoro grabbed Luffy by the collar and shook him violently. "Did you eat all our supplies for ten days?!"
"Sorry! I wasn't paying attention at all! It was gone as I was eating it!"
Viktor sighed and helplessly rubbed his forehead.
He also bears some responsibility for this; he was too busy picking out skills in the system shop.
Completely unaware that the glutton next to him was inhaling the food like crazy.
Luffy, however, seemed completely oblivious to the danger. He looked up and saw a giant, strange bird flying overhead.
The bird was ridiculously large, almost like a small glider.
"Ah! I've got it!"
Luffy's eyes instantly turned into fleshy shapes, and he started drooling.
"That bird looks so meaty! Let's eat it!!"
Viktor looked up.
Pink feathers, enormous size... Is this the unlucky big bird from the story?
Before Victor could even speak to stop him, Luffy had already gotten into a fighting stance.
"Rubber, rubber—"
Luffy stretched out his arms and grabbed the ship's side, his body tensing back as he aimed at the large bird in the sky.
"—Rocket launcher!!"
"collapse!"
Luffy shot into the sky like a cannonball, heading straight for the giant bird.
Zoro crossed his arms: "Oh? That guy's pretty capable, managing to climb up that high."
However, the next second, their gazes changed from admiration to shock.
Luffy did indeed rush towards the giant bird, but instead of shooting it down, he got his entire upper body stuck in the bird's enormous beak!
"Huh?!"
The large bird was startled, then flapped its wings, picked up Luffy, and flew away into the distance.
"Huh? Huh?!"
Luffy's muffled screams echoed from mid-air.
"Help!! I'm stuck!! Victor! Zoro! Help me!!"
Zoro's jaw nearly dropped to the floor: "That idiot... was he snatched away by a bird?"
"Stop spacing out, Zoro!"
"Ugh! This is so annoying!"
Although Zoro complained, he moved swiftly.
He grabbed two oars, his arm muscles bulging, and rowed wildly as if a turbocharger had been activated.
The small wooden boat carved a white trail on the sea and sped off in the direction the large bird had flown.
...
"Huff... huff..."
Just as the two were desperately chasing after them, three floating figures suddenly appeared on the sea ahead.
Those were three pirates dressed in strange clothes; they were members of the Buggy Pirates, whose ship had been tricked away by Nami and who were now only able to tread water in the sea.
Seeing the small boat speeding towards them, the three of them shouted and waved excitedly as if they had seen a lifeline.
"Hey!! Stop right there!!"
"We're here! Please help us!"
However, the small boat showed no sign of slowing down and rammed straight towards them.
"Wow! Who is that?!"
"We're going to crash!!"
On the bow of the ship, Victor looked at the three guys blocking his way and gave them a benevolent smile.
"Hey you in front, if you want to get up here, do it yourselves! If you can't, then be my speed bump!"
"What?!"
The three pirates were terrified. They could only hurriedly dodge to the sides, then desperately grabbed the edge of the small boat and scrambled aboard.
"Phew...phew...I'm saved..."
The three men lay on the deck, panting heavily.
Zoro glanced at them as he rowed: "Hey, I didn't expect you guys to actually make it up. Not bad."
One of the pirates, who had a mohawk, recovered.
He looked up at the two men on the boat—a green-haired coolie and an annoying pretty boy.
A malicious thought arose instantly.
He pulled a gleaming machete from his back and grinned maliciously:
"Now that you're aboard, this ship is ours! Hand over the treasure and fresh water!"
The other two also pulled out daggers and surrounded them menacingly.
Victor sat at the stern, a slight smile playing on his lips.
"Oh? Robbery?"
"Hmph! If you don't want to die, then..."
Before the Mohican pirate could finish speaking, his vision suddenly blurred.
I didn't see how the black-haired boy got up.
He felt a sharp pain in his chest, as if he had been struck by a hammer.
"Bang!"
Victor delivered a clean and powerful knee strike, hitting him directly in the stomach.
The Mohican pirates couldn't even scream; they clutched their stomachs, curled up on the ground in agony, and foamed at the mouth.
Immediately afterwards, Victor slammed his palm down on the face of the pirate who was lunging at him from the left, using the force to smash him hard against the ship's deck.
"Thump!"
Wood chips flew everywhere, and the second pirate immediately passed out.
As for the last person, Viktor simply dodged the dagger by slightly turning his body.
Then, a jet-black kunai appeared in his right hand, its cold blade precisely pressed against the opponent's carotid artery.
Two seconds... and the battle is over.
...
The scene changes.
The three pirates who were just moments ago looking fierce and menacing are now sitting on either side of the ship with bruises and swelling on their faces.
They gripped their oars and rowed with all their might, their faces plastered with extremely fawning smiles.
"Hehehe... Gentlemen, are we paddling steadily?"
"We never expected to meet two gentlemen like you. We were truly blind and deserve to die!"
Victor and Sauron sat leisurely in the middle of the cabin.
Zoro looked at the three hardworking "human engines" and nodded in satisfaction.
"Hey, Viktor, Luffy's nowhere to be found, and you're still so calm?"
Victor pointed to the sky: "That bird isn't flying very high, and its direction is very clear."
"With Luffy's rubber body, as long as he doesn't fall into the sea, he'll basically be in no danger."
Zoro thought about Luffy's absurd physique and nodded in deep agreement.
Then, he looked sharply at the three pirates rowing the boat.
"Hey, what were you guys shouting 'Captain Buggy' in the sea just now?" Zoro asked. "Who's that Buggy?"
Upon hearing the name, the three pirates paused in their actions in shock.
"Huh? Uncle Zoro? You don't know 'The Clown' Buggy?"
One of the pirates stared wide-eyed, as if he had heard something unbelievable.
Zoro looked at Viktor with a puzzled expression: "Is he very famous?"
Victor said casually, "You can tell from the name... he's a circus clown, right?"
"puff--!!"
The three pirates were so frightened they almost jumped into the sea.
Shh!! Shh!! You absolutely mustn't say that word!
The pirate covered his mouth in terror and said in a low, trembling voice.
"That Captain Buggy... he's a terrifying man! He's a man who ate a Devil Fruit and is capable of splitting into two parts!"
"If he hears someone call him 'clown' or laugh at his red nose..."
"He'll blow the whole town to smithereens