Easily Taking Down the Captain, Recognizing the Captain

"They... actually reflected the bullets back..."

"And that guy, the weapon in his hand can transform?!"

"It looks like paper—"

The ordinary Marine soldiers were so terrified by the magical scene that they were beside themselves with fear, but Colonel Morgan, their base commander, was 'experienced and knowledgeable'.

"Don't panic, those two just ate 'Devil Fruits'!"

"Devil Fruit..."

"The sea's secret treasure—"

"This..."

"Hmph,"

"Devil Fruits are nothing more than street performance tricks."

"Since bullets won't work, then it's swords!"

The tall Morgan glanced at the close-combat Marine soldiers beside him and pointed forward with the axe in his right hand!

"Go, kill them!"

"Charge!!"

"Kill—"

"Ahhhhhh~~~"

Facing their commander's 'Go get 'em!', a group of Marine soldiers shouting all sorts of slogans could only brace themselves and charge, only to be met with:

Three swords!

One in each hand, and one held horizontally in his mouth, the three katanas instantly met the swords of the Marine soldiers, blocking all the attacking soldiers with a 'clang'! At the same time:

"Whoever moves, I'll cut them!"

A bone-chilling killing intent made the Marine soldiers tremble all over. Zoro's mere gaze made their limbs stiffen, as if ice shards were flowing through their blood.

"I owe you my life, so I agreed to be a pirate with you."

Even with over a dozen swords against him, the man named Zoro didn't even frown. However, some things needed to be made clear:

"But I also have my own ambition—"

The target of his speech was, of course, the captain who had just agreed to join his 'pirate crew': Luffy.

"I want to become the world's greatest swordsman!"

"If you dare to force me to give up my dream, then I'll make you commit seppuku as an apology in front of me!"

You want to recruit me?

Then carry my dream with you, otherwise—

Facing Zoro's menacing words, Roman raised an eyebrow, while Luffy simply grinned broadly.

"Of course, the world's greatest swordsman is the perfect nakama for the Pirate King."

"What are you guys still standing around for!"

The charging soldiers were so intimidated by Zoro alone that they didn't dare to move. An enraged Morgan directly swung his axe, cutting down a soldier whose gun was pointed at the ground.

"Fire! Kill those good-for-nothings too!"

However, in the face of such an 'outrageous' order, and under Morgan's accumulated authority and the 'example' of the soldier just cut down, the soldiers holding firearms had no choice but to aim their weapons with trembling hands at:

Luffy, Zoro, — and their comrades!

"Paper Dance - Crossbow."

Fire!

Puff puff puff puff, "Ah~~"

"What—"

Snap, A series of sounds of arms being pierced, mixed with the screams and exclamations of many soldiers, and the clatter of guns hitting the ground, was Roman slowly advancing towards those Marine soldiers.

"Hey, there are limits to underestimating people."

In his hands were two pure white crossbows. These were all manufactured by Roman's ability, and they fired arrows made of 'paper', but:

Their power was no less than that of the Marine soldiers' flintlock guns!

"I don't object to you killing your own men," the crossbow in his hand automatically cocked, generating an arrow, and then aimed!

"But attacking my nakama is the same as attacking me—"

Then I can fight back!

"Who is this guy..."

"It's Roman, the combat captain of the Silver Light Pirates, 'The Counterattacker'?"

After all, he's a 'head' worth ten million Belly. Roman's face is quite a deterrent in the East Blue! — By the way, the original Silver Light Pirates were not a local East Blue force, but rather rogue pirates who were driven here from the North Blue.

"Why are you here... Could the 'Silver Light Pirates' be nearby!"

Facing Roman, even Colonel Morgan, who considered himself very 'great', couldn't help but panic. With a total bounty exceeding forty million, the Silver Light Pirates were by no means something an ordinary Marine base in the East Blue could handle.

Morgan had originally 'captured' 'Hundred Plans' Kuro, whose bounty was sixteen million, to obtain his position as Colonel...

"Don't worry, the Silver Light Pirates are no more in this world."

Facing the Marines who seemed to be facing a great enemy, Roman pointed his thumb backward:

"Now I am the 'Straw Hat Pirates'..."

Whoosh—

A red figure moving at high speed had already passed Roman and was charging towards Colonel Morgan.

"Well, it seems someone can't wait any longer."

Bang!

Luffy's fist slammed hard into the other man's axe, forcefully pushing the towering Marine Colonel back a step.

"Hey, I'm your enemy."

"If you have the guts, come fight me!"

Killing his nakama... that's the most disgusting thing...

"Hmph, nameless nobody."

"I am Colonel Morgan, 'Ax Hand' Morgan!"

Facing the enraged Morgan, Luffy, with a blank expression, announced his name.

"Oh, I'm Luffy, nice to meet you."

"Who told you to—"

With a horizontal swing of his right hand's giant axe, the piercing 'ripping' sound instantly split the nearby wall in half!

"Introduce yourself!?"

"Powerful, but too slow—"

As Roman commented leisurely, the Marine Colonel's axe indeed made no progress! Luffy easily dodged the attack with an agile jump on the spot, and then:

Bang!

He casually kicked the Marine Colonel in the face, causing the man to stagger back several steps.

"You're dead!!"

Morgan, who had reached the peak of his anger, stabilized himself and immediately lunged forward, delivering a fierce downward chop that cleaved a long crack in the stone Marine plaza! But:

"I'm not going to die~"

With an agile turn, he dodged the axe and unleashed a whip kick.

Crack!

Hit in the temple with a kick, Morgan's over two-meter-tall body immediately swayed and fell. Luffy then grabbed him by the collar, raising his other fist high.

"What Marines, you destroyed Koby's dream—"

"Stop!"

Bang!

However, Luffy's fist continued to fall. After landing a heavy blow, he stood up and turned towards the source of the voice.

"I told you to stop~~"

The one shouting was that second-generation brat, Colonel Morgan's son at this Marine base!

No one knew when he'd sneaked onto the battlefield, but he was holding a short flintlock gun to Koby's head, his threat obvious.

"If you move again, I'll shoot him!"

"Lu... Luffy..."

"Don't mind me. Even if I die, I don't want to be a burden..."

It must be said that in the face of life and death, true character is revealed. — Koby, who was originally timid and cowardly, showed no fear at this moment.

"Alright!"

"Hey, you who only rely on your dad."

Luffy first nodded to Koby, then pointed at the second-generation brat, "Give up. Koby is serious. A real man wouldn't drag his friends down with threats..."

However, behind Luffy, a tall figure had already silently stood up! The great axe in his hand was raised high—

"Don't move, or I'll shoot..."

"Luffy, watch out behind you!"

Facing one man's barely concealed delight and another's selfless warning, the boy named Luffy merely adjusted his straw hat.

"Roman,"

"Understood—"

Thwip!

Clatter.

The short gun dropped to the ground from his hand. The second-generation rich kid stared at the 'paper arrow' that had pierced his palm. After a moment of stunned silence, he let out an earth-shattering scream:

"Aaaahhh~ My hand~~~!"

Meanwhile, on the other side, Marine Captain Morgan, who had been holding his axe high behind Luffy, stood completely still like a statue! Only a second later did he slowly fall backward. Luffy, who hadn't looked back and had just kept his hand on his straw hat, flashed a bright, toothy grin.

"Well done,"

"Zoro."

Behind the falling Morgan, Zoro revealed himself, holding three swords.

"Piece of cake—"

The man biting on his katana replied.

"Captain."