Sudden Pirate Incident

Outside the bar's open-air seating area, Jango and Fullbody drank until their faces were flushed red, boasting about each other's dancing skills.

Then a bounty poster slammed onto the table.

"Hmm?"

Fullbody looked down at the table. When he realized that the photo on the bounty poster looked remarkably similar to his best friend's face, his muddled mind immediately sobered up, and he finally remembered who he was.

He was a Marine, here to catch pirates!

When Jango saw his own bounty poster, all the liquor he had yet to swallow sprayed out. He immediately realized something was wrong.

He wanted to run, but a cold tubular object pressed against his lower back. He could easily tell what it was by touch.

A pistol!

Marines?

Jango stiffly raised his hands to show that he would not resist, but under the table, his foot kicked Fullbody, hoping that his newly acquainted best friend would help him out.

However, Fullbody seemed oblivious to his predicament. His face darkened as he fell silent.

Cold sweat poured down Jango's back. Then Fullbody raised his head, picked up the bounty poster from the table, and the smile had vanished from his face.

"Sorry, I'm a Marine!"

"Huh???"

Jango stood there dumbfounded for a while before finally reacting.

"You came here specifically to catch me?"

"That's right."

Fullbody stood up. The excitement he had shown while dancing was gone, leaving only the coldness he showed toward pirates.

As a Marine, even if the other man was a like-minded friend, he would not bend the law for personal reasons. That was his principle.

Fullbody looked at Luo Ya behind Jango.

"Luo Ya, let's change locations."

"Okay!"

Luo Ya studied Fullbody for a moment, then nodded slightly. Arresting someone in the center of a busy district could easily cause panic among the citizens.

A moment later, the three arrived in an empty alley.

Jango was trapped between the two of them with nowhere to run, but more than escaping, he was furious at being "betrayed" by his friend.

This was a conspiracy against him!

"Marines, aren't you being too despicable?!"

"..."

Fullbody's face darkened, and he could not find a rebuttal. Entrapment always felt a little dishonorable.

Luo Ya did not think much of it. Capturing pirates was extremely dangerous work. If being underhanded could reduce casualties, then it did not matter if they were even more underhanded.

"I advise you not to resist, Pirate."

Luo Ya did not want to waste words. He was also worried that something might happen if they dragged this out too long. They should lock this guy up first, then consider everything else.

Just as he took out the Shackles, panicked screams suddenly came from outside the alley, followed by citizens rushing into it in terror.

"Run! Pirates are here!"

Perhaps because of the Dance Competition, pirates had been drawn here.

Luo Ya's expression darkened.

Glass Bead Island was not under the jurisdiction of the 153rd Branch. Once pirates appeared, Marines from a nearby branch would handle them.

However, setting sail took time. By the time the Marines reached Glass Bead Island, who knew how many civilians would die? Under such circumstances, as Marines, they had no reason not to step forward and stop them.

Though they knew it was dangerous and not their responsibility, if they lacked even this much courage and sense of justice, what kind of Marines were they?

From the moment they joined the Marines, they had taken on the corresponding responsibility!

"Luo Ya, go protect the civilians."

Fullbody tore off his suit, revealing a Marine Undershirt. "Leave this guy to me. I'll definitely bring him back."

"Understood."

Luo Ya gave Fullbody a deep look, then immediately ran out of the alley. After a brief observation, he sprinted toward the harbor.

The pirates were over there!

Inside the alley, the two faced each other.

Jango adjusted the brim of his hat. Luo Ya's departure reassured him somewhat. In fact, he had already been planning his escape.

As a Great Pirate with a bounty of nine million Beli, he could not be intimidated by a pistol alone.

As long as he was not hit in a vital spot, he would not die so easily.

Facing Fullbody, Jango no longer sounded angry. He said calmly, "Catching me won't be easy with just you alone."

"Don't underestimate me."

Fullbody removed his Iron Fist Gauntlets and assumed a fighting stance with his bare hands.

"If it's you, you should understand how I feel right now."

"Yeah, I can feel it."

Jango also raised his fists and assumed a fighting stance, making an agreement with Fullbody.

"If I lose, I won't run!"

"Hahaha, let's settle this!"

The two charged at each other at the same time!

Elsewhere, at the harbor.

A pirate ship docked, and more than a dozen ugly pirates poured off the vessel. Every one of them held their hands like monkeys, with a tulip perched atop their head.

Not even the captain was an exception.

The pirates drew their blades and threatened the people at the harbor. "Gahahaha! We're the Tulip Pirates! Hand over all your valuables!"

The pirates announced their names. Their captain even deliberately took out his own bounty poster to show off his strength and fame. It was a bad habit many pirates had.

"Blooming Rocío, bounty: three million Beli."

Luo Ya had just arrived and witnessed the scene. Once he saw the captain's bounty amount, he relaxed considerably.

Though he was still not sure of his own level, a pirate worth three million Beli should be manageable.

To be safe, he only needed to hold them off until reinforcements from a nearby branch arrived.

The pirates quickly began acting, turning their butcher's blades on powerless weaklings and intending to force the civilians into submission through slaughter.

"Hey, stop!"

When he saw the pirates taking hostages, Luo Ya immediately stepped forward. His gaze was icy as he shouted in a sonorous voice.

"Let that girl go!"

The harbor fell silent.

When the civilians saw a Marine appear, they were immediately overjoyed. But when they realized Luo Ya was alone, their joy vanished without a trace.

What could one Marine possibly do?!

The pirates were also startled by Luo Ya. They instinctively gathered around their captain, but when they realized Luo Ya was alone, their expressions immediately darkened.

"A mere Marine thinks he can stop the Tulip Pirates?"

"How ridiculous."

"Hey, which one of you is going to kill him?"

One particularly muscular pirate walked toward Luo Ya. Just as he was about to spit out a few threatening words, Luo Ya lifted his leg and kicked him hard between the legs.

"Chew!"

The pirate clutched his crotch and dropped to his knees, his threat turning into a chicken's cry.

Then a flash of steel cut through the air.

"Pfft~~"

A bloody line split open across the pirate's neck, and a great spray of blood burst forth. Then he fell stiffly to the ground, crimson blood spreading beneath him.

The harbor fell silent again.

Luo Ya held his blood-dripping blade and swept his icy gaze across the remaining pirates, sending chills down their spines.

When there was no need to take anyone alive, a battle between Marines and pirates was a fight to the death. They could not let any chance to kill the enemy slip away.

Cowardice would only get them killed!

"Simon was taken out!"

The pirates felt a chill run down their backs. Only now did they realize that the Marine before them was definitely no ordinary Marine!