Evil Marines

Luce felt that today was an unlucky day.

This was the southern part of the East Blue's Michael Kingdom.

Although the Michael Kingdom was not large, with a total population of only a little over a hundred thousand, it was still a member nation of the World Government.

However.

Ever since the Goa Kingdom in the East Blue had done something a few years ago about excluding and clearing away unnecessary things, earning the Celestial Dragons' approval and receiving the title of the East Blue's most beautiful country, all the member nations throughout the East Blue had seemingly gone mad, each wanting to imitate the Goa Kingdom and gain the Celestial Dragons' recognition.

The Michael Kingdom was no exception. After that incident, the nobles and administrators within the country had all proposed following the Goa Kingdom's example, excluding the poor, useless yet innocent citizens, making the Michael Kingdom more beautiful in order to gain the Celestial Dragons' approval.

But he, as king, had refused them.

That was right. Though he was now sallow and emaciated, dressed in ragged clothes, he had once been the king of this country.

Only.

Because he had rejected the nobles' request back then, while his younger brother had agreed to their demands, he was ultimately driven from the throne by his own brother. He led the elderly and impoverished citizens excluded by the Michael Kingdom to the barren, desolate south of the Michael Kingdom.

During that chaos, all his family had perished, leaving only a young granddaughter by his side.

Though heartbroken, as a king, he did not regret it!

Perhaps that would have made the Michael Kingdom clean and beautiful, but how could he, as the king of the Michael Kingdom, abandon his citizens when they had done nothing wrong?

That was not the bearing a king should possess.

The only thing that pained him was that, in the end, he still could not protect his citizens.

Yet even after being driven to this remote place, he had not given up. He continued leading the abandoned citizens as they struggled to survive here.

Originally, he had thought that although everyone had lost everything, perhaps they could still struggle on and survive here.

As long as everyone stayed together, that was enough.

However.

Never did he expect that today...

"Pirates are here!"

At the shout of some scavenger, everyone raised their heads and looked toward the shore. Sure enough, they saw a massive pirate ship bearing a black panther head.

The southern part of the Michael Kingdom lay near the sea, a desolate land where nothing could be cultivated.

Though this place was poor and bleak, and even filling their stomachs was incredibly difficult, under King Luce's leadership, they had not given up hope of survival and continued living here with great hardship.

They had thought that, having lost everything and become scavengers, they would finally be able to live in peace. Though life was bitter and no one could eat their fill, at least... everyone was still here, and King Luce had not abandoned them.

Yet they had never expected...

They had already fallen this far, already become scavengers, yet the sea still refused to spare them.

Just as everyone fell into despair.

"Don't give up! Everyone, don't give up! The Michael Kingdom has probably already received news of the pirates. Those nobles are even more afraid than we are of pirates coming to rob them."

Seeing the despairing crowd, Luce hurriedly shouted, "The Marines will definitely come save us soon. We just need to hold on a little longer. I heard that the commander of the base in our waters has been replaced. He's a very formidable Marine of justice. As long as pirates dare attack his waters, he'll never let them go. Children, hide quickly, and the rest of us need to hide too. Just hold on a little longer."

With tears held back in his eyes, he looked at everyone.

"We've endured for so long already. Are we really going to give up like this? Please, everyone, hold on a little longer. The Marines will be here soon."

Moved by Luce's impassioned words, hope once again shone in the eyes of the despairing crowd.

"That's right. King Luce gave up everything for us. Are we really going to let King Luce down like this?"

"Though we're exhausted and hungry, we've held on for so long. How can we abandon King Luce and die?"

"Everyone, listen to King Luce! Let's hold on a little longer! Besides, we don't have anything left to be robbed of anyway!"

However.

Just as everyone had pulled themselves together again.

That enormous pirate ship had already docked, and the pirates had already disembarked.

"Yo, everyone's here? Not bad, not bad. There are quite a few of you! And every one of you looks half-starved. Perfect, take them all away!"

A cheerful voice instantly shattered the hope they had just kindled.

Everyone turned to look at the pirates standing right before them.

Especially the terrifying bald pirate at the front with his burly build—one look was enough to tell that he was the pirate captain. And what that man had just said...

Take them away?

These people had not merely come to plunder wealth. They were a band of slave catchers?!

Fear immediately surged through the crowd once more.

"P-Pirates..."

"That's right, we're pirates! I'm the captain of the East Blue Overlord, the Moke Pirates."

Moke nodded proudly. But as he looked at the terrified people before him, a smile he considered friendly appeared on his honest-looking face. "Don't be afraid. Although we're pirates, we won't do anything to you. We're only here to..."

Scratching his bald head, seemingly unsure how to explain, he simply waved a hand. "Ah, forget it. You'll find out when the time comes. Hurry up and get moving—take them all away, take them away! We've got a new ship this time, and it can hold even more people. Take them all!"

At Moke's command, the scavengers, who had already been doubtful, immediately panicked. But how could a group of sallow, emaciated refugees possibly stand up to the Moke Pirates?

They could not even outrun them?!

"Run! Run now! Everyone, run!"

Luce roared with all his strength, trying to get everyone to flee, but as he watched the chaos unfold before him, he knew they were already too late.

Those damned slave-catching pirates would never let them go.

The only consolation was that he had hidden his granddaughter away, so she would not be caught by these pirates.

As a former king of an allied nation, Luce knew all too well how those nobles treated slaves.

Staring at everything before him, Luce continued shouting furiously and desperately for everyone to run. Even if there was no hope left, perhaps someone could still escape?

He clenched his fists and was about to urge everyone to run again when—

"Yo, judging by the look of you, you seem to be their leader?" The burly pirate strode right up to him and grabbed him like a chick. "Tell them to stop already. This is too much trouble!"

"Pah! Damn pirate, keep dreaming!" Faced with the pirate's "threat," Luce spat angrily in his face. "Even if I die, I will never submit to you!"

He was doomed anyway.

But he was not afraid!

His only regret was his young granddaughter.

Sure enough.

"Why're you, old man, spitting on people?" After wiping his face, Moke said to Luce with a dark expression, "And how long has it been since you washed your face? Tell everyone to stop, or don't blame me for getting rough. If you get hurt, don't come crying to me."

"..."

Seeing the pirate captain before him darken his face after being spat on, then threaten him again, Luce instead felt strangely calm. I'm sorry, Lena. Grandpa can't protect you anymore!

He was just about to close his eyes and show the pirate that he would never compromise, that he would not compromise even in death, when—

"The Marines are here! The Marines are here!"

Someone shouted.

Luce, who had already accepted his fate, slowly opened his eyes again. Sure enough, he saw a Marine warship slowly approaching the shore. His face immediately filled with excitement and renewed hope as he said in a trembling voice, "The Marines... are here!"

He had heard that the Marines' newly appointed base commander was a righteous Marine who hated evil, someone formidable who had come from Marine Headquarters. As long as he saw pirates, he would definitely arrest them.

They... still had hope!

He raised his head and looked at the pirates, who had stopped moving and now wore grave expressions. A smile immediately appeared on his lips. "Damn pirates, the Marines are here. You'll definitely be arre—"

However.

Before he could finish speaking—

The pirate captain, who had looked serious just moments ago, suddenly seemed to notice something. A smile appeared on his face again as he waved at the other pirates. "It's fine, it's fine. They're one of us! One of us! Keep doing what you're doing! Hurry up and catch everyone!"

"???"

One of us?

What did that mean?

Luce, who had been full of excitement, was instantly dumbfounded. He raised his head in disbelief as an unimaginable thought suddenly surfaced in his mind.

Those were the righteous Marines.

But no matter how fiercely he denied it in his heart...

He saw it.

Right before him.

That burly pirate captain tucked him under his arm and, without the slightest fear of the Marines nearby, walked over with a smile and a wave. "Hey, Smoker, you're here too!"

Sure enough.

They really knew each other?

Just as tears of despair fell from Luce's eyes once more—

Suddenly.

"Hmph!"

The Marine whom he had believed to be in league with the pirates snorted coldly. Luce's body trembled again. He raised his head and looked at the Marine before him, at that stone-faced Marine, as hope flared up in his heart once more.

That look of disgust.

And that dark expression.

No!

Perhaps he had misunderstood. These pirates were not in the same gang as the righteous Marines!

There was no mistaking that gaze or that expression.

However.

Just as Luce's hope flared up again and he was about to call for help.

"Capturing people again?" The grim-faced marine removed the cigar from his mouth, looked at the pirate captain, frowned, and said, "Didn't you already get plenty this time?"

The pirate captain scratched his head with a cheerful grin. "Ah, aren't there just too many pirates? That's no good, so the boss told me to grab a few more whenever I had the chance. I happened to see these guys, so I figured I'd bring them back!"

"Be careful." After the cigar-smoking marine gave the frail old man under Moke's arm a casual glance, he nodded slightly and paid him no more attention. Raising his head to look at the pirate captain again, he impatiently added, "And hurry up!"

This scene, this moment.

Left Luce, whose hope had just been rekindled, utterly stunned, staring in disbelief at the harmonious sight before him.

Pirates, marines?!

Then his body began trembling again. Filled with fury and despair, he glared bitterly at the marine who turned a blind eye to the tragic scene right before him. As if exhausting every ounce of strength in his body, he roared, "You... you evil marines! You're actually in league with pirates! Are you worthy of the justice you bear?"

"..."