Longinus's Performance

Longinus's Observation Haki easily picked up the discussions of the people around him.

The cause of the incident was rather ridiculous. It had all started because the little girl being pinned beneath the burly man wanted to sell a few flowers. After mistakenly approaching the wrong customer, she was deemed by the noble-looking young man to have dirtied his view, so he immediately ordered his attendants to beat her severely and teach her a lesson.

Then the burly man rushed out of the crowd and shielded the little girl beneath him. For some unknown reason, he did not even dare to resist, silently allowing the noble's attendants to beat him.

It was cruel but... also very realistic. In the Pirate World, human lives were as cheap as grass. If one did not want to drift like dust, one could only seize the right to have a say in this world!

Hearing the young noble's arrogant and haughty words, the surrounding crowd also showed displeasure. However, considering that the Marine patrol guards should arrive soon, they suppressed their impulses and waited for the moment when the young noble would get what he deserved.

Of course, there was no shortage of contempt and disdain in the "whispering," after all, hardly any normal person would like someone with the young noble's mannerisms.

"Lord Rex, we seem to have run into a tough one. This guy's body is frighteningly strong, and our punches and kicks can barely do him any real harm."

The butler-like attendant leaned over to Rex and spoke in a low voice, a trace of fear faintly visible in his tone. "If this guy suddenly lashes out and hurts someone, it won't matter much for us. But if Lord Rex gets hurt, our offense will be far more serious."

Moreover, they had roughly learned from the surrounding crowd's conversation what would happen if they caused trouble here, making them even less willing to continue attacking.

"What did you say?" Rex grabbed the butler by the collar and demanded angrily, "What are you useless fools afraid of? That guy doesn't even dare to fight back! Go beat him hard. Beat him to death!"

"Pfft! Are these guys here to make us laugh?"

"Haha! This is the first time I've seen someone beat another person without daring to throw a punch."

"Probably some fallen noble from a tiny country. Strong on the outside, weak on the inside."

Listening to the crowd's "whispering," Rex felt that his identity as a "Celestial Dragon of the lower world" had suffered tremendous humiliation. Combined with all the frustrations he had encountered since leaving the island, this finally caused his fury to erupt completely.

Anger rose from his heart, and malice overcame his scruples.

"Since you want so badly to protect this bastard who offended a noble, then you can die in her place!" Rex drew his pistol, aiming the black muzzle at the burly man's back.

"Ah! He's going to kill someone!" The surrounding crowd instantly fell into an uproar. No one had expected this slick-looking noble to actually dare kill someone in a Marine base. Did he really think he was a Celestial Dragon?

The burly man shielding the little girl beneath him also changed color in horror when he heard the crowd's screams.

If he were facing the enemy directly, he was absolutely confident he could use the sword on his back to cleave through the bullet's path. But the problem was that his back was turned to the enemy, making it impossible for him to predict the shot. And if he dodged, the little girl beneath him would certainly die.

On the inn, Longinus narrowed his eyes slightly. With his strength, he could completely defuse the crisis before that idiot noble fired. But... since he had decided to join the Marines in the most perfect manner possible, why not make good use of this opportunity?

Bang!

Rex did not hesitate for long. Even the finger pulling the trigger did not tremble in the slightest. Executing a bastard who resisted him was nothing more than a bloody act that would only make his blood boil even more.

However, the ferocious expression on Rex's face soon froze. A young man with a youthful face and determined eyes had stepped in front of the burly man. He had caught the bullet in his palm, and blood flowed between his fingers, dripping onto the ground.

Rex widened his eyes in disbelief. Although the young man's palm seemed to have been shot through, he had undeniably stopped the attack. Rex knew that some monsters could dodge bullets, but this was the first time he had ever seen someone catch one with flesh and blood!

The uproarious crowd instantly fell silent. Even in a Marine base filled with strong individuals, such a shocking scene was exceedingly rare. Moreover, the sight of someone using his flesh and blood to protect the "weak" behind him touched their hearts with an even deeper sense of emotion.

Longinus released his fist without changing expression. The metal cartridge, stained with blood, fell to the ground with a crisp sound. Without even sparing the stunned Rex a glance, he turned and asked,

"Why didn't you resist? With your strength, dealing with these attackers should have been easy."

The burly man raised his head, revealing a face so hideous it was breathtaking. The surrounding crowd was even frightened into retreating several steps in unison. The burly man seemed to have long since grown accustomed to this and merely spoke with a hint of inferiority and longing, "Because I want to become a Marine!"

Although the words seemed to come out of nowhere, Longinus immediately understood. This ugly man was worried that if a fight broke out, he would be treated as a troublemaker like the noble, causing him to lose his eligibility to enlist.

"Your thinking isn't wrong, but weakness without limits will only encourage violence. Besides, the justice protected by the Marines has never been obtained through retreat and compromise." Facing that standard horror-movie visage, Longinus showed no abnormal reaction. Instead, he spoke with a gentle smile.

"Y-you aren't afraid of me?" The ugly man was stunned and asked in surprise.

"Afraid? Why should I be?" Longinus shook his head with a smile. "You possess a pure heart more beautiful than anyone else's!"

Rex, who had been ignored, came to his senses. Under the combined pressure of humiliation and fear, his face twisted ferociously as he pulled the trigger again. "You bastard! Let's see how many bullets you can stop!"

The instant Rex's finger moved, Longinus drew the pistol at his waist with astonishing speed. With his Observation Haki locking onto the target, he did not need any time to aim at such a short distance. The bullet, bursting from its muzzle in a tongue of flame, arrived first despite being fired later, shooting into the barrel of Rex's pistol just as he pulled the trigger.

Boom!

The barrel exploded in a burst of flame. A twisted arm fell from the air to the ground, accompanied by Rex's pig-like scream.

Everything had happened with such explosive speed that the surrounding crowd fell into a silence as if time and space had frozen. They stood there with their mouths agape, lost in bewilderment.

The ugly man, deeply moved, opened his eyes wide. His right hand, gripping the hilt of his sword, remained frozen behind him. Admiration showed in his eyes as he looked at Longinus, followed by a trace of concern as he asked, "Is this... really all right?"

Longinus replied indifferently, "I merely used a bullet to block his gun barrel. He pulled the trigger himself. What does his losing a hand have to do with me?"