The Formidable Marines

The ugly brute nodded blankly. While he felt that Longinus made a great deal of sense, he also found something strangely unspeakable about it.

The surrounding crowd was also somewhat worried. Watching that young noble howl and roll around on the ground had been immensely satisfying, but since that idiot dared to be so arrogant, he must have had something to rely on. Could this young man who had stepped forward withstand the retaliation to come?

Moreover, although that idiot noble had provoked them first, he was the one who ended up suffering in the end. If the Marines decided that Longinus had caused trouble, that was not impossible either.

"Ahhh! You bastard, I'll kill you! I'll definitely kill you!" Rex howled through tears and snot, his eyes filled with unforgettable hatred.

Longinus narrowed his eyes. He hated trouble the most. Since this fellow still intended to keep pestering him, he might as well find an opportunity to take care of the idiot before he left.

Of course, to preserve his own bright and upright image, he could only do something like that discreetly under another identity.

"Who are you going to kill?" A detached voice rang out, instantly suppressing the restless crowd.

A group of people appeared, led by a Marine officer wearing a Coat of Justice.

"Marines, you came at the right time! Quickly execute these lowlifes for attacking a noble! Hanging, firing squad, anything will do!"

Rex's expression gradually twisted into a perverse grin. He even cast aside the pain of his severed arm.

One second, two seconds, three seconds...

The atmosphere shifted from solemn to awkward...

Seeing that every Marine remained unmoved, Rex roared in humiliation and fury, "Are you all idiots? Move already! My cousin is a major at your base. If you don't obey, I'll have my cousin deal with you!"

"My name is Jonathan. My rank is rear admiral. Care to familiarize yourself with that?" the leading Marine said calmly.

Rex's eyes widened. No matter how foolish he was, he could easily tell the difference between a major and a rear admiral.

Longinus was also stirred. A Marine rear admiral was second only to the base commander, one of the five Big Shots standing at the pinnacle of this vast sea.

Although G2 Branch had one Marine vice admiral and five Marine rear admirals, those important figures were mostly occupied with official duties and did not remain at the base year-round. Running into one here was practically like winning the lottery.

"Y-you..." Rex threatened weakly, "So what if you're a Marine rear admiral? I'm the heir to the count of the Kingdom of Gono. The Marines cannot stand above royal authority!"

"The Kingdom of Gono?" Jonathan drew his pistol with an indifferent expression, its black muzzle aimed at Rex. "An illegal nation that is not affiliated with the World Government. Even if the King stood before me, as long as he violated Justice, I would have the authority to shoot him."

Longinus fell silent. This man carried himself like a Celestial Dragon, yet he was not even a noble from a World Government member nation. Where had he gotten that confidence?

At this point, Rex finally became afraid. His limp body kept inching backward across the ground, leaving behind a pale yellow trail. His lips opened and closed as though he were about to beg for mercy.

However...

Bang!

A silver bullet instantly pierced his skull. Blood spread across the ground as Rex stared wide-eyed, still unable to believe that he would die here.

Rex's lackeys snapped out of their daze. Before they could run more than a few steps, a squad of Marines seized them and dragged them off to prison.

At last, Jonathan turned his gaze toward Longinus, the ugly brute, and the little girl nestled against his side. As everyone waited anxiously, a faint smile appeared on his face.

"What are your names?" Rear Admiral Jonathan asked with a gentle smile.

"Longinus."

"T. Bone."

"You two... did very well! To become a Marine, one must possess the conviction to uphold Justice and the resolve to put it into action!"

"However, Longinus was very right about one thing. The Justice protected by the Marines has never been gained through weakness and compromise. Only by purging evil with great strength can Justice and peace truly descend upon this world!" Jonathan said earnestly to T Bone.

"Yes! Thank you for your guidance!" T Bone nodded heavily. He felt no jealousy toward Longinus; instead, he was quietly happy for him, simply because Longinus had not rejected him for his appearance.

Next, Jonathan's assessing gaze moved over Longinus, while Longinus faced it calmly without the slightest discomfort. That composure made T Bone feel somewhat ashamed. Just now, he had not even dared to meet Rear Admiral Jonathan's eyes for too long.

"I never expected to meet the young hero Adkin told me about so soon!" Jonathan's words left everyone stunned. The Marines behind him were even more dumbfounded. Their usually stern and steady rear admiral held such high praise for a mere boy!

"Adkin... young hero..." Longinus frowned slightly. As far as he remembered, he did not seem to have had any contact with that person.

"Don't be surprised. Colonel Adkin only arrived after you left Falling Leaf Town. Frankly, it is rather shameful. That cunning and brutal Giant Rhinoceros Pirates escaped Marine pursuit several times, and in the end, we had to rely on you to kill him. Fortunately, you eventually chose to join the Marines, so we did not lose all face."

The appreciation in Jonathan's eyes grew even stronger. "Still, it was thanks to the Giant Rhinoceros Pirates fleeing to your island that we learned a young hero like you had eliminated dozens of pirate crews, large and small, for us over the past three years, easing the immense pressure on our shoulders."

"I merely did what I should have done," Longinus said, his Kind Personality once again showing its true colors.

Once Longinus acknowledged it, the surrounding crowd suddenly erupted.

"Did I hear that right? This boy who looks no older than twelve or thirteen actually destroyed the infamous Giant Rhinoceros Pirates?"

"Rear Admiral Jonathan said it himself. How could it possibly be false?"

"That was a Great Pirate with a bounty of 37 million Beli! Back home in the West Blue, you could search the entire sea and never find a pirate crew that powerful!"

"To accomplish something like this at such a young age is truly remarkable. Perhaps today, we are witnessing the rise of a Marine Admiral!"

T Bone's eyes were also filled with admiration. Although he had killed quite a few pirates, the highest bounty among them had only been a little over 10 million Beli. His accomplishments were simply far behind Longinus's.

No wonder he possesses such beliefs and awareness. Had he come to understand the essence of Justice through his constant battles with pirates? T Bone's eyes grew brighter and brighter, as though he had found a guiding light for his path in life.

If I could become a hero like Longinus, perhaps... everyone would stop hating me!