Major Longinus

"Ahhh!"

The peaceful atmosphere of the small town was suddenly shattered by a series of sharp screams.

"Oh no, the Giant Axe Pirates are here!"

"They must have come for revenge!"

"Don't panic. There are still Marines stationed on the island. These pirates won't be able to act arrogantly for long!"

The largest square in town had been occupied by a group of fierce-looking pirates. The residents who had been unable to escape were surrounded and held captive in the center of the square, huddling together in fear and unease.

"Where are those Marines? Release our captain at once, or don't blame us for killing every hostage behind us!" a Scarface pirate threatened sharply.

"If you want to die, go ahead and try!"

"Who—who's there?" The Scarface pirate turned around angrily, only to see a Marine officer wearing a Coat of Justice leading a squad of Marine soldiers toward them from afar.

"Hm? A little Marine brat. Were you the one who said that just now?" Scarface sneered, and the crisscrossing scars on his face made him look even more terrifying.

At this moment, a pirate following behind him stepped forward, trembling, and said, "Vice Captain, it's him. He's the one who captured the captain!"

"What? This brat?" Scarface asked in disbelief. Then, as if he suddenly remembered something, the violence in his eyes gradually turned into horror. "Wait, could you be the rising star the Marines have been talking about? The one no pirate has managed to escape from in the past two years, known as the Light of the Marines—Longinus?"

"Y-yes, that's him!"

"Are you planning to rescue Giant Axe Locke? I can hand him over to you, but on the condition that you guarantee the safety of those civilians." Longinus walked slowly toward them and spoke unhurriedly.

"Stop! Stop right there!" Seeing Longinus continually approach, Scarface let out a shrill cry like a timid wife cornered against a wall by a burly man. "Don't come any closer! Stay farther away from me!"

It wasn't just Longinus and the Marines behind him—even the civilians watching from a distance felt like laughing and crying at the same time. Was this really the same cruel and brutal pirate from earlier?

"He's too powerful. Major Longinus is simply too powerful. Just his presence alone can make such vicious pirates afraid to this extent!" the townspeople said excitedly after witnessing the scene.

"Of course. Major Longinus is a hero of the Marines. Whether it was rescuing a passenger ship that had been hijacked single-handedly, purging the evil pirates in the surrounding waters, or even taking part in quelling wars and rebellions in various countries, all of those were achievements he accomplished in just two short years." Although Longinus was not stationed on this island permanently, the islanders still spoke of him with pride whenever his name came up.

Hearing the civilians' worship of Longinus and contempt for himself, the Scarface pirate finally recovered from his fear and spoke furiously. "Longinus, you'd better know what's good for you. Release the captain at once, or don't blame me for going on a killing spree. Don't forget, I have hostages in my hands. A Marine who prides himself on justice like you wouldn't just sit back and watch these people die at my hands, would you?"

"I've already sent people to bring Giant Axe Locke out of prison, but you'd better remember this as well: if any of the people behind you are harmed, then even if I have to chase you to the end of the Grand Line, I will throw you into the deepest depths of Impel Down and let you know that even death is a luxury!"

Hearing Longinus mention the nightmare of all pirates, Scarface couldn't help trembling for a moment. He shook himself and said, "Y-you'd better hurry! Don't—don't try anything funny!"

As time passed by, Scarface couldn't help swallowing nervously. He was clearly the one with the upper hand, so why wouldn't his hands and feet stop trembling?

Those damn idiots. If they'd told me the one who captured that man was Holy Light Longinus, I'd have to have been kicked in the head by a donkey to come rescue him!

"Major Longinus, Giant Axe Locke has been brought here!" A squad of Marine soldiers escorted a monster nearly five meters tall over. Yet the giant-like captain of the Giant Axe Pirates made no attempt to resist. He walked over meekly like a bullied wife, and the instant he saw Longinus, his body even began trembling, as though he had recalled some unbearable memories.

"Go on. Your crew has come to rescue you," Longinus said indifferently.

"Huh?" Giant Axe Locke looked terrified and kept backing away. "It has nothing to do with me! I didn't ask them to come rescue me! Really, Major, you have to believe me!"

Seeing the brutal pirate captain, who was practically a little giant, utter such aggrieved and spineless words, the crew of the Giant Axe Pirates weren't the only ones whose worldview shattered. Even the ordinary residents felt the same way.

"Captain, don't be afraid. I have hostages in my hands. Even if the other side is Holy Light Longinus, he absolutely won't dare do anything to you!" Scarface cursed inwardly, but he still had no choice but to put on an expression of devoted loyalty.

"You idiot Bart, I knew from the beginning that you wanted to harm me. I never thought you'd still refuse to give up even now. Get lost! Don't stop me from going to Impel Down for labor reform." Giant Axe Locke angrily rebuked his subordinate, making anyone who didn't know better think that Impel Down was some kind of treasure vault.

Scarface felt his scalp go numb. He knew that his captain was no good person at all. Yet at this point, he would rather go to Impel Down, which all pirates spoke of only in hushed tones, than escape. That alone showed how deeply Locke feared Longinus.

The crew of the Giant Axe Pirates erupted into another commotion. What was this supposed to be? After going through so much trouble to rescue their captain, their captain actually didn't want to leave. What kind of damn plot twist was this?

"Shut the damn hell up!" Scarface first roared furiously at the people behind him, then turned toward Locke with an unwilling expression. "Since you're too much of a coward to run, then do whatever you want. At worst, I'll become the captain. But before we leave, tell me where that treasure map is hidden. Otherwise, I absolutely won't let this go today!"

The Marines and civilians behind Longinus wore expressions of understanding. Now that made sense!

How could these brutal pirates remain devoted to a defeated leader? At least, they couldn't see what kind of Aura the timid Giant Axe Locke had that would make his subordinates follow him to the death.

The crew of the Giant Axe Pirates grew restless again. They had never had much of their own judgment. At first, they had genuinely thought their vice captain was "loyal and righteous" and "bold and heroic." They had never expected him to harbor such a despicable plan.

Scarface's face darkened. He had originally planned to throw that idiot captain out to appease the Marines after obtaining the treasure. That way, he could gain both fame and wealth, perhaps even becoming a renowned Great Pirate in these waters in one stroke.

His carefully planned scheme had only miscalculated one thing: that Marine, the legendary Marine who had made even that idiot captain too afraid to run away!

Thanks to the person who forgot what they were supposed to be called for the 1,000-tip. I tragically discovered that the One Emperor and Four Emperors writing event started just a few days after my book was published, so I missed it perfectly. Ahem, although I participated last time too and didn't even make a ripple, at least I had something to look forward to, right? But this time, they didn't even give me any hope. So, to comfort my wounded little heart, how about everyone cast a vote to cheer me up?