Children Are Still Young, Just Beat Them to Death!

Longinus's voice fell, and sealed memories began to awaken. Every rescued slave glared balefully at the brat who had previously kept them from escaping.

The target of everyone's ire was doomed to fail!

Let alone an eleven- or twelve-year-old boy—even a soldier who had experienced the slaughter of battle would feel helpless when suddenly subjected to so many angry stares.

"Y-You... what are you trying to do?"

Under the glare of so many furious eyes, the boy was no longer as defiant as before. He had dared to face everyone alone because he knew the pirates would back him up, but now that Marine... didn't seem as easygoing as those pirates!

"You still have the nerve to ask what we're trying to do? If that Marine big brother hadn't arrived in time, Robin's legs would have been broken by those pirates! She clearly ran back to save us!"

"It was just breaking her legs. She wouldn't have died. Besides, nothing happened, did it?" the brat muttered unwillingly.

"You..."

Seeing quite a few people approach him with murderous expressions, the boy panicked instantly and said in a soft voice, "At worst, at worst... I'll apologize, that's all."

"Hmph! Apologize? Do you think something like this can be resolved with a simple apology? Because of your selfishness alone, we nearly became unable to escape!"

"Don't push me too far! I already said I'd apologize, so what more do you want?" the boy suddenly erupted in indignation, actually gaining the upper hand in terms of momentum for a moment.

The person who had questioned him was rendered speechless and looked at Longinus as if asking for help, while the brat seemed to have found his confidence again. "So what if he's a Marine? I've already apologized. Does he really dare kill me?"

Longinus rubbed his smooth chin and said something that made the brat tremble with fear. "The death penalty? It's not entirely out of the question."

"What right do you have to kill people?" The brat forced himself to remain calm, but the sight of the carnage around him left him with little confidence.

The surrounding crowd also began whispering among themselves. Although they hated this brat for treating other people's lives with such disregard, they felt a vague fear at the thought of killing someone. After all, he was a slave imprisoned alongside them, not one of those vicious and brutal pirates.

Thus, seeing the brat's frightened appearance, some of the more saintly people actually stepped forward to speak for him.

"Marine sir, he's still young and doesn't know any better..."

Longinus nodded deeply in agreement. "He's still young. Just beat him to death!"

Everyone's eyes widened. They couldn't believe such words had come from a Marine who upheld justice.

"I was joking." Longinus's expression turned solemn. "The reason I said that is because he's a remnant of the Black-Clothed Pirate Group!"

"Wait, a remnant? You mean..." The people who had suddenly come to their senses quickly scattered, hiding behind Longinus as if avoiding a venomous snake.

"He was a spy deliberately planted among you by the pirates to sabotage your escape and constantly report your situation to them."

Longinus said coldly, "If you let him leave, your information will be leaked as well. The remnants of the Black-Clothed Pirate Group might come looking for you again."

"How despicable! How shameless!"

"No wonder he did that. So he was a pirate himself?"

"The people who failed to escape before and were hanged must have been exposed by him."

"Kill him! He must be killed!"

It was somewhat ironic. The few people who had previously argued in the boy's defense became even more determined than anyone else to kill him once they learned that the matter concerned their own safety.

The brat's face was filled with terror as he argued incessantly, "I'm not! I didn't! I'm really not one of those pirates! I was just jealous that the cheap woman didn't share her power with me! You have to believe me!"

However, faced with a "pirate" with a history of evil deeds and a Marine who upheld justice, the people didn't need to think very hard to know whom they should believe. They all looked at the boy with disgust and contempt, and not a single person stepped forward to defend him anymore.

"Evil must be eradicated completely. I'm sure everyone can understand that." Longinus smoothly changed magazines and aimed the pitch-black muzzle at the brat.

"E-Evil must be eradicated completely..." Robin's little face was deathly pale. She seemed to recall something, and Longinus's figure looked like a demon to her.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I was really wrong! Don't kill me!" The boy collapsed onto the ground and kept scrambling backward.

Bang!

"All right, the evil 'pirates' have all been purged. Everyone can leave without worry. I'll have the Marines register you, and in a few days, warships will take you all home."

"Big Brother Longinus, Sister Hina, thank you!"

The rescued crowd left amid endless gratitude, already unable to wait to enjoy the sunlight they had been deprived of for so long.

"Whew! Is this what being a hero feels like? It's truly intoxicating!" Hina said with a delighted smile. "Hina is so happy! The evil pirates have been defeated, good people can return home, and it's a perfectly happy ending straight out of a fairy tale!"

"No. The reality is that most of them may never be able to return home again," Longinus said gravely.

"Huh?" Hina cried out in surprise. She didn't doubt Longinus's words at all, but asked incredulously, "Why? Haven't all the pirates already been dealt with?"

"Because most of them may not even know the name of the island where they lived." Longinus knew very well that in this era of extremely underdeveloped transportation, when even the Water Train had yet to be invented, once ordinary people were forced to leave their homes, they might never be able to return for the rest of their lives.

"Then... what will ultimately become of them?"

"A small portion of them may be rescued, but the vast majority will eventually remain stranded on this island. As time passes, they will stop holding on to hope and finally establish new families here... burying their scars deep in their hearts."

"Huh? Why would that happen?"

"Because... once you strip away this world's gentle exterior, what remains is nothing but the bloody essence of reality."

Longinus slowly walked toward the isolated Robin. "Little one, can you still remember your home?"

"No, don't come any closer!" Robin gripped a small dagger she had somehow found and pointed it at Longinus, screaming hysterically.

Hina also recovered from her sorrow. Seeing this scene, she spread her arms like a mother hen and shielded Longinus behind her, completely forgetting that Robin was the weaker one. She scolded angrily:

"Wretched thief, what are you trying to do to Big Brother Longinus? If Big Brother Longinus hadn't saved you, those enraged pirates would have torn you to pieces! Are you trying to repay kindness with enmity?"

"No, I don't know. I don't know anything." Robin muttered in confusion, "But don't come near me. Stay away from me!"

Hina noticed that the little girl across from her seemed rather wrong, as if she were in the grip of immense fear. But the pirates had already been wiped out, and only she and Big Brother Longinus were left here. Could it be that she was afraid of Big Brother Longinus?

At that thought, Hina found it a little amusing. Could someone be afraid of such a good person as Big Brother Longinus?

"Is it because you stole my money earlier and are afraid Big Brother Longinus will catch you?" Hina generously forgave her. "Forget it. It wasn't much money anyway. Consider it a gift."

The fear in Robin's eyes faded slightly, and she finally broke free from her nightmare, but she still didn't lower the dagger in her hand. "Thank you. I know you're both good people, but... I can no longer trust anyone!"

Robin used her Devil Fruit ability to toss a delicate little wallet in front of Hina, then fled in a panic.

"Ah! My wallet!" Hina picked it up and looked at Robin with concern and confusion. "Why did she run off alone? Should we go after her?"

Longinus shook his head slightly. "No need. Unless I take off the Coat of Justice behind me, she will never stop running."

Hina said with dawning understanding, "So she's not afraid of you, Big Brother Longinus, but of the Marine uniform you're wearing?"

"But the Marines represent justice. Why would she be afraid?"

"Who knows? Justice only becomes justice when it is needed!" Longinus turned and walked outside.

Just as he knew perfectly well that the boy had nothing to do with the pirates, but what did that matter?

Justice was originally a tool used by those in power to adorn themselves. It was justice only when it was needed; at all other times, it was nothing more than two pale and powerless words.

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