Julian immediately said, "Auntie, don't condemn them all with one stick! There are good Marines and bad Marines too!" Gion looked grateful upon hearing this and deeply appreciated Julian defending her. She said, "Julian is right. We Marines eliminate pirates and protect the people. The Ohara incident was merely an accident. Those scientists were researching the ancient weapon Pluto, intending to conquer the world."
A local middle-aged woman from the Flame Dragon Kingdom spoke with a look of disdain. "Researching my ass! The Pluto thing was obviously a label slapped on them by the World Government so the Marines could slaughter people! Do you think we can't read? My son studies history in the Flame Dragon Kingdom, and he told me all about it when he came home! The Marines just kill people indiscriminately. They're all lackeys of the World Government!"
Julian's face darkened as he thought, Why are these aunties all such loudmouths? They blurt out everything. He hurriedly tried to smooth things over. "That was just a particularly extreme case involving a certain individual. Not all Marines are like that." Gion also wore a solemn expression as she said, "Julian is right. The Marines have no objections to that."
A woman from Patrila Island spoke angrily. "I've seen pirates, and I've seen Marines. At most, those pirates rob you of money, take people away, and bully you a little. At least they leave you alive. Those Marines are different—they take lives. The moment they saw our civilian ships, they opened fire! One damned Marine even bombarded us with magma. Over a thousand people in our village died, and several hundred are still disabled."
Julian's face was covered in black lines as he thought, *This auntie is from Patrila Island. She has a massive grudge against the Marines. I