Behind Frances Island

In the port, Morito, at the back of the line, noticed the pirates' formation, a flicker of surprise in his eyes.

It was his own oversight. He had only checked the situation near the port and hadn't investigated the town inside the island.

"So the ambush isn't just in one place. Is the real killing blow still to come?"

"The intelligence stated Frances Island only had the Bourne Pirates, and the Bourne Pirates numbered just over three hundred. Where did these thousands of people come from out of nowhere?"

With the intelligence capabilities of Marine Headquarters combined with the World Government's CP organization, they couldn't possibly miss such a massive movement from the Golden Lion.

This was thousands of people, not a few dozen!

In terms of intelligence, Marine Headquarters and the CP organization were absolutely the strongest!

Bar none!

"Moreover, judging by their recklessness, these people can practically be called fearless of death!"

"Why are they all fighting so desperately?"

A gunshot rang out, interrupting Morito's thoughts.

Morito tilted his head slightly, dodging the incoming bullet. Before him, three pirates wielding long swords charged forward.

Their faces were ferocious, yet tears welled in their eyes.

"These pirates are a bit strange."

Morito's figure flickered, and he slipped between the three men. He slapped one down, punched another flying, and kicked a third away.

Because of his suspicions, Morito had slightly reduced his strength. If he hadn't held back, these guys wouldn't have been able to withstand his full power.

He stood before one of them. "You don't seem like pirates?"

"You wouldn't be residents of this island, would you? Why are you helping the Bourne Pirates?"

No matter how someone disguised themselves, their demeanor couldn't be faked.

Frances Island's industry was winemaking, and its people were simple and honest, the complete opposite of the fierce, murderous aura emanating from the pirates.

Morito possessed a special pair of eyes. He could see the genuine reluctance and helplessness in the men before him.

"Did the Bourne Pirates get their hands on something you value?"

"While I don't consider myself a good person, I'm currently a Marine tasked with eliminating the Bourne Pirates. Vice Admiral Akita, who is with me, is incredibly powerful. Bourne is definitely no match for him."

"If you have any difficulties, you can tell me. Continuing to oppose the Marines will only lead to one outcome for you."

The three men's pressure points were sealed, rendering their bodies immobile, but their minds were clear. They could hear Morito's words and think for themselves.

Morito's words immediately made them hesitate.

What did Vice Admiral represent?

Excluding Admirals, Vice Admirals were the strongest!

How many Admirals did Marine Headquarters currently have? Only Sengoku!

If Admirals were the flagship forces of Marine Headquarters, then Vice Admirals were its backbone.

That's right!

The Marines had arrived to eliminate the Bourne Pirates.

If they missed this chance, would Frances Island truly have a future?

"We..."

One of them, a dark-skinned, burly man, his expression turned serious as if he had made a decision.

But as soon as he opened his mouth, he was sharply interrupted by a companion beside him.

"Shut up! Do you want to get them killed?!"

"But how do you know Bourne will keep his promise? He's a pirate. Can pirates be trusted?"

The burly man retorted.

Instantly, his two companions pouted, unsure of what to say.

Some things were obvious to anyone with a brain, but ordinary people often chose to avoid difficulties rather than face them.

They would rather believe the pirates' vague 'honor' than make a desperate stand.

"I can tell you what happened on Frances Island, but can you really save them?"

The burly man was like a gambler. Knowing the other path was a sure loss, he could only bet everything on this one.

However, in the first half of the Grand Line and the four seas, the Marines' trustworthiness was still quite good.

Except for a few places, most civilians were willing to believe in the Marines.

Besides, he had witnessed Morito's power!

He hadn't even seen Morito's movements clearly just now, and he and his two companions were already on the ground, taken down by this youth who was cuter than a girl.

If a young Reserve Navy member was this formidable, wouldn't the other Marines be even more so?

Bullying the weak and fearing the strong was human nature.

This was why Morito was able to persuade the three men in just a few sentences.

"Not only attacking the Marines, but helping pirates in a large-scale battle against them. Have you considered the nature of this matter?"

"Can things possibly get any worse than they are now?"

"If you want to save them, then tell me what happened."

Morito didn't make any promises, but instead told the three men a fact.

Promises were the heaviest things in the world, and Morito wouldn't make them lightly to anyone.

Most pirates were like Blackbeard; pirates like Whitebeard, Red-Haired, and Straw Hat were the anomalies among pirates.

While not all Marines were necessarily just, it was an undeniable fact that the Marines maintained order on the seas.

Without the Marines, the seas would fall into endless darkness and chaos.

The three men's expressions changed slightly upon hearing this. They had only been thinking about rescuing their families and hadn't considered the consequences of helping pirates fight the Marines.

At this moment, Morito's words struck everyone's hearts like a thunderous bell.

That's right, helping pirates fight against the Marines...

What were they even thinking!

"I'll tell you everything about Frances Island. I just hope you can rescue them. We're willing to bear any consequences from the Marines afterward!"

The common folk were simple and cowardly.

Passion alone couldn't drive away evil people; they could only place their hopes in the Marines.

Then...

The three original inhabitants of Frances Island began to recount everything that had happened on Frances Island recently, speaking one after another.

Golden Lion, who fancied the fine wine of Frances Island, dispatched the Bourne Pirates to occupy it.

Everything was as usual, except that a portion of the wine had to be supplied to the Flying Pirates.

In return, Golden Lion's flag protected Frances Island.

It was mutually beneficial and very harmonious.

The Bourne Pirates didn't do anything too outrageous, and life seemed to have become even better.

But just last month, a major event occurred in the first half of the Grand Line!

One of the Flying Pirates' main fleets, the Vulture Pirates, was severely damaged by the Marines, and their captain, Vulture, was killed in action!

This enraged Golden Lion, who, in his fury, hurled an island in the sky onto Marine G5 Branch in the New World.

He completely flattened Marine G5 Branch.

Golden Lion was not foolish; on the contrary, he was a very shrewd and ambitious man.

He knew that Marine Headquarters and the World Government wouldn't let this matter rest easily, and he was preparing for a major war with Marine Headquarters.

Scouts, spies, and informants were deployed like a spiderweb.

Upon learning of some of Marine Headquarters' movements, the islands under Golden Lion's protection began to make their own preparations.

The Bourne Pirates' approach was to force the residents of Frances Island to participate in the battle!

This was because the Bourne Pirates only had a little over three hundred men, while the intelligence indicated that the Marines attacking Frances Island numbered a full thousand!

And they were led by a veteran Vice Admiral!