Where Is the Marines' Justice?

Kuro raised a brow, the corner of his mouth already curling into a faint smile.

"I knew a guy like you wouldn't die so easily. But what's with him...?"

Looking at Akin over Gawain's shoulder, Kuro frowned slightly. He still had not fully recovered from the danger of that battle.

Especially the conviction Akin had displayed—the belief that he would stake everything on victory. Even Kuro could not help but feel respect for it.

If Kuro had not realized his True Heart, the outcome of that battle would have been difficult to predict.

"You should know who he is. Even an enemy was willing to save him. Gawain, excessive kindness won't be enough to carry you into the Grand Line, let alone the New World."

Gawain gently set Akin down and summoned the Ship Doctor to treat his wounds and the poison in his body. Then he turned to Kuro and explained,

"He's a pitiful man too."

"Besides, who wouldn't like a crewmate who would stand up for his captain and trade his life for another's, even after being abandoned?"

"But whether he can survive wounds like these will depend on his fate."

Kuro paused briefly before saying flatly,

"As long as you know what you're doing."

"If he wakes up and still wants to avenge Krieg, I'll deal with him myself. But you..."

"What?"

"Nothing."

Gawain glanced at Kuro and casually cast a scan on him.

[Name - Kuro]

[Potential - Silver]

[Rating - Bronze: Realized his true nature, awakened Haki, completed his incomplete techniques!]

Just as expected.

After awakening Observation Haki, Kuro's potential had already caught up to Gawain's. His immediate combat strength had even risen directly to Bronze Rank. Once his injuries healed, his strength would rise by an entire tier.

No wonder the kid practically had the word "arrogant" written all over his face.

Otherwise, who would speak to their captain in that tone right from the start, and in front of everyone no less?

Gawain sneered inwardly.

It was fine.

A few beatings later would straighten him out.

And he could not widen the gap so much that Kuro could see no hope at all, or it would be troublesome if his fighting spirit shattered and he gave up entirely...

With that in mind, Gawain set Kuro's matter aside for the moment and turned toward Gaza.

"The Marine fleet has already entered. We—!"

Before Gawain could finish, a burst of hurried footsteps came from outside the lord's manor.

The Marines led by Smoker were rushing toward the place. Though they had yet to arrive, they already carried the oppressive air of an approaching storm.

The guard stationed at the entrance hurried inside, his tone panicked.

"My lady, the Marines have surrounded this place. Their leader is a white-haired man who looks like trouble. What should we do?"

Gaza's brows knitted tightly at those words.

"This should not be happening. Do they dare act recklessly even without a search warrant?"

Molly looked at Gawain and the others behind her, her expression grave.

"Princess, we have to be prepared. If they truly force their way in, then we..."

"Don't panic. I'll go take a look."

Gaza patted Molly on the shoulder, nodded to Gawain, and headed toward the entrance with Molly.

"Wait."

Gawain spoke, stopping Gaza.

"That guy tends to act out of line. To keep him from directly attacking you, it would be safer if I stayed by your side."

Gawain knew Smoker's style well enough.

A man who dared curse out his direct superior and even refuse to attend his own promotion ceremony was not someone who could be expected to follow the Marines' internal regulations.

If Smoker really got Gaza in his hands, they would be completely forced onto the defensive.

"Alright."

Gaza nodded. She had Gawain put on a guard's armor to conceal his face, handed Kansei Masamune to Kuro, then took a random longsword and had him follow at her side.

Creak~!

The gates of the lord's manor were pushed open.

Smoker's somewhat fierce face appeared directly before Gaza.

Behind him stood a row of fully armed Marines, all wearing guarded expressions and radiating an invisible pressure.

Gaza instinctively swallowed.

"Sir Marine, is there anything I can help you with?"

Smoker replied expressionlessly,

"We're tracking a group of pirates. We've searched the entire city already. This is the only place left."

"There are no pirates here."

Gaza shook her head.

"You can look elsewhere."

Smoker's brows furrowed deeply.

They had searched every part of the island and found no trace of the Gawain Pirates.

A pirate crew of dozens, perhaps even a hundred people, could not simply vanish into thin air. Combined with Gaza's current attitude, he was nearly certain that the Gawain Pirates were hiding in the lord's manor.

His attitude grew increasingly hostile.

"Please don't make this difficult for me..."

Swish!

The Marines immediately raised their rifles.

Surrounded by the dark muzzles, Gaza instead calmed down. She looked coldly at Smoker.

"So this is the Marines' justice? Running away in panic when facing pirates, then turning your guns on civilians? Or is it extorting money for years under the pretense of constructing a Branch Base?!"

"I..."

Smoker was momentarily speechless. Though he cursed those scum of the Marines inwardly, he still forced himself to say,

"I will report the previous matter to Headquarters separately. As for those who demanded money from you, I will deal with them one by one."

"But right now!"

"You'd better understand what you're doing and the price you'll have to pay for it. Otherwise..."

Smoker slowly removed the Jitte from his back, his eyes icy.

"Don't blame me for using force!"

Along with his words came the savage aura radiating from Smoker's entire body, pressing down on everyone like a mountain.

Gaza, who stood at the center of Smoker's gaze, broke out in goosebumps.

Her legs went weak, and she was about to fall backward.

Then she suddenly felt a large hand settle on her shoulder. The mountain-like force pressing down on her instantly dissipated.

Gawain stepped forward, shielding Gaza behind him as he said coldly,

"Do you know what you're doing?"

"Even the Marines cannot enter the lord's manor of a World Government member nation without a search warrant. That was decided through an agreement between the Marines and the World Government."

"Are you going to defy it?"

"If necessary."

Smoker's tone was resolute, without the slightest hesitation in his eyes.

As time passed, he became increasingly convinced that his initial judgment was correct. If Knight Gawain escaped from here, catching him later would only become harder and harder.

"Even if I lose this uniform, as long as I can catch that guy, this trip will not have been in vain."

"And besides..."

Looking at the guard before him, Smoker frowned slightly.

It was because of the aura the other man had unintentionally released earlier. Even Smoker had felt an immense sense of danger from it.

If someone like this truly existed in the harbor, how could Krieg's men have invaded so easily?

Or could it be...

"Who are you?!"

Gawain quietly tightened his grip around the longsword, already prepared to begin fighting here.

But Gaza spoke first.

"Just a guard of the lord's manor."

"A guard of the lord's manor could never have eyes like those."

Smoker's voice turned frigid.

"Just who are—!"

At that moment, however, a small stone entered Smoker's field of vision from the side.

He crushed it in his hand. When he turned around, he saw a tearful young girl, along with countless harbor residents whose faces were filled with anger.