The person who came to escort the World Government's Heavenly Tribute was the newly promoted Vice Admiral Lawrence of the Marine Headquarters, who was also taken aback by Luffy's performance.
" Straw Hat Kid, do you know what kind of mission this is? Do you want to turn against the Navy?"
He naturally knew about the Straw Hat Pirates, but he never expected them to be so audacious as to attempt to plunder the Heavenly Tribute. This was the first time anyone had dared to do such a thing.
"Hehe, we're pirates!"
Luffy had no worries at all, and instead had a smile on his face. Apart from Usopp being a little scared, Sanji next to him didn't care and even lit a cigarette.
Vice Admiral Lawrence's face was grim. Just as he was about to order an attack, he heard the sounds of fighting from the merchant ship next to him.
Fisher and Higgins, who had just landed, charged at the CP members escorting the Heavenly Tribute without saying a word.
Seeing this, Zoro also drew three swords, preparing to protect Molly.
"Hehe, Zoro, they've escorted a lot of good stuff. Maybe they'll find you a Famous Sword. Don't worry about me, I'm very strong now!"
Molly's words caused a glint of light to flash in Zoro's eyes, but before he could make a move, Molly rushed over, her small, white hands covered in Armament Haki.
Zoro then realized that their strength had greatly increased. With the combination of Three Types of Haki and the skills of a great swordsman, he could even put up a fight against Marine Admiral.
Although the ship's CP (players) were quite strong, they were utterly insignificant in the hands of Fisher and Higgins.
Furthermore, Molly's skills should not be underestimated. Her Observation Haki is stronger than Fisher's and Higgins's, and her petite body takes down a guard with every strike.
In the blink of an eye, half of the CP on the merchant ship were knocked down.
"We're actually this strong now? Oh no, leave some men for me!"
When Zoro saw three people being sent flying while he was making his comment, he panicked and rushed over immediately.
On the other side, Lawrence's face showed a fierce expression. As Headquarters Vice Admiral of the Marine Headquarters, this was his first time carrying out an escort mission.
If the Straw Hat Pirates had stolen it this time, his naval career would probably be over, not to mention any other missions.
At the same time, he was also a little frustrated. He had come with a mission to find out what was going on, but he hadn't expected to have such bad luck.
However, he wasn't going to sit idly by and wait to be killed. He immediately ordered an attack and charged straight at Luffy, and the battle between the two sides began instantly.
Meanwhile, just as the Straw Hat Pirates were attacking the two ships, three figures arrived: Lin Yuan, Erza, and Emile.
Lin Yuan sensed what had happened with a slight Observation Haki, though his expression was somewhat strange.
He hadn't expected the Straw Hat Pirates to actively plunder the Heavenly Tribute; this was completely unlike their usual style. Had something changed again?
Lawrence, who was fighting the Straw Hat Pirates, also came into Lin Yuan's view. His lips twitched, and his expression became even more strange.
When the navy was recruiting, Lin Yuan didn't focus on Marine Admiral. Although Li Taibai and the others could have joined, Lin Yuan didn't want them to be exposed.
Instead, they put a lot of effort into Marine Headquarters Vice Admiral, filling many positions with them, including Lawrence, who is standing right in front of us.
"What kind of luck is this? To run into this is unbelievable! Is this kid and I just destined to clash?"
Seeing Lawrence being overwhelmed by Luffy, Lin Yuan's expression turned grim. The Vice Admiral he had placed in the Marine Headquarters had been rendered useless.
With Luffy and his crew's current strength, Lawrence is simply no match for them.
But soon, he realized something, and his face gradually relaxed.
"Heh, since you can't let Lawrence return to the Navy, then let him stay by your side!"
Lawrence is only thirty years old now, younger than Fisher and Higgins, and he is very flexible in his dealings with people, making him a perfect candidate to join the Straw Hat Pirates.
Thinking of this, Lin Yuan spoke softly to Lawrence, who was struggling in the battle.
Lawrence, who was fighting on the side, was shocked. He hadn't expected someone to speak to him, especially with a special password.
"Boom..."
Just then, Luffy took advantage of Lawrence's momentary lapse in attention and sent him flying.
Lawrence fell to the ground, and at the same time received Lin Yuan's new order.
As a member of the secret base, he could naturally distinguish between genuine and fake messages from Lin Yuan, and Lawrence was incredibly excited.
" Mandala Jia Hua, I never expected that it would be the Lord himself who gave me the order!"
Lawrence was deeply moved and unable to calm down, but he suppressed his excitement and shouted.
"Everyone, stop!"
At this point, the Marines who were besieging Luffy and his crew had long since given up on continuing the attack, as the enemy was simply too powerful.
Luffy paused for a moment and didn't continue attacking, while Shanks and Usopp also stopped and watched Lawrence warily.
They were also shocked. Although Lawrence was only Marine Vice Admiral and should not have been Luffy's match, he had unexpectedly managed to hold Luffy back with his fearless spirit. His bloody fighting style even impressed Sanji.
"Huh, what are you trying to say?"
Lawrence looked at his soldiers, many of whom were still lying on the ground groaning, and a resolute look appeared on his face.
"Let's talk. We admit defeat this time. If you let them go, I won't interfere with your actions."
"Hehe, even if you interfere, it doesn't matter. I can defeat you all."
Luffy clenched his fist and said nonchalantly.
Lawrence smiled, took something out of his pocket, and said cheerfully.
"Oh, really? I admit I'm no match for you, but I'm confident I can destroy both ships. Without our ships, we'll have no choice but to perish together."
The moment the item was taken out, Luffy and Sanji's faces turned serious, because they actually felt threatened by Lawrence —no, they felt that what Lawrence was holding was terrifying.
"Hehe, don't be skeptical. What I have in my hand is called Dyna Stone. Just a small amount can cause a massive explosion, enough to flatten the surrounding area for hundreds of meters."
Sanji held Luffy down, then looked at Lawrence.
What do you have in your hand, and what are your terms?
"This stuff is called Dyna Stone. They say a lot of it can destroy the world. You can try it if you don't believe me. As for the conditions..."
At this point, Lawrence's face showed a hint of anger, and he glared fiercely at Luffy and the others.
"If I go back and lose the Heavenly Tribute, I'll probably have to stay in Impel Down for the rest of my life, so I hope I can join you!"
Upon hearing this, Luffy, Sanji, and Usopp were all dumbfounded.
Half a day later, as the warship slowly departed, all the sailors looked at Lawrence with complicated expressions. Only after receiving his warning gaze did they finally leave in tears. They knew that their Vice Admiral had done this for their sake.
A day later, the whole world was shaken. With the theft of the Heavenly Tribute, the whole world came to know of the Straw Hat Pirates ' existence.