Capturing a Marine Admiral

When the sun rose over the horizon and the pirates woke from their sleep, what greeted them was not the freshness of the first sunlight, but...

"The Rocks Pirates crushed the Marines!"

"Marine Admiral Kong the Steel Bone captured alive!"

"It's a tremendous victory!"

"A victory parade! Pirates putting on a show!"

"Discussion: concrete plans for conquering Marine Headquarters!"

"The first step toward becoming King of the World!!"

"..."

One pirate pushed open his door and stepped out of his house, still bleary-eyed from sleep, only for his mind to go blank at the sight before him.

A very long line of pirates converged from streets in all directions, forming a parade.

The atmosphere was lively, like it was New Year's.

When he asked someone what was going on, he was met with a look of contempt and told that something so big had happened and he could still sleep through it, so he might as well go die.

"What?! The whole Rocks Pirates went out last night, wiped out an entire Marine force, and even captured a Marine Admiral!"

The pirate was utterly dumbfounded. What on earth had happened last night? How had there been no warning at all?

Could this have come any more out of nowhere, you bastards?!

Once word got out, none of the pirates could sleep.

They were out there fighting the Marines, while you, at your age, hadn't done anything big. You'd been at it for who knew how many years and accomplished nothing, so how could you sleep at night?!

The pirates made a great show of force, growing even more arrogant.

But for those who had actually taken part in the campaign against the Marines, there was one thing to worry about...

Once again, it was Shakky's bar. It was packed and bustling, with the feel of a victory banquet after everyone had returned from a campaign.

The Rocks Pirates had gathered together.

Besides them, someone else had come to watch the show.

"Hey, what if we took the roof off this bar? It's too small. I can't get in at all!"

Loki shouted from outside the bar, accompanied by the sound of the ground shaking, as though he couldn't wait.

Yes, Loki had woken up too.

It couldn't be helped. It was far too noisy outside, and he had rested enough. Now he just wanted something to eat.

He had asked around on the way before finally finding the place.

"Could someone go stop that little boy?" Shakky said, a slim cigarette between her lips as she rested a hand lightly against her forehead, her face full of worry.

"Hahaha! An open-air bar? That's a great idea!" Shiki laughed.

"What about when it rains, idiot?!" Kyo said.

"Couldn't I just bring over some dirt and cover the place? Who's the idiot here?!"

"Moron! Then nobody would ever come to the bar again!"

"Ha! I'd have Shakky all to myself!"

Shiki and Kyo started arguing again. Everyone else was used to it and carried on with their own conversations.

Outside, seeing that no one was paying him any attention, Loki simply got to work. He reached out with both hands and ripped the roof right off the bar!

Sunlight poured in from above.

"He really took it off!" ×N

The pirates stared dumbfounded at the giant kid in a hat, who had put his bandage eyepatch back on and was grinning mischievously. They were at a complete loss.

Among them, John and Ganzui quietly edged backward, trying to keep out of Loki's sight.

It couldn't be helped. This giant kid was too crazy!

"I'm hungry. Give me food!" Loki sat outside the bar, his hands braced against the ground as he looked down from above.

"Would you like some juice?" Shakky smiled, seemingly unconcerned that Loki had dismantled her bar, a trace of indulgence on her face.

"Yes!" Loki answered promptly.

His answer sent everyone into another fit of laughter, some laughing until tears came out.

For a time, the bar was filled with a cheerful atmosphere.

"Hahahaha! You really are a kid! A man should drink alcohol, baka!" Shiki laughed.

"Shut up!" Loki roared, his face darkening.

"Hey, hey! Don't get sidetracked. We need to discuss what to do with this guy!" Rocks thumped the table in dissatisfaction.

They looked in the direction Rocks was pointing.

In the very center of the bar, in a deliberately cleared space, lay a powerfully built man.

"What a disgrace! A Marine Admiral, captured by villains like you!"

Kong's face was full of fury, but the thick iron chains binding him made it difficult for him to move as he lay on the ground.

Normally, they wouldn't have been able to hold him, but after a fierce battle with so many experts, the fact that he had survived such severe injuries showed how strong his life force was.

But sometimes, living was worse than dying!

Just like now: the many pirates present looked Kong over with mocking, teasing gazes, as though he were a rare animal.

The feeling nearly drove Kong mad, and he bitterly regretted not dying in battle the previous night.

Every Marine except him had been wiped out!

"Hey, Stussy, why didn't you join the group activity last night?" Charlotte Linlin looked away from Loki and turned to the person beside her.

"Don't even mention it! Nobody called me at all!" Stussy looked aggrieved.

Then she complained to Newgate on her other side, "Newgate, why didn't you bring me along? I'm your wife!"

"What's that supposed to mean? Could you stop giving yourself titles?" Newgate said lazily.

"Boo-hoo-hoo! I'm so sad~ I hate Newgate the most!" Stussy covered her face and cried.

No one nearby took her seriously. They all treated it as a joke.

The battle the previous night had been straightforward. Once Keel and Shakky succeeded in holding the Marines up, the outcome was no longer in doubt.

Even though the Marines had found them afterward and Kong had chased them down, they had suffered only minor injuries at most.

After Rocks and the others arrived, they had taken little time to sweep through and kill all the Marines, then captured the Admiral.

"Why bring him back? Why not just kill him?" Kaido's expression was sour.

He had gauze on his face and several layers of bandages wrapped from his shoulders to his waist, marks left by the previous night's battle.

But he couldn't blame anyone else. He had been the stubborn one, charging out front to fight an enraged Kong.

"Killing him would be such a waste. Besides, wouldn't that mean going to war with the Marines? Let's trade him to the Marines for money!" Babel the catfish strongman said excitedly.

"What does it matter? Rocks killed a Marine Admiral more than ten years ago, didn't he?" Ganzui looked unconcerned as he took a bite of meat on the bone.

"Make sure you call me next time you fight the Marines. I hate the World Government the most!" Loki's mouth was stuffed full. Fortunately, there was enough food for him.

"Speaking of which, didn't Maron come?" Stussy looked around and noticed someone was missing.

"You really don't know anything, do you? Something happened to him..." Keel shrugged.

"Kaya didn't come either? Feels like there's a secret~" John leaned back against the bar, a sly grin on his face and an unopened bottle of liquor in his hand.

"He's not part of this pirate crew," Kyo said.

"Oh, right! He hasn't joined yet!" Shiki struck one hand with the other, realization dawning as though he had only just remembered. "That won't do. I need to find a chance to quit too!"

"Did you just say what you really think, Shiki?" Ganzui laughed until he cried and tossed a watermelon into his mouth.

"I'll go find him." Rocks suddenly got up and left.

Everyone else was dumbfounded again.

Weren't you the one who said we needed to discuss what to do with Kong the Steel Bone? How did you lose interest so quickly?!