Guys, I slept while writing the chapter, that's why it took so long. It was supposed to be longer, but it would have taken even longer to be released.
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"Now… it's looting time!"
As he rolled his shoulders and walked toward the main Marine base building with a wild grin on his face, Goraku couldn't help but think about "borrowing" a few things.
"The money Luffy brought is already running out anyway. And it wouldn't hurt to try and find some sea stone... or maybe something about the six Rokushiki techniques? Only CP9 and a few Marines know that stuff — and I doubt Morgan has any of them."
Finishing his thoughts, he stopped a short distance from the main gate — not by choice, but because two Marines with muskets in hand ran up to him.
"Halt! W-Who are you, and what are you doing in this restricted area?!"
The soldier looked scared by the oni's sheer size and the power that came with it, but his confidence returned when he noticed Goraku was unarmed.
"I'm…"
Reaching for his head, he seemed to be searching for an excuse to avoid a fight, but after a few seconds of thinking, he shook his head.
"You know what? Forget it — not worth it. Let's just fight."
Confused by the oni's words, the Marine hesitated — long enough for Goraku's massive hands to grab both muskets and crush them with ease.
"Sorry, guys. Clench your teeth — it hurts less that way."
Staring at their shattered muskets and the oni's giant hands closing in, the Marines could only shut their eyes in resignation. A single slap was enough to knock one out cold; the other didn't fare much better.
Looking from the unconscious Marines to the base's front gate, a funny thought crossed Goraku's mind.
"What if I go full Juggernaut on this thing?"
Grinning at the idea, he took a sprinter's stance.
But before he could launch himself, he heard a commotion coming from the top of the base.
"Looks like the captain's making his entrance… Guess it's my turn to put on a show."
Taking a deep breath, his body tensed in anticipation. His blood boiled with excitement as he began his charge.
The first few steps were relatively slow, but with each stride, his speed grew. As he neared the gate, he lowered his head — instinct taking over as he barreled through the Marine base, ready to smash through anything in his path.
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[Location Change]
"Damn it, these guys just showed up to make my job harder."
As she dropped from the roof, Nami couldn't help but feel irritated. Some maniac with a straw hat seemed to be causing chaos all over the base.
'Probably some crazy pirate or escaped criminal,' she thought.
Without dwelling on it, she quickly composed herself and turned in the opposite direction of all the noise. She needed to stay out of sight — she couldn't afford to get caught, not with so many people depending on her.
But before she could take more than three steps, a rhythmic rumble echoed through the base — almost like a series of sliding impacts, getting closer and closer.
Sensing something was wrong, she tried to backtrack the way she came — but it was too late.
BOOM!
With a deafening crash, the wall beside her exploded. Soot filled the air, debris rained down, and a booming laugh echoed through the smoke.
"Gwahahahaha! Oh shit, that was fun, wasn't it, little guy?"
Nami sat on the ground, covered head to toe in soot, staring in disbelief at a massive oni holding a Marine by the head. The man looked like a child in the creature's hands.
"Huh? You passed out? Oh, what a shame — I wanted to ask where my captain went."
Now calmer, Nami finally recognized him. "You again?! What is this, the third time?!"
Raising her voice, she seemed to forget that yelling at a 2.5-meter-tall oni — clearly high on adrenaline and testosterone — might not be a great idea.
But she realized her mistake too late.
When the oni's laughter stopped and he locked eyes with her, she froze. For a long moment — maybe a full minute — Goraku stared at her in dead silence, expression serious.
Then he burst into laughter.
"Look… Gwahahaha! Sorry, sorry, I was just messing with you."
Placing the Marine down with surprising care, the oni stepped closer to Nami. "You okay, girl? You don't look like a Marine. Taking advantage of the chaos to clean the place out?"
As he splashed a bit of water from his gourd and wiped some soot off her face, he noticed her body tense up — both at the touch and the question.
"Relax, I've got nothing against you. But hey, you might wanna be careful — I got a little carried away, so I'm not sure if this base is still stable."
"Huh? Wait, that noise earlier — that was you? How did you even do that? Some kind of weird Fishman hybrid?"
To Nami, only non-humans could have that kind of strength — the kind of people who kept her town under their thumb. Strength, in her mind, was always tied to something monstrous.
Sensing her change in expression — that hidden hatred, that burning desire for revenge — Goraku quickly corrected her.
"Nah, I'm an oni. Totally different from those fish-kissing guys. Pure muscle and horns, uh... What was your name again?"
"An... oni?"
Looking at Goraku's large horns, her confusion only deepened. But before they could continue, more and more Marines began rushing toward a specific area.
"Oh! That must be where my captain is! Well, see ya later, thief girl. If we run into each other again, we'll talk properly next time!"
Without waiting for an answer, Goraku took off running, chasing after the Marines.
Watching the massive figure disappear down the hall with heavy steps, Nami raised an eyebrow.
"What a weirdo… but at least he probably cleared a path to Morgan's office. I'd better move fast."
As she headed off, she couldn't shake the feeling she'd be seeing that straw hat boy — and the oni — again… and probably sooner than she expected.