"You don't need to be afraid! And you don't need to feel guilty. Because!!"
Alan swept his arm forward, pointing fiercely at Morgan, eyes resolute as he shouted: "Those are bullets carrying the name of justice!!"
"Execute him!!"
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
Gunfire erupted in a fierce wave, white smoke rising from the barrels drifting into the blue sky.
Blood trickled down and seeped into the sand.
Morgan's pupils completely lost focus as his body fell backward with a heavy thud.
…
"Dead... Morgan is really dead..."
"Three years... Finally..."
Recovering from the unbelievable scene before them, the eyes of the Marines around were gradually filled with emotion.
Then came cheers bursting out along with hot tears.
"Uwaah!"
"Great! We're finally liberated!"
Not far away, watching this group of Marines who suddenly rebelled, killed their own superior, and were not sad but happy, Luffy and Zoro looked completely baffled.
A question mark popped up above Luffy's head. Then he scratched his butt, pointed at the Marines, turned to Zoro, and asked, "Why are they so happy? Are they going to throw a banquet?"
"Huh? Even if they were, what does that have to do with us? You think they would invite pirates like us?"
Zoro shot him a sideways glance and said dismissively.
Hearing this, Luffy dropped his head in disappointment, "That's true, haa…"
"What's with that regretful face! You want to go that badly?!"
Zoro rolled his eyes and couldn't help but yell in exasperation.
To this, Luffy simply grinned heartlessly, revealing a mouthful of bright white teeth, "But anyway, that guy is really something."
"You mean that marine..."
Zoro sheathed his three swords at his waist. He knew who Luffy was talking about and knowingly looked toward the stone debris in the distance.
That Marine who stirred up the Marines to rebel was standing at the highest point; simply by looking at him, Zoro could feel the powerful aura emanating from the other party.
"Just like a wild beast... That guy is strong...!"
Zoro's gaze sharpened, and the corner of his mouth lifted with interest.
The desire to challenge the strong began stirring inside him.
But now wasn't the time.
Being tied up here for so long, he hadn't eaten a proper meal in days.
However… what he thought wasn't necessarily what others thought.
"Catch those two immediately!"
A loud shout suddenly came from afar.
Luffy and Zoro looked toward the voice and saw the black-haired man standing atop the ruins, pointing at them with righteous indignation.
"How dare you invade a Marine base! And you even cruelly murdered our Captain Morgan, you're unforgivably evil!"
Alan said with deep grief, his tone containing sorrow as he shouted loudly: "Get them! We must execute them to avenge Captain Morgan!"
Hearing this, the Marines who were still immersed in the joy of Morgan's death all turned their heads. The moment they saw the straw-hat boy and Roronoa, they instantly understood.
Rebelling and killing a superior was undoubtedly a grave crime, but if pirates killed him, that was another matter entirely.
"Lieutenant Alan is right!"
"We absolutely can't let them go!"
"Damn pirates! Absolutely vile!"
"Kill them!!"
At Alan's order, the Marines immediately grabbed their weapons and charged forward aggressively.
"Eh!!"
Seeing this, Luffy panicked and shouted loudly, which was mixed with indignation: "Hey! Wait! We weren't the ones who killed him!"
"Do you even need to explain?! It's obviously a setup! Hurry and run, idiot!"
Zoro cursed with a look of bitter disappointment, then he grabbed Luffy by the back of his shirt and dragged him to flee.
"Ah, so that's how it is."
After realizing it, Luffy suddenly wrapped his arm around Zoro, lifted him to his waist, stretched out a hand toward the outer wall of the base, and grabbed hold, "Gomu Gomu..."
Seeing this pose, Zoro's expression changed, and a bad premonition crept into his heart.
Luffy grinned playfully, pressed his straw hat down, held Zoro tightly, and leaped high, "Shishishi! Let's go!"
"Hey! Wait, wait, what are you—"
Whoosh!!
"Aaaaahhh!!!"
With a wail, the two were launched like rockets, turning into a shooting star vanishing across the sky.
"I swear I'll cut you down someday, you bastard!!"
(A shout from the distant sky.)
...
Noon.
The blazing sun hung high, and the base still held the aftermath of battle.
By the sandy training grounds.
"To think the one who stepped up to lead everyone in resisting would be you, usually so silent and reserved. On behalf of all Marines in this base, I express our endless gratitude."
Lieutenant Commander Ripper, a burly man, bowed deeply to Alan with a formation of marines behind him.
A few seconds later, Ripper rose with everyone and continued: "Thanks to you, we've finally escaped Morgan's tyranny. Don't worry, everyone won't mistreat you."
"Now that the base commander's position is empty, once this incident is reported, we'll jointly recommend you to become the new base commander."
"Though your rank may be an issue, if we resubmit all the achievements Morgan suppressed, you should be able to get promoted to..."
Ripper rambled on about ways to help Alan rise in rank, but Alan raised his hand to interrupt him: "Hold on. You probably haven't checked your office yet to see the resignation letter I wrote."
"Resignation letter?"
Ripper froze, and the rows of Marines behind him all showed disbelief.
Alan smiled lightly: "Yeah, I've already decided, I'm not going to be a marine anymore."
"This...!"
Hearing this, Ripper became flustered.
Some of the Marines behind him also hurried to speak up.
"But... We still want to follow you, Lieutenant Alan!"
"That's right, Lieutenant Alan! If you don't stay in the Marines, then..."
A marine gritted his teeth and said directly: "I'm fine with anything, Lieutenant Alan! As long as I can follow you, whether it's being a mercenary, a bounty hunter, or even hired as a guard, I'm fine!"
As soon as he spoke, others immediately chimed in.
"That's right!"
"Me too! I don't have any living family anyway."
"And me! As long as I can follow you, Lieutenant Alan, I'd walk through blades or fire!"
During today's events, many of them had been moved by Alan's passionate speech.
Compared to Morgan, Alan's words and actions were like the light of justice shining upon the earth.
To follow such a brave, righteous man, they were willing to abandon their Marine identity.