Chapter 4. You're Actually the One Who Brought Them Here?
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"Hmph, I told you to stay put, and you still dare try to tip someone off right in front of me?"
"It looks like the 16th Marine Branch has already been infiltrated—completely corrupt." Smoker's face darkened as he stared at the Marine soldier from the 16th Branch who had just been caught. "One rat leaves, and now we've got a fatter, greedier one?"
Well, well, they've been shouting to headquarters about being poor this whole time, but the moment he got here, the branch looked… practically swimming in wealth.
The reports said the former base commander of the 16th Branch was deeply corrupt, the troops lacked combat readiness, no training, no real battle experience, and worst of all—no weapons or gear. Supposedly, they had fewer than ten standard Marine sabers, not a single warship, and not even enough guns for two men. They were helpless, unable to uphold justice!
Good grief—not a single word of it was true.
No warships?
The docks had at least five Marine ships lined up at the branch dock! Combat power like this—some New World branches couldn't even compare. And yet these guys, in the weakest of the Four Seas, were crying about strong pirate crews and how they couldn't handle them?
With this strength, they could go arrest pirates in the Grand Line!
And out of distrust, he'd already ordered his subordinates to keep an eye on them, telling the entire 16th Branch Marines to stay in place. Yet even so, someone dared slip away under his nose?
If that wasn't suspicious, what was?
"No, no, we're not that rich~" said the detained Marine soldier with an awkward grin, facing the black-faced Captain Smoker. "I wasn't sneaking away or anything—I just saw it looked like rain and remembered I left clothes hanging out at home. So, I was just going back to bring them in."
As expected of someone from Marine Headquarters, just like the Captain. Even after sneaking out so carefully, he still got caught?!
And headquarters—really, if they were going to come investigate, couldn't they have given some warning? Let them hide some of the evidence, at least!
If they hadn't managed to sneak a quick call to the Captain just now, getting orders to stay put and not do anything rash, they probably would've gone toe-to-toe with this Captain's troops by now.
Thinking of this, the Marine soldier looked at the grinning old man snacking nearby and couldn't help but wail inwardly: [I guess the Boss is probably doomed this time!]
He had intended to ask the Captain what to do next himself. But… he got caught before he could. Even the Den Den Mushi he'd hidden was confiscated.
And with even the Marine Hero showing up, it was clear headquarters really suspected the Captain. Though the Boss wasn't a bad guy, he had indeed violated the laws and regulations of Marine Headquarters.
"Collecting clothes? You still dare lie?" Smoker sneered as he looked at the soldier. "Forget it. Just tell me—where is Dante Shacher? I'll ask him myself whether, as a Marine Captain, he is still worthy of the justice he claims to represent?!"
"Captain Smoker, you've misunderstood!" Looking at Captain Smoker like this, the soldier knew there was no escaping this time.
Looking at Smoker, then at the Marine Hero next to him, he hesitated for a moment. Then he looked straight at Smoker and said seriously, "Captain Dante is a good man. In our eyes, he hasn't violated so-called justice. He is everyone's hero!"
However—
"Justice? Hero?" Smoker scoffed. But when he looked at the soldier who had been trembling in fear a moment ago, now boldly meeting his gaze, he grunted again and stopped underestimating him. Taking a drag on his cigar, he said flatly, "If that's so, then tell me this—has your Captain ever colluded with pirates?"
To be recognized by his subordinate—did they misunderstand him?
The moment the words fell—
"Of course not!" the soldier responded without hesitation, standing tall and proud.
He wasn't lying—Captain Dante never colluded with pirates.
As for the Mok Pirates… well, that was a pirate crew raised by Captain Dante. How could that be considered collusion?
With righteous conviction, he began, "Even after being reassigned, the Captain has never forgotten the justice in his heart—"
But before he could finish—
"Captain Smoker." A voice interrupted him. It was Master Chief Petty Officer Tashigi, Smoker's assistant, dressed in her checkered shirt and slacks. With one hand on the hilt of her sword, she looked ahead gravely. "A pirate crew is approaching."
At her words—
Smoker, Vice Admiral Garp, and the soldiers all noticed it and raised their heads to look over together.
"Mok Pirates?"
How convenient.
"…"
Hearing Smoker's meaningful comment, the Marine soldier also noticed it suddenly turned silent.
His mouth twitched as he watched the Mok Pirates' ship approach. There were words stuck in his throat, but he couldn't get them out.
Why the hell was Mok showing up at the 16th Branch now of all times?!
Seeing Smoker narrow his eyes with a stern expression, the soldier's face changed. He quickly tried to speak and distance himself from the pirate crew—
"Hey, isn't that Udo?"
Suddenly, a loud shout came from the Mok Pirates' ship.
That was the voice of the Captain of the Mok Pirates, Mok.
"And some new faces too—are they new guys at the branch? Forget it. Udo, where are you guys going? What's with that tiny, crappy boat? Are you heading to Cocoyasi Town too?" Mok's boisterous voice continued, "You've got so many people—how long would it take in that little thing? We're heading there to drop off some cargo anyway. Hop aboard—we'll all go together!"
And with that—
"…" ×3
All three—Smoker, Garp, and Tashigi—turned in unison to stare at the soldier called Udo.
One still smiling and eating snacks; one with a face like thunder, staring sharply at him; one adjusting her glasses with an angry puff, like she'd just been betrayed.
And Udo…
His body trembled, hands shook, even his legs wobbled. Under their stares, he turned to look at Mok, forcing a pained smile onto his stiff face. Waving back to the cheerful Mok, he shouted loudly, "Th-thank you!!!"
Immediately—
"No need to thank me! We're all brothers here!"
Mok's hearty reply echoed back.
Not long after—
The four of them boarded the pirate ship under Mok's enthusiastic welcome. Then, under the Mok Pirates' warm hospitality, the four of them boarded the pirate ship, and the ship slowly set sail toward Cocoyasi Town.
However—
"What's wrong?" Mok scratched his head, looking at the group, especially at Udo, who looked like he was about to cry. "Brother Udo, are you feeling unwell?"
"I… I'm fine. Just remembered I left the clothes out at home, that's all."
"That's it? It's just rain—get them wet and hang them out again later." Mok didn't think much of it. He turned to look at the other three newcomers and asked curiously, "Who are these three? New recruits at the branch? Why the long faces? And what's with this old guy—is he still working as a Marine soldier at his age?"
"…"
Please, just shut up.
Udo stared in despair at the clueless, loudmouthed Mok. Blinking rapidly, he was just about to give this big idiot a hint to quietly contact the Captain and tell him what had happened…
Suddenly—
"Knock knock~"
Master Chief Petty Officer Tashigi, still puffing angrily, walked over to a nearby cabin door, raised her hand and knocked on it. Frowning, she asked, "What's inside here?"
There were strange sounds.
As soon as she spoke—
"?!"
Udo, who had just been trying to give a signal, seemed to realize something. His face changed again and he quickly said, "No, there's nothi—"
Before he could finish—
"There's really nothing," Mok said cheerfully, walking over to the cabin door as well. He opened it directly and said, "Just some starving refugees. I rounded them up and caught them all."
With that, the door swung open.
In an instant—
What entered the trio's view was a spacious but dimly lit storage room. And inside the warehouse… it was crammed with countless figures.
Densely packed.
All huddled inside in fear and despair, dressed in rags, faces yellowed and emaciated—men, women, the elderly, children. There were even mothers holding their children tightly. The sudden opening of the door caused them all to look up in panic.
Udo: …
Smoker: …
Tashigi: …
Garp: …
Conclusive evidence?
Just as the three of them were dark with shock—
Pulu Pulu~
The ringing of a Den Den Mushi sounded.
Mok, still unaware of how serious things had become, cheerfully pulled out the Den Den Mushi and said, "Ah, it's Boss!"
But only a moment later, he scratched his head in confusion, looking at the abruptly hung-up Den Den Mushi. "Why did Boss suddenly tell me not to call him Boss? What should I call him then? Big Brother? Don't tell me something happened?"
He turned and looked at the despairing Udo in confusion. "Udo, do you know what's going on? And… what's wrong with you?"
"I'm f***ing… fine!" Udo was just about to say something when he felt three icy stares at his back. He held it in, gritting his teeth. "And stop calling me by name—we're not familiar with each other."
"???"
Before the clueless Mok could say anything more—
At that moment—
"We're almost there, right?"
Tashigi's voice suddenly rang out. Everyone looked up toward the front of the ship, and what came into view… was a giant dock completely out of place with the rural town.
And standing on that dock was a familiar figure.
Black hair, white Marine uniform—not draped in the "Justice" cape granted by Marine Headquarters, but instead wrapped in a black fur coat…
16th Marine Branch Base Commander — Captain Dante Shacher.
Colluding with pirates and even capturing refugees.
He didn't even dare to wear the Justice cloak anymore?
Captain Smoker narrowed his eyes, staring straight at the figure on the shore. His face cold, he removed the cigar from his mouth.
Do you still deserve the justice you bear?
Captain Dante!
…
At the same time.
On the Cocoyasi Town dock, Captain Dante, who had been preparing to return to the base, also noticed the slowly approaching Mok Pirates' ship.
After seeing the five figures aboard, he fell completely silent and his mouth twitched.
People?
You are actually the one who brought them here?!