"...Guess they're not coming after all."
It had been five days since the interrogation of the pirates, where we learned the main force was on its way. Yet, neither pirates nor Marines had arrived.
The town of Elena carried on with its usual daily life, for better or worse.
Well, not exactly usual. For the past few days, the townspeople had been desperately suppressing their anxiety, doing their best to act normally. But every so often, you'd catch someone glancing nervously toward the sea, or hear sighs drifting from different corners of the town. It was clear they were worried: *When will the pirates attack? Will the Marines arrive in time?*
You couldn't blame them. A pirate force several times larger than the one that raided us a few days ago might be targeting the town.
And to top it all off, they were furious about their captured subordinates.
With everyone so anxious, many actually enjoyed showing me around the shipyard as a distraction.
As for me, I was having a blast as usual, letting them entertain me.
Maybe it was a good thing that I, the one who'd be on the front lines fighting when the pirates attacked, seemed so carefree. It might have reassured them, making them think, "If she's here, we'll be alright."
Well, if that's how they felt, great... but overconfidence is never a good idea, right?
"Hey Sue-chan, the prototype for that thing you ordered is ready. Come check it out later, okay?"
"Oh, really? Got it! I'll give it a test run while I'm at it."
"Ah, I see. I made it as waterproof and sturdy as possible, just like you asked. But do you really think this thing can move a ship? I'm worried it's not strong enough."
"Don't worry about that. I'm a Devil Fruit Ability User, so I should be able to manage somehow."
"Hoo, that's impressive! Well, if that's the case, the experiment... Huh?"
The craftsman suddenly pointed behind me, looking like he'd noticed something.
I turned around and saw a familiar little boy running toward us.
"Hey, old guys! Mom said it's lunchtime and sent me to call you! And Sue-san, she said you're welcome to join us!"
"Alright, thanks, Shu-bo! Everyone, break time for lunch!"
"Roger that!"
The foreman, a young shipwright who had trained in Water Seven (he's incredibly skilled for his age), ruffled the messy brown hair of the boy nicknamed Shu-bo.
The craftsmen immediately dispersed, leaving only the watchman on duty as they headed for the mess hall.
I joined them, of course. Lately, it's become routine for me to eat meals at the shipyard's mess hall.
The ladies in the kitchen always say, "We cook for a crowd every day anyway, so adding one more serving is no trouble at all." I'm truly grateful for their kindness.
Being a port town, we're treated to delicious fresh seafood every day.
"Still, it's been five days and no pirates have attacked... Not that I want them to, mind you."
"The Marine ships should be here any minute now. Once they arrive, we can all relax."
We chatted idly as we ate.
"Yeah, that would make things a lot easier for me too."
Then Shu-kun, who was sitting next to the foreman, piped up, "Hey, Sue-san, aren't you going to fight?"
"? Well, if the Marines get here in time, it's best to leave it to the professionals, right?"
"Aw... I wanted to see Sue-san fight again. You were so cool last time."
"Hey, Shu-bo, what are you talking about? Sorry about him, Sue-chan. He saw you fighting those pirates the other day and became a huge fan."
"Oh, really?"
To think I'd gain fans as a bounty hunter, not just through my writing.
Not that I'm complaining, exactly.
Shu-kun's eyes sparkled as he declared, "When I grow up, I'm going to be a bounty hunter!" Watching him, I wasn't sure how to respond. Should I just cheer him on? I mean, I wasn't exactly a bounty hunter myself...
Meanwhile, the shipwrights nearby burst out laughing. "What's gotten into you?" they teased. "Just the other day you were all set on becoming a shipwright!"
Shu-kun stubbornly defended his new ambition, but I couldn't help but find it endearing.
Glancing over, I noticed the kitchen ladies were chuckling too. They clearly weren't taking him seriously.
"But it's the Great Pirate Era now, right?" Shu-kun insisted. "If there are pirates everywhere like the ones we saw the other day, wouldn't it be better to get strong and protect Mom and Dad?"
"Ha ha ha, that's admirable, Shu-bo. But becoming a bounty hunter doesn't automatically make you stronger, you know? Maybe you should leave that sort of thing to the Marines."
"Exactly. With a younger sibling on the way, you'll need to be a good older brother."
'I wonder if this is how people saw Luffy when he idolized Shanks and dreamed of becoming a pirate. Did they think he'd never actually go through with it?'
And Shu-kun, you're getting a younger sibling? That's wonderful! Is that why you're so motivated lately?
Wait a minute... that means Shu-kun's mother is pregnant. Is it safe for her to be standing in the kitchen like that?
As I was thinking this, one of the watchmen we'd left at the port came rushing into the dining hall, looking slightly panicked.
"Sue-san! Everyone, come quick! A Marine ship has arrived!"
***
The Marine ship had arrived before the pirate ship.
This meant the whole incident would be resolved without me even getting involved.
Shu-kun looked utterly bored (which was a bit insensitive of him), so I decided to sit in on the meeting between the town representatives to help keep him occupied.
I pointed out that I wasn't even a resident, let alone a representative, but they insisted I needed to be there for the pirate handover.
Ah, well, I guess since I was the one who captured them, they probably wanted to hear my side of the story.
We met again at the Town Meeting Hall for a discussion that doubled as a brief debriefing.
Unexpectedly, the Marines shared some news with us.
"So, you've already defeated the pirates who were headed here?"
"Yes, we spotted a pirate ship approaching the town and immediately identified it as the 'Main Force' mentioned in the advance warning. We engaged them and crushed them completely. You can rest assured they won't be attacking here anymore."
"Oh, that's wonderful! Everyone's been so anxious these past few days..."
The Town Mayors visibly relaxed. Seeing this, the Marines smiled warmly, clearly pleased.
"Now, we need to arrange the transfer of the captured pirates and conduct a brief on-site investigation. Would that be alright? And what about the Bounty Hunter who fought at the port?"
"Ah, that's me."
"I see. Well, if you don't mind, could you spare a few minutes?"
With that, the Marines escorted me back to the port. They assured me it would be quick.
The group accompanying me included the Marine who had been leading the conversation earlier, along with a few others who seemed to be his subordinates.
When we arrived at the site of our recent battle with the pirates, I gave them a brief rundown of what had happened.
"So, you erected barricades here and fought them off?"
"Well, the shipwrights built the barricades. I just punched my way through the pirates while they were pinned down."
It had been several days since the fight, so there wasn't a trace of it left. The barricades had long been dismantled, and even the pirate blood and weapon fragments from the battle had been cleaned up.
As I explained, the Marine officer rested his chin in his hand, nodding thoughtfully.
"I see... So you're quite formidable. Perhaps they underestimated you, especially with the shipwrights' unexpected resistance. They probably never imagined someone as delicate as you could be such a skilled bounty hunter."
"Ah, well, maybe. Not to brag, but I often get underestimated because of how I look."
"Yes, yes, that must be it. Otherwise, even those guys wouldn't have lost to a little girl like you. Alright, fire!"
"Huh?"
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
Startled by the bizarre order, I whirled around to see the Marines' guns spitting fire in unison, all aimed at me.
At the same time countless gunshots echoed through the port, in the town's central square...
"W-what's going on? What is this...?"
"Heh... You dimwits. Still haven't figured it out?"
"You think you're safe? Think again, shipwrights. You're about to plunge straight into hell."
Just moments ago, these Marines had been all smiles, assuring us they'd protected us from the pirates and put us at ease. Now, their expressions twisted into crude grins as they leveled swords and guns at the townspeople.
Worse still, they unlocked the pirates they were supposed to hand over and released them. When members of the Self-Defense Corps tried to intervene, they were kicked to the ground. Some were even slashed and wounded.
It was as if they weren't Marines at all, but pirates... The Mayor's thought was interrupted by a conversation that made him doubt his ears.
"S-sorry, brother... I caused you a lot of trouble, huh? Heh heh..."
"Seriously, you idiot! I don't know if you let your guard down or what, but getting caught by some bounty hunter... Now we have to put on this whole stupid act!"
"Act...? Brother...? N-no way... you guys are..."
The Mayor's face crumpled in disbelief and shock.
Sensing that the Mayor had finally caught on, the man who had been posing as a Marine grinned and irritably tossed his Marine cap aside.
"Too bad for you! We're not the Marines... We're the pirates you've been waiting for! The scary, scary... pirates!"
The man, abandoning his disguise, spoke with smug satisfaction.
They were pirates, he declared, the very Main Force the captured pirates had warned about.
After losing contact with their Vanguard, they'd come seeking revenge. Along the way, they'd encountered a Marine ship and decisively defeated it.
In the process, they'd seized the warship and all its Marine equipment. Disguising part of their crew as Marines, they'd boarded the captured vessel and set sail.
This way, the islanders would be easily deceived, believing the Marines had arrived and readily welcoming them.
Their only real concern was the bounty hunter rumored to have defeated their Vanguard.
To neutralize this potential threat, they'd staged a play. By spreading false rumors, they'd divided the vulnerable islanders from the bounty hunter, who might still pose a challenge.
"Th-then Sue-san..."
"By now, she's probably being slaughtered by our crew at the port!"
"No way..."
Even a renowned bounty hunter would fall easily if ambushed by a hail of gunfire while caught off guard. The pirates announced this mercilessly, erupting into raucous laughter, while despair washed over the faces of the townspeople. They were reminded that the girl who had effortlessly crushed the pirates just days before had already fallen into their trap. Now, they realized, there was no one left to protect them.
Suddenly, a small figure darted out from the crowd.
A pirate spotted the movement, drew his pistol, and fired. The bullet missed its mark but grazed the boy's leg. He cried out, "Whoa?!" and collapsed.
"Shu-bo?!"
A shipwright shouted, and others suddenly bolted, casting worried glances at the boy who seemed to have been shot.
Undeterred, the boy scrambled to his feet and tried to run again.
"I have to warn them... I have to save Sue-san!"
"It's too late, brat," a pirate snarled, blocking his path and kicking him to the ground.
A woman screamed at the sight and rushed forward to hug the boy. His mother stood defiantly, though trembling with fear, and declared, "Don't you dare lay a hand on my son!"
Her courage only fueled the pirates' cruelty.
"Hey... not bad looking. Captain, can I take her with us?"
"Do as you please. While you're at it, don't kill them all. Just rough up the ones who'll fetch a good price and snatch them up."
Horrified by those loathsome words, the woman's face betrayed her terror. The pirate, smacking his lips, reached out to drag her away.
But the boy swiftly slipped free from his mother's grasp and bit down hard on the pirate's arm.
"Ow!? You little brat...!"
"Don't you dare touch my mother with your filthy hands!"
Though trembling himself, the boy stood defiantly before the pirate, shielding his mother behind him.
The townspeople watched in a mixture of shock, panic, and fear, while the pirates laughed mockingly at the spectacle.
Then, the scene unfolded exactly as most of the onlookers had both dreaded and secretly hoped it would.
"You... if you're so eager to die, I'll kill you right here and now!"
Enraged by the unexpected resistance, the pirate glared back and forth between his bitten arm and the boy who'd done it. He yanked his saber from its scabbard and swung it down at the boy with murderous fury.
The boy froze, paralyzed by the impending death.
"Stop!" his mother screamed in anguish.
"Don't do it!" "Run!" the crowd roared, their voices rising in panic.
But their pleas went unheard as the merciless blade descended...
Clang!
"...Huh...?"
A single Japanese umbrella had intercepted the blow.
"That was a bit reckless and crazy... but you looked so cool, big brother!" Sue, the girl wielding the umbrella, grinned warmly at the boy who had shown such courage in protecting his mother.
To be continued...