Noah and Emma crept through the dock area, doing their best to look like serious Marines.
Emma whispered, "Keep your head down. Don't draw attention."
Noah grinned. "Yeah… I'm sure this giant base won't notice two tiny people in oversized jackets."
"Shut up!" Emma hissed.
Suddenly, a shadow fell over them.
"Hold it right there!" a deep voice boomed.
A Marine officer stepped out—tall, muscular, with a scar over one eye and a massive rifle slung across his shoulder. Even his boots looked intimidating.
Emma froze. Noah froze harder.
"Who… are you and why are your uniforms so big?" the Marine asked.
"We're Marine inspectors," Emma said. "But our uniforms got mixed up… do you have any we could use?"
The Marine straightened slightly, clearly uncomfortable with giving orders to inspectors. "Ah… of course. Follow me, please."
He led them across the dock, careful to step aside for them. "I… I hope everything's in order, sir and ma'am," he muttered nervously.
They entered a small storage room filled with neatly stacked Marine uniforms, hats, and boots.
"Here… take these and get properly dressed," he said, handing them a couple of jackets with a bow. "I'll… wait outside."
Emma whispered to Noah, "Finally… something that actually fits."
Noah smirked. "Yeah… maybe now we look less like disasters."
They quickly changed into the proper uniforms, tucking their hair and straightening their hats.
Emma gave Noah a nod. "Alright. Let's see what G–9 is hiding inside."
Noah adjusted his hat. "Time to blend in… hopefully."
Noah and Emma stepped out of the uniform room, now properly dressed and looking far less like disasters.
As they turned a corner, they almost bumped into a woman in full Marine officer attire. She had sharp eyes, a confident stance, and a faint smile that made Emma immediately tense.
"Welcome to G–9," she said.
Noah blinked. "…Uh… thank you."
Emma nudged him. "Focus, Noah!"
The female Marine captain's gaze lingered on Noah for a moment. A small blush crept across her cheeks. "You… you're quite… composed," she said softly.
Emma stiffened. "Composed?! What does she mean by that?!"
Noah just nodded politely, keeping his expression neutral. "We try our best, ma'am."
The captain's blush deepened, and she quickly looked away, fidgeting with her gloves.
Emma muttered under her breath, "Unbelievable… this woman actually has a crush on him?!"
Noah raised an eyebrow. "What?"
Emma crossed her arms, clearly jealous. "Nothing!"
Before Noah could ask again, the tall Marine commander from earlier appeared behind them, arms crossed. He surveyed the two, then smirked.
"Not every day we get two of the most dangerous pirates on our base," he said.
Noah's grin widened. "Looks like today's gonna be interesting."
Emma groaned. "I hate this already."
Noah tilted his head, eyes narrowing. "How did you know we're pirates?"
The tall Marine commander smirked. "The real inspectors just arrived… and I went to check the wanted poster room. That's when I recognized your faces."
Noah froze.
"The man with a 100 million berry bounty… and you," he said, nodding toward Emma, "50 million."
Noah shook his head. "We came without our weapons."
Emma chuckled. "Not that it matters."
Noah raised a finger, calm and precise.
"Vector Manipulation—Gravity Crush."
In an instant, the Marine's body was pinned to the floor, crushed under an invisible force. He let out a grunt before collapsing completely.
Noah stepped over him. "Now, let's see what G–9 is really hiding."
Emma sighed. "You… didn't have to crush him that hard!"
Noah smirked. "He was getting in the way."
Noah and Emma moved silently through the corridors, heading deeper into G–9.
They turned a corner and stepped into a small room, which led directly into the kitchen. Steam and the smell of cooking filled the air.
Suddenly, a blaring alarm went off.
Speakers: "Two pirates have infiltrated the base! Don't stop until you have arrested them! The two are Noah, a man worth 100 million berries, and Emma, a woman worth 50 million!"
The alarm kept repeating, echoing off the walls.
Everyone in the kitchen froze, staring.
All eyes turned toward Noah and Emma.
Noah and Emma exchanged a quick glance.
"Run," Noah muttered.
They bolted, knocking over trays and a pile of pots as the alarm blared even louder.
"CATCH THEM!" Marines shouted, chasing after them in a chaotic stampede.
Noah smirked. "Looks like the fun's just starting."
Noah and Emma sprints through the kitchen, dodging swinging pans and stacks of crates.
"Watch out!" Emma shouted as a steaming pot flew past her head.
Noah smirked. "I've got this."
He raised a finger. "Vector Manipulation—Gravity Crush!"
The floor beneath a group of chasing Marines suddenly buckled, pinning them in place. The sound of groaning and crashing filled the room.
Emma rolled her eyes. "Do you always have to crush things?"
"Nope," Noah said, flipping a tray like a shield. "Just when it's fun."
A few Marines lunged at them with brooms and kitchen knives. Noah pointed again. "Vector Manipulation— Gravity Pull!"
Their weapons flew out of their hands and clattered against the wall.
Emma used the distraction to shove a stack of crates into a hallway, blocking the pursuers. "Try catching this!"
The alarm still blared. "Two pirates have infiltrated the base! Don't stop until you have arrested them!"
From a balcony above, the female Marine captain peeked down, eyes narrowing. "So… this is the infamous Noah and Emma…" she muttered.
Noah glanced up and grinned. "Looks like someone's taking an interest."
Emma groaned. "Great… now we have a fan."
The Marines kept shouting and running after them, but Noah and Emma weaved through the kitchen, using every table, pot, and utensils to slow them down.
Noah pointed his finger at a giant tray of food. "Vector Manipulation—Gravity Pull!"
The tray of steaming food floated and dropped behind them, creating a slippery mess. Several Marines slipped and tumbled, sliding into each other.
Emma laughed. "Okay… that was kinda satisfying."
Noah smirked. "Told you. The fun's just getting started."
They dashed toward a hallway leading deeper into G–9, the alarm still blaring and Marines shouting behind them.