The alarms were still blasting across the base, so loud that the walls shook.
Speakers:
"Two pirates have infiltrated the base! Noah—100 million berries! Emma—50 million berries! Arrest on sight!"
Emma groaned as she and Noah ran down another long hallway.
"Can they PLEASE stop saying our bounties!?"
Noah smirked. "Hey, mine sounds pretty cool."
Emma glared. "NOT THE TIME!"
They burst through a set of double doors and stopped.
They had reached a huge open area—wide floor, tall ceiling, long banners on the walls.
Emma looked around, confused. "What is this place?"
"It looks like… a gathering hall?" Noah said. "Maybe where Marines meet up."
Emma nodded. "Great. A big open space for them to catch us."
Before Noah could answer, a soft voice came from behind a closed door.
"Well, well… I didn't think I'd run into you two again."
A woman stepped out, shutting the door behind her.
Emma groaned. "Oh great… it's you again."
The woman didn't look at Emma. Her eyes went straight to Noah.
"To think you two were actually pirates," she said. "Is that how you treat your friends, Noah?"
Emma's eye twitched. "EXCUSE ME? Since when were you two FRIENDS?!"
The woman flipped her hair. "I wasn't talking to you."
Emma gasped. "This woman—"
Lucy stepped closer to Noah, smiling softly.
"Noah… why don't you leave her and come with me?"
Noah rubbed his chin. "That does sound tempting—"
Emma grabbed him by the collar. "WHAT sounds tempting?!"
"What? She said food might be involved," Noah said calmly.
"She did NOT say food!"
"I heard food."
"You DID NOT—"
While they bickered, Lucy suddenly looked annoyed.
"Oh for goodness sake," she sighed. "Couples… so loud."
"We're not—" Emma said.
The woman ignored her again. "Noah, you deserve someone who actually understands you."
Emma turned red. "What is THAT supposed to mean?!"
"Noah has class," The woman said proudly. "And good looks. And that mysterious calm aura…"
Emma pointed at Noah. "THIS man?! Calm?! He ate an entire bag of apple this morning!"
"It was only half the bag," Noah said.
Emma smacked his shoulder. "NOT HELPING!"
The woman sighed again. "Honestly, it's sad watching you drag him down."
Emma growled. "Say that again—I dare you."
But before the argument could explode, footsteps echoed around them.
Dozens of Marines rushed into the hall, forming a circle around Noah and Emma.
Then more came.
Then MORE.
Within seconds, hundreds of Marines had surrounded them.
One Marine shouted, "Captain Lucy! What are your orders?!"
Lucy tapped her lip. "Kill the girl."
Emma smirked. "Try it."
"And capture Noah," Lucy added. "I want him alive."
Emma's smirk dropped. "Okay NOW I'm mad."
Noah sighed. "Why me?"
Emma cracked her knuckles. "You flirt with everyone. That's why."
Noah pointed at himself. "I DIDN'T flirt! She flirted with me!"
"Oh my god, Noah, you SMILED at her."
"I smile at EVERYONE!"
"EXACTLY!"
Lucy cleared her throat loudly. "If you two are done… ATTACK!"
Every Marine in the circle rushed in at once.
Emma grabbed Noah's arm. "NOAH, DO SOMETHING!"
"Vector Manipulation — Flying Thunder God!"
Blip!
And in a flash—
They vanished.
All the Marines skidded to a halt, confused.
"W–Where did they go?!"
"They disappeared!"
"Did they teleport?!"
Lucy clenched her teeth. "Find them!"
Emma opened her eyes and blinked.
She was surrounded by pots, food crates, and stoves.
"…Wait," she said. "Are we in the kitchen again?"
Noah nodded, brushing flour off his clothes.
"Yep. This was the closest place i had left my mark."
Emma sighed in relief. "Good. Now let's steal some food."
They grabbed bags from a shelf and started stuffing them.
Fruit. Bread. Meat. Rice.
Anything they could grab.
Five bags… then six… then seven.
Emma stared. "Noah… why do we need THIS much?"
"These are Marine supplies," Noah said proudly. "That means it's free."
Emma blinked. "…That's not how free works."
Noah snapped his fingers. All seven bags lifted into the air behind him.
He walked toward the exit.
"Let's go before they find us."
Emma followed. "They DEFINITELY already found us."
They ran down the hallway, turned left, then right—then pushed open a large door that led outside.
Fresh air hit their faces.
Emma smiled. "Finally! We just have to leave unnoticed—"
Clank!
Barely a second later, hundreds of Marines poured out from all corners of the base, surrounding them again.
Roofs. Stairways. Ground level. Every path.
Emma's jaw dropped. "How many Marines does G–9 HAVE?!"
Noah guessed. "Hmm… probably five hundred."
Emma groaned. "Of course."
One Marine pointed at them."DON'T LET THEM ESCAPE!"
Noah cracked his neck. "Alright… round two."
Emma sighed. "Let's do this."
The Marines all charged at once.
Two Marines jumped at Emma—she punched both in the nose at the same time.
A swordsman ran at Noah—he flicked his finger and the man spun in the air like a broken wheel.
"Vector Manipulation- Push."
Three Marines flew backward.
Emma kicked a Marine so hard he bulldozed five others.
"Noah!" she yelled. "Behind you!"
Noah didn't turn—he snapped his fingers.
"Vector Manipulation- Swordless Slash."
A wave of cutting force shot past him, slicing the ground and blasting a dozen Marines off their feet.
Emma flipped over a spear attack, grabbed the spear mid-air, and threw it like a missile into ten Marines.
"Stay down!" she shouted.
Noah lifted his hand.
"Vector Manipulation- Shockwave!"
A shockwave blasted forward, sending twenty Marines flying like paper.
But more kept coming.
Dozens more. Then dozens more.
Emma wiped sweat from her forehead. "This place is ridiculous!"
Noah nodded. "Yeah."
Emma punched someone. "How are we still surrounded?!"
Noah kicked someone. "Because they don't stop!"
Still, the two fought back-to-back, taking Marines down nonstop.
Emma elbowed someone in the jaw. "WE NEED TO LEAVE!"
Noah nodded. "Yeah—before—"
A sudden BOOM echoed across the area.
Smoke blew past them.
When the smoke cleared…
A figure stood across from them.
Hands on her hips.
Emma rolled her eyes. "Of course it's her."
Lucy stepped forward, her expression cold.
"No more running," she said quietly. "This ends now."
The Marines all stepped back, giving her space.
Lucy pointed at Emma.
"You.
You're in my way."
Emma smirked. "Good. That means I'm doing my job."
Lucy slipped her coat off her shoulders and handed it to a Marine.
She cracked her knuckles.
"You want Noah?" Emma asked, stepping forward. "You'll have to go through me."
Lucy smiled slowly. "Gladly."
The air tightened between them.
Noah swallowed. "This is gonna be bad…"
Emma glared at Lucy.
Lucy glared back.