**Chapter 2: The Era Has Changed, Che Za Daijin!**
"Morg... Captain Morgan...?!"
"What happened?!"
On the outskirts of the battlefield, several Marine soldiers spotted Morgan, who had crashed into the training ground. With expressions of shock, doubt, and disbelief, they angrily gathered around.
"Damn bastard...!"
Regaining his senses, Morgan hurriedly stood up. Making such a fool of himself in front of so many subordinates only added to his humiliation and fury. He glared at Allen, gnashing his teeth.
"Bunch of idiots! What are you standing around for? Kill him now, open fire!!"
"Yes, sir!"
The soldiers, hearing the order, hastily and nervously raised their rifles to aim.
However, when they saw the figure standing on the stone pile was Allen, they all froze in shock.
"Lieutenant Allen?!"
"Wait, Captain Morgan, is there some misunderstanding?"
"Misunderstanding?! Are the wounds on my body fake?!"
Morgan bellowed angrily, raising his hand to point at Allen.
"This man openly disobeyed orders! And he attacked me, his superior officer! He's a traitor! A blatant disgrace to the Marines!!"
"This...!"
"How could...?!"
The Marines looked at each other, their gazes hesitant and uncertain. Even under Morgan's harsh orders, they couldn't imagine the usually mild-mannered, quiet Lieutenant Allen doing such a thing.
Seeing them still not acting, Morgan couldn't help but have veins bulge on his temples. He threateningly raised the battle-axe on his right arm and roared at the soldiers beside him,
"Hurry up and fire! Do you all want to betray the Marines too?!"
Seeing this, Allen stroked his chin with interest. The guns in the hands of ordinary Marines couldn't be said to be completely useless, but they were pretty close.
They posed no real threat to him, but still...
Perhaps he could play a different game. It might even help him gather some initial crew members for his pirate crew.
Allen's eyes narrowed slightly; he had already made a decision...
"Brothers!!"
Before the pressured soldiers could raise their guns, Allen's loud voice rang out first, filled with righteous indignation as he shouted:
"How much longer will you endure this?! Wearing Marine uniforms but doing pirate's work! Bearing the word 'Justice' on our backs while oppressing civilians!!"
"Those who should be under our protection! They avoid us like we're pirates when they see us! Can't you really see their fear?! Can't you see the disgust in their eyes?!"
"Tell me, brothers! Is this why you joined the Marines?! Is this the meaning behind your hard training every day?!"
Allen's voice was full of anger.
His impassioned words echoed in the sky above the training ground, like a volcano suppressed for too long finally erupting, immediately igniting the barren land that had lain fallow for so long.
Even the soldiers fighting Straw Hat Luffy in the distance had their attention drawn over. All the Marines on the field were stunned by Allen's earth-shaking cry.
Search your hearts, was everything now truly what you had once desired?
Of course not!
They were human too. They also had families living in the towns.
Now this sea was filled with resentment and despair. How could this be what they had once yearned for?!
"Some of you joined the Marines because your families were killed by pirates, longing for the day you could take revenge with your own hands!"
"Some were moved by acts of justice! Inspired by tales of heroes, dreaming of becoming someone others could look up to!"
Allen's voice continued, shouting at the top of his lungs, his tone growing more intense and impassioned.
"Everyone had their own reasons for joining the Marines! But it was certainly not to live under the shadow of tyrannical rule! To be forced into oppressing civilians!!"
"And who caused all of this now?! Who is oppressing us?! Forcing us?!"
His words fell. The air was as silent as death.
Among the crowd, one gaze after another gradually converged on the same spot. The answer was obvious, there was only one—Axe-Hand Morgan!!
Seeing the gazes focusing on him from all sides, Morgan's face began to show panic. He subconsciously took half a step back, then transformed it into rage.
"What do you fools think you're doing?! I am the base commander here! Rebellion is a serious crime in the Marines!"
Hearing this, the surrounding Marines all fearfully took a step back. They lowered their heads, gritted their teeth, and clenched their fists tightly, yet didn't dare to unleash the anger in their hearts.
However, Allen's next words shocked them once again.
"You think it's Morgan? Wrong! Dead wrong! What has truly forced us into this state is the weakness in our own hearts!!"
"Do you think just changing the ruler will definitely make things better?!"
With an explosive voice, Allen posed the final question to everyone:
"Without Captain Morgan, there will still be a Captain Rat, a Captain Cockroach!"
"Tell me, brothers! What should we do then? Are we doomed to sink deeper into the dark abyss for the rest of our lives?!"
"Of course not!!"
Suddenly, an angry shout erupted from the crowd. Both Allen and all the Marines were shocked and drawn to look.
It was Lieutenant Commander Ripa. His thick black mustache twitched as he panted heavily, his chest heaving violently, betraying the fury filling him at this moment.
By now, he naturally understood Allen's intention to lead a rebellion.
At this critical moment, suppressing the weakness in his heart, he decided to add the final flame to the wildfire Allen had ignited!
Ripa was the first to raise his rifle, aiming the muzzle at the panicked Morgan, and shouted:
"Brothers! This is absolutely not what we wanted! We must rebel!!"
"That's right!"
Seeing this, Allen strode forward. He clenched his right fist and raised it high, shouting with seemingly full fervor:
"I! Francis Allen! Today, I will be the first to lead everyone in rebellion!!"
"Lieutenant Allen..."
"And Lieutenant Commander Ripa..."
The soldiers below were visibly moved. Their long-suppressed resentment was finally ignited by the words and actions of the two men.
"I'm going all in!"
"Me too! I can't stand this bastard Morgan anymore!"
"I'll follow Big Brother Ripa!"
"Brothers! Let's follow Lieutenant Allen's lead!"
Seeing voices erupting one after another from the crowd, the corner of Allen's mouth lifted slightly.
The time was ripe!
"Brothers! Like our oath in the past, now! Raise your muzzles against this evil!"
"As you command!" ×N
*Click! Click! Click!*
The unified response was deafening. One rifle muzzle after another was raised in unison, all concentrated their aim on Morgan!
"You...! You all...!!"
Morgan was truly terrified now. Seeing the black muzzles aimed at him from all directions, he trembled in panic, his hands and feet shaking.
"No need to fear! And no need for guilt. Because!"
Allen waved his arm grandly and pointed decisively at Morgan, his gaze resolute, and roared:
"Those are bullets in the name of justice!!"
"Carry out the execution!!"
*Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!*
Gunfire erupted densely. Wisps of white smoke rose from the muzzles, drifting together into the blue sky.
Blood trickled down, seeping into the sandy yellow ground. Morgan, riddled with bullets, his pupils completely unfocused, let out a final "thud" as his body fell backward onto the ground.