Rhett and the others didn't have to wait long. True to form, the major returned. The fragile peace that had just settled over the town was suddenly shattered by the sound of footsteps.
That squad of Marines had come back. Or perhaps they had planned this all along?
The major kicked open the tavern's heavy oak door, sending dust raining down from the doorframe.
"According to intelligence!" The major's voice was especially jarring in the quiet night. "There are pirate accomplices hiding here. I have been ordered to conduct a thorough investigation."
The elderly village chief hurried over. "Sir, that's impossible! We're all honest people here. Weren't the pirates just driven away by you..."
"Hmph! Get out of the way, old man." The major shoved the old man aside. "Search! Every single house, every single corner. Leave nothing unchecked."
The soldiers rushed into the houses like wolves. The sounds of clay pots shattering, women screaming, and children crying all mixed together.
From a cellar, a soldier dragged out the sacks of grain that had been put there just an hour or two earlier. The same sacks he himself had helped store. Now, just a couple of hours later, he was pulling them out again — only this time, the sacks were half full. Had they been breeding in the cellar or something?
How ironic.
"And what is this...?" The major narrowed his eyes.
"Please, sir, I beg you!" The village chief threw himself at the major's boots. "The villagers risked their lives to hide these from the pirates. They're really not—"
"Concealing stolen goods makes your crime even worse!" The major kicked the old man aside. His sword hissed from its scabbard. "Confiscated. All of it."
In the light of the torches, the gold buttons on the Marines' uniforms gleamed brightly. But to the three little ones, they reflected a cold, icy luster. Ace's finger was pressed firmly against the trigger of his flintlock, his aim locked on that Marine major.
Ann and Sabo were ready to charge out at any moment and kill that animal.
Rhett's blood mist spread silently, shrouding the three children in shadow.
His low voice cut through the night, crisp and clear. "Take a good look. This is the real world. It's not black and white, good and evil. That's why I've been telling you that only by having power can you decide your own future. Entrusting your future to pirates or Marines or anyone else — being kind while powerless is nothing but foolishness."
Ace looked at Rhett. "Uncle Rhett, can we kill them now?"
All it would take was one word from him — "yes" —
And that bullet would fly without hesitation into that major's head.
But Rhett shook his head and stopped him. "We're only halfway through. Wait a little longer."
This time, the major left with quite a "haul." Except this time, Rhett and the three children followed behind. Given Rhett's strength, no one noticed them. Not even a chance.
Rhett kept the three little ones at a distance, watching the loose formation of Marines as they walked toward the coast. They looked nothing like the disciplined soldiers from a few hours ago.
The major reached the shore, almost as if he was looking for something. A figure slowly emerged from behind the rocks.
"Yo, right on time. Looks like you made quite a haul too, didn't you?" The scar-faced captain stepped out from the shadows, a cigar between his lips, the glowing ember flickering in the dark. He tossed a bulging money pouch. "Same as always. I don't touch what you seize, you get your cut from what I steal."
The major caught the pouch and opened it with practiced ease. Berries and gold gleamed coldly in the moonlight, reflecting the twisted smile on his lips. "The quality this time isn't bad... but,"
He suddenly tightened the pouch. "Nearly half a town's worth of dead civilians. That's going to be a problem when it comes up the chain of command."
"HAHAHA!" The pirates burst into laughter. The scar-faced captain slapped his thigh. "That old man ran right into my blade! People die all the time these days, old man. Don't be too greedy. You're not getting an extra cent out of us."
This was a shock to the three little ones' worldview. They had grown up near Windmill Village. That was Garp's hometown. That was the weakest sea, the East Blue. One of the few peaceful places on the ocean.
They had never experienced anything like this. But they could all sense that Uncle Rhett's breathing was eerily steady. As if scenes like this were nothing new to him.
Rhett looked at the three little ones staring at him. "Why are you looking at me? Look at them! Do I have the answers written on my face?"
Behind the rocks, several Marines were sitting shoulder to shoulder with pirates, sharing rum. A young soldier boasted drunkenly, "That old hag today tried to hide her jewelry... one rifle butt from me and she—"
"Click" —
Sabo's scabbard hit the rocks.
It was fine. Rhett had his "Phantom Realm" active.
His blonde hair was blown messy by the sea breeze, covering his red-rimmed eyes. The elegance and refinement instilled by noble upbringing, combined with the hot-blooded youth inside him, were both straining against him. And on top of that, his own weakness was holding him back. And he wasn't the only one. The other two were the same.
Break out of your shells, all three of you.
Rhett's hand pressed down on Sabo's shoulder — heavy, unyielding. "Look closely. This is the kind of 'justice' that happens behind the scenes." His voice was calm. "The whole world condemns pirates for their evils. They curse your father for starting the Great Pirate Era. They call you the children of cursed blood. And these people wrapped in the cloak of justice..."
Ace suddenly struggled violently, his voice hoarse. "Why are you stopping us?! Those bastards —"
"Because you're not strong enough yet." Rhett's cloak billowed in the sea breeze, completely shrouding the three children in shadow. "If you charge out there now, all you'll do is add a few more small bodies to this town. What good would that do? Oh, right — your hot-blooded feelings would get vented, wouldn't they?" He crouched down, his blood-red eyes meeting each of theirs. "Remember this feeling of helplessness... remember this anger..."
The campfire in the distance suddenly threw out a burst of sparks. The major was laughing, throwing a bag of jewels to the pirate captain. "Make sure to steal more gems next time. My promotion depends on keeping my superiors happy!"
"HAHAHA, no problem. We'll have plenty of chances to work together."
Rhett just watched the three little ones. The three little ones listened to the Marines and pirates spouting filth — telling stories about how many people they had killed that day, how gruesome the deaths had been, how ridiculous the victims had looked when they begged for mercy.
Word after word, sound after sound, they all reached the ears of the three little ones.
Ann's grip on her greatsword was white-knuckled. Her eyes were fixed intently on the group in the distance.
"Shut up. You trash. Shut up. You trash."
Her voice went from a whisper to a roar. "I SAID SHUT UP!!! YOU TRASH!!!"
A wave of Conqueror's Haki erupted from Ann. Then Ace. Then Sabo. Three bursts of Conqueror's Haki all surged toward the gathering of Marines and pirates. A large number of them collapsed unconscious. But a few — the major, the pirate captain, a couple others — managed to stay on their feet. And that was why Rhett had said that if the kids had charged down there, there would be three more corpses.
Finally! This was what Rhett had been waiting for. All that trouble — all that effort — was for this very moment.
They say Conqueror's Haki is one in a million. In this twisted, warped society, Rhett felt that his way of thinking was eight hundred years ahead of its time — maybe even more. Because at his core, Rhett believed in equality. And his kids — who admired him and had been raised by him for so long — had naturally been influenced by that way of thinking.
Rhett believed that it was precisely because of this kind of thinking that most people who crossed over into this world awakened Conqueror's Haki. The ambition to be a king. To put it simply, it's the desire to live life on your own terms. And if you want to live life on your own terms, you can never accept being beneath anyone else.
But in this twisted, warped world of One Piece, that kind of thinking is incredibly rare. Because these people chase after the Celestial Dragons, desperate for their favor and protection. They worship the Celestial Dragons as untouchable, inviolable gods.
And on top of that, with the seas cutting off island after island from one another, with knowledge being hoarded and controlled — how can you expect people who have never had their minds opened to fight for equality? They can't even put those thoughts into words. They don't even have the concept. You cannot imagine anything beyond what you know.