"He's dead... Morgan is really dead..."
"It's been three years... Finally..."
Recovering from the unbelievable scene before them, tears of deep emotion gradually welled up in the eyes of the Marine soldiers.
Then, a burst of cheering erupted alongside their hot tears.
"Uwaaa!"
"This is great! We're finally free!"
Not far away, Luffy and Zoro looked completely baffled as they watched the Marines who had suddenly mutinied, rejoicing instead of mourning after killing their own commanding officer.
Question marks practically popped up over Luffy's head. He scratched his butt, pointed at the Marines in front of them, and turned to ask Zoro,
"Why are they so happy? Are they going to throw a banquet?"
"Huh? Even if they throw a banquet, it has nothing to do with us. Don't tell me you think they'd invite pirates like us to join."
Zoro shot him a sideways glance and spoke dismissively.
Hearing this, Luffy hung his head in disappointment.
"You have a point. Sigh."
"What the hell is with that disappointed look! Do you really want to join them that badly!"
Zoro rolled his eyes and couldn't help but yell in exasperation.
In response, Luffy simply grinned without a care in the world, flashing his pearly white teeth with a laugh.
"Shishishi, but still, that guy is really something else."
"You mean him..."
Zoro sheathed his three long swords at his waist. Knowing exactly who Luffy was referring to, he knowingly looked toward the top of the distant pile of rubble.
The Marine who had incited the soldiers to mutiny stood tall at the highest point. Just by looking at him, Zoro could feel the powerful aura radiating from the man's body.
"He's just like a wild beast. That guy... is strong...!"
Zoro's gaze grew solemn, yet the corners of his mouth curled up with interest. His inner desire to challenge the strong made him itch for a fight.
But now was not the time.
Having been tied up here for so long, he hadn't eaten a proper meal in days.
However.
While he might think that way, others certainly didn't.
"Quick, catch those two!"
A loud shout suddenly rang out from afar.
Luffy and Zoro looked toward the source of the voice, only to see the black-haired man standing atop the ruins, pointing at them with righteous indignation.
"To think you dared to invade a Marine base! You even brutally murdered our Captain Morgan! This is a heinous and unforgivable crime!"
Allen looked deeply heartbroken, his tone laced with grief and fury as he raised his sword and shouted,
"Get them! We must cut them down with our own hands to avenge Captain Morgan!"
Hearing this, the Marines, who had been immersed in the joy of Morgan's death, all turned their heads. The moment they saw the straw hat boy and Roronoa, they immediately understood.
Mutiny and murdering a superior officer was undoubtedly a severe crime, but it would be a completely different story if pirates were the ones who killed him.
"Lieutenant Allen is right!"
"We absolutely cannot let them get away!"
"Damn pirates! They are absolutely despicable!"
"Kill them!!"
Under Allen's orders, the Marines immediately grabbed their weapons and charged forward aggressively.
"Eh?!"
Seeing this, Luffy panicked but also felt a bit indignant as he roared,
"Hey! Wait a minute! We weren't the ones who killed him!"
"Do you really need to explain it to them?! Anyone can see they're framing us! Let's get out of here, idiot!"
Zoro cursed with a look of utter exasperation. Grabbing Luffy by the back of his collar, he hurriedly broke into a run to escape.
"Oh, so that's how it is."
Realizing the situation, Luffy turned the tables, wrapping an arm around Zoro and hoisting him by the waist. He stretched his other arm out, launching it forward to grab onto the outer wall of the base.
"Gomu Gomu no..."
Seeing this stance, Zoro's expression changed, a faint premonition of disaster rising in his heart.
Luffy pressed down on the straw hat on his head with a playful grin, leaping high into the air while holding Zoro.
"Shishishi, here we go!"
"Hey! Wait, wait, wait, what are you trying to..."
Whoosh—!!
"Aaaahhh!!!"
Accompanied by a miserable wail, the two of them were instantly slingshotted away like a rocket, turning into a fleeting shooting star in the sky.
"I'm going to cut you down sooner or later, you bastard!"
(A shout echoing from the horizon...)
...
At noon, the scorching sun hung high in the sky. The base was still littered with the messy aftermath of the battle.
By the edge of the sandy training ground.
"To think that the one who stood up and led everyone in rebellion would be you, who has always been so reticent. On behalf of all the non-commissioned officers at the base, I express my endless gratitude to you."
The burly Commander Ripper, leading a square formation of soldiers, bowed deeply to Allen.
A few seconds later, Ripper led everyone to stand back up and continued,
"Thanks to you, we have finally broken free from Morgan's rule. Rest assured, the brothers won't treat you poorly."
"Now that the position of Base Commander is vacant, once this incident is reported, we will jointly recommend you to be the new Base Commander."
"Although your rank might be an issue, if we resubmit the merits that Morgan previously suppressed, you should be able to get promoted to..."
Ripper rambled on about his plans to find a way to get him promoted, but Allen raised a hand to interrupt him, saying,
"Wait a minute. I assume you haven't returned to the office to see the resignation letter I wrote."
"Resignation letter?"
Ripper was stunned, and the several rows of Marines behind him also revealed expressions of disbelief.
Allen, however, smiled faintly. "Yeah, I've already made up my mind. I'm not going to be a Marine anymore."
"This...!"
Hearing this, Ripper was somewhat at a loss for what to do.
A few Marines behind him also hurriedly chimed in.
"But... we still want to follow you, Lieutenant."
"That's right, Lieutenant Allen. If you don't stay a Marine..."
One soldier gritted his teeth and spoke bluntly,
"I'm fine with anything, Lieutenant Allen! As long as I can follow you, I don't care if we become mercenaries, bounty hunters, or even bodyguards for someone!"
As soon as he spoke up, others immediately followed suit.
"That's right!"
"Me too! I don't have any living relatives left anyway."
"Me too! As long as I can follow Lord Allen, I don't mind going through hell and high water!"
During today's events, many of them had been deeply moved by Allen's impassioned speech.
Compared to Morgan from before, Allen's words and actions were simply like the light of righteousness shining down upon the earth.
To be able to follow behind such a brave and righteous man, they were more than willing to give up their identities as Marines.
"I'm very happy to hear you say that. Since that's the case, I won't hide it from you anymore."
Allen smiled in gratification, holding up an index finger as he stated bluntly,
"I'm going to be a pirate."
...
The air suddenly became dead silent. After a moment of quiet...
"Eh—!!"
The eyes of Ripper and the several rows of Marines practically bulged out of their sockets, their jaws dropping to the ground in utter shock.
"A pirate?!!"
"That's right."
Under everyone's shocked gazes, Allen smiled and nodded, beginning his smooth-talking routine.
"The sea is so vast. Don't you want to go take a look? To set foot in uncharted waters, step onto mysterious islands, and search for ancient treasures..."
Allen began to paint a picture of a dreamlike adventure for the Marines. Finally,
"Of course, I also know that not everyone can leave without any attachments, so I won't force anyone."
Allen paused, slowly withdrawing his casual demeanor as he spoke solemnly,
"Come! My ship will only accept warriors who dare to challenge the limits of life! Now! Those who want to set sail with me, take a step forward!"
The next second, under Allen's shocked gaze.
Thump—thump!
All the Marines took a step backward!
Allen's eyes bugged out, his jaw hitting the floor as he bared his sharp teeth and roared angrily,
"Not even a single one?! That's way too cruel!!"
"Ahem... It probably wouldn't be good if there was no one left to manage the base's affairs."
Ripper muttered, guiltily turning his face away.
As soon as he finished speaking, the Marines behind him chimed in one after another.
"As Commander Ripper's adjutant, it looks like I have no choice but to stay behind as well."
"Um... I think I should stay behind to protect the civilians in these waters."
"Ahem, my family is still in town..."
"Didn't you just say your entire family was dead?!"
Allen rolled his eyes and cursed through gritted teeth.
...