"Hooray!! You said you’ll become our crewmate!!"
"Now that you get it, hurry up and untie these ropes!!"
"Hang on."
Instead of Luffy, I cut the ropes binding Zoro with my sword.
"If guns don’t work, then swords it is!!"
"This time, I’ll show you!"
Gripping his swords, Zoro blocked the blades of the Marines rushing at him all by himself—
with three swords.
One in each hand, and one clenched in his mouth....
"Whoa!! That’s awesome!!"
"I want to learn Three-Sword Style too!!"
I thought it would look ridiculous in person, but it was actually cool.
"Don’t move. If you do, I’ll cut you down."
"I’ll become a pirate. I promised, and since I’ve picked a fight with the Marines, I’m officially a villain now anyway. But listen carefully. I have an ambition!!"
"Oh! Zoro, your pronunciation is so clear. What’s your secret??"
He definitely had a sword in his mouth, yet his pronunciation was incredibly precise.
"...."
"Ah, sorry. Go on...."
"I’m going to become the world’s greatest swordsman!! Whether it’s infamy or anything else, I’ll make my name resound throughout the entire world. That’s my condition."
"If you’re going to be the Pirate King’s comrade, becoming the world’s greatest swordsman is the bare minimum!"
"Hmph. Not bad. And you?"
"Oh, call me Jin."
"You’ll get the pronunciation eventually if you keep practicing."
"Ah, so it really is practice."
"Get down, Zoro!!"
"Gum-Gum Whip!!"
Luffy took out all the Marines at once.
"Oh, like I said, you’re the best at clearing out fodder. I’ll handle the last one."
I charged at Morgan, who was left standing alone.
"You lowborn nobodies with neither rank nor title!! I am Marine Colonel Axe-Hand Morgan!!"
"Didn’t ask, don’t care!!"
"Die."
Morgan swung his axe hand, but I easily dodged it.
Then I drew my sword and severed the arm with the axe attached.
"Aaargh!!!"
"C-Colonel Morgan is being completely overwhelmed!!"
Planning to absorb Morgan after knocking him out, I sheathed my sword and punched him in the face.
"How dare you!!"
"Am I still too strong?? I’m not good at controlling my strength yet, so don’t die—just pass out, got it?"
I gave Morgan that warning as I raised my fist.
"Stop!! If you value this guy’s life, don’t move!! I’ll shoot!!"
Morgan’s son had taken Koby hostage.
I told him to stay outside precisely because I was worried this would happen. When did he get captured?
"Jin, Luffy!! Even if I die, I don’t want to be a burden to you!"
"All right!! Give it up, idiot! Koby means it!!"
"Gum-Gum Pistol!!"
Luffy launched his fist at Morgan’s son, while I gifted Morgan a knockout punch.
"Nice, successful knockout!!"
I grabbed the unconscious Morgan by the neck and turned him into an old man.
Oh!!
Maybe because he was a Marine colonel, but absorbing his energy made me feel stronger.
"W-What is that??"
Watching Morgan grow old, Zoro asked me.
"Oh, I’m a Devil Fruit user too!"
"You’re weird guys."
"Shishishi!"
"Anyone who still wants to capture us, step forward!"
At Zoro’s words, the Marines looked at each other....
"Hooray!!"
"We’re free!"
"Morgan’s rule is over."
"What? They’re happy that their colonel got beaten?"
"Everyone was just afraid of Morgan!! Thank goodness!"
"Koby, doesn’t it mean the Marines are hopeless if that counts as a good thing?"
Just as I was about to have a serious discussion with Koby about the Marines, Zoro collapsed.
When word spread that Morgan had been defeated, the townspeople welcomed us.
Then we ended up having a meal at the home of the mother of the girl we had met earlier.
"Ah, that was good!! Nine days really was my limit!!"
"Trying to last a month was ridiculous to begin with."
"Luffy, why do you eat more than I do?"
"Zoro, teach me Three-Sword Style too."
"I’m sorry.... Even I ended up coming here...."
"It’s all right. You saved the village, after all."
"Jin, Luffy, we haven’t been together long, but we’re friends, right?"
"Yeah. Even if we part ways, we’ll be friends forever."
"I think so too."
"Thank you. I learned from all of you what it means to live for your own convictions."
"Don’t mention it."
"More importantly, are you really all right?"
"It’s true that you spent two years aboard Alvida’s pirate ship, even if you were only assigned chores."
"Don’t underestimate the Marines’ intelligence network. If they find out, joining the Marines will be impossible."
"It’s fine. We’ll say you were kidnapped, forced into labor, and then rescued."
Just as I answered Zoro, one of the Marines entered the house.
"Excuse me!"
"Is it true that you men are pirates?"
"Well, now that I’ve got a crewmate, I guess I’ll call myself a pirate from now on."
"Ah, I’m an adventurer. But since I’m traveling with them for now, what should I call myself?"
"We treated you as rebels, but everyone is grateful that you saved our base and this town. However, since you are pirates...."
"Adventurer!!"
"...."
"Adventurer!"
"Now that we know you are pirates... and an adventurer, we cannot remain silent in the name of the Marines."
"I am truly sorry, but I ask that you leave this town now."
"As a minimum courtesy, we will not contact Headquarters."
"Hey, Marines!! How can you say that?!"
"You couldn’t say a single word to Morgan yourselves!"
"They’re our benefactors!"
"Then... shall we go? Thanks for the meal."
"Luffy...."
"Are you guys leaving already?"
As we stood up to leave, a Marine asked Koby,
"Aren’t you one of their group?"
Koby could not immediately answer.
"Ah, that guy and us merely saved each other."
"We rescued him from the pirates holding him captive, and he guided us here after we got lost at sea."
"Those two became pirates today, and I’m still an adventurer, so there shouldn’t be a problem, right?"
"I see. No problem at all."
"Then we’re leaving. I hope we can meet again someday with smiles on our faces."
"Even if that’s the truth, will they believe him?"
"Koby will handle it. I’m sure of it!"
‘Yeah, Grandpa Garp will take him away.’
"Jin!! Luffy!!"
"Huh, Koby?"
"Thank you so much!! I will never forget this kindness for the rest of my life."
Koby said that as he gave us a Marine salute.
‘Look at that perfect salute, punk.’
"Attention, salute!!"
Behind Koby, the Marines lined up in neat ranks and saluted us.
"Shishishi! See you again, Koby!!"
"Yeah, we’ll only catch bad guys, so go easy on us!!"
If I remembered correctly, Nami came after Zoro.
And Nami liked money and hated pirates.
And I had five million Berries after robbing the Alvida Pirates’ money.
(Though I should really split it fifty-fifty with Luffy.)
I’m not a pirate—I’m an adventurer.
Hmm, excellent. Nami, you’re my thie-thi-th...
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