Nami was completely baffled.
She had initially assumed that whoever caught her was one of her many disgruntled "clients" seeking revenge, but this felt... different. A flattering invitation to join them?
'How does he know I can navigate?' she wondered. 'Who leaked that information about me?'
Her mind swirled with possibilities. 'Was it Karina?'
Countless thoughts zipped through her head, but the one thing she was sure of was that, for now, she was trapped.
Realizing she was outnumbered and outmatched, Nami made a quick decision.
'Fine,' she thought, her eyes flashing with determination. 'I'll play along, join these idiots, and when the time's right, I'll steal their treasure and slip away—just like always.'
Her decision was firm, but as she stepped closer to Red and the others, the sound of hurried footsteps above them froze her in place.
Moments later, an angry roar echoed from above:
"Search the place! Someone dares to cause trouble in my territory? Find them, and I'll make them pay!"
Nami's stomach dropped.
"It's over!" she gasped, realizing the racket they'd made had drawn the Marines' attention.
Glancing at the others, she blurted out, "The Marines are coming!"
Her sharp instincts kicked in as she scanned the room.
"You don't want to be surrounded by the Marines, do you? Let's get out of here through the window!"
Without waiting for a reply, she pulled out a collapsible staff—seemingly from nowhere—and dashed toward the window, ready to make her escape.
But instead of following her lead, Luffy and Zoro exchanged puzzled looks.
"Run?" Luffy asked, tilting his head as if the idea were absurd. A wide grin spread across his face as he clenched his fists.
"Why would we run? We came here to fight the Marines! Shishishi!"
Zoro's eyes glinted with excitement. He had just raided Helmeppo's stash for some pastries, and his energy had been restored. The urge to fight coursed through him.
To speed things along, Zoro marched to the door, opened it, and shouted into the hallway:
"OI, MARINES!!! WE'RE RIGHT HERE!!!"
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING, YOU IDIOT?!" Nami screamed, her voice nearly breaking. She bolted back across the room, grabbing Red's arm in desperation.
"Hey! You seem like the sane one! Don't let those two lunatics drag us down with them!"
Her grip tightened as she tried to pull Red toward the window. "Come on, let's escape before it's too late!"
But instead of following her, Red smiled, exuding a calm confidence that only made Nami more anxious.
"Don't worry, Nami. We're very strong," he said reassuringly, his tone as steady as bedrock.
He gently but firmly pulled her back, preventing her from running.
Nami's eyes widened in disbelief. "What are you doing?!" she hissed. "If you want to die, don't take me with you!"
She squirmed and struggled, but Red's grip was unyielding. It was as if she'd been caught by an iron vice.
Meanwhile, the sound of boots thundered down the hall, and within seconds, Marines flooded both ends of the corridor, their rifles aimed squarely at the group.
Nami froze, her heart sinking. 'This is it. There's no way out now.'
The Marines parted as a towering figure emerged from their ranks. Captain Morgan stepped forward, his massive frame forcing him to duck slightly as he entered the room.
One of his arms gleamed coldly—a giant axe replacing what had once been flesh. His sharp, angry eyes scanned the room, landing on the gaping hole in the ceiling.
"Boy, who gave you the courage to make trouble in my territory!?" Morgan's booming voice filled the room, his axe-hand glinting menacingly in the light.
"Dad!!!"
Helmeppo, who had been trembling moments earlier, suddenly scrambled to his feet, as if he'd found his savior.
He stumbled toward Morgan, half-crawling and half-running, tears streaming down his face.
"Kill them, Dad! Kill them quickly!" he wailed, clinging to Morgan's coat like a lifeline.
But Morgan's response was anything but fatherly.
WHAM!
Without hesitation, Morgan swung his leg and delivered a brutal flying kick that sent Helmeppo sprawling across the floor.
"Ugh…" Helmeppo groaned, clutching his side as he looked up in shock. What he saw froze him in place—Morgan's cold, disdainful glare.
"Useless trash!" Morgan spat, his voice venomous. "You dare bring criminals into my base without permission?!"
"B-But, Dad—"
"The one who rules this place is ME!" Morgan barked, his eyes narrowing dangerously. "You are nothing! NOTHING!"
Helmeppo's whimpering faded into silence as Morgan turned his attention back to Red and the others.
"You there," Morgan growled, pointing his massive axe-hand at Red. "Tell me how you want to die."
"Die?" Luffy grinned, his carefree attitude unwavering. "I won't die—not until I become the Pirate King!"
He stepped forward, cracking his knuckles, his enthusiasm to fight evident.
But before he could act—
"Wait, Luffy. Zoro."
Red suddenly stepped forward, releasing Nami from his grip. His voice was calm but resolute as he addressed his crewmates.
"Leave this guy to me. I've been itching to try a new move."
"Huh?" Luffy tilted his head in surprise. It wasn't like Red to volunteer for a fight. But after a moment of thought, he nodded.
"Alright, Red, he's yours! Shishishi!"
In Luffy's mind, even though Red wasn't the strongest fighter—he had once struggled to fend off a five-meter-tall black bear—he had an odd knack for staying unharmed.
Zoro, who had been ready to unsheath his Narukami, paused as well.
"Fine," he said, his curiosity piqued. "Let's see what you've got, vice-captain."
Red chuckled. "You might be disappointed—fighting isn't exactly my forte."
He strode confidently toward Morgan, unfazed by the towering Marine's imposing figure.
Morgan sneered, raising his axe-hand. "You want to die first, boy?"
Red didn't answer. Instead, he raised his hand, his eyes narrowing with focus.
"Ancient Power."
In an instant, a surge of primal energy erupted from Red's body. Rocks with jagged, rough surfaces materialized in mid-air, swirling around him in an otherworldly dance.
"What the—!?" Morgan barked, his bravado faltering.
Before anyone could comprehend what they were witnessing, the rocks shot forward like cannonballs, each one aimed with deadly precision.
BOOM!
The first rock slammed into Morgan with explosive force, sending him flying backward.
CRASH! BOOM!
More rocks followed, pummeling him relentlessly until his massive body smashed through the wall of the Marine base. He was launched out into the open air, plummeting to the ground below with a deafening crash.
Silence fell over the room.
The Marines stared, their jaws slack with disbelief.
Their fearsome captain—defeated in mere seconds.
"Glurk!"
A soldier audibly gulped, breaking the silence.
And then—
CLANG!
A gun fell to the ground.
One by one, the Marines began dropping their weapons, their shock giving way to a wave of collective relief.
"He's gone!"
"Morgan's defeated!"
"We're free!"
Cheers erupted from the Marines, their voices filled with an unexpected joy.
"No more being controlled by Morgan!"
"For freedom!"
The jubilant cries left Zoro and Luffy utterly baffled.
"What the heck's going on?" Luffy asked, scratching his head in confusion.
"Haha, looks like they hated their captain even more than we did," Red replied casually, dusting off his hands.
Zoro scowled. "So, no fight, then? What a letdown."
"Oh?" Red turned to Zoro with a mischievous grin. "You want a fight that bad?"
Zoro hesitated, his instincts warning him, but his pride wouldn't let him back down.
"Of course I do," he said firmly, hand resting on his Narukami's hilt.
"Great!" Red clapped his hands, his grin widening.
"Why not use the Marine's base as a sparring ground? Have a good fight with Luffy!"
Zoro's eye twitched, sensing he'd walked into a trap.
But Red's grin only grew as he silently mused, 'Time to show Zoro why I'm the trainer around here. I hope you're ready, young Zoro—you might not feel so confident after Luffy's done with you.'