Check out advanced chapters on P@treon: [email protected]/CosmicKaminari
----------
"Hehehe, these two guys are really energetic!"
Luffy stood up, dusting himself off and adjusting his straw hat with a grin.
Behind him, buried under a pile of bricks and rubble, Captain Nezumi groggily pushed himself up, his face battered and bloodied.
His already small eyes suddenly gleamed as he caught sight of Luffy placing the hat back on his head.
"Straw Hat?! There's no mistake! This guy is Monkey D. Luffy—50,000,000 Berri bounty!"
The chance for a promotion and a fat paycheck had come out of nowhere!
Click!
Like the sound of fate knocking at his door, Nezumi silently pulled a musket from inside his uniform and aimed the black barrel at Luffy's unguarded back.
"Die, Straw Hat!!!"
BANG!
A flash of fire erupted from the gun!
A lead bullet shot out at high speed—
But then…
Swish!
Luffy tilted his body slightly, effortlessly dodging the bullet.
Even though his rubber body made him immune to ordinary bullets, years of training under Red had drilled danger sense and instant reaction into his muscles.
"Oi! Why are you attacking me from behind!?"
Luffy turned, pouting in dissatisfaction.
But then his eyes widened as a memory surfaced—something Red had mentioned before.
"Huh?! You look like a mouse!"
"Are you the commander here?"
Luffy wasn't great with names, but he never forgot faces.
Just like how he once mistook Kaku for Usopp, or dubbed Marco "Pineapple Head," his instincts were spot on.
"That's right! It's gotta be you!"
Suddenly, his expression lit up as if he'd just stumbled upon treasure.
"What great luck!"
"If I take you to Nami, maybe she'll let me have my pocket money back!"
"...What?"
Nezumi blinked, his brain struggling to process what he just heard.
A 50,000,000 Berri pirate… asking someone else for allowance?
Was this really the infamous Straw Hat Luffy?
If so, then this had to be the funniest joke of the year!
But before Nezumi could even think of a comeback—
Luffy's arms suddenly stretched forward, his head lowering as he smirked.
"Gomu Gomu no... Pistol!!!"
There was no dramatic effect, no flashy technique.
Just a simple punch—
That grew larger and larger in Nezumi's horrified eyes.
CRACK!
Luffy's fist smashed directly into Nezumi's face, shattering his nose and sending his front teeth flying.
His body slammed against the wall with a sickening thud before slumping to the ground—completely unconscious.
A single punch was all it took to knock out Captain Nezumi, the commander of the 16th Marine Branch.
But honestly…
That was only natural.
Meanwhile…
As the Straw Hats continued causing chaos inside the base, the Going Merry rode the waves straight through the shattered gate, entering the marine stronghold without resistance.
"Alright, Usopp, the ship's in your hands!"
Floating in midair, Red waved down at Usopp, carrying Nami alongside him.
The marine guards stationed at the entrance had already fled inside after witnessing the earlier bombardment.
Leaving Usopp behind wasn't out of laziness—it was a precaution.
This marine base was far larger than the 153rd Branch.
Even though Captain Nezumi had driven away many soldiers by withholding their pay, there were still nearly a thousand marines left in the base.
Enough to keep Luffy and the others entertained for a while.
After all, the ones still serving under Nezumi were either complicit in his corruption or at least turned a blind eye to it.
Nezumi was no longer a true marine, so letting Luffy and the others teach him a lesson was more than justified.
With their ability to fly, Red and Nami headed straight for the top of the marine base.
Their plan was clear.
Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji would handle the fighting, drawing the marines' attention.
Meanwhile, Red and Nami would search for Captain Nezumi's treasure stash and gather evidence of his long-standing collusion with the Arlong Pirates.
For years, the Arlong Pirates had dominated these waters, not just through strength, but because of corrupt marines like Nezumi enabling them from the shadows.
This time, the Straw Hats weren't just here to defeat them—
They were here to expose them.
By making the truth public, they wouldn't just humiliate Nezumi.
They would force the marines to take action.
Even though the World Government prioritized the Celestial Dragons, most marines still believed in justice.
Corruption was inevitable, but once Nezumi's crimes were revealed, the marines would be forced to act—whether to uphold justice or simply to save face.
At the very least, the East Blue Marines would provide compensation to Cocoyasi Village and the other victims of Arlong's rule.
And in the short term, the navy would heavily patrol these waters to prevent new pirates from taking over.
That was what the Straw Hats truly wanted.
And for Red, this was the best way to help Nami and the people who had suffered under Arlong's tyranny.
Inside the Marine Base
Moving swiftly and silently, Red and Nami searched room after room.
With Nami's years of thieving experience, they quickly located Captain Nezumi's treasure room.
With a crackle, Nami unleashed a Thunderbolt from her fingers.
The metal lock melted instantly and dropped to the floor with a clang.
As the door creaked open, a dazzling golden glow filled the room.
"Ohhh~!!"
Nami's eyes transformed into golden coins as she let out a delighted squeal.
Before Red could say anything, she dived headfirst into the mountain of gold and jewelry, scooping up handfuls of treasure.
Red stepped forward, glancing at the piles of Berry and precious gems, and clicked his tongue.
"Didn't expect the fishmen to be this generous~"
"They must've given Nezumi an insane amount of tribute over the years."
He casually threw out a number.
"What do you think? Maybe around 1 billion Berri?"
Red wasn't great at valuing jewelry, so he just estimated.
But one thing was certain—
No matter how much was in this room, it was only a fraction of what Nezumi and Arlong had stolen.
For years, they had bled this sea dry.
The real price paid was in suffering.
"..."
Nami suddenly fell silent.
Red's words had struck something deep within her.
She stared at the gold coins in her hands, her excitement fading into conflicted emotions.
These weren't just random riches.
This was the blood and sweat of the villagers who had suffered under Arlong.
For the first time, Nami hesitated.
Should she return this treasure to the people?
Sensing her turmoil, Red gently placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Don't overthink it, Nami."
"This money is rightfully ours."
"We're pirates. If we start acting outside our role, things will get complicated."
"If we return this, the navy might twist it into an excuse to accuse the villagers of 'colluding with pirates.'"
"But once Nezumi's crimes are exposed, the navy won't be able to ignore it. If they want to keep their 'justice' intact, they'll have to compensate the villagers."
Saying this, Red pulled out a camera, found the perfect angle, and took a photo of the treasure pile.
He made sure to prominently include the marine seagull emblem in the frame.
"That makes sense!"
With that logic, Nami's mood instantly flipped back.
Her golden glow returned, and she happily resumed stuffing treasures into sacks.
Once everything was packed, they left it behind for Luffy and the others to collect later.
Their next target—
Nezumi's secret records.
As they moved through the base, passing through a dormitory area, Nami suddenly stopped.
"What is it?"
Red turned, noticing her serious expression.
"Something feels... off."
Nami frowned.
"I don't know why, but I feel like there's something inside that room calling to me."
The moment she finished speaking—
A spark of electricity flashed from her fingertips, short-circuiting the door lock.
The door swung open on its own.
Red raised an eyebrow.
Stepping inside, his gaze immediately landed on the centerpiece of the room.
A lavish weapon stand, made of expensive ebony wood.
And resting upon it—
A beautiful long sword.
Its blade was etched with intricate blue lightning-shaped engravings.