The scene was deathly quiet, everyone's breathing heavy. Their breaths seemed to suck the air from the space, suffocating Isuka.
"Those who wish to join me,"
"Step forward."
Alistair's gaze was calm and level as he addressed the pirates.
Their hearts surged like magma. After hearing Alistair's words, there was no hesitation, an instant eruption like a volcano.
"Boom!" The deck shook violently, as if in an earthquake.
Ninety-eight pirates stepped forward in unison, as if a single entity.
This time, everyone's movements were perfectly synchronized; no one was out of place.
All eyes were fixed on Alistair, resolute and unwavering. No one answered, but this silent power made the Marines tremble.
This silent force contained something the Marines lacked: a soul.
They believed in their cause, they believed in their goal for all humanity.
With this belief as their foundation, they had no psychological disadvantage against the Marines; they had a strong advantage.
Even more terrifying…
The Marines actually found his words reasonable?!
Not everyone possessed Akainu's unwavering sense of justice.
Most Marines joined simply to make a living. Many ambitious individuals chose to become pirates?!
Comparing the young powerhouses among the Supernovas to the young powerhouses in the Marines revealed a stark disparity—the Marines only had Kizaru, Smoker, Hina, Koby, Bellemere, and Helmeppo!
Even adding Momonga and Dalmatian, the new generation of geniuses paled in comparison to the pirates.
The Marine Admirals would eventually grow old. Even Whitebeard couldn't defy time, let alone the Marine Admirals.
The Marines' lack of successors was a serious problem. Not to mention the young Marines like Smoker, who sympathized with and even understood Luffy and his crew, Koby was practically Luffy's fan.
This led to Kuzan leaving the Marines after his conflict with Akainu, leaving only one Admiral. The Marines were in a dire situation, lacking Admirals besides Kizaru.
Kizaru, although a Logia-type Devil Fruit user capable of transforming into light, was responsible for both Headquarters and Sabaody Archipelago. His workload was already heavy, and he was lazy, even lazier than Kuzan. Getting him to do anything was extremely difficult.
Akainu, a diligent and righteous Marine, became Fleet Admiral and was stuck in the office at Mary Geoise, significantly weakening the Marines' strength in the Grand Line.
This led to a massive recruitment drive, and Fujitora and Ryokugyu rose from ordinary citizens to Admirals—Momonga and Chaton, despite being Marine veterans, were considered weaker and became candidates instead.
This was the era…
The Marines were too constrained, not free enough, lapdogs of the Celestial Dragons, subordinate to the World Government, at the beck and call of various nobles…
They lacked humanity.
They possessed what was called "righteousness."
But if they truly had the people's support…
Zeff wouldn't have left the Marines to create NEO, Kuzan wouldn't have left to find his own justice, Garp wouldn't have refused promotion to Admiral for decades, and Smoker wouldn't have been demoted to the East Blue to cool off…
How could you make the lower-ranking officers and ordinary soldiers believe in something the higher-ups didn't believe in?
This was the Marines' greatest contradiction.
"Take me with you!" The severely wounded Marines on the bow, somehow, had climbed to their feet.
They were the ones Alistair had operated on, six men who had listened to his speech, now struggling to lean on the railing, shouting loudly.
Their voices were so loud, their injuries so severe, that they coughed up blood, but their will, like all the pirates present, was unwavering.
Tears streaming down their faces, they coughed up blood, roaring, "Take us with you! Our families were also destroyed by those nobles, and we joined the Marines, becoming their lapdogs, living meaningless lives for so many years. We don't deserve to live! Take us with you!"
The pirates didn't turn to look at them, only glancing at the severely injured Marines.
Thud…
Among the prisoners on the right side of the mast, more Marines struggled to their feet.
Their hands were bound, their posture like kneeling.
But they used their foreheads, noses, and chins to slowly raise themselves from the ground.
Many of the seventy or eighty Marines stood up.
About forty or fifty.
They looked at Alistair, shouting, "We too! Let us join!"
An atmosphere, an aura, hung over the ship, incomprehensible to Isuka.
She felt as if she were in a furnace, burning up, merging with this group.
She wanted to be one of them, to possess their unwavering will, their glorious spirit, their honor…
As the only remaining Marine officer, her emotions urged her to join them, but reason warned her: No, this is wrong! This is treason! Hold on, Isuka!
"Those who wish to join, fall in!" Alistair shouted.
Those who had been operated on, clutching the railing, blood flowing from their mouths and noses, resolutely supported themselves, slowly descending to stand behind one of the pirates.
Five of them formed a rank.
But… it wasn't enough.
A rank had eight men!
Their rank seemed incomplete.
The Marines, their hands bound, slowly joined them, mimicking the pirates' posture, straightening their bodies, forming the first rank of Marines.
The second rank…
The third rank…
The fourth rank…
Whether they wore Marine or pirate uniforms, whether severely or lightly wounded, or bound—at this moment, they were one, indivisible!
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