Zoro loudly declared, "Piracy is a crooked path, who wants to be one! If I just hold out for ten more days, I can fulfill my promise with that butt-faced guy!"
Facing this stubborn green-haired kid, Luffy didn't care whether he agreed or not. He crossed his arms, turned his head, and said, "Anyway, I've decided, you'll be a member of my ship… Here, Nami, introduce yourself to him."
"Hey! Don't make decisions for me without permission!" The tied-up Zoro yelled at the Straw Hat kid in front of him.
Meanwhile, Nami, seeing Luffy's playful smirk, could only roll her eyes helplessly. Then, she smiled sweetly and introduced herself to Zoro, "Hi, I'm Nami, the ship's navigator."
"Hey! I never said I was joining you guys!" Zoro was furious, staring at the two people in front of him, muttering to himself.
But Luffy didn't give him a chance to speak. He casually said, "Don't even think about it. I heard that Shang Xiao's kid is going to deal with you tomorrow."
"What?!" Zoro's green hair stood on end.
"Helmeppo never intended to keep his promise, so I'll have to kill him a little." Luffy's eyes narrowed as he continued, "After I deal with him, your swords will be mine! If you want them back, you'll have to join me, hahaha!"
"This guy is truly evil…" Nami next to him couldn't help but chuckle. To be honest, Luffy usually seemed reckless, but he was very sharp when he needed to be. He easily subdued this green-haired kid. Especially since in his previous life, Zack was a huge fan of Pirate King, so of course, he knew Zoro's "weakness." Among the three swords confiscated from Zoro, one belonged to his childhood friend, Kuina! To Zoro, that sword was more important than anything!
Indeed! As soon as the words left his mouth, Zoro was completely dumbfounded.
"Hey! You're too evil!!" But Luffy was so "friendly" to him, that he couldn't even get angry.
"Hahahaha, what are you doing?"
At this moment, a man with a middle part, a cleft chin, wearing a suit, and followed by a dozen Marines, swaggered in through the gate. He strode confidently, smiling annoyingly, and looked arrogantly at Luffy, Nami, and Zoro, saying insolently, "I didn't expect you to be so bold, daring to trespass into a Marine base…"
"Are you two that Pirate Hunter's accomplices?"
"Helmeppo!!" Zoro's voice trembled, he squeezed the words through his clenched teeth.
But with his hands tied, even if he had the ability to kill, he couldn't use it. He could only stare at Luffy helplessly. When Luffy first appeared, he could already sense the terrifying intensity emanating from him. This guy's strength might be even more formidable than he thought! In fact, Zoro was already certain that even at his peak, he might not be able to withstand a single blow from the other party. Therefore, the Marines in front of Luffy were no match at all, they were just courting death!
"What are you shouting for? Haha, you'll be a corpse tomorrow…" Helmeppo gave an annoying smile, walked closer and sneered, "Not only you, but neither of your accomplices will survive!"
The Marines behind him heard this and showed hesitation on their faces. But out of fear of Helmeppo's father—the local boss of this Marine branch, the ruler of Shells Town, "Axe-Hand" Morgan!—they didn't dare to speak up. Hmph, they could only steel themselves, raise their long spears, and aim at Zoro and the other two.
"Hahahaha, understand? Here, my dad's the boss, and me, his only son, the throne is my right!" Helmeppo laughed triumphantly, his eyes full of contempt, mocking the three of them, "You little nobodies, how dare you provoke me? Go to hell!"
"This bastard…" Nami was furious. It was bad enough that the Marine rats in her hometown colluded with Arlong, but even in a different place, they were still like this! What was wrong with this world?
"Haha, regretting it now, aren't you!" Helmeppo looked at the three of them expressionlessly, smiling extremely smugly, "If you two kneel down and beg for mercy now, I'll be merciful and spare your lives, how about that?"
As he spoke, he cast a jealous glance at Luffy, whose arm Nami was holding, and had already planned to deal with him once he knelt. But as for the woman, she was quite beautiful, after dealing with Luffy, he would take her to his room for some fun.
"Make me kneel?" Nami gave him a cold look, mercilessly sneering, "You? You ugly thing, you should have disappeared a long time ago!"
She knew Luffy's abilities well and didn't take Helmeppo seriously at all.
"What?! You insolent bitch, how dare you insult this young master…" Being called "ugly" to his face by Nami, Helmeppo trembled with rage, roaring with a pale face, "Attack them, send them all to hell!"
"I was going to say, it looks like you're the one who should be going to hell…"
At this moment, Luffy, who had been silent, suddenly spoke.
In the blink of an eye, everyone's vision blurred. Zoro was too shocked to speak. Helmeppo, who had just been so arrogant, was now being held by the neck, lifted in midair by Luffy's single hand, while Luffy still held Nami in his embrace.
Nami: Her eyes were sparkling!
"Uwah! Let me go!" Helmeppo's face turned red and his neck thickened from being choked. He struggled and screamed, "You annoying man!"
Out of fear, he desperately kicked his legs, his hands frantically pulling at Luffy's fingers, trying to break free, but no matter how hard he struggled, those fingers were like iron, unmoving.
"What?!"
"When did he get there? I didn't even see him!"
"Quickly let go of Young Master Helmeppo, or we'll all die!"
At this moment, the dozen Marines finally recovered, raising their weapons and aiming at Luffy and the others.
But at that moment—
"Get out of here!"
Luffy's eyes narrowed, and black-red lightning spread all around him. A frightening aura enveloped the surroundings!
In an instant, everyone except Nami, Zoro, and Helmeppo, who was being choked by Luffy, fainted!
Thump, thump—
They fell one by one, a truly horrifying sight to behold.
"What?!"
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