Remember the PS Goal? its 100.
--
"...Hey, Trébol"
"Behehehehe, what's up, Doffy, what do you need?"
"Just in case, drop an anonymous tip to the CP. Tell them that what they were looking for has been found."
"And also to get rid of the Manager?"
"Fuffuffuffuffu. Not just the Marine; keep an eye on the Celestial Dragon and the Mafia people who were involved, too. They can become pawns, depending on their actions."
"If the people involved start moving, the situation will seem more real."
"If one of them thinks they saw a truth that helps them during those movements, more fools will be forced to act."
Pride, justice, honor... Ah, you are great. You are great, Kuro of the Silent Step.
You're easy to figure out, and that helps me. ...So far.
Now, can you win?
–
"What will you do!? Kuro of the Silent Step!!"
Shut up, you trash.
It seems Robin is the main goal, so they probably won't fight too hard, but they might want the Marines who would talk to be dead.
"There is nothing to think about; I already know what to do..."
We have to fight. But first—
"Daz, connect the Den Den Mushi to the speaker."
"Got it."
After making sure Daz connected it, I go to the front of the ship with the Den Den Mushi. The moment I pick up the receiver, I hear a terrible ringing sound.
"I see you, West Blue Regional Manager! I want to hand over the other ship to you right now!"
I see someone far away with an ugly smirk. That's him.
"But Nico Robin is not on it! It has civilians who were lost at sea!!"
...He suddenly looks unhappy. So the real target is Robin, not the Marines.
"Nico Robin is my friend! I choose to fight rather than hand her over just to stay alive!"
"Even so—the fight can't be avoided now, but neither of us wants hard feelings left after the fight!"
I don't know what he is thinking, but he probably plans to grab Robin and run away... I think. Even if he waits, the Marines will no longer want him.
In that case, if I let them protect the ship, the Marines will be safe.
Also, a person who climbed the ranks without real skill should be weak to fame—simply put, praise. People who seek status are too easy to read.
"I see you as an honorable Marine who manages the West Blue, and I ask you this! Please protect them!!"
Come on, come on, fall for it!
Silence lasts for about two seconds, but the trashy jerk grabs the receiver.
"Very well. We will send soldiers to your other ship to take them."
"Daz, Perona."
"Hmm?"
"Horo? Is this a plan for if they attack, pretending to rescue them?"
"Your ghosts can handle that... I mean, listen up."
Well, I have to tell them, too.
"This is the last point of no return. You can still choose to be a pirate or not."
There's no helping Robin. No matter what Robin does, the world will always hunt her.
"It's awful to say this in front of Robin, but the danger has jumped because she is with us. This is a fact that can't be changed."
Robin looks down. I'm sorry, I'm really sorry! But I have to say it now!
"I tried to be careful not to be seen, but in emergencies, I had Robin help sail the ship with her power. Maybe that's how the news got out."
"Ah, that's why you didn't use Robin even for shopping."
Perona nods, understanding.
"From now on, the world will chase us. The danger of our journey from here on is much higher than we thought."
Since they know, it wouldn't be surprising if someone dangerous like Rob Lucci attacks us at any time.
"On top of that, I promise you now. As I said before, I will not abandon Robin."
I will do everything I can. If I die doing it, I'm sorry. I'll make a path for you to escape, so forgive me.
"Marines, please move to the other ship, even if it's crowded. The enemy's goal is not clear, but they probably know a lot about the Marine Slave case. The fact that they asked for Robin means they are probably no longer interested in that business. If we don't give them a chance, they won't try to silence everyone."
This attack is definitely not the idea of all the Marines. If so, that trashy jerk probably plans to run away.
A question is, even if Robin has value, would someone important enough to erase all this trouble make a real deal with that trashy jerk...
He's a disposable pawn. The enemy—the real target—probably hasn't done anything that can be traced back to them. If we can just get through this, the Marine Slave issue will be settled, in a way.
And the biggest problem is that the situation is about to get much worse.
"And if you don't choose the pirate path here, move over there as people who are saved."
I never thought this "just in case" would happen so quickly—
"I asked Vice Admiral Kuzan to be a safe place for you before you became wanted."
Daz looks at me, surprised, which is rare for him.
"When did you do that..."
"The last time we wrote letters."
"You're always so prepared."
The alarm bells were ringing as soon as Robin and Kuzan had contact again. I made sure to be prepared for the worst.
"Horo-horo-horo, I'll stick with you. I was going to be a wanted person anyway. I don't want to be under that stiff Marines' care."
Perona, the one I was most worried about, makes her choice first.
...You have courage in weird places.
"Me too, Captain. I'll follow you."
Robin nods at Daz's words and looks at me.
"Sorry to keep you waiting. This is Momonga, a Headquarters Captain. I've come to oversee the protection of the civilians."
.…I know that name, but who is he? Oh well, he looks trustworthy.
"Thank you for overseeing this! ...Okay, Marines, please move."
–
The sight of his back in that secret storage room has been burned into her memory ever since that day.
"Captain Kuro..."
"Amisu, don't look like that. You are finally going home."
The pirate, who carried his resolve, spoke of honor, and kept his pride—like the Marine she had always admired should be—smiles slightly in this dangerous situation.
He watches as they move to the other ship—the temporary safe ship—under the watchful eyes of the Headquarters Captain and the Marines.
"But—"
"You were Marines from the start, and we are pirates. Well, I'll find a way to fix this."
They have to leave this person—a pirate who never backed down with his small body to protect the Marines against the Devil Fruit users.
The Marines who came to oversee the move might know the truth.
"Here, don't forget this."
And he gives her the clothes he was wearing.
It's the Marine uniform, he changed out of so it wouldn't get dirty.
Why? Why can't this person wear these clothes?
"Captain Kuro... I... Justice—"
She will never forget that day.
The confusion when her comrades, who shared the same justice, put handcuffs and a gag on them. The fear when her superiors, who also stood for justice, touched her body and put a price on her.
"Justice... Justice is not—!"
She realized it.
Without knowing when, she had started to hate this white uniform she once wore.
Just seeing it made her angry, gave her the shivers, and made her want to look away.
The uniform in her hand felt like the dirtiest and most terrible thing in the world.
"This thing!!"
With her mixed-up feelings, she tries to throw it into the sea—
"Stop it."
Her hand is stopped by a hand smaller than her own—
"It's a waste."
But it was a strong hand.
"Did you come to hate these clothes?"
She realizes her face is covered in tears, and she can only nod, unable to speak.
"...You are confused about the worth of these clothes. And the worth of the word Justice that you will wear on your back one day."
"The Marine uniform and the word Justice... have no worth on their own. Neither does the word Honor that I stand for."
She looks up at his unexpected words.
"If the word Justice and the clothes you hold had worth, then the people who treated you—you all—like objects would have been worthy of that, but that's not true. Justice is the most hollow word, and the Marine uniform is just a uniform."
"Even so, many people still want to become Marines. While more people become pirates to dream of quick wealth, there are still some who choose to be Marines. Why is that?"
"It's simple. It's not because the clothes or Justice are cool. It's because the will to stand up for others is beautiful."
She clenches her hand around the uniform.
"The will to help someone gives meaning to the clothes, and the will to protect makes the two letters of Justice shine. The real worth of that uniform is the worth of your own will."
"...It's a waste to throw it away. Keep it. ...You can make those clothes shine, too."
He's the same as always, even though he's about to face death.
Just like that day, he will face them again.
For the things he cannot change.
She moves forward, still holding the uniform. She walks up to the Captain who is leading the overseeing Marines—and stops.
"...Is that what you want?"
She knows what the Headquarters Captain's question means. She was offering the Marine uniform, which she was supposed to take back, to the Captain.
"Now that I've learned the worth of this uniform, I can no longer wear it."
"..I understand. I'll take it."
The Captain takes the uniform carefully.
—She was no longer lost.
She looks back the way she came—the opposite of the way she was heading. Captain Kuro is looking at her with a rare look of confusion.
"I'm sorry, Captain Kuro!!"
"But I can't wear these clothes anymore!!"
She looks at the faces of the people who followed her and understands.
"That time, we could only choose the path of being sold, but this time, I want to choose for myself!"
These people are also choosing the same path.
"I—I!"
"I want to serve you...!"
(・ﾟдﾟ) [Kuro]
( ﾟдﾟ ) [Kuro]