Inside the Marine garrison, Nami slipped through the doorway into the spacious suite Luffy had stormed earlier. The same grand, gilded paintings lined the walls. As her boots crossed the rug, a sharp gasp echoed from the far corner.
"W-WHO ARE YOU?!" The two women were still huddled beneath the heavy bedsheets, staring at her in wide-eyed panic. Nami kept her expression perfectly composed, meeting their gazes without flinching.
"Captain Morgan has declared an immediate lockdown," Nami said, her voice crisp and authoritative. "A band of pirates infiltrated the base. Captain Morgan ordered me to inform you that you are dismissed to safety."
The two women scrambled out of bed, grabbing their crisp Marine uniforms and caps from a nearby chair. Pulling on their tunics, they fell into a rigid posture in front of her.
"Where is Captain Morgan now?" one asked, fastening her belt.
"He's down in the town securing the perimeter. Go!" Nami urged. As the women sprinted into the corridor, Nami turned her full attention to the room. Her sharp eyes scanned every inch of the mahogany paneling until a subtle detail caught her attention—one of the oversized oil portraits sat a fraction of an inch off the wall frame.
Jackpot.
Slipping a thin screwdriver from the lining of her borrowed Marine uniform, she wedged the tip into the side seam and gently popped the latch. The massive portrait swung open on hidden hinges, revealing a heavy iron safe built directly into the stone wall. She fished a ring of stolen keys from her pocket, slotted the largest one into the keyhole, and turned it.
Heavy tumblers clicked, and the safe door swung open, revealing rows of neatly stacked cash and a thick, rolled parchment. Nami bypassed the money and grabbed the parchment. Unrolling the scroll with eager hands, her confident expression instantly soured. It wasn't a map—it was a hand-drawn caricature. A grinning, painted skull with a bulbous red nose stared back at her, flanked by bold, messy ink:
GOTCHA! THINK YOU CAN OUTSMART THE SMARTEST CLOWN IN THE EAST BLUE, YOU AXE-HANDED BUFFALO?!
Sincerely,
Buggy the Clown
Nami clicked her tongue in disgust. "Goddamn it!"
Gritting her teeth, she rolled up the insult and shoved it into her coat. She reached back into the vault, snatched two thick stacks of hundred-thousand-berry bills, and swung the hidden safe closed behind her. Straightening her Marine cap over her orange hair, she turned on her heel and slipped back into the hallway. Slipping out the garrison's side exit into the cool treeline, Nami adjusted her coat, keeping her head low as she melted into the shadows of the forest. The distant shouts of panic inside the base faded behind her, but the woods were far from quiet.
Twigs snapped underfoot just yards away as Koby sprinted through the dense brush, his boots churning up the damp dirt. Through the thick canopy, the towering outer wall of the Marine base loomed—the very wall he and Luffy had tried to scale earlier. But as he drew near, a squad of Marine officers poured out through the gates, rifles raised, fanning out into the town below. Koby clutched his aching head with blood-stained hands, his chest heaving as he scanned the treeline, completely unaware of the orange-haired thief watching him from the oak shadows.
Then, the earth groaned. A thunderous crack detonated through the forest as the upper story of the Marine tower detonated outward, leaving a smoking, jagged crater in the stone facade.
"LUFFY!" Koby gasped, frozen in shock.
He stared at the billowing dust, then bolted straight toward where he deemed the thing that had crashed came from; the town. Suddenly, a harsh rustle in the brush off to his left cut his panic short. Koby veered toward the sound, shoving aside thick branches. Without warning, a heavy wooden rifle stock swung wildly through the leaves, aimed straight for his jaw. Koby ducked, but his boot caught an exposed root. He pitched forward, tumbling head-over-heels down a steep embankment until his head slammed hard against a large oak.
Vision blurring, Koby dragged himself to his knees, grasping the grass. A ragged, bloodcurdling scream tore through the clearing behind him.
Helmeppo staggered into the light. His silk clothes were shredded and caked in mud, but his face was a nightmare—a jagged wooden branch protruded straight from his right eye socket, blood gushing down his jaw and dripping onto his collar. Driven by sheer, concussed frenzy, Helmeppo raised his rifle like a club and charged.
"STOP!" Koby shrieked, throwing his hands up. "CALM DOWN! YOUR EYE—"
Helmeppo tackled him into the dirt, bringing the rifle stock down toward Koby's skull. Koby thrust his arm up, catching the steel barrel, and kicked upward with all his strength. Helmeppo flew back, hitting the earth before going completely limp as blood loss drained the life from him.
Chest heaving, Koby scrambled to his feet over Helmeppo's twitching frame. Fending off his own dizziness, Koby hoisted the boy up, slung Helmeppo's limp arm over his neck, and began dragging him out of the shadows of the woods.
Meanwhile, at the town square, a ring of steel surrounded the plaza. Dozens of Marine soldiers stood with rifles raised, targeting the two figures at the center. "Reload with seastone!" a soldier whispered, jamming fresh rounds into his rifle. Zoro sat slumped against the stone lip of the fountain, bleeding heavily in shallow rasps. Beside him, Luffy clutched his stomach, howling with laughter.
"DON'T MOVE!" a Marine lieutenant bellowed, his barrel shaking. "SURRENDER NOW!" Before anyone pulled a trigger, a small figure sprinted past the firing line.
"STOP!" Rika threw herself between the gun barrels and the pirates, tears streaming down her dusty cheeks as her mother screamed her name from the blockade. "PLEASE! Don't shoot them! They saved us!" Her small voice echoed off the cobblestones. The Marines held their breath, fingers white on their triggers.
CLANG. Iron hit stone, shattering the quiet.
"What are you doing, soldier?!" the lieutenant snapped. Beside him was a young Marine who dropped his rifle and stared at his trembling hands.
CLANG. CLANG. Two more rifles hit the dirt. "We're... free," a Marine whispered, dropping to his knees. "Morgan is gone! The town's fucking free!"
A sudden, deafening roar erupted across the plaza. Soldiers threw their caps into the air, weeping and embracing each other. Watching from alleyways, townspeople reacted in mixed waves—some cheered cautiously, others stared in silent disbelief at the sudden collapse of a tyrant's reign. Through the chaos, a high-ranking officer stepped out, his heavy boots clicking against the stone. He didn't reach for his sidearm. Instead, his gaze swept over Morgan's fallen statue, the broken chains, and the fresh blood staining Zoro's white shirt. He came to attention and offered a crisp salute.
Through the settling dust, a high-ranking Marine officer stepped out, his heavy boots clicking against the stone. His right hand remained clear of his holster. His gaze swept from the shattered face of Morgan's stone monument down to the severed iron links curling in the dirt, finally resting on the red patch spreading through Zoro's white shirt.
The officer brought his boots together with a sharp snap and raised his right hand to the brim of his cap, holding the frame stiff and rigid.
"On behalf of the 153rd Branch... thank you," the officer said, his voice raw. "You brought down a tyrant we were too weak to stand against." Zoro's eyes narrowed. His knuckles turned white on his sword hilt. Pushing off the stone fountain, he forced himself up to warn Luffy—only for his knees to give out. A sharp hiss escaped his teeth as fresh blood soaked his bandages, his shoulder slamming back against the stone.
Before he could draw his blade, a pair of small, dusty hands grabbed his forearm. "Don't, Mr. Swordsman!" Rika cried, tears streaking her dirty cheeks as she tugged his wrist. "They aren't going to hurt you!"
Zoro looked down at her small hands, then back to the saluting officer. The tension drained from his shoulders, and his palm slid off his sword hilt. Then, as he turned to take a step, his vision blacked out, and his body collapsed completely onto the cobblestones.
"MEDIC!" the officer screamed into the dusty air. Two young enlisted men rushed forward, carefully hauling Zoro's limp, battered frame onto a canvas stretcher. As they carried the swordsman toward the medical tent, along with the little girl on the swordsman's side, the heavy, suffocating atmosphere that had gripped Shells Town for years began to dissolve. A local baker hesitantly stepped out into the plaza, offering a crate of warm bread to the famished rubber boy, while a merchant rolled out a barrel of cured meats.
As the Marines organized their ranks to head back into the base, one soldier stopped dead in his tracks, scanning the crowd.
"What's the matter, Quid?" a squad leader asked, halting beside him.
Quid peered through the sea of white caps and uniforms. "Where's Commander Ripper?"
Far down the western avenue, heavy boots thundered against the stone. Commander Ripper sprinted full-tilt toward the crescent-shaped wall at the mountain edge—the forced-labor stockade where the dull, unpainted concrete wall stood behind the twin towers. Gasping for air, he threw his whole body weight against the rusted iron gates, swinging them wide open.
What met his eyes inside stopped him cold. Dozens of prisoners lay scattered on makeshift cots in the center of the camp. They were covered in frayed bandages, their skin caked in dust and stained with dried blood from days of hammering marble and hauling heavy timber under the lash. Near the center of the yard, an old man resting on a cot saw the shadow at the door. He raised his dust-covered face, his hollow eyes locking onto the breathless officer.
"EVERYONE!" Ripper's booming voice echoed off the concrete wall and the empty wooden scaffolding. Every head in the yard snapped toward him. Whispers of panic began to ripple through the cots, assuming another forced shift was about to begin. The old man slowly stood up, his ragged clothes swaying as he hobbled toward the gate. But before he could take three steps, Ripper ran toward him. A wide, ecstatic grin flashed across his tear-stained face, catching the old guard completely off guard.
"What's the matter, son?" the old man asked softly. "Has Morgan ordered another shift?" Ripper grabbed the old man by his arms, his eyes wide with wild, breathless joy.
"EVERYONE! CAPTAIN MORGAN HAS BEEN DEFEATED!" His glee swept straight across the camp like a rising wind.
"What?!" Screams of sheer shock and disbelieving gasps echoed across the yard as prisoners sat bolt upright on their cots. The old man grabbed Ripper by the cheeks, staring deep into his eyes. "What are you saying, son?"
"A kid in a straw hat!" Ripper laughed, tears cutting clean tracks through the grime on his face. "A crazy straw hat kid... he fought Morgan! He's a Devil Fruit user!" The title hit the camp like a thunderclap.
"Devil Fruit?" several prisoners gasped, murmuring in disbelief. "Isn't that just the legend?"
"No!" Ripper shouted, turning to face the entire stockade. "I... saw it with my own two eyes! He came into the town... he can stretch like rubber, but he hits harder than any hammer you've ever seen! The tyrant's statue is down! Morgan is buried in the rubble!" Ripper stepped back and threw his arm wide toward the open gates, pointing out into the sunlit avenue.
"YOU ARE FREE!" Ripper screamed, his voice cracking with pure emotion. "Every single one of you! Former Commander Founer... The town's free!" He waved his arm frantically toward the street. "Come on! Follow me into the town!"
Shouts of joy, weeping, and wild cheers erupted throughout the camp. Men who hadn't stood in months pushed themselves off their cots, leaning on one another as they poured through the open gates, following Ripper out into the bright light of Shells Town nearby.
Around them, hours had passed since Morgan's defeat, and the town was already scrubbing away his legacy. Mothers scraped forced-labor quotas off wooden signboards, and citizens tore down posted execution decrees, while others burned mountains of hand-carved wooden toys in Morgan's likeness.
Near the center, an old man raised his cane, screaming orders as a crowd yanked heavy ropes tied to Morgan's main monument. The giant stone figure crashed onto the cobblestones, shattering to pieces. Luffy burst out laughing as locals immediately began arguing over whose fault the mess was. Children ran toward Luffy with baked muffins. Spotting their parents watching nervously through nearby windows, Luffy smiled, shoved three muffins into his mouth at once, and began dancing through a cloud of crumbs to make the kids laugh.
Then, a wave of battered prisoners spilled into the plaza, led by Commander Ripper.
"COMMANDER FOUNER!" an old lady's scream echoed across the square.
The staged, monotone act of the townspeople instantly snapped. A mother dropped her broom, her eyes widening as she recognized a teen boy among the ragged ranks—her son.
"RIKA! YOUR BROTHER IS HERE!" The little girl, who is on the hospital, treating zoro's unconcious body heard the noise like a dog miles away. She smiled and abandoned everything she had and run outside of the hospital. There, in front of her, is her mother, gasping her both arm to his malnourished but alive brother. Rika burst into tears, sprinting through the crowd alongside her mother to throw her arms around the boy's neck. Tears and joyful cries filled the plaza as families reunited with the loved ones Morgan had forced into labor.
Founer slowly walks inward of the crowd, his eyes scanned throuh the horizons of the town once he built. Tears began to fall into his wrinkled face, his hand start to clenched. "Oh my!" he weeped. "My sweet shells town!"
Through the emotional commotion, Commander Ripper spotted Luffy standing infront of the three children, still dancing. He walked and tapped Founer on the shoulder and pointed toward the straw-hatted boy. Founer wiped the dust and tears from his face and walked over, his eyes softening as he looked down at the rubber boy who was busy stuffing another muffin into his jaw.
"You're the one who defeated morgan," Founer said, offering a weary, respectful nod. He paused, staring closely at Luffy's sharp, unbothered eyes, a strange flicker of memory crossing his mind. "You know... looking at you... I feel like I know you from somewhere. Or someone who looks just like you."
"Ah! Maybe you meet my gramps!"
"Your gramps?"
Founer's eyes traced the sharp curve of the boy's jawline and the unbothered, stubborn tilt of his chin. A slow, knowing grin etched its way across the old man's face.
"Maybe I did."
Luffy blinked, his cheeks bulging like a squirrel's, and offered a goofy, crumb-covered grin before gulping down the mouthful of muffins in one hard swallow.
Before Founer could speak another word, the sound of splintering wood echoed across the plaza. Group after group of townspeople flooded the warehouse near the garrison, throwing open the massive iron doors and dragging out heavy wooden crates stamped with dark red ink: CONFISCATED PROPERTY.
Iron crowbars popped the crate lids off, revealing barrels of aged wine, sacks of flour, and cured meats that spilled onto the cobblestones. Former prisoners shed their stained, ragged rags, pulling clean wool shirts and canvas trousers over their bandaged shoulders.
Near the harbor, men swung axes into the timber of Morgan's abandoned warships, stripping away heavy hemp rigging and copper wire. Sitting on overturned crates, local craftsmen wrapped the tight rope lines around carved wooden shells, stringing together makeshift guitars, drums, and fiddles.
Within the hour, the first sharp chord rang out into the salt air. Hand-drawn drums set a rhythm that shook the dust from the rooftops, and the square erupted into dance, drinking, and roaring laughter under the open sky. By late afternoon, the celebration had subside, but far from over. Zoro had finally regained consciousness, his body wrapped head-to-toe in tight white bandages as the doctor streches his leg.
"OW OW OW! H-HOLD A MINUTE!"
"It's better for your body."
Ripper stepped through the celebrating crowd, stopping directly in front of Luffy. He held out the iron ring of a key and a leather-bound logbook, pointing toward the docks where a double-masted cutter rested in the water, its deck stacked high with crates of fresh water, dried meat, and fruit.
Ripper unhooked an iron key ring from his belt and tapped the spine of a official Marine logbook. He flipped the book open, pulled a brass pen from his breast pocket, and began scribbling frantic, jagged handwriting across an empty page right in front of Luffy. "Pursuant to... newly enacted Municipal Ordnance... Code 153," Ripper muttered aloud under his breath, his pen scratching loudly against the parchment. "Any civilian or... independent maritime vessel... rendering critical defense services to Shells Town shall be requisitioned... one double-masted cutter, fully provisioned with water and rations, as non-taxable emergency compensation."
He slammed the logbook shut with a sharp puff of dust, blew on the wet ink, and pressed the heavy iron key straight into Luffy's palm. "It's completely official," Ripper said, his face deadpan as he adjusted his coat. "The law was passed five seconds ago." Luffy threw his head back and let out a booming laugh. He slapped the Commander hard on the shoulder, almost knocking the formal posture out of the older officer.
"Thanks, mustache guy!" Luffy grinned, leaning in close and pointing a thumb at Ripper's lip. "I knew I liked your mustache!"
"Thank you... again." Ripper cleared his throat, adjusting his coat to cover a sudden, reluctant smile.
Luffy walked beside the heavily bandaged Zoro, who's resting on a create with rika infront of him.
"Mister swordsman, here! Take it!" The little girl handed him a black basket woven in stripped woods. Zoro look towards the basket, as he accept it and flashes a faint smile to the little girl.
"Thanks for everything" as he patted her into her head.
"Hey zoro! The marine guys gave us that boat! Ready to take sail?" Luffy hollwered, strolling near the docks behind zoro, but Koby burst out from the crowd, sweat dripping down his forehead as he ran across the plaza.
"Luffy!" Koby panted, halting in front of them. "Helmeppo is in bad shape. The doctors pulled the splinter out, but he's feverish. I need to stay with him."
Luffy wiped his mouth with his sleeve. "Good. Take care of him."
Koby hesitated, clutching his fists tight. "Luffy... I want to come with you! I want to sail with you!"
Luffy stopped walking, his expression hardening into a flat stare. "No."
"I can fight! I can learn!" Koby took a step closer, his voice cracking. "Please!"
CRACK! Luffy's fist slammed straight into Koby's jaw, knocking him flat onto the cobblestones. Koby clutched his face in shock. Luffy stood over him, hands on his hips, and flashed a massive grin. "You're joining the Marines, idiot," Luffy chuckled.
Koby's breath hitched. He looked at the Marines watching from a distance, wiping blood from his lip as a sudden realization struck. He smirked and punched Luffy right back in the shin. Luffy laughed, grabbing Koby's head and roughly rubbing his hair, but their moment was cut short as a sharp voice barked from the edge of the crowd.
"Hey!" a Marine officer yelled, drawing his sword. "Assaulting a civilian?! Pirates, freeze!"
"ZORO! RUN!" Luffy roared. He snatched two apples off a nearby merchant tray, scooped up the groaning, freshly bandaged Zoro under his arm, and bolted down the main avenue toward the harbor with Marines giving chase.
Out in the bay waters, a sleek, blue-skinned head broke the surface as its fin stuck out like a shark's. Its red eyes darted from Luffy to the Marines, then toward the flattened treeline on the distant hills, squinting briefly before the creature submerged beneath the waves once more. At the docks sat the double-masted cutter.
"That one!" Luffy yelled, stretching his arms across open water to grab the mainmast. He slingshot himself onto the deck, dropping Zoro's body onto the floorboards before throwing the anchor into the sea. As the wind caught the canvas, pushing the boat out from the pier, the crowd gathered at the shore's edge. They didn't shoot. Koby stood tall at the front, pressing his palm to his forehead in a rigid salute while Rika waved wildly beside her brother.
On the townsquare, former Commander Founer stepped forward beside Ripper, surrounded by a tight formation of uniformed Marines and gathered civilians.
"Ladies and gentlemen!" Founer's raspy voice carried over the harbor. "As the former Island Captain of the 153rd branch... I hereby declare Commander John H. Ripper promoted to this base's new 3rd Island Commander!"
A volley of screams, cheers, and applause erupted from thousands of Marines, startling the other civilians along the port. Founer unfolded a pristine white coat, handing it over. The dark ink on the back stood sharp and clear: JUSTICE—the same rank coat Morgan had worn hours before. "Go on, son. Take it," Founer smiled. As Ripper slid his arms into the sleeves, dozens of hands reached out around him.
"LIFT THE NEW ISLAND CAPTAIN!" The Marines hoisted Ripper onto their shoulders, tossing him into the salt air as the crowd roared. They set him back down on the makeshift woden stage they have built earlier, his face flushed red as he cleared his throat, stepping forward to deliver his inaugural address to the base.
Before Ripper could draw a breath to speak, Koby cut straight through the middle of the crowd.
"Sir!" Koby yelled, snapping into a rigid attention directly in front of the newly appointed Captain. Ripper halted mid-sentence, his brow furrowing slightly as the surrounding noise died down.
"P-please let me join the Navy, sir!" Koby shouted, bowing his head sharply toward the ground. His heart hammered like an engine, droplets of sweat splashing onto the gray brick below. *I'm gonna do it! I'm really gonna do it!* he screamed inwardly, holding his breath.
Suddenly, a Marine soldier stepped forward, his voice cutting through the quiet. "Commander—sir! I don't think that's a good idea. I saw him with the straw hat kid earlier—right in the tavern, after the pirate punched Helmeppo!"
An anvil dropped in Koby's chest. His hands began to tremble along with his knees.
"Pirates have been known to plant spies in the Navy," the soldier pressed. "We should run a thorough background check before even considering him." Koby stared at the pavement, a shadow of defeat falling over his face. But then, he clenched his fists, drew a deep breath, and looked up with one final exhale.
"I am not a pirate!" he roared, his eyes locking directly onto Ripper's gaze. "I am a man whose dream is to become an officer of the Marines!"
Ripper stared back at Koby, scanning the boy's face. He found no deception, no hesitation, only raw, unyielding determination. Without a word, Koby unbuttoned his shirt, dragging the fabric away from his body. Gasps echoed through the ranks. The Marines stared in disbelief at the collection of pale, jagged scars crisscrossing the young boy's skin.
Ripper walked past him, adjusting the brim of his cap. "You saved Captain Morgan's son back there," he said calmly, pausing for a brief beat. "Whatever my men think they saw with that pirate kid... I'll overlook it. Welcome to the Marines, recruit."
"T-thank you, sir!" Tears spilled down Koby's cheeks as he snapped a trembling, triumphant salute.
Offshore, Luffy balanced on the wooden railing, the gentle sway of the hull lifting him higher above the swells. The midday heat beat down on his bare shoulders, scorching his skin, but his eyes never left the vast, unbroken blue stretching out before him. He looked back toward Shells Town one last time. Watching the island shrink into a jagged speck on the horizon, the wild, toothy grin he always wore softened. A quiet, contented smile smoothed across his battered face. He reached up, fingers resting on the woven brim of his straw hat, and tipped it forward in a silent farewell to the fading shore.
Down on the floorboards beside him, Zoro's chest rose and fell in a slow, rhythmic sleep, untroubled by the ocean spray. Luffy turned back toward the open sea, taking a deep breath of the salty breeze, ready for whatever lay ahead.