Observing the approaching spectacle, a small, involuntary muscle in Lancelot's jaw twitched.
The man before them, this... creature... was simply unforgettable, a living caricature of the word "obnoxious."
He possessed a chin so bizarrely cleft it resembled a pair of buttocks.
His eyebrows, when he managed a smile, formed a perfect, sorrowful figure-eight.
This, combined with a scrawny build and a mop of curly yellow hair, gave his entire face the unfortunate appearance of a mushroom.
He was draped in a gaudy purple suit, positively dripping with gold chains and chunky, ostentatious rings.
He gave off the overwhelming, suffocating vibe of a worthless nouveau riche, a child playing dress-up in his father's ill-gotten wealth.
In all of Shells Town—no, Lancelot mused, in the entire world—only one person could look this singularly ridiculous.
This had to be Helmeppo, the pampered, cruel son of Shells Town's tyrannical Captain Morgan.
Lancelot, possessing knowledge of this world's future, knew this boy's entire story.
Currently, Helmeppo was a minor terror, relying entirely on his father's influence to act tyrannically, committing every imaginable petty evil deed in Shells Town.
He was a man with no morals, no strength, and no bottom line.
Yet, Lancelot knew this pathetic display was not the end of his tale.
After his father, Morgan, was inevitably removed from power, Helmeppo would be forced to become a common marine chore boy.
During a prisoner escort, he would be taken hostage by his own father, a traumatic event that would finally lead him to sever their toxic ties.
From that rock bottom, he would be found by the Marine Hero, Monkey D. Garp, and put through the wringer at Marine Headquarters.
He would emerge as a sergeant, a two-sword style swordsman, and, two years later, a Lieutenant Commander in the secret special forces unit "SWORD."
This creature before him was, in essence, the pirate world's version of a worthless rich kid who finds redemption and strength only after his family's spectacular downfall.
'A long and winding path', Lancelot thought to himself, 'but it starts from this... a truly pathetic beginning.'
"Hmm?"
At this moment, Helmeppo, who had been busy terrorizing the townsfolk, finally noticed Lancelot, Gin, and Zoro approaching.
He registered their Marine uniforms, a sight that was common in his "kingdom."
For a brief moment, he hesitated, his gaze falling on the insignia on Lancelot's shoulders.
Lancelot had, in fact, changed into his new uniform.
The single bar and three stars of a Captain were clearly visible, topped by the special insignia of the Inspector General's office.
Yet, this display of superior rank did not intimidate Helmeppo in the slightest.
In his small, insulated world, his father, Captain Morgan, was the ultimate authority.
All other Marines were just... lesser.
He immediately resumed his previous arrogant demeanor.
He approached with an exaggerated, rolling gait, his two vicious dogs snarling at his side.
He stopped directly in front of the towering Lancelot, practically having to crane his neck to look up at him.
"I've never seen you before..." Helmeppo sneered, his voice nasal and grating. "You must be marines from outside, I suppose!"
He squinted at the rank insignia again, then scoffed, a hint of mockery in his tone.
"Oh, a Captain... Fancy. So, do you know who I am?"
Lancelot replied with an expression of pure, blank indifference.
"You are Captain Morgan's son, Helmeppo."
Hearing his name and title spoken, Helmeppo grew even more arrogant, though his arrogance was now tinged with a petty anger.
"Since you know who I am, why haven't you moved aside for me? How dare you block my way? In Shells Town, my father is the law, which means I am the law!"
Lancelot's lips twitched slightly.
He was, once again, forced to re-evaluate.
Regardless of what this boy would become in the future, right now he wasn't just useless—he was a profound, weapons-grade idiot.
Gin, standing nearby, had already lost his patience.
His face, which was set in its usual impassive mask, darkened.
He had faced down monsters, fought in a war for his old captain, and had just been through a gauntlet of death on Black Thorns Island.
He had no tolerance for this kind of posturing. In one swift, economical motion, he delivered a sharp, heavy-handed chop to the back of Helmeppo's neck.
Helmeppo's arrogant rant was cut short by a choked gurgle.
His eyes rolled back in his head, and he crumpled to the ground like a discarded puppet, unconscious.
"Woof! Woof! Woof!"
The two dogs, seeing their master fall, began barking frantically at Gin, their leashes tangling around their fallen owner's legs.
"Scram."
Lancelot growled the word, his voice low.
He didn't shout.
He simply unleashed a tiny, focused wave of his will, an intimidating pressure that washed over the animals.
The dogs, as if facing a ferocious Sea King, immediately yelped, their tails tucking between their legs as they clawed at the cobblestones, whimpering and fleeing down the street.
"Hiss..."
The two marine soldiers who had been following Helmeppo gasped sharply, a cold dread washing over them.
Their scalps tingled.
As marines stationed in Shells Town and direct subordinates of Morgan, they knew exactly what kind of man he was.
He was a tyrant, a man of fragile ego and explosive rage. If he found out someone had attacked his son—his prized, spoiled heir—he would undoubtedly fly into a murderous fury.
To him, this would be a direct, unforgivable insult.
One of them, trembling, couldn't help but step forward and warn Lancelot, his voice shaking.
"S-Sir! You've attacked Captain Morgan's son! He won't let this slide, even if you're fellow marines... He'll... he'll kill you!"
Lancelot cut him off, his cold gaze pinning the soldier in place.
"I am Captain Lancelot, the Inspector General of the East Blue. I order you to go to your base and bring Captain Morgan to me. At once."
If he wanted to transform Shells Town into the East Blue's new inspection headquarters, and more importantly, develop it into a central hub for his future trade empire, winning the support of the people was essential.
Therefore, he intended to arrest and depose Morgan right here, in the public square, in front of the very townspeople he terrorized. It was a move that would, in one stroke, establish his reputation and cement his authority.
"Y-Yes, Inspector General!"
The marine's terror of Morgan was instantly eclipsed by the sheer weight of Lancelot's title.
He snapped to attention and saluted, his body rigid with a new, different kind of fear.
Every marine knew what the inspection division was. It was the boogeyman of the Marines, Internal Affairs with the backing of the World Government.
The soldier turned and bolted toward the 153rd Branch base, moving at a full sprint.
....
Inside the 153rd Branch base, in an opulent office adorned with taxidermied animal heads and gaudy gold trim, Captain "Axe-Hand" Morgan stared in surprise at the marine who had just burst in, panting.
"What did you say?" Morgan's voice was a low growl, his massive, steel-plated jaw clenching.
"An inspector has come to Shells Town? And he specifically asked for me?"
The marine, still catching his breath, replied, "Yes, Captain Morgan! He... he's in the town square. He called himself the... the Inspector General."
Morgan pressed further, "And his rank? You saw his rank?"
"A Captain, sir!" the marine confirmed.
Morgan narrowed his eyes, muttering to himself, his metallic jaw scraping against his collar.
"Word has spread across the East Blue about a newly appointed naval inspector. A real political shark with a Vice Admiral for a father. Just a few days ago, word was he was promoted to Chief Inspector of the East Blue... Could it be him?"
Although he didn't know why Lancelot had come here, Morgan had a bad feeling about it.
After all, new officials often made an example of someone to assert their authority.
'Could it be... me?'
The thought made Morgan's heart sink.
After a moment's hesitation, he quickly took out a black, encrypted Den Den Mushi from his desk drawer.
Buru buru... Buru buru...
The call connected almost immediately, and a deep, slimy voice came through.
"Morgan. What do you want? This better be important."
Morgan replied, his voice uncharacteristically tense.
"Sir. That newly appointed Captain—the Inspector General, Lancelot—he's shown up here. In my town."
As these words were spoken, the person on the other end fell into a brief silence.
Only after a long pause did they respond.
"So? What do you mean?"
Morgan: "I'm afraid he'll make an example out of me."
"Make an example out of you?" The other party was momentarily stunned, then let out a wheezing, unpleasant laugh.
"Morgan, you idiot. You probably don't know who his father is, do you? He's Burns's son. He's one of us. He's not here to enforce justice; he's here to get paid."
The voice on the other end, belonging to one of the other, more established corrupt inspectors, was full of dismissive arrogance.
"Prepare the Berries!" the voice commanded.
"A lot of them. As long as there are enough Berries, nothing will happen. He'll take his 'inspection fee' and leave. But if you can't satisfy their appetite, that's another story... Still, I believe a man of your... talents... can handle it."
After saying this, the inspector's tone shifted, becoming cold and sharp.
"However, Morgan... my share. It's due next week. And I expect it to be on time, and not a single Berry less. Lancelot's 'fee' is not my problem. Do you understand? Otherwise... heh!"
The sentence was left unfinished, but the threat in the words was unmistakably clear.
After hanging up the Den Den Mushi, Morgan couldn't help but let out a string of quiet, venomous curses.
'Damn them all! These inspectors are greedier than the last!'
Yet, beneath his anger, he couldn't help but feel a profound sense of relief.
Anything that could be resolved with Berries wasn't a real problem.
After all, he controlled Shells Town—a town renowned throughout the East Blue for its prosperity, a prosperity built entirely on his tyrannical taxes.
The annual revenue and Berries he obtained through various "means" amounted to a substantial sum. This was just a business expense.
He then ordered the marine in front of him,
"Go to the treasury. Prepare 100 million Berries. In cash. Now."
"Yes, Captain Morgan!"
The marine showed no outward reaction, his face was a perfect mask of obedience.
But inwardly, his heart, which had leaped with a desperate hope, now sank into a pit of despair.
He had thought... he had prayed... that a savior, an Inspector General, had finally arrived.
But he never expected this new inspector to be cut from the same corrupt cloth as all the previous ones.
Sigh!
When would Shells Town ever break free from Morgan's grasp?
When would it return to the happy and peaceful days of the past?
...
Soon, Morgan, now confident and arrogant once more, left the base.
He strode out, his massive axe-hand glinting in the sun.
He was followed by a row of his loyal soldiers, carrying ten heavy, locked boxes in pairs, heading in the direction where Lancelot was.
They quickly arrived in the town square, a small, arrogant parade come to pay a bribe.
Morgan's eyes fell upon Lancelot, Zoro, and Gin, and a cruel, dismissive smirk formed on his face.