"Ahhh—!"
The peaceful atmosphere of the small town was suddenly shattered by a series of shrill screams.
"Oh no, the Giant Hull Pirates are here!"
"They must be here for revenge!"
"Don't panic! There are still Marine forces stationed on the island. These pirates won't be arrogant for long!"
The largest square in the town had already been seized by a group of ferocious-looking pirates. In the center of the square, residents who hadn't managed to escape in time were surrounded and detained. They huddled together in fear, their bodies trembling as they sought warmth and comfort from one another.
"Where are those Marines?" a scar-faced pirate roared coldly. "Release our captain immediately, or don't blame us for slaughtering all the hostages behind us!"
"If you want to die, you can try."
The voice was calm, cold, and indifferent.
"Who—who's there?!" Scarface spun around in fury.
From the far end of the street, a Marine officer wearing a justice coat walked forward, leading a squad of Marines behind him. His steps were steady, his expression composed.
"Huh?" Scarface sneered at first. "Just a brat from the Navy? You were the one talking big just now?"
The crisscrossing scars on his face twisted into a savage grin, making him look even more hideous.
At that moment, a pirate behind him staggered forward, his face pale and voice trembling.
"F-first mate… it's him! He's the one… the one who kidnapped the captain!"
"What?" Scarface froze. He stared at the Marine officer again, disbelief flashing across his face.
Then, as if recalling something terrifying, the ferocity in his eyes gradually turned into sheer horror.
"Wait… don't tell me…" His voice cracked. "Could he be that rising star the Navy keeps talking about? The man who hasn't let a single pirate escape in the past two years… the so-called Light of the Navy…"
"…Kung Fu T Leon Fang?"
"Y-yes… it's him!"
Leon Fang walked forward slowly, his gaze sweeping calmly across the pirates.
"Are you here to rescue Goliath Kroll?" he asked indifferently. "I can hand him over to you—but only if you guarantee the safety of every civilian here."
"Stop—stop right there!" Scarface shrieked, backing away in panic, his voice sounding like a frightened housewife cornered by a thug. "Don't come any closer! Stay back—stay back!"
Not only the pirates, but even the distant onlookers felt a strange sense of absurdity.
Was this really the same brutal, tyrannical pirate who had been shouting moments ago?
"He's too strong… Major Leon Fang is just too strong!"
"Just his presence alone is enough to scare those vicious pirates like this!"
The townspeople whispered in awe, their hearts pounding.
"Of course. Major Leon Fang is a hero of the Navy," someone said proudly. "Whether it's rescuing hijacked passenger ships single-handedly, wiping out pirate forces in nearby waters, or even participating in suppressing wars and riots between nations—these are all achievements he's made in just two years!"
"Even though he isn't stationed here permanently, he's the pride of our island!"
Hearing the crowd's reverent praise of Leon Fang and their contempt toward him, Scarface finally snapped out of his fear. Rage surged up to mask his terror.
"Kung Fu Leon Fang!" he roared. "You'd better be sensible and release our captain right now! Otherwise, don't blame me for starting a massacre!"
He pointed viciously at the civilians behind him.
"I have hostages! A so-called righteous Navy like yours wouldn't dare stand by and watch them die, would you?!"
Leon Fang's expression didn't change in the slightest.
"I've already sent people to retrieve Goliath Kroll from prison," he said calmly. "But remember this—if a single civilian is harmed…"
His voice suddenly turned icy.
"I will hunt you down to the very end of the Grand Line and personally throw you into the deepest level of Impel Down, so you'll understand that even death is a luxury."
At the mention of that nightmare prison, Scarface's body shuddered uncontrollably.
"Y-you'd better hurry…" he stammered. "D-don't try anything funny!"
Seconds ticked by.
Even though he clearly held the hostages, Scarface felt his hands and feet shaking uncontrollably.
Damn it… damn it all! he cursed inwardly. If those idiots had told me earlier that it was Kung Fu Leon Fang who captured the captain, I'd have lost my mind before ever coming here!
"Major Leon Fang! The prisoner has been brought!" a Marine shouted.
A group of Marines escorted forward a massive figure nearly five meters tall.
The captain of the Giant Hull Pirates—Goliath Kroll.
Yet this towering giant made no attempt to resist. He walked forward meekly, his posture hunched like a wronged wife. The moment he saw Leon Fang, his entire body began to tremble, as if recalling an unspeakably traumatic past.
"Go on," Leon Fang said flatly. "Your crew came to rescue you."
"Ah?!" Goliath Kroll screamed in terror, retreating repeatedly. "It's not my fault! I didn't ask them to save me! Major, you have to believe me!"
The sight of a ruthless pirate captain—huge as a small giant—uttering such humiliating, spineless words shattered not only his crew's worldview, but even that of the surrounding civilians.
"Captain, don't be afraid!" Scarface shouted desperately, forcing himself to act loyal. "I have hostages! Even if it's Kung Fu Leon Fang, he wouldn't dare touch you!"
Goliath Kroll spun around furiously.
"Shut up, Bartox!" he roared. "I knew you wanted to harm me, but I didn't think you'd still be this persistent! Get out of my way—I'm going to Impel Down for labor reform!"
Anyone who didn't know better might have thought Impel Down was some sort of paradise.
A chill ran straight down Scarface's spine.
Even in this situation, the captain would rather go to Impel Down—a place all pirates feared—than escape.
That alone showed how deeply Goliath Kroll feared Leon Fang.
The Giant Hull Pirates erupted into chaos.
What kind of joke was this? They had risked everything to rescue their captain—only for him to refuse to run?
"What kind of cursed fate is this?!"
Scarface's face darkened completely. He turned and roared at his men to shut up, then looked back at Goliath Kroll with resentment burning in his eyes.
"Fine! If you don't dare run, then so be it!" he snarled. "I'll be the captain!"
"But before you leave, tell me where that treasure map is. Otherwise, I won't let this go!"
The Marines and townspeople behind Leon Fang finally showed expressions of understanding.
Now that makes sense.
How could pirates like these remain loyal to a defeated leader?
At least now, they couldn't see what was so special about that cowardly giant to deserve such loyalty.
The crew of the Giant Hull Pirates fell into uproar once again.
At first, they truly believed their vice-captain was "righteous and chivalrous."
They never imagined he'd been planning something so despicable all along.
Scarface's expression grew gloomy.
His original plan had been to seize the treasure, then hand over the useless captain to appease the Navy. Fame, fortune, and reputation—all in one move.
The only thing he hadn't accounted for…
Was the Navy itself.
The legendary Navy.
The Navy so terrifying that even his own captain would rather go to Impel Down than dare flee in front of Kung Fu T Leon Fang.
--------------
T/N:
Access 30 chapters in advance on my P@treon: [email protected]/FicTale
(Replace @ with a)
Thanks :)