Zoro frowned, stepping towards Rosward with his fists clenched, making cracking sounds with each motion.
The slave blocking Rosward's path had fear written all over his face, practically begging, "Please don't come any closer!" Rosward swallowed hard and prepared to pull the trigger of his gun.
Suddenly, several figures appeared at the end of the street. It was none other than Luffy's crew, drawn by the commotion.
Luffy took one look at the destroyed street and shouted at Zoro,
"Hey, Zoro! Was this your doing? What happened here?"
Zoro paused, glanced back at Luffy, and pointed at Charlos lying on the ground.
"That guy shot at me first, so I slashed him. Then things escalated," Zoro replied calmly.
Sanji lit a cigarette, taking a drag before commenting,
"What an idiot. Leave him alone for a moment, and he causes this mess."
Nami, with her hands on her hips, scolded,
"Zoro, you know you're hopeless with directions! What were you doing wandering around?"
Usopp chimed in,
"Yeah, exactly! And you injured so many Marines! We're so close to Marineford. What if someone really dangerous shows up?"
Zoro snorted and replied,
"Let them come. Worst case, we leave."
Franky struck a pose and shouted,
"No way! The ship's still getting its coating!"
Zoro hesitated, asking,
"Huh? We found a coating mechanic already?"
Luffy grinned and said,
"Yep, thanks to Shakky!"
He stepped aside, revealing Shakky and an elderly man with unkempt white hair walking forward.
The old man glanced at Charlos's battered body and then turned to Shakky, saying,
"Shakky, your companions have stirred up quite the trouble!"
Shakky nodded grimly.
"An Admiral is bound to come. I just hope it won't be him..."
Nami and the others gasped,
"An Admiral?!"
Luffy scratched his head and asked,
"What's an Admiral? Are they strong?"
Shakky sighed and explained,
"Admirals are the World Government's top combat force. They're in a league of their own compared to the Marines we've encountered so far."
She turned to Luffy, her expression serious,
"I'll be clear: it doesn't matter which Admiral shows up—we're not ready to face them."
Nami panicked and asked,
"Shakky, are Admirals stronger than Crocodile or Moria from the Seven Warlords of the Sea?"
Shakky took a deep breath and replied with utmost seriousness,
"There's no comparison. Even if those two joined forces, they wouldn't stand a chance against a single Admiral."
Nami froze in shock, while Sanji frowned and asked,
"Shakky, why are you so sure an Admiral will come?"
Before Shakky could answer, the old man interjected,
"Because a Celestial Dragon was attacked. Judging by the state he's in, he's probably dead. If a Celestial Dragon is harmed, an Admiral is always dispatched."
Chopper hurried over to check on Charlos. After a quick examination, he called out,
"He's really dead!"
Realizing the gravity of the situation, Zoro grabbed Chopper, slinging him over his shoulder.
"Then let's get out of here and figure out the rest on the way!" he said.
Just as Zoro was about to rejoin the others, Rosward roared,
"You filthy commoners! You killed my son!!"
Bang!
A gunshot rang out, but Luffy appeared behind Zoro in an instant, using his rubber body to block the bullet. With a slight tremor, he reflected the bullet back, hitting one of Rosward's slaves.
Before Rosward could react, Luffy was already in front of him. With a single punch, Luffy shattered the bubble helmet and sent Rosward flying, his body spinning before crashing to the ground unconscious.
Shalria stirred awake, disoriented. When she saw Charlos and Rosward's conditions, she screamed hysterically.
Ignoring her, Luffy glared at Rosward and said,
"Nobody hurts my crew!"
He turned and walked back to Nami and the others. Together, they left, leaving Shalria and the confused slaves behind.
Once the Straw Hats disappeared down the street, the hiding civilians cautiously emerged. Among them, a few groups stood out.
A young man with fiery hair and a red coat sneered,
"So that's the Straw Hat crew? What a bunch of troublemakers! We'd better leave quickly."
A slender man wearing a spotted white hat crossed his arms,
"Ya-re, ya-re. Running into them really is bad luck."
Other notable figures in the crowd voiced their complaints about the chaos caused by the Straw Hats.
One man, bare-chested with freckles on his cheeks, stepped forward with a group behind him. With a helpless expression, he addressed the crowd,
"Sorry about all this, everyone. That guy in the straw hat is my brother. If his actions caused you any trouble, I'll apologize on his behalf."
He bowed deeply. The sight of his face made someone in the crowd exclaim,
"Isn't he the highest-bounty rookie, captain of the Spade Pirates, Portgas D. Ace?!"
The crowd was stunned. Ace straightened, tipping his hat with a smile,
"So I've been recognized, huh? What an honor."
The man in the red coat stepped forward, narrowing his eyes at Ace.
"Didn't expect to see you here. Your bounty's tempting. Want to have a go?"
Ace pressed down on his hat, a smirk forming on his face as small flames flickered around him. However, they quickly dissipated as he waved a hand dismissively.
"You're Kid, right? An Admiral's on their way. Now's not the time for us to fight. Besides, I've got to catch up with my brother. So, see ya~"
With that, Ace and his crew headed off in the direction Luffy and his crew had gone.
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+210 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg