https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-292-Handling-Navy-Matters-Isn-t-About-Coveting-Weapons/13536785/
Chapter 291: What Decent Person Carries Weapons Anyway?
Chapter 291: What Decent Person Carries Weapons Anyway?
"Sea? Navy?"
The descending Navy ship startled the merchant.
"Why is there a Navy presence here? Isn't this place supposed to be under pirate control?!"
"Boss, we gotta pull out—we've ambushed the Navy!" one of his subordinates cried.
"You're right. Move fast—don't get entangled with them!" The merchant nodded, barking orders at his crew. "Open fire on those warships to slow them down!"
Retreating so abruptly would certainly draw pursuit from the warships. They had a critical mission—they couldn't afford to be chased by the Navy.
"Understood, boss! They won't be following us!"
At his command, several ships rotated their cannons, preparing to unleash a barrage to cripple the pursuing warships. Sinking them wasn't even necessary.
"What do you think you're doing to my warships?!"
Suddenly, an indistinct figure appeared, roaring, "You despicable criminals! I, Kas, won't let you get away with this—Fivefold Speed!"
As the figure materialized into a humanoid shape, he slammed his chest and shouted. A strange glowing aura erupted outward, enveloping the Navy sailors behind him.
Their movements accelerated.
The merchant watched in horror as the Navy sailors, who had been moving at normal speeds moments ago, now moved with superhuman speed, their actions almost comically rapid.
Boom!
A cannonball had barely struck the hull of a warship, sending up a spray of water, when the Navy crew was already boarding the vessel, turning its cannons toward the merchant ships.
"Fall back! Retreat now!"
The merchant's hair stood on end as he screamed in panic.
The glowing aura spread from the sailors to the warships themselves. Before the merchant could react, the warships swiftly repositioned, encircling his fleet. No ordinary vessel could maneuver so quickly.
"A Devil Fruit user?!"
Gritting his teeth, the merchant glared at the Navy officer standing in the port.
"Open fire! Take him down—we can't escape otherwise!"
Cursing inwardly, he regretted firing that first shot. Escaping now would cost him dearly.
Now he understood—the intelligence was wrong. Pegasus Island had already been reclaimed by the Navy. This was now a Marine Base.
But a mere base wouldn't scare him.
The weapons he carried had come from the New World. With this arsenal, what was one pitiful base?
He just had to pay the price.
Cannons rotated. Crewmen raised their firearms. With engines roaring, the ships surged toward the port.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Rat-a-tat!
A storm of cannonballs and bullets filled the air, forming an iron curtain that surged toward the town.
No one could evade such a massive barrage.
Kas couldn't dodge—not without allies nearby to cover him. His true strength wouldn't manifest in this situation. His so-called "Superhuman Speed" was insufficient against widespread attacks.
Klah's body began to swell. Against such an attack, he wouldn't survive without transforming.
Earlier, he'd boasted to Kuro that coastal defenses of this caliber would suffice. Now, facing such a challenge, if he failed to live up to his words, he'd lose face in front of Kuro.
Just as he prepared to transform, his body froze. His expanding form shrank back to normal.
The Grand Line began to churn.
A wisp of sea wall spiraled upward from the port like a rising tsunami, ascending into the sky. Easily, it blocked the bullets and cannonballs. The projectiles sank into the sea as seawater engulfed them.
The merchant looked up, staring at the figure emerging in the sky, swallowing hard.
"I've stayed here for half a month."
From the heavens, the figure spoke slowly.
"Once again exiled from my East Blue homeland."
"Now, you dare invade my territory? You've sealed your own fates!"
For some reason, after speaking, Kuro remembered this line instinctively and uttered it without thinking.
Then he felt a headache coming on.
Why does trouble always find me?
When powerful enemies kept appearing out of nowhere, how could he ever reach the Flower Country in peace?
"However..."
Clasping his cigar, Kuro eyed the deep-draft ship bristling with weapons. "This is a gift. With firepower like this, it could be useful."
He pressed his left hand to the hilt of his blade. With a flick of his thumb, he exposed a sliver of the scabbard. His right hand gripped it tightly, then slashed forward.
"Crushing Pressure!"
Killing Intent materialized, crashing down upon the ships docked below.
Crack!
Blade returned to sheath.
In an instant, the merchant crew's eyes rolled back. Every last one of them collapsed, unconscious.
"Unmatched, as always—Commander Kuro!"
Kas gazed at Kuro with admiration. "So powerful! Joining the Headquarters was the right choice. Commander Kuro has already broken free from the curse!"
I never joined the Headquarters and I'm not cursed!
Kuro shot a glare at this nuisance. Why had he been so blind? Why hadn't he waited and joined the Navy elsewhere?
Looking back—
Kuro glanced at Kas, then at the Navy crew on the warships, who remained unfazed.
Though the main target of his "Crushing Pressure" was the merchant fleet, its ripple effects could still be felt. Civilians had already begun trembling. Ordinary Navy personnel couldn't withstand his Killing Intent.
But these soldiers showed no reaction.
Their mental fortitude had surpassed that of regular Navy recruits.
"Tie them up. Search every ship thoroughly. Disarm them completely. Leave the ships to me."
Kuro issued orders to Kas from the sky, then turned and flew back to the base.
"Yes, Commander Kuro!"
Kas shouted toward the sky, then activated his Transponder Snail. "Arrest these criminals who dared attack Marine Base! Search every inch—don't let any residual criminal energy escape!"
"Hey Kuro", Lida said, peeling an orange while looking out the window. "Is imprisoning people like this really wise? What if they're connected to the World Government?"
Kuro snatched the orange from Lida's hand and devoured it whole. "What do I care? All I know is they challenged the Navy. After opening fire, they didn't surrender—they kept shooting. Why shouldn't I arrest them?"
"That was mine!"
Lida jumped toward Kuro, trying to snatch back the fruit.
"Besides", Kuro ignored the protest. "With all their weapons, they're clearly not decent folk. What decent person carries so many weapons? You ever carry weapons?"
"I don't, but you do", Lida pointed at the sky. "Speaking of weapons, no one has more than you."
"I'm Navy! Don't you understand? As a Navy officer, carrying extra weapons for self-defense is perfectly normal. They're not Navy. Obviously, they're up to no good. Seizing their weapons for peacekeeping purposes is perfectly reasonable."
"You just want to keep their weapons for yourself", Lida said flatly, eyes betraying total understanding.
(End of Chapter)
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