One of the captured pirates shouted indignantly, "What are you doing? I just came here to watch the fun! Why are you arresting me?!"
His outburst seemed to spark a chain reaction among the other captives.
"You've got it all wrong! I didn't do anything—I'm innocent!"
"Yeah, where's your proof? What gives you the right to arrest us?!"
"Look at this! The Marines are arresting people without evidence! We're just ordinary folks from Dressrosa!"
Their protests began to stir uncertainty among the crowd of refugees. Murmurs of doubt spread as people glanced uneasily at the captured men.
But before the pirates could sway the crowd further, a small voice rang out, clear and firm.
"You're lying! You're not from Dressrosa! You're pirates!"
All eyes turned to a boy, no older than six, who had squeezed his way to the front of the crowd. He pointed a tiny finger at the pirates, his face flushed with determination.
The pirates stiffened, their bravado momentarily faltering. One of them recovered quickly and glared at the boy. "Watch your mouth, kid, or I'll—"
Before the pirate could finish his threat, the female Marine guarding him stomped on the back of his head, slamming his face into the dirt.
The impact knocked out several of his teeth, and muffled cries escaped his mouth as he struggled to spit out the sand.
The Marine, showing no sympathy, kept her foot firmly on his head. She smiled warmly at the little boy and waved him over. "Come here, little brother. Tell me everything you know," she said gently.
Encouraged by her kind tone, the boy hesitated for only a moment before stepping forward, his courage growing.
"I saw everything!" he declared. "When my dad went out to fight the bad guys, my mom and I stayed at home. These pirates came and robbed Grandpa Mickey's restaurant across the street! Then they tried to rob us too, but my mom scared them off with her gun. She said they were pirates and bad people, and I believe her!"
The boy's face was red with emotion as he finished his story, but his determined stance earned an approving nod from the Marine.
"Your mother is absolutely right," she said. "These guys are bad people."
Hearing her validation, the boy's eyes sparkled with pride.
The Marine, however, turned her attention back to the terrified pirates. Stroking the large snake coiled around her arm, she smirked coldly. "Well, what should I do with you now?" she asked, her voice icy.
"Should I chop off your heads and toss them into the sea? Or maybe I'll just let our little cutie here have a taste," she added, gesturing to her snake, which hissed menacingly.
The pirates blanched, their bravado crumbling as they begged for mercy.
"No! Don't kill us! We admit it—we're pirates! Please, just lock us up in Impel Down! Aren't you supposed to follow Marine rules?!"
One of the pirates, thinking himself clever, tried to appeal to their supposed discipline.
But the Marine holding him laughed, hoisting him up by his collar like a rag doll. "I told you already—we're only half Marines. Marine rules don't apply to us."
Another Marine, still pinning a pirate under her foot, added with a smirk, "Not only that—we're from Amazon Lily. Our emperor is none other than Boa Hancock, the Pirate Empress. So begging us for mercy is pointless. You'd best prepare for the worst."
Their words sent shivers down the spines of the captured pirates, while the onlookers murmured uneasily.
"What's with these Marines? They sound more like pirates than the pirates themselves!" someone whispered in the crowd.
The growing tension was about to boil over when a calm, male voice cut through the chaos.
"Hey, hey. Let's not scare everyone too much, alright? Remember, you're about to become citizens of a government-member nation."
The familiar voice drew surprised gasps from the female warriors and Violet, who had been watching silently. All eyes turned to see Luffy, rubbing the back of his head as he approached with an exasperated smile.
"Luffy-sama!" the female Marines exclaimed in unison, snapping to attention.
They dropped their captives unceremoniously and surrounded Luffy, their expressions bright and eager.
Poppy, the leader of the group, looked up at him with sparkling eyes. "We're sorry, Luffy-sama," she said playfully, sticking out her tongue. "We'll be more careful next time~"
Luffy chuckled, shaking his head. "Poppy, you've really changed. You didn't used to be this mischievous."
Poppy giggled, tilting her head innocently.
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