"Ehhhhh… seriously, where did this rain come from all of a sudden?!"
At Loguetown's harbor, aboard the Going Merry.
Usopp complained as he carried the last piece of supplies into the ship's hold.
Soaked from head to toe, he couldn't be bothered anymore. Letting the rain pound against his body, he plopped down at the bow, keeping the Going Merry company as he waited for his crewmates to return.
And then—
In the sky above central Loguetown, an enormous fist—large enough to rival a giant's—suddenly appeared, smashing straight down toward the city!!!
BOOOOOOM—!!!
A deafening roar accompanied by violent tremors rippled outward in an instant, spreading from deep within Loguetown across the surrounding seas.
Layer upon layer of waves surged in succession, crashing relentlessly into the harbor.
The Going Merry bobbed up and down under the force of the swells.
However…
Usopp, sitting calmly on the deck, casually pulled out a pink thermos, used its lid to shield the cup from the rain, and leisurely took a sip.
He looked utterly unshaken—like someone who could remain composed through honor or humiliation alike, calmly watching flowers bloom and fade in the courtyard, gazing at clouds drifting lazily across the sky.
"So it really did turn out like this, huh~"
"Good thing I boarded early."
Usopp smiled faintly, as if everything had already played out exactly as he'd foreseen.
Yet Usopp, sitting at the bow, never noticed—
Not far off in the waters outside Loguetown, Navy warships were gathering one by one, converging steadily toward the harbor.
…
…
"Gear Third!"
"Gum-Gum~ Gigant Pistol!!!"
BOOM—!!!
At the very center of Loguetown, Luffy—surrounded by Navy forces—slammed his enlarged attack straight into the ground beneath his feet.
In an instant, a terrifying shockwave erupted like a sudden typhoon, violently blasting away the nearby Marines.
They were sent flying in every direction, crashing crookedly into the surrounding buildings of the plaza.
"Th-that… what is that?!"
A Marine who had somehow avoided the brunt of the impact dropped his rifle in terror, lips trembling as he pointed toward where Luffy had struck.
At the center of Loguetown's plaza—once flat and unmarked—now lay an enormous fist-shaped crater.
Its smooth, polished surface looked as if it had always existed there from the very beginning.
At that sight, every Marine present felt their nerves snap.
Many of them unconsciously let their weapons fall from their hands.
There was no way they could win!
That kind of monster was far beyond anything someone at their level could possibly contend with!
Was this really something a pirate with a 50,000,000 Beli bounty could do?!
For a moment, the worldviews of all the Marines shattered completely.
Meanwhile, Tashigi—who had been sent flying head-on by the shockwave—lay sprawled amid the rubble, blood trickling from the corner of her mouth.
"H-how is this possible…?!"
"This guy… is he a monster?!"
Her lips quivered as disbelief spilled from her mouth.
On the other side—
Cabaji rolled up to Buggy's side on his unicycle.
"Captain Buggy… looks like we don't need to get involved anymore."
"Yeah… seems like it."
"Hiss—!"
Buggy suddenly sucked in a sharp breath.
For some reason, at the moment Luffy shouted his vow atop the execution platform, Buggy had vaguely seen the silhouette of that man—the captain—in his mind.
Though that fleeting illusion was quickly overwhelmed by the shocking sight of Luffy's Gear Third attack…
Buggy's heart still began to surge.
"This time… maybe I really bet on the right horse!"
One minute later—
Luffy emerged from beneath the ground, his body already returned to normal size.
The little dust clinging to him was quickly washed away by the pouring rain.
And this time, when Luffy tried to leave, no one stood in his way.
Wherever he walked, Marines, pirates, and Loguetown's civilians alike instinctively stepped aside, opening a wide path for him.
It couldn't be helped.
The Marines wanted to arrest the criminal before them—but the gap in power was simply too overwhelming.
Rushing in blindly would only lead to needless casualties.
Besides, their meager pay barely covered the cost of living in Loguetown.
Risking their lives for pocket change?
Why bother?!
Of course, not all Marines were cowards.
"Pirate, stop right there!!!"
Just as Luffy was about to leave, a sharp shout suddenly rang out.
In the plaza of Loguetown—filled with nothing but the sound of rain pattering to the ground—her voice stood out clearly.
"Hm?!"
Luffy halted instantly, tipping his straw hat back slightly as he looked toward the source of the voice.
There stood Tashigi, shakily rising to her feet while leaning on her sword.
Shards of stone from the earlier blast had torn through her clothes and skin, leaving bloody wounds all over her body.
Yet in the end, she overcame her fear.
Raising Yubashiri, she pointed it straight at Luffy and spoke with unwavering resolve:
"Don't think about running away, pirate!"
"Our fight… isn't over yet!!!"
No one knew just how much courage it took for Tashigi to stand and block Luffy after witnessing his Gear Third.
But her resolve—Luffy could feel it clearly.
"So you're still standing!" Luffy said in mild surprise.
In the very next moment, jet-black Armament Haki surged over his fist.
He grinned, rolling his knuckles as they crackled loudly.
"If you haven't had enough yet, then let's keep going!"
At once, the Marines—who dared not approach—cried out in alarm, desperately trying to stop Tashigi.
"Give it up, Commander Tashigi!"
"This fight has no meaning anymore!"
"Yeah! The gap is way too big—we can't beat him!"
"..."
"..."
The Marines shouted over one another, unwilling to watch Tashigi throw her life away.
But hearing their spineless cries, Tashigi suddenly took a deep breath and roared furiously:
"Idiots! Shut up, all of you!!!"
Usually gentle and soft-spoken, she now burst out with an uncharacteristically harsh shout.
Tears shimmered behind her glasses as she sternly rebuked them:
"Give up?! How can you even say that?!"
"Look at the fear in the civilians' eyes around us…"
"If, at a time like this, even we—the soldiers—choose to give up…"
"Then who will protect them?!"
"Tell me!!!"
Her hoarse shout echoed across the plaza.
Gripping Yubashiri tightly, Tashigi led by example and charged straight at Luffy.
The cold blade flashed through the air in a beautiful arc.
Even if she couldn't capture the pirate…
She would fight until the very last moment.
At the very least—
She would hold him in Loguetown until Colonel Smoker returned.
"Commander Tashigi…"
Her thunderous cry struck deeply into the hearts of every Marine present.
The next instant, the sound of rifles being cocked echoed from all directions around the plaza.
The Marines—who had retreated in fear after Luffy's overwhelming punch—reorganized themselves, reforming a blockade and surrounding Luffy once more.
With shame-fueled determination, they shouted:
"Commander Tashigi, we'll help you!"
"Heh—looks like I ran into some pretty interesting Marines!" Luffy said, grinning as he felt Tashigi's blazing resolve.
Still—even if he thought she was a good person—
Different sides meant different battles. Once it came to fighting, he wouldn't hesitate.
Tch—
"Gum-Gum…"
Luffy pulled into a stance, sharp eyes locked onto Tashigi as she charged forward.
But—
Just as he was about to deliver the finishing blow with his fist, a sudden voice stopped him.
"Wait, Luffy!"
Tap tap tap tap!!!
Rapid footsteps rushed in.
And in the next moment—
CLANG!!!
A crisp clash of steel rang through the entire plaza.
Zoro raised his head after stopping Yubashiri, grinning as he complained to Luffy:
"Seriously, Luffy."
"If the enemy's a swordswoman, you should've called me over sooner."
"Zoro?" Luffy blinked in surprise, then grinned. "Next time for sure."
He then turned to Red, who had descended from above."Red, you guys finished handling your stuff?"
"Not even close~" Red shot him an annoyed glance, clearly blaming the captain for slacking off.
Luffy scratched his head with an awkward smile.
Red and Zoro's sudden appearance shocked many people.
First and foremost—
Tashigi.
"It's you!!!"
Seeing those familiar figures, her eyes widened before rage flared within them.
"So you really are Straw Hat pirates?!"
She demanded harshly.
Zoro smiled faintly, the three golden earrings on his ear swaying under the rain.
"We don't remember ever saying we weren't pirates, do we?" he replied.
"Damn it…!"
Anger and humiliation flashed across Tashigi's face.
"If you're pirates, then why did you have the shop owner give me Yubashiri?!"
"Huh?" Zoro looked at her in confusion."Because in this city, you're the only one worthy of that sword."
"Bastard! I don't need your approval!!!"
Now knowing Zoro and Red were pirates, Tashigi exploded in fury.
She suddenly raised her blade and slashed at Zoro's opening.
Tch—!
A sharp flash of steel streaked through the air—
Yubashiri and Wado Ichimonji collided violently, sparks flying.
But Tashigi was no match for Zoro.
In the next instant, her grip gave way.
The Ryo Wazamono · Yubashiri was knocked clean out of her hands.
THUD!
It stabbed straight into the ground.
The outcome was decided in an instant.
(End of Chapter)