030 Crusade Troyson
"Luffy!"
"Zoro!"
"Sanji!"
Nami, Usopp, and Chopper all had worry written clearly across their faces, mixed with something even deeper, an unbelievable shock that could not be hidden at all!
They knew very well the strength of Luffy, Sanji, and Zoro. They had personally witnessed Luffy defeat powerful enemies since entering the Grand Line, had seen Zoro's terrifying swordsmanship that once cut down Mr. 1 in Alabasta, and had experienced Sanji's speed and destructive kicks that could shatter steel. They also knew that Lin Mu, the man who had defeated Captain Smoker of the Marines, a Logia user of the Smoke-Smoke Fruit, must be extremely powerful, but they never imagined that Lin Mu would be powerful to such an extent!
In just a few seconds of actual confrontation, Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji were all completely defeated without any room to resist!
The gap in strength between them was no longer a matter of a small difference, nor a so-called one-star gap, it was simply a difference of two entire realms of power!
Looking at the Straw Hat Pirates who had suddenly fallen into silence in front of him, Lin Mu said calmly and indifferently, his tone without the slightest ripple, "I have no intention of doing anything to you for the time being, at least not yet, but if you keep provoking me, I don't mind letting you personally experience the pain of losing a partner."
After saying this, Lin Mu slowly retracted the steel claw that had restrained Luffy and released his grip, allowing Luffy to fall back onto the ground.
At this moment, Zoro and Sanji also struggled to stand up, but when they looked at Lin Mu again, their eyes were filled not with anger, but with undisguised fear.
They understood very clearly that the young man standing in front of them possessed the strength to easily kill them on the spot!
The fact that they were still alive could only mean one thing, Lin Mu had shown mercy.
Just as the Straw Hats were still confused and Lin Mu was preparing to leave, a large group of Marines in white uniforms suddenly rushed over from the front. At a rough glance, there were at least several hundred people!
Among them, nearly fifty people were wearing white coats with the word "Justice" emblazoned on the back. One had to know that the justice coat could only be worn by Marine officers with a rank above Ensign!
Moreover, these Marines were all from Marine Headquarters. Unlike the scattered forces stationed in the Four Blues, these were genuine elite soldiers of the Navy, veterans who had experienced real battles on the Grand Line, and together they formed an extremely powerful combat force!
Leading this group of Marines was a tall and imposing Rear Admiral. His face was solemn and dignified, with thick eyebrows and sharp eyes that revealed years of military authority.
The moment he saw Lin Mu, the Marine Rear Admiral immediately shouted in a thunderous voice, "Pirate Troyson D. Lin! I am Rear Admiral Carlo Roman of Marine Headquarters! By the direct order of Fleet Admiral Sengoku, I declare your arrest! Surrender now, or you will be executed on the spot! Choose life or death!"
After hearing the roar of the Rear Admiral named Carlo Roman, Lin Mu casually waved his hand toward the Straw Hat Pirates and said lightly, "It looks like they are here for me. You can leave."
Even without Lin Mu saying anything further, Nami and the others were already prepared to escape. Although Luffy was clearly unwilling and wanted to stay, he was forcibly dragged away by Zoro and Sanji, who understood the situation far better than him.
At this time, Carlo Roman also noticed Luffy's iconic straw hat, and his brows could not help but furrow slightly. "That straw hat… Could it be that the Straw Hat boy and Troyson are allied? If that is the case, then they can only be wiped out together!"
However, when he saw the Straw Hat Pirates abandon Lin Mu and flee in haste, Carlo Roman immediately dismissed this speculation. He then focused all of his attention entirely on Lin Mu, completely ignoring the Straw Hats who were retreating into the distance.
A pirate crew whose captain only had a bounty of thirty million Berries was not worth diverting his attention.
After all, Lin Mu was the true target of his crusade this time.
Originally, he had been ordered to lead his troops straight to the West Blue. However, upon arriving there, he heard the urgent report that Smoker had been seriously injured in battle. Only then did he learn that Troyson D. Lin had already entered the Grand Line and had appeared in Alabasta.
Thus, Carlo Roman immediately led his forces back toward the Grand Line, rushed directly to Alabasta, and after several days of pursuit, finally arrived at this location!
"Troysen, your days of freedom end here!"
Looking straight at Lin Mu, Carlo Roman spoke with a gloomy expression. With a sharp wave of his hand, the Marine officers and soldiers behind him charged forward without any hesitation or unnecessary words.
Lin Mu had come to Alabasta originally to harvest experience points from the Shichibukai Crocodile, but he did not expect to encounter Smoker first, then clash with the Straw Hat Pirates, and now be surrounded by hundreds of Marines led by a Rear Admiral. The true target he had been waiting for had not yet appeared.
However, in the face of these people who were practically delivering experience to him, Lin Mu had no reason to refuse!
It was hard to say whether Crocodile alone would be enough to let him level up directly, but if these Marines in front of him were added, then the upgrade would be absolutely effortless!
Looking at the numbers floating above the Marines' heads, which represented experience points, Lin Mu could not help but sigh inwardly. The Marines of the Grand Line were indeed on a completely different level compared to those in the Four Seas.
They were all ordinary foot soldiers at the bottom, yet the Marines in the Four Seas only provided two or three experience points, while the ordinary Marines of the Grand Line generally provided more than five.
Sweeping his gaze across the battlefield, Lin Mu could not even find a single number below five.
And that made things even better, because the more experience there was, the more Lin Mu liked it!
In an instant, the genes of Quicksilver and the Hulk activated simultaneously. Lin Mu's figure flashed like lightning as he charged straight into the crowd, his fists smashing toward the Marines who rushed at him first!
"Ding, kill ordinary Marine, gain 5 experience points!"
"Ding, kill ordinary Marine, gain 6 experience points!"
Although these Marines were far stronger than those stationed in the Four Seas, in front of an overwhelming monster, no matter how strong a mouse became, it was still only a mouse, utterly incapable of resisting!
However, the coordination and battlefield awareness of these elite Marines were far beyond that of the scattered troops in the world. While Lin Mu was killing Marines one after another, the swords and weapons of other Marines could always seize the opportunity to strike his body.
If Lin Mu had not obtained the Hulk's genes, he would definitely have been seriously injured, and there was even a real possibility that he would have died here!
But after acquiring the Hulk's genetic abilities, Lin Mu's defensive power had reached an almost absurd level.
Not to mention these ordinary Marines, even if officer-level combatants or even school-level commanders stepped forward, they would not even dream of leaving a single scratch on Lin Mu's skin!