"No, I cannot allow that. This child does not belong here, and I refuse to harm innocent bystanders," Saitama declared firmly.
"Besides, I am a hero, and taking a life is not something I take lightly. Only those who threaten innocent lives deserve to face the ultimate punishment. As a hero, I must exercise wisdom in my actions. It's much easier to be a criminal, but I choose to uphold justice with prudence." Saitama paused, his eyes narrowing in contemplation. "However, do not mistake my compassion for weakness. A hero must still hold those who do wrong accountable for their actions. As for you, when you attacked me, you chose to use the blunt side of your sword, avoiding a fatal blow. Therefore, you do not deserve to die by my hand."
Zoro let out a sigh and a smirk. "You're different from the Marines here. That means you're not going to kill the man in the straw hat on your shoulder, are you?"
"Luffy? Of course not," Saitama replied casually, walking with his usual gait and waving his hand absentmindedly. "But his grandfather might..."
Zoro was stunned by the mention of a "grandfather." He couldn't imagine what it could mean.
"Relax," Zoro thought to himself, "If this marine officer knows Luffy, then we have nothing to worry about. He's strong. So strong, in fact, that no one can beat him."
With his mind at ease, Zoro studied Saitama's bald head closely.
"I never thought I'd be defeated with just one punch. It's a shame..." Zoro trailed off before composing himself and addressing the bald man.
"May I have the honor of knowing your name?" Saitama grinned, casually pointing to himself with his finger.
"Of course! My name is Saitama."
As Tashigi approached Saitama, she spoke in a respectful tone. "Saitama-san is the strongest marine Commodore in the East Blue, and the strongest defender of justice. Roronoa Zoro, you shouldn't have attacked him."
"Commodore..." Zoro laughed, his eyelids getting heavier and heavier as his body began to collapse. "I... I will become the greatest swordsman in the world... And I will!"
Tashigi interrupted him firmly. "That will never happen! The next time we meet, I will defeat you, Roronoa Zoro! That's a promise."
Unfortunately, before she could finish her sentence, Zoro fell unconscious.
....................................…
The following day, Saitama's warship detained Morgan and secured him with several Kairoseki handcuffs. Tashigi escorted him to the military court for trial, ensuring his safe custody.
Meanwhile, Luffy and Zoro remained comatose in town, under the vigilant guard of Saitama. Garp was informed about his grandson's situation and decided to take action. He vowed to visit Shells Town in a few days to teach Luffy a lesson with his iron fist of love.
Things can always change quickly. Just a day later, the 153rd Branch received a distress call from Orange Town.
In Luffy's hospital room, Ripper approached Saitama holding a wanted poster, which contained the plea for help from Orange Town.
Saitama examined the poster and asked, "Who's this? Buggy the Clown!?"
Luffy was freaking out when he found out that his grandfather was heading to Shells Town to teach him a lesson. He attempted to flee the island by jumping out of the window, but Saitama was too quick for him. He stopped Luffy each time, leaving him feeling defeated.
While pacing around his hospital room, Luffy noticed Ripper holding a wanted poster. As always, he stretched his neck to get a better look and read the poster out loud,
"Whoa, this guy looks dangerous! With a bounty of fifteen million berries, he's no joke!"
"Exactly!" said Ripper, nodding his head in agreement.
He then let out a deep sigh and continued, "It's a shame to admit it, but even though we strive to uphold justice, we're still no match for those despicable pirates with bounties worth tens of millions. But the people of Orange Town are in grave danger, and we must do everything in our power to protect them. Luckily, with the Commodore leading us, we..."
Suddenly, Ripper's words were cut short as he caught Luffy's head peeking over his shoulder, reading the wanted poster. "Hey, what do you think you're doing?!" shouted in frustration. "Stop snooping around!"
Saitama took one look at the unconscious Luffy and promptly delivered a swift slap to his face, sending him back into dreamland.
"Ah, peace and quiet at last," he remarked with a satisfied grin. "Now, let's get down to business. Buggy the Clown won't catch himself!"
He turned to Ripper and instructed him to look after Luffy and the still-unconscious Zoro in the adjacent bed. "And make sure they don't escape while I'm gone. Vice Admiral Garp will be here in two days, and I don't want any trouble on my watch."
Ripper saluted crisply and replied, "Understood, sir!"
Saitama nodded in approval and headed off towards Orange Town, ready to face whatever challenges lay ahead.
The sea around Shells Town doesn't require a large army to be controlled. The 153 Branch, a small base with only a few soldiers, is enough to maintain order. Similarly, there is no need for a large warship in the area.
Thus, the only option for travel to another island is a civilian merchant ship with a marine logo.
As the long and tedious preparations for the journey dragged on, Saitama grew increasingly bored. However, he remained patient and focused, knowing that the success of their mission relied heavily on their thorough planning.
As the final preparations for their journey were completed, Saitama and his crew eagerly boarded the ship. But before they could set sail, Saitama took a moment to address his team.
"Listen up, everyone," he said, his voice commanding attention. "While we're away, Ripper will be in charge of protecting the town. I trust him to lead the base with strength and honor."
With those words, Saitama promoted Ripper to the position of head commander of the base. Ripper's face beamed with pride and determination as he accepted the responsibility.
As they set sail towards their destination, Saitama felt a sense of confidence and assurance that they had left the town in capable hands. He knew that Ripper would do everything in his power to ensure the safety of the people they had sworn to protect.
The sea breeze blew across Saitama's bald head as he stood at the bow of the ship, gazing out at the horizon. He felt a sense of excitement and anticipation that he hadn't experienced in a long time.
The journey ahead would be challenging, with unknown dangers lurking around every corner. But Saitama was confident in his abilities and those of his crew. Together, they would be able to face any obstacle that came their way.
As the ship disappeared into the horizon, Ripper knew that he had to act quickly. He had to fix the mess that Morgan had left behind, and he couldn't afford any more mistakes.
But as he entered the base, he found two Marine soldiers lying unconscious in Luffy and Zoro's beds. He was shocked and angry.
"This is not good!" he exclaimed. "I promised the Commodore that these prisoners would not escape, and now they're gone in less than half an hour. We have to find them before they cause any more trouble."
Ripper immediately ordered his soldiers to search every inch of the island, determined to find the escaped prisoners. But as time passed, he began to realize the futility of his efforts.
"It's been half an hour," he thought to himself. "They could be anywhere by now. And even if we do find them, how can we stop them?"
Ripper knew that he had to come up with a new plan, and fast. He couldn't let Luffy and Zoro get away, not when they posed such a threat to the base and the people of the town.
As he paced back and forth, thinking of a solution, he knew that time was running out. He had to act quickly, before it was too late.
....................................…
As Zoro darted through the town with Luffy slung over his shoulder, he couldn't help but feel like a chicken with its head cut off.
"Left!" he yelled, feeling confident in his decision. "Definitely left! That's where we came from!"
Zoro sprinted at top speed, feeling like a total badass. But after half an hour of running, he suddenly stopped in his tracks.
"What the hell? Marines! Are you kidding me?" he grumbled, realizing that he had no idea where he was going.
As luck would have it, Zoro ended up running straight into the 153rd branch base. "Seriously?" he muttered. "Could this day get any worse?"
Zoro knew that he had to think fast, so he charged towards the base with Luffy still slung over his shoulder. "Hold on tight, Luffy! We're gonna make a break for it!"
As they charged through the doors of the base, Zoro couldn't help but ponder to himself, "This is going to be quite a chaotic scene."
....................................…
The seaport of Orange Town echoed with endless cries amidst the current tragic situation.
The laughter of the rampaging pirates added insult to injury.
"Hey, you there! Little guy! What are you hiding in your pocket?" A pirate struck an old man and sent him tumbling to the ground.
In the bustling town square, a swarm of pirates encircled their leader, the notorious "Red Nose Buggy", who gleamed like a radiant star amidst the riffraff.
The ground beneath them was littered with piles of stolen jewelry and money, glinting in the harsh light of day.
"It's truly disappointing," Buggy, who was clad in a furry cloak, grumbled.
"Is this all the wealth this big town has to offer? Pathetic losers! There's nothing of value here! All the treasures have already been plundered..."
Glancing over at his crew, Buggy's anger grew. "There's no need to spare their lives! Let's bombard the town with cannon fire! Iiihahahahaha..."
He spoke with a callous disregard for the hundreds of lives he was about to destroy.
His crew cheered him on as if they were heading to a temple: "Long live Captain Buggy!"
.........................................................…
This was the harsh reality of the Golden Age of piracy. No matter the justification, even the Pirate King Roger himself, who ushered in this age of evil, was condemned to the death penalty for his transgressions. The supposed freedom and dreams of pirates were constructed on the shattered remains of countless innocent lives.
Fear was the common currency in the East Blue; each person dreaded the day they would fall prey to the pirates' blades. In such a dark and desperate age, a fervent desire stirred within them: the advent of heroes.
For they knew that only a hero could withstand the brutality of these pirate marauders and bring hope to the oppressed people of the sea. And so they waited, with bated breath, for the emergence of a hero who could deliver them from the tyranny of the pirates.