In the vast open sea, two ships sailed ever closer to one another. One bore the proud flag of Justice, a symbol of the Marines that often struck fear—or hope—into the hearts of the people. The other ship, however, flew the pirate flag of the newly named Hell's Prince Pirates, its dark and rebellious emblem likely to send shivers down the spines of common folk. The sea between them seemed to echo the tension of the inevitable clash.
Onboard the pirate ship, the Dreadnought, Rhodes stood at the edge of the deck, his eyes fixed on the approaching Marine vessel. This would be his first real encounter with the World Government's forces, and he was curious to see how they operated in this world. But as he watched, something felt off. The atmosphere grew more intense, not from the Marines' approach, but from the sly, almost playful smile curling on Dave's lips.
Rhodes glanced at Dave, wondering what was going on. Dave's eyes were locked on the Marine ship, and amusement flickered in them, as though he were looking at an entertaining sideshow rather than an enemy force.
"What's so funny?" Rhodes asked, but Dave didn't answer immediately, his grin widening.
Dave finally spoke, his tone light but laced with a hidden edge, "Oh, it's just that our dear marine 'friend' here is none other than Captain Nezumi."
Rhodes raised an eyebrow, unfamiliar with the name. "And that means…?"
Dave chuckled, the sound low and mocking. "Nezumi's a rat, both by name and nature. Corrupt to his core. He'd sell his own men if he thought it would get him ahead. I can already feel his filthy greed from here."
The rest of the crew followed Dave's gaze, now more aware of the situation. Even without seeing Nezumi's face, they could feel the sinister energy emanating from the Marine ship.
"That Marine… he's practically salivating at the thought of capturing us," Dave continued, his voice cold. "And he's not after justice. He's after money... and probably something much worse."
As the Marine ship closed in, Nezumi's wicked grin grew more pronounced. He had no idea what awaited him and his crew aboard the Dreadnought.
Rhodes looked back at Dave, who simply stood there, unfazed by the looming conflict. If anything, he seemed ready to have a bit of fun with the so-called 'Justice' ship heading their way.
Nezumi's voice rang across the waters, dripping with arrogance as he sneered, "Surrender! You are surrounded!"
Dave and his crew exchanged bewildered glances, taken aback by the Marine's sudden bravado. The absurdity of the situation made Dave wonder if this was some kind of joke. They were clearly in no real danger, yet here was Nezumi, barking orders like he had the upper hand.
"Is this guy serious?" Tony muttered under his breath, watching as Nezumi and his Marines readied their cannons. It wasn't just one ship—three Marine ships now had their cannons aimed directly at the Dreadnought, surrounding them on all sides.
Dave glanced at the scene, seeing the cannons poised to fire at every angle of his ship. "Well, guess we're surrounded now," he said with a shrug, as if the situation didn't concern him in the slightest. His casual demeanor was unnerving to those watching, but for Dave, this was nothing more than an inconvenience.
'This is the East Blue... if Nezumi's here, then this must be before Luffy left his village, or at least after,' Dave mused internally. His system had informed him they were about a year before the events with the Straw Hats, so it made sense that Nezumi hadn't yet encountered them.
"Hey! Now will you surrender or should I blow you all to pieces?" Nezumi's voice pierced the air again as his sneering face looked at Dave and the others. The corrupt Marine captain was clearly confident in his power.
Dave glanced up at him, amusement still flickering in his eyes. "Why should we surrender? We haven't even committed any crimes," he replied coolly, his tone mocking Nezumi's false sense of authority.
Nezumi's face twitched in irritation, but then his sneer grew wider. "It doesn't matter whether you've committed a crime or not. I can easily make you all wanted criminals if I so desire," Nezumi said, his voice dripping with malicious glee. His corruption was out in the open for everyone to see, and it was clear he thrived on using his position to control others.
Rhodes narrowed his eyes, his expression growing cold. The audacity of Nezumi flaunting his authority so blatantly disgusted him. Dave, meanwhile, raised an eyebrow at Nezumi's boldness, his mind already working through possible ways to turn this situation to his advantage.
Dave smirked, feigning confusion. "Wait, wait! How do we get out of this? We're just innocent pirates sailing the seas," he said in a tone that was overly innocent, causing his crew to give him questioning looks.
Tony leaned over and whispered, "What are you doing?"
Dave only smiled wider. He knew exactly how this was going to play out—and Nezumi had no idea what he was in for.
Nezumi cackled with a sickening grin, "Hehehe, now you're talking! Of course, I'll let you go, but in exchange for those four beauties!" His eyes gleamed with greed as his men joined in his laughter, thinking they had the upper hand.
Dave shrugged nonchalantly, as if the situation didn't bother him. "Well, girls, he's all yours," he said, his tone calm but with a subtle hint of menace. He had already sensed the dangerous aura building around him from his crew.
"By the way, don't kill him. It'd be better if Rhodes captured him and brought him to Loguetown, where the Marines can deal with him. Who knows, Rhodes might even get enlisted into the Marines, considering how things might unfold." Dave added casually, casting a glance at the others, who were already brimming with murderous intent.
Trish, Diana, Pepper, and Emma nodded, their faces darkening with anger as they set their sights on Nezumi. Though the Marine captain was unaware, his time of arrogance was about to end.
"But feel free to kill the rest," Dave added, giving Diana a slight nod. She was the first to move.
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