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"Lenient treatment?"
Monka laughed furiously.
If not for the reputation of Garp—no, to be exact, the "Vice Admiral"—he wouldn't even bother acknowledging this brat.
"You shouldn't provoke me! Garp's grandson, today I'll teach you how to speak respectfully to your elders!"
Monka raised his hand, and a group of Marines behind him stepped forward in unison.
Click, click, click.
Dozens of guns locked onto Mu Li.
"Guns? These aren't just toys for intimidation," Mu Li said, grinning. "Go ahead, shoot me. I dare you."
Monka's face twitched violently.
The audacity!
To be honest, Monka hadn't considered ordering his men to fire before this moment. Despite his words about teaching a lesson, he had only intended to capture Mu Li and certainly wasn't prepared to endanger his life.
"Fire!" Monka finally roared in a fit of rage.
But no bullets were fired in return.
The Marines hesitated, their faces betraying unease—none dared pull the trigger.
"Captain Monka, but... he's Vice Admiral Garp's—" one lieutenant started to stammer.
"Are you defying my orders too?"
Monka raised his colossal axe arm, slamming it down on the lieutenant's head with a loud thud.
The officer cried out in pain, blood spilling as he collapsed to the ground.
"Anyone else who wants to disobey me? Do you know who I am? I'm Captain Monka, the Axe-Hand!"
The trembling soldiers wavered, unsure of what to do. Fire? Impossible.
Disobey the captain? That could mean death.
What choice did they have?
"You idiots, how long are you going to let this old fool boss you around?" Mu Li crossed his arms, his calm demeanor unwavering. "You know better than anyone about the atrocities he's committed in Shells Town. I'll give you a chance to redeem yourselves—take him down, and you'll be heroes to this town! I'll even vouch for you with my grandfather's name."
Stunned silence.
A moment later, one Marine hesitantly turned his gun on Monka.
Pale but resolute, the soldier declared, "Lord Luffy is right! Monka, with what you've done to this town, you're unfit to call yourself a captain!"
It took just one act of defiance.
One by one, the Marines aimed their weapons at Monka.
"That's right, Captain Monka. Don't resist."
"Surrender! If the Headquarters sends someone, we'll speak in your favor!"
"Lord Luffy is Vice Admiral Garp's grandson—how could we point our weapons at a hero's kin?"
Watching his men turn against him, Monka's face turned an even darker shade of red, veins bulging with rage.
"You traitorous... wretches! How dare you defy my orders!"
Livid, Monka swung his massive axe arm wildly.
Terrified, none of the Marines had the nerve to fire.
Ha ha ha ha...
Mu Li's hearty laughter echoed as he dashed forward, swift as a shadow.
He came up behind Monka, grabbed his axe arm, and pulled.
The huge weapon stopped just short of the Marine lines.
"You brat!" Monka's expression changed drastically.
"Your command center isn't here—it's prison."
With a smirk, Mu Li hurled Monka backward.
The giant man's body hit the ground with a heavy thud. His skull struck first, making an audible crack as the ground itself fractured.
Monka let out a groan, eyes rolling back as he passed out cold.
"That's all it takes to be a captain? East Blue sure is peaceful," Mu Li quipped, brushing off imaginary dust from his hands.
He turned to the still-stunned Marines and addressed them loudly, "Good job, everyone. You came to your senses in the end and recognized your mistakes. I officially pardon you."
Not far away, Zoro stood slack-jawed, utterly baffled.
Everything was happening far too fast for him to process.
The Marines were similarly shell-shocked before suddenly erupting in cheers.
"Lord Luffy! Long live!"
"Long live!"
"Long live!"
Zoro muttered, "So... why is this group of Marines shouting long live for a pirate...?"
This world just didn't make sense anymore.
Later, Inside the High Tower—Monka's Office
Mu Li sat smugly in Monka's chair, listening to reports from Marine soldiers.
"Reporting to Lord Luffy, Monka has been imprisoned, and we've provided only minimal medical attention to his injuries."
"Good job. All of you have done well today. I'll make sure to inform my grandfather of your contributions."
Mu Li nodded approvingly.
The Marine saluted excitedly. "Thank you, sir!"
"Alright, now go prepare food. My First Division Commander has been starving for days because of you guys."
"Understood!"
The soldiers hastily left the office to carry out his orders.
Meanwhile, Nami, Koby, and Zoro were all seated on a sofa nearby, each wearing the same baffled expressions:
"Who am I? Where am I? What on earth just happened?"
"What's wrong with you guys?" Mu Li asked with genuine confusion.
Nami pressed her hand to her forehead as if battling a migraine. "Why are you, a pirate, now the boss of the Marines? Did something go wrong with the universe? Why are these people even listening to you? I was gone for just a few minutes!"
"Ha ha ha ha."
Credit where credit was due—to Grandpa Garp's reputation.
Still grinning, Mu Li bit into an apple and said, "This is only the beginning. Tomorrow, I'm taking these Marines to raid the Arlong Pirates!"
All three were left completely speechless.
A pirate leading Marines to fight another group of pirates?
This had to be some kind of absurd April Fools' joke!