One Piece: Ultimate Villain

Marineford isn't actually far from the Shabondy Archipelago.

Otherwise, a certain uncle's faction wouldn't have arrived so quickly to save his favorite nephew.

But while his uncle had Pika Pika no Mi to help, Marsh, who had swum all the way there, was utterly exhausted.

"Damn it, if I'd known, I wouldn't have tried to show off!"

Rayleigh, at the age of 70, had swum through the Calm Belt for an entire day and night, killing an unknown number of Sea Kings along the way.

His stamina was truly terrifying.

Seeing the dock ahead, Marsh kicked through the water and sprang out of the sea.

He had hoped for a stylish landing, but instead, something hit him squarely in the head, leaving him dazed.

"Damn, who's sneak attacking me?!"

Clutching the lump on his head, Marsh picked up the object that had hit him.

It was a girl, with black hair and tan skin.

She looked about eleven or twelve years old and seemed to have hit her head too, tears welling in her eyes from the pain.

"What the heck? Kids on the Shabondy Archipelago are this wild? Jumping into the sea for fun?"

"Hey, kid! Hand over the girl you're holding!"

The captain of the black-clad crew was momentarily startled by the young man who had burst out of the sea, but he quickly regained his composure.

The man was shirtless, carrying a bamboo pole and a waterproof bag.

Since he had come out of the sea, he clearly wasn't a Devil Fruit user.

He looked strong, clearly capable of holding his own.

But judging by his behavior, he didn't seem to be here to rescue the girl.

The less trouble, the better, so long as they got the girl, the man could go on his way.

Marsh blinked and surveyed his surroundings.

Dozens of black-clad men had blocked off the dock.

In the distance, a group of people, obviously locals, were pointing and whispering about the scene.

Then he glanced at the girl in his hand...

Yep, she was probably being targeted by these pirates who specialized in human trafficking.

How convenient.

Marsh set the girl down and took off his pack.

Under everyone's watchful eyes, he pulled out his uniform and cape.

What he didn't notice was that the girl, now standing behind him, had a mocking look on her face as soon as she saw the word Justice emblazoned on his cape.

"What did you just say?"

Marsh tilted his head and let water drain from his ears.

The pirate captain, not the least bit flustered, frowned and asked, "Navy? Which branch are you from?"

Marsh blinked in confusion.

That tone, anyone who didn't know better would think this pirate captain was his superior.

"Marine Headquarters, Lieutenant Marsh." He responded, albeit slightly taken aback.

"Never heard of you. Must be a new promotion from a branch." The captain muttered, shaking his head.

What the hell? He knows that too?

Marsh furrowed his brow slightly.

'Damn! When pirates see a Marine, aren't they supposed to immediately kneel, beg for mercy, and then flee in panic, only for me to take them down one by one?'

'And then I'd receive flowers and applause from the locals, completing my heroic moment!'

Why isn't this going as planned?

"Kid, since you're newly promoted, don't meddle in things you don't understand. Hand over the girl and get lost!"

The captain said sinisterly.

"Who's backing you?" Marsh asked after a moment of thought.

The Shabondy Archipelago was so close to Marineford. If they were brazenly kidnapping people in broad daylight here, they must have someone powerful backing them.

The captain blinked, momentarily surprised. His eyes narrowed slightly.

This kid's sharp. Judging by his insignia, he's a lieutenant.

No more than twenty years old, someone who's reached that rank at his age is bound to become a major figure in the future.

But to the people behind me, he's still insignificant.

"The more you know, the faster you die." The captain said with a shake of his head. "This is your last chance. Hand over the girl and leave!"

As soon as the words left his mouth, several black-clad men stepped forward, reaching for the girl.

In the next instant, their vision blurred, as if a gust of wind had blown past.

And then they knew nothing.

Seeing his men kicked flying and Marsh calmly lowering his leg, the captain's expression finally cracked.

Just as he was about to signal for everyone to attack, a voice called out from behind.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. What's going on here? People causing trouble in broad daylight at my base?"

Marsh turned to look.

Not far away, a man over two meters tall, with slicked-back hair, dressed in a black suit and draped in a cape, was swaggering toward them, flanked by a dozen or so Marine soldiers.

He carried a bottle of alcohol in his hand, taking swigs as he walked.

Marsh noticed that the pirate captain's eyes lit up with joy as soon as he saw the man.

So... collusion between officials and bandits?

***

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