Chapter 13: Akane's First Time

Nami stood there, utterly confused as the whirlwind of events unfolded before her.

'What is happening?' she thought frantically. 'I thought these guys might be out for revenge, but now they're inviting me to join them?'

'How did they even know I'm a navigator?' She quickly ran through a mental list of possible leaks. 'Could it be Carina?'

The situation left Nami reeling, but she was quick to make a decision. Given her circumstances, it was best to play along for now. She'd join this ragtag crew, wait for the right moment to steal their treasure, and then make her escape—just as she'd done countless times before.

Nami's eyes gleamed with resolve as she prepared to accept their offer. But before she could speak, a sudden clamor of footsteps echoed from above, followed by an enraged voice booming down the corridor: "Find them! How dare anyone cause trouble on my watch! No one escapes my wrath!!!"

"Uh-oh, that's bad!" Nami blurted out, quickly assessing the situation. The noise had clearly alerted the navy. She glanced around at the others in the room, then urgently addressed them, "The navy's coming! You don't want to get caught here, right? Let's escape through the window!"

With the quick reflexes of a seasoned thief, Nami pulled a rope from her satchel and darted toward the window. But Luffy and Zoro simply stared at her, puzzled.

"Run? Why would we run?" Luffy asked, cracking his knuckles with a grin. "We came here to rob the navy!"

Zoro, equally eager, had already reenergized himself by snacking on pastries he'd found in Helmeppo's room. He hadn't had a good fight in days, and the prospect of clashing with the navy excited him. To speed things along, he even opened the door and bellowed into the hallway, "Marines!!! We're right here!!!"

"What are you doing?!" Nami gasped, horrified. She rushed to Akane, grabbed his arm, and tried to pull him toward the window. "Hey! They're both crazy, but you're not, right?! We need to get out of here before the navy traps us!"

But as she tugged at Akane, she found herself unable to budge him. His grip was as solid as stone.

"Don't worry, Nami," Akane reassured her with a calm smile. "We're strong enough to handle this."

Nami's eyes widened in disbelief. "What are you talking about?! If you want to die, fine, but don't drag me down with you!"

Despite her desperate struggles, she couldn't break free from Akane's unyielding hold. Meanwhile, the marines, heeding Zoro's call, quickly located their position. Within moments, two groups of marines had converged from either end of the corridor, rifles aimed at the room where Akane and the others stood.

The marines parted, making way for a towering figure—Marine Captain Morgan, his imposing presence marked by the massive axe that replaced his right arm. His menacing glare made Nami's heart sink.

'I'm dead... I'm really going to die!' she thought, her vibrant eyes dimming with despair. Even escaping wasn't an option anymore.

Morgan scanned the room, his gaze narrowing at the sight of the hole in the ceiling. Fury flashed in his eyes.

"Who dares to defy me in my own base?!" Morgan's voice boomed with authority.

"Dad!!!" Helmeppo, sensing an opportunity, dashed toward Morgan, pleading, "Dad, kill them! They attacked me!"

But instead of finding protection, Helmeppo was met with a swift, brutal kick that sent him crashing to the floor.

Bang!

Morgan's boot struck with a sickening thud, and Helmeppo crumpled to the ground, groaning in pain. He looked up, only to see his father's cold, disdainful eyes glaring down at him.

"Useless brat!" Morgan spat. "You brought these intruders into my base without permission! Remember, you're nothing here! I control this place!"

After his harsh reprimand, Morgan turned his cold gaze back to Akane and the others. "Now, tell me—how do you want to die?"

"Die?" Luffy echoed with a grin, undeterred. "I'm not dying before I become the Pirate King!" He began to stretch out his fist, ready for a fight.

But before Luffy could attack, Akane stepped forward, releasing Nami from his grip. "Hold on, Luffy, Zoro," he said calmly. "Let me handle this guy. I've got a new move I want to try out."

"Ah?" Luffy blinked, surprised. It was the first time he'd heard Akane volunteer for a fight. After a brief moment of contemplation, he nodded. "Okay, Akane, he's all yours."

To Luffy, Akane might not have been the strongest in physical combat, but he had always proven to be incredibly resilient. Trusting Akane's judgment, Luffy stepped back, and Zoro followed suit.

"Alright," Zoro agreed, sheathing his swords. "Let's see what our vice-captain can do."

Akane chuckled at Zoro's words. "You might be disappointed. I'm not exactly a fighter."

With that, Akane approached Morgan, who brandished his massive axe and pointed it threateningly at Akane's chest.

"You're eager to die first, boy?" Morgan sneered.

Akane ignored the taunt, raising his hand as he called out, "Primal Power!"

In an instant, an ancient energy surged from Akane's body, coalescing into a barrage of rough, heavy rocks. The rocks shot toward Morgan with incredible force.

"What is this?!" Morgan's mind raced, but he didn't have time to react.

Boom!

The first rock struck Morgan with a violent impact, sending him reeling backward into the wall. The subsequent rocks followed in quick succession, each one slamming into him with devastating force. The combined impact blasted Morgan through the wall of the naval base, sending him plummeting from a great height with a resounding crash.

A stunned silence fell over the room as the marines stared in disbelief. The feared Captain Morgan had been defeated in a single move! It seemed like a bad dream.

For a moment, the marines were frozen in place. Then, slowly, one of them dropped his weapon. The clatter of the rifle hitting the floor was followed by the rest of the marines, who all dropped their weapons and, to everyone's astonishment, began to cheer.

"Yes!!!"

"We're free! Morgan is defeated!"

"Finally, we're no longer under his tyranny!"

"Long live freedom!!!"

The sudden eruption of joy from the marines left Zoro and the others completely bewildered. Even Luffy, usually unfazed, was caught off guard by their reaction.

"What's up with them?" Luffy asked, scratching his head.

"Haha, it seems Morgan's been oppressing them for a while," Akane replied with a casual shrug.

"Looks like there's no fight left," Zoro said, sounding a bit disappointed. "What a letdown. I was hoping for a good battle."

"Oh? You want a good fight?" Akane eyed Zoro with a mischievous grin, causing Zoro to pause. But his eagerness for a challenge outweighed his caution, so he nodded.

"Of course."

"Very well!" Akane clapped his hands, looking pleased. "In that case, let's borrow the navy's training grounds for a while. You and Luffy can have your showdown!"

'Just when I was wondering how to showcase my skills as a trainer, Zoro walked right into it!' Akane thought, chuckling to himself. 'Let's see if you're still as confident after going up against Luffy, young Zoro.'