Not long after, Alvin and Robin stepped out of the cabin, bright smiles on their faces.
On the merchant ship opposite them, the people who had been holding their breath finally dared to look up. When they saw a man and a woman emerge from the pirate ship's cabin, they immediately crouched down again, only peeking over the railing with wide eyes as they cautiously observed the two figures.
"Could it be them who saved us?"
"It must be them!"
"Look, they came out of the pirate cabin. They must have been searching for treasure."
"They're so young!"
"Hey!"
"Thank you for defeating the pirates and saving us!"
"Thank you!"
In an instant, everyone on the merchant ship shouted their gratitude at the top of their lungs. Even the timid ones stood up excitedly, waving their hands with all their strength.
Alvin and Robin were momentarily stunned, clearly not used to such an atmosphere.
Especially Robin. She was known as the Child of the Devil, a name that could make children stop crying just by hearing it.
At that very moment, a Marine warship suddenly appeared on the distant sea, its cannons already aimed at the pirate ship.
With a sharp whistle, a cannonball tore through the air and exploded beside the pirate ship with a thunderous blast. The shockwave caused the pirate vessel to sway violently, rocking as if it were drunk.
Alvin and Robin's expressions instantly darkened.
"The Marines."
"The Marines are here!"
Seeing the Marine warship, the people aboard the merchant ship were initially overjoyed. But when they realized the Marines were still firing at the pirate ship, they immediately shouted with all their strength.
"Marines!"
"Stop firing!"
"The pirates have already been defeated! They are our benefactors!"
…
However, the Marines aboard the warship ignored their cries and continued the bombardment. The pirate ship shook violently under the relentless cannon fire.
The captain of the merchant vessel quickly ordered his crew to steer further away.
"How troublesome. Robin, let's go," Alvin said, displeasure evident in his voice.
Robin nodded.
In the next instant, Alvin leaped into the air and jumped into the sea. As he descended, he released his jet ski, landing steadily on it the moment it appeared on the water.
Robin followed immediately, leaping down and landing gracefully on the back seat. She wrapped her arms tightly around Alvin's waist.
The sight left the people on the merchant ship frozen in shock.
In the very next second, the strange small craft shot forward like an arrow released from a bow, escaping the Marines' firing range in the blink of an eye.
"Hiss… That's incredible!"
"What kind of boat is that? It's so fast! I've never seen anything like it!"
"Haha!"
"They're amazing!"
"That way the Marines can't hit them!"
The people on the merchant ship felt both astonished and relieved. At least their saviors were safe.
On the Marine warship, a Marine Colonel watched Alvin and Robin escape the bombardment range. He stomped his foot in fury and immediately ordered the warship to give chase at full speed.
On the deck of the merchant ship, the passengers who had just calmed down grew anxious again when they saw the warship continuing the pursuit. Only when the strange craft disappeared completely into the distance did they finally relax.
Soon, the Marine warship came to a stop beside the merchant vessel.
The Marine Colonel shouted loudly, "I am Bacchus, Base Commander of Marine West Blue Branch 41. What is your relationship with those two individuals?"
"They're our saviors!"
"That's right!"
"We were attacked by pirates just now. They defeated the pirates and saved our lives!"
"But you were shelling our benefactors!"
…
The merchants were indignant. If Alvin and Robin had not been fast enough, they might have been killed by the Marines who arrived so late.
Hearing their words, Bacchus was furious.
"Fools!"
"Do you even know who they are?"
"One of them is Nico Robin, the Child of the Devil, with a bounty of 79 million Berries! The other is Garfield Alvin, a vicious sniper who has just received his first bounty of 30 million Berries!"
"They committed a major crime in Asriel!"
"They killed the mayor of Asriel and six World Government officials!" Bacchus roared.
"That… that can't be…"
"Nico Robin, the Child of the Devil…"
"Garfield Alvin, the Wicked Sniper…"
"They're wanted criminals…?"
The merchants did not immediately accept his words. Instead, doubt flickered across their faces.
"This incident happened recently and took place in West Blue. Our Marine branch received the intelligence early. Tomorrow's newspaper will carry the report."
"You must not associate with them under any circumstances. They are extremely dangerous criminals!" Bacchus said sternly.
"We… we understand."
"We had no contact with them. You arrived after they defeated the pirates."
"We understand."
…
Seeing their fearful expressions, Bacchus nodded with satisfaction.
"Set sail."
"Continue the pursuit. We must capture them!"
"Yes!"
"Colonel Bacchus!"
The Marines responded in unison. The warship slowly turned and resumed its pursuit in the direction where the jet ski had vanished.
On the merchant ship, no one spoke for a long time after watching the warship depart.
For years, the name Child of the Devil had been deeply rooted in the hearts of the people of West Blue. Nico Robin's name had long since become taboo, something no one dared mention openly.
They had never expected that Garfield Alvin, who stood beside her, had also committed such a shocking crime.
To kill a city mayor and six World Government officials was truly audacious.
"Captain, let's leave quickly. This sea feels unsafe."
"Yes, Captain."
"If they really are…"
…
The more they thought about it, the more afraid they became. One by one, they urged the captain to depart immediately.
"You're right. Leave at once. Set sail!" The captain finally snapped out of his daze and gave the order.
The merchant ship quickly moved away.
Behind them, the pirate vessel that had been battered by Marine cannon fire slowly began to sink beneath the waves.
...
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