Marine Headquarters, New World.
Inside the Fleet Admiral's office, Sean held a Den Den Mushi, his expression a mix of amusement and exasperation.
"So, let me get this straight..."
"The newly appointed chief of CP kept pressuring you to hand over the technology for the ironclad ships. Then, he happened to clash with the Straw Hat Crew while they were in Water 7, which ultimately triggered the Enies Lobby incident."
"Even though you weren't directly or indirectly involved in the conflict, Luffy and his crew accidentally helped you rid yourself of the CP chief's coercion. In gratitude, you agreed to build them a steel pirate ship?"
Sean summarized the events and waited for confirmation.
"That is essentially what happened. However, we did not provide them with the blueprints or technology for the ironclads; we simply gave them a completed vessel."
"Fleet Admiral Sean, they aren't the kind of pirates who pillage and slaughter. They are simply out for adventure. Could you perhaps..."
Iceburg attempted to plead for the Straw Hat Crew.
However...
"Iceburg, I know exactly what kind of person Luffy is—better than you do," Sean interrupted.
"But you must understand one thing: often, the greatest damage to the world isn't caused by the most vicious pirates, but by those who spend their days shouting about 'freedom.'"
"The emergence of the Pirate King, Roger, sparked the Great Pirate Era. In the twenty years since, the recorded death toll of civilians alone has reached millions, not to mention the countless disabled or those whose homes were destroyed."
"Was Roger a pirate who enjoyed pillaging and slaughtering?"
"No, he wasn't!"
"As for Luffy, I gave him three chances, but he didn't cherish any of them. He still chose the path of a pirate, and he still aims to become the Pirate King!"
"Let him go?"
"And what happens when he becomes the Pirate King and sparks the next great era of piracy? Will countless more civilians have to pay the price for that?"
"If he only wants adventure, why must he fly a pirate flag?"
"Did the profession of 'Adventurer' simply cease to exist in his eyes?"
Sean strongly agreed with Akainu's philosophy on this matter.
To them, the moment you hoist a pirate flag, you have committed an original sin—regardless of whether you have actually done anything evil.
For example, even if Luffy never pillages or kills, as his fame grows, more people will inevitably admire him and set sail to become pirates because of him.
Could all those inspired by Luffy be exactly like him—traveling and adventuring without slaughtering anyone?
Clearly, that was impossible. Aside from a rare few, the vast majority of pirates were cold-blooded killers.
Therefore, the question became: did Luffy bear responsibility for the people those pirates killed?
He might not have direct responsibility, but he certainly had indirect responsibility.
Thus, as long as you hold the identity of a pirate, you are a sinner. You are an original sin that the Marine must strike down and eliminate, regardless of your personal conduct.
Furthermore, nearly ten thousand Marines had perished at Enies Lobby. That debt also had to be settled by Luffy.
Iceburg fell silent, unable to offer a rebuttal. He had never considered the problem from this perspective before. Hearing Sean explain it this way left him speechless.
'''
At the same time, at the port of Water 7.
Not far from the Alabasta docking point, a cruiser flying the Marine flag was slowly docking.
This wasn't a cruiser from the New World fleet, but one from Headquarters—the very one Sean had gifted to Garp.
Garp, usually boisterous and carefree, now had a deep frown etched onto his face. His brow furrowed even deeper as he spotted dozens of steel warships docked at the harbor.
That fellow Kizaru had known days ago that the Alabasta Kingdom's Marine planned to surround and capture Luffy, yet he had kept it a secret from him.
If Garp hadn't happened to discover it by chance and then "politely" questioned Kizaru, he truly would have been kept in the dark.
'Dammit... I hope I'm not too late!'
'Sigh, I'm going to have to apologize to that kid Sean for this one!'
'''
Meanwhile, the hotel where the Straw Hat Crew was staying had been surrounded by thousands of Alabasta Marines.
They were fully armed, each wielding the new model firearms provided by Sean. Within a one-kilometer radius, the surrounding buildings were packed with snipers holding long-range rifles.
It was true that the Alabasta Kingdom's Marine lacked top-tier individual powerhouses, but their infantry equipment was far superior to that of the Marine Headquarters.
Two streets away, Vivi—having completed the arrests of Alvida and Koby—had arrived at the scene.
"Have all the non-combatants been evacuated from the building?"
"They have, Princess! The Straw Hat Crew didn't put up any resistance to the evacuation!"
Vivi nodded.
"I don't intend to waste time with them. Bring up the artillery. Blast them!"
"Princess, is... is that really a good idea?"
"It's fine. The Alabasta Royal Family will cover all damages. Do it!"
"Yes, Princess!"
A few moments later, dozens of cannons brought in by the fleet were wheeled into position by the Alabasta Marines.
Carina, who was hiding by a third-floor window observing the area for an escape route, suddenly bristled in shock.
'Wait, wait... is this for real?'
She counted them quickly. Thirty-eight cannons in total.
'They're actually planning to just level the place? Is the Alabasta Marine always this violent?'
'And Iceburg, the Mayor... why isn't he reacting?'
Before Carina could even process the situation, a series of thunderous explosions ripped through the air.
'Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!'
If they had been on their ship, Luffy and the others could have intercepted the attack. But since they were inside a building, interception was far more difficult.
At such close range, the artillery was terrifyingly precise. The third floor was blasted into smithereens instantly, and the fourth floor collapsed as its supports were obliterated.
After a long while, the thick clouds of dust and smoke finally began to clear, allowing the soldiers to see the aftermath.
Inside the ruins of the third floor, there was a massive sphere of flesh, but the targets had vanished.
As the crowd looked on in confusion, a faint, muffled voice drifted from beneath the flesh-sphere.
"Idiots... can't... breathe... suffocating..."
The intermittent voice was baffling. Then, the flesh-sphere rapidly shrank, eventually transforming into a small child.
He looked like a child of about four or five.
While his appearance suggested he was the target, the age didn't add up at all!!!
The Marines in Alabasta were completely bewildered.
However, Vivi had already realized the truth; this was Luffy. Had he grown giant earlier to shield his companions beneath him?
And now that the ability had worn off, he had become this tiny...
'Could it be a side effect?'
Vivi had guessed correctly; it was indeed the side effect of Luffy's Gear Third. After using this technique, his body would temporarily shrink.
"Luffy, are you an idiot?"
"Exactly! We might not have been blown to bits, but we were nearly smothered to death by you!"
"Do you have any common sense at all?"
"Why the hell did I agree to work with an idiot like you..."
The moment Carina, Buggy, and Sanji broke free, they began roasting Luffy relentlessly. Just moments ago, they had truly believed they were going to suffocate; thinking back on it now, their hearts were still racing.
This was just absurd...
Meanwhile, the shrunken Luffy scratched his head with a completely carefree expression.
"Ah, sorry! I wasn't paying attention!"