One Piece: Starting With Flame-Flame Fruit

But the greed in their hearts blinded them, and they forgot who stood before them—a figure who had wiped out Arlong and his entire crew, a terrifyingly powerful presence.

Tony's lips curled slightly, his red eyes flashing with a cold, deadly smile.

"Marine officers, just because I haven't spoken up, did you think I was easy prey for you to trample on?"

"Hmph, I didn't plan on making a fuss with you, but it seems like you're practically begging me to kill you. And that's a request I really can't refuse."

Tony's words pressed down on everyone like a suffocating weight.

Kill the Marines? No one could believe it. The residents of Cocoyasi Village glanced at Tony with worry. While they were angry, they had never truly thought about killing these officers.

The Rat Colonel laughed, clutching his stomach as if he had just heard the most absurd joke in the world.

"Kill us? Don't make me laugh! We're the Marines! Do you know what killing us would mean? Don't try to scare—"

Before the Rat Colonel could finish, Tony unsheathed his sword, Ryujin Jakka, and in an instant, beheaded three of the soldiers nearby. Their bloody heads dangled in his grasp, and Tony stood there, like a demon king, emanating a chilling killing intent.

Everyone froze. No one had seen him move, and yet it had already happened. The remaining soldiers stared in horror at the bodies of their comrades, their legs starting to shake uncontrollably.

Tony had acted without hesitation, his swift and ruthless strike plunging the remaining soldiers into despair.

The Rat Colonel could hardly believe it. An actual Marine-slayer had appeared in East Blue—and he had stumbled right into his path.

The villagers swallowed hard, looking at Tony in shock. Only Nami remained calm; she had seen his methods firsthand. She knew that Tony's next steps couldn't be predicted with common logic.

But one thing she was sure of: once Tony identified someone as an enemy, he would eliminate them without mercy, as he had done with Arlong and his crew, leaving not a single one alive.

Tony tossed the three bloodied heads at the feet of the Rat Colonel. The Colonel, paralyzed with fear, regretted every choice that led him here today. All for a hundred million Berries? Now he'd thrown away his life.

He now realized how worthless money was compared to his life.

The remaining soldiers tried to escape, but it was already too late.

With a flick of Tony's index finger, a towering wall of fire erupted behind them, sealing off their retreat with roaring flames.

"Wha-what kind of monster are you?" The Rat Colonel's face was contorted with terror, overwhelmed by the deadly aura radiating from Tony.

Tony didn't respond. With one swift motion, he sliced through the Colonel's left arm.

Blood spurted everywhere.

The Rat Colonel collapsed to one knee, clutching his severed arm, screaming in pain, his eyes wide with terror. His cries sent shivers down the spines of the other soldiers, who, despite the blazing wall of fire, attempted to flee.

But the wall extended nearly 10 meters. Even if they managed to run through it, they'd be consumed by flames, transformed into charred husks—no ordinary human could survive the inferno's scorching heat.

Just as Tony expected, the remaining Marines soldiers were burned alive by the wall of fire. The Rat Colonel looked on, horrified, as all of his men perished. He was now certain that the man before him was a madman—a man who would openly kill Marine officers without a hint of hesitation.

In the past, whenever he came to the village searching for treasure, no one dared to defy him. But today, he felt an overwhelming despair.

With a look of fear, the Rat Colonel dropped to his knees, clutching Tony's pant leg.

"It's my fault! I shouldn't have been greedy for Arlong's treasure. I'm sorry! If you spare me, I won't report your killing of Marines officers. I'll even invest a huge amount to make Cocoyasi Village the finest place in East Blue."

"Trust me—this is a good deal for you. Killing Marine officers is a serious crime. You don't want to be hunted by the Marines forever, do you?"

At this, the residents of Cocoyasi Village began to worry about Tony as well. They also wanted to settle things peacefully, hoping to spare this Marines officer and leave a way out for Tony.

But Tony saw through the Rat Colonel's nature long ago. If they let him go today, Cocoyasi Village would likely face a devastating retaliation.

"Heh, you're quite the negotiator. But I know all about your filthy deeds," Tony said coldly. "How could Arlong and his crew have been free to plunder and rule over more than 20 villages in East Blue all these years?"

"Don't tell me you don't know. It's because you were covering up for them in the Marines branch, keeping the truth from Marines Headquarters in exchange for a share of the money Arlong extorted!"

"You're no different from Arlong! Do you think I'd spare someone like you today?"

"Killing one or ten—it doesn't matter. One more won't make a difference."

The Rat Colonel's face turned deathly pale. He hadn't expected Tony to know so much about his dirty dealings.

"Curse you, you monster! The Marines won't let you get away with this!"

"Next time, try living a decent life," Tony replied coldly, bringing his sword down and slicing the Rat Colonel in half. The officer collapsed in a pool of blood, his face frozen in terror.

As the residents of Cocoyasi Village processed what had just happened, they looked at the bodies scattered around them, their brows furrowing in concern. They weren't worried for themselves but for Tony and Nami, who would soon be leaving on their journey.

Having killed a Marines officer, Tony would now be considered a target for the Marines' pursuit. Even if that officer was a scoundrel, they knew the Marines would not tolerate such a crime, regardless of the reason.

Kenjō stepped forward, guilt-ridden, and clasped Tony's hand. "This is my fault! I shouldn't have acted so impulsively. Now that this has happened…"

But Tony smiled and shook his head. "This isn't your fault. Actually, we're pretty lucky. Today, I got rid of this officer, which means you don't have to worry about him anymore. Otherwise, with his methods, Cocoyasi Village would have faced another tyrant like Arlong!"

Tony wasn't just making empty threats. A greedy man like the Rat Colonel would never have been content and would surely have stirred up trouble again.

The villagers shivered at the thought of another Arlong.

Soon after, Tony bid farewell to the villagers, handing Kenjō the 100 million Berries that Nami had stolen from him, instructing him to distribute it among all the people of Cocoyasi Village.

Nami, generous as well, told Kenjō about the savings she'd hidden in the orange grove over the years, explaining that she'd saved it to protect them all and that now it could be used to help the village thrive.

The villagers expressed their immense gratitude to Tony, urging him to come back someday to see Cocoyasi Village flourishing.

"I promise!" Tony replied with a confident smile.

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T/N:

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