Chapter 3

Luffy's facial features sank in, his neck rapidly shrunk back to its normal size, and he spat out a mouthful of fresh blood. His feet left the ground, and he flew backward through the air.

All the Marines were stunned, speechless.

They watched helplessly as Luffy's body drew a parabolic arc in the air, landing heavily on the ground. His eyes rolled back, and he fainted on the spot!

This pirate, whom they had been chasing and blocking all along, for whom they had no solution...

Was directly defeated by Zoro in an instant!

"That sickly Zoro, he defeated Luffy? You must be kidding."

For a moment, all the Marines gathered there looked at Zoro with eyes full of disbelief.

"What's going on?!"

"Luffy was defeated by me in an instant?!"

Noticing everyone's gazes and the unconscious Luffy, Zoro's brain paused for 0.36 seconds before reacting.

He quickly furrowed his brows, squeezed his facial features together, and put on a pained expression. He pushed off with his feet, drawing a parabolic arc in the air, and crashed into the cloth stall behind him.

Thud!

"Corporal Zoro!"

Seeing the situation, Sergeant Kats immediately shouted, leaving Luffy behind and rushing to Zoro.

Some of the Marines followed closely.

They had been with Zoro for over nine years.

They had always known that Zoro was good at clerical work and that his combat skills were inferior to even a regular first-class soldier.

Seeing Zoro fly backward like a broken kite, they were extremely worried.

However, this scene also caused a great stir.

"Hey, you must be kidding, Corporal Zoro defeated Luffy?"

"I must be hallucinating, how could Corporal Zoro be a match for Luffy, who defeated the fishman Arlong?"

None of the Marines were unaware of Arlong's name.

And Luffy, who defeated him, had earned a bounty of 30 million berries.

This was enough to show Luffy's strength.

Moreover, Luffy had caused chaos in Log Town, proving that he was a dangerous individual.

The number of police and Marines he had defeated was countless.

Such a strong person was actually defeated by Zoro!

"Corporal Zoro!"

Soon, a Marine noticed Zoro lying in the pile of cloth and hurried over to check on him.

The other Marines followed.

"Corporal Zoro, are you okay?"

Kats asked Zoro about his condition with concern, quickly helping him up.

"Corporal Zoro, what exactly happened?"

However, more Marines were curious about how Zoro had defeated Luffy so quickly.

Zoro, on the other hand, had a black line on his face.

Luffy...

Is he really that weak?

That shouldn't be the case.

He is the protagonist, after all.

When Zoro got up, he glanced at Luffy.

Luffy's eyes were rolled back, and he lay sprawled in the center of the street, blood trickling from the corners of his mouth and face.

He was indeed unconscious.

This drew the attention of the civilians on the street.

"Truly worthy of the Marines, they finally caught the pirate who caused chaos in Log Town!"

"Thanks to Corporal Zoro!"

The people of Log Town recognized Zoro and began to cheer his name.

This scene was unexpected for Zoro.

According to his plan, he only wanted to knock Luffy away.

Because the Zoro who had traveled through time knew very well...

Although Luffy hadn't grown up yet, his father, Dragon, was in Log Town!

And his bounty was over 500 million berries, making him one of the most dangerous terrorists in the world!

Getting involved with such a person would definitely bring big trouble!

After all...

He couldn't just kill Dragon here!

"Speaking of which, *One Piece* isn't a story about a weakling's comeback. From the moment Luffy set sail, he was one of the strongest in the East Blue, and in Alabasta, he defeated the Shichibukai Crocodile."

"Moreover, I only used 10% of my strength in that punch..."

Zoro couldn't help but complain in his heart.

"Anyway, the issue at hand isn't Luffy's strength."

Noticing the sky getting darker, Zoro's mind involuntarily conjured up the image of Dragon.

Luffy being knocked out by him, Dragon wouldn't just sit idly by.

It would be better to leave before things got out of hand.

As for his own strength...

"Defeating Luffy was purely luck. Didn't Commander Smoker fight Luffy before?"

"Plus, you've been chasing Luffy, exhausting his strength."

"I was just..."

"The last straw that broke the camel's back."

Zoro explained to the Marines present.

He wasn't boasting about his strength; it was purely luck.

He just happened to take Luffy's head.

"So..."

"The credit for capturing Luffy is not mine alone, but belongs to all the Marines and police in Log Town!"

Zoro said with righteous indignation!

This statement left the Marines present stunned.

In fact, many of the Marines standing there were not new recruits, especially Sergeant Kats.

Before coming to Log Town, he had seen too many Marine superiors who took credit for their subordinates' achievements and pushed their own mistakes onto their subordinates.

A superior like Zoro, who shared credit with everyone, was a rare gem!

If it weren't for his weak strength, with his brilliance, he would surely leave his legend on the Grand Line!

However...

The biggest regret was right here.

Zoro had been weak and sickly since childhood, lacking the most crucial condition for survival at sea.

Strength!

Every time he thought about this, Kats felt a sense of regret.

If he could, he would want to share his strength with Zoro.

"Alright, don't worry about me. Although I've been weak since childhood, this level of injury isn't serious."

Seeing everyone gather around him, Zoro, as a corporal, gave an order.

"Take Luffy back quickly."

"Regardless, he is a pirate with a bounty of 30 million berries."

"If he wakes up on the way, your strength won't be enough to handle him."

"Contact Commander Smoker quickly."

"Only Commander Smoker can handle such a strong pirate!"

Zoro emphasized seriously.

"Us?" Kats was taken aback.

"Ha ha." Zoro smiled bitterly, placing a hand on his arm. "I would love to go with you, but that punch injured me too, and I need to get checked out quickly."

"Moreover..."

"Sergeant Kats, it wasn't me who captured Luffy, but all the Marines in Log Town. I believe you can handle this properly!"

Zoro's unwavering trust in Kats and the others deeply moved the Marines present.

"I understand, Corporal Zoro!"

Kats turned around, gestured, and ordered everyone to take Luffy away.

However...

Just as Zoro thought the incident could be put to rest and he could go home to rest...

A tall man in a green raincoat walked over from a distance.

The storm also intensified.

Boom!

A bolt of lightning suddenly struck the sky, the bright light illuminating the man's features.

The tattoo on his left cheek made every Marine's heart tighten.

"That guy is..."

"W-Why is that man in Log Town?"

Sergeant Kats' eyes widened, feeling as if two mountains were pressing down on him, making even the most basic breathing difficult.

Then, a powerful aura crushed toward Kats.

Each Marine's legs felt rooted to the ground, trembling with fear, unable to turn and run!

The civilians present, though unaware of who the newcomer was, could sense the atmosphere becoming eerie from the Marines' reactions!