Chapter 33: Morgan Face-Checks the Bush
As Ian and Cabaji were talking, the battle between the Buggy Pirates and the Marines out at sea had also begun.
The Marines made the first move. The cannons on the base, positioned high up, had a firing range that could reach the nearby waters. The cannons boomed, solid cannonballs whistled through the air, and when they landed in the sea and exploded, they sent towering columns of water shooting up from the surface!
However, hitting a moving ship on the sea with a cannon was no easy feat. The Buggy Pirates' ship hadn't been hit by a single shell yet, speeding towards the dock at an incredible pace.
Meanwhile, Lieutenant Morgan had already set up a defensive position at the dock with his Marine soldiers. They had built barricades with sandbags, and each soldier held a flintlock rifle, staring nervously at the Buggy Pirates' ship. The moment the ship docked and the pirates came ashore, they would open fire without hesitation.
But what the Marines hadn't expected was that the Buggy Pirates' ship would start returning fire as soon as it approached the dock.
A special Buggy cannonball was loaded into the barrel. The pirate lackeys aimed the cannon at the Marines' barricades on the shore, then lit the fuse at the back of the cannon.
"Boom!" A deafening roar echoed as the special Buggy cannonball flew out.
One side was moving on the sea, while the other was stationary on the shore. As a result, the special Buggy cannonball hit the Marines' barricade directly.
The destructive force was immense. The spot where the cannonball struck the barricade was blown wide open. The Marine soldiers hiding behind it were instantly sent flying into the air. Some, in worse shape, were blown to pieces on the spot, blood and flesh flying everywhere. The special Buggy cannonball, after hitting the barricade, didn't slow down and continued flying backward, crashing into the houses of the town's residents, causing an entire row of houses to collapse.
That was the special Buggy cannonball—not only incredibly powerful but also with strong penetrating ability.
Seeing this from the ship, Buggy burst into loud laughter. He was extremely satisfied with his special Buggy cannonball, and the pirates on the ship joined in, cheering along.
But for the Marines on the shore, it was a tragedy. Especially for Morgan, whose eyes nearly popped out when he saw the barricade blown away.
The heavy casualties among the Marines made him involuntarily recall the scene when he had "captured" Captain Kuro—the sight of the entire ship's Marine soldiers all dead.
"Get down! Everyone get down!" Morgan quickly shouted to the remaining soldiers.
The pirates of the Buggy Pirates fired two more special Buggy cannonballs at the shore, but these two missed. The shells grazed past the Marines' barricade and landed in the town behind them, causing another two rows of houses to collapse in a straight line.
Morgan could see what was happening behind him. The Buggy Pirates' attack was causing massive destruction to the town, but he was helpless. All he could do was hope that the cannon turret on top of the base would manage to hit the Buggy Pirates' ship at least once.
Perhaps Morgan's prayers were answered. A cannonball fired from the turret finally hit Buggy's ship, exploding on the deck. The pirates in that spot were blown into the air, and the deck itself was blasted into a large hole.
Buggy felt sorry for his ship, so he stomped his feet and shouted, "Charge ashore! Get me to the shore!"
By then, the Big Top had already reached the dock. A group of pirates, wielding all kinds of weapons, jumped from the ship's side onto the shore, shouting battle cries as they charged toward the remaining Marine barricades.
"Fire! Fire now!" Morgan commanded the Marine soldiers.
The Marines mustered their courage, stood up from behind the barricades, and opened fire on the pirates. The crackling sound of gunfire filled the air. Many of the pirates at the front were hit, blood spurting from their bodies as they fell backward.
The real battle between Marines and pirates was this brutal. Both sides suffered heavy casualties. However, the pirate lackeys under Buggy were all randomly recruited, so their deaths didn't matter much. On the other hand, every Marine soldier was the product of long-term training. Losing one meant that the Marines' investment in that soldier was wasted.
Relying on their numerical advantage, the pirates endured the Marines' gunfire and charged right up to the barricades. Then, the two sides engaged in close-quarters combat—blade against blade, flesh against flesh. The scene grew increasingly bloody.
Pirates were constantly being cut down and falling, and Marines were also being ambushed and slashed.
The cannon turret on top of the Marine base dared not fire anymore, afraid that a shell might land among the crowd and accidentally hit their own allies.
At this moment, Morgan was at his best. He swung the iron axe on his right arm, cutting down every pirate who came near him. Before long, over a dozen pirates lay dead around him.
This guy was actually quite fierce. His presence naturally boosted the Marines' morale. Unfortunately, he also caught the attention of Buggy's side.
Morgan had just cut down a pirate charging at him when he suddenly felt the light above him darken. Turning his head, he saw a huge lion pouncing toward him.
It was Mohji, the first mate of the Buggy Pirates, along with his lion, Richie. Although Richie had seemed like an idiot when facing Ian, in a real fight, Richie was still quite ferocious. With one leap, he pinned Morgan to the ground. Morgan managed to block Richie's gaping jaws with the flat of his axe, but he wasn't as strong as the lion and couldn't turn the tables.
"You're that Axe-Hand Morgan, Marine Lieutenant?" Mohji said, sitting on Richie, a disdainful smile on his face. "I heard you captured Captain Kuro of the Black Cat Pirates?"
"Who are you?" Morgan shouted.
"I'm the first mate of the Buggy Pirates, the Beast Tamer Mohji!" Mohji replied. "I even specifically warned Captain Buggy to watch out for you earlier! But now I see you're not that impressive!"
"Damn it! Don't underestimate me!" Morgan roared. He suddenly kicked Richie in the lower body, and while the lion was distracted by the pain, Morgan's arm veins bulged as he used all his strength to shove Richie off, scrambling to his feet.
But just as he stood up, a sharp pain shot through his back shoulder. He screamed and turned his head, only to see a hand floating eerily in midair. The hand was holding a dagger, and blood was dripping from it.
"What... what is this!?" Morgan was stunned.
The wrist suddenly flew backward and reattached itself to a person. That person was Buggy.
The iconic big red nose made Morgan immediately recognize who Buggy was. He couldn't help but exclaim, "Buggy!? You're a Devil Fruit User!?"
As a Marine, Morgan had naturally heard of Devil Fruits. But since the Marines had never directly clashed with the Buggy Pirates before, no one in the East Blue Marines knew that Buggy was a Devil Fruit User.
"Haha! That's right! I'm Buggy!" Buggy said, wearing his cloak and captain's hat. The crossed bones pattern on his forehead made his smile look particularly vicious. He asked Morgan, "I'll ask you: where is that brat with the bear-ear hat now? And my chief of staff, Cabaji? Did you lock him up in the Marine base?"
Morgan knew he was in trouble. The Buggy Pirates' combat strength was nothing like a joke of a circus. That bounty hunter kid who had brought Cabaji to the Marine base earlier wasn't a rookie either. To capture their chief of staff from the Buggy Pirates, that kind of strength couldn't be from a novice.
Hearing the screams of the Marine soldiers around him, Morgan knew the Marines had lost. The enemy had not only numbers but also a Devil Fruit User. There was no way the Marines could win.
So, Morgan made a decision. He suddenly turned around and fled toward the Marine base behind him.
Buggy hadn't expected Morgan to run away without a word. He was stunned for a moment, and by the time he snapped out of it, Morgan was already far away. Buggy stomped his feet in anger and shouted, "Chase him! Chase him down! Don't let him use Cabaji as a hostage!"
Buggy had misunderstood. He thought Morgan was running back to the base to use Cabaji as a hostage to threaten them.
That was, of course, a pirate's way of thinking. Morgan's real purpose in fleeing back to the base was to call for reinforcements. The 153rd Branch alone couldn't hold off the Buggy Pirates. He needed to request help from the nearby 16th Branch, or to be safer, directly send a request to the Marines in Loguetown.
As for when the reinforcements would arrive, that was beyond Morgan's control. He could only do his best and leave the rest to fate.
From this perspective, Morgan hadn't yet been completely blinded by his lust for power. He was still a competent Marine soldier at this point.
The lackeys of the Buggy Pirates quickly dealt with the remaining Marine soldiers. Then, led by Buggy and Mohji, they charged toward the Marine base.
At the same time, Ian was groaning as he climbed out of a pile of rubble.
What terrible luck. One of the special Buggy cannonballs, when it hit the town's houses, had passed right through the restaurant where Ian was eating. It hadn't hit Ian, but it had blown two large holes in the walls, causing the building to collapse. If Ian hadn't been quick-witted enough to grab Coby and hide under the dining table, he might have been seriously injured.
As he got up, Ian was still a bit confused about what was happening. But when he saw Cabaji trying to sneak away, Ian didn't hesitate. He rushed over and knocked him unconscious with his Sword Saint Longsword.
Grabbing Cabaji by his scarf, Ian lifted him up and said angrily, "Damn it! Still trying to run? If you run, who am I going to collect my lost wages from!?"