Chapter 119: Freedom Must Be Won With Weapons!
We need to rewind time a bit.
Underground, Clockwork Island was far more vast and complex than it appeared on the surface.
Led by Akisu's biological parents, Ralph and his group passed through a hidden spiral staircase, entering the true core area of Clockwork Island:
The underground weapons factory.
"This... this is way too big..."
Usopp stood on the platform at the entrance, looking down below, his jaw nearly hitting the floor.
The sight before them was indeed shocking.
The entire underground space had practically hollowed out the ground beneath Clockwork City.
Countless mechanical assembly lines crisscrossed, gears and conveyor belts hummed, forging presses rhythmically hammered, and the air was thick with the smell of metal and machine oil.
Workers in uniform gray outfits busied themselves along the assembly lines, but upon closer inspection, one could see that their faces held no craftsman's focus—only numbness and exhaustion.
Even more striking were the products taking shape on the assembly lines—gun barrels, artillery mounts, ammunition crates.
What was being produced here weren't clockwork toys or precision instruments, but actual weapons.
"Bear King forced us to make weapons for him."
Akisu's father spoke in a low voice, carrying seven years of suppressed anger.
"Clockwork Island is famous for its precision mechanical technology, and he took advantage of that. For seven years, we've been forced to produce countless weapons for the Trump Pirates to use in their raids."
Akisu's mother gripped her husband's hand, looking at the workers:
"They're all residents of the island. Originally kind, good people, but they've all become accomplices of the Trump Pirates."
Lufia stretched her neck out, turning it left and right like a telescope, her eyes wide open:
"Wow—so many machines! What's that one for? And that one? And what's that spinning thing?"
Like an inquisitive child, she looked around everywhere, showing no intention of sneaking in at all.
Usopp started off a bit cautious, but soon joined Lufia's exploration.
As an "inventor," Usopp had some knowledge of machinery, but a complete production line on this scale was something he was seeing for the first time in his life.
Borodo and Akisu followed at the back.
Akisu looked somewhat nervous, but his eyes couldn't help drifting toward his biological parents.
After seven years of separation and a sudden reunion, the child was still in a state of bewilderment.
Akisu's father pointed toward a relatively hidden passage. "Through this area, there's a dedicated elevator that goes straight to the top of the tower. As long as we can avoid most of the guards—"
He didn't finish his sentence.
"Hey! You lot!"
A rough shout came from below.
Four Pirates wearing vests with card patterns emerged from behind the assembly lines, holding flintlock rifles, eyeing this group of "uninvited guests" warily.
The scar-faced Pirate in the lead narrowed his eyes, recognizing Akisu's parents.
"What are you doing here instead of staying in the design room? And who are these people?"
His gaze swept over Ralph, Lufia, Usopp, and finally settled on Borodo and Akisu, his frown deepening:
"These few... aren't workers from the island, are they? Outsiders?"
The atmosphere instantly grew tense.
The workers stopped what they were doing, looking over with fearful expressions.
They recognized these Pirates.
The overseers of the Trump Pirates, who would beat and kick them at the slightest provocation—several fellow workers had already been severely injured.
Akisu's father stiffened, instinctively pulling his wife and Akisu behind him.
But someone wasn't afraid.
"We are the Straw Hat Pirates!"
Lufia stepped forward, her rubber arms akimbo, a brilliant smile beneath her straw hat.
"We're here to fight your boss!"
The scar-faced pirate was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter.
"The Straw Hat Pirates? Just you? Hahaha—wait."
He looked closely at Lufia, then at Ralph behind her, his expression gradually shifting to one of suspicion and disbelief.
"The Straw Hat Girl... the black-haired swordsman..."
The scar-faced pirate swallowed hard, recalling the rumors he'd heard over the past two days.
A newly risen pirate crew that had defeated Arlong and Don Krieg, with bounties totaling over sixty million...
He took a step back.
The three pirates behind him also realized what was happening, their hands trembling as they held their guns.
"What are you afraid of!"
The scar-faced pirate tried to bolster his own courage.
"This is the territory of the Trump Pirates! With just a few of you, how could you possibly—"
Bang!
A gunshot rang out.
But it wasn't fired by the scar-faced pirate.
The flintlock in his hand suddenly exploded, its barrel precisely struck by a bullet, deforming and rendering it useless.
Shrapnel cut his hand, and he screamed, dropping the gun.
The one who fired was Ralph.
At some point, he had already drawn the decorative pistol from his waist, its muzzle still emitting faint wisps of smoke.
Who would have thought this gun, which seemed like just an ornament, would pack such a punch when loaded with real bullets?
"You—how dare you—"
The scar-faced pirate roared, clutching his hand.
"Rapid-Fire Pellets!"
Usopp's voice came from the side.
He had somehow hidden behind a cargo crate, his slingshot fully drawn, firing seven or eight specially made pellets in quick succession.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
These pellets accurately struck the weapons in the hands of the remaining three pirates.
Crack! Crack! Crack!
Three flintlocks fell to the ground simultaneously, their parts scattering everywhere.
The four pirates stood frozen, unable to process what had just happened.
Ralph holstered his pistol, tapped the ground lightly with Geppo, and leaped to the top of a tall machine.
Standing high above, he looked down over the entire factory, his voice echoing in every corner:
"Residents of Clockwork Island!"
All the workers looked up, staring blankly at this unfamiliar black-haired young man.
The remaining pirate guards, having just heard the gunshots, saw the commotion and were about to attack Ralph when Lufia's fists instantly knocked them out.
"Hey, you guys, don't interrupt Ralph while he's speaking!"
Ralph's voice was steady, yet carried a certain penetrating force.
"I know you've endured for seven years."
"For seven years, you've been forced to produce weapons for pirates, watching your homeland be defiled, your loved ones and friends bullied. You've been waiting, waiting for someone to free you from Bear King's rule."
The workers exchanged glances. A flicker of hope appeared in some of their eyes, but more lowered their heads.
Seven years. Hope had been dashed time and again. They no longer dared to believe.
"But!"
Ralph raised his voice.
"Fate must be fought for! Otherwise, even if an opportunity comes, you won't be able to seize it!"
His gaze fell on Akisu's parents.
"I know that, as the island's technical leaders, you've always opposed violence and despised weapons. You believe machinery should be a tool for creating a better life, not a weapon for killing."
Akisu's father trembled.
"But sometimes—at first—
"Freedom must be seized with weapons! Because you are not fighting for personal gain or desire, but for the future of this island! For your descendants so they will not live under the oppression of the Bear King like you do!"