Chapter 120: Ralph, You Bastard… Killing the Body Isn't Enough, You Have to Crush the Soul Too!
To be honest, Ralph wasn't very confident in his public speaking abilities.
So as he spoke, he quietly activated his hypnotic power.
A trace of psychic vibration blended into his voice—not to control, but to... amplify emotions.
To amplify the suppressed anger these workers had held for seven years, to amplify their longing for freedom.
This was a new application he had developed after reaching intermediate level in hypnosis—emotional resonance.
"The moment you've been waiting for," Ralph spread his arms, his voice booming like a bell,
"Is today!"
He pointed at the defeated Pirates:
"Pick up your weapons! Drive the Trump Pirates out of Clockwork Island! Take back your home!"
A brief, dead silence.
Then—
"Well said!"
An old worker with a grease-stained face was the first to step forward. He grabbed a rifle freshly assembled on the production line.
"Seven years! I've had enough!"
"Me too!"
A young female worker picked up a wrench from the ground.
"My father was thrown into the clockwork gears because he resisted..."
"To hell with them!"
"Drive out the Trump Pirates!"
Roars surged like a tidal wave.
The workers were no longer numb.
They rushed onto the production lines, picking up the weapons they had been forced to manufacture, skillfully loading ammunition.
A dozen workers quickly surrounded the Pirates, tied them up, and threw them into empty cargo containers.
Others organized teams, preparing to charge out of the factory to eliminate Trump Pirates members at other strongholds on the island.
Once ignited, the flame of rebellion could never be extinguished.
Akisu stood in the crowd, his little face flushed with excitement.
Ralph's words reminded him of Borodo.
Once, to save him, Borodo had lost an arm and had to use a mechanical prosthesis ever since.
No one could accept another's sacrifice with a clear conscience, let alone a life-saving debt.
He ran to a production line, stood on tiptoe, trying to reach a rifle taller than his entire body.
"Akisu!"
Borodo hurriedly stopped him.
"What are you doing?"
"I want to help too!"
Akisu's eyes sparkled.
"I want to protect Clockwork Island!"
Borodo felt a warmth in his heart but shook his head.
"It's too dangerous. You're still too young."
"I'll do it."
A large hand reached over from the side and took the rifle.
It was Akisu's father.
He knelt on one knee before Akisu, his rough mechanic's hand gently resting on his son's head.
This stern man now had red-rimmed eyes.
"Akisu, listen to me."
His voice choked slightly.
"Seven years ago, we couldn't protect you, and you drifted away with the waves. For these seven years, we've regretted it every day, making excuses for our cowardice."
Akisu's mother also walked over, crouching down to hug him.
"But what that Pirate gentleman said just now is right... the opportunity is right before us. If we don't even have the courage to pick up weapons to protect our own child, then we truly are failures as parents."
She cupped Akisu's face, tears glistening in her eyes.
"You'll grow up one day and become a man. But today... please give us a chance to protect you. Okay?"
Akisu's tears streamed down instantly.
After seven years of separation, he finally felt his parents' love and protective desire.
Not through words, not through gifts, but by standing before him, weapons in hand.
"..."
Akisu threw himself into the arms of the two, bursting into tears.
Borodo stood to the side, watching the scene with a gratified smile on his face.
He touched the mechanical prosthetic on his left arm and murmured softly:
"Now... I can rest easy."
At that moment, Usopp leaned close to Ralph and whispered:
"Ralph, I don't really get it... why do we have to let these workers fight the Trump Pirates themselves? They don't have much combat power. Wouldn't it be easier if we just took care of Bear King for them?"
Ralph looked at him with a strange expression, a smile curling at the corner of his mouth:
"As expected of the brave warrior of the sea, Captain Usopp. With newfound confidence in your combat abilities, your mindset has really changed."
Usopp blushed:
"Cut it out! I'm asking seriously!"
Ralph's smile faded, and he spoke earnestly:
"Because they need a victory of their own."
He looked toward the workers organizing themselves into groups:
"Only what you take back with your own hands will you truly cherish. If they just wait for others to save them, then the next time they face a similar situation, they'll still foolishly wait, losing the courage to resist."
He paused, his voice deepening:
"Kind people love peace, but they must not give up the right to protect themselves with force. This is a lesson they need to experience firsthand."
As soon as he finished speaking, crisp applause rang out beside him.
"Clap! Clap! Clap!"
Lufia clapped while bouncing over:
"Ralph spoke so well!"
Usopp asked Lufia seriously:
"Did you understand it?"
Lufia tilted her head, a thoughtful expression on her pretty face, then beamed brightly:
"Not completely! But I feel like Ralph spoke really well!"
Usopp: "..."
He smiled helplessly, but the smile was genuine.
Looking back on the journey so far, from being a long-nosed braggart to the sniper who could now stand on his own, it was all thanks to Ralph's planning and special training.
Having a vice-captain like Ralph on the ship was truly wonderful.
Just then—
[System Notification: Lufia is very satisfied with your speech. Favorability +5%. Current "Close Friend" stage: 85%]
[System Notification: Usopp's favorability toward you has increased. As he is not a romance target, favorability cannot increase further. Reward refreshed. Painting (Beginner) changed to Shooting (Beginner) level up (can be claimed at any time).]
Ralph's heart stirred.
Lufia's favorability was at 85%, getting closer to the next stage.
And Usopp's reward had finally refreshed—a level-up in Shooting.
The rewards from Nami and Zoro had been claimed early when dealing with Hawk Eye.
This one, Ralph absolutely had to save for later.
When it came to marksmanship, he was confident he could train it up.
If he could level Shooting to an advanced stage and then claim this reward, he might even be able to compete with a certain someone for the title of "World's Best Sharpshooter."
Come to think of it, Sanji's reward had also appeared before.
In Loguetown, when he risked his life to save Lufia, the system had notified him of a level-up in Cooking.
Though interesting, it wasn't as practical as combat skills.
He'd have to find another opportunity to move Sanji and refresh it into a more useful skill.
Ralph pulled his thoughts back and looked at the workers in the factory, now filled with fervor.
They had already begun organizing themselves into groups, preparing to act separately.
"Everyone, hold on a moment."
Ralph raised his voice.
"Before launching a full-scale counterattack, there's one more thing we must do first."
The workers stopped their actions and looked at him.
"Bear King has occupied Clockwork Island for seven years, forcing you to produce weapons to build that 'ultimate weapon'—the King Cannon, right?"
Ralph asked.
Akisu's father nodded, pointing toward the depths of the factory:
"It's a super-large mechanical cannon, upgraded using Clockwork Island's technology to fire special shells. Once completed, its power will be immense. Bear King wants to use it..."
"...to dominate the seas and become the Pirate King."
Lufia declared, "I'm the one who'll be Pirate King!"
Ralph continued:
"Exactly! Thinking you can become Pirate King just by relying on a big cannon is nothing but a dream!"
Ralph said resolutely, "Destroy the King Cannon, then fully suppress the Trump Pirates."
He looked at Usopp:
"Usopp, take a team and clear out the Trump Pirates members in the factory and residential areas."
Usopp puffed out his chest:
"Leave it to me!"
Ralph then looked at Lufia, revealing a meaningful smile:
"Lufia, take the elevator to the top of the tower and find Bear King."
"Okay!"
Lufia rubbed her fists together eagerly,
"I've been wanting to knock him flying for a long time!"
"However..."
Ralph leaned closer to her, "Tell him two pieces of good news when you see Bear King: first, we've already taken control of the underground factory; second, the King Cannon will be destroyed soon."
Lufia blinked, "Why?"
"..."
Ralph grinned like a fox,
"It'll make the fight more interesting. Think about it—when he hears this bad news, he'll definitely be furious. A Bear King fired up with fighting spirit—won't that make the fight more thrilling for you?"
Lufia's eyes lit up, "That makes sense! You're so smart, Ralph!"
Usopp, the thief brothers, and the doctor couple nearby:
Everyone broke out in cold sweat.
Ralph, you guy... you really know how to twist the knife!