Chapter 30

Loguetown, located near the entrance of the Grand Line, was both the birthplace and execution site of the previous Pirate King, Gol D. Roger. For this reason, it was called "The Town of the Beginning and the End."

Upon arriving, Raion found Loguetown to be far more prosperous than Shells Town, Zhendong Village, or Zhenxi Village. The streets were well-maintained, lined with bustling shops and lively restaurants. Women in stylish clothing walked by, adding to the town's lively atmosphere.

"By this timeline, the Loguetown commander shouldn't be Smoker yet…" Raion muttered thoughtfully as he strolled down the road.

As he was lost in thought, he noticed three navy men walking along the street. At the same time, a little girl, happily skipping with an ice cream cone in hand, accidentally bumped into the middle officer, spilling ice cream all over him.

From their uniforms, Raion quickly observed that the man in the middle was a Sergeant, while the two on either side were second-class seamen.

The little girl's father rushed over and bowed repeatedly, apologizing:"Mr. Marine, I'm terribly sorry! My daughter wasn't paying attention…"

"You brat! Are you blind?!" the fat, red-faced Sergeant roared, his anger boiling.

"Yes! How dare you offend the navy!" the private on the left barked.

The little girl trembled, frightened, and burst into tears.

Her father, terrified, tried to calm things down:"Sir Marine, it was just an accident. Please forgive her—she's just a child…"

"Shut up! You dirtied my pants! What are you going to do about it?" the fat Sergeant barked.

The father stammered, "Then… what do you want?"

"Pay 10,000 Beli," the Sergeant sneered.

The man's face paled."Sir Marine, isn't that a bit unreasonable?"

"You dare talk back to me?!" the fat Sergeant growled, punching the father in the chest and sending him sprawling. The girl screamed louder.

The Sergeant didn't stop—he raised his foot, ready to kick the little girl.

Wham!

A blur flashed past, and before anyone knew what happened, the fat Sergeant was kicked away, rolling across the street.

The rescuer was none other than Raion.

The two second-class seamen froze in shock.

The private on the right finally came to his senses and shouted,"Hey, brat! Do you know who you just attacked? You're asking for death!"

"Like I care!" Raion snapped, punching him squarely in the face.

The private on the left moved to assist the Sergeant. The fat man, now standing with his face twisted in fury, roared,"Damn it! What is going on today? First a brat, now you! I'll kill you!"

He yanked the saber from his waist and charged at Raion.

"Lion Combo!"

Raion leapt into the air, kicking the Sergeant in the chin, launching him upward. In a fluid motion, Raion twisted mid-air and slammed his knee into the Sergeant's gut, smashing him down like a meteor.

The fat man hit the ground, foaming at the mouth and losing consciousness.

Raion hadn't done it for glory—he simply couldn't stand seeing the Sergeant's arrogant, bullying behavior. Besides, Raion had a soft spot for little kids.

The fat Sergeant's name was Baker, a notorious bully in Loguetown. Backed by powerful connections, he terrorized both civilians and lower-ranking marines alike, acting more arrogantly than a crab.

By knocking him out, Raion had unintentionally made an enemy of one of Loguetown's local tyrants before even officially becoming a marine.

When Baker regained consciousness, Raion had already completed all the formalities to join the navy. He was officially registered as a third-class seaman and assigned as an ordinary combatant to Team Six.

Ironically, Team Six was led by none other than Sergeant Baker.

Enemies were bound to meet again.

Though humiliated, Baker recognized Raion's strength—after all, he'd been taken down with a single move. He didn't dare confront Raion head-on. Instead, he plotted revenge in the shadows.

That night, Baker gathered several of his subordinates and gave them an order: "Teach that punk a lesson."

As Raion slept in his bunk, Baker and his men snuck into his room. At Baker's signal, the soldiers grabbed Raion and pinned him to the bed.

Raion's eyes snapped open, and he glared at the grinning faces surrounding him.

Baker stepped forward, his smirk as sinister as a snake's."Kid, you dared to humiliate me on my own turf. Did you think I'd let that slide?"

The men holding Raion chuckled darkly.

Raion's tone remained calm and cold."What exactly do you plan to do?"

Baker's grin widened."Let's just say… tonight, we'll give you a proper welcome."

A private snorted, "Yeah, let's loosen up those stiff muscles of yours."

They tried to drag Raion upright—

Whoosh!

Raion vanished from their grip.

"Where'd he go?!" one of them shouted.

"Looking for me? I'm right here, idiots," Raion's voice came from behind them.

Baker spun around, his face pale."He… he's behind us! Get him!"

But could they possibly be a match for Raion?

In the blink of an eye, Raion blitzed through them, landing blows faster than they could react. Within seconds, the marines were rolling on the ground, groaning and clutching bruises.

Baker froze, watching his men crumble.

Raion turned his gaze on him."Your turn, fat man."

"Lion Combo!"

One strike sent Baker spitting blood from both mouth and nose. Raion straddled him, sword drawn, and pressed the blade to Baker's sweaty, trembling neck.

Baker's fat cheeks twitched violently."B-Brother Raion! I-I was wrong! I…"

Raion smiled coldly."Oh? Who was the 'tough guy' just now, talking about loosening my muscles?"

Blood still dripped from Baker's nose as he stammered,"B-Brother Raion—no, Uncle Raion! I didn't know who I was dealing with! Please, spare me!"

Raion tilted his head mockingly."I wonder how many slices of bacon I'd get if I cut this fat belly of yours…"

Baker's eyes bulged with terror."Master! I was wrong! Please, don't—don't do it!"

"Oh, now I'm 'Master,' huh? You're really pitiful."

Raion smacked Baker's face twice with an open palm, making the man whimper.

"Listen up, fat pig," Raion said coldly."Behave yourself from now on. Cross me again, and I'll slice enough lard from your body to light a hundred lamps!"

Baker nodded frantically, tears welling up."I get it, Uncle Raion! I swear I get it…"