One Piece: Surrounded at Marineford? Just kidding!

Chapter 476: Vegapunk's Repayment and Concerns for the Wounded

Vegapunk trembled as he was provoked by Chen Ye's killing intent.

The air remained still. Vegapunk ignored the lingering tension. He turned to face the crowd, bowing deeply with Edison at a ninety-degree angle.

"Everyone, if it weren't for your selfless rescue today, my head, Vegapunk's head, and the wisdom of humanity on this island would all have been reduced to nothing."

His eyes were red-rimmed. His gaze swept over every face.

"I will never forget this kindness."

The words had barely left his mouth when an untimely clap of thunder erupted from the silent ruins.

"Gurgle"

The sound was deafening. It shook the ground, causing the pebbles beneath our feet to bounce.

All eyes turned to the source of the sound. Luffy stopped chewing. His mouth was stuffed full of roasted meat, his cheeks puffed out like two pufferfish. His ears perked up, his eyes widened, and his pupils contracted sharply. The hounds had caught the aroma of the meat.

Luffy rushed towards Vegapunk in three strides. Their noses almost bumped. He stared intently at the old man's mouth, drool dripping from the corner of his lips.

Snap. Snap.

Several dark water stains appeared on the charred ground.

"Old man"

Luffy yelled at the top of his lungs. His mouth was full of food, making his pronunciation unclear.

"Didn't you just say you wanted to prepare wine and meat? Where's the meat?"

He craned his neck to peer behind Vegapunk.

"We need alcohol too. Sanji said we have to drink the strongest liquor after a big battle."

This incident was like cold water poured onto boiling oil. The frozen atmosphere instantly shattered.

Marco's tightly furrowed brows suddenly relaxed. A low, muffled laugh escaped his throat.

The Whitebeard Pirates were completely let loose. They grinned widely and burst into laughter.

Shanks covered his face with one hand. His shoulders trembled violently. A series of puffing sounds escaped his throat.

Vegapunk froze. The next second, he straightened up abruptly. The heaviness vanished instantly.

A hearty, exhilarating laugh echoed through the ruins. His withered hand pounded heavily against his chest. The dull thuds were deafening.

"Hahaha. Kid, is eating all you have in your brain?"

"Don't worry. The underground storage warehouse is piled high with food. Enough for you to eat as much as you want. And there's plenty of alcohol. It's all you can eat."

He raised his hand and made an exaggeratedly large circle. His smugness was almost overflowing.

He raised his thick white eyebrows and his white beard.

He glanced sideways at Vegapunk, making no attempt to hide his mockery.

"Old man, don't speak too confidently. We're not joking about our appetites."

His gaze swept over his sons behind him.

"Just look at my little brats. They have such an appetite."

Vegapunk had just opened his mouth.

Beckman spat out the cigarette butt from his mouth.

He didn't join the conversation about food. He turned his head away, staring intently at Marco.

"Marco."

Beckman's voice was deep and steady.

"How are the wounded?"

A few words were uttered. The joyful atmosphere suddenly cooled down.

Marco's smile faded. He turned to look at Beckman.

He looked down at his palm. The bluish-green aura from healing his companion still lingered in his palm.

A petite figure suddenly darted out from behind Luffy.

Chopper clutched the medical kit, which was bigger than himself, tightly. His short legs swung like wheels of fire as he lunged forward, landing right in front of Vegapunk. She looked up at him, her face weary, her large eyes bloodshot and filled with anxiety.

"Seriously injured patients must be taken care of immediately."

Chopper screamed at the top of his lungs.

"If we delay any longer, someone will die. Doctor, are there any medical facilities?"

Vegapunk's smile vanished abruptly. He turned around and gazed into the depths of the island.

A hemispherical building stands there. Its exterior is charred black and riddled with cracks. Yet, the overall structure stubbornly holds it together, like a giant black egg embedded in the ruins.

"The medical and life support systems there are intact."

Vegapunk speaks extremely fast.

"The world's most advanced equipment. As long as there's still a breath left, we can snatch it back from the jaws of death."

His tone was resolute.

"Take the underpass. It'll take three minutes."

Chopper's tense facial muscles suddenly relaxed. She turned to look at Marco. Their eyes met. No words were needed. They understood each other perfectly.

Marco waved vigorously at the pirates behind him.

"What are you standing there for? Carry the wounded. Come with me."

His voice was steady, yet it conveyed a sense of relief and exhilaration.

"Hurry up. Don't keep Chopper waiting."

The pirates sprang into action immediately. Working in groups of several, they steadily lifted the unconscious, severely wounded pirate. Their movements were incredibly practiced. Chopper, without even a chance to thank them, slung his medical kit over his shoulder and sprinted off, following closely behind the group into the underground passage.

Long stood at the edge of the ruins. His long, gray hair danced wildly in the wind. His gaze swept over the revolutionary soldiers supporting each other. Their faces were weary, their bodies aching.

Blood soaked through bandages. A broken leg dragged along. An unconscious soldier was being carried on a sling. His chest rose and fell only faintly.

Long nodded emphatically. He turned to look at Klar and Sabo, his voice deep and resonant.

Saving lives comes first.

"Sabo, go and tally the casualties. Write down the names of all the seriously wounded. As for the fallen comrades, we need to give an explanation to their families."

Sabo accepted the order and turned around abruptly. The dragon's large hand pressed down on his shoulder.

"There's one more thing."

The dragon's gaze swept past the crowd, piercing towards that hemispherical building.

"Have Karas's Raven Squad maintain perimeter security. High alert. Chen Ye has drawn a red line. But the World Government are a bunch of mad dogs; they could retaliate at any moment."

Sabo nodded emphatically. He pushed off with his feet, his entire body disappearing into the shadows of the ruins.

Watching everyone orderly transfer the wounded, Vegapunk's tense nerves finally relaxed.

"This is the main body. All clones, obey my command."

The sound pierced the entire island.

"Everyone except York, get moving. Medicine. Drinks. Food."

The communicator was filled with a cacophony of responses.

A cacophony of voices mingled, coalescing into a raging torrent of execution.

Edison was the first to erupt in anger. He nodded emphatically.

The reaction force propelled her high into the air, transforming her into a shooting star that hurtled towards the underground warehouse.

Leave it to me.

The echo hadn't faded when the person had already turned into specks of light.

"Beverages and food will be here shortly."

Immediately afterwards, Vegapunk's clones also launched their attacks.

Several pirates carrying a seriously wounded man ran past.

Chopper, with his short legs, followed closely behind, his eyes glued to the wounded soldier's vital signs, muttering medical jargon under his breath.

Long watched the wounded man disappear into the passageway. His tense facial muscles finally relaxed. He turned to look at Chen Ye, who was not far away.

"Vegapunk. More reliable than I thought."

Chen Ye remained silent. He stood still, his gaze fixed on the hemispherical building.

The entrance to the underground warehouse. Edison's agile figure sped through the towering metal shelves.

The aroma of cured meat filled the air. The liquor reflected an amber light. She stretched out her arms wide, effortlessly pulling out more than a dozen cases of liquor. Under her armpits, she tightly clutched several large pieces of fresh sea monster meat.

The engine roared. She transformed into flames once more, tearing through the tunnel and hurtling towards the ground.

On the other side, Shakyamuni led several robots rushing over. The electronic eyes beneath their masks flashed with a meticulous light.

"Sterile garments in place"

Shakyamuni roared into the communicator.

"Seriously wounded patients urgently need replacements. The robot has been delivered to the medical area."

Less than five minutes.

The first batch of supplies crashed onto the temporary square.

A dozen or so cases of strong liquor were piled up like a small mountain. The aroma of fresh and roasted meat and fat bombarded the senses.

Edison said: "Have something to eat first, there will be more when the formal banquet begins!"

The words had barely left his mouth!

The pirates present were instantly green with envy.

It pounced on the liquor crates like a mad dog. Its charging momentum was even more ferocious than when it fought the navy.

"This is what you call post-war treatment!"

"That's right. After the war, we must eat meat and drink wine to our hearts' content."

The onlookers echoed their sentiments wildly. Their faces were filled with the ecstasy of someone who had survived a disaster.

Shanks looked at the pack of hungry wolves. He shook his head helplessly, but a wild smile spread across his eyes. He turned to Beckman and lowered his voice.

"These bastards. They're fearless in battle, but number one at eating."

Beckman didn't answer. He rubbed his fingers together. He lit a new cigarette. He took a deep drag.

Thick smoke billowed from his nostrils, forming perfect smoke rings that drifted straight towards the three fluttering banners in the night sky.

Vegapunk stood in the center of the square, watching the noisy madmen. His heart, which had been pounding in his chest, finally settled back down.

He looked up, his gaze sweeping over the crowd, fixing on the distant metal tower emitting wisps of smoke.

At the top of the tower, three large flags fluttered wildly in the wind, blindingly bright in the blood-red sunset.

He wiped the cold sweat from his forehead with his withered palm. He grinned, a completely unladylike smile.

This world-shattering war has finally come to an end.

Next comes the victor's celebration.

Luffy had somehow already stormed into the core supply area. He was digging into two pieces of meat, each bigger than his face, with bones still attached, and frantically stuffing them into his mouth.

Scalding hot juices gushed down his chin. His clothes were smeared with grease. His eyes were wide open, his vision filled only with that mountain of flesh.

"Mmm mmm mmm"

Food is stuck in the throat. Speech is severely distorted.

"Sanji. Meat. Quick-cooked BBQ."

Sanji had just emerged from the other side when he heard the commotion. His brows furrowed instantly.

He sprinted forward, forcefully pushing through the crowd. He grabbed Luffy by the back of the collar and yanked the ravenous monster out of the pile of flesh.

"Idiot. Get out of my way."

Sanji roared through gritted teeth, but his eyes were full of indulgence.

"If you want to eat meat, then get in and sit down."