More laughter erupted around Sandy.
Before he transmigrated, hadn't all those so-called "seniors" used the same cheesy lines to talk to girls? Was it really that funny?
Couldn't they see he was just inviting a companion? These guys had no appreciation for the art of charm!
Sandy clenched his fists, annoyed. "Straw Hat bastard! What the hell are you doing lounging around there? I came all this way—don't you even know how to make me a cup of tea?"
Then he kicked Luffy straight out of his chair.
At that moment, Mr. 3, standing off to the side, sneered. "You're underestimating me, aren't you? You dare ignore me? Then die! Iron Fist...!"
Just as Miss Goldenweek was about to make her move—
Clang!
A flash of white light split through the air. The steel-like wax armor Mr. 3 was so proud of shattered instantly, sending him flying. Miss Goldenweek froze, utterly terrified.
Sandy didn't actually intend to kill Mr. 3. After all, in the future, Mr. 3 played a part in helping Luffy escape Impel Down and even aided in Ace's rescue. Fate was weird like that.
But sparing him didn't mean not teaching him a lesson!
"Room!"
In an instant, Sandy swapped Zoro and the others back to his side using his spatial ability.
He glared darkly. "You're pissed off, right? Take it out on him!"
Zoro and the others were ready to chew Sandy out—he could've saved them at any time, but instead he waited until they were suffering before stepping in!
But anger was anger. The real enemy was Mr. 3.
Time to vent!
Seeing their furious expressions, Mr. 3's eyes went wide. "W-What do you want to do? Don't come closer! I'll fight back!"
Sanji cracked his neck. "Sure, go ahead—fight back!"
With that, Sanji kicked straight at him.
Mr. 3 swung his arm. "Candle Wall!"
Thud!
Sanji winced. "Ow! That's hard as hell—feels like steel!"
Zoro frowned. "Tch, this guy again. What now?"
Mr. 3 smirked from behind his wax wall. "Idiot! The hardness of my Candle Wall is comparable to steel! You guys—"
Before he could finish bragging—
Boom!
Sandy's punch obliterated the entire wall like paper.
Then he grabbed Mr. 3 by the collar and slammed him into the ground.
"Alright, everyone—he's all yours!" Sandy barked.
For a while, chaos reigned.
Zoro, Sanji, Nami, Vivi—and even Sandy himself—took turns kicking, punching, and stomping Mr. 3 into the dirt.
"I'll let you 'yohoho'!"
"Smug bastard, take this!"
"Artist? You call yourself an artist when you tried to turn us into statues?!"
"You wanted us to 'struggle in pain,' huh? How's that for art?"
Mr. 3 curled up, shielding his head. "I'm sorry! Please stop! I won't do it again!"
Nami yelled, "If sorry fixed everything, what would we need the police for?! Pay us back for the trauma!"
Zoro snorted. "You wanted fear and despair? Here's some real fear, jackass."
They beat him until their fury finally cooled. When they stopped, they realized Miss Goldenweek had already fled.
Meanwhile, Luffy was sitting nearby, still dazed from the color trap.
Sandy sighed, walked over, and wiped off the painted pattern on Luffy's back.
Luffy immediately let out a burst of steam from his nostrils. "Where's that stinking woman?! I'm gonna get her! AHHH—"
Zoro grabbed him. "Calm down, Luffy! Let's take care of Uncle Brogy first. And Dorry, too!"
At that, Brogy—still pinned down—started crying uncontrollably. He thought Dorry was dead.
Sandy quickly used his ability to dissolve the wax and free him. "Relax. He's not dead, just passed out."
"Really?" Brogy gasped, eyes wide.
"Try checking his nose for breath, genius," Sandy said dryly.
Sure enough, a few minutes later, Dorry stirred awake.
The two Giants immediately roared with joy and hugged each other, bawling like children.
Sandy stood aside, completely speechless. "What's this, a crying competition? Weren't we supposed to have a party?"
Brogy sniffed and said stubbornly, "What do you know? We're just too happy! Uwahaha!"
"Holy crap…"
Their joyful tears poured down like cannonballs.
Before Sandy could dodge, he was drenched head to toe, soaked like a drowned rat.
The Straw Hat Crew couldn't hold back their laughter.
Dripping wet, Sandy glared at them. "What the hell are you laughing at?! Where's the feast?! Didn't we agree on a feast?!"
Nami stepped forward, hands on her hips. "Feast? Seriously? There's a riot happening in Vivi's country! We came here for supplies, not a vacation!"
That's when Sandy noticed it — a red mark on Nami's lower abdomen.
His eyes widened. "Wait... Nami, what bit you there?"
She glanced down casually. "Oh, that? Probably just a bug bite. It's fine."
"Bug bite?" Sandy's expression turned grim.
He remembered — in the original timeline, Nami got infected by a deadly virus in this jungle. Without treatment, she wouldn't survive past the fifth day.
"Pack it up!" he shouted urgently. "We're leaving! Now!"
Dorry blinked. "Leaving? But... what about the feast?"
Sandy pointed at Nami. "Our navigator's infected with some kind of virus! We have to get her to a doctor immediately!"
Everyone froze. "Virus?!"
Nami frowned. "You're making a big deal out of nothing. It's just a mosquito bite."
Sanji glared. "Sandy, are you trying to jinx Nami-swan?!"
Luffy tilted his head. "What's a virus?"
Vivi looked stunned. "You've... never been sick before?"
Luffy, Zoro, Usopp, and Sanji all shook their heads at once. "Never been sick!"
Nami and Vivi nearly fainted. "What kind of monsters are you?!"
Brogy finally nodded seriously. "I think Sandy's right. You should find a doctor first. It's best if it's nothing... but if it is a virus, you'll need help fast."
At first, Nami brushed it off — but after hearing everyone's concern, a flicker of fear crept into her heart.