A gunshot rang out.
The bullet flew straight at Zoro's head—but with a swift flick of his sword, he deflected it. Sparks flew as metal clashed with metal. In the same motion, he lunged forward and slashed horizontally across the waist of the gunman, dropping him instantly.
But there was no time to rest.
Another attacker rushed from behind, blade aimed at Zoro's back. Two more flanked him from the sides, their weapons gleaming in the desert sun.
Zoro's instincts kicked in.
"Tatsumaki!"
He spun rapidly, becoming a violent whirlwind of steel. A swirling vortex of wind erupted around him, drawing in the three assailants. Their bodies were swept off the ground and flung outward, spinning uncontrollably before crashing to the sand several meters away.
The skirmish had been going on for some time now. The once-crowded lot was now littered with groaning bodies, broken weapons, and dust hanging heavy in the air.
Only six agents remained standing.
They hesitated. Their eyes darted between each other, the fear evident in their tense postures. This wasn't the one-sided ambush they had expected. The swordsman before them wasn't just strong—he was relentless.
Suddenly, a blur shot across the sky.
A shadow streaked through the air, leaping off invisible steps above the rooftops.
"Geppo...?" Zoro muttered, narrowing his eyes.
With a sharp thud, the figure landed beside him in a light crouch.
"Finally!" Sanji's voice dripped with irritation. His jacket fluttered in the wind, his cigarette still lit. "I've been running around like crazy trying to find you. What the hell are you doing all the way out here?"
Zoro straightened and shrugged coolly. "Just handling some thugs."
"You were lost again, weren't you?"
Zoro ignored the jab, sheathing two of his swords while keeping one gripped in his mouth.
Sanji glanced around at the wreckage—agents groaning on the ground, some unconscious, others too wounded to move.
"Tch. Finish it already. We need to regroup."
"No need to tell me." Zoro grinned around his blade. He then glanced sharply at the remaining agents "Come. Time is running."
The six remaining agents, realizing they were now outnumbered and outclassed, hesitated no longer. They roared and charged.
One agent, perhaps thinking Sanji looked more distracted, dashed straight toward him with a drawn saber.
Sanji's brow twitched.
"You chose the wrong guy, pal."
With a burst of speed, he twisted into a rapid spin and launched himself at the attacker.
"Collier Shot!"
His fast kick struck the agent square in the collarbone, sending him flying backward. The man crashed through a broken wall and disappeared beneath a pile of rubble.
The others didn't fare much better.
Zoro lunged into them with precise, deadly force.
"Oni Giri!"
He sliced through the remaining five in one swift, triple-bladed arc. The cut was clean, the impact devastating. The agents collapsed without a sound.
Silence returned.
Dust settled.
Zoro sheathed his blades. Sanji took a final drag from his cigarette, exhaled, and flicked it away.
"Let's get the hell out of here before more of them show up," Sanji muttered.
"Lead the way, curly-brow."
"What did you say, Marimo?"
The two bickered as they walked off—leaving behind the battlefield they carved in the sands of Nanohana.
...
Orca Group Rendezvous Point — Nanohana Outskirts
The peaceful riverside had erupted into chaos.
The once-quiet meeting spot for the Orca Pirates was now a battlefield. The sudden ambush by Baroque Works agents—many of them Billion-tier—had forced the crew into a defensive battle.
At the center of the skirmish, Gin stood like a steel pillar amidst the storm. His tonfa clashed against blades, axes, and spiked clubs, sparks flying with every hit. Yet, his breathing remained calm, his eyes sharp.
One agent lunged with a halberd—Gin sidestepped, spun, and brought down both tonfa in a crushing cross-strike to the man's temple.
"Rakurai!" (*Falling Thunder!*)
His body surged forward like lightning, delivering a rapid barrage of spinning, sweeping, and stabbing strikes with both tonfa. The hits came from every angle, striking heads, ribs, knees, and shoulders. In seconds, three agents were on the ground, groaning or unconscious.
Another came from behind, attempting to stab Gin's back. Without looking, Gin twisted his body, caught the blade between his tonfa handles, and slammed his elbow into the man's face.
"Too slow," he muttered.
Meanwhile, a short distance away, Hibari was dashing between broken crates and low walls, his rifle steady even mid-run. With a sniper's precision, he dropped one agent after another, shooting knees, hands, and weapons with ruthless accuracy.
Bang!
One shot knocked the dagger from an agent's grip.
Bang!
The next shot hit his foot, toppling him with a yell.
"Stay sharp," Hibari muttered. "Next round's for your head."
On the other end of the battlefield, Ussop was in his own kind of combat—one that involved a lot of running.
"Gyaaah! Why me!?" he screamed, arms flailing as three agents chased him down a narrow path.
"Get back here!"
"Stop flinging stuff at us!"
But Ussop wasn't just running—he was strategically retreating.
From his pouch, he pulled out a handful of small green capsules and threw them over his shoulder. With a *pop!* they exploded into clouds of thick yellow gas.
The agents gagged.
"Ugh! What is this!?"
"Rotten egg?!"
Ussop grinned, mid-sprint. "Say hello to my *Ultimate Stink Bombs*! Brewed them myself! You're welcome!"
The agents faltered, coughing and holding their noses. Ussop used the moment to duck behind a cart and load his slingshot.
"Alright… Time for payback!" he whispered. "Take this—Ketchup Star!"
He launched a red-glob projectile straight into one agent's face, blinding him. Another slipped in the mess and slammed into a barrel.
Elsewhere, Stev stood surrounded by broken crates, a wide grin on his face and a satchel full of tiny bombs at his hip. While he looked nervous, nobody dared come too close. One agent had tried—and was now lying motionless ten feet away, smoke rising from his chest.
"W-wanna try me too?" Stev said, holding a round black ball with a short fuse. He lit it casually with a match, then tossed it like a baseball.
*BOOM!*
A fiery explosion erupted, blasting two Baroque Works agents high into the air. They crashed to the ground with painful thuds, limbs sprawled awkwardly.
From behind a row of barrels, Binko peeked out with narrowed eyes. He was guarding Nojiko, who knelt nearby, focused intently on the paper in her lap, ink brush moving with precision.
"Hey, Stev!" Binko barked. "Don't blow us up too!"
"Sorry!!" Stev's voice rang out through the smoke. "It's hard to aim when I'm scared!"
Binko clicked his tongue, but his eyes remained on Nojiko, who had just lifted her brush from the page. Her drawing was complete—an intricate crest made of swirling, jagged lines, resembling a roaring beast.
"It's done," Nojiko whispered with a smile. Her hand glowed faintly as she pressed it against the paper. The ink lifted off the surface like it was alive, twisting and wriggling midair. The crest hovered for a second, then flew straight toward her chest.
The mark embedded itself just above her heart.
"Kamon: Kurojin!" (*Crest: Swift Panther!*)
A pulse of dark energy surged through her body. Her eyes flashed golden, her ears sharpened into feline points, and glossy black fur began to creep across her arms. Her nails elongated into claws, and her legs tightened like springs, brimming with explosive power.
Within seconds, Nojiko had partially transformed into a black panther hybrid. With barely a sound, she lunged forward—silent and deadly.
The agents that had been trying to get close to her, and Binko before, suddenly found themselves facing a blur of teeth, claws, and speed. Nojiko slashed across one agent's chest, spun midair, and kicked another square in the jaw, sending him flying. She moved like a predator unleashed—graceful, but lethal.
Binko, still watching from behind, gawked. "Whoa… she can actually transform just by drawing a crest?"
His grip tightened around his twin daggers.
"So that's the Kamon Kamon no Mi…"
A few days ago, when Stev joined the Orca group, he offered up a Devil Fruit as his ticket to join. At the time, Nojiko touched the fruit in her curiosity. Then, it pulsed in her palm, like it was calling her. She knew that she is not a strong fighter in the group. So, that thought and feeling that pulse, motivated her to take the fruit.
And now, she was proving just how powerful that gift could be.
Seeing Nojiko slice through the agents with such ferocity, Binko lowered his guard slightly. "Well, guess she doesn't need protecting anymore."
With a grin, he stood up and spun his daggers in a quick flourish.
"Alright," he muttered. "Let's go, then."
With a shout, Binko dashed into the fray, leaping over fallen crates and clashing steel. The tide of battle was shifting—and the Orcas were just getting started.
...
Meanwhile, on Zino's side…
Compared to the chaos erupting elsewhere in Nanohana, Zino's journey after meeting Ace, had been surprisingly peaceful.
Accompanied by the two Dryads, Chloris and Moris, Zino strolled leisurely through the town's market district.
They arrived at a quaint little shop known for its rare seeds, gardening tools, and local souvenirs. The Dryads were immediately drawn to the display of exotic flora—seeds from desert lilies, thorned vines, and even strange glowing mushrooms from the western isles.
"These… I can feel them," murmured Chloris, her fingers hovering just above a pouch of seeds.
Moris nodded, and pointed his finger. "There..."
Zino chuckled, scratching his head. "Alright, alright. Just don't go making a forest in the middle of the desert."
He handed over a few coins and bought everything they wanted. He also bought some gifts and souvenirs for the rest of the crew. A cute cactus in a bottle for Kaya. A small scorpion brooch for Alvida. He even picked up a pair of novelty chopsticks for Gin, with little whale carvings on the ends.
Their shopping complete, the trio made their way toward the designated rendezvous point near the river's edge.
As they approached, Zino's eyes widened.
The scene before him was... not what he expected.
The ground was littered with unconscious or groaning Baroque Works agents. Some were slumped against walls, others tied up in nets, and a few half-buried under rubble. Smoke still lingered in the air. Gin's tonfa were dented. Hibari's rifle was slung over his back, barrel steaming. Even Stev had soot marks on his face and an empty explosive bag.
As for Nojiko, she slumped down breathing heavily. Beads of sweat flowing down on her forehead.
"What happened to her?" Asked Zino, frowning with worries.
"She just over exerted herself with her ability." Replied Binko. "No worries, she is alright."
Sanji and Zoro had also just arrived, stepping through the last bit of smoke with nonchalance.
"Wait… you guys fought too?" Sanji asked, blinking as he looked around at the aftermath.
"Too? You mean, you guys got ambushed too?" Gin asked back.
Sanji lit a cigarette and exhaled. "Yeah. Zoro got lost, picked a fight. Then we got jumped again on the way back."
"I didn't get lost," Zoro muttered with a frown.
Zino looked at everyone, and scratched his head. "Looks like you guys had it rough."
"*You think?*" Ussop said, wiping sweat from his brow.
Chloris and Moris exchanged confused glances. "We didn't see a single agent the whole time."
"Yeah," Zino added. "We were just out shopping. Got some seeds, a few souvenirs… you know, relaxing stuff."
Everyone turned to stare at him.
Silence.
Deadpan expressions.
Then Ussop finally spoke up. "No agents. No chase. No ambush. Are you serious?"
"I think they avoided him on purpose," Hibari muttered.
"Must be nice," Stev said, shaking his empty bag.
Zino raised his hands innocently. "Hey, don't blame me. I didn't ask for a peaceful shopping trip."
Everyone let out a collective sigh—part relief, part frustration.
"Anyway," Zino said, clapping his hands. "You guys handled everything well. Guess I picked the right crew."
"Next time," Binko said dryly, "you can deal with the surprise assassins."
Zino just smiled.
Fair enough.