Chopper's eyes instantly became resolute. He leaped backward, putting distance between himself and Krogh, then quickly pulled a blue spherical pill from his small trousers.
"This is the Rumble Ball I invented!"
Chopper declared loudly, as if announcing it to his enemy while also encouraging himself. "It disrupts the wavelength of Zoan Devil Fruits, allowing me to unleash greater power for a short time!"
"Though it only lasts three minutes... that's enough to deal with you."
After speaking, he unhesitatingly shoved the Rumble Ball into his mouth.
The effect was almost instantaneous!
Chopper's body began to undergo a strange transformation. His frame grew taller, his arms retained their human form, while his legs completely transformed into slender deer hooves. His antlers receded, and his round eyes burned with fighting spirit.
Jump Point!
The moment his hooves kicked off the ground, the snow exploded outward, and his figure vanished from the spot.
Krogh looked up in shock, seeing only an afterimage zigzagging along an unbelievable trajectory, leaping so high into the air he couldn't possibly reach it.
"What?!"
He frantically swung his Magnetic Plush Gloves, but in the next instant, a heavy kick came from a completely unexpected angle, striking him squarely on the side of his face.
Thud!
Krogh was sent flying, tumbling awkwardly through the snow, his face covered in icy particles.
Struggling to push himself up, he stared in disbelief at the figure bouncing back and forth across the snow. Every one of Chopper's kicks was incredibly powerful.
"How is this possible..." He wiped blood from the corner of his mouth, his expression one of utter astonishment. "How can there be a fourth form?!"
Before he could finish, Chopper's hooves slammed directly into his chest. Krogh hastily crossed his arms to block, forced to stagger backward repeatedly.
Each step left deep prints in the snow; he was completely overpowered by this sheer strength.
Pain and humiliation made him lose all composure. He screamed hoarsely at the stunned soldiers surrounding them, "What are you all standing around for?! Open fire! Shoot that monster down!"
The soldiers finally snapped out of it, trembling as they raised their rifles, aiming the dense array of muzzles at Chopper leaping in the air.
However, the moment they pulled their triggers, a figure wearing a straw hat positioned himself between all the gun barrels and Chopper!
It was Luffy!
"Gomu Gomu! Balloon!"
His body instantly inflated like a rubber balloon, becoming perfectly round.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
The barrage of bullets all struck his rubber body and were deflected, landing harmlessly on the ground near the soldiers.
Luffy returned to normal, pressing down on his straw hat as his cold gaze swept over the rifle-wielding soldiers.
"Hey! This is a fight between pirates! You're not allowed to interfere!!"
He scanned the area, his immense presence pressing down on every soldier. Though he didn't shout, his words carried a threatening force: "If any of you dare fire again, I'll knock you all flying."
For some reason, the soldiers felt an aura akin to that of an emperor—a feeling even Wapol had never given them.
They didn't dare move again; some even trembled as they lowered their guns.
Chopper witnessed this scene, saw Luffy shielding him from bullets without hesitation, and heard his words—a warm current surged through his heart.
Then, he turned his gaze back to Krogh, determined to end this battle once and for all. Once again, he tapped into the power of the Rumble Ball within him, initiating a transformation.
"Heavy Point!"
Chopper's legs began reverting to human form, while his arms swelled with explosive muscle in an instant, growing thicker than his own body and brimming with raw power.
Without any flashy techniques, he channeled all his strength into a single hoof strike, driving forward with unstoppable momentum as he slammed it hard into Krogh's chest.
Thud—!!!
A dull, heavy impact echoed.
Krogh didn't even have time to scream before he was sent flying backward as if struck by a giant hammer, his feet leaving the ground. He crashed through several soldiers behind him and finally landed in a distant snowdrift, completely unconscious.
Panting heavily, Chopper returned to his small, original form. He stared at the enemy he had defeated, then glanced back at Luffy, who had just protected him, a complex light shimmering in his eyes.
Seeing Chopper finish his fight on his own, Luffy dashed over immediately, lifting him high above his head. "You're amazing!! You can even transform!!"
"Why don't you become my nakama?!"
Nakama... me?
Chopper stood there dumbfounded, his mind tangled and chaotic, unable to process the thought. "Me...? I can't."
But just as everyone thought the battle was over, Wapol, lying in the snow, suddenly stirred. He struggled to his feet.
Instead of the dejection of a defeated man, his face twisted into an even more sinister and cunning grin.
"Ba~~~ha... hahahaha!" His laughter started low and gradually swelled into wild arrogance. "You think this means you've won?"
With a sharp wave of his hand, he barked at the soldiers behind him, "Show these foolish pirates the gift we've prepared!"
The dense crowd parted, and several soldiers roughly shoved forward two people tightly bound with ropes—Princess Vivi and Dalton!
Gags stuffed in their mouths prevented them from speaking; they could only emit frantic, muffled sounds. Vivi, especially, shook her head desperately as she looked at Luffy and the others.
Wapol swaggered over to stand between them, gripping each by a shoulder.
He pushed them forward like human shields, taunting Luffy and the crew, "See clearly! These are your nakama! And this country's traitor! What will you do now?!"
His fleshy face was plastered with a smug, sinister smile, brimming with confidence. "No one move! Drop your weapons! Or else..."
He made a throat-slitting gesture, its meaning clear to all. "I'll kill them both right now!"
"You bastard!!!" Luffy gnashed his teeth in fury, his fists clenched so tight they creaked. But seeing Vivi held at gunpoint by the soldiers, he didn't dare charge forward reckantly.
"So despicable!"
Sanji's face turned ashen. First, that clown aimed a gun at them, and now this king was using Vivi as a hostage—neither act was something he could tolerate.
Zoro's brow furrowed tightly, the sword in his mouth already lowered as he observed the deteriorating situation alongside the others.
What should they do? The air was thick with helplessness and fury.
If they forced an attack, Vivi and Dalton would inevitably be the first to suffer harm.
With a sudden burst of effort, Vivi finally managed to push the cloth gag partially out of her mouth. Summoning all her strength, she shouted, "Don't worry about us! Attack! You can't let him succeed!!"
"Shut up!"
Wapol viciously tightened his grip around Vivi's neck, turning her words into a fit of painful coughing.
Cough—cough——
"Bwahahahahahaha! Looks like you're out of options!" Wapol sneered with a despicable grin. He shoved aside a nearby soldier, snatching the muskets from him and several others, cramming them all into his bottomless maw.
"Snack-Snack Factory: Super Musket Factory!"
The sounds of chewing and metal contorting echoed as Wapol's body swelled and distorted violently. Countless dark gun barrels sprouted from every part of his form, transforming him once more into that mobile fortress of weaponry.
This time, he began advancing forward, the dense array of muzzles largely aimed at Luffy—the one who had humiliated him at sea.
"Straw Hat Kid! Let's see how many bullets your rubber body can bounce back! Wahahahahahaha!"
Wapol's maniacal laughter mingled with the clattering of firearms being loaded, casting grim shadows over everyone's faces.
At this critical juncture between life and death—
"Certain Kill! Gunpowder Star!"