Pain burned through every inch of Sanji's body.
His chest heaved as he struggled to breath.
Sand was clinging to his clothes and blood dripped from the corner of his mouth.
Mr. 5 stood not far away, rolling his shoulders casually.
"Tough guy," he said lazily. "But you should've stayed down."
Miss Valentine floated high above them, arms crossed, looking bored.
"You're really stubborn."
Sanji forced himself upright, legs trembling.
His ribs screamed in protest, but his eyes burned with determination.
"…I don't hit women," he muttered.
Mr. 5 laughed loudly.
"Then you're dead!"
Miss Valentine raised higher.
"Ten thousand kilos."
Sanji's eyes widened.
If that hit him straight on, he'd be crushed.
Yet suddenly something clicked in his mind.
Speed.
Cassandra's words echoed faintly in his memory.
Movement is everything. Don't let your enemy control the pace of the fight.
Sanji exhaled slowly.
"…Guess I'll stop letting you control it."
Miss Valentine dropped.
The air howled, as her body plummeted.
Sanji vanished.
For a split second, it looked like he disappeared.
He reappeared several meters to the side in a blur of motion, barely standing upright, as she smashed into the sand.
BOOOOOOM!
A crater formed and a dust cloud formed.
The shockwave blasted water from the shoreline.
Sanji skidded backward, but stayed on his feet.
Mr. 5 blinked.
"What the hell?"
Sanji panted heavily.
"That move…" he muttered. "Guess it works… kinda."
His legs shook violently.
That burst of speed had nearly drained him, but it worked.
Miss Valentine was momentarily stuck again, her legs buried deep in the crater.
"This stupid ground!" she snapped.
Mr. 5 clicked his tongue.
"Get out of there already."
He fetched another booger, he could flick at Sanji.
"I'll blow him up myself!"
Sanji's eyes sharpened.
Perfect.
He dashed forward again, pushing himself harder than before.
His body screamed, but he forced it.
He zigzagged across the sand, explosions erupting behind him, as Mr. 5 fired blast after blast.
Sand flew everywhere.
Sanji closed the distance fast.
Too fast.
Mr. 5 panicked.
"Stop moving!"
He launched a huge explosive punch using his sweaty hands as fuel.
Sanji slid low beneath it.
At the same moment, he kicked the sand beneath Mr. 5's feet, twisting his body.
"Collier Shoot!"
His heel smashed into Mr. 5's side, sending him stumbling sideways, straight toward Miss Valentine's crater.
"No—!"
Mr. 5 tried to regain balance, but he fired another explosive blast from his body unintentionally.
BOOOOM!
The explosion detonated right on Miss Valentine.
The shockwave slammed into her full force while she was trapped, singing her a bit.
Her eyes rolled back and her body looked charred and was smoking a bit.
She let out a short gasp and collapsed unconscious in the crater.
Silence followed.
Sanji froze.
Then slowly exhaled.
"…Sorry, miss."
Mr. 5 stared in shock.
"You idiot! You blew her up!"
Sanji straightened, pain still burning through him.
"Now that was clearly you."
Mr. 5 snarled.
"You're dead!"
He charged forward, fist glowing with explosive sweat.
Sanji closed his eyes for just a moment to focus.
He gathered what little strength he had left.
Then he vanished again.
This time faster.
It was still crude, but he was faster than before.
Mr. 5's punch exploded, where Sanji had been.
Sanji appeared directly behind him.
"Concassé!"
His spinning heel smashed straight into Mr. 5's nogging.
BOOOOM!
The explosive man was launched across the beach, crashing violently into a rock formation.
The rocks shattered.
Mr. 5 slumped down, unconscious.
Sanji stood there swaying.
His legs gave out.
He dropped to one knee, breathing hard.
"…That took everything."
He looked toward the jungle.
"Hope you guys are doing better than me…"
The beach was finally quiet.
Sanji staggered across the beach, wiping blood from his mouth.
His legs felt like jelly, but he was smiling.
"Serves you right…"
He spotted something half buried in the sand near Mr. 5's unconscious body.
It was small transponder snail.
A special kind of Den Den Mushi for secrecy.
Sanji blinked.
"…A phone?"
He picked it up carefully.
It suddenly rang.
Brrr-brrr-brrr-brrr!
Sanji nearly jumped out of his skin.
"Wha—?!"
He stared at the snail.
"…Guess I should answer."
He cleared his throat and pressed it.
"Hello?"
The snail's face shifted.
A deep, calm voice came through.
"This is Mr. 0. How are things on your end Mr. 3?"
Sanji froze.
Mr. 0.
That was Crocodile, the big boss of Baroque Works.
His heart pounded.
"…Uh yes. Mr. 3 here ready to report."
There was a brief pause.
"You sound different."
Sanji forced a lazy tone.
"Yeah well, you know… been busy."
"What is your report?"
Sanji glanced toward the jungle where explosions and wax traps echoed faintly.
"Mission accomplished."
"The giants are dealt with."
"We also encountered the Straw Hat crew and the princess. They are also dead."
Silence.
For a moment, Sanji thought his heart would stop.
"…Is that so?" Mr. 0 finally said.
"Yes sir," Sanji replied confidently. "They were tougher than expected, but we handled it."
Another pause.
"Very well."
"You have done good work."
Sanji almost laughed in relief.
"Thank you, boss."
"Return when finished."
Click.
The line went dead.
Sanji slumped backward onto the sand.
"Ha… worked!"
Back somewhere far away.
Crocodile lowered the Den Den Mushi slowly.
A thin smile formed on his face.
"Trying to fool me…"
"That voice was far too green."
He dialed another number.
"Yes boss?"
"Prepare extra insurance."
"Send more agents toward Alabasta."
The voice answered humbly.
"As you wish."
Crocodile's eyes narrowed.
"Whether they're alive or dead…"
"It changes nothing."
"Our plan will proceed."
Back on the beach, Sanji was catching his breath, when he noticed a strange device strapped to Mr. 5's belt.
It looked like a compass, but with a crystal center.
He picked it up carefully.
"…A Log Pose?"
This one didn't spin wildly.
It pointed steadily in one direction.
At the bottom the name Alabasta was carved into the wooden frame.
Sanji's eyes widened.
"An Log Pose… to Alabasta?"
He grinned.
"Guess today really went my way."
He pocketed it carefully.
"Now we just gotta survive, whatever madness is going on in that jungle…"
He looked toward the distant explosions.
"…Please tell me Cassandra hasn't cut the whole island in half."
Wax climbed Cassandra's legs in slow, merciless waves.
It was thick and glossy, almost beautiful in the sunlight, if it wasn't trying to turn her into furniture.
She could feel it tightening, hardening, sealing her in bit by bit. The stuff felt alive in the worst way. Not alive like an animal, but alive like a trap, that knew it had time.
Cassandra exhaled through her nose.
"Well," she muttered.
She shifted her stance as much as the wax allowed, feet locked, knees pinned. It started creeping up past her thighs, reaching her hips.
Then she lifted Yurei as high as she could, angled it diagonally across her body.
She raised her chin slightly, narroed her eyes, like she was posing for a wanted poster.
Nami stared at her.
"…What are you doing?"
Cassandra didn't look over. "If I'm going to become a statue," she said calmly, "I'd like to at least have a cool pose."
Vivi's jaw dropped.
"You can't be serious!"
Nami's face flushed red with panic and anger. "CASSANDRA! WE'RE GOING TO DIE!"
Vivi snapped too, fear stripping away her royal composure. "This isn't the time for jokes, damn it!"
Cassandra shrugged, as best she could, with wax creeping up her waist. "It's not a joke. It's dignity."
Nojiko, half trapped beside Vivi, let out a small snort. She tried to hide it, failed, and a quiet laugh escaped her.
Brogy, the giant, was immobilized. His hands and feet were pinned to the ground by big wax spears, making him lie on his big belly. His grief still burned, but when he saw Cassandra's ridiculous pose, he released a low, rumbling chuckle.
"GABABABA… You humans are strange."
Nami whipped her head toward them. "You're laughing too?!"
Nojiko lifted her eyebrows innocently. "If we're going to die, I'd prefer we die with style."
Vivi groaned. "I can't believe you people…"
Across the battlefield, Mr. 3 clapped slowly, smug grin stretching wider. The candle on his head flickered with every exaggerated motion.
"Oh yes," he said theatrically. "Pose all you like! You're all going to make such splendid artwork!"
Miss Goldenweek stood beside him, apathetic as ever. She dipped her brush into a calm blue and painted with the same expression someone might have while doodling during a boring lecture.
Luffy and Bartolomeo stood between the villains and the trapped group.
Luffy's face was set, brows low. He shook his head once, like trying to shake off a bad mood.
Bartolomeo's hands trembled slightly, but he planted his feet anyway.
Mr. 3 spread his arms, as if presenting a stage.
"Now then," he said. "Try to save your friends."
Miss Goldenweek painted a quick red circle in the air.
A sudden heat surged through Bartolomeo's chest.
His eyes widened.
Anger was filling his mind.
Hot, irrational, roaring anger.
"YOU—!" he bellowed, pointing at Mr. 3. "YOU DARE HURT LUFFY-SENPAI'S CREW?! I'LL KILL YOU!"
Nami's eyes widened. "Bartolomeo—!"
Cassandra gritted her teeth. "It's the paint. Don't let it—"
Too late.
Bartolomeo charged like a cannonball, fists swinging wildly.
Mr. 3 didn't even flinch. He simply raised one hand.
"Candle Wall."
A thick wax barrier erupted from the ground.
Bartolomeo slammed into it with a thud, face squishing against the hard wax, like a cartoon.
"Ow—!"
Mr. 3 chuckled. "Yes. Very impressive."
Luffy stretched his arms back. "Gomu Gomu no—"
Miss Goldenweek flicked yellow paint across the air like a ribbon.
A soft warmth washed over Luffy.
His mouth twitched.
Then he grinned.
"Haha…!" Luffy laughed suddenly. "This is fun!"
Nami's eyes went wide with horror. "No! Luffy!"
Luffy turned toward her and waved happily, still smiling, still trapped in that false warmth. "Hi, Nami! Don't worry! Everything's great!"
Vivi stared. "What is wrong with him?!"
Cassandra's jaw tightened. "She's controlling his emotions. He's too simple. It's affecting him fast."
Mr. 3 tapped his chin. "Ah, yes. Straw Hat's brain is as soft as pudding. Perfect material."
Bartolomeo stumbled back from the wax wall, blinking hard. "Why… am I so angry?"
Miss Goldenweek calmly painted another streak, this time darker blue.
A crushing sadness slammed into Bartolomeo like a wave.
His shoulders sagged.
"I… I can't do it…" he mumbled. "I'm too weak…"
He sank to one knee.
Cassandra cursed under her breath. "Damn it."
Nojiko twisted as much as she could. "Luffy! Snap out of it! Think about meat!"
Luffy paused mid-laugh.
"…Meat?"
His smile faltered.
Goldenweek's eyes shifted slightly, the closest thing to interest she'd shown.
Mr. 3 frowned. "Don't distract him."
Goldenweek painted again, a stronger yellow line.
Luffy's grin snapped back. "MEAT IS AWESOME!"
Mr. 3 pointed two fingers forward.
"Candle Bind."
Wax shot forward like a spear and split into ropes midair, aiming for Luffy's arms.
Luffy instinctively stretched away, rubber limbs bending, twisting. The wax ropes wrapped around his forearms anyway. They stuck to him, tightening their grip.
"Hey!" Luffy said, still weirdly cheerful. "Stop that!"
Bartolomeo tried to stand again.
No.
He forced himself.
Hands shaking, he pressed his palms outward.
"Barrier…"
A faint shimmer appeared.
Small.
Unstable.
Like glass about to break.
Mr. 3 laughed. "Oh? The fanboy can do something after all."
Bartolomeo clenched his teeth. "Don't… call me… fanboy…"
Miss Goldenweek lifted her brush and painted a pale green.
The air felt… calm.
Too calm.
Bartolomeo's rage and sadness both dulled.
He blinked.
"What… am I doing…?"
He lowered his hands unconsciously.
The barrier fizzled out.
Cassandra's eyes narrowed. "She's not just making emotions. She's changing decision-making. That's dangerous."
Mr. 3 stepped forward, voice dripping arrogance. "You see? Fighting isn't just about power. It's about controlling the stage. Controlling hearts."
He snapped his fingers.
Wax surged under Luffy's feet, rising like a pedestal to trap him.
Luffy looked down, confused.
"Oh! I'm becoming a statue too!"
Vivi's face twisted in disbelief. "He's happy about it?!"
Nami strained against her wax prison, veins bulging in her neck. "LUFFY, YOU IDIOT! YOU'RE GOING TO BE STUCK FOREVER!"
Luffy tilted his head. "Forever?"
That word hit something.
Forever meant no meat.
No adventure.
His smile flickered again, weaker this time.
Cassandra saw it and latched on.
"Luffy!" she barked, sharp enough to cut through paint-haze. "If you become a statue, you can't become Pirate King."
Luffy froze.
His eyes sharpened.
"…I can't…?"
Miss Goldenweek's brush paused mid-stroke.
Mr. 3's grin tightened. "Goldenweek."
She painted red.
Fury surged toward Luffy, but Luffy's anger wasn't artificial.
It was his own.
The red paint didn't create it.
It only fed it.
Luffy's smile vanished completely.
His eyes went dark.
"I don't want to be a statue," he said quietly.
Mr. 3 took a step back, finally sensing danger.
Luffy's arm stretched, wax still clinging to it.
He yanked not gently at it, but with a stubborn and brutal force.
The wax rope strained.
It cracked and than snapped.
Mr. 3's eyes widened. "Impossible—!"
Luffy slammed his fist into the rising wax pedestal.
"Gomu Gomu no Pistol!"
The blow cratered the wax and shattered the base, freeing his feet.
He turned toward Mr. 3, anger rolling off him.
"You hurt them."
Mr. 3's confidence returned barely. "You can't win. My wax is—"
Luffy lunged again.
Mr. 3 raised both hands fast.
"Candle Champion!"
Wax erupted and formed a hulking figure with thick arms, like a white golem.
It swung at Luffy with a massive wax fist.
Bartolomeo snapped back to focus, forcing himself to act before the paint could yank him again.
He threw his hands forward.
"Barrier!"
A shimmering wall formed between Luffy and the wax fist.
The fist smashed into it.
The barrier blocked it completly.
Bartolomeo screamed through clenched teeth, muscles shaking. "I-I can hold it—!"
Luffy used the moment.
He bounced off the barrier like a springboard.
"Gomu Gomu no Whip!"
His leg whipped around and smashed into the wax champion's head.
It didn't feel like hitting flesh.
It felt like hitting a stone wall, but the golem still staggered.
Mr. 3 smirked. "You can't break it! You can't even hurt wax properly!"
Cassandra's eyes narrowed.
"No," she muttered. "But he can change the shape."
Luffy grabbed the wax champion's arm mid-swing.
The wax stuck to his fingers.
He grinned.
He yanked, twisted and stretched it like rubber.
The champion's arm elongated awkwardly.
Mr. 3 blinked. "What?! Stop that!"
Luffy pulled harder, tangling the champion's arm around its own torso like a knot.
The champion stumbled, its balance ruined.
Bartolomeo forced another smaller barrier at the champion's feet.
It tripped and crashed.
Wax splattered across the ground.
Mr. 3 clicked his tongue in irritation. "Annoying insects…"
Miss Goldenweek painted a thick blue circle and flicked it toward Bartolomeo.
Despair slammed into him again.
His knees buckled.
"Why… do I even try…?"
Luffy turned sharply. "Barto!"
Bartolomeo shook his head violently. "N-no! It's the paint!"
He slapped his own face hard.
It didn't stop the sadness, but it made him focus through it.
He forced his hands up again.
"Barrier—!"
Miss Goldenweek stared blankly, unbothered. She painted another color.
This time purple.
A strange confusion washed over both Luffy and Bartolomeo.
Luffy blinked. "Why… am I… purple?"
Nami screamed. "LUFFY! STOP THINKING ABOUT COLORS!"
Cassandra gritted her teeth.
Her mind raced.
Mr. 3 and Goldenweek weren't strong like giants.
They were tricky opponent.
Perfect against idiots who ran in headfirst.
Luffy shook his head violently, forcing his thoughts back to something simple.
Meat. Friends. Pirate King.
He pointed at Mr. 3.
"I'm gonna beat you up."
Mr. 3's grin returned, brittle and angry now. "Try."
Wax surged again, spreading across the ground like a flood.
It began crawling toward the trapped women.
Cassandra realized something cold.
Mr. 3 wasn't trying to win quickly.
He was taking his time.
Enjoying it.
Making it art.
The wax rose higher.
Nami's breathing sped up.
Vivi's eyes widened.
Nojiko's fingers strained, trapped, useless.
Cassandra held her cool pose anyway.
"Luffy," she said, voice tight. "If you don't end this soon… we really will be statues."
Luffy's eyes sharpened.
Bartolomeo's barrier flickered into existence again.
Mr. 3 raised his hands for something bigger.
Miss Goldenweek dipped her brush into red, preparing another emotional strike.
The fight will only get more intense now.