Under the scorching midday sun, Whiskey Peak's plaza was in a state of disarray.
After Tomioka blasted Mr.5 into the ruins, the entire scene fell into an eerie silence.
Ms. Valentine's sweet smile, which had been floating in the air, had long vanished, replaced by an expression of incredible panic.
She instinctively increased her altitude, as if getting further from the ground would offer her a sense of security.
And in the second she was momentarily stunned, Zoro on the other side also made his move.
"Hmph."
He let out a sneer, like a fierce tiger locking onto its prey, and charged into the group of terrified Baroque Works Million members.
Sword gleamed like a whirlwind, accompanied by dull thuds and cries of alarm, as enemies fell in droves.
"I'm only using the flat of my blade, you know. If anyone doesn't want to get hit, just lie down and pretend to be unconscious," Zoro said, raising his sword. Despite still clenching one in his mouth, he managed to advise the other waiting Baroque Works Million members.
"Where is that guy?! Don't hide! Ms. All Sunday! Come out quickly!"
Ms. Valentine shouted anxiously from the sky, her voice carrying a tremor she herself didn't notice. However, only the wails and sounds of swords clashing on the plaza answered her.
Where was that damned woman... Hadn't she already arrived? Why wasn't she appearing? That one-armed swordsman was no different from a monster.
Her gaze shifted from Tomioka, locking onto Zoro below. This Mosshead, currently entangled with the Million members, seemed easier to deal with than the swordsman who instantly defeated Mr.5!
"Ten Thousand Kilogram Press!"
She screamed, plummeting vertically from high altitude at an astonishing speed, aiming for the Mosshead below, intending to crush Zoro into a meat patty with the weight-increasing ability of her Kilo-Kilo Fruit.
However, Zoro didn't even lift his head.
Just as Ms. Valentine was about to land, he simply and effortlessly slid a step to the side.
Boom!!!
A deep crater was smashed into the ground, cracks spreading everywhere, and Ms. Valentine sat at the bottom of the pit, covered in dust. Zoro, meanwhile, was already several meters from her landing spot, striking down two more Million members with swift sword strokes.
"Speaking of which,"
Zoro said, as if just remembering something, his tone full of sarcasm, "A long time ago, your organization even invited me. To some extent, you should be calling me 'senior,' shouldn't you?"
After speaking, he swung his sword again and charged into the enemy crowd, completely disregarding the previous attack.
Meanwhile, Nami, pretending to be drunk nearby, saw this situation through half-closed eyes. Her large eyes darted around, and she immediately judged that the situation was completely under the control of Tomioka and Zoro.
She saw Tomioka vanish from her sight in an instant, charging towards the tall Baroque Works agent named Mr.5, and then, with just one move, he made that guy disappear without a trace.
She knew, this time, it was stable again.
Nami nimbly scurried over to Tomioka, who had just sheathed his Blade and stood upright, a brilliant, somewhat fawning smile on her face:
"Tomioka! I knew you were amazing before, but I never imagined you were so strong! Hehe!"
Tomioka turned his head to look at her, only giving a very light "Mm" in response.
His gaze remained calm, and he quickly locked onto another squad of Million members still putting up a stubborn fight. He tightened his grip on his Blade with his left hand and walked forward.
"Ah ah ah... Don't come any closer! I was wrong..."
An old man, who had just been demonstrating how the town welcomed the Straw Hat crew at the feast, began to show a panicked expression as he watched Tomioka walk towards him. One hand trembled as he raised it, while the other reached for his waist.
"Hehe, I tricked you! Idiot!"
Before he finished speaking, he revealed a sinister smile, pulled out a revolver from his waist, and immediately pulled the trigger. A bullet shot from the revolver, flying straight towards Tomioka.
Clang!
Sparks flew as the bullet was deflected. The bullet had no effect on Tomioka; he only needed to lightly swing his Blade to change its trajectory.
The old man's sneer froze on his face.
His right hand, which held the gun, suddenly felt incredibly light. He looked down to see the gun barrel cleanly sliced into two diagonal sections.
"I was wrong! Sir! Hero! Warrior! This time I'm really wrong!!"
Looking at the old man still feigning helplessness, Tomioka uncharacteristically showed an impatient expression, directly swung his elbow, and knocked him completely unconscious onto the ground. Then his figure immediately rushed out, joining Zoro in their ongoing "competition."
Facing the gathering Million members, he lowered his stance, sliding into the enemy crowd like flowing water.
"Water Breathing, Third Form: Flowing Dance!"
His figure and Blade became one, transforming into an unstoppable torrent. His fluid slashes and movements were like flowing clouds and water, and enemies fell one after another wherever he passed.
A Million member who had luckily retreated to the edge of the battle circle said with a trembling voice, "How is this possible... What exactly is this?!"
Another enemy, barely standing, retreated with a pale face, secretly exclaiming, "Is this a monster?! With only one hand, he can knock us all down even without drawing his Blade..."
Amidst the wails, fewer and fewer Million members remained standing.
On the other side of the battlefield, a trembling, scorched hand suddenly grabbed Nami's ankle.
Nami was so startled she almost jumped up. Looking down, she saw it was the dying Igaram.
"Please... please you all..." Igaram said, as if using his last ounce of strength, his breath weak but incredibly earnest, "Escort Princess Vivi back to her country... Alabasta... Only you all can do it now..."
Although his body was too badly blasted to move, he had witnessed the scene before him: Baroque Works' senior agent partners, Mr.5 and Ms. Valentine, were both repelled by a single move from these pirates.
He knew that his and Princess Vivi's chance had come.
Nami froze for a moment, her eyes instantly turning into Berries symbols. She immediately made an outrageous demand: "Oh~ escort a princess back to her country? Is 1 billion Berries okay?"
Zoro, who was cutting down enemies nearby, heard this and a vein popped on his forehead. He couldn't help but mutter, "This woman really is a demon, isn't she..."
"One billion????"
Even with his severe injuries, Igaram was so shocked by the astronomical figure that he almost fainted. "That's far too much! That's not something a mere soldier like me can agree to!"
Nami immediately squatted down, adopting a shrewd negotiating posture, and poked Igaram's trumpet-like hair with her finger: "But~ your Princess Vivi, without our protection, probably won't get back so easily, will she? Your opponents are all these Baroque Works agents, aren't they~ Captain of the Royal Guards~"
Igaram laboriously rolled his eyes, looking at Zoro and Tomioka, who were dispatching agents like cutting melons and vegetables, and then at the Million members in the crowd who had no power to fight back.
He steeled himself and shouted, "Alright! Alright! If you can escort the Princess back to Alabasta! Find the King! His Majesty the King can definitely pay!"
"Oh~ so you have to get back to the King first before you can get paid?" Nami deliberately drew out her words, teasing him.
Igaram was almost in tears. He painstakingly pulled a flattened money bag from his waist and thrust it into Nami's hand:
"I... I only have this much money on me... Take it as an advance! After the Princess returns safely, the King will surely reward you handsomely!"
Nami weighed the money bag. Although it wasn't full, she quickly tucked it into her bosom, a happy smile instantly spreading across her face: "That's more like it~"
She stood up, her expression immediately changing, and waved her fists, shouting towards the battlefield: "Go! Go! Zoro! Go! Go! Tomioka! For our 1 billion Berries!"
"I never agreed!" Zoro yelled back, annoyed, while swinging his Blade.
"Hmph!" Nami put her hands on her hips. "You still haven't paid me the interest for those two swords you bought in Loguetown!"
"Demon! Are you a demon?!" Zoro's curses were drowned out by the screams of the enemies.
Amidst the commotion, Zoro and Tomioka, with astonishing efficiency, knocked down the last standing Million member.
Across the entire plaza, the only Baroque Works members still able to fight were Ms. Valentine, floating in the air and sweating profusely, and a stout, dark-skinned female agent codenamed Ms. Monday, who had already surrendered with both hands.
"Cough... cough cough..."
From the ruins, Mr.5 emerged, limping and clutching his still excruciatingly painful abdomen. His trench coat was covered in dust, and one lens of his sunglasses was shattered. He looked somewhat disheveled, but his mouth was still putting on a brave front: "I... I was just careless... Damn it..."
"Are you serious?!" Ms. Valentine looked at his appearance, then at the two formidable figures below, her voice tinged with a cry, "What are we going to do now?!"
Just then, a groggy voice broke the eerie standoff.
"Hmm...? Meat..."
Luffy, who had been sprawled on a pile of meat at the dining table, rubbed his eyes and sat up. He shook his still-dizzy head, looked at the chaotic scene before him, the plaza covered with "lying corpses," and his face was full of question marks.
"Why is everyone down????"
"Ah, Luffy, you're awake! Looks like this sleeping medicine isn't that great after all. Let me tell you, these guys. are..."
Seeing Luffy suddenly awake, Zoro untied his bandana and began to walk over, smiling, to explain what exactly was happening in this battle.