[Chapter Size: 2087 Words.]
Third Person POV
Whisky Peak, First Half of Grandline.
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Luffy and Nami returned to the square where their crew was still trapped in the crowd, which was now agitated, discussing what could have caused the explosion. Curiosity spread among the onlookers, and some ventured guesses about the origin of the blast.
“It must have been some kind of fireworks or something!” Usopp said, offering his own hypothesis to the group.
“I have no idea, but it seems serious. Let’s take a look,” Zoro commented, displaying his usual serious expression.
As Luffy and Nami arrived, Luffy, now cleaned up next to Nami, suggested, “Wait here. If someone caused this, I’ll let them come to us. After all, we have something they want. Bring that woman with blue hair over here.”
“The woman?” Lami looked suspiciously at Luffy.
“Yes, she’s more important than you think,” Luffy asserted, and Lami promptly brought her with them.
“Wait! What’s happening?” Miss Wednesday exclaimed, surprised by the sudden action. One moment she was stuck in the crowd, and the next, she was among the pirates.
“Don’t be so startled. After all, some assassins are here to kill you, princess,” Luffy said, smiling, provoking surprised looks not only from the woman but from everyone around who heard it.
“Princess?” Nami asked suspiciously.
“Huh?! You know who I am?!” Vivi shouted, stunned.
“Of course, I do…” Luffy approached and untied Vivi’s bound hair, exposing her true identity. “Nefertari Vivi… Princess of Alabasta,” Luffy said, maintaining an intriguing smile. The revelation caused a mix of shock and bewilderment among the onlookers, who didn’t expect to find such a distinguished figure among the hostages of a bounty hunter group.
“Is she really a princess?”
“Seriously, she looked more like a bandit…”
“She tried to kill Laboon before; to me, she’s not even human.”
“Hey, Luffy, do you always attract this kind of troublesome royalty?”
“Princess, huh? She seemed more like a wanted fugitive than nobility.”
“She doesn’t behave like one; I think Shirahoshi is much ahead of her.”
“Luffy, you couldn’t have chosen a more… refined princess?”
“I already don’t like her.”
“DO YOU KNOW THATI I’AM HEARING ALL OF THIS!?” Vivi’s furious voice echoed through the square, disliking all those pirate comments as she glared at Luffy with narrowed eyes.
“You’re not very beloved by my crew, Princess Vivi, or by your organization…” Luffy commented with a malicious smile, further provoking her irritation.
“What do you mean?” Vivi asked, her expression indicating a mix of confusion and suspicion.
“Kyahahaha.” Before Luffy could answer, a loud laughter broke the air from one of the square entrances. All the Straw Hats, the princess, and the captives turned their heads in the direction of the sound, seeking the origin of the disturbance.
A group of seven figures stood out at the entrance: four men and three women, each carrying an aura of danger and mystery.
“Hm? It looks like they sent almost all the agents… but still, it’s not enough…” Luffy pondered, closely observing the group. The main agents, Mr. 1 and his partner, were noticeably absent.
“Mr. 2, Mr. 3, Mr. 4, Mr. 5, and their partners, Miss Golden Week, Miss Merry Christmas, and Miss Valentine!” Vivi exclaimed, her tone filled with surprise and concern, recognizing the notorious Baroque Works internal agents here.
Each of these agents possesses unique abilities and is known for their effectiveness in Baroque Works missions.
“Those are the main agents of Baroque Works!”
“Awesome, they’re going to take on the bad pirates!”
“Finish them off, agents!”
“Hahaha. The pirates don’t stand a chance!”
“What do we have here! A pirate group with total bounties of 470 million ? They’re so numerous.” Mr. 4 commented ironically.
“We should just capture them or eliminate them, and then we’ll kill Princess Vivi,” said Mr. 5, not hesitating to express his lethal intent.
“I still think it’s wrong to kill a member of our group!” Mr. 2 whined, expressing his disagreement with the plan to eliminate Miss Wednesday.
“Let’s just get this over with quickly; I want to get back to Alabasta,” Mr. 3 said, demonstrating impatience.
“Kill me!?” Vivi was frightened by this; her shocked expression was evident after hearing this conversation.
“Kill the princess?” Mr. 8 shouted while tied up, horrified by the revelation as well.
“Yes, the boss is displeased with you seeking his secrets, so the order is to eliminate you. Kyahahaha!” Mikita had her iconic laugh about it, increasing tension in the square.
The Straw Hats watched the Baroque Works agents with disdain, and each member of the group didn’t miss the chance to mock their enemies.
Luffy, with his confident smile, taunted, “Hey, it looks like the clowns have arrived! Are they going to put on a show for us?”
“Are these the famous Baroque Works agents? I thought they would be more intimidating.” Yamato, observing the opponents, commented with disdain.
Shirahoshi, with her timid voice but ridiculing tone, said, “Oh, look, they brought a fashion parade to the island!” She pointed at Mr. 2.
Megalo, the shark, let out a mocking growl, as if laughing at the situation.
Zoro, with his sarcastic tone, provoked, “Did they come to capture us? It looks like they can barely stand on their feet.”
Lami, with her sharp tongue, mocked, “I don’t know why they’re so serious; they look like a group of kids trying to play bounty hunters.”
“They’re funny!” Bepo said, belittling the strength of the opponents.
Chouchou, the dog, barked disdainfully, as if laughing at the agents’ incompetence.
Usopp, with his exaggerated manner, exclaimed, “Look at them! They’re so weak we don’t even need to worry.”
Nami, with her usual sarcasm, said, “If these are the villains, I think they picked the wrong group to face.”
Reiju, with her elegance, mocked, “How cute, they think they can take us on? They should go back to school or something.”
Hugo shook his head disapprovingly, as if surprised by the weakness of the opponents.
Nojiko, with her calm expression, commented, “Looks like they brought reinforcements… but they don’t seem like much…”
Kuina, with her coldness, also taunted, “You’re so pathetic, all this to look like such a weak group…”
Alvida, with her confidence, scoffed, “I think we got the wrong crowd. Who invited these weaklings?”
“Grrrr…” Even Laboon didn’t find the group of strangers very strong.
The atmosphere was tense, but the Straw Hats mocked with confidence, belittling the Baroque Works agents before the confrontation even began.
The Baroque Works agents were visibly furious at the mocking comments from the Straw Hats. Each of them reacted differently, but they all shared the same irritation.
Mr. 2 Bon Kurei, with his theatrical personality, was visibly offended. “How dare you underestimate the greatness of Baroque Works? We are a group far superior to you, you bad pirates!”
Mr. 3 growled in response, “Insolent pirates! You will regret underestimating the greatness of Baroque Works agents.”
Mr. 4 simply shook his head disapprovingly.
Miss Golden Week, the artist, looked indignantly at the rival group. “You have no respect for art! We will paint this place with the colors of your defeat.”
Miss Merry Christmas, the older woman of the group, was clearly irritated. “You insolent brats! You will learn to respect your elders.”
Mr. 5, with his brutish attitude, growled, “Think you’re funny? I’ll make sure to show you how Baroque Works deals with pirates like you. I’ll blow you up!”
Miss Valentine, with her umbrella, commented disdainfully, “Looks like you have a lot of mouth to talk. Maybe I’ll bury you before we even start.”
The tension in the air intensified as the exchanged words between the Straw Hats and the Baroque Works agents fueled a fervent rivalry. Determined to prove their strength and silence the pirates, the agents prepared for the imminent confrontation.
“Who and how many will fight…” someone from the crew inquired.
“I don’t know, whoever wants to fight. I’m going to eat some more of the leftover food; I’m hungry. You guys can decide who will do this,” Luffy, in his usual carefree manner, seemed not to care much about the situation, shrugged, and headed towards the center of the square. Nami followed him, also uninterested in the agents, and joined her captain.
Initially, Luffy thought Crocodile might personally appear due to his bounty and notorious presence on the island. However, he was disappointed to see the group assigned to confront them.
“How dare he treat us like this!?” Mr. 2 shouted angrily, indignant at Luffy’s attitude.
“Let’s just kill all his crew members. It seems a pirate with a 200 million bounty is nothing but a coward.” Mr. 5 expressed his disdain, openly challenging Luffy’s reputation.
“You dare call my husband a coward! I’ll fight!” Alvida stepped forward, still a bit drunk, ready to defend Luffy’s honor.
“Wait! I want to fight too!” Bepo spoke up, eager for the challenge.
“Me too! He seems like a challenge if it’s one against all. I want to test my skills!” Zoro also declared, demonstrating his thirst for challenge.
“Let’s settle this among ourselves, then,” Alvida proposed, preparing for the impending battle. The atmosphere grew increasingly charged as choices were about to be made, determining the course of the confrontation in the city square.
The still-bound crowd on the side watched everything with tension and silence.
A moment later.
“Jan Ken Pon!”
*Rock* *Rock* *Rock*
“Jan Ken Pon!”
*Rock* *Rock* *Rock*
“Jan Ken Pon!”
*Paper* *Paper* *Paper*
“Jan Ken Pon!”
*Scissors* *Scissors* *Scissors*
“Jan Ken Pon!”
*Paper* *Paper* *Paper*
“Jan Ken Pon!”
*Scissors* *Scissors* *Scissors*
“Jan Ken Pon!”
*Scissors* *Scissors* *Scissors*
“Jan Ken Pon!”
*Rock* *Rock* *Rock*
“Jan Ken Pon!”
*Paper* *Paper* *Paper*
“Jan Ken Pon!”
*Rock* *Rock* *Rock*
“Jan Ken Pon!”
*Scissors* *Scissors* *Scissors*
The island fell silent as Luffy enjoyed food with Nami by his side. The only sound on the island at this moment was that of a bear, a woman, and a man playing a hand game while shouting and tying.
People, whether still chained inhabitants, pirate crew members, or even the enemies themselves, were completely stunned by the absurd scene unfolding before them. Eyes were wide, mouths open in disbelief, and even the most serious and frightened couldn’t help but release some nervous laughs. It was as if the absurdity of the situation had momentarily broken the tension hanging in the air.
“How can they be so calm?” Vivi was stunned.
The strange sounds of “Jan Ken Pon!” followed by dramatic rock, paper, and scissor gestures seemed more surreal with each round. Bepo, Alvida, and Zoro were so immersed in the game that they seemed to have completely forgotten the tense environment around them, while the only outcome for them was a tie with seconds and minutes passing.
It was after 10 minutes that a winner finally emerged.
“I WON!! HEHEHE!” Bepo celebrated, jumping with joy.
“Damn…” Alvida muttered.
“Congratulations, Bepo, you’ll fight. Represent the group!” Lami cheered for her friend.
However, among the Baroque Works agents, the reactions were less festive and more frustrated.
“We’re going to fight a bear after waiting so long?”
“I’ll just crush him.”
“I intend to explode him!”
“Since you want to fight him, finish it quickly; we have an entire crew to defeat!” Mr. 3 said.
Nami, observing the scene, expressed her concern about Bepo being chosen as the representative for the battle.
“It looks like Bepo is going to fight alone… Is he going to be okay?” she asked, while Luffy, and a Yamato who also appeared by his side a moment before and started buying food with Luffy quietly, the captain didn’t seem to worry about the imminent fight.
“Bepo can handle them; they’re pretty weak…” Luffy murmured, confident in his bear companion’s ability to deal with the presenting adversaries.
Luffy momentarily diverted his gaze from the scene where the fight would unfold, directing his attention to one of the buildings on the other side of the island. A figure stood out on top, observing the battle from a safe distance.
“How long are you going to stay hidden, Nico Robin…” Luffy muttered, more to himself than anyone else.
“Luffy, did you say something?” Nami asked, diverting her gaze from the bustling confusion to her captain.
“Never mind that, Yamato, pass me the meat next to you,” Luffy replied, returning his attention to the present moment.
“Alright, here you go,” Yamato said, handing the meat to Luffy.
“Thanks. This is delicious!” Luffy exclaimed, savoring the piece of meat with a pleased expression as the commotion of the fight continued in the background.
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Dear readers, I had initially planned to improve this chapter, but unfortunately, I find myself in a tough spot after contracting COVID-19. I can’t read a sentence without feeling nauseous, so I apologize. However, I don’t want to leave you without the usual chapter.
Raccoon here:
“Stone Stone!”
I appreciate your early support in following this exciting journey! I hope each chapter has provided incredible moments.
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