Translator: PapaSmurf0700
Not far from Ryugu Palace, in a pocket of ocean, a door of rippling air suddenly opened. A starfish fashion designer and dozens of fearful Fish-Men spilled out, followed closely by the spirit of the Sunshine Merry.
Moments before, Nami and Merry had been enthusiastically packing up every piece of clothing in Pappag's store, preparing to move on to the next boutique. Just as Pappag was about to burst into tears, the great bubble protecting Fish-Man Island ruptured. Seawater surged in.
Then came the pirates. An aggressive mob of Fish-Men stormed the area, their sheer numbers overwhelming the mechanical soldiers of the Wildfire Army. Though Nami and Merry didn't know what was happening, they knew those robots. That was enough. Without a second thought, they joined the fray.
Only after the immediate threat was neutralized did Merry have a chance to evacuate Pappag and the other residents. Now, the battlefield was quiet, save for nearly a hundred charred Fish-Man pirates drifting unconscious in the water. Two figures remained, staring each other down from a distance.
One was a young woman with vibrant orange hair, clutching a blue staff pulsing with energy. She was the Straw Hat Pirates' navigator, the "Cat Burglar," Nami.
Opposite her stood one of Hody Jones's four top officers, the one who looked most human: Ikaros Much, the giant squid Fish-Man. He was a bearded brute wearing a racing helmet, wielding eight crimson spears designed to drain the water from a victim's body upon impact.
Ikaros was large and ferocious by nature, but at this moment, he was a miserable sight. Angry, charred wounds marred his body, all courtesy of the woman before him. He rubbed a sore spot, his mind reeling in shock.
"Well," Nami said, a hint of annoyance in her voice, "this is my first time fighting underwater. My aim was a little off just now."
Ikaros was stunned, but Nami was in no mood for pleasantries. All the beautiful clothes she'd so carefully selected were now soaked. She had absolutely no patience left for the enemy in front of her.
Crackle
Arcs of lightning coiled around her body again, but unlike normal electricity, they didn't dissipate into the water. They clung to her, a loyal, crackling defense. This was why Usopp needed to upgrade his arsenal for underwater combat, but she did not. She could command the very element of thunder.
Seeing Nami preparing to attack again, Ikaros panicked. He shoved a handful of Energy Steroids into his mouth and swallowed them whole. Even before the drug could fully take effect, he roared.
"Wings of Ikaros!"
Despite the grandiose name, the attack was nothing more than a barrage of ink bullets spat from his mouth. Nami didn't even have to move. Through her Observation Haki, she saw the attacks not as a blur of afterimages, but with perfect clarity. Before the ink could even get close, the lightning protecting her lashed out like striking vipers, vaporizing every projectile.
"Squid Ink Clone!"
Ikaros didn't stop. He swam rapidly to the side, spewing a thick cloud of ink that instantly obscured the battlefield. Within the cloud, he created a perfect duplicate of himself while he, the real Ikaros, quietly circled above Nami. His eyes glowed red, muscles bulging from the steroids. He gripped all eight of his spears and plunged downward, aiming for her head.
A distraction, followed by concealment, then a decoy, and finally, a lethal strike from above. It was the best combination he could devise, a perfect fusion of his Fish-Man abilities and the explosive power of the drugs. Not even Hordy Jones could withstand such a surprise attack.
So Ikaros believed.
The next second, a sharp clang echoed through the water. Ikaros's face contorted in disbelief. His spears had been stopped. The woman below hadn't even looked up. She had simply raised her Clima-Tact, casually blocking his all-out piercing attack without being moved an inch.
"Really," Nami said, finally looking up with a weary smile. "After that last big battle, now I have to deal with an enemy like you." She sighed. "This won't even be a warm-up."
CRACK-BOOM!
A blinding flash of lightning erupted, and the ink-blackened battlefield was instantly illuminated.
-----
Near a tavern on Fish-Man Island, Zoro stood silently, his hand resting on the hilt of Shusui. His eyes scanned the surrounding ruins. Suddenly, his brow furrowed.
Movement. Left side.
Without a thought, Shusui was already in motion. A black shadow burst from the darkness, running headlong into the flat of Zoro's blade.
WHAM!
The shadow was sent flying back into the ruins. A moment later, a figure struggled to its feet. It was Zeo, one of Hordy's four officers, a great white shark Fish-Man whose striped skin gave him perfect camouflage in the shadows. He stood, breathing heavily, his eyes bloodshot from the Energy Steroids he had clearly taken.
"Hey. Didn't you hear my question?" Zoro asked, his voice laced with irritation. "Where is the guy giving the speech?"
Zoro had caught part of the broadcast and, while he didn't recognize the loudmouth leading the coup, he had recognized King Neptune. He just wanted to ask for directions. But the moment the shark-man in front of him heard he was heading for Gyoncorde Plaza, he had attacked without warning.
"The 'Pirate Hunter,' Roronoa Zoro," Zeo finally grunted, his voice strained. "I know you are strong, but if you think you can make me betray my captain, you are sorely mistaken!"
Among Hordy's officers, Zeo had the strongest pride. From his perspective, Zoro walking up and demanding to know where his boss was could only be interpreted as a challenge.
"I am a noble of the Fish-Man District!" he roared, his pride swelling under the influence of the drugs. "I could never lose to a lowly human like you! Don't think you've defeated me with the back of your sword!"
Despite his tough words, Zeo was already retreating, melting back into the darkness. A moment later, he struck again from behind, a new determination burning in his eyes.
"Hidden Sword: Shark-Render!"
He collided with the flat of Zoro's blade once more, but this time, he clamped his powerful jaws onto the sword itself, trapping it. Grinning triumphantly, he drove his knee forward in a vicious strike aimed at Zoro's chest.
He thought he had him.
But in the next second, a cold dread washed over him. He felt a sharp, chilling sensation in his chest.
Zoro's voice was calm, almost bored. "Then I'll use the sharp edge."
Schlick
Blood gushed from Zeo's chest. His legs went limp. The last thing he heard as his vision faded was Zoro's dismissive final thought.
"That kick isn't even one-ten-thousandth as strong as the cook's."