Boom!
A laser beam struck the ground behind Zoro, blasting debris into the air.
Zoro sprang upward, narrowly evading the attack. His eyes sharpened as he twisted midair and landed squarely before the towering figure behind him.
"Hmph, I am not the same as before."
His blade flashed, cutting through the air like lightning.
"One Sword Style, Thunder Flash!"
Boom!
The Pacifista, almost identical in appearance to Bartholomew Kuma, shuddered violently. Its coat tore apart, exposing the cold alloy body beneath. Cracks spread across its frame as internal mechanisms sparked and failed.
Buzz, buzz, buzz…
The machine swayed in place, its systems clearly damaged. It could no longer advance, nor could it fire another attack.
"To think a single slash could short-circuit PX-2," a voice commented from above. "That was no ordinary strike."
Standing atop a massive mangrove tree was a burly man wielding a door-sized double-bladed axe. His round frame was wrapped in a red bellyband marked with three magatama symbols, his presence imposing and immovable.
Sentomaru, captain of the Marine Science Unit and personal bodyguard of Dr. Vegapunk, looked down at Zoro with keen interest.
"Hey, Axe Fatty!"
Zoro tilted his head upward, his gaze sharp.
"Are you the one who ordered this impostor to chase me?"
Ever since leaving the hospital, Zoro had been relentlessly pursued by this fake Kuma. At first, the shock alone had nearly frozen him in place. For a moment, he had believed one of the Seven Warlords had personally moved against him.
But once blades crossed, the truth became clear.
This thing carried nowhere near the overwhelming pressure of the real Kuma. Not even a tenth of it. Still, its durability was troublesome. Even Armament Haki barely left a mark.
Only when Zoro adjusted his attack, compressing force like lightning into a single decisive slash, did the Pacifista finally falter.
"Axe Fatty?" Sentomaru frowned deeply. "Your name is Zoro, right?"
He puffed out his chest, staring down with absolute seriousness.
"This great me, the man with the world's strongest defense and the tightest lips, has something to remind you of."
"Oh?"
Zoro straightened, wary. "Let us hear it."
Sentomaru spoke solemnly.
"I am just muscular."
Silence followed.
Zoro clenched his jaw, barely suppressing the urge to roll his eyes.
"Who cares!"
"I will definitely not tell you," Sentomaru continued just as seriously, "that Straw Hat and his crew are currently at the auction house and have already provoked the Celestial Dragons."
Zoro froze.
"Luffy and the others?" he asked sharply. "They ran into Celestial Dragons, like the one I met earlier?"
He scanned his surroundings. "Which grove?"
Sentomaru answered immediately. "Grove One. This is not me responding to your question, I am actively telling you."
Zoro blinked, then smirked faintly.
"You are an interesting fellow. Thanks."
Without another word, he turned and bolted off in the direction he believed led to Grove One.
Sentomaru stared after him, dumbfounded, as Zoro vanished toward Grove Twenty-Four.
"Is this guy serious?" he muttered. "I clearly said Grove One."
Shaking his head, Sentomaru turned back to PX-2, which still twitched faintly. Stepping forward, he swung his massive axe down hard.
Bang! Bang!
After several heavy strikes, the Pacifista's systems stabilized. Its eyes lit up once more as it began scanning the area for wanted pirates.
"Hah, easy fix," Sentomaru said with satisfaction. "Looks like I could be a scientist too."
His expression darkened slightly.
"Where exactly is Shirogai Yamikuro?" he murmured. "The man Dr. Vegapunk warned us never to predict as an enemy…"
After a brief hesitation, Sentomaru pulled out a Den Den Mushi.
"Uncle, where are you? The Celestial Dragons have been attacked by Straw Hat and his crew. If you do not come soon, this will turn into a disaster."
…
The magma had cooled. The ice had melted.
The two statues formed from Shirogai Yamikuro's clones shattered into fragments.
"Oh my, oh my," Kizaru sighed, scratching his head as he held a Den Den Mushi. "The Straw Hat pirates are quite troublesome."
Before him, Sakazuki gripped two unconscious figures.
Usopp lay limp, scorch marks still smoking across his body, his eyes rolled back. Robin was no better, burns tearing through her clothes as she lay unconscious, her breathing faint but steady.
"I knew it," Sakazuki said coldly. "Those fools were bound to clash with the Celestial Dragons."
He glanced toward the Supernovas fleeing in the distance, his expression filled with disdain.
"Pirates worth over a hundred million Berries?" he scoffed. "Compared to that man, they are nothing but dross."
He did not notice the weight of his own words.
Sakazuki never underestimated the strong, but neither did he worship them. To him, strength only meant one thing, something to be crushed.
"The auction house on Grove One," Kizaru muttered.
Swish!
He transformed into light and vanished, leaving only a reminder behind.
"Sakazuki, if you do not want to truly enrage that man, do not kill them. Keep them alive as hostages."
Sakazuki stared down at the two unconscious pirates in his grasp.
"I will spare you," he said flatly. "For now. If he truly harms the Celestial Dragons, your lives will be the price."
Turning away, he headed toward Grove One, his footsteps heavy with intent.
…
"What? Shirogai, you are here too?" Luffy laughed from the platform. "I thought you got lost like Zoro!"
"I was sold here by human traffickers," Shirogai replied calmly, a faint smile on his face.
"Tch."
Nami folded her arms, seeing through him instantly.
"You knew Kemi was in trouble, did you not? You came here just to protect her."
"Heh, you got me," Shirogai said lightly.
He extended a finger, reshaping it into a precise key that slid cleanly into the bomb collar around Kemi's neck. With a soft click, it fell away.
"We are saved!" Hatchan cried, rushing forward alongside Pappagu. "Kemi!"
"Hatchan, Pappagu…" Kemi sobbed, her voice breaking as fear and relief poured out together.
Shirogai watched quietly, his expression unreadable.
"The position of merfolk and Fishmen in this world is far too fragile," he said calmly. "Queen Otohime's belief in non-resistance was nothing more than a dream. Who fears sheep that never bite back?"
"Huh?" Luffy leaned closer. "What are you talking about, Shirogai?"
"If someone tried to sell your friends," Shirogai asked evenly, "what would you do?"
"Beat them up!" Luffy answered without hesitation, swinging his fist.
"And after that," Shirogai continued, "would you try to enlighten them with kindness, hoping they return your friends out of goodwill?"
Luffy frowned, disgusted. "I am not stupid. Why would I do that?"
Shirogai nodded.
"Exactly. Wolves do not eat sheep because sheep are wrong. They eat them because sheep are easy. A leader who refuses to resist only ensures the slaughter continues."
Bang!
A gunshot rang out.
Another bullet tore through the air, aimed straight at Kemi as she cried on the auction floor.
___
Support Me😁, uploading daily isn't easy.
Sending Powerstones count as one (And you get bonus Chapters for every 100 Powerstones sent)
Or
You can become patrons, That's the greatest form of support I can get (Which will also grant you access to chapters way ahead of web novel)
Arigato 🫣
patreon.com/Zphyr