"There was an unexpected explosion... but no matter. Let us bring this to a close."
Who was the first to notice that voice shattering the sudden silence?
Directly opposite the Royal Palace, at the entrance to the plaza, a massive crowd of silhouettes stood lined up in formation. At their head stood a figure both towering and grotesque.
The sandstorm had vanished unnoticed, blown away by the massive explosion earlier, but in its place, the sky had begun to cloud over, dimming the light. It was a sudden shift in the climate.
But there was no time to observe the weather, nor time to comprehend the situation before they revealed themselves.
This was the final hand Baroque Works had prepared to play.
The group consisted of pirates that Crocodile had hunted in the past. Secretly absorbed into the organization, they were not a unified monolith, but they were a massive fighting force bound by the promise of reward.
Leading them was Mr. 3, clad in impenetrable armor created by his Doru Doru no Mi abilities.
He had waited for his chance, biding his time until the enemy was exhausted, appearing before the Royal Army at the precise moment when they were most vulnerable.
With the Billions and Millions still not fully wiped out, the arrival of these former pirates meant the enemy forces now outnumbered the defenders. In a situation where everyone was already pushed to their limits, nearly a thousand fresh, armed combatants had just taken the field.
The moment the soldiers saw this sight, the blood drained from their faces, and they were seized by a crushing sense of despair.
"Let us make this the finale. My perfect strategy will end this war."
The reinforcement pirates raised their weapons and let out a roar.
The Royal Army cowered further, while the Baroque Works agents, currently engaged in combat, felt their morale soar.
Seeing the scene unfold exactly as predicted, Mr. 3 smiled a dark, eerie smile.
"Now then, everyone—"
"Rally! Royal Army!"
Just as Mr. 3 was about to give the order to attack, Chaka raised his sword and screamed at the top of his lungs.
The despondent soldiers all turned their gaze toward him. Mr. 3's smile vanished abruptly, but no one could stop Chaka's cry.
If they did not wager their lives here, what was the point? To ensure their survival, he no longer told them not to die.
"You are all exhausted! You likely want to give up! But do not lower your weapons! We still have the means to fight! We have will! We have power! We have life! Use everything that remains to protect what must be protected!"
"That dog. Saying unnecessary things..."
Chaka himself was exhausted from continuous fighting, yet he refused to yield.
At this moment—forgive me, Vivi—he felt it was acceptable to die here.
If it was to protect Alabasta, he would gladly lay down his life. With that thought, he held his sword high.
"The culprits who destroyed our homeland—who destroyed the Kingdom of Alabasta—are standing right before you! If we do not fight here, what is it that we can possibly protect?! Remember your pride as soldiers!"
Even knowing it was a ruthless judgment, no one could stop him. Even Vivi, understanding what he was trying to say, could not interject.
They were trying to fight. They were trying to live. They were trying not to give up until the bitter end.
Rather than completely giving up and simply waiting to be slaughtered, they chose to struggle, if only for a second longer.
Vivi's heart ached at such a fleeting, desperate mindset, yet she was grateful for Chaka's words.
"Do not falter, Royal Army! Keep moving forward! Until the moment you can no longer walk, until the instant your life is extinguished, do not give up! If these lives are destined to end, then let us offer them for the sake of our motherland!"
"Oooooooooh—!!"
"Those who are afraid, flee now! Those who will follow me, raise your weapons, roar to the heavens, and follow me to the very end! I will give you a place to die!"
"Uooooooooh!!"
"All forces, CHARGE!!"
It was already a scene of madness.
The Royal Army, their morale ignited for one last stand, broke into a run with terrifying momentum. Their intensity caused the newly arrived pirates to flinch, startled by the sudden shift in the atmosphere.
Mr. 3, however, wore a triumphant smirk.
His plan, after all, was perfect.
Suddenly, soldiers of the Royal Army began to attack their own allies.
Just as their hearts had united, those attacked were struck with shock as their bodies were cut, while those attacking were equally horrified by their own actions.
Noticing the change instantly, Chaka turned around.
Allies were hurting allies; the air was filled with confusion and screams.
"What are you doing?! Do not fight amongst yourselves!"
"H-Hey! What are you doing?! I'm not the enemy—Gyaaaah?!"
"No, it's not my will! My body is moving on its own!"
"Hey, stop it! Is this the time for jokes?!"
"Someone, stop me! I can't control it myself!"
It wasn't just one or two soldiers attacking their comrades. Though not half the army, there were hundreds. Soldiers were cutting down their friends while screaming, faces twisted in agony, tears streaming down their cheeks.
Stunned, Chaka stood frozen.
He had no idea what was happening. Naturally, he had no idea how to stop it.
Heartbreaking screams flooded his ears.
"It's wrong, it's not me! I didn't do it!"
"Someone stop me! Don't let me kill my friends!"
"No, I don't want this...! Someone, someone kill me!!"
It wasn't infighting. It was clear this wasn't their will.
Seeing Chaka standing still, a soldier charged at him, tears flowing from his eyes as he thrust his spear.
"Lord Chaka! Please run!"
"Kh...!"
Chaka caught the descending spear with his sword, locking blades.
He felt full power behind the attack. The blow was meant to kill. Yet the soldier himself was weeping, clearly resisting the attack, resulting in a grotesque contradiction of action and intent.
Looking into the soldier's face, Chaka felt his whole body tremble.
Without knowing the cause, he didn't know where to direct his anger.
Panicked by the surrounding chaos, Chaka asked the soldier whose blade was locked with his, his voice lacking any composure.
"Speak! What happened to your body?!"
"I-I don't know... Suddenly, my body moved on its own, and before I knew it, I was attacking my allies..."
The soldier shed large tears, looking down while his arms continued to apply force.
"Ugh, uuh... He was my best friend..."
Watching him, seeing the fallen comrades, and the friends who had struck them down, a stunned Chaka was seized by a violent rage. His rational thought vanished rapidly.
When he turned his head and scanned the area, his eyes locked onto the smirking Mr. 3, and his gaze transformed.
"What did you do... What did you do to my soldiers?!!"
"They were standing around like sticks, so preparation was easy. With this, you are finished."
With a roar, the reinforcements charged all at once.
They dove into the chaotic battlefield, swallowing the Royal Army in the blink of an eye.
It was closer to puppetry than brainwashing. The manipulated soldiers retained their own minds, yet ignored the enemy to attack only their allies. Consequently, only the Royal Army's numbers were dwindling.
And now, that evil hand was reaching for Vivi.
Because the approaching soldiers wouldn't stop, Mr. 9 and Miss Monday were forced to knock them away, struggling with the task.
Protecting her was one thing, but they couldn't hold out forever.
The two frantically pushed back the soldiers to protect Vivi, but they realized that the very act of fighting them was wounding Vivi's heart. It was undeniably a situation where they couldn't fight with full force.
"Damn it! What the hell is going on!"
"Pull it together, you lot! What's gotten into you!"
"It's Miss Goldenweek..."
Vivi murmured, then suddenly broke into a run.
She slipped between the two of them, closing in on a soldier who had his weapon raised.
Mr. 9 and Miss Monday, unable to react in time, widened their eyes, speechless.
"Miss Wednesday?!"
"No! Get back!"
"Princess Vivi?! Please run! I can't stop it myself!"
"It's not your fault...! I will stop it!"
No one could stop the descending blade.
Knowing the danger, Vivi lunged forward.
The spear held by the soldier sliced into Vivi's shoulder. Her clothes tore, skin split, and blood danced in the air, following the path of the spear. Though the soldier who struck her let out a pained scream, Vivi didn't stop, tackling him.
She wrapped her arms around his back, and they collapsed to the ground together.
Only after the two hit the dirt did Mr. 9 and Miss Monday finally react.
"Miss Wednesday!"
"Princess Vivi?! H-Huh...? My body... it's free..."
The soldier, scrambling up in a panic, was shocked to find he could move of his own volition. He checked again; his body obeyed his will.
The two rushing over were stunned by the change in the situation, realizing the meaning of her actions.
Vivi clutched her wounded right shoulder and called out to the three of them.
"This is the enemy's trap... Look at their backs. There's a mark painted in black paint."
"Eh? The back?"
"It's Miss Goldenweek's doing. Everyone is just being manipulated."
Staring at the three with a serious gaze, Vivi stood up with steady footing.
Her face showed a resolve stronger than anyone else's.
"If this mark is erased, they will be released. Just one spot is enough. If the mark is damaged even a little, the effect vanishes."
"They control people with something like this...?"
"Tell the others about this. And free everyone who is being manipulated. We haven't lost yet."
The soldier who was taught this hurriedly rolled on the ground to remove the paint on his own back.
Meanwhile, Miss Monday stared at her with serious eyes. Vivi noticed and met her gaze; her will showed no sign of wavering. That told Miss Monday everything.
"Every second counts right now. let's split up and act."
"Meaning you don't need a bodyguard."
"Yes."
"V-Vivi-sama?! That's too dangerous... at least let me stay! I know it won't atone for the sin of wounding your body, but I can't forgive myself if I don't use this life to protect you!"
"Stop. This isn't your fault; I did this to myself. Don't take the blame on your own."
"But...!"
Vivi looked up at the panic-stricken soldier's face and spoke.
Her unwavering voice calmed him instantly.
"If you want to do it for my sake, then save as many people as you can. You have the power to save many. Please, there is no time."
"Vivi-sama... I understand. As you command."
As the soldier grabbed his spear and ran off, Vivi sent a glance to Mr. 9 and Miss Monday, then broke into a run herself.
Even as they spoke, many soldiers were being hurt. They could not give up. Hadn't Chaka just said so? They could still make it in time.
She dove into the battlefield alone.
To save even one more soldier, she moved closer to the fighting within the Royal Army.
However, it seemed there was someone waiting for exactly that.
Suddenly, a voice called out to Vivi.
"Vivi, look out! Run!"
"Eh—?"
A staff, swung with full force, struck Vivi in the head. Skin broke, blood flowed from her forehead, and the momentum of her run sent her tumbling.
Vivi fell but immediately pushed her upper body up, looking from her seated position at the person who had attacked her.
"Ah, no! I'm sorry...! My body moved on its own...!"
"Nami-san... You too?"
Nami stood before her, frozen in the follow-through of swinging her Clima-Tact.
On her lower back, the black paint mark was visible. It seemed she, too, was being manipulated.
Targeting the shocked Vivi, a small chakram flew from somewhere.
Noticing it at the last second, she took evasive action, but the sharp blade sliced her left arm slightly.
A cry of pain escaped Vivi's lips.
Like a boomerang, the chakram returned to its user's hand.
Amidst the dirty soldiers, stood a woman in clean clothes. Next to her stood a man whose attire also suggested he was no soldier.
They positioned themselves behind Nami, their gazes fixed on the seated Vivi.
"Ugh...!"
"Vivi!"
"Long time no see, Miss Wednesday. Going out alone?"
"Miss Mother's Day... Mr. 6..."
It appeared to be Mr. 6 and Miss Mother's Day, who had not shown themselves until now.
Whether they had come out specifically to eliminate Vivi, they stared only at her, ignoring the surrounding soldiers.
Added to this was the manipulated Nami. She looked bewildered, and it would be difficult for her to do anything on her own. Someone had to break the mark.
She wanted to save everyone quickly, but she couldn't.
Blocked by enemies, Vivi showed a frustrated expression.
If only she could save Nami. She thought this, but it didn't look like it would be easy.
"Hey, you two! Don't touch Vivi! And turn me back to normal!"
"Oh my, I can't do that. Even though I'm trying to help you."
"What is this anyway?! My body is moving on its own and won't listen to a thing I say!"
"Colors Trap."
Crunch, the sound of biting into a rice cracker was heard. Vivi looked in that direction.
Standing not too far away was the childlike Miss Goldenweek. She was the one who had painted the marks on Nami and the Royal Army soldiers, manipulating others with the power of paint.
"Colors Trap: Betrayal Black. No matter how much you trust your friends, you won't be able to stop yourself from wanting to betray them. The stronger your will to fight, the stronger that feeling becomes."
"Don't screw with me! I don't want to betray anyone!"
"You might say that, but I wonder if your body agrees?"
"Change me baaaaack!"
Nami tried to struggle, but her body would not move according to her will. Instead, driven by the intent to attack Miss Goldenweek, her body moved to attack Vivi.
Vivi couldn't just sit there and take it; she stood up immediately.
There were three enemies. Even if Miss Goldenweek didn't move, there were two troublesome opponents.
"Sorry Vivi, I think I'm gonna attack you again...! Do something!"
"It's okay, Nami-san. I won't abandon you."
"What a tepid friendship. It makes me want to kill you quickly."
"My work is done, so I'm going to take a break."
As expected, Miss Goldenweek did not move.
She was lazy. Not just now, but generally, she disliked troublesome things like combat.
That meant the opponents here were the manipulated Nami, the chakram-wielding Miss Mother's Day, and Mr. 6 equipped with large gauntlets on both hands. Vivi brandished the weapon attached to her pinky finger.
She didn't know if she could handle it alone, but she had no time to ask for help. She had to do it.
Nami, looking like she was resisting with all her might, was gradually raising her Clima-Tact.
Behind her, the Mr. 6 pair prepared to attack.
In the worst case, Nami might be targeted as well. She was an enemy only because she was being manipulated. The Mr. 6 pair had no reason to protect her, so they might try to eliminate her along with Vivi.
Thinking she had to prevent that as a priority, Vivi dared to step forward.
Just as she started to move, two figures pounced on the Mr. 6 pair behind Nami.
Noticing them, the pair dodged instantly.
Sanji flew at Mr. 6 with a kick, while Chopper swung his fist at Miss Mother's Day.
Even in this situation, Sanji was yelling at Chopper.
"Oi, Chopper! What's the big idea trying to hit a lady!"
"I have no choice! In this situation, it's the only way!"
It seemed those two would hold off the Mr. 6 pair.
Vivi faced Nami once again.
If she freed her, the situation would change. She absolutely could not abandon her, and the cooperation of her friends was essential. Vivi decided to save her first.
"Vivi, I'm sorry...! I'm dragging you down!"
"There's no need to apologize. This isn't the place to give up yet."
With the enemies distracted, Vivi didn't try to use her weapon.
Save her unharmed. Since there was a way, she tried to erase only the mark, just as before.
Vivi broke into a run. Reacting to her approach, Nami's body tried to attack on its own.
"It's aiming for your head! Dodge!"
Thanks to Nami's warning, Vivi ducked, avoiding the Clima-Tact as it swept over her.
She kicked off the ground hard, leaped, and tackled Nami around the waist, pushing her down. Her hand touched Nami's lower back, smudging the mark, and the effect seemed to vanish.
The two rolled on the ground together. Having gained her freedom, Nami's face lit up with a smile.
However, Miss Mother's Day did not miss this moment. She hurled her chakram at the two of them.
"I did it! I'm free!"
"Hah, thank goodness..."
"Got you."
"Ah?! Vivi! Nami! Look out!"
By the time Chopper, seeing the momentary opening, shouted a warning, the chakram was closing in on the fallen pair at high speed, skimming the ground, aiming for their heads.
The startled pair couldn't dodge in time. Eyes wide, they could only stare at the approaching chakram.
Seeing this, a figure threw themselves in front of the blade.
She deflected the flying weapon with her katana, shielding the two behind her back.
The back the surprised pair saw belonged to a woman.
At the same time, a group rushed into the plaza, making them wonder if they were reinforcements. But judging by their uniforms, they were Marines. Come to think of it, Nami remembered, she was one too.
Tashigi, keeping her back to the two while keeping a wary eye on Miss Mother's Day's movements, spoke.
"You..."
"Give me orders. What should I do?"
"Eh?"
"I will support you. Give me the orders to win against them!"
Nami looked confused, but Vivi nodded firmly without missing a beat.
After hearing the situation, Tashigi barked orders to her subordinates, and the Marines began to move swiftly.
With the Marines joining the fray, the state of the plaza changed slightly.
Mr. 3, who had been watching the battle unfold without intervening himself, moved his head just a fraction. It wasn't a disadvantageous situation yet, but things seemed to be moving in an unforeseen direction.
"Hmph, Marines. No matter. They cannot change the outcome of this battle."
"Mr. 3."
"Miss Goldenweek. You did well."
"Yeah. My work is done, so I'm resting."
"Ahh, that is fine. Our victory is practically decided anyway."
It was just a split second while he was speaking to the returned Miss Goldenweek.
Hearing the screams of the pirates fighting relatively close by, Mr. 3 turned around, puzzled. A single enemy who had charged in alone was closing in right before his eyes.
Holding swords in both hands, eyes glowing like a beast, Zoro glared at Mr. 3.
"So, to change the tide of battle, I just need to cut you?"
"Unfortunately, that is impossible. No one can cut the supreme hardness of the Candle Champion."
"Heh. No one can cut it, huh?"
Zoro grinned, finding that claim impossible to ignore. It was a smile that said he had found his prey. He had just been thinking he needed practice to perfect the sensation of cutting steel.
The massive Mr. 3 finally made his move, slamming his boxing glove-like hands against the readied swords.
The sound of the impact suggested his whole body was like iron. Even if it was wax, this was exactly the opponent he had wished for. Zoro's fighting spirit swelled rapidly.
The battle intensified further, as if this place were hell itself.
Countless screams overlapped, shouts never ceased, and flying blood stained the ground red.
Watching such scenery, Miss Goldenweek bit into another rice cracker.
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