The black night sky was lit only by a silver crescent moon, yet the farmlands blazed as if midday—flames roared, swallowing the empty fields.
The raging inferno surged toward Sandy like a tidal wave, but he showed no fear. His eyes were sharp, his stance resolute. With a powerful kick, he shot low across the ground, straight at the Necromancer.
He still had another card to play.
After all, if there was one thing the Donquixote Family never lacked, it was Devil Fruit users.
His greatsword suddenly warped in his hands, steel melting like molten iron, reshaping into a massive fan.
Raising it high, Sandy's arms bulged with veins as he swung.
"Wind Pressure Frenzy Blades!"
A storm exploded forth—countless wind-edged slashes tore through the blazing tide, opening a gaping hole.
With a feral grin, Sandy dove headlong into the fire.
"I am the wielder of the Paramecia-type Distort-Distort Fruit! I can twist anything I touch into any shape I desire—like this!"
His fan rippled and reshaped again, compacting into a rounded shield, like a gleaming silver cauldron, which he used to charge at the Necromancer.
Rainer saw this clearly, raising an eyebrow but otherwise unfazed. The undead had already sensed his strength through Observation Haki.
If Sandy wanted to turn the tide, it could only be through his bizarre fruit ability. Rainer had already prepared to summon Red Oni and Blue Oni if needed.
Though the Distort-Distort Fruit… it reminded him of Diamante's Flutter-Flutter Fruit. One made things lighter, the other reshaped them—yet both left the material's properties unchanged.
Honestly, even saving my trump cards feels excessive for this.
Sandy burst out of the firestorm, only a dozen meters from the Necromancer. His shield rippled once more, reshaping back into his greatsword.
Leaping high, his blade gleamed with a black sheen—Armament Haki. The strike came crashing down.
But the Necromancer's staff was already veiled in grains of sand. With a flick, a massive pillar of sand ten meters wide erupted skyward.
"What the—sand too?!" Sandy's eyes widened. Fire was one thing—but now sand?
Clang!
The sand pillar's peak, coated in Armament Haki, clashed against his blade, sparks flying. The impact flung him back into the field of circling firebirds.
"His Armament's not bad," Rainer murmured, watching. "But hers is better."
He wasn't just speaking of Sandy—he was also appraising the Necromancer. Both combatants showed high-level use of Haki and technique.
Sandy hadn't used his fruit in flashy ways, but his adaptability was impressive—already shifting his weapon into three forms in the blink of an eye.
With his strength, he was easily officer-level in the Donquixote Family. Strange that such a man was here in Paradise, the first half of the Grand Line.
Rainer didn't dwell on it. He turned his focus back to the undead girl. She'd proven her worth. It was time to end this.
"What the hell are you? Controlling fire and sand both?!" Sandy snarled, desperately slashing away the endless firebirds.
The answer was a pack of sand serpents, each massive, their maws lined with jagged black fangs, lunging with terrifying speed.
His sword swelled in width and weight. With a roar, he unleashed a great slash, severing one serpent in two.
He stomped, channeling his fruit into the earth. The ground warped and rose, a wall of twisted soil blocking the next serpent and cutting through it.
But the wall split open—an escape tunnel forming within. Using the distortion, Sandy shot through, blade elongating into a thin, whip-like sword.
"Thorn Sword!"
Crack!
The whip-blade lashed the air with a sonic boom, but the Necromancer had already raised a colossal sand wall, dozens of meters high.
Its surface flowed like liquid to absorb impact, but within it was solid, layered with Armament Haki.
The Thorn Sword struck—and stuck. Trapped.
Sandy snarled, pulling hard, dragging himself onto the sand wall. He shoved his hand into the grains, warping them. The structure trembled—then a tunnel opened, twisting under his control.
Breaking through, blade poised, his eyes gleamed with killing intent.
But against sand, none could rival Crocodile.
The tunnel erupted with hundreds of sand spikes, every one clad in Armament Haki.
Sandy froze, terror flashing in his eyes. His weapon rippled into a sphere, trying to encase himself.
But it was too late.
Shhk! Shhk! Shhk!
The spikes impaled him, blood soaking the sand—only to be absorbed instantly, staining the spikes dark red.
"…Never thought the Straw Hat crew hid someone this strong." Sandy's voice was faint, his long hair falling loose around his bloodied face.
His gaze locked on the petite figure ahead. He couldn't even close the distance. Besides the Young Master himself, who in the Family could fight her?
Turning, his eyes found Rainer lounging in the distance, cigarette fading.
A twisted smile.
"Heh… too bad. Before I left the casino, I already sent your information back to the Family through a Den Den Mushi.
"When I die and the Family loses contact, you'll be their first suspect. Knowing the Young Master, he may even come for you himself. Your Straw Hat journey ends here."
Rainer knew how much Doflamingo valued his "family." Judging by Sandy's strength, he must've been an important officer. Killing him wouldn't be ignored.
But Rainer only chuckled, brushing grass from his coat.
"Doesn't matter. By the time he arrives, the flowers will have withered."
He'd studied the New World charts. Dressrosa was at least a week away, even for his falcon summons flying full speed. With the Grand Line's weather? Two weeks, minimum.
Even if Doflamingo himself rushed, no way he'd reach Paradise in under a month.
By then, Rainer would've already recruited Enel. Thunder God's Raigo combined with Kingdom's Buster Call? He'd have something ready to feed Joker.
And if not? He'd run. With his undead army, stalling Doflamingo was doable.
Not to mention—soon, Marine HQ would summon all the Warlords for the Paramount War. If Doflamingo came after him, odds were he'd be recalled mid-flight.
In short, he was steady. Totally. Probably.
"You're full of mysteries. What are you even doing here in Paradise?" Rainer asked, walking closer. "With your strength and brains, no way Doflamingo wouldn't use you in the New World."
"Heh… none of your business."
Sandy was barely conscious now, eyes dull. With trembling hands, he pulled out a stubby cigarette, placing it between his lips. He didn't light it—just chewed it raw.
A junkie, then. Even in death, chasing the high.
Rainer sighed. He'd seen those smokes back at the casino. Asking further was pointless.
He collected the man's "template" and turned to leave.
Glancing at the pack of cigarettes in his pocket, he crushed one under his heel.
"From today… I quit."
Then he torched the battlefield clean.
Walking back with the Necromancer, he stopped at a shop on Feiwen Street—and bought another pack.
So much for quitting.
By the time he returned to the tavern, it was late. The casino below was still lively, but he skipped it, heading straight for the restaurant upstairs.
The place was nearly empty, save for a few stragglers eating after long nights of gambling. Zoro and the others were there, gathered around food.
"Rainer, all done?" Zoro asked.
"More or less." He scratched his head with a sheepish grin and sat down.
"Rainer, look! I won so much tonight!" Chopper turned, showing off his bulging blue backpack with a bright smile.
"…That's my money you're bragging about," Rainer said, ruffling his fur. "But hey, since you're rich now, no more pocket money from me."
"Eh?! W-wait!" Chopper fumbled with his pack, eyes wide. After a moment of hesitation, he whispered, "Should I… give you some?"
Rainer laughed. "I'm kidding. Keep it."
"Speaking of… where's Luffy?" He scanned the room. Odd. Eating and drinking without Luffy around was unthinkable.
He'd been bouncing around the casino earlier, but by the time Rainer left, Luffy was still inside.
That was two hours ago.
"…Right. Where is Luffy?"
"Don't know."
"Haven't seen him."
They all fell into uneasy silence.
"…Luffy's missing!!!"
"Oh no! He's bound to cause trouble!"
"That idiot—I'll go find him." Zoro's face darkened as he rose.
"Wait, mosshead." Sanji pushed him back down, expression grim. "If you go looking for him… who's gonna find you when you get lost?"
"Curly-brow, what's that supposed to mean?!"
"Exactly what it sounds like," Sanji smirked, meeting Zoro's glare.
"What do we do, Rainer?" Usopp asked nervously. "I've got a bad feeling about this."
As captain, Luffy was gone. And now the two strongest fighters looked ready to kill each other. That left Rainer as the only reliable one.
Except Rainer just stuffed meat into his mouth.
"We eat. And wait."
"…Wait?!"
"Yeah. Something big will happen soon. Then Luffy will show up."
"That's the dumbest plan I've ever heard!"
BOOM!!!
The floor shook as an explosion thundered from the east. Flames shot skyward, painting the night crimson.
Zoro stared. "…I think that's Luffy."
Sanji exhaled smoke. "…I think you're right."
Headache. Tomorrow, back to the main plot.