A steady, amplified voice boomed from below:
"This is Commander Jonathan of Marine Base G-8! Pirates in the sky, you are completely surrounded! Surrender immediately!"
Ron narrowed his eyes. "Interesting... They were lying in wait."
Nami quickly analyzed their predicament. "This is bad! We're completely vulnerable during our descent!"
Luffy, however, stretched his neck out excitedly. "Marines! Just in time!"
"This battle..." Sanji took a step forward, his leather shoe landing on the empty air as if it were solid ground, "...I'll handle it."
He leisurely lit a cigarette, and a dark, shadowy energy began to seep from beneath his suit.
The power of the Yami Yami no Mi awakened fully within him for the first time. The black, mist-like energy coiled around his body like a living entity.
"Sky Walk!"
This was not the Marine's Geppo (Moonwalk), which required constant, forceful kicks to maintain altitude. Sanji's Sky Walk was different; he tread upon the air itself, moving *with* the currents, using minimal energy to achieve perfect stability.
Just then,
*BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!*
The warships below unleashed another volley. Dozens of black cannonballs tore through the sky toward them. Sanji didn't dodge or flinch. A vortex of devouring darkness swirled to life around his right leg.
"Collier Strike: Black Hole!"
His leg swept through the air in a perfect arc. The first cannonball it touched was swallowed whole by the swirling vortex, vanishing without a trace.
Then the second.
Then the third...
The expected explosions never came. Every single cannonball was completely consumed by the shadows, not even a single spark managing to escape.
"Wh-what kind of power is that?!" Jonathan's eyes bulged from the deck of his flagship.
High above, Sanji took a long, final drag from his cigarette and flicked the butt disdainfully into the sea.
"Black Tide: Return to Sender."
*BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM—!*
Every cannonball he had swallowed came pouring back out of the dark canopy behind him, streaking downward with unerring accuracy to smash into the very warships that had fired them!
Explosions bloomed across the sea's surface. The masts of several ships splintered and fell. Marine soldiers scrambled, some leaping overboard in a panic.
Jonathan was thrown to the deck by a nearby blast, his Admiral's cap sent flying. He stared up at the dark figure standing triumphant in the sky, a cold dread slithering down his spine for the first time. "What... what kind of monster *is* he...?"
Aboard the Octo Balloon, the crew watched the spectacle, dumbstruck. Luffy waved his arms wildly. "SANJI! THAT WAS SO COOL!!"
A short while later,
The Octo Balloon touched down gently in the central plaza of Marine Base G-8, which was now densely packed with Marine soldiers.
Jonathan, having retrieved and dusted off his cap, stood grim-faced at the forefront. Several newly promoted Marine Lieutenants flanked him, their eyes gleaming with avarice, seeing the pirates before them as mere stepping stones to further promotion.
"All units, ready!" Jonathan raised his cutlass. "Capture the Straw Hat Pirates!"
The Marines roared in unison, leveling their flintlock rifles and advancing. Ron glanced around and sighed helplessly. "What a waste of time..."
Nami was looking down at her treasure map, which remained stubbornly blank. She pouted impatiently. "As I thought. No treasure in a place like this."
She suddenly looked up, dangerous arcs of electricity crackling through her orange hair. "In that case... don't blame me for not being polite!"
"Raigo: Ten Thousand Thunderbolts!"
She raised her right hand. The clouds above instantly churned like a boiling cauldron. Countless serpents of lightning weaved through the darkening sky, and then—
*KRAKOOM! KRAKOOM! KRAKOOM!*
Hundreds, then thousands, of lightning bolts poured down in a torrential, divine punishment!
The entire Marine base was instantly swallowed by the electrical storm. Jonathan's raised cutlass glowed red-hot. The Justice coats of several Lieutenants burst into flames. Rank-and-file Marines collapsed in writhing heaps, smoke rising from their twitching bodies.
Usopp crouched on the deck, hands clamped over his head, his teeth chattering. "T-too t-terrifying... Nami's scarier than Enel now...!"
Chopper huddled behind Zoro. "We can never make Nami angry again...!"
In a matter of seconds, the once-formidable Marine force was completely neutralized. Ron brushed a speck of non-existent dust from his sleeve. "Let's go. Time to set sail."
Zoro slowly sheathed the Wado Ichimonji he'd barely drawn, his face a mask of profound disappointment.
He glanced at the smoldering, sparking ruins of the Marine base. Every single Marine who had been so eager to capture them was now incapacitated on the ground.
"Too weak..." Zoro shook his head, a clear note of disdain in his voice. "They weren't even worth drawing my blade for."
Sanji strolled over, a fresh cigarette between his lips. "Alright, Marimo, wipe that sour look off your face. These small fries weren't even worth Nami-swan's serious attention."
Nami rolled her eyes at his words, but a slight, proud smile touched her lips. She stood at the bow, her orange hair fluttering in the sea breeze, the Log Pose on her wrist pointing steadily toward their next destination.
"Set sail!" At Ron's command, the Thousand Sunny's sails unfurled with a snap, catching the wind and carrying them toward the blue horizon.
.....
The next day,
The Thousand Sunny cut a clean path through the calm, blue waves, leaving a frothy white wake behind.
Usopp was on deck, fine-tuning his latest invention—a compact cannon platform designed to fire specialized ammunition. Chopper lay sunbathing nearby, watching the tinkering with curious, wide eyes, occasionally letting out a soft "Wow!"
Robin sat under a parasol, an ancient text in her hands, occasionally glancing up at a distant flock of seagulls with a gentle, contemplative smile.
Zoro leaned against the main mast, eyes closed in meditation. Though the previous battle had been a letdown, he knew the vast seas held stronger opponents. His task now was to hone his blades and his spirit relentlessly.
Sanji emerged from the galley with a tray of exquisite pastries. "Tea time, Nami-swan~! Robin-chwan~!"
Nami accepted a glass of juice, but her focus remained on the nautical chart. "According to the Log Pose, our next stop should be..."
Just then,
A News Coo flapped across the clear blue sky. With a series of soft *thuds*, several freshly printed newspapers landed on the Sunny's deck.
Ron bent down, picked one up, and casually unfolded it. The others gathered around, each taking a copy.
But before any of them could finish the front-page headline, Usopp let out a shriek that nearly shattered the calm.
"YOU'VE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME?! THE PONEGLYPHS UNDER ESCORT BY TWO ADMIRALS... THEY WERE STOLEN?!"
His voice was so piercing it even jolted the meditating Zoro, who frowned and looked over.
"Nani?!"
....
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