"Doru Doru Arts: Candle Champion - Spear!"
With a loud, defiant shout, Mr. 3, Galdino, took the lead in launching a fierce counterattack.
His hands moved rapidly, wax flowing like liquid honey before solidifying.
Under his Devil Fruit ability, the originally soft wax seemed to be enchanted, instantly hardening into an extremely sharp, pointed spear gleaming with a cold, dangerous light.
Immediately after, Mr. 3 swung his arm forcefully, sending the sharp wax spear shooting toward Lina like a white lightning bolt. Its speed was astonishing, crossing the distance in almost the blink of an eye.
Simultaneously, Mr. 3's attack appeared to serve as the signal for the full-scale counteroffensive of the remaining Baroque Works agents.
Nearby, Miss Doublefinger shuddered violently.
Her body suddenly erupted, sprouting countless razor-sharp spikes at a visible rate.
Her limbs retracted, transforming her into a giant, lethal needle ball in an instant.
Then, with a flash of reflected sunlight, she began to roll forward like a sudden, unstoppable storm, charging toward Lina with immense, crushing momentum.
"Nose Fancy Double Cannon!"
Not to be outdone, Mr. 5 pinched his nose hard, using his Bomb-Bomb Fruit's special ability to launch two sticky, explosive boogers this time.
Though the small projectiles seemed insignificant, the power contained within each was formidable enough to blow up a thick stone wall.
Their target, once again, was Lina.
Meanwhile, Ms. Valentine, having recovered somewhat, floated lightly into the air, swaying gently like a flower in the wind.
However, in stark contrast to her seemingly relaxed posture, her sharp eyes remained tightly locked on Lina below, her focus absolute, without the slightest relaxation.
Clearly, she was waiting, biding her time for the precise moment Lina would make a countermove, ready to accurately seize any opening and deliver a fatal, ten-thousand-kilogram blow from her aerial position.
It was evident that their current objective was clear: concentrate their forces, overwhelm her defenses, and eliminate the formidable opponent, Lina, first!
Seeing the perilous situation unfolding before him, Gin didn't hesitate for a single moment.
He abandoned his attempt to finish off Mr. 3 and, using Soru, darted straight toward Lina like lightning.
Clearly, he was rushing to her rescue.
At the same time, Mr. 1, who had been standing nearby, watching coldly, swiftly issued an order, his voice metallic and devoid of emotion.
"Mr. 2, stop him!"
Upon receiving the command, Mr. 2 immediately acted.
"Okama Kenpo: Kariyudou no Mori!"
As his words fell, his entire body began to sway unsteadily, moving like a drunkard, yet with hidden, intricate power.
His movements seemed erratic, unpredictable, but were actually precise and powerful with every strike, every kick, every pirouette.
More peculiarly, as he launched his dizzying attacks, two beautiful, ethereal swan phantoms materialized out of thin air, dancing gracefully alongside his physical assaults, adding a layer of disorienting beauty to his lethal technique.
As is widely known, when a top-tier swordsman reaches a certain profound level in their art, they can comprehend Sword Intent, which can manifest in various visual forms, much like Zoro's illusory dragons or Asuras.
The same principle, it seemed, applied to physical combat training.
It now appeared that Mr. 2's unique Okama Kenpo had clearly reached such a level, allowing him to project his fighting spirit into tangible forms.
In terms of innate talent and aptitude for pure combat, Lancelot mused, it was likely that no one else in Baroque Works surpassed Mr. 2.
After all, even Mr. 1's formidable combat power largely stemmed from the special, blade-transforming abilities granted by his Devil Fruit.
In contrast, Mr. 2 could compete with him relying solely on his exceptional, unorthodox physical combat skills.
Although, overall strength-wise, Mr. 2's combat power was slightly inferior to Mr. 1's durability and cutting power, his talent and capabilities were undeniable.
Therefore, when he launched his fierce, disorienting assault, even someone as capable and newly empowered as Gin found it difficult to break free and respond immediately.
He was trapped in a whirlwind of kicks, pirouettes, and phantom swans.
Meanwhile, the other remaining Baroque Works agents—Mr. 5 (recovered again), Ms. Valentine (hovering), and the injured Mr. 11—stepped forward without hesitation, forming an impenetrable defensive line in front of Zoro, preventing him from easily assisting Lina.
At this moment, Mr. 1's gaze was cold and deadly as he stared fixedly at Lancelot, a chilling, confident smirk curling at the corner of his mouth.
Clearly, after their previous brief encounter, he had resolved to ensure Lancelot would have absolutely no opportunity to rescue anyone this time.
Earlier, Lancelot, Gin, and Lina had coordinated seamlessly, successively defeating three of their opponents.
How could Mr. 1, the leader of this operation, let that slide?
Seeing Lancelot momentarily isolated, Mr. 1 thought to himself,
'Since these three are so formidable when working together, I'll focus my efforts on eliminating the relatively weaker Lina first, delivering a harsh, decisive counterblow!'
Just then, a furious roar echoed through the air.
"Santoryu: Tatsu Maki!"
It was Zoro.
He could no longer hold back.
Seeing Lina surrounded and Gin intercepted, he launched his attack.
Moving with lightning speed, he first clenched the white hilt of Wado Ichimonji firmly between his teeth, then gripped the newly acquired Yubashiri and Kashuu in each hand.
Instantly, a powerful, swirling tornado surged from his entire being.
"Whoosh..."
With a sharp, piercing sound cutting through the air, Zoro pushed off powerfully with his legs, propelling himself forward like a cannonball at astonishing speed.
As he closed in on the line of agents blocking his path, he suddenly swung his arms, twisting his body.
Wherever it passed, the Baroque Works agents were swept violently into the air by the overwhelming sword pressure.
Moreover, this terrifying whirlwind was incredibly powerful, simultaneously subjecting the unfortunate victims to both severe slashing damage from the rotating blades and the blunt force trauma of being blown away—a truly spectacular, devastating sight.
Most crucially, even Ms. Valentine, who had been hovering strategically in the air, couldn't escape being caught in the powerful updraft of Zoro's assault.
Those agents who had attempted to block Zoro's path were mere amateurs compared to him, completely overwhelmed by his explosive, wide-area offensive.
Not a single one emerged unscathed from his relentless assault, crashing back to the ground in broken, bleeding heaps.
At that exact moment, facing the combined assault of Mr. 3's spear, Miss Doublefinger's spike ball, and Mr. 5's booger bombs, Lina's expression turned exceptionally grave.
Her beautiful face tautened, as if every nerve in her body was stretched to its absolute limit.
This was, she realized, the first time in her life she had encountered such an unfavorable, multi-pronged battle situation... truly perilous.
Her beautiful, feline eyes instantly contracted to needle-sharp points, gleaming with a chilling, predatory light that made one's heart tremble.
Her hands tightened their grip on the twin hilts of Frost Demon and Flame Dragon, her knuckles white.
Her enhanced senses swept over the people and techniques attacking her from different directions—the spear from the front, the spike ball from the right, the bombs from the left, and the hovering threat from above.
In that instant, Lina became completely, utterly immersed in her own world.
The surrounding clamor, the battle cries, the explosions—they all seemed to gradually fade away, muffled and distant.
At this moment, in her eyes, the entire world appeared to consist only of herself and the two long swords she tightly held.
And, for some unknown, inexplicable reason, she suddenly developed an indescribable, marvelous connection with these twin blades, her family's legacy.
It felt as if they were extensions of her own soul, humming with a power that resonated deep within her.
This sensation made the blood throughout her body boil, and an unprecedented, thrilling excitement surged in her heart.
Suddenly, it felt as if something within her, a barrier she hadn't even known existed, had broken open.
A new level of understanding, a deeper connection to the 'breath' of her swords, flooded her senses.