A massive stone fist collided with the street, sending a shockwave through the city of Dressrosa. The impact was so violent that the entire ground seemed to leap into the air. Fortunately, very few citizens were directly beneath the strike, but the force of the blow knocked many people off their feet as they tried to flee the chaos.
High above the wreckage, Roronoa Zoro and Trafalgar Law used the moment of impact to leap onto the giant's hand. They didn't hesitate, sprinting upward along the massive stone arm toward the main body. Pica, sensing their movements through his connection to the stone, manipulated the giant to shake its limbs violently. He hoped to toss the two intruders into the streets below, but Zoro and Law were far too experienced to be dislodged so easily.
Within moments, the two reached the stone giant's broad shoulders.
"ROOM," Law commanded, his voice steady despite the height. "Slice!"
With a swift motion of his blade, Law used his Op-Op Fruit powers to sever the giant's arm and head in a single clean cut. While he knew this wouldn't actually hurt Pica, his goal was to dismantle the stone body piece by piece until the real officer had nowhere left to hide. Pica realized he was being flushed out and decided to stop hiding. He emerged directly from the stone shoulder to face them.
"So, you're Pica?" Zoro taunted, his voice dripping with disdain. "The one with the shrill voice that sounds more like a squeaky toy than a man?".
"Damn Pirate Hunter!" Pica shrieked in his high-pitched tone, his rage boiling over. "I'll kill you!".
Pica lunged forward, swinging a massive blade in a wide arc aimed directly at Zoro's head. Even though Zoro was smaller and still carrying injuries from previous battles, he didn't flinch. He was a swordsman, and he never backed down from a challenge. Zoro drew his swords, Shusui and Sandai Kitetsu, and met Pica's violent slash with a powerful block.
As their blades clashed, Zoro felt the immense weight behind Pica's attack. The man's physical strength was undeniable. Zoro realized that if he didn't take this fight seriously, he could actually lose. But losing wasn't an option he ever considered.
"You aren't Hawkeye, and you aren't a world-class swordsman like Vista or Shiryu," Zoro muttered to himself. "If I can't beat someone like you, then I have no business being on this crew.".
Zoro reached up, untied the bandana from his arm, and wrapped it solemnly around his head. He then drew Wado Ichimonji and gripped it firmly in his teeth, settling into his Three-Sword Style stance. In an instant, his aura shifted. He no longer looked like an injured man; he looked like a wild beast ready to hunt.
Seeing that Zoro was ready to finish this, Law silently retreated a few steps. He was happy to leave the stage to the two swordsmen.
Pica, blinded by his hatred for the crew, kept swinging his long sword in desperate, sweeping strikes that cut through the air. Zoro met every blow head-on, refusing to give an inch. Both men were fighters who relied on raw power, leading to a brutal exchange of strikes.
However, Pica wasn't just a swordsman; he was a Devil Fruit user. While clashing with Zoro, he secretly manipulated the stone beneath them.
"Stone Bite!" Pica yelled.
The stone directly behind Zoro shifted, forming the shape of a massive head that lunged forward to bite him. Zoro's Observation Haki alerted him just in time. He shoved Pica's sword back with a burst of strength and rolled across the stone shoulder, narrowly dodging the trap.
"Tch. You're lucky to be alive, Straw Hat," Pica complained.
"Why is it always these gimmicks?" Zoro said, sounding annoyed. "I'm tired of this.".
In Zoro's mind, a true swordsman relied on his blade. He had fought the likes of Dracule Mihawk and high-ranking Marines, but Pica reminded him of a circus performer rather than a warrior. He refused to let an "acrobatic" swordsman be the one to defeat him.
"Three-Sword Style: Tiger Hunt!".
"Three-Sword Style: One Hundred and Eighty Pound Phoenix!".
"Three-Sword Style: Gyuki Yuzume!".
Zoro unleashed a barrage of techniques, each one more powerful than the last. Unlike other fighters who focused on single strikes, Zoro's style was complex and relentless. His momentum forced Pica to stumble back, unable to keep up with the sheer pressure of the Three-Sword Style.
Realizing he was outmatched in a direct fight, Pica tried to dive back into the safety of the stone. But Law had been watching the whole time. Just as Pica began to sink into the rock, Law activated his ability and swapped Pica's position, teleporting him back onto the open ground.
"Damn it!" Pica gasped, finding himself trapped.
"Nice work, Tora-o," Zoro said with a smirk. "Now, you squeaky-voiced coward, stay put and let's finish this!".
While Zoro and Pica were locked in combat, Usopp and his group had just managed to exit the SMILE factory. Their relief was short-lived, however, as a group of Doflamingo's officers blocked their path. Among them were Dellinger, Lao G, Monet, Buffalo, and Baby 5.
Usopp immediately raised his slingshot, his heart racing. "The Doflamingo family officers? How did they get here so fast? Where are Sanji and the others!".
Kyros, standing on his one remaining leg, raised his longsword and pushed his daughter behind him.
"Father, I can fight too!" Rebecca cried out.
Kyros shook his head firmly. "Rebecca, I taught you how to fight so you could protect yourself while I was a toy and unable to save you. But things are different now. I am your father again, and I will not let your hands be stained with blood anymore!".
He turned toward Nami with a serious expression. "Lady Nami, please, look after Rebecca for me!".
Nami gave him a quick thumbs-up. "Don't worry, we've got her. Go take care of those guys!".
The Doflamingo officers didn't wait for them to finish talking. To them, the defeat of Sugar was an unforgivable failure, and they were determined to wipe out the Straw Hats to regain their honor.
Suddenly, Dellinger vanished from sight. A second later, he appeared directly in front of Usopp, delivering a sharp kick to his stomach with his high heels. Usopp staggered back, but before he could recover, Dellinger appeared behind him and kicked him again.
"Usopp!" Nami and Chopper screamed.
"You should worry about yourselves!" Monet interrupted.
She unleashed a massive wave of snow and freezing wind, covering the area around the factory gate. The temperature plummeted, leaving Nami and Rebecca shivering in the sudden blizzard. Kyros tried to rush toward Monet to stop her, but he was intercepted by Lao G and Baby 5. Meanwhile, Buffalo used the distraction to fly toward the factory entrance, clearly following a secret plan of his own.
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