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"Woohoohoo..."
The Next Morning
The sky was clear, the sun shining brightly.
Above the rolling waves of the open sea, a cloud—bearing the mark of the Panda brand—was speeding through the sky.
At that moment, the great panda Bai Long suddenly roused Shaka, who had been resting with his eyes closed on its back.
Yawning, Shaka opened his eyes, vaguely hearing the distant sound of gunfire. He asked, "Cannon fire? Are we under attack?"
"Chirp, chirp..."
Bai Long, half of its body transformed into cloud vapor, flew through the air. It manipulated the cloud matter into a large hand, pointing ahead while making excited chittering noises.
"Oh? A naval fleet?"
Stretching lazily, Shaka stood up and gazed into the distance. He spotted several warships flying the seagull-embroidered flags of the Marines, engaged in pursuit of another ship. Their cannons roared as they fired relentlessly.
"Hmm, looks like they're chasing another ship..."
Pulling out a spyglass, Shaka examined the vessel under fire and quickly realized that its crew wasn't made up of Marines. Instead, he spotted pirates—and even prisoners still wearing their inmate uniforms.
Having once read Robin's memories, Shaka immediately recognized them. A smirk crossed his face. "Interesting... If I remember correctly, those guys should be members of the Baroque Works, right?"
"Perfect, a chance to test out my Six Paths Staff!"
Grabbing the staff beside him, Shaka readied his weapon. The six golden rings attached to it jingled softly as he took aim at the fleet ahead.
A moment later—
An astonishing sight unfolded.
The golden staff suddenly began to change at an alarming speed. From its head, eight massive, grotesque serpent heads emerged. Their scaly bodies gleamed ominously in the sunlight.
Each of these snake heads had horns, and their expressions varied—some sneered mockingly, others bared their fangs in fury, some grinned wickedly, and a few exuded pure malice.
They seemed almost sentient, their eerie gazes enough to send chills down one's spine.
A low hum filled the air—
"Hummmm~~~"
The eight heads flicked their forked tongues before suddenly opening their enormous, fang-filled jaws wide.
From within their throats, rows of dark, ominous gun barrels appeared, shimmering with deadly energy.
Each serpent locked onto a different target.
In the blink of an eye—
"Whoosh! Whoosh!"
Blinding laser beams streaked through the sky, tearing through the air at terrifying speed.
On the naval warships, sailors who had been focused on chasing the Baroque Works ship were suddenly blinded by the dazzling light.
"What the—?"
"So bright! Is that sunlight?"
"No... The sun is on the other side..."
"What the hell is that?!"
On the lead battleship, a Marine Rear Admiral, draped in the iconic "Justice" coat, caught sight of the incoming laser barrage. His pupils shrank in shock, and his face went pale.
Cold sweat dripped down his forehead as he cried out in horror, "No mistake—it's Admiral Kizaru's laser beams!!!"
A split second later—
BOOM! BOOM!
Devastating laser beams slammed into the Marine ships.
The scorching heat instantly vaporized surrounding materials, triggering massive explosions that engulfed the fleet in fire and destruction.
"Woohoohoo..."
"AAAHHHH!"
The sea boiled with the aftermath.
Marines screamed as they were caught in the fiery blasts. The lead warship was torn in half, flames billowing skyward. Several smaller and mid-sized vessels were instantly obliterated, shattered into flaming wreckage.
"Hmm, not bad!"
Watching the destruction unfold, Shaka chuckled, pleased with the results.
The eight serpent heads, their barrels still steaming, retracted in an instant, smoothly returning to the form of the unassuming Six Paths Staff.
It was as if nothing had happened—like the terrifying scene moments ago had been nothing more than an illusion.
Meanwhile, aboard the lone surviving ship—the one carrying the Baroque Works fugitives—
"What just happened?!"
"Those warships... They just exploded out of nowhere!"
"Gulp! Is this divine intervention?"
"Damn it, Mr. 2 got captured! He didn't make it out!"
Mr. 5, Miss Doublefinger, Miss Goldenweek, and Miss Valentine—among others—stood frozen in shock, mouths hanging open. Just moments ago, they had been certain of their doom.
Yet somehow, they were still alive.
"Not divine intervention—just me looking out for you!"
A voice echoed from above.
The Panda-brand cloud descended, and Shaka peered down at them from his perch.
"Who... Who are you?!"
"A flying panda?!"
"Is he a Devil Fruit user?!"
"Wait... The guy on its back... He's so cool!"
The Baroque Works fugitives gawked in astonishment at Shaka and Bai Long. They had never seen anything like this before.
Miss Doublefinger, despite still being in her prison garb, bowed deeply in gratitude. "Sir, was it you who saved us just now? We can't thank you enough!"
Shaka crossed his arms, looking down at them with an unreadable expression. "Don't thank me just yet... You lot are from Baroque Works, aren't you?"
"Yes..."
Miss Doublefinger and the others tensed up, feeling uneasy. But they dared not lie.
"We were trying to rescue the former Warlord of the Sea, 'Crocodile'—our boss, Mr. 0. But the Marines caught onto us, and he refused to leave with us. We had no choice but to hijack a warship and escape on our own!"
She sighed. "Even after breaking out of the Marine base, they wouldn't stop chasing us... If not for you, we would've been finished back there!"
Her frustration was evident.
Originally, their leader, Crocodile, could've escaped with them. But for some reason, he stubbornly refused, rejecting their rescue attempt outright.
They had no choice but to leave him behind.
"....."