The moment I saw Miss Valentine spin her parasol toward Vivi while Mr. 5 kept Luffy occupied, my hand moved to the bottle at my waist with instinctive movement.
'Right. Because apparently, we've reached the "do now think later" phase of this rescue operation.'
CLICK! WHOOSH!
I pulled out the Hamon Ether bottle, the half-gas half half-liquid substance inside glowing faintly in the moonlight as my own Ripple energy flowed into it, then I added the Barbossa sword's control to get a full grasp of the Ether.
The Ether responded immediately to my will, flowing out of the bottle in a stream of golden light.
SWIRL! SHINE!
The liquid began forming that characteristic circular pattern in the air behind the motorcycle—my Hamon circle taking shape with geometric intricacy.
'This better work, because Plan B involves a lot of falling, screaming, and probably dying.'
"Zoro! Sanji! Usopp!" I called out, my voice cutting through the engine noise and wind. "The moment we're close enough, you three take out those agents before we hit the ground!"
The silence that followed was profound.
Then—
"HIT THE GROUND?!" Usopp's voice cracked so hard it could have shattered glass. "DID YOU SAY 'HIT THE GROUND'?! AS IN, WE'RE GOING TO BE FALLING?!"
"Obviously," I replied, already channeling Hamon through the circle. "What goes up must come down. I thought even you would know that."
"THAT'S NOT THE POINT!" The sniper's grip on Zoro tightened even further, which I didn't think was physically possible.
"Yes," I confirmed, feeling the Hamon circle pulse behind us as it reached critical mass. "I'm going to use all the Ether in this bottle to create enough wind force to propel this motorcycle upward like a rocket."
"You would have approximately fifteen seconds to eliminate two targets before gravity reasserts itself," I half ignored the scared sniper as I continued.
"That's the plan. Questions?"
SHIMMER! GLOW!
The Hamon circle behind us had reached full power, the golden energy crackling with barely contained force. I could feel the wind beginning to gather, responding to my will through the Ripple energy.
Zoro's expression had shifted from resigned acceptance to something approaching interest.
"You're planning to launch us into the air."
It wasn't a question.
"That's insane," Sanji said, but his tone carried more curiosity than objection as he lit a cigarette, getting ready for what it is to come.
"I have SEVERAL questions!" Usopp shrieked. "Starting with 'ARE YOU INSANE' and ending with 'NO SERIOUSLY, ARE YOU COMPLETELY INSANE?!'"
'Yes. The answer to both questions is yes. I'm about to launch a motorcycle into the sky using magical wind powers while my crewmates fight flying assassins mid-air. This is insanity. But it's our insanity, and we're committed now.'
"Don't worry," I said, my voice carrying false confidence that wouldn't have fooled anyone with functioning brain cells.
"I'll figure out how to get us down safely."
"YOU'LL FIGURE IT OUT?!" Usopp's voice had climbed into ranges typically reserved for panicked dolphins. "THAT'S NOT A PLAN! YOU BASTARD!"
Above us, I could see the battle unfolding. Luffy was still exchanging blows with Mr. 5, explosive detonations lighting up the night sky like violent fireworks.
But Miss Valentine had broken off, her parasol spinning as she dove toward Vivi's position.
WHOOSH-WHOOSH-WHOOSH!!!
The telltale sound of her preparing another wind slash.
'No more time. Either we act now, or Vivi becomes a cautionary tale about the dangers of flying carpets and political intrigue.'
I activated the circle.
'Hamon—Wind Cannon! Full Power!'
VRRRROOOOOOOOOOO—WHOOOOOOOOSH!!!!
The effect was immediate and spectacular.
The Hamon circle behind the motorcycle erupted with golden wind, the compressed air exploding outward with enough force to qualify as a cannon.
The entire bottle's worth of Ether burned away in a single, devastating burst.
The motorcycle didn't accelerate. It didn't gradually lift off.
It launched.
KAAAABOOOOOM!!!!
"UWWWAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!"
The collective scream from my three passengers was probably audible on the next island over. Possibly the next three islands over.
'Note to self: warn people before initiating rocket-assisted vehicular flight. Though in my defense, they should have expected this kind of thing by now.'
The ground fell away beneath us with startling speed. Buildings blurred past, the plaza became a distant memory, and suddenly we were airborne—genuinely, impossibly, magnificently airborne.
The wind roared past us like an angry titan, tearing at our clothes and hair. The motorcycle vibrated with the sheer force of our ascent, the Barbossa sword's control barely keeping us stable.
"THIS IS INSANE!" Zoro shouted over the wind, but I caught the edge of excitement in his voice. "YOU MIGHT ACTUALLY BE AS INSANE AS LUFFY!!!"
"I KNOW!" I shouted back, already calculating trajectories and timing. "AND I AM NOT LIKING IT!!!"
'Not At All. It's terrifying. But my survival instinct seems to have gone on permanent vacation since joining this crew, so here we are, rocketing into the sky on a motorcycle powered by magical wind.'
VRRRRRRRRROOOOOO!!!!!! WHOOOOOOOOSH!!!!!
We shot upward like a missile, the golden wind from the Hamon circle propelling us higher and higher. The town of Whiskey Peak spread out below us, a miniature model of buildings and streets lit by scattered fires and moonlight.
And ahead of us—
The aerial battle came into focus with startling clarity.
Luffy, still in his balloon form, was trading explosive punches with Mr. 5. Each impact created small detonations that lit up both fighters in bursts of orange flame.
Miss Valentine had already launched her attack on Vivi.
And Vivi herself—falling, her face pale with terror, Karoo's unconscious form tumbling beside her as gravity claimed them both.
'Seven seconds. Maybe ten. That's how long until multiple people die and this rescue becomes a recovery mission.'
"GET READY!" I shouted, feeling the motorcycle's ascent begin to slow as the wind cannon's power depleted. "WHEN I GIVE THE SIGNAL, YOU THREE GO!"
"GO WHERE?!" Usopp's voice cracked. "WE'RE IN THE SKY! THERE'S NOWHERE TO—"
"THERE!" I pointed at the aerial combatants. "Sanji, you take Mr. 5 and help Luffy! Zoro, Miss Valentine is yours! Usopp, provide support fire and try not to die!"
'Solid tactical planning. Distribute targets based on capabilities, maintain fire superiority through coordinated assault, and definitely don't mention the part where we're all going to fall after this.'
The motorcycle reached the apex of its arc, momentum carrying us level with the aerial battle. For one perfect moment, we were flying—genuinely flying—suspended in the night sky with the nearly complete moon behind us.
'This is it. The moment of truth. Either this works, or we become meat paste. No pressure.'
"NOW!" I barked. "GO!"
And then I jumped.
WHOOSH!
I kicked off from the motorcycle's seat, my body launching forward toward Vivi's falling form. The Barbossa sword came out in the same motion, already channeling my will through its mystical connection.
Behind me, I heard—
CRACK!
"ANTI-MANNER KICK COURSE!" Sanji's voice carried across the sky, followed by the explosive sound of his leg propelling him toward Mr. 5 like a guided missile.
WHOOSH! SHING!
"THREE-SWORD STYLE!" Zoro's battle cry accompanied the distinctive sound of three blades being drawn mid-air.
"WAAAHHHHHHH!!!" Usopp's scream suggested he was still processing the concept of voluntary flight.
But I couldn't focus on them anymore. My attention had narrowed to a single point—the falling princess, her eyes wide with terror as the ground rushed up to meet her.
The Barbossa sword pulsed with power, and the motorcycle behind me—the vehicle that had somehow gotten us this far—simply... disappeared.
SHIMMER! FWOOSH!
The entire machine compressed, folded in on itself, and flowed into the now-empty Hamon Ether bottle at my waist with a sound like rushing water.
'Thank God for magical swords that treat reality as optional. Now I just need to reach the falling princess before gravity introduces her to the ground at lethal swiftness.'
I adjusted my dive angle, arms streamlining my body as I cut through the air. The wind tore at my cloak, making it billow behind me like a cape.
Below, Vivi's eyes met mine.
And in that moment, I saw everything—the terror, the desperate hope, the disbelief that the people she'd tried to kill hours ago were now risking their lives to save her.
'Yeah. I don't understand it either, princess. Welcome to the Straw Hat Pirates, where grudges last about five minutes and loyalty is apparently contagious.'
———
Luffy and Sanji's Third Person POV
———
WHAM! KABOOM!
Luffy's rubber fist connected with Mr. 5's explosive nose projectile, the detonation creating a burst of flame and smoke that briefly obscured both fighters.
"Shishishi!" Luffy laughed, his balloon body bobbing in the air. "What is it? You keep running away! Are you this scared?"
'He is slippery,' he thought, inflating himself more to maintain altitude. 'He just keeps moving and throwing exploding things! I can't get close enough to punch him properly!'
Mr. 5 hovered several meters away, using small explosions from his feet to maintain position. His sunglasses were cracked now, his coat singed, but his expression held professional focus.
"You're resilient, I'll give you that," the bomber said, already reaching for his hair. "But resilience means nothing against overwhelming firepower—"
CRACK! WHOOSH!
"—WHAT?!"
Sanji appeared out of nowhere—literally nowhere, having launched himself from the motorcycle like a missile—his leg already cocked back in a devastating kick position.
The cook's face was set in grim determination, his cigarette somehow still in place despite the violence of his flight.
"COLLIER SHOOT!"
WHAM! KABOOM!
His foot connected with Mr. 5's neck, and the explosion that followed was immediate and spectacular. The bomber's own Devil Fruit power activated reflexively, trying to cushion the impact, but Sanji had already kicked off, using the detonation's force to propel himself away.
"Oi, Luffy!" Sanji called out, somehow sounding casual despite being airborne. "Use yourself as a platform! I need to finish this guy fast!"
"Eh?" Luffy blinked, his balloon body rotating to face the cook. "But I can handle—"
"The princess is falling!" Sanji interrupted, and there was genuine urgency in his voice now. "We need to end this NOW so I can save her before that magic bastard does!"
'Oh,' Luffy thought. 'Right. The pretty lady is in danger. And Sanji really wants to save her.'
"Okay! Let's do it!" Luffy said while grinning.
WHOOSH! EXPAND!
Luffy inflated himself even more, his balloon body becoming a massive sphere of rubber that floated in the air like a beach ball from hell.
His arms and legs stuck out at odd angles, and his face was stretched comically wide, but his grin never wavered.
"Use me as a springboard!" he called out. "I'll launch you!"
Sanji landed on Luffy's balloon stomach with perfect precision, his feet sinking slightly into the rubber surface. He took a long drag from his cigarette, smoke trailing upward, and his expression shifted into something cold and focused.
"You'd better hold still," the cook muttered.
"I can't really move when I'm like this!" Luffy replied cheerfully.
BOOOO!!!
Sanji kicked off—literally kicked off—his leg compressing against Luffy's rubber body like a spring being compressed.
And then—
SNAP! WHOOOOSH!
Luffy's rubber stomach snapped back, launching Sanji like a catapult launching a very stylish, very angry projectile.
SPIN-SPIN-SPIN-SPIN!!!!
The cook spun through the air, his body rotating like a top, gaining speed and momentum with each rotation.
"WHAT—" Mr. 5 barely had time to react before the spinning chef was upon him.
FOO-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM!!!!!
The bomber tried to defend himself, reaching up to take a bit of his hair and throw it for wide explosive bombardment—
FWIP! FWIP! FWIP!
—but Sanji was spinning too fast. Each time Mr. 5 threw his projectiles, the cook had already rotated to a new position. The explosive projectiles flew through empty air, detonating harmlessly as Sanji's spin continued.
'How Is He—HOW COULD HE—?!' Mr. 5's mind raced, trying to track the rotating target.
'This is impossible!'
WHOOSH! CRACK!
"ROTISSERIE!" Sanji's voice cut through the wind as his rotation reached maximum speed.
His legs began striking—not in sequence, but in a blur of coordinated impacts that defied human reaction time.
CRACK-CRACK-CRACK-CRACK-CRACK!!!!!
"SHOT!"
Each kick connected with a different part of Mr. 5's body—arms, legs, torso, head—the impacts coming so fast they seemed simultaneous.
The bomber's explosive defense activated reflexively, each point of contact detonating in small bursts—
BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM!!!!
—but Sanji was already spinning away from each explosion, using the force to accelerate his rotation even further.
'This is—this is a cooking technique,' Mr. 5 realized with dawning horror. 'He's treating me like meat on a spit, rotating and striking from all angles to ensure even—'
CRACK!
The final kick caught Mr. 5 square in the chest, Sanji's full spinning momentum channeled into a single point of impact.
KABOOM!
The explosion was massive—Mr. 5's most powerful defensive detonation yet—but Sanji had already kicked off, using the blast to propel himself away with stylish agility.
Mr. 5's body went limp, consciousness fleeing as his eyes rolled back. His sunglasses finally fell off, tumbling away as gravity claimed both the bomber and his eyewear.
FWOOSH!
"Thanks for the cooking fire," Sanji announced, holding his cigarette with his hand, releasing a puff of smoke, trying to look cool. "Now the meal is served."
His mouth said that, but his eyes were already scanning the sky for Vivi's position.
'Now, did you see that, my princess—!'
His eyes found her.
And his expression shifted from professional satisfaction to horror.
"THAT DAMN SHITIGAYA!!!!" Sanji's voice climbed several octaves.
———
Zoro and Usopp's Third Person POV
———
WHOOSH! SHING!
Zoro shot through the air like a bullet, all three swords drawn and gleaming in the moonlight.
His target—Miss Valentine—was twenty meters ahead, her parasol spinning as she prepared another wind slash.
SLAAASH!
His swords traced through the air, aiming for the woman's midsection—
WHOOSH!
—but Miss Valentine twisted mid-flight with infuriating ease, her parasol acting like a rudder to adjust her position.
"Too violent!" she called out mockingly, her high-pitched laugh grating on Zoro's nerves.
'Tch. She's more mobile than I thought. The parasol isn't the problem—it is her ability to change her weight.'
Miss Valentine's leg came around in a devastating arc, her body spinning with practiced grace.
"LEMON SLICER!!!"
WHOOSH-WHOOSH-WHOOSH!!!!
SLAAAAASSSHH!!!!
The wind blade erupted from her kick, a crescent of compressed air that screamed toward Zoro with enough force to cleave stone.
'Here it comes. The same attack she used on the princess. Time to see if my swords can handle it.'
SHING! CLANG!
Zoro brought all three blades up in a crossing guard, the steel meeting the wind slash with a sound like thunder.
BOOM! CRACK!
The impact was massive. The compressed air crashed against his swords like a physical wall, the force driving him backward through the sky.
'Strong! Way stronger than I expected from a kick!'
His arms shook from the impact, muscles straining to maintain his guard as the wind slash pushed him back, back, back—
And then—
"UWAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!!!"
Usopp's scream pierced the night, his voice climbing into frequencies that probably violated several laws of nature.
The sniper was still clinging to Zoro—somehow, despite everything—his arms wrapped around the swordsman's waist, his face pressed against Zoro's back, his entire body vibrating with terror.
'Right. Forgot about the deadweight.'
They were falling now. The momentum from Zoro's jump had been completely negated by Miss Valentine's wind slash, and gravity was happily reasserting itself.
WHOOOOSH!
Wind rushed past them as they plummeted, the ground growing larger with each passing second.
"STOP SCREAMING!" Zoro barked, annoyed beyond measure. "It's distracting!"
"DISTRACTING?!" Usopp's voice cracked so hard it could have split atoms. "WE'RE FALLING! WE'RE FALLING AND WE'RE GOING TO DIE AND YOU'RE WORRIED ABOUT BEING DISTRACTED?!"
"Yes," Zoro replied flatly. "If I'm going to die, I'd prefer to do it without someone shrieking in my ear."
"HOW ARE YOU SO CALM?!" Usopp's grip tightened even further. "THIS IS INSANE! WE'RE FALLING TO OUR DEATHS AND YOU'RE ACTING LIKE IT'S A CASUAL STROLL!"
Above them, Miss Valentine's mocking laugh echoed through the sky.
Something in Zoro's expression shifted. His jaw clenched, his eyes narrowed, and when he spoke, his voice carried absolute conviction.
"If I can't defeat her right now," he said, more to himself than Usopp, "then I'd rather die. As a pirate. As a swordsman. I'd rather die than live knowing I was bested in cutting by someone who isn't a swordsman."
The words hung in the air, heavy with determination and promise.
Usopp's screaming stopped.
Just... stopped.
The sniper's grip on Zoro remained tight, but his body went still, his breathing ragged but controlled.
'Damn…every one of them…acting all cool like this…' Usopp thought, shame flooding through him.
He remembered every one of his friends bravely throwing themselves into danger. Even Hachiman, the supposedly cautious one, still had his reckless streak.
'What brave warrior of the sea? All of what I'm doing is screaming like a child, while my friends are putting their lives on the line…'
"Damn it…"
He cursed under his breath while clenching his teeth.
Then—
"Zoro," Usopp's voice was different now. Still scared, still shaking, but carrying something else beneath the fear.
"Hold on," the sniper shouted. "This is going to hurt!"
'Damn It All!!'
He unwrapped his arms from Zoro's torso, his legs coming around to lock around the swordsman's waist from behind.
"Huh? Hey, What Are—" Zoro started.
STRETCH!
"If you want to defeat that woman that badly..." Usopp's hands moved with practiced speed as he spoke, his slingshot coming out and aiming downward behind them.
"...then I'll become your wings."
THUNK! THUNK! FWIP!
Two projectiles shot from his slingshot, streaking downward like falling stars.
Zoro had just enough time to think 'What is he—' before—
KABOOM! BOOM!
The two explosive shots collided mid-air below them, their combined detonation creating a massive fireball that erupted like a volcano.
WHOOOOSH!!!
The shockwave hit them from below with the force of a giant's slap, reversing their downward momentum in an instant.
Both Zoro and Usopp were launched upward—not falling anymore, but rising, propelled by the explosive force beneath them.
"GYAAAAHHH!!!" Usopp screamed again, but this time it was mixed with manic laughter.
"IT WORKED! IT ACTUALLY WORKED!"
Above them, Miss Valentine's expression shifted from mocking superiority to genuine shock.
"What—they are using explosions to—?!"
"YEAH!" Usopp called up, his voice carrying false bravado that was approximately forty percent confidence and sixty percent hysteria.
"IT'S NOT JUST YOUR PARTNER WHO CAN DO THAT!"
STRETCH! THUNK!
Usopp aimed again, this time at an angle, firing another explosive shot to propel them horizontally toward Miss Valentine.
KABOOM!
The detonation pushed them sideways through the air, their trajectory curving to intercept the flying assassin.
Miss Valentine's face twisted with anger. She gripped her parasol's handle, clearly preparing to use it to dodge—
THUNK! FWIP!
"Not this time!" Usopp's voice cracked as he fired one more shot.
KABOOM!
The explosive projectile struck Miss Valentine's parasol directly, the impact tearing through the fabric and metal frame.
CRACK! SNAP! TEAR!
The parasol exploded into fragments—wood splinters, torn fabric, bent metal—all of it scattering across the sky like confetti.
Miss Valentine's eyes went wide with genuine fear as her primary means of aerial mobility disintegrated.
She was stranded now. Just another falling object, no different from any other victim of gravity.
"Zoro!" Usopp's voice was firm. "It's okay now! Go!"
The swordsman didn't need to be told twice.
FLIP!
He used Usopp as a foothold—literally planting his foot on the sniper's shoulder while tying his bandana—and kicked off with enough force to launch himself forward like a cannonball.
"GYAH!" Usopp yelped at the sudden pressure. "A WARNING WOULD HAVE BEEN NICE!"
But Zoro was already gone, shooting toward Miss Valentine with three swords gleaming.
The assassin's face twisted with desperate fury. Her leg came up one final time, putting everything she had into one last attack.
"YOU THINK YOU'VE WON?!" Her voice climbed with hysteria. "I'LL CUT YOU AND YOUR PATHETIC FRIEND INTO PIECES!"
WHOOSH-WHOOSH-WHOOSH!
"DIE!" she screamed. "TEN THOUSAND KILO—!"
Her body spun, building rotational energy, her leg beginning that familiar arc—
"—FULL LEMOON SLICER!!!"
SLAAAAAAAAAAAASSSSSSSHHHHHHHH!
The wind slash that erupted was massive—easily twice the size of her previous attacks. A crescent of compressed air that screamed through the night sky with enough force to cut buildings in half.
Zoro's eyes narrowed.
'Perfect,' Zoro thought, and something clicked in his mind.
'She's shown me the principle. Force compressed into cutting motion. Distance irrelevant. It's not about the blade touching the target—it's about the force reaching them.'
His swords adjusted, finding angles he'd never tried before. Wado Ichimonji, Sandai Kitetsu, Yubashiri—all three blades moving in perfect synchronization.
'I am going to cut the air. Going to create distance without distance. Going to show this woman what a real swordsman can do.'
"TATSUMAKI—!"
WHOOOOSH!!
The three blades traced arcs through the air, each one perfect, each one precise, each one carrying not just physical force but something more—intent given form, will made manifest, determination sharpened to an edge finer than any steel.
"—HOU!"
SLAAAAAAAASSSSSHHHHH!!!!
His own wind slash erupted—smaller than Miss Valentine's, less refined, rougher around the edges—but undeniably real.
Three crescents of compressed air, spinning around each other like a helix, racing toward the assassin's attack with speed that defied human perception.
CRACK! BOOM!
The two wind slashes collided mid-air.
For a heartbeat, they struggled—Miss Valentine's massive attack trying to overwhelm Zoro's first attempt, raw power versus focused will.
Then—
SHATTER!
Both attacks exploded, compressed air decompressing violently, creating a shockwave that rippled outward in all directions.
But Zoro was already through it.
WHOOSH! FLASH!
He shot through the dissipating wind, his body a blur of motion, his three swords positioned in a formation he'd been practicing for months but never successfully executed until this exact moment.
Miss Valentine's eyes went wide. Her mouth opened to scream, but no sound emerged.
Because Zoro was already past her.
"HAWK—!" All three swords came up in a formation that resembled a bird of prey's talons. "—HUNTER!"
SLASH! SLASH! SLASH!
Three simultaneous cuts—so fast they seemed like one, so precise they left no room for defense, so powerful they carried Zoro's full strength and momentum behind them.
Miss Valentine's body went rigid.
Her eyes rolled back.
And consciousness fled like a thief in the night.
"How..." she whispered, the word barely audible. "How did you..."
Then she was falling, defeated, joining Mr. 5 in their rapid descent toward the ground.
———
Vivi's Third Person POV
———
Nefertari Vivi was falling.
The wind tore at her clothing, her hair whipped around her face, and the ground rushed up to meet her with the inevitability of measured certainty.
She was going to die.
After two years of infiltrating Baroque Works, after learning the Boss's identity, after risking her life repeatedly and going through all of this danger for a chance—just a chance—to save her kingdom—
She was going to die falling from the sky, killed by assassins from the organization she'd been trying to expose.
'I'm sorry, Father,' she thought, tears streaming from her eyes. 'I'm sorry, Karoo. I'm sorry, Igaram. I tried. I really tried. But I wasn't strong enough. Wasn't good enough. Wasn't—'
And then—
KABOOM! BOOM! WHOOSH!
Explosions erupted in the sky above her. Not attacking her—attacking her attackers.
A figure in black shot past, spinning like a top, his legs a blur of devastating kicks that drove Mr. 5 backward in a display of martial prowess that seemed impossible.
Another figure—green-haired, wielding three swords—created a wind slash of his own, matching Miss Valentine's technique and then surpassing it.
And a third figure, long-nosed and terrified but somehow still fighting, using his long-ranged weapon to make an opening for his champion while using explosives to propel them up.
And behind him—
The moon.
Nearly complete, hanging in the sky like a silver spotlight, framing the entire scene in ethereal light.
And a man with stretchy limbs, with the nearly completed moon behind him, looking like some kind of mythical figure from folklore stories.
And then—
WHOOSH!
A fifth figure appeared, diving through the air with great speed. His cloak billowed behind him like a cape, his hat stayed impossibly fixed on his head despite the wind, and his expression—
His expression held grim determination mixed with what might have been annoyance at the entire situation.
However, his hand extended, looking like he'd stepped directly out of a hero's tale, the kind her late mother told her before bed.
Vivi couldn't breathe.
Not from falling. Not from fear.
But from the sheer impossibility, the incredible splendor of what she was witnessing.
These people—these pirates who she'd tried to capture just hours ago, who she'd deceived and attempted to hand them over to the Marines—were risking their lives to save her.
The image burned itself into her mind with perfect clarity.
Every detail. Every color. Every impossible angle and impossible feat.
The picture would be engraved in her memory forever—a snapshot of the moment when her despair transformed into hope, when certain death became possible salvation.
When five pirates she'd tried to kill decided to save her anyway.
'What kind of people are you?' she wondered, her eyes locked on Hachiman's approaching form. 'What kind of pirates risk everything for someone who deceived them?'
She didn't have an answer.
But she really wants to find out.
———
Hachiman's First Person POV
———
WHOOOOSH!
I cut through the air like a knife through butter, my body streamlined, my cloak billowing behind me in a way that was probably dramatic but felt more like fighting against a particularly aggressive parachute.
'Eight meters. Six. Four—'
CATCH!
My arms wrapped around Vivi's falling form, pulling her against my chest in what romance novels would probably call a "princess carry" and what I would call "the only way to hold a person while falling that doesn't result in dropped princesses."
Her eyes were wide—not with fear anymore, but with something else. Wonder, maybe? Disbelief? The expression people got when they realized the universe had stopped making sense?
'Yeah, I get that a lot.'
"I've got you," I said, my voice barely audible over the wind. "You're safe now."
'Relatively safe. We're still falling. But safe from the assassins, at least, which is an improvement over thirty seconds ago.'
Vivi's mouth opened, but no words came out. She just stared at me, her face cycling through about fifteen different emotions in the span of two seconds.
'Processing shock. Understandable. She did just watch five pirates perform aerial acrobatics that violated several laws of physics to save her life. I'd be shocked too.'
But we were still falling.
WHOOOOSH!
The ground was getting closer—much closer—and I needed to slow our descent before we discovered exactly what terminal velocity felt like in person.
'Alright. Time to test a theory I've had for approximately five minutes. This will either be brilliant or catastrophically stupid, and I'm really hoping for the former.'
I channeled Hamon through my body, golden energy crackling along my arms and chest where Vivi was pressed against me.
BZZZZT! CRACKLE!
Then I pushed the Ripple energy outward—not into Vivi, but into my cloak.
The fabric responded immediately, the material that I'd reinforced with Hamon countless times before now serving a completely different purpose.
'Hamon's repelling ability. If I can generate enough repelling force through the cloak, make it push against the air around us—'
WHOOOOSH! BILLOW!
The cloak expanded, spreading out like a makeshift parachute. But more than that, the Hamon energy flowing through it created a field of repulsion, pushing against the air itself, generating resistance that shouldn't exist.
Our descent slowed dramatically.
Not stopped—I didn't have nearly enough Hamon output for that—but slowed. From "certain death" to "probably broken bones" to "maybe just really unpleasant."
'It's working. Holy shit, it's actually working. Luffy's stupid suggestion about making fabric fly wasn't completely insane after all.'
Vivi's eyes went even wider, her gaze fixed on the glowing cloak that was somehow defying gravity.
"You're..." she breathed, her voice barely audible. "You're really a sorcerer."
'No, I'm an idiot with a magical energy system from a different universe who's improvising his way through life-threatening situations. But sure, let's go with the sorcerer. It's simpler to explain.'
"Something like that," I replied, keeping my voice level despite the massive Hamon drain I was experiencing.
WHOOOOSH!
We continued falling—slower now, but still falling. The ground was perhaps twenty meters away, and at this rate, we'd land hard but survivably.
'Good enough. I can work with—'
"KAROO!" Vivi's scream was pure anguish, her hand reaching out toward something above us that was going to overtake us.
'What—'
I followed her gaze and immediately saw the problem.
Karoo—the giant duck, still unconscious due to my Gryffindor sword strike—was falling separately, its body tumbling through the air like a very large, very wounded feathered projectile.
'Right. The duck. The ghost duck with the chest wound. Of course.'
Vivi was struggling in my arms now, trying to reach toward her companion despite the impossibility of doing so.
"Karoo! No! Please wake up! Please—"
'Damn it.'
I shifted my grip on Vivi with one arm—which was significantly harder than it sounded while maintaining Hamon flow through a cloak and falling—and reached for my custom flintlock with my free hand.
CLICK!
The pistol came out smooth, my fingers finding the familiar grip.
"What are you—" Vivi started, then her eyes went wide with horror as she saw the weapon. "NO! DON'T—"
CRACKLE! BZZZZT!
I channeled Hamon into the pistol, golden energy flowing through the metal and into the specialized ammunition I'd loaded earlier.
'Four shots. I have four shots, and this needs to work perfectly, or I'm going to be known as "the guy who shot a princess's pet duck amid the heroic rescue." That's not the reputation I want.'
BANG!
The first shot rang out, the Hamon-charged rubber bullet streaking toward Karoo's falling form like a golden meteor.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
Three more shots in rapid succession, each one tracking the duck's tumbling trajectory with precision that came from two years of practice and desperation.
"NO!" Vivi's scream was pure anguish. "YOU'RE KILLING HIM! WHY WOULD YOU—"
The bullets hit.
IMPACT! FLASH!
All four struck Karoo's unconscious body in perfect sequence—chest wound, wing wound, two more for good measure.
Golden light erupted from each impact point, Hamon energy flooding into the duck's system like liquid fire.
"What are you doing?!" Vivi's voice had climbed into hysterical ranges. "You just shot—you just—"
"Relax," I said, keeping my tone deliberately calm despite the situation. "They're healing bullets, look…"
The golden light intensified around Karoo's wounds, Hamon energy working its supernatural healing properties.
The chest wound—the deep cut from my Gryffindor sword—began closing.
The wing wound followed, feathers regrowing, muscles reknitting, bones setting themselves properly.
"That's..." Vivi's voice was barely a whisper. "That's impossible."
'Join the club, princess. I've been living in "impossible" for two years now. You get used to it.'
And then—
"Quack...?"
Karoo's eyes snapped open, consciousness flooding back with the confusion typical of a duck who'd just been shot four times with healing bullets while falling from the sky.
"QUACK?!" The duck's voice climbed several octaves as it processed its situation.
Namely: falling from the sky at terminal velocity.
"QUACK-QUACK-QUACK-QUACK!" Panic set in immediately.
'Yeah, that's about the reaction I expected. "Hey, you're alive again! Also, you're plummeting to your death! Surprise!"'
But Karoo was a Devil Fruit user, and panic apparently triggered instinct.
SHIMMER! PHASE!
The duck's body turned translucent, its physical form becoming ghostly and insubstantial.
Then it dove—not down toward the ground, but sideways through the air, its intangible form moving with purpose toward—
The flying carpet.
The fabric that had been falling separately suddenly jerked, coming alive as Karoo's consciousness flowed into it.
GLOW! WHOOSH!
Blue light erupted around the carpet as the possession took hold, the possessed fabric immediately stabilizing its flight and shooting toward Vivi and me.
"Karoo!" Vivi's voice was half-sob, half-laugh. "You're alive! You're—you're okay!"
The carpet was flying toward us, trying to position itself beneath us like a flying platform.
But there is no need to, there is someone else who needs it.
"We are alright," I said, pointing toward where Zoro and Usopp were still falling, their screams audible even from this distance. "Go get those two idiots before they crater into the ground."
The carpet hesitated for just a moment—probably Karoo processing whether he should trust the man who'd cut him and then shot him with healing bullets—then shot off toward the falling duo.
WHOOSH!
Within seconds, the carpet had positioned itself beneath the swordsman and sniper, catching them mid-fall.
"GYAAAHHH—wait, we stopped falling?" Usopp's voice carried genuine confusion.
"The flying carpet caught us," Zoro replied, and I could hear the relief in his tone even if he'd never admit it.
"The genie duck came back."
"THANK YOU, GENIE DUCK!"
Meanwhile, I could see Luffy and Sanji in another part of the sky. The cook had apparently made his way back to our balloon captain, and Luffy was using his inflated body to slow their descent like the world's most ridiculous parachute.
"Shishishi!" Luffy's laughter echoed across the plaza. "That is so Cool! I want to ride that flying carpet!!!"
"Not now, you idiot!" Sanji shouted back. "Damn it! THAT MAGIC BASTARD STOLE MY HEROIC MOMENT!!!"
'I didn't steal anything. I just happened to be the one diving toward the falling princess because someone needed to, and you were busy fighting the bomber. But sure, let's make this about your ego, cook.'
We were all falling in a controlled descent toward the ground.
Everything seemed under control. The assassins were defeated, Vivi was safe, nobody had died from falling, and we'd managed to pull off an aerial rescue that would probably become an embarrassing story I'd have to hear about for years.
FWOOOOSH!
The sound of wings—large wings—cut through the air above us.
My Mantra pinged immediately.
'Oh, you've got to be kidding me.'
I looked up, already knowing what I'd see but hoping I was wrong.
The vulture.
The same ridiculous vulture from earlier—the one with the pilot helmet and sunglasses, because apparently even assassination support animals needed to look stylish in this world.
And on its back, the otter—equally ridiculous, equally determined, looking extremely pleased with itself.
They were diving.
Not toward us.
Toward the falling forms of Mr. 5 and Miss Valentine.
WHOOSH! GRAB!
The vulture's talons closed around both defeated agents with practiced precision, catching them mid-fall like this was a routine pickup.
FLAP! FLAP! FLAP!
The bird's wings beat powerfully, halting the descent and beginning a rapid climb.
"HEY!" Usopp's voice carried indignation. "THAT'S NOT FAIR! WE DEFEATED THEM!"
"Let them go," Zoro said, his hand moving away from his sword hilts. "They're not worth chasing."
'He's right. We'd have to pursue them through the air, which means relying on Karoo, who's injured and probably exhausted from possession. The tactical value of capturing two defeated agents versus the risk of another aerial battle? Not worth it.'
But Vivi's expression had darkened, her eyes tracking the retreating vulture with something between fear and grim acceptance.
"They'll…report back to the Boss," she said quietly.
…
A/N: I am finally free!!!
Thank god for vacations! Damn, I missed my bed!
And I missed writing soooooo much!! Writing this Chapter was sooo fun!! Way more fun than dealing with faulty machines and annoying managers because of damn missed deadlines...
Anyway, enough ranting, sorry about the delay, guys, and thank you for your patience.
We should be back to our schedule now that we are entering the holidays. (Damn, I really missed writing!)
Again, thank you all for reading!! Hope you enjoyed this one!
Have a good day, people!
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