After assigning an opponent to each person, Leo turned his gaze in a particular direction.
Over there, Robin was quietly leading King Kobusha away, guiding him to safety through a winding path between old stone buildings.
The battlefield was splitting. Each had their own fight. But what about the others?
---
Nami walked cautiously through a narrow alleyway, her senses heightened. The wind shifted slightly.
Then—she vanished.
Squeak!
A sharp, steel-like spike shot forward, piercing the very spot where she had just stood. The wall behind her cracked and splintered violently.
Out of the shadows stepped an alluring woman with a vivid blue afro. Her lips curled into a smirk as she observed the aftermath of her failed ambush.
"Hehehe… What an interesting little girl. You actually dodged my attack," she said in a tone laced with amusement.
She pressed her fingers against her lips as if in polite surprise, but the glint in her eyes carried a sharp, mocking tease.
"Demon Fruit power?" Nami muttered, now crouched high on a nearby wall, her expression composed yet cautious. She unslung the wooden staff from her waist, holding it loosely in her hands as she eyed the woman.
She had come close to death just moments ago. If she hadn't reacted in time, that spike would've skewered her like meat on a stick. Her heart pounded—but her face remained calm.
The woman chuckled. "Hehe, that's right. I am Thorn Lady, who consumed the Thorn-Thorn Fruit. I can grow thorns as hard as steel all over my body." She placed a hand confidently on her hip, lifting her chin haughtily. "Surely you're not foolish enough to believe you can take me on?"
Although no one understood why the World Government had placed a 20 million Bailey bounty on this seemingly fragile girl, Thorn Lady was unconvinced Nami deserved it. She looked too... ordinary.
But Nami's reply stunned her.
"No," Nami said with a nonchalant shrug, twirling her staff, "I'm not here to fight you."
With a mischievous glint in her eyes, she added, "You're just not worth my effort. But if you hand over the Baileys you've got on you, I might consider letting you walk away in one piece."
She finished with a playful wink.
The Thorn Lady's face twisted in fury.
"Are you mocking me?!"
"You're courting death!"
With a furious cry, she launched herself at Nami. Her fingers transformed into long, needle-like thorns, shooting forward with blistering speed, slicing through the air with a roar.
But the Nami she hit—was an illusion.
Her thorns stabbed through it like mist, and the wall behind cracked again.
"What the...?"
"Over here," Nami's voice echoed lazily from another direction. She strolled across the road with a casual air, not a trace of fear on her face.
"That your company vault over there? Or is it just decorative?" she teased, pointing toward a stone building half-buried in sand.
Swish!
Thorny brambles erupted from the ground, slicing through the image of Nami—another illusion. The woman cursed loudly.
Nami chuckled softly, her real body still unseen. Though her abilities aligned with wind, she had also mastered a subtle control over light refraction. Invisibility was her specialty—something even Sanji had long dreamed of.
And now, she wielded it masterfully.
"Come out!" Thorn Lady snarled, her voice filled with rage as she spun, scanning every shadow.
"Okay~" came the soft reply.
Suddenly, dozens of Namis appeared—emerging from windows, standing atop streetlamps, walking calmly out of thin air. Each wore the same smug smile.
"I'll give you one last chance," one of them said, eyes glinting. "Tell me where you've hidden your treasure. Cooperate, and you might keep your limbs."
"Found you!" Thorn Lady screamed, pointing at the speaking Nami. With an enraged shriek, she transformed her entire body into a rolling sphere of razor-sharp thorns and hurled herself forward with all her strength.
Snap!
Boom!!
A brilliant bolt of lightning descended from the sky, striking her directly.
The thunder echoed violently across the city.
Thorn Lady collapsed, twitching. Smoke curled off her shoulders as she lay stunned on the ground.
"Hey, I told you," Nami said, reappearing next to her. "You really can't beat me."
She knelt down with a grin. "By the way, I forgot to mention—the humidity today is ideal, wind is steady, pressure high. That means clear skies."
She tapped her temple thoughtfully. "Perfect for mirages… and lightning conductors."
Thorn Lady groaned, but Nami was already binding her with a transparent rope made of air currents.
The battle had started quickly… but ended even faster.
This wasn't the same girl who once had to run from stronger enemies. Nami was no longer weak. She was clever, deadly—and she knew it.
"Now then…" she said cheerfully, flicking Thorn Lady's forehead. "Why don't we properly discuss where your company keeps its funds?"
Her eyes sparkled. "After all… we're talking about real Baileys here!"
---
Meanwhile.
In another part of the city, Sanji faced off against Mr. 2 Bon Clay (Bentham). The two men danced in a storm of kicks and spins, their bodies moving with dazzling precision.
"Mutton Shot!"
"Swanee Boxing—Gorgeous Swan Dance!"
Both attacked at once, their kicks clashing mid-air before they landed and separated. Dust rose from the ground as Sanji took a few steps back, slightly winded. Mr. 2 flew backward, smashing into a wooden building with a thunderous crash.
Crack!
Mr. 2 groaned as he stood up, rubbing his ribs. "Agh… You're really something, chef. That last kick—ouch."
Sanji's lips curled into a scowl, his cigarette dangling.
But when Mr. 2 raised his head and smiled… Sanji stepped back in horror.
The flamboyant man struck a ridiculous ballet pose, lifting his leg like a swan. "Hehe, Chef-chan~ You haven't seen my ultimate technique."
With a whirl of movement, he began shifting faces—Usopp, then Chopper, and even Luffy. Each transformation was eerily accurate.
Sanji's face tensed. He didn't attack. His muscles stayed ready, but he didn't make a move.
Mr. 2 noticed this hesitation and grinned.
"So predictable," he muttered, and suddenly—transformed into a certain green-haired swordsman.
A heartbeat later—
BAM!
Sanji's foot slammed into his face, sending him flying into a pile of crates. He didn't stop there. His kicks came fast and hard, a blinding flurry of strikes that shook the alley.
Mr. 2 screamed, "STOP! What did I even do!?"
He switched faces again and took on Sanji's crewmates—this time, he turned into Nami.
Weakly standing, her (his) eyes shimmered. "Sanji-kun~ Please... have mercy."
BOOM.
Sanji's pupils turned into pink hearts. His face flushed red.
"WAHHH!!! NAMI-SWAAAAAAN!!"
Mr. 2 smirked—until Sanji collapsed, completely disarmed by the illusion.
Mr. 2 gave him a wicked grin. "Gotcha."
He stomped on the poor chef's back, laughing as Sanji groaned with a dreamy look on his face.
"…So soft…" Sanji mumbled, seemingly unaware of the pain.
Mr. 2 stepped back, utterly bewildered.
"What… what's wrong with this guy?! I tricked him, I stomped him—and he still looks happy!"
Sanji rolled onto his back with a dazed smile.
"Your illusion technique… it's powerful," he admitted through a dreamy sigh. "But…"
He opened one eye and looked at Mr. 2 seriously.
"…The heart is what matters most."
Mr. 2 blinked. "Heart? What's that supposed to mean?!"
Sanji gave a confident smirk. "You may imitate faces. But you can't imitate what's inside."
"…So cheesy," Mr. 2 muttered—but he couldn't help but feel slightly impressed.
He sighed, helping Sanji to his feet. "You really are hopeless."
"And you're ridiculous," Sanji replied, brushing himself off and lighting another cigarette.
They stood silently for a moment, then—at the same time—both burst out laughing.
In this twisted battlefield, even enemies could find strange respect.
---
Elsewhere, battles raged on.
Robin continued leading King Kobusha through maze-like alleys. Zoro was locked in combat with a silent swordsman whose blade moved like water. Chopper was fending off a predator twice his size with clever uses of Rumble Ball transformations. Usopp had lured his opponent into a field of traps he'd prepared hours ago.
Each of them had their own battlefield, their own challenge to overcome.
And slowly, piece by piece, the tides began to turn.
Their battles were far from over.
But one thing was clear—
This crew had grown stronger. Not just in power, but in will. In intelligence. In unity.
They would win—not because they had the strongest fists, but because they had the most unbreakable bonds.
Ãdvåñçé çhàptêr àvàilàble óñ pàtreøn (Gk31)