In the eyes of the Chief Commanders…
"Hmph!"
Mr. 1 twisted mid-air, flipping over with a sharp pivot before diving downward. As he descended, his entire body morphed into gleaming blades, radiating cold light. He tore through the air like a spinning shredder, crashing down on Mr. 5.
"Spiral Slash!"
BOOM!
"Ground Burst Fist!"
Mr. 5 struck the sand with a heavy punch, triggering a powerful explosion that halted Mr. 1 mid-descent with a seismic shockwave.
"Get lost!"
Seizing the moment, Mr. 5 launched a swift kick to Mr. 1's face.
"Foot Burst!"
Another violent blast erupted from his foot, sending Mr. 1 flying through the air again.
The Chief Commanders looked on in shock.
Two engagements—two explosive ends. Mr. 1's attacks had been completely neutralized, each time ending with him being blown away.
One clash might have been a fluke, but twice? That couldn't be coincidence.
Mr. 2 Bon Clay laughed flamboyantly as he leapt into the air, legs split wide, clapping and howling with amusement.
"Hahahaha! Beautiful! Explosion Man, I've wanted someone to flatten that bald blade freak for ages!"
Miss Merry Christmas stomped her feet in frustration.
"This is insane! Mr. 1 can't beat Mr. 5?! Absolutely laughable! LAUGHABLE!"
Mr. 4 frantically waved his arms, speaking sluggishly:
"Don't… fight… anymore…"
Miss Doublefinger furrowed her brow, watching with a glint of realization in her eyes.
"So that's why Mr. 0 recalled Mr. 5…"
His strength had evolved.
Now he could go head-to-head with Mr. 1.
A while back, Mr. 1 had humiliated Miss Valentine, destroying her parasol to put her in her place. Mr. 5, outraged, had tried to intervene—only to be taken down by a single slash. They both hit the ground hard.
If Mr. 1 hadn't held back, fearing Mr. 0's wrath for killing them, they might have died then and there.
"Enough! Stop fighting! Boss is waiting!"
Miss Doublefinger dashed between them as Mr. 1 charged again.
"Full Body Sea Urchin Thorns!"
Her body erupted in an armor of spikes, transforming her into a bristling sea urchin.
CLANG!
The razor-thin steel of Mr. 1's blade-arm clashed with the hardened spikes, as Mr. 5's explosive fist was stopped cold.
The Thorn-Thorn Fruit—Miss Doublefinger's Devil Fruit ability—granted her a body of reinforced spikes capable of piercing rock.
From within the twisted mass of thorns, her angry voice barked:
"If you keep this up, we'll fail the mission—and Mr. 0 will make sure none of us survive!"
Hearing her fury, the two men grudgingly backed off.
"Hmph!"
They glared at one another across her spiked form, tension thick in the air.
Mr. 1 retracted his blade and picked up his backpack, brushing dust from his shoulder with a cold stare.
"So, your strength's improved. But your explosions still can't pierce my defense—they don't leave a scratch."
Mr. 5 slid his sunglasses higher up his nose with disdain.
"You've had that top spot too long, Mr. 1. Time to make room."
"You can try," Mr. 1 said flatly.
Miss Doublefinger retracted her thorns and returned to her curvaceous form, flashing a faint smile.
"We're heading to Rainbase. Mr. 0 is expecting us."
In the distance, a massive turtle-driven carriage rolled toward them, stopping in front of the group.
Shirogai, still disguised as Mr. 5, narrowed his eyes.
He recognized that turtle.
It was Bon Clay—the very same turtle Robin had used when she left the Going Merry.
Bon Clay offered a cool nod as his cigarette glowed faintly.
They boarded, and the turtle-driven carriage picked up speed, tearing through the desert toward Rainbase.
Inside the carriage, Bon Clay sat upright, arms draped over the backrest, peering at Miss Doublefinger.
"Hmph. Didn't expect you to be Miss Doublefinger."
She smiled calmly.
"I never said I wasn't."
Shirogai lounged with one leg crossed, observing the carriage's occupants—especially Miss Doublefinger, whom he shamelessly examined.
"Hmph hmph hmph…"
He played Mr. 5's smug arrogance flawlessly, basking in his recent victory.
Miss Doublefinger noticed Shirogai's lingering gaze but met it with a confident smile.
"My, my, Mr. 5… you do like to keep surprises hidden."
She showed no concern for his wandering eyes.
Shirogai's gaze dropped to her chest and he smirked.
"Hmph, Miss Doublefinger does love revealing things—especially in… depth."
Miss Merry Christmas scowled, muttering under her breath.
"Disgusting… absolute pervert…"
Using his disguise as cover, Shirogai thoroughly studied Zara's features, then leaned back with a satisfied grin.
(Zara is Paula, Paula is Miss Doublefinger)
The acting was perfect.
No one suspected a thing.
That gave him an idea—using the [Imitation Fruit] to sneak into places like Marineford or even Mary Geoise was not just possible, it was viable.
Surprisingly, the [God-level Comprehension System] allowed him to access other Devil Fruit powers without conflict. The [Imitation Fruit]'s transformation effect was considered passive, not an active ability, and thus didn't interfere.
In essence, transforming into someone else and using stolen abilities were two separate mechanisms.
---
Rainbase, the City of Miracles
In the hidden chamber beneath Rain Dinners Casino, Crocodile sat slouched on his throne, eyes cold with fury.
"Hmph… I didn't expect the Billion agents I stationed in Yuba to be wiped out by meteorites. Have we sent replacements?"
Miss All Sunday—Robin—nodded.
"They've been deployed, and new orders given. The Chief Commanders will arrive tomorrow."
Crocodile's expression eased.
"Other than that strange pirate crew and the princess, everything is proceeding smoothly…"
The Straw Hat Pirates.
Robin recalled them vividly—especially their strange Captain and Vice-Captain.
The Captain: simple-minded, reckless, and instinct-driven.
The Vice-Captain: always smiling, but hiding a terrifying intelligence and dangerous unpredictability.
The Plunderer… Shirogai Yamikuro.
Rumor had it that after obliterating the Billion agents with a skyfall of meteorites, he went toe-to-toe with both Fire Fist Ace and Smoker in Yuba.
Robin didn't mention this to Crocodile.
She kept it to herself.
Something told her…
That dangerous man had already marked Crocodile as his next target.
---
Elsewhere in the desert…
A sand cat crouched low in the shade, stalking its prey—a venomous scorpion twitching nearby.
Clatter… clatter…
A large carriage thundered past, momentarily distracting the scorpion.
In that instant, the cat pounced.
"Meow!"
Too late.
The cat's jaws clamped down, snapping the scorpion's deadly tail. It squirmed uselessly before going limp in the cat's mouth.
The feline purred in triumph, savoring its victory.
---
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