"Dr. Reddy..."
Hearing the voice behind him, Yakovich's emotions became extremely complicated.
Three years ago, the owner of this voice had promised to return.
Now, that person had indeed kept his promise and returned to Loguetown, but his identity had changed to that of the infamous scientist Dr. Reddy, with a bounty of three billion berries.
"Long time no see, Major Yakovich."
Reddy stood with his hands in his pockets, looking at Yakovich, whose rank hadn't changed in three years, a faint smile on his face. He completely ignored the chaotic crowd around him.
By his side, two beautiful women with overwhelming "presence" coldly watched as anyone who dared approach was sent flying with screams.
"Help me!"
Yakovich was quickly consumed by the surrounding chaos and instinctively called out to Reddy for assistance.
He believed Reddy was not an evil pirate.
"Alright."
Reddy snapped his fingers.
The maid and secretary immediately took action, forcefully clearing out an open space.
Soon, six doorways opened in the air.
"What kind of ability is this?"
Yakovich was both shocked and delighted. Through the doorways, he could see an emerald-green space inside, and based on his experience, the area inside was undoubtedly vast.
Reddy avoided answering and walked aside with his maid and secretary, gesturing, "Have your men guide them inside. I guarantee the space is large enough to hold everyone."
The size of the alternate space created by the Door-Door Fruit ability depended on the user.
The stronger the user's stamina, the larger and more enduring the alternate space would be.
Mon and the five clones under his command had been specially enhanced by Reddy in terms of physical strength. Accommodating all the town's residents would be no problem at all.
Yakovich didn't bother pressing for details and immediately shouted, "Quick, calm them down... use any means necessary if needed."
He was not an indecisive person. He knew that in such a chaotic situation, it would be hard to restore order among these people whose fear had overwhelmed their reason without resorting to some measures.
Previously, there had been no hope, so he didn't want to be cursed at before dying.
That wouldn't have been worth it.
But now that hope had appeared, Yakovich couldn't care less about whether he would be reported afterward for his rough methods.
His words immediately gave the other Marines a sense of direction, and they sprang into action.
However, the Marines were still part of the kind and orderly faction. They didn't dare to use lethal force, so it was difficult for them to suppress the crowd that had completely succumbed to panic in a short time.
"Go help them."
Seeing this, Reddy shook his head and gave the order to the maid and other clones.
The eight clones acted simultaneously, with remarkable results.
Reddy didn't care about the lives of these residents, so the clones showed no mercy.
Anyone who acted the most recklessly was grabbed by a clone and flung aside without a second thought.
Whether these people lived or died was none of Reddy's concern.
A small-mustached man, protected by several guards, avoided being trampled by the chaotic crowd. Upon seeing the six doorways, he immediately rushed toward them with his men.
However, the group was stopped by the maid.
"I am a noble!"
The small-mustached man stomped his feet in frustration and shouted, "I order you to step aside!"
The maid's maid outfit made him mistakenly believe that this highly capable woman was some other noble's personal slave.
Since they were both nobles, there was no reason not to give him preferential treatment!
"Kill him."
Though Reddy had never experienced such a situation before, he understood that the most important thing now was to establish rules to restore order.
If rules weren't enforced, the fear-driven crowd would only grow more frenzied.
Because no one wanted to die.
A noble like the small-mustached man was the perfect target to set an example.
Upon receiving the order, the maid's right arm instantly transformed into a blade.
"Wait..."
The small-mustached man, realizing the situation, immediately tried to back down and surrender.
Before he could finish speaking, a cold glint flashed through the air.
The maid flicked her right arm, shaking off the blood staining the blade, which then reverted to an arm.
Meanwhile, the small-mustached man and his guards wore expressions of confusion, disbelief, and a hint of relief.
Oh, I'm dead.
"I... am a noble..."
Even in death, the small-mustached man couldn't believe someone had dared to disregard his status as a noble.
The group was cleanly bisected at the waist, their severed bodies and blood instantly restoring calm to the nearby crowd.
When fear reaches its peak, people either descend into complete madness or regain their rationality.
Clearly, the maid's ruthless slaughter made these people wisely choose the latter.
With this breakthrough, the other Marines seized the opportunity to expand their efforts, using force to restore order among the more distant crowds.
The chaos was brought under control, but Yakovich's emotions were in turmoil.
The Reddy before him was almost unrecognizable—far colder and more terrifying than the Reddy he had known.
The clones used merciless methods to suppress the fear in everyone's hearts.
The chaos soon subsided.
"Quick, forget the previous rules. Follow the nearest principle!"
The six alternate spaces created by the Door-Door Fruit ability were more than spacious enough. Yakovich was no stickler for formalities and didn't insist on the previous evacuation protocols. He urged the other Marines to act immediately and guide the crowd through the doorways.
The orders were carried out flawlessly.
Why weren't ordinary people afraid of good people?
Because they knew good people wouldn't harm them.
But the clones used several living lives—including that of a noble—to make it clear to everyone: if you want to cause trouble, then prepare to die.
Six orderly lines formed as people entered the doorways.
The alternate space piqued everyone's curiosity. With their safety assured, their tense nerves relaxed, but no one dared to wander around and explore the space.
Everyone obediently stayed in place.
The pressure on Yakovich and the Marines was greatly alleviated.
Order was the best partner for evacuating crowds.
More and more residents entered the alternate space, leaving fewer and fewer people in the town.
"Gyahahahaha... Reddy, I've finally found you!"
The night sky echoed with the furious laughter of Golden Lion Shiki, followed by a massive slash attack capable of splitting Loguetown in half.
"Watch out!"
Garp had been at a disadvantage, suppressed by Shiki, until the latter suddenly erupted in anger. Only then did he notice the situation in the town.
But he was still a step too late. He could only watch helplessly as the slash flew toward the crowd that hadn't yet been fully evacuated.
The smile on Reddy's face didn't waver in the slightest as he casually snapped his fingers.
The maid immediately leaped into the air, transforming into a long, slender sword.
Reddy grabbed the sword, and its blade automatically became coated in Armament Haki.
Clang!
The black blade collided with the golden slash.
The tremendous force sent Reddy skidding back, leaving two shallow grooves three meters long on the ground.
After a brief stalemate, Reddy neutralized the slash's immense impact and forcefully deflected it far away.
Shiki: ? ?
Reddy's unexpectedly impressive performance short-circuited Shiki's brain once again, leaving him dazed for a long moment without following up with another attack.
Was this really the same weakling he remembered?
Shiki instinctively looked down at his swords, Kogarashi and Shigure, wondering if he had forgotten to put strength into his swing.
"Well done, kid!"
Garp laughed heartily and punched the distracted Shiki away.
Reddy looked up, a gentle smile on his face as he stared at Garp, who had stepped forward to protect the evacuation efforts from Shiki's attack. Unconsciously, he licked his lips.
Damn, should I take this opportunity?