Buggy's Chop-chop ability kicked in instantly.
His freaky power just worked.
There was a flash of light, and then... bits of shredded clothing fluttered down like weird confetti.
What was left was Gion, completely naked but covered head-to-toe in black Armament Haki.
Seeing this, Ray immediately turn around, facing the other way.
Buggy, on the other hand, got this totally lecherous look on his face, put his hands on his hips, and let out a booming laugh.
"Kahahaha! So what if she's a Vice Admiral?! When Buggy-sama makes a move, she still strips down obediently!"
He knew he couldn't actually chop her with his power, not with her Haki, but humiliating her? Totally doable.
Plus, this made the fight way easier.
Gion's beautiful face, now completely black with Haki, looked dazed for a second.
Then, it hit her.
"Eeeeeeeeek!!!"
She let out a surprisingly charming scream, quickly covering the important bits with her hands.
Her eyes turned bloodshot with pure rage.
She looked like an angry black rabbit, ready to tear Buggy limb from limb.
As she screamed, everyone fighting down below looked up.
And then, all hell broke loose.
…
On the beach...
Sanji was having a tough time fighting off Prince Gruss's endless clay soldiers.
When he heard the scream, he froze mid-kick, which let a giant clay fist send him flying.
While soaring through the air, he caught a glimpse of the... captivating scene above.
"Pfft~"
The shock was too much.
His nose exploded in a massive nosebleed, and he crashed to the ground, his gaze still firmly locked on the sky.
Prince Gruss himself blushed slightly, totally distracted, and his clay soldiers suddenly became way less effective.
Gin knocked away the soldier he was fighting and also looked up, covering one eye but peeking through a gap, muttering about sin.
…
Near the Roger statue...
Smoker and Tashigi had just reached Luffy and Zoro.
They were about to clash when the scream made them all look up.
Smoker's old face immediately turned bright red as memories from his training days flooded back.
(What young Marine hadn't had a crush on their sexy instructor?)
Tashigi looked worried about Gion at first, but then she saw Smoker's blush and immediately started pouting, looking super displeased.
Luffy and Zoro barely reacted.
To Luffy, she just looked like she was covered in charcoal.
What was the big deal?
Zoro glanced up, then immediately focused back on the fight.
'As long as Ray has the advantage up there, we're good down here.'
…
Where Hina was fighting...
Alvida was barely holding Hina off, thanks to her slippery skin, while Nami and Cabaji darted in for sneak attacks, and Usopp provided sniper cover whenever Hina targeted Nami.
Hina was getting frustrated; they weren't strong, but their teamwork was annoying.
Then they heard the scream.
Hina instinctively looked up, and her eyes froze, her lips twitching.
It was the first time she'd ever seen her teacher at such a disadvantage.
Sure, Gion flirted sometimes for missions, but anyone who actually tried to touch her usually ended up dead.
And now... her clothes were just gone.
"Buggy is one thing," Hina thought, fuming, "but I never expected that handsome Ray to be such a pervert too!"
Nami, who had just been thrown back by Hina, saw the scene and immediately got furious, yelling about how shameless Gion was.
(If Ray and Gion could hear this, they'd both be claiming they were terribly wronged.)
Taking advantage of Hina's distraction, Usopp flicked out a perfectly aimed 'Chouchou Shit Star.'
By the time Hina noticed, it was already too late.
…
Down below, all the male Marines and pirates were suddenly very interested in the sky battle.
Their fighting became sloppy, their eyes constantly drifting upwards, all waiting for the moment Gion might drop her Haki guard...
…
In a hidden corner of the beach...
A guy with a crazy green rooster-head hairstyle turned excitedly to his subordinate.
"Did you get that recorded?!"
The guy in the black suit nodded eagerly.
Bartolomeo future #1 fanboy cackled.
This was gold! Perfect blackmail material against the Marines!
"Keep recording! Get all the footage!"
"Uh, Boss," the subordinate said, "we're out of memory. If we keep going, the Den Den Mushi's head might explode."
"Oh, right. Then just take photos instead," Bartolomeo ordered. "Man, these two pirate crews are so cool! If they survive today, I'm definitely setting sail too!"
"Boss, are you sure?"
"Absolutely! Men gotta have the guts to challenge authority like them! That's what makes 'em cool! Granny said so!"
"If Granny said so, then it must be right!"
…
Back in the sky...
Ray looked super awkward.
He kept summoning and dismissing his sword, clearly unsure what to do.
He genuinely hadn't expected this.
That old bastard Buggy was just too shameless, using a woman's embarrassment as a weapon.
'What a disgrace.'
Meanwhile, Gion was in a terrible spot.
If she fought, she'd be completely exposed.
If she didn't fight, Ray and Buggy could easily wipe out her subordinates down below.
She was fast, but by the time she got back to the ship for clothes and returned, Smoker and the others would probably be dead.
'Miscalculated,' she thought grimly. 'I knew Ray would be strong, but I never expected him to be this strong.'
If it had just been Buggy, she'd have won already.
Finally, she made her decision.
Her subordinates were more important than her modesty.
Besides, her reputation wasn't exactly pristine anyway.
"Ah~" She sighed, looking sorrowful.
Just as she was about to drop her hands and continue fighting, Ray suddenly ripped the cloak off Buggy's back and threw it to her.
Buggy was stunned.
He'd figured she'd just cover herself in Haki again, and then he and Ray could team up and wear her down.
Victory was so close! But Ray giving her the cloak?!
"Ray, what the hell are you doing?!" Buggy screamed, furious. "That was a great plan! What's the deal? Trying to be a gentleman or something?!"
Ray didn't answer.
He just covered Buggy's eyes with one hand, and they both turned their backs to Gion.
Ray simply refused to win using such cheap tactics. It wasn't like he didn't have other trump cards.
He just couldn't bring himself to stoop to Buggy's level.
Gion held the cloak, glanced at Ray, and took a deep breath, her eyes filled with complicated emotions.
Then, she quickly fashioned the cloak into a makeshift one-piece mini-dress.
With the awkwardness (mostly) over, the battle resumed.