A sharp flash of blade-light tore through the air.
The bird Marianne was riding was instantly split in two, dissolving into scattered splashes of blue ink.
"What—?!"
Before she could even process what had happened, Marianne began plummeting straight down from the sky.
Fortunately, she reacted quickly mid-fall. Raising her brush, she stirred the dispersed blue ink, reforming it into a flying bird that caught her just in time and carried her aloft once more.
Barely stabilizing herself, Marianne immediately looked up.
The black-clad figure that had appeared out of nowhere was charging toward her—running through the air itself.
There was nothing beneath his feet, yet each step landed as if he were sprinting across solid ground.
Whoosh!
In the blink of an eye, the figure had already closed in above her. Gripping twin blades, he slashed downward with full force, the air shrieking beneath the speed of his attack.
"Wax Sculpture—Shield!"
Marianne's expression tightened. She thrust her arm upward.
White wax gushed from her palm, rapidly forming a shield above her head. Under the sunlight, it gleamed with a metallic luster.
Bang! Bang!
The twin blades struck the shield, producing heavy, dull impacts.
Though the wax shield was as hard as steel and only bore shallow cuts, Marianne's face still changed.
The force behind the blows was overwhelming.
The painted bird beneath her could no longer maintain flight under that pressure—it was driven downward, plummeting toward the ground.
Boom!!
The two figures crashed like meteors, smashing into the earth with a thunderous explosion. Dust and debris burst outward in all directions.
The black-clad attacker flipped out of the smoke first, landing steadily nearby.
The next moment—
A circular door of space appeared beside him.
Another figure stepped out from within.
Both men wore masks and black suits. Only their eyes were visible—cold, emotionless. An air of secrecy clung to them like a shadow.
At the same time—
High above the Sabaody Archipelago.
Yuuki and Rayleigh, who had been discussing Haki techniques, paused simultaneously. Their gazes shifted toward the projected image of Marianne's battlefield.
"That outfit… looks like World Government agents," Rayleigh remarked, glancing at the two figures before turning to Yuuki. "Your crewmate seems to be in trouble. Want to help her?"
"Don't be fooled by appearances," Yuuki replied with a faint chuckle, his eyes fixed on the two CP9 agents.
"You can hide your face—but not your Devil Fruit ability. A power like the Door-Door Fruit is impossible to miss."
"One of them is Blueno. As for the other… judging by his build, it's probably Kaku, a Zoan-type user."
Yuuki wasn't surprised the World Government had intervened—but the presence of CP9 was unexpected.
After all, CP9 agents were currently undercover in Water 7, searching for the blueprints of Pluton—one of the World Government's highest-priority secrets.
For them to be deployed here meant that the importance of the Magic Eye Crosses had already risen to rival that of Pluton itself.
Of course, with Blueno's Door-Door Fruit, rapid deployment was trivial.
Still… it was unlikely all of CP9 had been mobilized.
At the very least, Rob Lucci probably hadn't come—Water 7 still required him.
With that thought, Yuuki withdrew his gaze.
To him, even if all of CP9 were present, they would amount to little more than minor players in the grand stage he had set.
Their true objective was obvious—
To gather all Magic Eye Crosses collected by the Marines and transport them to the World Government as quickly as possible using Blueno's ability.
Back on the battlefield—
The dust gradually settled.
A crater came into view before Blueno and Kaku.
At its center stood a half-human-sized sphere of hardened wax.
Crack!
With a sharp sound, the wax shell shattered.
Marianne burst out from within. Aside from some dirt on her clothes, she appeared largely unharmed.
Kaku and Blueno both froze for a moment.
This… didn't match their intelligence.
"Marianne," Kaku said coldly, reciting from memory. "Former member of Baroque Works under Crocodile, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea. After Crocodile's defeat and disappearance, she joined the Magic Eye Pirates."
"Her ability allows her to control others through colored paint, inducing hypnosis."
He narrowed his eyes.
"The ability you just used… should belong to your partner, Galdino."
Clearly, the World Government had gathered thorough intelligence on the Magic Eye Pirates.
"Oh? Your intel's outdated."
Marianne's round, innocent-looking face contrasted sharply with the speed of her movements as her brush danced across the air.
"Blue of Sorrow!"
At her shout, countless blue droplets materialized overhead, falling like rain toward the two agents.
"That's not a wax-based ability," Blueno muttered.
"The Magic Eye Pirates are more unusual than expected," Kaku added coldly.
Neither of them dodged.
They allowed the droplets to land on their bodies without resistance.
Yet—
The effect that should have plunged them into despair and stripped them of fighting spirit…
Did nothing.
"This level of mental interference won't affect us," Kaku said flatly.
He stamped the ground.
Soru!
His figure vanished instantly.
A blur flashed—
And he appeared directly in front of Marianne.
His finger shot forward toward her vital point.
"Finger Pistol!"
"I told you—your intel is outdated! Painting Magic—Blue Freeze!"
Mana surged within Marianne.
The blue droplets coating the two agents froze instantly—
Encasing them in solid ice.
"This is what happens when you underestimate me."
Marianne lifted her chin slightly.
Crack.
Crack—!
The ice began to fracture almost immediately.
"Iron Body!"
"Iron Body!"
Both men shouted simultaneously.
Boom! Boom!
The ice shattered violently.
Kaku and Blueno broke free.
What should have been an easy opponent had suddenly displayed wax abilities—and now this strange power.
Caught off guard, the two agents finally became serious.
"Ox-Ox Fruit: Giraffe Form!"
Without hesitation, Kaku transformed.
His black suit tore apart as his body expanded, his neck stretching upward into a giraffe's long form.
"Finger Pistol—Nose Gun!"
His elongated neck snapped downward. The square muzzle of his nose retracted briefly—
Then shot forward.
The air trembled with a piercing hum.
Marianne's expression changed.
"Wax Sculpture—Shield!"
Wax surged and hardened into a circular shield in front of her.
But—
At the same time—
Blueno vanished again.
Using Soru, he appeared behind Marianne in an instant.
His tall frame cast a looming shadow over her.
Without hesitation, he drove his fist forward.
"Wax Wall!"
Marianne reacted sharply. Wax erupted behind her, forming a thick defensive wall.
Thud! Thud!
Two heavy impacts rang out.
Kaku's attack slammed into the shield, leaving a square indentation, though it failed to break through.
The force still drove Marianne backward—
Until her back hit the wax wall.
Meanwhile, Blueno's punch struck the wall behind her. Though it held firm, a cold smile appeared in his eyes.
The Door-Door Fruit activated.
A door appeared—
Opening directly through the solid wax wall.
With her back pressed against it—
Marianne was completely exposed.
"Iron Body—Smash!"
Blueno hardened his body and unleashed a full-force punch.
Pfft!
The blow struck her back.
Blood sprayed from Marianne's mouth as she was sent flying.
Clatter—
Several Magic Eye Crosses slipped from her grasp and scattered across the ground.
"Collect the crosses. Deliver them to Mary Geoise immediately," Kaku ordered, stepping forward to finish her off.
"You dare?!"
Marianne roared, blood at the corner of her lips as she charged forward with her drawing board.
"Painting Magic—Wolf Pack!"
Howls erupted.
Black wolves surged forth, lunging at the two agents.
"Hmph!"
Kaku leapt into the air, his muscles coiling into a spiraling tension.
"Tempest Kick—Spiral White Blade!"
Spinning slashes burst outward, shredding the wolves.
Marianne held her board upright, her brush glowing blue-green as she drew a sharp stroke.
"Painting Magic—Falling Thunder!"
Crack!
Thunder exploded from the sky.
A bolt of lightning struck Kaku, interrupting his assault.
"Lightning?!"
His body stiffened.
The scattered black ink on the ground wriggled—
Transforming into thick mud—
Wrapping around Kaku's body.
"Painting Magic—Great Serpent!"
"Painting Magic—Azure Eagle!"
"Painting Magic—Crimson Hellfire!"
"Painting Magic—Water Surge!"
One after another—
Beasts and elemental attacks poured forth.
Boom!
The ground ruptured.
A massive serpent burst upward, swallowing Kaku whole—
Only for its body to explode moments later as he tore free—
Only to be overwhelmed again.
The battlefield transformed into a chaotic domain of summoned creatures.
For the first time—
The full versatility and overwhelming pressure of Painting Magic—
Was unleashed.
A black wolf gathered the scattered Magic Eye Crosses and returned them to Marianne.
After securing them—
She let out a small breath of relief.
"Damn it!!"
Kaku roared in fury.
"Giraffe Form—Iron Body: No Blind Spots!"
"Tempest Kick—Kirin Shower!"
Next Bonus Chapter at 5500 powerstones.