Chapter 274: Lufia, Drifting Farther and Farther From Him...
Hypnosis was useless, and torture probably wouldn't extract anything either.
After all, this was a CP9 agent. Ralph didn't plan to waste time.
He closed his eyes and activated Observation Haki once more.
This time, he pushed it to its limits.
His stamina drained rapidly, sweat beading on his forehead.
The range of his perception expanded.
One street, two streets, three streets—
Half of Water 7 was within his senses.
He sensed Nami, Robin, and Chopper.
They were disguising themselves to evade the search.
He sensed the people on the streets.
Many were running, shouting, searching for the Straw Hat Pirates.
Among them, some had exceptionally steady auras, slow heartbeats, and light footsteps.
They weren't ordinary residents—they were trained individuals.
Agents the government had planted on the island.
He sensed the Franky House.
Lufia was there.
Zoro and Sanji were there too.
Lufia was carrying Usopp, dodging the charging residents.
Zoro was fighting Kaku, blade against blade, sparks flying.
Sanji was fighting Lucci, leg against fist, shattering the surrounding stone slabs.
Lucci.
Ralph's brow furrowed even tighter.
Kalifa was here.
Lucci and Kaku were at the Franky House.
What about Blueno?
Ralph withdrew his perception and opened his eyes.
He understood.
Kalifa had deliberately lured him away.
Lucci and Kaku were creating chaos at the Franky House.
Wherever Blueno was, his target could only be Franky.
But he hadn't sensed Franky just now!
That meant Franky had likely already been captured by them!
Did they no longer want Robin?
Why?
Ralph couldn't figure it out for the moment.
But he knew one thing—
If the enemy wanted to lure him away, he shouldn't linger here.
He pulled a Senzu Bean from his pocket and tossed it into his mouth.
Life Return activated, restoring his stamina at an astonishing rate.
Ralph stomped the ground, grabbed Kalifa, and ran toward the Franky House.
Outside the Franky House, chaos reigned.
Lufia stood in front of Usopp, her arms whipping back and forth like lashes, fending off the charging residents.
"It wasn't us!"
"We didn't attack any mayor!"
No one listened.
Someone in the crowd shouted:
"It's them! The ones who attacked the mayor are the Straw Hat Pirates!!"
Another voice yelled:
"Grab them! Don't let them escape!"
The residents wielded clubs, wrenches, and iron pipes, swinging them at Lufia.
Lufia dodged a wrench, then an iron pipe, her arms sweeping out to push back those who got too close.
Usopp lay behind her, covered in blood, unable to move.
He opened his eyes and saw Lufia's back.
"..."
"Don't talk."
Lufia didn't look back.
"As your captain, I'll protect you!"
On the other side, Zoro and Kaku were locked in fierce combat.
Kaku's sword was long—longer than his own height.
Zoro met him with Three Sword Style, three blades clashing against one, the sound like metal screaming.
"Never thought a swordsman like this was hiding in a shipyard."
Zoro's lips curled into a smirk.
"Interesting."
Kaku said nothing.
Black began to coil around Zoro's blades.
Armament Haki.
Kaku's expression changed, and he took two steps back.
Zoro gave him no time to adjust.
He charged forward, all three blades slashing down simultaneously.
Kaku didn't block head-on.
He ran upward, stepping on air.
Geppo.
Seeing this, Zoro swung his blade, unleashing Sanjuroku Pound Ho.
A dense barrage of flying slashes forced Kaku to dart frantically through the sky.
Meanwhile, the battle between Sanji and Lucci grew even more intense.
Sanji's kicks were incredibly fast, each one carrying a gust of wind pressure.
Lucci blocked with his arms, caught them with his palms, and absorbed the impact with his shoulders.
His body was like a sheet of iron; when Sanji's kicks landed, they produced dull, heavy thuds.
Lucci deflected one kick, then immediately countered with a punch.
His fist was swift, slicing through the air with a sharp whistle.
Sanji tilted his head to dodge, but the fist still grazed his cheek, leaving a burning pain.
Sanji retreated two steps, readjusting his stance.
Black began to swirl around his leg.
Armament Haki—enhancing his kick.
He charged forward, aiming a kick straight at Lucci's head.
Yet Lucci raised his arm to block, the impact ringing out like clashing metal.
Sanji's heart sank.
What truly shocked him was when he launched an aerial kick, Lucci also stomped on the air, rising into the sky alongside him.
Sanji looked at Lucci and asked a familiar question.
"Are you a government agent, or Navy? What's your purpose infiltrating Galley-La Company?"
Lucci stared back, expressionless.
The pigeon on his shoulder flapped its wings once before settling again.
"The Straw Hat Pirates truly are extraordinary," Lucci finally spoke.
"No wonder the higher-ups are paying such close attention to you."
Sanji frowned.
Attention? From whom?
They'd already faced a Navy Admiral, so it made sense they'd be on someone's radar.
But judging by the other party's methods, they didn't seem like Navy.
The Navy had no reason to target a shipyard that built ships for the government.
So, it must be the government, then?
A thought flashed through his mind, but before he could grasp it, Lucci charged again.
Sanji had no time to think further; he raised his leg to meet the attack.
Their battle fell into a stalemate.
Neither could gain the upper hand.
Just then, a door swung open in mid-air.
Ralph's voice echoed from a distance.
"Lufia, behind you!"
Lufia's body moved faster than her mind.
She spun around and threw a punch.
Her fist, coated in black, shot toward her back like a cannonball.
It struck precisely into the transparent door.
"Tekkai!"
Blueno's voice came from within the door, followed by a pained grunt.
Thud!
Blueno's form materialized, clutching his stomach as he knelt on the ground, his face pale as paper.
His Doa Doa no Mi ability could no longer be maintained.
The air door vanished.
The space behind it shattered.
Blueno knelt on the ground, clutching his stomach, with Kumadori in kabuki attire beside him and Franky lying unconscious nearby.
Kumadori reacted swiftly.
Since they were exposed, he went straight for the target.
His long hair came alive, stretching out like tendrils to ensnare Lufia.
The hair alone wasn't particularly threatening.
But hanging from those strands was a pair of Seastone Handcuffs.
Lufia didn't immediately recognize what they were, but her instincts screamed danger.
She leaped to the side, narrowly avoiding the hair.
The handcuffs flew past her, missing by a hair's breadth.
Seeing this from mid-air, Ralph let out a sigh of relief.
He abandoned Kalifa, stomping on the air as he rushed over.
Using Geppo repeatedly, he pushed his speed to the limit.
Then he noticed movement in the crowd.
A person wearing a carnival mask had somehow squeezed out from the onlookers.
He moved through the crowd, positioning himself behind Lufia.
Lufia was focused on the strangely dressed Kumadori, unaware of the figure behind her.
In his hand, he also held a pair of handcuffs.
Click.
The handcuffs snapped shut around Lufia's ankle.
Lufia's body froze.
Her Gomu Gomu no Mi ability vanished.
The invincible Straw Hat Girl Lufia suddenly felt her entire body go weak, unable to move.
Seastone.
By the time Ralph rushed to Lufia's side, he grabbed at nothing but empty air.
All he saw was the familiar long hair coiled around Lufia, pulling her farther and farther away from him.