Chapter 32: Whiskey Peak – Baroque Works Trap & Crocodile's Shadow
"But—" Mr. 5 suddenly changed his tone. His cold gaze locked onto Igaram. "The ones we need to deal with aren't them… it's the little rat who sneaked in."
Igaram's pupils shrank sharply. His heart sank—(Damn it! My cover's blown!)
"Giggle~" Miss Valentine spun her umbrella lightly. Her body floated up like a feather, instantly drifting above Vivi's head. A dangerous curve tugged at her lips. "Right? Alabasta's—"
Before she finished, her body suddenly became heavier!
"—Princess Vivi?"
BOOM!
A fierce downward kick slammed down. Vivi's hair accessory shattered instantly. Her blue hair cascaded like a waterfall. She staggered back several steps, panic flashing in her eyes—but she quickly clenched her teeth and assumed a fighting stance.
Zoro's blade instantly turned toward them: "Hey—your target is her?!"
Nami sucked in a sharp breath: "Wait! That girl is… a princess?!"
Mr. 5 slowly removed his sunglasses. A dangerous gunpowder scent wafted from his fingertips:
"Baroque Works' rule—"
"Traitors and spies—" Miss Valentine landed lightly back on the ground, umbrella tip pointed straight at Vivi.
"—are to be killed on sight!"
"Go die—Trumpet Cannonball!!"
Igaram suddenly tore open the tie at his chest. The braid mechanism on his head instantly unfolded, revealing a pitch-black cannon muzzle—
BOOM BOOM BOOM!!
Three cannon shells whistled out, blasting straight toward Mr. 5's position! The violent explosion kicked up rolling smoke and dust, stones flying everywhere. Igaram panted heavily, staring fixedly ahead:
"Did… did it work?"
But the next second—
"Pfft."
A contemptuous sneer cut through the smoke screen. Mr. 5's figure slowly emerged, sunglasses reflecting cold light. He casually dug into his nose with his pinky, pulling out a black booger ball stuck to the tip.
"With toys like that…?" He tilted his head, suddenly baring white teeth in a grin. "I ate the Bomb-Bomb Fruit—I'm the Explosive Man."
His fingertip flicked hard!
That booger shot out like a cannonball, leaving a scorching trail in the air—
"Nose Fancy Cannon!!"
Vivi cried out in alarm: "Igaram! Dodge—!"
BOOM—!!
Before the explosion's light faded, Igaram knelt on the ground, chest charred black. Still, he struggled to reach toward Vivi, roaring hoarsely:
"Run… Princess Vi…"
Mr. 5 sneered, raising his hand again. His fingertip glowed once more with the faint scent of gunpowder:
"Such touching master-servant loyalty—too bad, none of you are getting away…"
Bang—!!!
Before he finished, the tavern's brick wall suddenly exploded! A furious rubber fist burst through, smashing squarely into Mr. 5's face. The sunglasses shattered instantly. Mr. 5 was punched straight into the wall.
"Shut up! You guys won't even let people sleep at night?!"
(Everyone freezes in stunned silence)
Zoro: "...This idiot."
Sol: "Ahaha, that's Luffy for you!"
Nami facepalmed: "Of course it ends up like this…"
Vivi & Igaram: "???"
Miss Valentine nearly fell out of the air in fright: "W-What just happened?!"
"Eh—?!" Luffy's eyes widened. Seeing bounty hunters sprawled everywhere, his sleepiness vanished instantly. He shouted excitedly: "You guys started a party while I was sleeping?! So sneaky!"
Sol leaped down from the roof with Nami in his arms, landing lightly. He sighed helplessly:
"The party ended ages ago, Luffy." Then his sharp gaze turned toward Miss Valentine—who was trying to sneak away. A scarlet glint flashed in his eyes—
Buzz—!
Invisible Conqueror's Haki surged outward like a tidal wave! Miss Valentine had only floated halfway when her eyes rolled back. Her umbrella slipped from her hand. She dropped like a broken puppet—thud—hitting the ground.
Nami jumped down from Sol's arms, hands on hips:
"Seriously—one after another, causing chaos!" She glanced at the stunned Igaram, then flashed a devilish smile. "So… sir, how about we talk compensation? I think I heard the word 'princess' earlier."
"That's right…" Vivi took a deep breath, straightened her back, and looked firmly at everyone: "I am Nefertari Vivi, princess of the Alabasta Kingdom. To investigate the mastermind threatening my country, I disguised myself and infiltrated Baroque Works…"
Her fists clenched unconsciously. Her voice trembled slightly: "But now… our identities are exposed."
Nami raised an eyebrow: "That's obvious, isn't it? You guys almost got blown to ashes earlier."
Vivi suddenly bowed deeply. Her long hair fell forward, hiding her reddened eyes: "Though this request is shameless… please escort us back to my country! Alabasta is currently—"
"1 billion Berries!" Nami's eyes instantly turned to Berry symbols. She held up a finger, cutting her off: "Pay this amount, and we guarantee Princess-sama gets home safely~ How about it?"
"Wh-1 billion?!" Igaram nearly bit his tongue. "That's daylight robbery!"
Nami flicked her orange short hair dismissively, retorting confidently: "Shut up! Robbery doesn't pay this well! This is a princess's life—1 billion is a bargain!"
"Okay—I accept!" Vivi decisively grabbed Nami's hand. Their palms met with a crisp slap.
Nami was happily counting her profits on her fingers when Sol suddenly patted her shoulder. She irritably brushed his hand away: "What? Can't you see I'm closing a big deal?!"
Sol scratched his head, giving an awkward but polite smile: "Uh… I just wanted to say—1 billion might be too low." His expression suddenly turned serious. "Because what we're facing this time is one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea—'Crocodile' Sir Crocodile."
The air instantly froze.
"Wh—What?!"
Nami and Vivi both leaped up, grabbing Sol's collar from either side and shaking him furiously.
Nami's eyes practically shot real flames: "Why didn't you say something this dangerous sooner?!"
Vivi's voice cracked from shock: "H-How do you know such classified information?!"
Sol, dizzy from the shaking, struggled to explain: "This isn't exactly secret in Marine high circles. Everyone just doesn't know what Crocodile's planning—and because of his Warlord status, no one can investigate."
Nami released Sol, squatted down clutching her head, and wailed in despair: "We're done! 1 billion won't even cover medical bills!" But the next second she sprang up, eyes flashing with Berry symbols: "No way! We need more! 2 billion! No—3 billion!"
Vivi wiped cold sweat with a wry smile: "Um… our kingdom might not be able to pay that much at once…"
"1.5 billion!" Nami held up her finger decisively. "That's the lowest price! Take it or we leave right now!"
Vivi bit her lip, then finally nodded with resolve: "Fine! 1.5 billion Berries! Deal!"
The moment both sides shook hands to seal the agreement, a faint click sounded from the shadows of distant ruins—
Baroque Works' Mr. 13 (the sea otter) and Miss Friday (the vulture)—the "Executioner Duo"—had already swiftly sketched portraits of the Straw Hats with a brush. The otter pocketed the drawing board satisfied. The vulture took the paper in its beak. The two figures vanished silently into the night.
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