The wind had turned cold.
Not from weather—but from the scent of violence.
The street outside the inn had turned quiet after Vivi's name dropped like a knife into still water.
Princess Nefertari Vivi.
Heir to Alabasta.
Target of Baroque Works.
Zoro stood on the steps, hand on his sword. Sanji flicked his cigarette with narrowed eyes. Luffy blinked, halfway through a bite of bread. Usopp had already ducked behind a barrel.
And Rex…
He didn't flinch.
"Princess?" Nami said, voice low. "You're a royal?"
Vivi gave a small, exhausted nod.
"I was working undercover inside Baroque Works. My partner and I were trying to find out who their leader was. But then… they found out."
A shadow passed overhead.
And the ground cracked.
The street exploded in smoke and dust as two figures dropped from above like meteors.
Mr. 5 and Miss Valentine.
Laughter followed the tremor, and from the crater stepped a tall man in a black coat, casually cracking his knuckles.
He looked completely relaxed.
"Yo," Mr. 5 said lazily. "You're Vivi, right? Orders are clear. We erase you."
Miss Valentine twirled a parasol behind him, her lips curled in amusement. "And whoever gets in the way~."
Zoro stepped forward. "Looks like fun."
Sanji lit a new cigarette. "Not for long."
But Rex was already moving.
His coat drifted behind him as he stepped between the crew and Vivi, planting himself calmly in the center of the street.
"You're not getting past me."
Mr. 5 raised an eyebrow. "You're alone?"
Rex smiled. "You're out of your depth."
"Don't act cocky, pretty boy. I ate the Bomu Bomu no Mi. My body's a bomb. Every breath is an explosion."
"Then explode," Rex said, dropping into a relaxed stance. "Let's see how far your pieces fly."
The Fight Begins
Mr. 5 lunged first.
He tore off a booger.
Lit it.
Threw it.
Rex sidestepped, snapped his hand forward — and caught it mid-air.
The explosion detonated in his grip, shaking the air — but when the smoke cleared, he was still standing, arm raised.
Not a scratch.
His eyes were locked.
"You're flashy," Rex muttered. "But you're sloppy."
He moved.
Faster than thought.
Rex appeared in front of Mr. 5 and slammed a palm into his chest — a soft hit, barely a tap.
But behind it was Aura Compression.
Mr. 5 gasped, eyes bulging as he was lifted off the ground and launched into a wall twenty feet away.
BOOM.
Miss Valentine screamed and flew upward, her body growing lighter by the second.
"I'll crush you with 10,000 KILOS!"
Rex tilted his head.
She dropped.
Faster than cannonfire.
But at the last moment—
Rex vanished.
Phantom Drift.
He appeared above her mid-drop, catching her by the ankle in mid-air.
Her eyes widened in horror.
"Wrong battlefield."
He flipped midair and slammed her straight into the pavement, shattering the stone beneath her.
She didn't get back up.
Aftermath
Zoro whistled. "That's two down."
Sanji blinked. "…I was gonna fight."
Usopp peeked out. "Is it over?"
Luffy just grinned. "That was awesome!"
Vivi stared at Rex, stunned.
"You didn't hesitate," she said softly. "You didn't ask for orders."
"I saw you were cornered," he replied. "That's all I needed."
She looked down, then whispered, "If you help me… you might be starting a war."
He stepped past her.
"Then we'll finish one."
Later – Aboard the Going Merry
Vivi stood at the bow of the ship, cloak wrapped around her.
Luffy stretched out on the railing.
"You're going home, right?" he asked.
She nodded. "Yes. To Alabasta."
"We'll take you there!" he said with that big dumb grin.
Sanji twirled beside her. "Anything for a lady in need."
Zoro sighed. "We're getting involved in royal drama now?"
Nami folded her arms. "She has gold. I'm in."
Usopp held a map upside down. "Is it this way?"
And Rex?
He stood by the mast.
Watching the horizon.
Not serious.
Not grim.
Just… focused.
And when Nami walked over and nudged him with her elbow, he looked at her and smirked.
"I told you," she said. "You're getting soft."
"I'm not soft," he said.
He leaned down, voice low.
"I'm charming."
She blushed. "You're insufferable."
And as the Going Merry sailed off toward the next island…
The crew wasn't just stronger.
They were becoming something else.
A force the Grand Line couldn't ignore.