"Are you getting tired of this yet?" Isuka's voice was laced with frustration as she parried another one of Ace's lazy, fire-laced kicks. "Can't you come up with a new trick?"
She gestured with her sword toward the towering inferno that now separated them from the panicked Marine squads scrambling to find a way around. The wall of fire bisected the wide Nanohana street, its heat shimmering in the desert air. It was a brutally effective tactic, filtering out the weaker soldiers and forcing the stronger ones to take a long, time-consuming detour.
Ace landed lightly on the sand-dusted cobblestones, a wide grin splitting his face. "Hey, if it ain't broke, don't fix it! Shishishi!" He gave himself a thumbs-up before effortlessly dodging another one of Isuka's precise, Haki-coated thrusts.
The battle on Sky Island had pushed him to his limits, awakening his Observation Haki to a level that made this duel feel almost like a dance. He could feel every one of Isuka's intentions before she moved, predicting the arc of her blade, the tension in her shoulders. She had grown stronger, he noted with respect. The Armament Haki coating her sword was no longer a fragile sheen but a solid, visible layer of power. Each strike she launched now carried enough force to demand his full attention.
But compared to Ace's relaxed confidence, the battle raging in a nearby alley had reached a fever pitch.
The narrow passage echoed with the brutal sounds of Jabra's assault. The CP9 agent, transformed into his hulking werewolf form, moved with a ferocious grace, his
Iron Body Kenpo allowing him to attack and defend in the same fluid motion.
Brook, however, was not faring as well. He was sent tumbling for the third time, his skeletal frame crashing into the crumbling wall of a dilapidated house. Dust and debris exploded around him.
"Haha! You little bag of bones! Still want to play tricks on me?" Jabra sneered, his wolfish features twisted in a prideful grin. As the fight dragged on, he'd grown certain of his superiority. The skeleton was fast, he'd give him that, but in a contest of pure power, there was no comparison. "I'll grind every last one of your bones into dust!"
From within the swirling dust, Brook slowly pushed himself to his feet. He calmly patted his gentlemanly suit, brushing off the grit. He seemed unfazed, his empty eye sockets fixed on the CP9 agent.
"Yohohoho," he chuckled, a sound that was unnervingly calm. He raised his cane-sword, pointing its tip at Jabra. "I believe… I'm beginning to understand. Thank you for the sparring session."
His entire aura shifted. Despite the oppressive Alabasta heat, a sudden, piercing chill descended upon the alley. It wasn't just a drop in temperature; it was a palpable cold, a frigid whisper from the underworld that his soul had once visited.
"And now," Brook's voice dropped to a low, resonant tone, "allow me to let you feel the chill of the underworld."
The change was not lost on Jabra. The wolf-man's smirk vanished, replaced by a tense, serious expression. His heart tightened.
"Hmph! Don't get cocky!" he snarled, deciding to end it now. He kicked upward with blinding speed. "
Tempest Kick: Wolf Pack!"
Four slashing waves of compressed air, each shaped like a pouncing wolf, shot through the alley, howling as they descended upon their target.
Yet, Brook simply walked forward, his pace unhurried and leisurely. Just as the ethereal wolves were about to tear him apart, his figure vanished.
"What?" Jabra's eyes widened in shock. He scanned the alley, but the skeleton was gone. Instinct, honed by years of brutal training, took over. "Iron Body!" His body hardened, becoming as durable as iron.
In the next second, Brook reappeared behind him, as silent and sudden as a ghost. He took a few more calm steps before speaking, his voice a quiet murmur. "Iron is not enough to protect you."
"Nonsense!" Jabra spun around, finding nothing behind him. "You can't touch me! Show yourself if you have the guts!"
As he turned, Brook's hand was already on the hilt of his sheathed sword. There was no grand movement, only the faintest whisper of steel.
"Three-Verse Humming: Arrow-Notch Slash"
A single, imperceptible flash of light crossed Jabra's chest. Brook slowly, deliberately, pushed his sword back into its scabbard until it clicked softly into place.
"You… How could you possibly break my—Puuuh!"
Before Jabra could finish his sentence, a thin red line erupted across his torso. Blood sprayed from his mouth as his eyes rolled back, and he collapsed to the ground, unconscious.
"My Devil Fruit ability still has much room for development," Brook mused to himself. "But I believe I have a clearer path forward now. Yohohoho."
He waved to Ace, who was still casually dancing around Isuka's attacks. "Mr. Ace, I believe our work here is done. Shall we depart?"
Ace grinned, dodged one last slash, and then turned, parting the wall of fire before him like a curtain. He and Brook slipped through the flames and sprinted toward the port where their new ship awaited.
Further down the street, the chaos of the battle was a distant murmur. Here, the festival was in full swing.
"Carrot, you drank so much water. Are you feeling any better?" Carina asked, gently wiping a bead of sweat from the young mink's brow.
"Yeah!" Carrot nodded enthusiastically, her ears twitching. "But it's still really hot."
"Meow!" Kotatsu, drinking from a small water pouch hanging from his collar, voiced his agreement. The desert climate was proving to be a challenge for the furry members of the crew.
"Let's find another shop to cool off in," Jerry suggested, scanning the bustling street.
Just as he spoke, a flash of white galloped past them, followed by a screaming horde of love-struck women.
"Some people are just born with too much energy…" Jerry sighed, watching Cavendish on his horse, Farul, basking in the attention.
Suddenly, the festive mood on the street died. A commotion rippled through the crowd, which quickly parted as people fell to their knees, their faces pressed to the ground in terror. Jerry, Carina, and Carrot ducked into the shadows of a storefront, peering out at the cause of the sudden silence.
An opulent carriage, pulled by two massive men bound in chains and shackles, rolled slowly down the street. Seated within were a man and a woman wearing the unmistakable transparent bubble helmets of the World Nobles. Accompanying them was a man in a pristine white suit, his face hidden behind a colorful mask—an agent of Cipher Pol Aigis Zero.
"Sister, this country is no fun at all," the fat, pouty-faced male Celestial Dragon whined. "It's so hot… My slaves look like they're about to die of thirst."
"I wanted to see the desert cities, brother. You were the one who insisted on coming along," the female Celestial Dragon, who looked remarkably normal, replied with an exasperated sigh. "Now we're in this country's 'City of Dreams,' just as you wanted. Stop complaining."
The man in black who walked beside the carriage, a butler of sorts, bowed respectfully. "Saint Croft, Princess Sabrina, the Rain Dinners Casino is just ahead. It is operated by the Warlord, Sir Crocodile."
Saint Croft scanned the kneeling, subservient populace with a bored frown. "Fine. This is all very dull. Let's go see what this casino has to offer."
The butler bowed again and was about to lead them forward when an urgent shout came from a side street.
"Stop! Don't go any further! The street is too crowded over there!"
Everyone turned to see a little girl with vibrant blue hair and a bright smile, riding wildly on the back of a giant, goofy-looking duck. A slightly older boy with dark hair was chasing after them frantically.
"Hehe, Koza, you're too slow!" the girl laughed, looking back over her shoulder. "You can't catch me and Carue! La la la—Oops!"
Distracted by her taunts, the girl and her duck didn't see the luxurious carriage that had stopped directly in their path.
CRUNCH.
With a sickening scrape of wood against metal, the duck slammed sideways into the Celestial Dragon's transport.
The world fell silent.
The laughing girl, the stunned duck, the kneeling crowd, the furious World Nobles, and their cold-eyed protectors—all were frozen in a single, horrifying moment of absolute silence.
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