Compared to Mr. 5, who could explode in all sorts of ways, Miss Valentine's attacks were extremely simple.
She just kept reducing her weight to jump into the air, then changed her posture to increase her weight as she fell.
She hadn't twisted an ankle yet, surely because her Devil Fruit had subtly enhanced her body.
Once Rui Meng Meng got used to her moves, she could predict where Miss Valentine would land and dodge, then strike with a sword.
Miss Valentine tried to block with her umbrella, but the umbrella broke and she fell to the ground.
Artoria had even less to worry about. In short, Brother 3 used to be a decent man.
Before falling, Mr. 3 used his ultimate technique, "Candle Champion," coating his body in wax to form a four-meter-high candle armor.
This move could unnaturally increase his strength—a single punch could make the ground cave in. Unfortunately, he picked the wrong opponent.
The seemingly sturdy armor was no match for Artoria. The whole suit was cut in half with a single sword, and Mr. 3 was severely injured and knocked unconscious.
After the fight, Zhang Da Ye called out: "Meng Meng, check that ruined house over there. See if there's a large wooden barrel to fit someone, fill it with seawater and bring it back. If not, just dismantle some planks."
"Oh, okay." Rui Meng Meng ran off.
Zhang Da Ye first finished off the rest of Maruko's group, then gathered the Baroque Trio for Artoria to watch, and finally went to retrieve Tom and Camie.
The two silly kids, recovering from dizziness, were flopping on the ground like fish, hands and feet (Camie obviously without feet) bound by wax locks. It was unclear whether they were in pain or having fun.
"Brother Da Ye, how do we undo this?" Camie asked, Tom looking on expectantly.
Zhang Da Ye said, "Just have Tom cut it with his sword, right?"
But Tom shook his head, gesturing that his hands were cuffed and he couldn't wield the sword properly.
Zhang Da Ye smacked his forehead. "You silly cat, how did you cut open that candle sphere then?"
Tom tilted his head, a question mark above it, probably thinking that it was too dark inside to see how he did it.
Zhang Da Ye sighed. "It's a bit hard, but still candle wax. Heat it with fire and it will soften and melt."
Tom jumped with his feet, landing beside the fallen Mr. 3, and struggled to pull out a match. He remembered this man's hair could catch fire and never burn out.
Lighting his hair would save the trouble of finding fuel—Tom was really clever!
Artoria, in charge of watching, didn't stop him, curious if Mr. 3's hair was still magical while unconscious.
Brother 3 did not disappoint. His "3" shaped hair ignited like a candle, slowly and steadily melting the wax locks binding Tom and Camie.
Mr. 3 never even woke up. Zhang Da Ye suspected that wax from his own abilities had been mixed into Mr. 3's hair—real "hair wax."
"Boss, the barrels are here!" Rui Meng Meng returned carrying three large barrels.
Each barrel was filled with seawater. She held them in a pyramid shape, showing no sign of struggle.
Zhang Da Ye called out: "Set them here. Put these three inside. Tom will help make a lid later."
The barrels fit the Baroque Trio perfectly, squatting inside. Once Tom nailed a lid with a hole in the center, only their heads were visible—a very comical sight.
Without Sea-Prism Stone handcuffs, this was the best way to restrain them. The other two were just extras, mainly to prevent Mr. 5 from self-destructing.
When placed in the barrels, Mr. 5 didn't react. But Mr. 3 and Miss Valentine were in trouble. Both had sword wounds and woke up instantly when submerged in seawater.
"It hurts! What's going on?" Miss Valentine struggled to understand her situation. "Let me go, or I'll crush you all!"
Though shouting, she didn't even have the strength to break the barrels.
Devil Fruit users become weak and cannot activate their powers when most of their bodies are submerged in seawater.
"Calm down, Miss Valentine." Mr. 3 was less stubborn. Shouting was pointless. Since they hadn't finished him off immediately, there was still room to maneuver.
Though the opponents were stronger than expected, Mr. 3 thought he wasn't yet desperate. If force didn't work, intelligence could.
Zhang Da Ye looked at the panicking man. "Mr. 3, you said you have allies, right? How many? Codenames? Where are they now?"
"We have two allies: Mr. 13 and Miss Friday. As for their location…" Mr. 3 cooperated, glancing around, then asked, "How long was I unconscious?"
Zhang Da Ye guessed: "About ten minutes."
Mr. 3 smiled smugly. "No need to look further. Miss Friday and Mr. 13 are actually a vulture and an otter, as smart as your cat.
Before the battle, they were observing nearby. If our plan succeeded, they would provide support. If we were defeated, they would immediately report back to the organization.
Ten minutes—guess how far a vulture can fly?"
When saying this, Mr. 3's glasses glinted with intelligence, even though one lens was cracked in battle.
"Hmm, seems troublesome."
The vulture and otter—the Baroque Works messengers. If they left, their sketches would reach Mr. 0, Crocodile himself.
Accidentally provoking a Shichibukai—or rather, he provoked me.
"It's more than troublesome. If we die here, Baroque Works will hunt you. From your looks, you know them, right? Let's have a proper talk."
Mr. 3 revealed his backup, in case the young man impulsively killed him, even though he didn't know who his true backup really was.
"Ha ha ha, right, right! Let us go or you'll regret it!" Miss Valentine became brazen.
Mr. 3 was frustrated. Couldn't this woman be quiet for once? I'm trying to calm him, and she's adding fuel!
Such teammates! I'm exhausted.
A/N: Some might wonder if a Devil Fruit user can use their powers in seawater, citing examples like Luffy stretching in water…