"You...."
Sea Snake and Unga's jaws dropped to the floor, their eyes bulging and bloodshot.
Before them, the pink-haired girl sat on a barstool, a pile of untied ropes beneath her.
The special knots Unga used shouldn't have been so easily undone. Even if forcibly broken, they should have heard the noise.
But now...
"Don't be so surprised. I'm technically from a military intelligence group myself, received many years of formal assassination training. Those outdated techniques of yours, my school's teachers stopped teaching them long ago."
Resting her chin on her arms with her hands clasped on the bar, Sakura looked at the two with a very girlish demeanor.
"And that kid Luffy, although stupid, has one advantage: he doesn't lie. So I never trusted you from the start."
Sakura raised her right hand, and a small piece of solid ice shattered where Unga had touched.
Then, watching her slender fingers caress the rim of the glass, she masterfully displayed her poison application skills.
One word popped into Sea Snake and Unga's minds...
'-Colleagues!'
'Damn colleagues!'
If not for the formidable enemy before them, the two would probably have started cursing.
'Even on this vast sea, people who become pirates have all sorts of bizarre pasts before setting sail.'
'But why... why did they have to run into an agent who went rogue?'
It's like misfortune opening the door for misfortune… misfortune to the extreme!
"Move, Unga!" Without any hesitation, the bearded Sea Snake acted first.
He raised his foot and stomped down violently, leaving a footprint on the tavern floor, then silently vanished into the air.
[Soru: Serpent's Path]
In the blink of an eye, Sea Snake's afterimage shot past the bar at an unobservable speed, grabbing for Luffy hiding inside.
Unga, directly in front, also spread his fingers, heading straight for the unconscious Makino.
As CP0 Agents, they knew all too well how to attack where the enemy must defend in a fight.
"Tch, that's just too despicable, isn't it?"
Sakura raised an eyebrow and held up two fingers.
Whoosh!
A flash of spacetime illusion light passed. Sea Snake and Unga only felt their bodies being lifted.
Then their vision blurred into flickering patches, and when it cleared again, they were rolling onto a stretch of coast.
"So this is the spatial ability from the intel. It can take people along too?"
Unga's Shigan pierced a dead tree as he turned back with a grim expression.
Sea Snake, who had also missed his target, halted his charge and returned to his subordinate's side to face the enemy together.
"Ahahaha, we're all colleagues here. Let's drop the sordid tricks. If you want my life, ignite your will and resort to violence!"
Sakura laughed, rotating her wrist. A giant ice axe materialized.
Then, savage strength tore through the air with a shrill explosive roar, directly chopping towards the two.
"Take this, pirate!"
Sea Snake clicked his tongue and also launched a Rankyaku infused with Haki in retaliation.
Boom!
A raging wind abruptly began to blow.
Centered on the two, the surrounding ground shattered under the shockwave.
"Such astonishing power!"
Sea Snake exclaimed. "Pure physical strength can reach this level? No wonder the higher-ups want you!"
"Your Haki isn't bad either!"
Sakura glanced at the ice axe shattered into fragments and returned the compliment.
Being able to counter her current strength showed Sea Snake's own formidable physique.
Moreover, being able to smash the ice axe to pieces indicated his Armament Haki usage had probably reached the level of internal destruction.
'He/She's a tough opponent.'
Sakura reformed the ice axe. Sea Snake also rose onto the balls of his feet and shot towards his opponent.
While the two fought, Unga in the distance had already reconnected with the emotions of the Windmill Village residents.
The Haki on this pirate before him was too strong. To manipulate such a will, he could only use resonance to amplify his ability's effect as much as possible.
Countless transparent threads converged towards his body. Emotions so intense they nearly warped reality screamed shrilly.
Unga crushed the ground underfoot, transforming into a straight line, his ability-imbued right hand swinging towards Sakura in the midst of combat.
Seeing his comrade's attack, Sea Snake also stopped hiding his power. His body suddenly swelled.
Pitch-black flames and light rose from his body. His head stretched violently, splitting into nine, inky scales slowly covering his writhing form.
The opened snake pupils and fangs gleamed with a ferocious eerie light, like an evil god descending here, trampling heaven and earth.
"Devouring Abyss!"
The roaring nine-headed snake opened its massive mouths. As they tore and bit, they spat out venom that existed only in fantasy using the Flying Shigan Technique.
The vicious liquid spread across the earth, sizzling as it burned the soil. Poisonous smoke instantly filled the entire coast.
"Mythical Zoan?"
Sakura accidentally inhaled some of the poison smoke and immediately felt dizzy.
She hurriedly covered her nose and mouth, retreating to areas not yet covered by the venom.
But... this path was, after all, left by the enemy. What could be anticipated was about to unfold.
Unga was waiting for Sakura on the only exit, throwing a punch down the moment she withdrew from the poison mist range.
Thump!
A fist also wrapped in Armament Haki shattered the ice armor Sakura hastily conjured, punching her in the back and sending her back towards the poison mist.
In mid-air, Sakura threw a Flying Thunder God Kunai, flashing to its landing point.
"Got it!"
Unga's eyes lit up, clenching his fist for a downward strike.
That last hit definitely made contact with her body. Now, he could manipulate that girl's emotions.
"Boss, I made contact with her!"
Unga turned his head and called out to the massive Hydra.
One of the giant snake's heads turned towards him, nodded, and began reducing its venom spray.
The poison mist gradually dispersed. The girl and the two CP0 Agents stood facing each other, warily watching one another.
"You two, pretty capable, huh!"
Steam began to rise from Sakura's body, frost spreading inch by inch across the ground.
"Time-wasting play ends here. What comes next is real slaughter!"
Sakura straightened her posture, her fluttering long hair becoming crystal clear. Strands of frosty ribbons drifted beside her, crowning her with a pure white crown.
"Play? The fight between us is over!"
Sea Snake shook his head, his body shrinking back to human form.
With her emotions controlled by Unga's ability, even if she were the Pirate King, she could only become a puppet under emotional domination now.
"She's yours. Remember to make this guy perish in fear!"
"Hehehe, got it, boss!"
Unga, now confident of victory, exposed his true nature, a twisted expression appearing on his face.
Devil Fruits possess a certain will of their own, so they choose hosts suitable for themselves in the cracks of fate.
So, what kind of person would be chosen by an ability like the Kanjo Kanjo no Mi?
Of course, someone who loves toying with others' emotions!
"You know, I have a great idea. Let's call it 'The Overbearing Pirate Falls for Me'. How about it?"
Raising a hand to comb his hair, Unga grinned weirdly, slowly walking towards Sakura.
"Twisting wills, manipulating minds... what a vile ability."
With a solemn expression, Sakura raised the axe behind her. Dark lightning erupted from the girl as the center, the earth trembled, the storm roared.
Pure killing intent converged, transforming into thick Haki gathering on the axe blade, making it emit a soul-shaking roar.
"Such terrifying Haki. But what can you do about it? You can do nothing now!"
"Humans are ultimately puppets of emotion. Be good and become my plaything!"
Unga, eyebrows raised, reached out and tore through the air. A pink arrow ignored distance and sank into Sakura's body ahead.
The emotion control ability sought to amplify the indescribable desires in her heart dozens of times, turning her into a beast knowing only heat.
[Awakening: Arrow of Love]
"Ahahahaha, come to me, my love!"
Unga spread his arms, waiting for the girl to throw herself into his embrace.
'Candles, whips, a great pirate... a very fitting combination.'
Unfortunately, the scene he envisioned did not appear. What awaited him ahead was the fully charged legendary spear.
"No... wait, why?"
Paleness took over the man's face. Subconsciously, he hurled more Arrows of Love, piercing the girl's heart like ten thousand arrows.
In the end, all he received was a resounding roar in response to his mind games.
"Puppets? A busy little clown like you, obsessed with control, how could you understand the unparalleled power of the will of those who yearn for freedom!"
In that instant, Sakura stepped forward.
Towards the loathsome thing before her, she brought down the giant axe.
[Spear of Elbaf: Ikoku Sovereignty!!!]
A shrill sound burst forth at this moment, fierce light crisscrossed, the cries of will overlapped into one.
The rising massive impact ravaged the earth, spiraling covering everything Unga could see.
In the final moment before being swallowed by the radiance, inspiration flashed through his mind.
'Wait, could she be a lesbian?'