At an open-air restaurant in the town center.
Orion was leisurely cutting into his steak, while Hancock poured him a glass of red wine beside him.
Morgan stood guard like an iron tower, vigilant at his back.
After entering the town, he had given each intern a sum of spending money and set them free.
Meanwhile.
Luffy, Ace, Zoro, Sanji, and Usopp were walking along a bustling commercial street.
"Wow! This mask is so cool!" Luffy held up a demon-faced mask, posing it over his face.
"Idiot, don't waste money recklessly. We need to buy practical things," Sanji said, cigarette in mouth, though his eyes kept darting between a dessert shop and a jewelry store—clearly scouting for gifts for the ladies.
Zoro had no interest in any of it.
His hand never left the hilt of his sword at his waist, his sharp eyes scanning the surroundings for any possible dojo.
"Help!"
"Pirates! Pirates are here!"
Suddenly, terrified screams erupted from the end of the street.
A flood of panicked townspeople surged toward them, many stained with blood.
"W-what's going on?" Usopp's lips turned pale with fear.
He immediately hid behind Sanji, peeking out with half his head.
Before they could react, a pirate crew of nearly a hundred men chased the crowd into the street.
The lead pirate kicked over an elderly man who was too slow, grinning viciously as he raised his sword high.
The smile vanished from Luffy's face.
In the next moment, he shot forward like a cannonball.
"Thud!"
The pirate raising his sword hadn't even seen what hit him before an irresistible force slammed into his abdomen.
He curled up like a shrimp, flying backward and crashing into seven or eight of his comrades before stopping.
Luffy landed steadily.
He slowly adjusted his straw hat, the brim casting a shadow over his eyes, leaving only a cold jawline visible.
Without a word, he stood in the middle of the street—a single, impassable wall separating the panicked civilians behind him from the surging pirates ahead.
"Luffy!"
Ace called out, stepping forward as well.
He spun the steel pipe in his hand and stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Luffy.
Zoro and Sanji exchanged a glance, then wordlessly moved to flank Luffy on either side.
Four youths, blocking nearly a hundred vicious pirates.
The pirates were momentarily stunned by the sudden standoff, but when they saw that only four kids were blocking their way, their brief astonishment turned to rage.
A burly, one-eyed pirate spat and snarled viciously, "Where did these brats come from? Are you lot tired of living!"
"Kill them!"
"Slaughter them!"
The pirates roared, brandishing their swords and guns as they swarmed forward like a tide.
Facing the overwhelming surge of enemies, Luffy tugged his straw hat lower.
"Gum-Gum Pistol!"
His right arm suddenly stretched out, his fist precisely smashing into the face of the one-eyed pirate at the front.
The tremendous force sent the pirate spinning 720 degrees mid-air, teeth and bloody foam flying everywhere.
"Two-Sword Style: Slash!"
Zoro drew his twin blades and charged toward three pirates.
In a flash of sword light, three blood trails sprayed through the air.
The three pirates collapsed stiffly without even having time to scream.
"Ace!" Luffy shouted.
"Got it!"
Understanding immediately, Ace brandished his steel pipe with fierce momentum, standing back-to-back with Luffy as they knocked down all the pirates attacking from the flanks.
Sanji moved like an elegant black crane weaving through the crowd, his long legs transforming into lethal weapons.
A powerful side kick connected squarely with a pirate's jaw.
The crisp sound of cracking bone echoed as the pirate's head snapped backward at an unnatural angle.
The battle erupted instantly.
Facing ten times their number, the four teenagers not only held their ground but pierced through the enemy formation like four sharp blades, unleashing a storm of bloodshed.
Usopp, standing at the rear, watched the scene with legs trembling like a sieve.
This wasn't part of the plan!
They were supposed to be shopping!
How did they end up fighting!
Though terrified enough to cry, he looked at his comrades fighting desperately ahead, then at the scoundrels attacking civilians.
Finally gritting his teeth, he pulled his slingshot from his backpack.
"I... I'm a brave warrior of the sea! You bastards!"
"Take this!!"
"Special Attack: Lead Star!"
...
Meanwhile, on another city street.
Chopper was crouched in front of a cotton candy stall, eyes sparkling.
Nami and Nojiko exchanged smiles and were about to pay when tsunami-like screams suddenly erupted behind them.
A dense crowd surged past them.
"Run for your lives!"
Another pirate crew came chasing after them.
One pirate spotted a little girl who had been separated from her parents, sitting on the ground and crying loudly.
A cruel glint flashed in his eyes as he mercilessly raised his cutlass.
"Stop!"
Nami's pupils contracted sharply.
Her body moved faster than her mind could process.
With astonishing speed, she rushed over just before the blade descended, scooping up the girl and rolling aside.
"Swish!"
The cold blade narrowly missed her back, carving a deep gash in the ground.
As Nami barely managed to stand while holding the girl, before she could even catch her breath, two pirates blocked her path with sinister grins.
Their raised cutlasses reflected chilling light in the sun.
It's over.
Nami closed her eyes in despair, instinctively tightening her grip on the child in her arms.
"Nami-san? No need to be afraid, yohohoho."
A familiar voice suddenly sounded beside Nami's ear.
Nami's eyes snapped open.
A skeleton wearing a suit with an afro had appeared before her without warning.
The two pirates froze mid-action, looking down at their chests where thin blood trails had mysteriously appeared.
"Wha—"
Before they could finish, they collapsed stiffly to the ground.
Brook sheathed his sword cane and gave Nami a proper gentleman's bow.
"Yohohoho, how rude of me."
Before Nami could react, he turned around to face the dozens of pirates charging down the street.
His empty eye sockets seemed to ignite with two faint blue ghostly flames.
Slowly, he sheathed his long sword, his left hand gripping the hilt and his right resting on the scabbard's mouth as he lowered his stance slightly.
"Song of Scabbards: Arrow Notch Slash!"
The moment the words fell, Brook's figure vanished into thin air.
The pirates at the forefront only saw a blur before their eyes—a dark shadow flashed past, followed by a chilling sensation creeping up their spines.
They halted in confusion, glancing at each other as if nothing had happened.
"What the hell? A skeleton—"
One pirate had just opened his mouth when his body split cleanly in half at the waist, his upper torso sliding to the ground.
It was like toppling the first domino.
"Thud! Thud! Thud!"
On the street, every standing pirate bore a neat slash mark across their bodies, and then, like marionettes severed from their strings, they collapsed in unison.
Like autumn wind sweeping fallen leaves.
In just an instant, dozens of pirates were completely annihilated.
Brook's figure reappeared at the end of the street.
He fully sheathed his sword with a soft click.
Elegant and gentlemanly.