"Ghihihihihihihi! Do you think you can escape?"
A strange, eerie laugh echoed across the forest just as Nami and Usopp basked briefly in their sense of triumph.
"Oh no, he's caught up!"
Nami scanned her surroundings, panic rising, but the figure remained unseen.
"Where's the enemy? Is it that Shichibukai?"
Usopp, battered and bruised, tightened his grip on his slingshot, pushing through the pain as he searched for their assailant.
"Ghihihihihihi! Shadow Swamp!"
The shadows behind them converged, forming a monstrous, writhing creature that laughed as it consumed the area around them.
"Wuwuwu…"
The world went black. Nami and Usopp felt as if they were sinking into a swamp, struggling for air and mobility.
"Shadow…"
Their limbs flailed, but they could gain no leverage.
"Gold Manipulation…"
Nami reached tremblingly, attempting to shape the remaining gold on her body into a weapon to pierce the shadow swamp. But before she could act, her gold was stripped away and flung far out of reach.
"No… I'm going to pass out…"
Oxygen-starved and trapped, Nami's consciousness wavered, her hands slowly drooping as her strength ebbed.
Her gaze flicked to Usopp, clutching his throat and gasping for air, then to Chopper, unconscious and pale.
"Am I really going to die like this…?"
Memories flashed through Nami's mind like a lantern spinning in the dark.
She remembered Belle-Mere, her foster mother. She remembered Arlong, the Fishman who had slaughtered her family when she was ten. She remembered the years she had walked in shadows, stealing from pirates to survive.
Then came the second light in her life: Luffy. He had defeated Arlong and saved her.
Life aboard the ship had been the happiest days of her life. Powerful companions protected her, and they cared for her like family.
And now, she was about to die on this cold, cruel island.
Not because they failed her… but because she was too weak.
Shirogai had entrusted her with powerful abilities, hoping she could protect herself.
Yet she had failed—not just herself, but Chopper and Usopp.
From start to finish, she had been weak, always a target of those who preyed on the defenseless.
"…"
Nami trembled. Anger alone could not summon a miracle. Rage without action was meaningless.
"This is knowing shame."
A soft, sighing voice suddenly echoed in her mind.
"A strong person does not allow companions to die before their eyes. They risk their own lives to protect them. We grow stronger, not to overpower others, but to ensure others cannot overpower us."
"Shirogai!"
The words reignited Nami's fading consciousness.
Swish!
A beam of light cut through the oppressive shadow swamp, lifting Nami, Usopp, and Chopper from its grasp.
Moments later, a purple glow enveloped the trio, carrying them safely into the distance.
Gurgle, gurgle…
The shadows wriggled back together, reforming into Moriah's silhouette.
"Using a Shichibukai to test his companions… clever," Gekko Moriah murmured, watching the tail of light vanish.
"If only you had been with my crew back then, perhaps those fools wouldn't have died."
Moriah's lips curled into a slow, eerie laugh.
"Ghihihihihihihihihihi!!!"
He merged with the shadows, moving swiftly through the forest toward the direction Shirogai had departed.
---
"Is that all?"
A sharp-eyed swordsman with short black hair and a black top hat, holding the World's Strongest Black Blade, Yoru, gazed down at the two exhausted pirates.
"You disappoint me. So weak."
"Hmph, hmph…"
Luffy collapsed amidst shattered trees, pale and trembling. Second Form's side effects had taken their toll. His accelerated heartbeat and exertion left him drained.
No food remained nearby to replenish his energy. He relied solely on his body's reserves to resist the fatigue.
"As expected of a Shichibukai…"
Sanji trembled, leaning on a tree trunk, his legs throbbing with exhaustion.
"Such a powerful slash!"
He tried to regain his stance, but cramping made every step painful. His legs, once precise and natural, now felt heavy and unresponsive.
Hawkeye's keen eyes swept over them. He raised Night, the black blade gleaming.
"The weak remain weak. Now, I shall send you on your way."
Swish!
A wave of sword qi cut toward Luffy and Sanji.
"Second Form!"
Luffy struggled to rise, squatting to gather strength.
"Gum-Gum Jet Gatling!"
His fists, coated in Armament Haki, met the sword qi.
"Ah ah ah ah ah…"
Repeated strikes left tiny wounds spraying onto the ground. Luffy could not block the attack entirely.
Hawkeye observed calmly, analyzing every movement with Observation Haki.
"Crush!!!"
As sword qi bore down, a black leather shoe descended from above, smashing the attack before it could strike Luffy.
"Hmph, hmph…"
Exhausted, Luffy and Sanji exchanged bitter smiles, collapsing.
"I… I have no strength left, Sanji. I'm starving!"
"Me too… this might be the final blow…"
____
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