Witnessing the incoming baseball, Nami stood frozen in shock.
"Nami! Look out!"
In the nick of time, Chopper, in his Human Point form, hugged her from the side and leaped, narrowly avoiding a direct hit. As she collapsed onto the dry, sandy ground in Chopper's arms, she followed the trajectory of the ball that flew over their heads. The "tick-tick-tick" sound she'd heard couldn't have been her imagination. That sound oddly lingered in her ears, making her feel uneasy.
After clearing the two of them, the ball exploded violently in mid-air.
If she hadn't dodged, she surely would have been blown to pieces. A shiver ran down her spine as she registered its power, her face paling. Yet, there seemed to be no time for surprise.
"Don't stop! We have to keep moving!"
"Wh-what happened?! Chopper, was that…!"
Pulled up by Chopper's arm, Nami, still rattled, got to her feet.
"They're close by!"
The moment he shouted that, a hole opened in the ground, and a figure suddenly burst out from underground. It wasn't human. Its hands and feet were large, lined with sharp claws, and despite its small stature, it exuded an intimidating presence. A peculiar appearance, a mix of human and mole: the Mole-Human from the Mogura Mogura no Mi.
It reared back its right hand, lined with sharp, long claws, and lunged. Chopper instinctively pushed Nami's body aside, clenched his fist, and leaped forward. Nami gasped and fell again, but this was no time for complaints; she frantically looked up at Chopper's back.
The sudden attack deflected Chopper's fist, striking only him. It looked like a mere slap, but the claws tore through his skin, sending Chopper flying.
"Mole Banana Slap!"
"Whoa!?"
"Chopper!?"
The impact was so jarring that the skin tearing felt insignificant. His brain reeled. Chopper tumbled violently, unable to even brace himself as he rolled. Nami reflexively gripped her Clima-Tact, which was assembled into a single staff, but the attacker, having finished their blow, dug a hole and vanished into the ground so quickly she couldn't react. A surprise attack. And a temporary retreat. Clearly, no amateur.
Nami stood up, shielding Chopper behind her, and scanned her surroundings with her weapon raised. No sign of the enemy. Instead, several holes pockmarked the ground. Chopper, too, pressed a hand to his cheek, kneeling as he wary of his surroundings.
"So, this means…?"
"Yeah. According to Kiri, it's Mr. 4 and Miss Merry Christmas. That ball earlier was spat out by their companion, Lassoo, and it's a powerful time bomb."
"Of all the weirdos to fight… Chopper, are you alright?"
"It's nothing serious. I can move."
Chopper stood up steadily. He was fine. He could continue fighting. The surroundings were silent, leaving no room for carelessness. Their faces hardened at the situation.
They were on one of the main thoroughfares, Polka Street in the South Block. Rows of broken houses lined the street, and while the view of the street itself was open, there were surprisingly many obstacles. With holes dug in the ground, there were even more places to hide. Finding the enemy was now no easy task.
They had information about the enemy. They had particularly made an effort to remember these two. Considering their own abilities, they thought Kiri's advice would be necessary and listened intently. But now, facing the enemy, they wondered if that alone would be enough to win.
In their first encounter, the enemy had completely outsmarted them. What would they do next? How would they strike? Though their vigilance increased, their impatience grew, and the longer the silence lasted, the more they felt their composure slipping away. Gradually, their fear intensified. Unable to find a trigger to move, they were left waiting for the enemy's next move. This only stoked their fear further.
"We need a plan. Their teamwork is incredible. If we can somehow split them up, that would be best, I think…"
"Do you have an idea?"
"They have a weakness. If we can exploit it."
"Whatever you try is useless."
A voice. Immediately after, a hole opened in the ground, and something sprang out from below. About eight meters away from them, the mole-human, Miss Merry Christmas, appeared boldly. From another hole, Mr. 4, and Lassoo, a dog with a pistol-like body, also emerged. These were their opponents: a team of two people and one animal.
Their presence was formidable. They exuded an aura of having survived many desperate situations. The fact that they deliberately showed themselves instead of staying hidden was a sign of their confidence. Nami and Chopper's faces contorted, unable to hide their agitation.
"Don't think you're the only ones who know the enemy. You two are the weaklings of that crew, aren't you? Some bounty hunter, no one even knows who he is, found that out."
"Ummmmm~~~"
"Ugh, what a bother. Eliminating weaklings like you. Weak, 'w-w-wea.' My back's starting to hurt, so let's just kill you quickly and get this over with."
Not to provoke, but simply to state facts. Miss Merry Christmas muttered, moving her hands ominously. Taking in the tense faces of Nami and Chopper, especially the Human Point Chopper, she grinned. It was a clear display of her arrogance.
"You're a Zoan, aren't you? You transform using pills. And that little girl uses a strange staff, right?"
"Th-they know about us, it seems…"
"What?! Is that supposed to be a provocation?"
Unlike the struggling Chopper, Nami glared back, breathing heavily. She raised her Clima-Tact defiantly and shouted.
"We're ready to take you down too! Just because I'm delicate and beautiful, don't underestimate me!"
"Didn't say you were beautiful."
"You can only act like that for now. Just you wait…"
When Nami smiled mysteriously, Miss Merry Christmas involuntarily furrowed her brow.
"Alright! Let's go, Chopper!"
"Just me?!"
"Like I said, I'm delicate. Just take care of them quickly."
"No way?! They use teamwork as their weapon! I can't win alone! I need your strength, Nami!"
"Oh, fine. This is going to cost you, you know?"
"Scary. Thinking about money even now… You're a pervert!"
"Don't be silly. I'm not a pervert. I'm just scared of fighting."
She seemed to be about to say something serious, but it was an anticlimax. Apparently, Nami was genuinely afraid of them, and seeing her attitude, Miss Merry Christmas didn't consider her a threat. With a sneer, Miss Merry Christmas was about to begin her attack. The conversation hadn't been enough to stop her impatience.
"Hmph. I thought you were going to do something, but in the end, it was just talk. Mr. 4, how long are you going to stand there?! Just kill them already! Kill them! Go on, kill them!"
"Ummmmm~~~"
"Your reply is too slow! 'No!' 'No!' as in 'No-Good!'"
An enraged Miss Merry Christmas yelled at Mr. 4, then plunged into a hole she had dug.
"There are other people we need to deal with! No time for playing around!"
"U-u-under-stood—"
"You're too slow, you damn idiot!? 'Ba!' As in 'Ba-ad!'"
Their figures vanished into the holes. Lassoo then shuffled along, entering a hole as well. With the enemy gone from sight and no sound, the two were enveloped in even greater tension than before. They were likely moving underground, but there was no noise. They couldn't tell where they would be attacked from.
The oppressive silence filled them with dread. Nami and Chopper's expressions had both lost their composure.
"This is no time for jokes…"
"Were you joking?! You pervert!"
"I'm not a pervert. Anyway, Chopper, if we don't defeat these guys, our friends will be targeted too. Let's work together and take them down here."
"Oh!"
Seeing Nami's resolute expression, Chopper's fighting spirit surged. He felt fear, yes. But having witnessed Vivi's efforts, he wanted to be useful. After coming this far, the option to flee was simply not there. The two ran, moving away from the scattered holes.
"First, we mustn't stop!"
"Got it! We have to be careful since we don't know where they'll come from…!"
Fearing a surprise attack from a blind spot, they ran, scanning their surroundings. This way, at least, the chances of avoiding a sudden attack from behind would be higher. As they ran, they tried to devise a countermeasure. The enemy consisted of two people and one animal. However, their combined strength was likely superior. No reinforcements could be expected; they had to win with their own power. It was natural to feel rushed as they brainstormed.
Recalling the information they had heard beforehand, they tried to think of an effective strategy. Nami, leading the way, had little combat experience herself. Her strongest skill was escaping from enemies; opportunities for direct confrontation were rare. And Chopper's experience wasn't extensive either. Fighting them head-on probably wasn't a good idea. Some sort of strategy was absolutely necessary.
Fortunately, though many of the surrounding houses were scorched and on the verge of collapsing, they still offered cover. It was a more advantageous environment than fighting in a barren desert.
"Hey, Chopper, do you have a plan? What was their weakness again?"
"The core of their combination is the tunnels that mole creates. They use them to hide themselves while approaching or escaping from enemies."
"And?"
"But all those holes are connected. And the dog they have—"
Just as they moved further and further away from the holes, a new one suddenly opened directly in front of them. Miss Merry Christmas burst out, ready for Nami, who was frantically trying to stop, and swung her arm in mid-air.
"Banana!"
"Kyaaaah!?"
In her panic, she forgot herself and slid. Nami dodged Miss Merry Christmas's slap, and though it was accidental, her hand passed harmlessly over Nami's head, leaving her unscathed. She almost fell into the hole but stopped just in time. The moment Miss Merry Christmas landed, the two were back-to-back, and seeing this, Chopper instinctively rushed forward, throwing a punch.
"Take that, you!"
He swung his right arm with all his might, but Miss Merry Christmas gracefully somersaulted, avoiding it. With a single leap, she gained distance, and his fist could no longer reach her. They stared each other down again, restarting the close-quarters combat situation.
"You won't hit me with such a slow punch. Slow, 's-s-slow!'"
"Damn it…!"
"Chopper! No!"
Chopper was about to fall for the taunt. Nami instantly yelled. As she got up, she ran and looked behind Chopper, then leaped onto his back.
Unbeknownst to them, a few meters behind Chopper, a hole had opened, and Lassoo's head emerged. With a foolish expression, he let out a huge sneeze. What was spat out, or rather, launched from his mouth, was a seemingly ordinary baseball. They had seen this attack once before. So, Nami pushed Chopper down, making them both hit the ground.
The ball flew over their heads. As it passed, that faint "tick-tick-tick" sound was audible again.
In what felt like an eternity, they secretly felt relieved they had dodged. Following its trajectory with their eyes, they saw Mr. 4 in the same hole from which Miss Merry Christmas had just emerged. He swung his bat, hit the ball, and sent it flying back towards them.
"Eh—?"
"Nami!"
They were aghast, realizing the ball was now right in front of them. Chopper instinctively transformed into his Animal Point, bit Nami's coat, and forcibly dragged her, getting them out of the way just in time, but a direct hit would have been catastrophic. However, even dodging wasn't without consequence. The ball exploded behind them, and the two, having narrowly escaped the direct blast, were thrown to the ground by the shockwave.
Even the pain of hitting the ground felt dull. If they hadn't dodged, their bodies might have been torn apart. Nami lay collapsed, deeply grateful to Chopper, her heart pounding, her arms trembling.
"Hah, hah… Thank you, Chopper. Are you alright?"
"Yeah, no problem. More importantly, that thing is dangerous. We barely made it even with that last one…"
"IKKISHI! IKKISHI! IKKISHI!"
From beyond the towering inferno, a massive presence, Lassoo's sneeze was heard again. Naturally, three more balls flew towards them without delay, and the two frantically started running.
"Run!"
"Enjoy yourselves. This territory's name is 'Molehill 4th Street'."
To avoid the low-flying balls, Nami and Chopper ran, almost leaping, and dove into a dilapidated house. They dodged just in time, and the three balls exploded violently in the middle of the road.
Rolling into the house, the two pressed themselves against the opposite wall and exchanged glances. They were much stronger than imagined. Even with information, seeing is vastly different from hearing. Fighting them head-on was out of the question, and the surprise attacks were particularly troublesome. Their tactic of appearing and disappearing, and reappearing from unknown locations, rattled the minds of their opponents.
They urgently needed to think of a countermeasure, Nami began to speak. As she did, considering the house dangerous, she tried to exit from the opposite direction they had entered.
"What is that thing?! Is that also a Devil Fruit?!"
"Yeah. Lassoo is a 'gun' that ate the Inu Inu no Mi, Model 'Dachshund'… it's a being born from an object eating a Devil Fruit."
She replayed the information she had heard previously. The starting point for Mr. 4's pair attacks was Lassoo the dog. It was originally a gun that had been given a Devil Fruit through special technology. It was an object that had gained the characteristics and will of a dog. The balls it spat out were time bombs, causing huge explosions after a set time. The timing of the shot was a sneeze, making it somewhat predictable, but not easy to foresee.
Since the house was already damaged, exiting wasn't difficult. Keeping a low posture to avoid being seen, they passed through a crumbled wall to another street.
"Unbelievable! Why is a gun shooting balls and exploding?! What are Devil Fruits? Is anything possible now?"
"I don't know the principle, but that's how it works. We just have to accept it."
"I don't want to accept it, but we're not in a position to complain."
The moment they stepped onto the street. The house behind them exploded from within, blowing debris into the sky, leaving nothing but a void. Lassoo's bomb had apparently exploded inside the house. If they had been delayed, they would have lost their escape route and been caught in the explosion. Startled, the two stared blankly at the debris falling from the sky. Immediately after, they realized they'd be crushed if they stood there and frantically ran away.
"Noooooo~!? What is it now?!"
"Whoaaaaa~!?"
Nami and Animal Point Chopper were running at full speed. Along the street, holes opened with a pop. Not just one, but two, three, rapidly increasing, lining the path both in front and behind them. The two had dodged the falling debris, but by the time they realized it, many holes had already appeared. As they slammed on the brakes, Lassoo's head slowly emerged from a hole in front of them, at the exact same moment.
"No way!? Again!?"
"Let's dodge, Nami! Those balls are heavy! We can't hit them back!"
"Bow!"
Lassoo spat out a ball. The two instinctively tried to escape. Just then, Nami's body lurched, and her feet wouldn't move. She instantly looked down to see Miss Merry Christmas's hand emerging from the ground, gripping her leg. However, to avoid being attacked, even that hand quickly burrowed back into the ground.
A momentary pause. Those few seconds would determine the outcome.
When she looked up again, the ball was almost upon them; there was no time left to escape. The explosion was large, making avoidance difficult. Even a small effort would only get them caught. A determined Chopper bit Nami's coat and pulled, initiating an evasive maneuver.
The ball exploded. A giant inferno engulfed the area, and the blast swept through the wide street. Seconds after the explosion, Mr. 4 and Miss Merry Christmas poked their heads out of their holes. They looked towards where the two had been standing, trying to ascertain the outcome. However, they themselves already felt victorious, thinking it had been too easy.
"Too easy. Didn't think it'd be over so fast."
"Fouuurrr…"
They watched the rising inferno, presumably believing them dead. Suddenly, Mr. 4 felt a strange sensation and looked into the hole he was in. He thought he'd sensed something. However, being slow-moving as he was, he peered in slowly. The moment he finally crouched down and put his face into the hole, a fist shot out.
A fist slammed directly into his face. A heavy blow, as if carrying the attacker's entire weight. Nosebleed sprayed out, and his stance crumbled in the narrow hole. Chopper instantly lunged into his space, catching Mr. 4 at close range, and delivered a powerful uppercut to his jaw.
"Uwoooooryaah!!"
"FOUURR!?"
"What!? What is it, Mr. 4! What happened!"
It was as if he was being ejected from the hole. Mr. 4's body, punched in the jaw, flew out of the hole and was forced onto the ground, falling on his back without being able to break his fall. Seconds after hearing the scream, a heavy thud of a massive body echoed, and Miss Merry Christmas was astonished. Human Point Chopper and Nami had emerged from the hole he'd been forced out of.
"You two, when did you…! You're still alive!"
"Their weakness is that all the holes are connected."
"I see… It's not just them who can hide. If we wanted to, we could use them too."
Nami, who had been helped by Chopper again, was sitting half-dazed, but considering what she had just experienced, she understood what Chopper was trying to say. Only the mole-human, Miss Merry Christmas, could dig holes in the ground. Mr. 4 and Lassoo merely utilized the tunnels she created, which meant they could do the same. It wasn't just a terrifying ability. If they knew how to use it, it could become Nami's weapon as well.
"They went into the holes I made…! How underhanded!"
"Only the mole-human can dig holes. Without her, they can't make surprise attacks."
"I see. That's how it is."
Nami, finally regaining her composure, stood up. A smile formed on her face; though small, she had found a glimmer of hope for victory.
She didn't feel like she could win in a simple slugfest. But if she could escape from the enemy and fight using her wits, that was her forte. She hadn't been a thief on her own for nothing. She spun the Clima-Tact in her hand and held it ready with both hands. This weapon required ingenuity. It lacked direct lethality but held value nonetheless.
Chopper had already made up his mind too. They would win this battle. With renewed strong resolve, the two stood side-by-side, facing the enemy. Miss Merry Christmas twisted her expression at them.
"Thanks, Chopper. So, we just need to target her, right?"
"Yeah. Though it won't be easy."
"Don't worry. When it comes to running, I won't lose even to Usopp."
Nami gazed at Miss Merry Christmas with a provocative smile.
"Want to play tag with me? I'm younger and cuter, so I don't think you can catch me."
"Don't say such 'ba-ad' things! Don't you dare think you understand my ability!"
Miss Merry Christmas vanished into a hole. Chopper, wary of this, instinctively looked down at Nami.
"Are you serious? Saying something like that will just make her angry…"
"Yes, that's right. Make her angry. An opponent who loses their composure will move exactly as we want them to. In fact, it'd be more troublesome if they remained calm. They're stronger than us, after all."
"Is that so? Then maybe I should've said something too."
"Yes. It's not too late, go ahead and tell them off."
Even while talking, they braced themselves and scanned their surroundings. Still, Miss Merry Christmas's speed underground was on a completely different level. Moreover, she could move freely. It was a completely different situation from the two of them, who could only move within the pre-existing holes.
At that moment, Mr. 4 finally stirred. Still lying down, he rubbed his bruised jaw and spoke in a leisurely voice.
"I-i-it… huuuuuurts~~~"
"Slow!? Now of all times!"
"Perfect, Chopper! Take him down first! It'll definitely work now!"
"Oh, right!"
Seeing Mr. 4 still lying there, Chopper clenched his fist and ran towards him. He had been so focused on Miss Merry Christmas, but Mr. 4 was also a considerable threat. Despite his slow thinking and movement, he was a number 4. He was by no means weak. Chopper was about to learn that fact firsthand.
Chopper was about to bring his fist down on Mr. 4, who showed no sign of getting up. The moment he saw it, Mr. 4, without changing his expression, brought up the bat in his left hand. He scooped up Chopper's fist from below, pushing it back. His bat weighed 4 tons. Even if Chopper's fist possessed the power to shatter rocks, he couldn't even compete. With an oddly effortless motion, Chopper's fist was crushed, bones breaking, bleeding, and his arm went limp.
Nami, and even Chopper himself, couldn't comprehend what had happened. By the time he realized it, a searing pain shot through his right hand, and he instinctively clutched it with his left, screaming.
"Whoa, ahhhaaaah!?"
"Chopper!?"
"Don't underestimate him. Even he's an Officer Agent, after all."
Miss Merry Christmas's voice reached them, and by the time Nami tried to react, she had been outmaneuvered. Unable to fully turn around, the moment she caught sight of Miss Merry Christmas in her peripheral vision, a powerful slap struck Nami's cheek. The impact sent her flying, and sharp claws left a shallow cut on her skin.
"Nana!"
"Ow!?"
Nami fell from the sudden attack. Chopper, desperately gritting his teeth to endure the pain, tried to rush to the fallen Nami, feeling he had to protect her. But the enemy was ready for their next attack at any moment. When he looked up, Miss Merry Christmas was there, Mr. 4 behind her. Lassoo was also in the distance. In other words, this was a desperate situation with no apparent chance of victory.
"All talk, aren't you? Is this really all you amount to in the end?"
"Fouuurrr…"
Unbeknownst to him, Chopper had stopped. It felt as if cold water had been poured over him. Fear rigidified his body to its limit. The doubt that he couldn't possibly win, even if he resisted, robbed him of his freedom of movement. To flee, or to fight. Either way, they were no match.
As Chopper stood frozen, Nami, breathing heavily, struggled to her feet. Despite saying she was scared, she showed no sign of fleeing, glaring at Miss Merry Christmas.
"Oh, quite the attitude you've got. But without the power to back it up, it means nothing. Either way, you two are 'w-w-wea.' Terribly 'w-w-wea.'"
"Hah, hah… Do you really think so? That I haven't been doing anything just now?"
"Huh?"
"I'm ready… Chopper, get down!"
Though surprised, Chopper, as told, transformed into his Human-Beast Point and crouched on the ground. Nami, conversely, stood up and swung one section of her Clima-Tact into the air, unleashing a Thunderball. Since it wasn't a direct attack, it seemed meaningless, and Miss Merry Christmas and Mr. 4 stood there, looking up at the sky.
Presumably, in the short time it took Miss Merry Christmas to disappear and reappear, a donut-shaped black cloud had somehow been created in the sky. Excluding Nami and Chopper, who crouched at its center, it looked down upon Mr. 4 and Miss Merry Christmas. The Thunderball she had just created touched the black cloud. At that moment, a dazzling light descended.
It was an attack created by targeting with the Clima-Tact. One couldn't tell where it would strike. But she surely intended to engage in close combat. This technique had been prepared as a counter-attack with that in mind.
"Thunderbolt Tempo!"
The lightning, triggered to fall, struck the ground in a donut shape. It spared Nami and Chopper, who crouched embraced at the center, but accurately struck Mr. 4 and Miss Merry Christmas. A shock ran through their entire bodies. Intense pain. Heat strong enough to singe hair. It was not a strength meant for the human body. Though the lightning strike lasted only an instant, it scorched the clothes and hair of the two direct victims, giving them a fleeting sensation of losing consciousness.
As their staggering bodies were about to collapse, Nami acted instantly. She hugged the Human-Beast Chopper and, instead of trying to finish them off, attempted to leave the area.
"Let's run, Chopper! We need to get some distance!"
"Th-that was amazing, Nami… But shouldn't we defeat them now?"
"No. They were aiming for that too. If we just fight them head-on, we'll lose. We have to fight cautiously, even if it takes time or means running away."
As Nami said, Mr. 4 and Miss Merry Christmas could have moved at any time. They had indeed been dazed by the lightning. But that was for an instant. When their bodies staggered and almost fell, if the two had tried to punch them, they would have counter-attacked with reflexes that required no thought. They were assassination and combat professionals, having trained to develop their abilities and accumulated numerous experiences.
Nevertheless, they, too, had sustained considerable damage and wanted a moment to catch their breath. It seemed that escaping to gain distance had saved both sides.
"Cough, gasp… You've made us angry."
"We need to strategize properly! My attack worked. If we can make them complacent, we can even punch them. The most important thing is not to lose our composure, and most importantly, not to die…!"
"Y-yeah, got it. I'll move more carefully too."
Staring at Nami's back, who was moving away with single-minded focus, Miss Merry Christmas let out a deep breath.
"I'll show you… our specialty, the 'Molehill 400-Foot Slugger Bank Knock!'"
"Fouuurrr…"
They deliberately let them go, watching the departing figures of their enemies.
There was no longer any complacency or underestimation.
Up until now, their opponents had been somewhat careless.
But next time, it wouldn't be so easy. In the eyes of the two, now truly serious, there was no trace of softness or complacency left.
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