She involuntarily stopped because she heard a sound from behind. The sound of a small stone falling from rubble. Although it was nothing significant, she was suddenly curious, and when she turned around, Miss Merry Christmas saw Nami standing inside the ruined house.
Several slaps. A collision with a wall. Her clothes were torn from numerous attacks, her skin cut, and she stood hunched over, bleeding profusely. Her breathing seemed ragged, and her body swayed weakly. Yet, there was no trembling. She firmly clutched her Clima-Tact in her hand, grip tighter than anywhere else. Could she possibly still intend to fight?
Even seeing her, Miss Merry Christmas didn't feel particularly threatened and calmly turned back. If she wanted to fight, so be it. She would just finish her off. Miss Merry Christmas again poised her sharp claws.
"Still alive, are you? More tenacious than I thought."
"What do you even know...?"
She murmured softly, a single drop. Miss Merry Christmas's attention was drawn to her voice, and she leaned in to listen.
"It was so painful, so agonizing, I wanted to die, but I lived and lived and survived... And finally, I met them. They're hopelessly stupid, and they cause so much trouble, but even so, I want them. There's no one else like them..."
"What? More whining?"
"You,"
Taking a deep breath, Nami lifted her face and looked at the enemy with eyes that held a strong, fierce light. There was no more fear. No more hesitation. Gripping her weapon tightly, she stood before the enemy, wanting to win for the first time.
"You, who know nothing, don't say whatever you want! He, Luffy, is a man who always does what he says he'll do! If he says he'll be the King of the Pirates, he will truly become it!"
"Hmph, all talk. You have no proof, do you?"
As Miss Merry Christmas was about to walk towards Nami to finish her off, a faint sound was heard from her left as well. The same sound as if a small stone had been kicked. Turning in that direction, she saw Chopper standing. His fur was soaked with his own blood, and his right arm hung limp, devoid of strength. His ribs were also broken from the previous blow. He looked as if he shouldn't be able to stand, but his eyes were not dead. They held an unprecedented strong light.
He held a yellow pill between his hooves, and she realized it was the medicine she had heard about. Mr. 4 stood with his back to Chopper, each facing their respective opponents.
"I think so too. Luffy will definitely become the King of the Pirates."
"Well, that's because you're a fool, of course you'd think that."
"No. Luffy has a 'flag' that will never break. As long as Luffy doesn't give up, we will never give up... We won't let anyone make a fool of our captain!"
"A flag? You mean a pirate flag? What nonsense are you spouting now..."
Miss Merry Christmas scoffed again. The two were no longer wavering. Their resolve was finally firm. Winning here wasn't just for Vivi and Alabasta. It was for themselves, and by extension, for the 'Straw Hat Pirates'. They could no longer afford to run.
Their stamina was at its limit. The damage exceeded tolerable levels. Neither of them was particularly skilled in combat to begin with.
Still, they couldn't retreat. They absolutely could not let their opponents, who had insulted their friends and laughed at them, get away. With their battered bodies, Nami and Chopper simultaneously took a step forward.
Their spirit might be commendable. But in the underworld, mere grit isn't enough to win. In that world they lived in, the Mr. 4 pair had no hesitation or fear. No matter what Nami and her friends said or tried to achieve, they would simply do what they had to do. They had a mission now. Thinking it was time to move on, Miss Merry Christmas quickly dug a hole.
"Is that all you have to say? I've received your last words. Rest in peace!"
As Miss Merry Christmas burrowed into the ground like a fish diving into the sea, Nami moved first. She struck a barrel inside the house with her Clima-Tact, breaking it and spilling the water it contained. The floor beneath her feet became wet, but that was the only visible change. Immediately after, she placed three Clima-Tact pieces on both hands and her head, producing water as if performing a magic trick.
"Rain = Tempo!"
"A water show this time? It won't work on me, you know."
Digging through rocks and bricks, Miss Merry Christmas appeared directly in front of Nami and swung her arm. She tried to finish her off with a powerful slap, but Nami, having seen it many times before, instinctively jumped sideways to evade. Her reaction was decent. Not excellent, but not bad either. Perhaps it was due to years of experience running from pirates, but her evasion skills were not bad.
The evasion was good. But without an attack, the outcome wouldn't change. Miss Merry Christmas realized that Nami's attacks weren't very powerful. She remained visible and deliberately didn't retreat, starting to chase Nami on the ground.
They faced each other head-on on the ground. She was somewhat surprised but no longer flinched. Nami moved further back with steady steps.
"Hahahaha! All talk in the end, aren't you! What can you possibly do?!"
"Sprinkler!"
"I said no more water tricks!"
After spraying water around, she combined the three staffs into one. At the same time, Miss Merry Christmas jumped forward to catch up, finally seizing Nami's body.
"Mole Slap Mole Banana!"
"Owch?!"
She defended with her Clima-Tact, but was overpowered. Nami's body fell with force, knocking over objects scattered around the house with a loud crash. Not content with just that, Miss Merry Christmas closed the distance further. She would finish her off with the second blow. Then the battle would be over.
Nami rolled on the ground of her own accord, and as she did, she picked up something that had fallen. At the same time, with her left hand, she detached one of the Clima-Tact pieces and swung it towards Miss Merry Christmas.
"Electric Bubble Thunder Ball!"
What came out of the Clima-Tact was a bubble charged with static electricity. Miss Merry Christmas's hand touched it, but it was just a tingle, not very painful. The attack continued. No hesitation arose.
Next, as she stood up, she threw a bottle she had picked up with her right hand. Miss Merry Christmas reacted instantly, smashing the bottle with her sharp claws, but the impact sent its contents splattering all over her. It seemed to have been a sake bottle. This time, a slight irritation arose, and her steps became more forceful.
Despite her big talk, she was mostly running away. Nami was trying to leave the house. There was no way the impatient Miss Merry Christmas wouldn't be irritated by this. She was trying to get to her next mission, to a different target, but Nami kept staying in front of her, no matter how long it took. Even now, she was seriously trying to survive. Her irritation gradually grew, and precisely because she had the upper hand, she was starting to lose her composure.
Perhaps that's why, when Nami rushed to a broken window, Miss Merry Christmas pounced. Nami, who had been waiting, had already changed the shape of her Clima-Tact and quickly countered.
"That's enough, you! How long are you going to keep running around?!"
"Thunder = Tempo!"
From the tips of her Y-shaped Clima-Tact, a boxing glove shot out. It hit Miss Merry Christmas squarely in the face. But it didn't hurt. The impact was so negligible that she was surprised. She couldn't help but gape.
In that gap, Nami further broke the shattered window and jumped outside. The delayed Miss Merry Christmas was surprised and hurriedly kicked off the ground.
"You, you, what was that?! Are you even serious about fighting?!"
"Don't be rude. This is my fighting style!"
Passing through the narrow window, Nami, who was out first, was below, and Miss Merry Christmas, who came after, was above, raising her arm. Seeing that, Nami instinctively reached for her coat. It was originally meant to withstand the desert heat. But it wasn't needed now. She elegantly cast it off and swung her arm, simultaneously obstructing Miss Merry Christmas's vision and expertly wrapping it around her arm, pulling it tight. As if using a tomoe nage, she threw Miss Merry Christmas herself.
"Take that!"
"Gah?! Damn it, you little girl!"
"Hmph. I haven't been a pirate for nothing."
The clothes beneath her coat were also torn in places, but if anything, it only accentuated her allure. Nami stood up, put distance between herself and Miss Merry Christmas, and began swinging her Clima-Tact as she moved. She seemed to have a goal.
Watching the series of actions, Mr. 4 didn't move. Chopper, therefore, also remained still, but seeing Nami come out onto the street, he began to move.
Any more damage was dangerous. He couldn't take another hit. As a ship's doctor, prioritizing his comrades' treatment, he felt he couldn't afford to fall. From this point on, he would be even more careful than before. At the same time, he was also plagued by an unprecedented sensation. He could feel an unusual surge of power as he faced the enemy he had to defeat.
"Effect: three minutes... Rumble."
He bit down on the pill. A peculiar sensation coursed through his entire body.
For the next three minutes, his transformation points would increase. His right arm was unusable. How many transformation points could he fight with, without using his arm? Without time to think, Chopper immediately transformed.
"I'll show you my trump card transformation point. Horn Enhancement: Horn Point."
His appearance was somewhat different from his other transformation points. His body size was closer to human, larger than usual, his hands were human-like, but he moved on all fours. And most notably, his horns were magnificently enlarged. Furthermore, the fur on his back had become extremely thick and bushy. The space between beast and human. And his antlers, a characteristic of reindeer, were enhanced.
Chopper stood, touching the ground with his undamaged left hand and his supposedly broken right hand. He felt pain. He shouldn't have been able to move it at all. But whether it was due to anger or sheer willpower, he didn't try to protect it, feeling that it didn't matter what happened now.
His gaze was fixed not on Mr. 4, but on Miss Merry Christmas. He was, by nature, a bit slow-witted. He rarely showed agile movements unless he was in imminent danger. The plan was already decided. Without needing to discuss it, both knew what they had to do. Chopper powerfully kicked off the ground with all four limbs, approaching Miss Merry Christmas, who was targeting Nami, from behind.
Fortunately, perhaps, she was focused on Nami, who was trying to gain distance, and didn't notice him. He closed in from behind and caught her body with his large horns.
"Rosy Colonnade!"
"Guhoh?! W-what is this...?!"
"Foooo..."
He struck her as if scooping her up, damaging her, and then carried Miss Merry Christmas's body. His sturdy horns didn't budge even while carrying a human body, appearing effortless. He carried Miss Merry Christmas towards Mr. 4 himself. He approached Mr. 4, who was staring blankly, directly from the front, aiming to tackle him head-on.
An enemy was coming. But on his horns was the inescapable figure of an ally. Mr. 4, who would usually counterattack without even thinking against an enemy, couldn't do so now. Rescue or interception? After hesitating, he instinctively tried to ready his bat, only to be yelled at by her.
"Hey, fool! I'm right here! Help me quickly!"
"Fooooo..."
"H-hurry—Aaaargh!"
"Fooooo?!"
In the end, while still deliberating what to do, he allowed the simple-minded charge. The horns, carrying Miss Merry Christmas, struck Mr. 4's torso with great force, and his huge body, along with Miss Merry Christmas, fell down. Chopper's right arm was trembling, gushing blood. Even to an amateur, it was a serious injury. He couldn't put any more strength into it, and it wouldn't move even if he forced it. But he himself felt that pushing himself that far had been worth it.
"Jumping Point!"
He quickly transformed and leaped high. With that motion, he landed on the undamaged roof of a house. His goal was to carry her, not to defeat her with a tackle. Now, Nami, who had been creating clouds as she ran, had both of them in range, and the Mr. 4 pair was beneath a large thundercloud. They were both frantically trying to get up.
"Damn it! They're tenacious, these guys!"
"Ummmmm..."
"It's because you're so slow, you fool! Idiot!"
"Alright, Chopper. That's enough there."
Perhaps due to their urgency, the two seemed unaware. Nami calmly released an electric bubble into the air to trigger the lightning. The Electric Bubble Thunder Ball was sucked into the dark cloud, and the lightning began to become active as a result.
"Huh? Wha—damn—?!"
"Thunderbolt = Tempo!"
Lightning of immense power rained down from above the two of them. They were caught with inescapable speed, their entire bodies numb and engulfed in searing pain, their vision turning to zero. The attack lasted only a brief moment. But both their bodies were charred black.
Her knees were shaking uncontrollably. But Miss Merry Christmas did not lose consciousness. She desperately clung to consciousness, glaring at Nami, who was not far away, with intense eyes. This was the end. Considering even losing consciousness next, she kicked off the ground, raised her arm, and lunged at Nami.
"You—you fool! Aaaah!!"
"Kyaaaah?!"
She didn't slap, but rather aimed to pierce her body with her claws. She quickly closed in and thrust her right arm with all her might. Her claws indeed seemed to pierce Nami's chest. But surprisingly, she felt no resistance, no sensation at all. As she thought that, Nami's astonished face dissolved like a mist.
"Just kidding."
"W-what...?!"
"Due to rising humidity today, you may see mirages even in town. And a sudden change in climate is possible. Please... beware of tornadoes."
Even Miss Merry Christmas, who was watching what was happening right in front of her, didn't understand. Nami, whose chest had been pierced, approached her with a smile, speaking as she walked unhurriedly. She stood before Miss Merry Christmas and held up her Clima-Tact.
She had mentioned a mirage. It seemed what she had stabbed was precisely that. While thinking it impossible, she felt the strength drain from her body.
The damage from the previous lightning strike was great. There was also accumulated damage. The number of attacks hadn't been particularly high, but perhaps the damage from each hit was significant. Standing within reach but unable to act, Miss Merry Christmas gritted her teeth in frustration. She tried to turn back to Mr. 4 behind her, but was not allowed to.
"T-this is...!"
"Tornado = Tempo!!"
From both ends of the T-shaped Clima-Tact, doves connected by wires flew out, and both simultaneously chirped. What a foolish sight. Miss Merry Christmas, who had fully expected an attack, was taken aback and laughed.
"H-haha. What's that? You really aren't used to fighting, are you?"
The doves, chirping foolishly, began to spin. With Miss Merry Christmas directly in front of them, she was inevitably caught. The wires wrapped around her body, firmly trapping her with each rotation. They spun again and again, continuously, and as fear began to set in, Nami smiled.
"Wha—ah, aaaaaaah—?!"
"Bye-bye♡"
And then, the two Clima-Tact pieces, combined into a T-shape, shot out like a bullet, carrying Miss Merry Christmas with them. They collided with Mr. 4, who was standing behind them, dragging him along. The two figures sped away from Nami's view with astonishing speed. Not only that, but they even collided with Lassoo, who was standing idly by. Their momentum didn't stop, and they continued straight ahead, spinning.
Ahead, Chopper, who had descended from the roof, was waiting. He had already finished his transformation into Arm Point, his body half-turned, his left arm drawn back. His right arm hung limp as he stared at the two and the animal flying towards him with tremendous momentum.
"Hoof Carving—"
The distance closed, and he charged forward. With hooves that prided themselves on crushing even steel, he unleashed power from his greatly swollen muscles, striking the two and the animal flying as one.
"Sakura Roseo!!"
Nami's Tornado = Tempo and Chopper's attack combined into one. The two people and the animal, caught between them, couldn't withstand it and lost consciousness, collapsing abruptly on the spot.
Chopper, his breathing ragged, reverted to Human-Beast form and began walking with unsteady steps towards Nami. It was a little while later. As if remembering, Lassoo, who had collapsed, coughed, and a single ball rolled onto the ground. And then, when its time came, it exploded. Ignoring the large explosion behind them, Chopper approached the fallen Nami.
Nami was already lying on the hard ground, her face sleepy. She herself thought she had worked hard, uncharacteristically so. Seeing her exhausted but clear face, Chopper couldn't help but lie down beside her.
"Ah, I'm tired. I don't want to move anymore..."
"I'm done for. I can't even stand up."
"I've sweated, and I want a bath. My body hurts, my clothes are torn, and I want money..."
"Ah... I need to treat myself. It'll be dangerous if I leave it like this... Doctor~"
"That's you, isn't it?"
"Ah?! Right."
They were so exhausted they couldn't even roll over. But even lying there, they knew they had won. It had been a difficult battle, but they had defeated the enemy. The civil war wasn't over yet. They had to go help their friends quickly. Even thinking that, their bodies wouldn't move. They couldn't even administer first aid. The two continued talking, fighting against their heavy eyelids, looking in different directions.
"Is everyone okay...?"
"They'll be fine. We were the most worried ones anyway."
"We have to go help them quickly..."
"Right... But, I'm really sleepy—"
They lost consciousness. The two began to breathe peacefully, their faces serene. They weren't dead, but they wouldn't be able to move for a while. At the limits of their stamina, Nami and Chopper remained there, and time simply passed quietly.
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