The battle in the plaza raged with brutal intensity.
The assembled soldiers of the Alabasta Kingdom, caught off guard by the sudden assault, engaged in combat everywhere. The enemy's numbers were far from few. Worse still, the infiltration of the enemy into the army beforehand proved to be a critical disadvantage. While focusing on the enemies in front, soldiers were attacked from behind by foes disguised as allies, throwing the entire force into disarray.
Attempts were made to counter this by forming multiple squads of four or five men, but even this wasn't a perfect solution.
It was no longer an isolated skirmish; the entire Alabasta Kingdom army was being pushed back.
Why were they struggling so much? There was only one reason:
Their commanders were being systematically eliminated.
Chaka and Pell, who should have been leading the army, were absent from the scene. Four individuals, the "Tsumegeri Guards," had stepped up to take their place, moving to act as commanders. With their skill and track record, they were certainly fit for the role.
Had they remained unharmed, the situation might have unfolded differently.
However, Mr. 2, who had advance knowledge of their existence, relentlessly attacked and defeated them one by one.
One by one, they steadily fell to the ground.
Barrel, one of the Tsumegeri Guards, suddenly noticed a long leg sweep into his field of vision from his front-right.
"Aah!"
"G-gah!?"
A powerful kick slammed into his face, sending him sprawling. His vision swam from the single blow, a nosebleed started, and he nearly lost control of his body. But Barrel was a formidable warrior who trained day and night. Shaking his head, he instinctively rolled along the ground to create distance.
He lifted his head again, rising to his feet. A single figure entered his sight.
Princess Vivi stood before him, clad in strange attire.
"Barrel!"
"Wha— Princess!? It's dangerous! Why are you in the middle of a battlefield like this!?"
"There are enemies disguised as our allies! If we leave them be, everyone will get hurt… We have to do something quickly!"
"Yes, I understand that perfectly well…! We were about to form a defensive line to meet the enemy—"
Barrel instinctively scanned his surroundings. If Vivi, who was here now, were to be attacked, it would be over for them. Even if he were to fall, he had to protect her.
As he looked around with that thought, a sense of unease settled over him.
Looking at it calmly, everything felt wrong.
"Princess, what in the world is that outfit…?"
He asked, turning back towards her again.
When he looked behind him, Vivi was no longer there. In her place stood a tall man in the same peculiar attire.
A sharp kick pierced Barrel's stomach.
"Doh!"
"Gah…!?"
He'd been tricked, he realized, as he dropped to his knees, spitting up blood.
"You… you bastard…!"
"That's exactly why you lot are such a nuisance, isn't it? Running around doing whatever you please."
Mr. 2 slowly lifted his right leg in a taunting display.
Barrel tried desperately to resist, but the damage from earlier was far greater than he'd anticipated. More importantly, seeing Vivi had rattled him. He wasn't given time for that shock to subside.
Before he could even raise his weapon, Mr. 2's kick slammed into the side of his head.
"Kraah!"
Unable to even cry out, his consciousness was stolen. Barrel was sent flying, landing flat on his back, motionless.
With this, the Tsumegeri Guards were completely annihilated.
A head-on duel. A deceptive attack using abilities. Either way, it was an easy task.
Mr. 2, who had dispatched all four without ever struggling, believed he now dominated the battlefield. He concluded that a group stripped of its capable commanders would surely fall into chaos and be defeated.
All of this was easy to foresee. The remaining problem was the initial target.
How would the Straw Hat Pirates move?
Unlike the other agents, Mr. 2 had seen them with his own eyes. Because of this, he also held a certain expectation.
"Phew. So, shall I just watch? Or will someone come? If not, I'll just finish off the princess in a hurry."
He spun around like a ballerina amidst the chaotic battlefield.
As he advanced, he wore a confident smile.
The defeat of the Tsumegeri Guards had not yet reached the soldiers.
One could say that this was why the soldiers continued to fight, but conversely, it also meant that no new strategy against the enemy was prepared, leading to a one-sided struggle.
The Royal Army was clearly being overwhelmed.
From an aerial view, they outnumbered the enemy, but the momentum was entirely different. Baroque Works had higher morale.
One soldier was pushed back by a man dressed like a rebel. They had been clashing with sword and spear, but the enemy swatted his weapon aside, sending him sprawling. The enemy then raised his sword, and just as the soldier braced himself for death, a scream escaping his lips—
Vivi suddenly leaped in, slashing the enemy's torso with her Peacock Slasher.
After the man fell, the soldier was even more astonished as he looked at Vivi, who was breathing heavily. The person before him was Vivi. A member of the royal family, and practically the supreme commander of the Royal Army at this moment.
The soldier, saved by her, gaped in disbelief, then quickly knelt and bowed his head.
"Princess Vivi!? Why are you here! It's dangerous; please get to a safe place quickly…!"
"Hah, hah… There isn't a safe place anywhere in this country."
Vivi knelt and extended her hand to the soldier, who was bewildered with tension.
Reacting to the hand entering his vision, he looked up and saw her expression.
Before he knew it, he was genuinely surprised, wondering if she had always been such a strong person.
"Come on, stand up. It's too early to give up."
"B-but, we don't know where the traitors might be…"
"It's true that you might not be able to tell just by looking. But that doesn't mean you should panic. You all grew up together in this country, didn't you?"
Vivi grasped the hand of the soldier, who lacked the courage to stand, and pulled him up forcefully.
He stumbled but finally managed to get to his feet.
"Judge for yourselves who is friend and who is foe. Hesitation will only lead to further casualties."
"Princess Vivi…"
"It's alright. Precisely because you all grew up in this country, you should be able to see the true enemy."
Such conversations were possible only for a fleeting moment.
"Princess Vivi!? Where are you going! Barrel… the Tsumegeri Guards have been defeated!"
Someone shouted somewhere.
Immediately after turning towards the sound with a tense expression, a weapon-wielding figure rushed towards them from somewhere.
A Baroque Works agent lunged at Vivi from behind, aiming a raised sword at her. The soldier noticed this but couldn't react in time.
"Yee-haw!"
"Princess Vivi!? Look out!"
Both of them were unable to react to the sudden attack. In the chaotic melee, it was inevitable.
In that perilous instant, someone seemed to have made it just in time.
A man who flew in from out of nowhere kicked the cheek of the man attacking Vivi, sending him flying with tremendous force.
"What are you doing to Vivi-chan, you bastard!"
"Bwagh!?"
Kicked with full force, hard enough to break teeth, the man flew like paper and tumbled violently across the ground. Unbeknownst to him, he was spitting blood and had no hope of maintaining consciousness.
After a startling display, the man landed.
At the most exquisite timing possible, Sanji appeared before Vivi.
He exhaled cigarette smoke, calming his breath.
Slowly turning around, he smiled gently and spoke to Vivi.
"Apologies for the wait, Princess. Your knight has arrived."
"Sanji-san…!"
"Are you hurt?"
"No. Thank you."
The tension drained from Vivi's face. She looked genuinely relieved.
The soldier standing nearby understood that he was an ally.
An unfamiliar face. Yet, he had seen with his own eyes that this man had protected Vivi. In a situation where the soldier right next to her couldn't react, this man, who must have been much further away, reacted first.
His mouth agape, he forgot to fight and simply watched the two of them.
"What's the situation?"
"Kili-san said that Baroque Works agents infiltrated the Royal Army and are disrupting the battle. By the time we tried to find them, we were under attack…"
"Well, they know Kili's here too. It's only natural they'd try to crush him early."
"And the Tsumegeri Guards, who could lead, seem to have been defeated, and Chaka and Pell are still captured with my father. If this continues, the soldiers will fall into complete chaos…"
"So, it was all calculated. Tsk, can't be helped."
Sanji surveyed the battlefield, seemingly steeling himself for something.
Vivi, still not grasping his intention, was perplexed by his sudden change in expression.
"Vivi-chan, you go rescue the King. Take as many escorts as you need. I'll handle things here in the meantime."
"No! I'll come with you!"
"Sorry, but I'm a pirate. I haven't had soldier training, and I've never commanded soldiers in a war. If it's just me, I won't lose no matter who comes, even a hundred opponents. But these guys aren't like that. To win this battle, we need someone who can move the troops."
Sanji looked across the battlefield with a serious expression. His words weren't meant to spare Vivi. To win the battle, he was proposing this, knowing it would put her in danger. He was sending her off, trusting her as a comrade.
Hearing that much, Vivi understood.
It wasn't just about saving the soldiers. It was about saving the King, Chaka, Pell, and Sanji, who said he would remain.
"If I save my father and rescue Chaka and Pell, we can win against them, right?"
"Yeah. I can buy that much time."
This time, Vivi nodded forcefully without hesitation.
She would do what she had to do. They had all decided this beforehand. So, she wouldn't flinch from risking her life.
With her purpose set, Vivi gazed at the palace with a fierce look.
"If they're anywhere, it must be there…"
"It would help if you could do it as quickly as possible. I'll be fine, but who knows how long these guys can last."
"I understand. It's alright, if Karoo is with me, it won't take long—"
Just as she was about to turn to Karoo, his squawk was heard. He came running with a frantic look. When she wondered where he had been, Kili came running from behind him.
He was clad in a brown cloak, apparently heading towards Sanji and Vivi.
Her first thought was that something was off. She didn't think he would be here, and Karoo's frantic state was the best evidence that he had probably been out looking for Mr. 2.
Vivi instantly reached for her weapon, bracing herself.
Sanji, on the other hand, noticed the figure but didn't bat an eye.
"Quack!"
"Watch out, Sanji-san! I forgot to tell you, but he's—!"
"Sanji! You're here! I was just about to tell you something…!"
Sanji kicked off the ground and closed in on the approaching Kili with blinding speed.
Without hesitation, he swung his leg up and kicked him squarely in the cheek.
Kili's body slid across the ground, tumbling chaotically before falling.
"Cough, cough… Wh-why…?"
Vivi stood dumbfounded.
The kicked Kili propped himself up with his arms and glared at Sanji.
"How did you know, darling…!"
"I'm not stupid enough to be fooled by something like that. No matter how much you change your appearance or act, it won't work on me. Besides, even if it were the real guy, I'd still kick him. If someone's going to wander away from their post, I'll beat them down."
"That's still a bit harsh, isn't it? Kicking a comrade in the face."
Sanji calmly held his cigarette and looked at Kili's face.
"I won't be fooled by any outward appearance. A person's true self is in their heart, isn't it?"
"Heh, heh heh, ngha ha ha ha… As expected of a comrade chosen by Straw Hat-chan, darling. I like you~!"
He stood up, looking down, and touched his left cheek with his left hand.
At that moment, his appearance changed, and it was Mr. 2, not Kili, who stood there.
He looked up, meeting Sanji's eyes, and smiled.
"So you already know about my abilities, darling? But too bad for you, I know about you too, darling~. The first-class cook of the sea, skilled in kicking techniques."
"That's handy. Saves me the trouble of introducing myself."
Vivi, more than either of them, tensed as she watched the two confront each other.
Neither intended to back down. They were going to fight here. It wasn't a situation where she had the luxury of observing, but perhaps sensing Vivi's confusion at losing the timing to move, Sanji spoke.
"Go, Vivi-chan. I'll be alright here."
"Alright… Be careful, Sanji-san. I'll definitely come back."
"Yeah, I'll finish him off easily."
Vivi left the area, taking the soldier and Karoo with her. She likely intended to gather other soldiers and head to the palace. Her safety was a concern, but it would be the same wherever she was.
For now, the immediate priority had to be stabilizing this area.
Before him was Mr. 2. Having discarded his cloak, he abandoned deceptive tactics and intended to fight head-on. While Sanji was prepared to meet that challenge, he also had other things to do.
It wasn't just Vivi he was concerned about. It was the soldiers fighting in the plaza.
Their morale, having lost their commanders, was steadily dropping. This was even more evident with the defeat of the Tsumegeri Guards. At this rate, they wouldn't last long.
To be honest, he didn't want to do such a thing, but it couldn't be helped.
Sanji yelled from his gut, addressing the soldiers around him.
"Get your acts together, you bastards! If you die, Vivi-chan will be sad! If you have time to mope around, then kick every single person who comes at you! Anyone who attacks you with hostile intent is an enemy!"
His exceptionally loud voice startled the allied soldiers.
"Let me tell you, I hate you guys for making Vivi-chan worry! If you fall, I'll kick you until you wake up! If you don't want to feel pain, then live like your life depends on it!"
"Ngha ha ha ha! Isn't that a contradiction, first-class cook-chan~!"
The soldiers who heard his voice, though unsettled, changed their expressions.
Vivi would be sad.
It was a small phrase, but for patriotic soldiers, no words had a greater impact. The voice might have only reached a fraction of them, but the roused soldiers pressed forward, trying to push back the enemy.
Meanwhile, Mr. 2 attacked Sanji, who reacted instantly.
Both swung their legs, and their kicks collided in mid-air.
"A pirate like you trying to play soldier? No matter what you say, you're still just a pirate. It's impossible for you to turn this whole situation around, darling~!"
"Yeah, I never intended to from the start. My job is to buy time."
"Aah?"
As their legs parted, Mr. 2 rotated his body to unleash another kick, but Sanji, without even looking, created an exaggerated distance.
Mr. 2 watched Sanji, who had backflipped far away in an instant, with a puzzled expression.
Just as he thought Sanji had fled, he understood his objective.
Sanji, having quickly distanced himself from Mr. 2, suddenly plunged into a group of Baroque Works agents, kicking a dozen or so of them away with swift kicks.
He had eliminated the enemies and helped the Royal Army.
Mr. 2, astonished by this, gaped.
Prioritizing the elimination of minor foes over their direct confrontation suggested that Sanji was serious about saving the battlefield.
"Ah!? Hey, you! Don't ignore me!"
"Come and get me, you queer."
"That's a challenge, isn't it! I won't let you get away~!"
Mr. 2, furious, rushed after Sanji. Sanji, smiling, ran to get even further away.
He plunged into another group, kicking away enemies on behalf of the Royal Army soldiers.
His speed and power were beyond what ordinary humans could stop, and not a single person could react. Again, many people were sent flying through the air.
"Party Table Kick Course!"
"Gyahhh!?"
"Fungaahhh~! I won't let you get awayyy~!"
Sanji's movement paused for a moment after kicking so many people. Mr. 2, managing to catch up, kicked off the ground powerfully and leaped.
Sanji, having landed, looked up at him and calmly turned his body.
"Aah! Doh! Kraah~!"
He evaded the extended right leg and backflipped away from the spot.
Sanji was deliberately avoiding engaging him.
Mr. 2, astonished not only that his attack was avoided but also that Sanji was trying to flee, was left gaping as Sanji moved towards another group.
Again, many enemies were kicked by Sanji and fell to the ground.
This series of actions not only reduced the number of enemies but also demonstrated that a strong ally had appeared for the Royal Army, leading to a noticeable recovery in morale. Soldiers who witnessed his strength up close changed their expressions, roused themselves, and though they didn't know who he was, they roared that they couldn't be outdone.
He couldn't command soldiers. But, in a rough way, he could lead them like this.
It was Mr. 2 who grew angry.
Fighting him head-on would be one thing, but Sanji was skillfully evading him and disrupting everything.
At this moment, Mr. 2 definitely concluded that leaving Sanji unrestrained would be a mistake.
"Mugaaah! That's no joke, darling~!"
Sanji grinned as Mr. 2 let out a loud shout.
"What's wrong? Your legs seem pretty slow. Don't tell me you're already tired?"
"Don't mess with me! Stop running and fight me!"
"No thanks."
After that, Sanji continued to race around the battlefield, avoiding Mr. 2's pursuit and constantly moving, all to kick as many Baroque Works agents as possible.
Little by little, gradually, the situation began to change.
With the support of someone who was likely an ally, the Royal Army regained its will to fight.
Loud shouts could be heard from everywhere. Among them was Sanji's yell.
Confronting their own enemies, they suddenly smiled.
Mr. 9 and Miss Monday seemed to be resting their backs against each other, trying to catch their breath.
"It seems we have a powerful ally."
"Hmph… It's a strange fate, considering they were trying to kill us at one point."
"Yeah. In that sense, it's a good thing we didn't kill them back then."
"If we had killed them back then, we wouldn't be fighting so desperately in a place like this."
Their gaze fell upon Mr. 10 and Miss Tuesday. Despite the heat from their armor, they continuously poured sweat, yet still clung to Mr. 9 and Miss Monday.
Leaving Vivi's side was a mistake. But these two couldn't be ignored.
Their thoughts turned to a swift conclusion and pursuing Vivi. The two renewed their resolve.
"Sorry, but I let a friend go off alone."
"We need to take you two down and follow her quickly."
"Bye-bye, baby?"
Mr. 9 repeatedly backflipped with his bat, approaching Mr. 10.
At the same time, Miss Monday ran towards Miss Tuesday, swinging her fist.
The chaotic battle continued to shift constantly.
Knowing this, Vivi left the plaza without looking back.
Her destination was the palace. There, she was sure, were the captive King and his retainers, and the enemies they had to defeat.
Her determined expression remained unchanged as she stared intently at the palace.
"Hah, hah… Father, wait for me…!"
"Quack!"
She ran at full speed with Karoo and several soldiers.
Vivi had already shed all fear, acting solely with her purpose in mind.
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