He skillfully dodged several kicks, and each time, an ally fell.
His anger accumulated, and with each passing moment, he felt a growing sense of strength.
Finally, Mr. 2 cornered Sanji and, unable to help but laugh aloud, unleashed a kick.
"Ha ha ha! Gotcha, darling!"
Sanji's swift kick clashed with Mr. 2's. Their right legs smashed together, sending a considerable shockwave from their feet throughout their bodies. Sanji, who was already injured from Mr. 5's explosion, winced.
The force of their kicks was equal. Both landed in place.
Their immediate actions differed: Mr. 2 launched his next attack, while Sanji leaped backward.
"You won't catch me that easily."
"Whaaat!?"
Sanji leaped to evade a long-legged kick, then attacked another enemy.
With swift, powerful blows, countless men were sent flying, and their forces were steadily, albeit gradually, dwindling. The battle with the Royal Army certainly contributed, but the rapid depletion was due to Sanji's allowed actions.
Mr. 2 gnashed his teeth in frustration.
He had to stop Sanji, above all else.
Vivi had already escaped him. He couldn't afford to lose this battle. The key to everything was no longer the Tsumegeri Guards, but a mere pirate, their cook.
Kicking the ground hard enough to gouge it slightly, Mr. 2 chased Sanji with all his might.
"You won't get away!"
"You've been saying that since earlier, but you can't keep up at all."
"Whaaat!? Okay, I get it! If you insist, I'll show youuu~!"
Sanji taunted proudly, leaping to evade. Mr. 2, easily provoked, allowed his anger to flare even brighter and increased the speed of his leg rotations.
To remain silent after such a challenge would be un-okama-like.
The change was immediately apparent. In an instant, he rapidly closed the distance.
"Okama Daaash!"
"Oh…?"
Sanji calmly observed Mr. 2 approaching with immense force, then suddenly stopped in his tracks.
Finally, a situation where they could fight properly.
Mr. 2's fighting spirit ignited, but having fallen for Sanji's provocation, he seemed to lack some composure.
"Die!"
His outstretched right leg was evaded with surprising ease, and in an instant, Sanji was inside his guard.
Such dazzling footwork that Mr. 2 was left gaping. Sanji's taunt had likely anticipated this outcome. By the time Mr. 2 regained his composure, it was already too late.
A straight-extended leg plunged into Mr. 2's stomach.
His body bent into a V-shape, and he hastily clamped his mouth shut as he felt the contents of his stomach threaten to come up.
Sanji smoothly landed his foot on the ground.
The sudden counterattack surprised Mr. 2, but if he could just get close, it was his game. And Sanji was at close range.
Without hesitation, Mr. 2 tried to unleash a punch. However, Sanji, instead of waiting to react to the movement, leaped backward immediately after his attack, so by the time Mr. 2's punch fully extended, Sanji was no longer there.
Again, Sanji was attempting to disengage, and Mr. 2's expression hardened.
"Is this guy seriously planning to just keep running away…?"
"What's wrong, you queer? I'm getting away."
Sanji, aiming for another enemy, wasn't truly trying to distance himself from Mr. 2. He was intentionally maintaining a consistent distance, one that suggested Mr. 2 could catch him if he kept chasing. This wasn't to escape from Mr. 2, but to prevent Mr. 2 from escaping him.
If Mr. 2 were to target the Royal Army, Sanji was ready to intervene immediately.
Yet, to whittle down the enemy's strength, he deliberately avoided a direct confrontation.
Apparently, he wasn't a reckless idiot.
Though severely lacking as a military commander, he was trying to reorganize things in his own way.
One might call it the "pirate way." He seemed capable of using his head a bit.
"I see. As expected of a comrade chosen by Straw Hat-chan… You won't let me win easily, will you?"
"Ora! Get fired up, you lot! If you die when Vivi-chan cares about you, I won't let it go! If you fall, get right back up, you damn bastards!"
"Y-yes sir!"
While continuing his rough encouragement, Sanji kicked Baroque Works agents away.
His demeanor, though clumsy, was that of someone trying to lead.
The priority enemy was him.
If Sanji were eliminated, then this time, there would be no obstacle to stopping Baroque Works in the plaza battle. If Mr. 2 defeated him, the Royal Army would crumble fragilely.
"Is this a coincidence? Or a strategy planned from the beginning?"
Mr. 2 did not have a partner. That was the same as Kili.
What differed from Kili was that he had subordinates, units, and sometimes worked in groups for missions. This experience made him accustomed to leading units in operations like this. He knew how to defeat groups.
He had thought that a mere pirate, unlikely to have experience leading units, wouldn't be much of an opponent, even if previous experience were to count. However, Sanji's actions and thoughts, not just his skill, precisely interfered with Mr. 2.
Apparently, he was clever. He had guts. He also had the skill to fight alone.
And perhaps, he himself understood group psychology and was fighting accordingly.
Was it mere coincidence that he stood before Mr. 2, the unit commander?
He couldn't help but suspect Kili.
He was a worthy opponent. Mr. 2 smiled.
Their objectives seemed to align.
If he defeated the unit commander, he could seize control of this plaza.
Finally understanding, Mr. 2 dashed forward, and Sanji reacted instantly, turning around.
"Ngha ha ha ha! Understood, darling! In short, if I finish you off, no problem! This time, prepare yourself!"
Sanji stood still, facing Mr. 2 who was dashing towards him.
And when both kicked off the ground, the surrounding eyes were fixated.
The kicks of the two who leaped collided in mid-air, and strangely, they felt a wind generated by the impact. Whether wind truly blew was uncertain, but at the very least, those who watched felt their legs buckle from the intensity that brushed their skin.
Such was the impact. They were far above.
"Guh, guh…!"
"Oh, oh…!"
The result was a draw.
Both were repelled, landing in a crouch.
He had information on the enemy. Sanji fought primarily with kicks. In fact, nothing but kicks was conceivable. Mr. 2, on the other hand, used Okama Kenpo. Both punches and kicks were possible.
How would that difference affect the battle?
Mr. 2 didn't necessarily feel he had the advantage. Sanji's kicks were extraordinary. That was his strength, honed through single-minded pursuit. But the same could be said for Mr. 2.
The Mane Mane no Mi (Clone-Clone Fruit) ability wasn't directly useful in combat. It had weaknesses. And Sanji probably knew that too.
But precisely because of that, his fighting spirit as a martial artist stirred.
Targeting Sanji, who had stopped fleeing, Mr. 2 rushed forward without any tricks.
"No matter how much you run, I won't get discouraged! That's my good point!"
Sanji waited to meet him, allowing Mr. 2 to approach with surprising ease.
Both long arms extended. Like a swan stretching its neck, with graceful movements and an unpredictable trajectory, he sought to strike at Sanji's blind spots, leaving Sanji bewildered by a frontal attack.
A fighting style he had never seen before. Okama Kenpo didn't seem to be an ordinary martial art.
"Swan Arabesque Flurry!"
"Tch…!"
To evade, Sanji lowered his stance, making a split-second decision to circle to the side. Then, following his movement, Mr. 2's arms extended. Sanji's eyes widened at the fluidity of the movement.
He barely dodged, but it grazed his jaw.
Mr. 2 continued to advance, forcing Sanji to retreat.
He couldn't assist his allies any further at this rate. Sanji changed his thinking.
First, he had to defeat Mr. 2.
It was his original objective anyway. He would definitely defeat him. He had no hesitation.
"Your swagger ends here. Collier Shot!"
"Aah!"
Rotating his body on his left leg, Sanji unleashed a kick from his hip. Mr. 2 blocked it with his palm.
They pushed against each other, but neither could overwhelm the other.
When Sanji swung his left leg next, Mr. 2 also delivered a kick.
"Épaule! Côtelette!"
"Doh! Kraah!"
"Selle! Poitrine! Gigot!"
"Aah! Doh! Kraah!"
Sanji delivered a series of kicks, but all were parried by palm strikes, and Mr. 2 couldn't press his attack either. It was a back-and-forth, with both seemingly struggling to find an opening.
Sanji was unable to attack effectively, and Mr. 2's face twisted in frustration at being unable to land a blow.
At this point, there was no doubt that both were highly skilled.
Both rotated in place, preparing to unleash a powerful technique.
"Damn it, get blown away—!"
"You won't be blown away!"
"Mouton Shot!"
"Swan Arabesque!"
Powerful crescent kicks collided repeatedly, each canceling the other out.
Only their legs connected. They stopped each other's techniques, so there was no damage to their bodies. However, unable to remain in place, both were sent flying with great force.
Sanji slid along the ground from his shoulder, and Mr. 2 bounced repeatedly like a rubber ball.
Sanji, quite far from his original position, crashed into a Baroque Works agent who was in combat.
In the opposite direction, Mr. 2 also collided with an ally.
The battle in the plaza was no longer in their minds. They seemed entirely focused on the enemy before them.
Sanji stood up and kicked away the surprised Baroque Works agents around him.
At the symmetrical position, Mr. 2, for some reason, was also kicking away the agents who had gathered around him.
"Get out of the way! You're in the way!"
"Gyaah!? Taking it out on us!?"
"You're in the way! Get out!"
"Guboh!? Why us…!?"
They walked towards each other with irritated expressions, then confronted each other.
While the damage wasn't significant, their respective signature moves had certainly been blocked.
"Hah, you bastard, my Mouton Shot…"
"Stopping my Swan Arabesque…"
They recognized each other's abilities, and because of that, their hostility grew even stronger.
Confronting each other head-on, the two were strangely isolated from the plaza battle, glaring at each other undisturbed. It was as if even the fighting around them was setting the stage.
"You're pretty good, darling~. Seems you're not just any cook after all."
"So you've researched everything about us."
"Well, yes. I thought you weren't much since you lost in the preliminaries of the Treasure Battle, but actually fighting you is a surprise, isn't it?"
"Heh. Too late for that."
"However, I have no intention of losing, darling."
Mr. 2 silently raised a hand to his face, a corner of his mouth turning up.
"A professional always gets the best results, no matter what means they use, darling~. What do you think is the biggest difference between you and me?"
"That you're a man and I'm a queer."
"No, that's not it. Though of course, that too."
Sanji looked at Mr. 2 with a disgusted expression.
He knew what Mr. 2 was getting at. But he wasn't afraid of it.
"Whether one is a Devil Fruit user or not. That's the biggest difference."
"Don't do it. Even if you turn into one of my nakama, I won't hesitate to attack. I have no intention of humoring your cheap theatrics."
"Oh, really, darling~? Just as you know me, I know you too."
Sanji understood that Mr. 2 would likely use his ability.
Even though he had no intention of hesitating to attack, no matter who he transformed into, it was irritating to just stand by and watch.
Sanji dashed forward without hesitation.
"Even if you become someone else, you can't use your fighting style, can you?"
"Ngha ha ha ha! Correct, darling! My Okama Kenpo can only be used by me! Day after day, lesson after lesson… it's not something just anyone can master!"
"Then I'd recommend not transforming."
Against Sanji's direct, confident kick, Mr. 2 evaded without using his ability.
He bent his back and crouched, and once he confirmed the kick had passed over his head, he thrust out a punch.
"Aah!"
"Ora!"
He intended to exploit an opening, but the punch aimed at Sanji's stomach was stopped, as if stepped on, by Sanji's quickly retracted right foot. His reaction speed was beyond imagination. Mr. 5 would have had no chance of stopping him.
Mr. 2 immediately pulled back his fist and also extended his leg.
Sanji reacted, and they exchanged several kicks, repeating their offense and defense in a stalemate.
Indeed, a mere slugfest would take too long.
If the battle dragged on, he couldn't predict what would happen in the plaza battle. For now, they hadn't been completely overwhelmed. If he could defeat Sanji here and Mr. 2 joined the front lines, a sure victory should be achievable.
He was also concerned about Vivi, whom he had let escape.
After reiterating to himself that he couldn't waste time, Mr. 2 leaped backward.
"It seems there's nothing else for you, darling."
"You won't escape!"
"I'm not escaping, darling~! It's a strategy to defeat you!"
He had been aiming for something since earlier. To prevent that something, Sanji relentlessly pursued him.
He pressed his attack, closing the distance while being careful of counterattacks.
It might be a lie to say he wasn't anxious. But the opponent's skill was probably higher than expected. The power of the kicks he felt on his skin told him that prolonging the fight was not a good idea.
Sanji kicked the ground with particular force.
His speed changed, and suddenly he was right in front, causing Mr. 2's eyes to widen.
A frontal surprise attack. Seeing this situation, Mr. 2 could only be described as off guard.
The powerful flying kick plunged into his stomach.
Mr. 2 couldn't withstand it and was kicked backward.
"Flanchet Shoot!"
"Guh-oh!?"
Perhaps the surprise was too great, as he tumbled, hitting his back.
He hastily jumped up, but Sanji was already closing in. He was too fast. Above all, there was no hesitation in his attacks. This wouldn't happen if he wasn't used to fighting.
Not even having time to regain his stance, Mr. 2 instinctively thrust his fist forward.
Then, Sanji's approaching kick collided head-on.
"Okama-way Knuckle!"
"Poitrine Shoot!"
The impact was considerable. However, Mr. 2, who took the blow with his fist, felt a stronger pain.
Though he received a strong impact, it wasn't enough to stop Sanji.
As he landed, Sanji swiftly rotated his hips, swung his left leg using his right leg as an pivot, and kicked the side of Mr. 2's head. Mr. 2's body flew comically, landing headfirst and scraping his head along the ground.
As a result, when he vigorously sat up, blood was streaming from his forehead.
"Fungaah! Nonsense, still more!"
By the time he caught Sanji in his vision, Sanji was already mid-attack, and Mr. 2 had no time to react before the kick landed.
"Deuxième Haché!"
"Ababababababa!?"
Countless kicks rained down, primarily on his face, chest, and upper body.
Spitting a nosebleed, Mr. 2 tumbled across the ground again, his limbs flung out involuntarily.
This situation in just a few seconds. If he continued to take these kicks, he would soon lose consciousness. Only one method remained to stop the enemy's offensive.
As Sanji leaped towards the fallen Mr. 2, he saw Mr. 2's right hand reaching for his own cheek.
"I told you it's useless!"
"Hey! Stop it!"
"Wha!?"
The moment he was about to land a full-force heel drop to the face, he was shocked by the face he saw.
He involuntarily missed his aim, dropping his leg just beside the face.
From one perspective, it was a failed attack. Sanji, for some reason, stood motionless, staring intently at Mr. 2's face, who lay on his back.
Just before the attack, at a hair's breadth moment, his appearance had changed.
Now, Sanji was looking at Mr. 2, but that face was not his own.
Familiar blonde hair and a lovely face. While the outfit was unfortunately still Mr. 2's, the person, no matter how they were dressed, always seemed endearing to Sanji.
The one person Sanji could never kick was a woman. His comrade Silk's face was there.
"Oh my, that was dangerous, darling! You don't have to hit me so many times!"
"Y-you bastard…!? Silk-chan's face!"
"Fufun, this must be your weakness, isn't it? You seem to be quite the womanizer, darling~."
Not just her face, but her entire body.
Mr. 2, having assumed Silk's appearance, slipped out from under Sanji's immobile foot and gracefully stood up. Even with just that, one could say the tables had turned.
Sanji glared at Mr. 2 in frustration, and he, she, turned back with a smile.
A stance that was utterly defenceless. Yet, Sanji couldn't attack.
"Is this where the tables turn? Can you kick this face, you womanizer?"
"Guh… But you can't use your fighting style with that body. You can't perform at your best with Silk-chan's beautiful body. Am I right?"
"That's right. But, looking at the situation, it's hard to call that a weakness, darling."
"What?"
"Look around you, darling~."
Told to do so, Sanji, though wary, wondering if it was a trap, cautiously looked around.
The Royal Army and Baroque Works were still fighting. The impact of the Tsumegeri Guards' defeat and the betrayal of the infiltrated agents meant that the chaos was not completely gone. Even with a biased view, the Royal Army was at a disadvantage. A scenario where they were overwhelmed and defeated was not impossible.
Sanji thought this, having assessed the situation calmly.
Of course, Mr. 2 was thinking the same thing.
"The Royal Army ran around trying to put out fires and evacuate civilians. The battle started when they were completely exhausted. Meanwhile, my subordinates were resting peacefully, so they're all fresh. Now, while you and I are glaring at each other, what do you think will happen to that battle over there?"
"You…!"
"The conditions for victory are different for you and me. Didn't I tell you? Professionals prioritize the mission's execution over their pride. Though it was Straw Hat-chan who made me this way, darling."
Spoken eloquently, in Silk's face, in her voice. He still couldn't kick. Even knowing it was a fake, kicking a woman went against his code.
Meanwhile, Royal Army soldiers continued to fall around them.
Time was limited. Abandoning them was tantamount to abandoning Vivi.
"Is it okay? To leave them be?"
Sanji knew Mr. 2's objective behind that murmur. He intended to find an opening and finish Sanji off.
If Sanji attacked Baroque Works and helped the Royal Army, Sanji himself would be targeted by Mr. 2. If they kept glaring at each other to prevent Mr. 2 from doing as he pleased, the Royal Army would give out first. He didn't think the situation would improve either way. But he knew that standing still was the worst possible move.
Sanji gritted his teeth, having made up his mind.
He turned back to Mr. 2, who was casually folded his arms, and glared fiercely.
"You're awfully confident, but you're not Kili. You'll regret this soon."
"Oh? Well, I look forward to it, darling."
Sanji dashed forward.
He turned his back on Mr. 2 and advanced towards the enemy to support the Royal Army.
Just then, a soldier fell to the ground, about to be stabbed by a man with a saber. It was a close call as to whether he would make it. Sanji stomped the ground with all his might and leaped forward.
"Damn it. You bastards, don't think you can do whatever you want any longer—!"
"Keri Pointe!"
But before he could reach, Mr. 2, who had attacked from behind, kicked the side of his head.
His vision swam with intense pain, and he tumbled to the ground.
By then, the soldier he tried to save had been stabbed by the enemy, and Sanji seemed to be overcome by a rush of blood to his head. For a fleeting moment, his thoughts vanished.
He sprang up with astonishing speed and immediately unleashed a kick behind him.
The moment he saw Mr. 2's face, his kick stopped right before it.
His appearance had already been changed to Silk's, and even if he tried to rebuke himself, he couldn't kick that face.
"Oh dear. That was close, wasn't it? Just a little bit more."
He gritted his teeth and blamed himself, but it was a code taught since childhood. He couldn't lightly abandon it on a whim. No matter the situation, he would never kick a woman.
While feeling frustrated, Sanji thought about how to break through this situation.
There had to be a way. But Mr. 2 wouldn't even wait for him to think.
"But you know. There's no time to rest. Because I can also do this~."
With that, Mr. 2 slapped his own cheek with his right hand. At that instant, his face changed.
From Silk's, now to Vivi's.
A fleeting, unpleasant thought flashed through Sanji's mind, and his expression changed.
"You, don't tell me…!?"
"You'd better stop me quickly, darling~. Even if you have to kick my face."
Mr. 2 turned sharply and ran. In Vivi's appearance, towards the Royal Army soldiers who were fighting for her.
If he did that, it would be over for them. They would surely be defeated without time to resist. All the soldiers would be killed. He could create an opening large enough for that to happen.
Sanji, with a frantic expression, also dashed forward. He became desperate to stop him at all costs.
However, Mr. 2's actions were swift, and he shouted loudly as he ran.
"Everyone, stop fighting! The rebels are citizens of this country! You must not fight them!"
"Hey! Stop it! Don't listen to him! He's not the real one!"
"Please! Stop the fighting! Please!!"
"Don't listen! That's not Vivi-chan! Keep fighting!"
In the battle, where dust flew, sand scattered, and people mingled, making visibility poor.
No soldier failed to react when Vivi's voice suddenly rang out. If any did, they were Baroque Works agents who had infiltrated beforehand.
Vivi's voice caused the soldiers to stop moving.
And targeting those stopped soldiers, Baroque Works agents disguised as rebels attacked.
"Princess Vivi?"
"It's Princess Vivi's voice… could she be on this battlefield?"
"Hah! An opening!"
"Ugh!? Ugh…"
"They suddenly became easier to kill!"
"Don't let a single one escape! Kill the entire Royal Army!"
"Please! Stop the fighting!!"
"Stop it!! Don't speak in Vivi-chan's voice any longer!!"
Casualties surged.
Soldiers, confused by Vivi's voice, fell one after another. The further Mr. 2 moved, the wider the range of his voice. Hearing that voice, many soldiers fell.
Enraged by the screams and groans echoing around him, Sanji could no longer remain calm.
He continued to move, desperately calling out to the soldiers.
Don't listen to the voice. That's a fake.
It was easy to say but difficult to make them believe, as his status as an outsider hindered him. There were no soldiers who knew him, having only recently arrived in the country, and in the current state of lingering chaos, it was perfectly natural for them to prioritize Vivi over Sanji in a split-second decision. They couldn't be expected to change their actions at the last moment.
He knew it, yet he couldn't stay silent.
He kept shouting, even as his throat grew sore, and if an enemy was nearby, he kicked them without hesitation.
As he chased Mr. 2 like this, he found another soldier cornered on his right side.
"U-wah!? H-help…!?"
"Die!"
"Damn it, enough of this—!"
"Swan Arabesque!"
It was the moment he instinctively turned to help.
Suddenly, countless kicks assailed his entire body, violently sending Sanji flying.
He spent several meters in the air, then tumbled vigorously across the ground without being able to brace himself. In the process, he was scraped everywhere, bleeding, and by the time he finally stopped, he lay on his back, utterly exhausted and motionless.
The soldier from earlier lay bleeding and fallen.
Mr. 2, unaware of this, had returned to his original form and wore a smile.
"Ngha ha ha ha! Is it over already? Straw Hat-chan's comrades aren't much after all."
Amidst countless echoing screams. Even in the dusty environment, a surprisingly clear blue sky entered his vision.
Tormented by the pain that clung to his body, Sanji's expression suddenly vanished.
There was anger. It became his strength.
He had long since dropped his cigarette during one of their previous clashes, and he instinctively wanted to smoke, but there was no time for that now. He decided to put it off, spitting out the blood in his mouth.
"My ability is to bewilder and deceive people. My experience as a villain is on a different level than yours, darling. Don't underestimate a mere pirate! Ngha ha ha ha ha!"
"Cough, gasp. You… I'll kick you to the ends of the sea."
After muttering softly, Sanji stood up.
It might not have reached his opponent. It was that soft a voice. But he didn't mind. The important thing wasn't to reach the opponent with words, but the result.
Now, he resolved anew.
He would defeat Mr. 2. And he would protect the Royal Army.
When he stood up, Sanji's expression had already changed, and sensing this, Mr. 2 couldn't help but deepen his smile. Perhaps, one could even call him a worthy rival.
That said, he had no intention of facing him head-on.
This was a battle between a secret crime organization and a pirate. Not a martial artist's match. It wasn't a world where words like "cowardly" applied, and they both understood that.
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