Ms. Wednesday's face turned deathly pale as she stared at Mr. 5 and Ms. Valentine, who had suddenly appeared in the sunlight.
"What are you talking about? Mr. 5, Ms. Valentine, what do you mean by 'cleaning house'..."
"Ms. Wednesday..." Mr. 5's low, mocking voice rang out.
He slowly dragged a charred figure from the shadows nearby. The figure's hair resembled several trumpets—it was the mayor Ms. Wednesday had been searching for.
"Were you looking for him?" Mr. 5 flicked his wrist, throwing the severely injured Igaram onto the open ground with a dull thud.
"Mr. 8!" Ms. Wednesday screamed, her pupils contracting sharply. "Why are you doing this to him?! What did he do wrong?!"
Ms. Valentine floated lightly beside Mr. 5 under her parasol, speaking in a sickly sweet tone: "Still pretending? We received orders from the boss. He said his secret has been discovered, though we don't know what that secret is~"
Mr. 5 adjusted his sunglasses and continued, his voice like a judge delivering a verdict:
"The boss said people from a certain kingdom have infiltrated our Baroque Works."
"Alabasta Kingdom Guard Captain Igaram and..."
"Alabasta Kingdom Princess, Nefertari Vivi."
Vivi, whose codename was Ms. Wednesday but whose true identity was the princess, couldn't help trembling. Their disguise had been torn away. She and Igaram had worked so hard to infiltrate Baroque Works for so long, finally learning the true identity of the mastermind.
But before they could return to Alabasta to reveal the truth behind the civil war...
In the end, they had been discovered after all...
Ms. Valentine added with a giggle: "The current orders are to eliminate both of you, you know? And according to the latest intelligence, Your Highness, you've completely betrayed us and joined this Straw Hat crew."
"Princess... run!!!"
At this desperate moment, Igaram, who should have been unconscious on the ground, summoned his last bit of strength. He suddenly lifted his head and activated his unique trumpet mechanism cannon.
"Thorn Ball Trumpet Cannon!"
However, Mr. 5 was faster. He merely flicked his finger disdainfully, shooting out a tiny booger he'd been playing with in his hand.
"Snot Fantasy Cannon."
Boom!
The explosion detonated precisely in front of Igaram, making his charred body convulse once more before lying still on the ground.
"Well... but the rescue you found isn't much good either," Mr. 5 sneered as he glanced around, his eyes sweeping over the four unconscious members of the Straw Hat crew before finally settling on Zoro and Giyu.
"Some fainted, some drunk. All that's left is a drunkard and a one-armed swordsman? Pretty weak, just like you."
Just then, a voice full of mockery spoke up.
"Are you an idiot?"
Zoro, who had just been raising his cup in celebration as if drunkenly rambling, slowly lifted his head. His eyes were clear, completely sober, and a wild grin curled at the corner of his mouth.
"How could I be drunk that easily." He released his crossed arms, straightened his posture, and rotated his neck with a light cracking sound.
"Though I don't really understand your kingdom or secret business. But..."
His eyes instantly sharpened like blades as his hands rested on his three beloved swords.
"Now it's time for a fight, right?"
His gaze didn't even fall on Mr. 5, instead turning toward the silent Giyu Tomioka nearby.
"Hey, Giyu." Zoro proposed with a grin, "How about we make it a competition? I want to see how strong you really are. Let's see... who can take down more Baroque Works scum here, what do you say?"
The air seemed to freeze.
Giyu remained silent. He looked at Zoro's battle-hungry smile, then glanced at the severely injured Igaram on the ground and Vivi, who appeared confused but was still holding her ground despite her bewilderment.
[Target: Roronoa Zoro]
[Status: Excited]
[Interest: Challenges]
[Suggestion: Show him your strength]
Just as the thought of refusal emerged, a long-buried memory surged into Giyu's mind.
It was the Demon Slayer Corps' final selection - Mt. Fujikasane. That night filled with the scent of wisteria flowers, accompanied by the howls of countless demons. Back then, he had been so weak.
It was Sabito who had shattered the threat of the demons before him.
And he, Giyu Tomioka, had merely survived those seven nights under protection, unable to do anything. But Sabito, who had slain countless demons for everyone, had fallen forever at the very end of that selection.
While he, who hadn't killed a single demon, had successfully joined the Demon Slayer Corps.
That sense of powerlessness, that guilt of being protected, remained deeply carved into his soul to this day.
Looking at the hundreds of malicious villagers before him and the two called Mr. 5 and Ms. Valentine...
A sudden determination flashed in Giyu's deep blue eyes as he met Zoro's gaze and responded:
"Alright. Let's do it."
Zoro visibly stiffened for a moment before his grin widened further. "I didn't expect you to actually agree... Interesting!" He began untying the dark green bandana from his left arm, preparing to tie it around his forehead. "Then I'll have to get serious!"
"You two?!"
Mr. 5 felt his intelligence was being insulted as he turned to his partner beside him. "Are they drunk and gone mad? How dare they say such things."
"None of your business!!!" Vivi's expression turned fierce as she shouted at Zoro and Giyu.
Why were they doing this?
Vivi couldn't understand. The behavior of these two men before her seemed like something only madmen would do - facing two senior agents of Baroque Works, actually saying such things, and even making it a competition?
Hadn't they just seen how Igaram was dealt with...
And that one-armed swordsman had actually agreed.
"They're after me! No matter how strong you are, you can't fight against Baroque Works' hundred agents plus senior agents! Just leave!"
However, her voice went ignored.
Shiiing—!
A clear, resonant sword sound rang out.
Giyu Tomioka had already completely drawn his cold Nichirin Blade, his left hand gripping the hilt steadily. He slightly lowered his head and murmured softly, as if speaking to his sword, or perhaps to himself:
"Water Breathing: Total Concentration..."
He took a deep breath, and the surrounding air seemed to condense along with it, followed by rolling mist that coiled around his Nichirin Blade.
In the next instant, his figure abruptly blurred!
Like a torrent skimming the ground, Giyu tore through the distance between them in an instant, appearing right before Mr. 5!
Mr. 5's face still wore the same contemptuous smile from moments ago, unable to shift in time.
"Water Breathing Seventh Form: Drop Ripple Thrust!"
Giyu's Nichirin Blade transformed into a straight, sharp blue light, thrusting forward! It stopped right at Mr. 5's abdomen, and the extreme speed and force poured out as the blade made contact.
BOOM!!!
A heavy, dull impact erupted.
Mr. 5 felt an irresistible, immense force slam into his abdomen, the intense pain instantly robbing him of all ability to think.
His entire body lifted off the ground, flying backward, crashing through the walls of the buildings behind him, and was eventually buried in a cloud of rising dust and rubble.
The entire square fell deathly silent.
The smile on Ms. Valentine's face froze.
All the restless Baroque Million agents halted their movements.
Even Zoro paused for a moment as he tied his bandana, a flicker of surprise and deeper interest in his eyes.
Amid the silence, Vivi stared blankly at Giyu, who held his thrusting stance before slowly sheathing his blade and standing upright. She recalled the words she had spoken the night before and the sight of him silently practicing his one-armed sword swings.
"So he… is that strong after all…"