"Luffy! That's the guy!! Beat him up!!"
Nami's shout cut through the brief silence on the battlefield as she pointed unceremoniously at Mr.3, whose face still looked constipated.
"Right!"
Luffy responded, his eyes beneath the straw hat instantly turning sharp as they locked onto Mr.3.
Without any hesitation, his rubber arm stretched sharply backward!
"Gomu Gomu no Pistol!"
His fist shot out like a bullet, slamming straight toward Mr.3!
"Useless!"
Though slightly panicked by the current situation, Mr.3's counterattack was anything but slow.
Raising both arms in front of him, he transformed them into massive streams of wax liquid that instantly solidified into a thick wax wall before him!
Boom!
Luffy's fist embedded deeply into the wax wall but failed to break through. The tremendous impact only caused the wall to shake violently, cracking in several places.
"Hmph! My Candle Wall's hardness rivals steel once solidified!" Mr.3 felt somewhat relieved seeing Luffy's attack ineffective against the wax wall and immediately launched a counterattack.
"Take this!"
Luffy's arm embedded in the wax wall was immediately wrapped by more gushing wax liquid, attempting to trap his entire arm inside.
"Luffy! Be careful, his wax can immobilize you!"
Nami was surprised that Luffy's attack had no effect. Remembering Mr.3's Devil Fruit ability, she immediately shouted at Luffy.
"Damn! This sticky stuff is disgusting!" Luffy pulled back hard, but the wax had already clung to his fist, forming a solid wax block.
Seeing this, Brogy began striding forward with his massive steps, his hatred for Mr.3 burning fiercely. "I'll help you!"
"Giant uncle!"
Seeing Brogy coming to assist, Luffy shouted to stop him, pressing down on his straw hat with his other hand.
A trademark grin spread across his face as he declared: "Leave this guy to me! I can beat him down alone!"
This was his fight, and his promise.
Anyone who hurt his crewmates must be beaten down by his own hands!
Brogy looked at Luffy's determined eyes and recognized a warrior's vow. "Alright!! Beat him to a pulp!!"
"Stubborn brat!" Mr.3 resumed his characteristic sinister grin, continuing to manipulate the wax liquid. "Just wait until I turn you completely into a wax figure!"
Assessing the situation, he knew his only hope was to defeat the Straw Hat Kid, turn him into a hostage, and ensure his safe escape.
However, at that moment, Luffy looked at his wax-covered, hardened arm and his eyes suddenly lit up.
"Huh?... That's it!"
He abruptly raised the wax-covered, hardened giant arm high overhead!
"Gomu Gomu no—!"
Then Luffy stretched his arm again, using the tension to slam the hardened "Candle Giant Fist" toward the wax wall with even more terrifying speed and power!
"Candle Pistol!... You idiot! Using your wax against your wax!"
Mr.3's grin froze on his face, his pupils contracting sharply as if witnessing something unbelievable. "Wh-what?!"
Boom——!!!
Luffy's wax-coated fist smashed into the wax wall once again with full force!
Two masses of wax collided in the most violent manner, producing a deafening explosion! The sturdy wax wall could no longer withstand such an absurd attack and shattered into countless fragments.
"How is this possible?!"
Mr.3 was sent flying by the shockwave, his glasses askew, his face a mask of disbelief.
At that moment, Luffy's arm broke free from the remaining wax encasement, landing firmly on the ground as he flexed his wrist. "It worked! Alright, now I'm gonna punch you into next week!"
...
Meanwhile, seeing that Luffy had completely overpowered Mr.3 and already devised a strange method to deal with the wax man, Giyu—who had been tense throughout—finally allowed himself to relax slightly.
If it's Luffy... he'll be fine...
The moment he relaxed, the wavy Mark on his cheek rapidly faded away.
The tremendous strain of maintaining the Mark's state instantly flooded through his entire body like a tidal wave, bringing with it an overwhelming sense of exhaustion. He grunted softly, his body going limp, only prevented from collapsing by the Nichirin Blade he'd thrust into the ground for support.
But his breathing became labored and heavy, beads of sweat gradually forming on his forehead.
"Giyu!"
Nami and Vivi, who had been watching from nearby, immediately noticed Giyu's abnormal state and rushed over in panic to support his wavering body.
The moment Nami's hand touched Giyu's arm, she jerked it back in surprise. "He's burning up! Why is his body so hot?! It's like he's on fire!"
Giyu tried to steady his breathing, his lips moving as he spoke in a weakened voice:
"I'm... fine..."
Cough cough cough—
But his pale complexion and uncontrollable coughing made his declaration seem feeble.
"How can you be fine!" Vivi cried out anxiously, pressing the back of her hand against his forehead only to find it scalding. "His temperature is too high! This can't continue! Nami, help me undo his clothes, we need to try to cool him down!"
The two girls didn't hesitate, frantically working to remove his tattered, stained, and wax-splattered haori, followed by the black Demon Slayer Corps uniform beneath.
When the clothes were removed, revealing Giyu's well-built upper body, Vivi couldn't help but gasp.
Every muscle seemed to contain explosive power, a body that appeared tempered through countless trials. But what was more startling were the numerous faint scars scattered across his torso.
What has he been through... And what kind of harsh, perhaps even cruel, training would it take to forge such a body...
Looking at Giyu before her, Vivi felt both shocked and filled with a sense of respect.
Nami's eyes also held complex emotions, but she quickly regained her composure.
Taking out the water canteen she'd brought when they landed on Little Garden, she dampened her handkerchief with some water and carefully began wiping Giyu's feverish forehead and neck, trying to bring his temperature down.
...
Just as they were fully focused on caring for Giyu, the sound of shifting wax fragments came from the nearby ruins of the cake-shaped wax structure.
A tall figure crawled out rather disheveled, her clothes scorched and torn in multiple places, her face smudged with ash, yet her eyes still brimmed with ferocity.
Behind her stood a taller figure in silence—Mr.1. Unbeknownst to anyone, he had already regained consciousness, and the wound on his chest had partially healed.
Yet he merely stood there, motionless.
His impassive eyes looked past Miss Doublefinger, settling intently on the visibly weakened Giyu, their gaze profound and inscrutable.
Miss Doublefinger's eyes fixated on Nami and Vivi, who had their backs turned to her, completely defenseless, as well as the nearly unconscious Giyu. A flicker of malice crossed her gaze.
Her fingers had quietly transformed into sharp Thorns.
"Such touching camaraderie... What a pity it ends here!"
In one swift dash, she closed the distance, the Thorns on her arm abruptly thrusting forward, aimed directly at Nami's back!