Water Seven.
Night.
The narrow alley remained shrouded in darkness, the oppressive air from the earlier clash still lingering.
Nami leaned against the wall, breathing heavily. Chopper stood beside her, his small body still trembling.
Raifeng stood in front of them.
His posture was calm, but his gaze remained sharp and vigilant.
The man in black had retreated—yet the sense of danger hadn't fully faded.
"Are… are they gone?" Chopper asked cautiously.
Raifeng nodded. "For now."
Nami clenched her fists.
"That man… he was terrifying."
"He isn't finished," Raifeng replied.
Nami's heart tightened.
"What do you mean?"
Raifeng didn't answer immediately.
Instead, he tilted his head slightly.
His eyes narrowed.
Someone was coming.
Footsteps echoed from the far end of the alley—
Fast.
Urgent.
Almost running.
"Hey!"
A familiar voice rang out.
"Nami-swaaaan!"
"Chopper!"
Sanji burst out of the darkness, his suit slightly disheveled, his face filled with worry.
The moment he saw Nami, his eyes lit up.
"You're safe!"
"Sanji!" Nami exclaimed.
He rushed over.
"Are you hurt?!"
"We're okay!" Chopper shook his head quickly.
Sanji finally let out a long breath of relief.
"That's good…"
Then his gaze landed on Raifeng.
A Marine.
Standing very close to Nami.
Sanji's expression changed instantly.
"…A Marine?"
He stepped forward.
"What's going on here?"
Nami hurriedly explained.
"He saved us."
Sanji froze.
"…Saved?"
He looked Raifeng up and down, brows furrowing.
"You?"
Raifeng nodded. "Yes."
Sanji stared at him, eyes narrowing.
"You don't look very strong."
Raifeng didn't respond.
Tap.
Tap.
A faint sound echoed.
Footsteps.
Raifeng's eyes sharpened.
"Get back," he said calmly.
Sanji frowned.
"What?"
Before anyone could react—
A shadow appeared behind Sanji.
Too fast—and from a blind angle.
So fast that even Raifeng's pupils shrank.
Bang!
A dull impact echoed through the alley. A precise strike landed at the base of his neck.
Sanji's eyes widened.
His body stiffened—
Then collapsed forward.
Boom!
He hit the ground hard.
Silence.
Absolute silence.
Nami's eyes widened in shock.
"Sanji?!"
"S-Sanji!" Chopper screamed.
Raifeng spun around instantly.
Behind them—
The man in the black suit stood calmly, one hand still raised, as if he had just brushed aside dust.
"Oh?" he said lightly. "You reacted."
His gaze settled on Raifeng.
"Not bad."
Nami rushed forward.
"Sanji…!"
Sanji lay motionless.
Unconscious.
A single strike.
Chopper panicked, voice breaking.
"H-He's not dead, right?!"
Raifeng knelt and checked quickly.
"He's alive."
But—
He had been defeated instantly.
The man in black smiled faintly.
"Such a pity. Still too weak."
Sanji—one of the Straw Hat Pirates' main fighters—
Had been taken down in a single blow.
Nami clenched her teeth, anger surging.
"You bastard!"
The man ignored her, his eyes never leaving Raifeng.
"You're troublesome."
Raifeng stepped forward, expression turning cold.
"You shouldn't have come back."
The man laughed softly.
"I was curious. Curious how strong you really are."
Raifeng clenched his fist.
The air around him seemed to tighten.
Chopper swallowed hard.
Even standing behind him felt suffocating.
"This time," Raifeng said slowly, "I won't let you leave."
The man in black smiled.
"We'll see."
The alley fell into deadly silence once more.
Sanji lay unconscious on the ground.
Nami and Chopper stood behind Raifeng, hearts pounding violently.
The nightmare hadn't ended.
It had only escalated.
And this time—
The battle would be unavoidable.
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