"Ah... how did you know? Very well!"
Cobra was stunned. How did Ryuuto know so much? But he didn't argue. As the man who had saved his life, what was wrong with Ryuuto making a small request?
"I'll head on first, then. I need to see how Nami is doing."
Ryuuto slung Yubashiri over his shoulder, the bag of apples hanging from its hilt, and waved to the group.
"Captain Ryuuto, Nami is currently fighting Mr. 3 Galdino!" Robin called out, offering a warning.
"Got it," Ryuuto replied, already walking away.
...
She had just come from that direction. When the battle began, Baroque Works, with its host of Devil Fruit users, had completely overwhelmed the Rebel and Royal Armies. Their officer agents, in particular, were immensely powerful.
For a time, the rebels and the royal soldiers suffered heavy casualties.
But then, ten towering, golden-armored warriors suddenly appeared among the chaos. They were massive in stature and seemed impervious to blades and bullets.
Wielding their weapons, these golden warriors charged through the battlefield, cutting down score after score of Baroque Works' Billions. It wasn't long before they came face-to-face with the officer agents.
The ten golden warriors, all uniformly equipped with broadswords, now stood ready with their blades drawn.
Facing them were the core members of Baroque Works: Mr. 4, Mr. 5, Miss Merry Christmas, and Miss Valentine. Aside from the four officers, the rest were all of the Millions-class.
Off to the side, Miss Goldenweek waved her paintbrush, splashing red paint that sent the Baroque Works agents into a state of excitement.
Also bolstering morale was Belo Betty. Her battle flag waved in her hand, instilling a fearless resolve in both the Rebel and Royal Armies. They charged relentlessly at the Billions around them.
Moreover, under the influence of Belo Betty's Pump-Pump Fruit, the soldiers of the Rebel and Royal Armies felt their stamina and strength surge dramatically. Their combat prowess instantly rose to match that of the Baroque Works agents.
As a result, the battle in the plaza began to even out.
"What's the deal with these golden warriors?" Mr. 5 asked Miss Valentine, picking his nose.
"It's like they appeared out of thin air!" Miss Valentine said, eyeing the ten armored figures with curiosity.
"Doesn't matter how they got here. Let's see if they can take a swing from me!" Mr. 4 grunted, hefting the heavy baseball bat on his shoulder.
"Gaga, that's right!" Miss Merry Christmas screeched in agreement, raising her claws.
Meanwhile, Darola and the other nine were reveling in the power of the golden warriors. Their own strength was originally only on par with the rebels, but empowered by the Bean Soldier ability, their power had magnified. Even their broadswords now glowed with a golden, otherworldly light.
Their combat level had now soared to that of the Baroque Works Millions.
"Eat this!" Seeing everyone in agreement, Mr. 5 took the initiative, flicking several explosive boogers from his nose.
Darola's group had already discovered that the golden armor was impervious to cannon fire. When they saw Mr. 5's projectiles hurtling toward them, they didn't even bother to dodge.
Boom! Boom!
A series of explosions erupted amidst a flash of golden light. When the smoke cleared, Darola and his nine companions stood completely unscathed.
"What the hell?" Mr. 5 stared in disbelief before roaring in fury. "Take this!"
He immediately unleashed a continuous stream of explosive breath at them.
"You think we're pushovers?!"
With a powerful stomp, Darola's group charged straight through Mr. 5's explosions. Their gleaming golden broadswords swung out, unleashing a wave of yellow light toward the Baroque Works agents.
Bang! Bang! Boom!
Amidst the deafening blasts, the ten warriors broke through and were now upon Mr. 4, Mr. 5, Miss Merry Christmas, and Miss Valentine.
"Haaah!" With a furious cry, Darola led the charge, slashing down at Mr. 4. The others followed suit, striking at their own targets.
Clang!
The scene descended into chaos, filled with the sharp ring of steel on steel and the crimson spray of blood. In a single exchange, the Baroque Works side suffered heavy losses.
Mr. 5, a long-range Devil Fruit user, was particularly vulnerable. Caught at close quarters by warriors immune to his explosions, he failed to dodge in time and lost an arm in the initial assault.
Mr. 4, Miss Merry Christmas, and Miss Valentine fared better.
Mr. 4 swung his heavy baseball bat, clashing violently with Darola's sword. Overwhelmed by Mr. 4's monstrous strength, Darola was sent staggering backward, and the two were forced away from the center of the battle.
The moment the slash came down, Miss Merry Christmas burrowed into the ground, evading the attack entirely. Miss Valentine instantly manipulated her weight, floating up into the air.
Miss Merry Christmas popped her head out of the ground, spotted a golden warrior, grabbed his leg, and accelerated, slamming him into a nearby wall.
Smash!
With a sickening thud, one of the golden warriors was taken out of the fight.
Seeing this, Miss Valentine targeted another golden warrior and increased her weight to ten thousand kilograms, plummeting down on him like a meteor. A loud crash echoed through the plaza. When the dust settled, another golden warrior lay incapacitated.
The remaining golden warriors, leveraging their immunity to blades and explosions, continued their rampage among the Millions.
In no time at all, the battlefield was cleared, leaving only Mr. 4, Miss Merry Christmas, Miss Valentine, and the eight remaining golden warriors.
Mr. 4 was overpowering Darola. Under the relentless assault of his heavy bat, Darola was forced onto the defensive, the immense force of each blow sending painful vibrations up his arms. Miss Merry Christmas and Miss Valentine circled the remaining warriors, searching for their next opening.
As for Mr. 5, he had been cut in two by a gleaming golden broadsword during the chaotic melee. There was nothing he could do. The golden warriors, being immune to explosions, were a perfect counter to him.
Robin and the other two, who had been observing from a distance, watched the scene unfold with differing thoughts. Robin and Mr. 2 exchanged a look, and both chose to remain where they were.
Mr. 3, however, wore a grim expression as he started walking directly toward the battle. As he walked, wax began to ooze from his body. Under Mr. 3's control, it flowed toward the feet of the Rebel and Royal Army soldiers, trapping them in place.
"Hehehe, and where do you think you're going?"
Before he had taken more than a few steps, Crocus appeared before him, a wide grin on his face and large sandals on his feet.
"Old man Crocus, wait for me!" Nami's voice called out from behind.
"Who are you people?" Mr. 3 adjusted his glasses, his expression grave as he stared at Crocus. The old man with the afro exuded an extremely dangerous aura, forcing Mr. 3 to be cautious.
"Nami, he's all yours!"
Seeing Nami arrive, Crocus chuckled, turned, and walked away, leaving Mr. 3 for her to handle. He himself began to slowly approach the golden warriors.