Resume of Group 2
As the Fishmen advanced toward them, Anya and Esme didn't hesitate and charged into battle.
Esme: "LightBoxing: Flashbang"
Lowering her density, Esme moved at a speed beyond perception, reaching the three nearest Fishmen. With precise flicker jabs—capable of stunning even Damian despite her reduced density—she struck them squarely, leaving them momentarily disoriented. Anya, spotting the opening, seized the moment.
Anya: "Nice one, Esme!"
Anya: "Packstil: WeißerFangzahn (Pack Style: White Fang)"
With an agile motion, Anya attacked with her right arm in a diagonal slash from top to bottom, while her left arm mirrored the opposite, bottom to top. The speed and force of the strike with her Romphaias created an air jaw that sliced through the three stunned Fishmen, forcing them to retreat toward Leôncio.
Leôncio: "Be careful, boys! They're tough! Let's stick to that plan!"
Fishmen: "YES, BOSS!"
Following the order, all Fishmen except the three already injured formed a circle around Anya and Esme, launching a coordinated attack.
Esme: "What are they doing?"
Anya: "No idea, but it looks like trouble."
Fishmen: "GyojinKarate: HyakumanGanoMuneoHakai (Fishman Karate: Million Tile-Breaking Dome)"
With a synchronized Oi-zuki, the Fishmen made the water molecules in the air vibrate, creating shockwaves that formed a dome, attacking Anya and Esme from all sides.
Anya: "Esme! Get over here!"
Esme: "No need to tell me twice!"
Anya: "Packstil: EiserneHaut (Pack Style: Iron Skin)"
To protect them both, Anya began running in circles around Esme, forming a silvery dome that shielded them from the attack.
Esme: "Thanks, Anya!"
Anya: "Save it for later, Esme! Focus!"
Esme: "My bad!"
Anya: "Packstil: Wolfsgebrüll (Wolf's Roar)"
Using the kinetic energy from her run, Anya spun her body and unleashed an air slash toward five Fishmen. They tried to block, but they didn't account for Esme's intervention.
Esme: "LightBoxing: Flashbang"
Distracted by Anya's slash, the Fishmen didn't notice Esme closing in. Her rapid punches rendered their blocking attempts useless, and the five took the full brunt of the slash. Despite severe injuries, they didn't pass out, only groaning in pain.
Anya: "Half down, half to go."
Esme: "You're really serious… Does this have something to do with that guy?"
Both glanced at Leôncio.
Anya: "Yeah… Something's off about him."
Esme: "Wouldn't it be better to take him out first, then?"
Anya: "Forgot about them already?"
Turning, Esme saw the other five Fishmen launching another attack. Without hesitation, she countered.
Esme: "HeavyBoxing: MeteorShower"
With devastating blows, Esme smashed the Fishmen's faces, leaving her fist marks. Surprisingly, they remained conscious, though in agony.
Esme: "These guys? What about them?"
Anya: "I told you n—"
Leôncio: "BOYS!"
Interrupted by Leôncio's shout, Anya and Esme turned to see the three Fishmen, shocked by the carnage, standing beside their leader.
Fishmen: "Sir… You need to use that."
Leôncio: "But you won't survive it!"
Fishmen: "Doesn't matter, boss! What matters is you don't get caught here, right?!"
The injured Fishmen, still on the ground, struggled to their feet and grabbed Anya and Esme tightly, immobilizing them.
Fishmen: "ABSOLUTELY!"
With a sad smile, Leôncio raised a baseball bat.
Leôncio: "Thank you for your trust, and I'm sorry for this, but… awaken, PlågaPip (Torture Peal)!"
As he spoke the name, the Fishmen's bodies began to tremble violently. Musical notes emerged from their wounds, absorbed by the bat. Their now-unconscious bodies maintained a supernatural grip.
Anya: "How do these guys have so much strength even when unconscious?"
Leôncio: "That's the power of loyalty, sailor. Something y—"
Anya: "First, I wasn't talking to you. Second, they're unconscious—don't you know what that means?"
Esme: "Yeah, you busybody! She was talking to me. And to answer, Anya, I think when he did that thing, their muscles locked up."
Irritated at being ignored, Leôncio decided to attack.
Leôncio: "SmärtansHemmalöpning: Smärtkula (Home Run of Pain: Pain Ball)"
In a batter's stance, Leôncio swung the bat with force, launching a sonic sphere at the speed of sound.
Anya: "WHAT?!"
Unable to react in time, Anya was hit full-force and crashed into a wall.
Esme: "ANYA! ARE YOU OKAY?!"
Worried, Esme used all her strength to break free and ran toward Anya. Before she got far, Anya stood up and, like a charging animal, tackled Esme out of the way of another of Leôncio's strikes.
Anya: "I told you to focus, didn't I?!"
Esme: "Sorry! I was just worried about you."
No time for chatter, Anya saw Leôncio charging another Smärtkula. She kicked Esme out of the way, dodging as well.
Anya: "We'll talk about this later! For now, focus on taking him down!"
Esme: "Got it!"
Focused, Esme rushed toward Leôncio, who tried to hit her with another Smärtkula. Anya, still recovering from the earlier hit, shouted warnings about the exact timing of the attack, allowing Esme to dodge easily. This continued until Leôncio had a new idea.
Leôncio: "SmärtansHemmalöpning: SmärtkulansEko (Echo of the Pain Ball)"
Similar to the Smärtkula, this move had a trick. As Anya warned Esme about the attack, Leôncio spun Plåga Pip in a full 360° before grabbing it again and launching the true Smärtkula, hitting Esme directly.
Leôncio: "You're pretty tough, aren't you?"
Esme: "gasping I… gasping know!"
At the last second, Esme increased her density, enduring the impact, though her organs still vibrated from the sound. Still, she pressed forward.
Esme: "HeavyBoxing: Grenade"
The move, similar to Flashbang but slower and with a small burst of wind upon impact, was blocked by Leôncio.
Leôncio: "GyojinKarate: RyūsuinoShōheki (Water Flow Barrier)"
Leôncio: "What a strong punch… Too bad it's not strong enough!"
A water barrier fully protected Leôncio. Seeing this, Anya got up and ran circles around them, launching a Wolfsgebrüll. Leôncio raised his barrier again, but…
Leôncio: "What?! How?!"
Anya: "You think a little water could stop the pack's roar?"
Esme: "Wow…"
Hit by the slash, Leôncio spat blood. He let out a scream amplified by Plåga Pip, throwing Anya back. Esme, immune due to her density, took advantage of Leôncio's open guard.
Esme: "HeavyBoxing: Supernova"
With a Chopping Right, Esme struck Leôncio's liver. The impact, combined with the punch's force, caused an air explosion, worsening Anya's slash.
Leôncio: "Da… damn… DAMN YOU!!!"
A barrier of water and sound enveloped Leôncio, blocking Anya's slashes and Esme's punches.
Esme: "Nothing we're doing is working! This sucks!"
Anya: "Watch your language, Esme. If nothing's worked… we just need to try something new."
Esme: "Something new…? I'm in, let's do it!"
After a few seconds of thought, they devised a plan: Anya would launch an air slash, and Esme would ride it to pierce the sound barrier. Before they could execute, Leôncio's barrier collapsed, revealing him in critical condition but still standing.
Leôncio: "I don't… know if I… can handle this… but… if this… KILLS YOU, I DON'T CARE!"
Water surged up Leôncio's body, transforming Plåga Pip. The bat's top became a water onomatopoeia.
Leôncio: "GRÅTA! PLÅGAPIP!"
The onomatopoeia, now symbolizing crying, shot forward at supersonic speed. Anya and Esme couldn't react, but before the impact…
Bagness: "Great work, you two, but leave the final act to me."
Without his Vice-Admiral coat, Bagness held a sansetsukon. Moving at teleportation-like speed, he effortlessly deflected Leôncio's attack and turned to Anya and Esme.
Bagness: "Well… things here are wrapped up! Did you find anything before the fight?"
Anya: "Yeah, we found out that—"
Esme: "Hold on! Shouldn't we deal with Leôncio? He's still standing!"
Bagness: "Why all the worry? He's not even conscious."
Esme: "What?"
Turning, Esme saw PlågaPip return to normal before disintegrating.
Esme: "What just happened?"
Bagness: "That attack was so powerful that his body and weapon couldn't handle it and gave out."
Esme: Ascended the wall
Esme: "And you deflected it like it was nothing… That's terrifying."
Bagness: "Gahaha, it's not that big a deal! Once you learn Haki, I'm sure you'll do that and more!"
After talking with Esme, Bagness asked Anya again about their findings. After her response, he took them to where Allana and Kalev were, confirming the Skypieans also bore the Joker symbol. Bagness then woke Paul and began the interrogation.
End of Group 2
To Be Continued