The explosion should've ended it.
Miss Valentine dropped like a meteor, parasol closed, eyes gleaming. "Thirty thousand kilograms!" she shouted.
Mr. 5 hurled two blazing orbs, one in each hand. They curved through the air with deadly precision.
Zoro leapt to intercept.
But Luffy twisted—faster.
His rubbery fist crashed into Zoro's blade mid-swing.
Sparks burst between them.
Shock rippled from the point of impact.
Zoro skidded backward, boots dragging twin grooves across cracked stone.
"The hell's wrong with you?!" he roared.
"You were gonna slice me, mosshead!"
"I was blocking the bomb, you idiot!"
"Don't call me an idiot, you—!"
Their voices clashed louder than steel.
Zoro drew another sword with a flourish. Luffy raised his fists.
The square vibrated with rising tension.
Miss Valentine paused mid-air.
"…Are they seriously fighting each other?"
Mr. 5's left eye twitched. He held his orb aloft, blinking. "What kind of pirate crew is this?"
Even the wind seemed to hesitate.
Zoro and Luffy lunged again, heat curling behind them.
Their fists and blades collided mid-air once more—metal ringing, smoke rising.
And then—
Silence.
A glance.
Both fighters froze.
Luffy's eyes flicked past Zoro.
Zoro's eyes flicked past Luffy.
A single breath.
They moved.
Together.
Zoro twisted mid-spin and dashed around the left flank, blades cutting through residual smoke.
Luffy bent low, springing forward, his legs coiling and stretching with unnatural precision.
Mr. 5 blinked.
"Too—"
Too late.
Zoro's swords slashed in an arc, slicing through the blast path of the incoming orb.
Luffy launched upward, grabbing Miss Valentine mid-drop by the ankle.
"Wait, wait—!"
He swung once.
Twice.
And slammed her into the cobblestone with earth-shattering force.
The crater bloomed around her.
Stone cracked. Dust shot skyward.
She lay there, limbs sprawled, dazed.
Zoro appeared behind Mr. 5 like a flash of steel.
The agent barely turned before the hilt of a katana smashed into his temple.
He dropped without a word.
The world went still.
Only the sound of settling debris remained.
Smoke twisted around their feet like mist.
Luffy exhaled.
Zoro lowered his swords.
They didn't speak.
They didn't need to.
Vivi's legs buckled.
She collapsed to her knees, both hands clenched over her heart.
Tears ran freely now.
She'd seen them bicker, punch each other mid-fight, scream across the square…
And still—when it mattered—
They had fought for her.
Protected her.
Trusted her.
She bowed until her forehead touched the dirt.
"I'm sorry… I used you… please…"
Her voice trembled.
"Help me save Alabasta."
Luffy turned to her, face unreadable.
Zoro stood at his side, arms crossed, breathing slow.
Sanji stepped forward. No words. Just a clean white handkerchief offered in silence.
She took it, her fingers trembling.
Nami approached next, arms folded tightly. "You'll pay back every damage to the ship. Plus interest."
"I will," Vivi sobbed.
Usopp peeked over Sanji's shoulder. "Wow… she's way more dramatic than me."
"Barely," Zoro muttered.
Luffy's system pulsed faintly.
[THREAT CLEARED]
[PROTECTED ENTITY: ALIGNED]
[OBJECTIVE UPDATED – DESTINATION: ALABASTA]
He walked forward slowly.
"Crocodile hurt your people?" he asked.
Vivi nodded.
Luffy paused, then smiled—calm and confident.
"Then we'll hurt him back."
Suddenly, footsteps echoed from the alley.
Igaram—still in his disguise as the mayor—stumbled forward, his coat torn, eyes wide.
"Princess!"
Vivi stood instantly. "Igaram!"
He clutched a second Log Pose in his hand, breathing hard. "They'll come again. Baroque Works will never stop now that you've been exposed."
He handed the device to Nami.
"This one leads directly to Alabasta," he said. "But it needs time to charge."
Nami raised an eyebrow. "What's the catch?"
Igaram's eyes darkened.
"I'll lead them away. I'll take a decoy ship—wear a wig, pretend to be you."
Vivi's mouth opened. "No—!"
"You have to survive," he said. "Alabasta needs you."
From the edge of the bell tower, a small Den Den Mushi clicked silently.
Its eyes narrowed.
Click.
Transmission confirmed.
[End of Chapter 109]
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