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Seeing the Baroque Works agents charging at them like cannon fodder, Luffy and Ace knew it was time to stop holding back. After all, the Masked Marine had conveniently "retreated."
Charizard soared into the air, his body transforming into pure flames. As a living inferno, Ace became a walking natural disaster. Simply by flying through the crowd, he ignited countless agents, who immediately panicked and scrambled for water to extinguish themselves.
Unlike earlier with civilians, Ace and Luffy didn't hold back against these enemies. In fact, they relished the opportunity to go wild. Luffy, using his Machamp form, developed a chaotic new technique—a rubber gun that attacked in two directions simultaneously. With one mighty sweep, he cleared half the agents in an instant.
In less than ten minutes, the once-grand casino was reduced to a crumbling frame, little more than ashes and debris scattered across the battlefield.
Meanwhile...
Zoro, Usopp, and Chopper, led by Sabo in his "Mewtwo" form, reached a building behind the casino.
Bon Clay, who had no interest in the chaos, had been transformed into a goose yet again and was left under the protective watch of Karoo the Duck and Psyduck. With most of the guards already dealt with by Luffy and Ace, Sabo's group slipped into the building with little resistance, eventually arriving at Crocodile's private office.
The office was spacious, with large windows overlooking a pit filled with giant banana crocodiles below. Inside, two figures stood by a brazier, methodically throwing documents into the flames.
One was a bald, cold-eyed man—Mr. 1. The other was a graceful woman with an afro hairstyle—Miss Doublefinger. The documents they were burning included Baroque Works' confidential information: agent identities, mission logs, and other incriminating details.
Thick smoke and the glow of fire seeped from a nearby warehouse, further evidence of a systematic effort to destroy all traces of Crocodile's plans.
Sabo instantly understood the situation. These two were deliberately erasing evidence to protect Crocodile.
When Mr. 1 noticed their arrival, he tossed the last document in his hand into the fire and turned to face them.
Miss Doublefinger, standing beside him with an air of amusement, tilted her head as she surveyed the newcomers.
"Haha... So you're the ones who've been ruining the boss's plans?" she said, her tone dripping with mockery.
Sabo, using his telepathic powers, spoke directly into Zoro and the others' minds.
"You handle these two. I'll check for any evidence they haven't destroyed yet."
Without waiting for a response, Sabo dashed toward the burning warehouse.
Mr. 1 didn't bother to stop Sabo. He knew the critical evidence—the most damning documents—had already been burned. Among those were incriminating records of Baroque Works' senior agents and mission backups, as well as a key item: dancing powder adorned with Alabasta's royal crest.
These prove Baroque Works' involvement in orchestrating Alabasta's drought. Although the evidence wasn't irrefutable, it was more than enough for the Marines' top brass to act. Crocodile's enemies didn't need airtight proof; they only needed enough to implicate him and have their suspicions magnified.
Mewtwo Sabo's telekinesis burst forth, extinguishing the flames in front of him. Not only did the fire vanish, but the swirling smoke and dust were suppressed, sinking back to the ground. This revealed the contents of the scorched bags: dancing powder, much of it burned—but not all.
It turned out that the outermost layer had been incinerated, but the bulk of the powder beneath remained intact.
Sabo couldn't help but smirk. "Mr. 1 might have execution skills, but his common sense? Lacking. If he'd rearranged the powder and lit it from the center, the entire stash would've been gone by now."
In Crocodile's office, the sounds of clashing metal rang out as Zoro and Mr. 1's battle began without warning. Sparks flew with every strike, the tension palpable.
Zoro could feel it in his gut—defeating the man in front of him was the key to improving his swordsmanship.
"Swordsman?" Mr. 1 said coldly, his hands morphing into sharp blades as he deflected Zoro's attacks. "You can't beat me. Unless… you can cut through steel."
Zoro grinned, pushing Mr. 1 back with a powerful strike. "Steel, huh? Then I'll cut it. Watch closely!"
He pulled the bandana from his arm and tied it around his head, signaling he was ready to get serious.
Miss Doublefinger, watching Mr. 1's battle unfold, casually twisted her waist and moved away from the action. Confident her partner would handle Zoro, she turned her attention to the remaining duo—Usopp and Chopper.
With a smirk, she flexed her fingers, which morphed into five sharp thorns. Without hesitation, she drove them into the marble wall, piercing it effortlessly.
Chopper and Usopp froze. Their imaginations ran wild, each picturing themselves skewered like kebabs. Simultaneously, they gulped and exchanged nervous looks.
"Ch-Chopper," Usopp stammered, "you go first. I'll cover you!"
Chopper blinked and stepped behind Usopp. "No way! Usopp, you go first. I'll cover you."
Usopp shook his head and shuffled behind Chopper again. "I'm the sniper! It's my job to cover!"
Chopper took another step back. "I'm the ship's doctor. If you get hurt, I'll patch you up!"
Back and forth they went, each trying to push the other forward. Slowly, their nervous game of tag backed them farther and farther away from Miss Doublefinger—until they were almost out of the office entirely.
Miss Doublefinger's smirk faltered as she watched their ridiculous antics. Her patience ran out. "Enough of this nonsense!" She lunged at them, her thorn-like fingers ready to strike.
Usopp and Chopper didn't hesitate. They turned tail and ran, bolting out of the office as fast as they could. After a few frantic steps, they collided with someone solid—Smoker.
"Oh! Masked Marine!" Chopper cried, his face lighting up with relief. "Someone's chasing us!"
Without a second thought, he jumped onto Smoker's head, clinging to it like a lifeline.
Smoker stood there, utterly bewildered. With a sigh, he pried Chopper off and set him down.
"Masked Marine?" he muttered, shaking his head. The nickname wasn't going away anytime soon.
Miss Doublefinger paused a few steps away, eyeing Smoker. She smiled slyly and asked, "Captain Marine, what business does the great Smoker have with Baroque Works?"
Smoker crossed his arms, his tone casual but firm. "Oh, I'm just here after the Straw Hat Pirates. By the way… where's your boss, Crocodile?"
Before Miss Doublefinger could respond, Sabo's voice echoed in Smoker's mind. "The evidence is here…"