Tashigi's eyes burned with anger, though she wasn't sure if it was directed at herself or at the Marines.
She couldn't stop thinking about what Captain Smoker's men were doing. The entire kingdom's capital was in chaos, yet instead of helping or rescuing civilians, they were still focused on capturing pirates!
The whole point of capturing pirates was to protect the people. But now that the people were in danger, shouldn't saving them be the priority?!
"Tashigi-chūi*!* Are you okay?"
"Damn pirates! Give our chūi back, or we won't hold back!"
"Captain Smoker is on his way! Stay alert!"
The Marines were both relieved and furious when they saw Tashigi. They immediately started shouting at the Straw Hats, ready to take action.
Seeing this, Tashigi jumped down without hesitation.
"I told you to shut up! Take me to Captain Smoker right now and leave the Straw Hats alone!"
"But, chūi—"
"That's an order!"
Her commanding tone left no room for argument, and the Marines had no choice but to obey. They quickly turned and led the way.
Tashigi glanced at Vivi, giving her a firm nod before instinctively looking at Nami. The meaning in her eyes was clear: Take care of Princess Vivi.
Nami nodded in understanding.
Even though Tashigi left, the others didn't stop moving forward.
Since Luffy was too big to enter the city conveniently, he had no choice but to shrink down. But that meant he had to run, and his speed would be much slower.
Just then, a group of ducks rushed out of the city, and the one leading them was unmistakable.
"There it is—Karoo! Karoo brought reinforcements!"
Vivi nearly cried with joy.
Soon, everyone mounted a duck and raced toward the city. By this time, Alubarna was thick with the smell of gunpowder, and the streets were eerily empty—civilians were likely hiding in their homes, trembling in fear.
Gunshots echoed from the distant palace, adding to the already chaotic atmosphere. The tension in the air was suffocating.
The war had finally begun!
Vivi's heart was filled with sorrow and rage, her hatred for Crocodile reaching its peak.
At that moment, a group of people appeared in front of them, clearly blocking their path.
A muscular man with a buzz cut and a kanji symbol on his chest. A tall woman with wavy purple hair, dressed in tight leather pants. A fat old woman and a large man in green.
Alongside them stood a bearded man with a steel plate on his leg, leading a group of low-ranking pirates.
"Mr. 1, Miss Doublefinger, Mr. 4, Miss Merry Christmas... All the remaining Baroque Works officers are here!" Vivi declared.
"And the Iron Foot Pirates too," Luo Chen added. "I didn't expect Crocodile to call for reinforcements. Their captain, Ironfoot Lake, has a bounty of 60 million Berries. He's a ruthless fighter."
After Mr. 5, Mr. 3, and Mr. 2 had gone missing, Crocodile had sensed that something was wrong. To be safe, he personally invited the Iron Foot Pirates to help, promising them rewards once he took over the kingdom. The greedy pirates had accepted without hesitation.
Sanji glanced at the Iron Foot Pirates, then silently lit a cigarette. "Leave them to me."
Nami nodded and quickly assigned everyone's roles. "Alright then, Laugh Tale, you take Mr. 1. I'll handle Miss Doublefinger. Chopper and Jango, you two take care of Mr. 4 and Miss Merry Christmas. Luffy, your job is to protect Vivi—make sure she reaches the palace safely!"
Luffy let out a roar in response, sticking close to Karoo and Vivi as they dashed toward the palace.
"You won't get through here..."
"ROOM! Slaughterhouse!"
Before Mr. 1 could finish speaking, Luo instantly teleported him into a nearby alley. At the same time, Sanji moved to intercept the Iron Foot Pirates, while Nami blocked Miss Doublefinger. Chopper and Jango stepped up to face Mr. 4 and Miss Merry Christmas.
The decisive battle had begun!
Meanwhile, on the other side...
Tashigi had finally found Smoker.
"Tashigi, are you alright?" Smoker asked in his usual cold tone, though deep down, he was relieved.
His former subordinate had been taken away by pirates, but now she had returned unharmed. That alone was enough to make Smoker feel at ease. Seeing her composed demeanor, he could tell she hadn't been mistreated, which reassured him even more.
"Captain Smoker, this entire civil war is part of a conspiracy by Crocodile, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea!" Tashigi reported, her voice filled with urgency. "He used his Devil Fruit powers to create a drought and framed the king by using a forbidden substance—Dance Powder—to manipulate the weather! He has been secretly fueling this rebellion with one goal: to seize control of this country and create his so-called 'ideal nation!'"
As she spoke, her anger grew.
"Captain Smoker, please give the order! What should we do?"
Smoker didn't seem surprised. He had already conducted his own investigation and was well aware of the kingdom's problems.
There hadn't been any solid evidence before, but now that Tashigi had uncovered the truth, he had no reason to doubt it. However, resolving the civil war wouldn't be so simple.
After a brief moment of thought, Smoker got on his motorbike.
"Captain Smoker?"
"Tashigi, decide for yourself what to do!"
"Huh?"
"I have something important that I must take care of! From here on, you're in charge of the troops. Follow the justice in your heart—whether you choose to help the kingdom or continue hunting pirates, it's up to you!"
With that, he sped off on his motorcycle, disappearing into the distance.
Tashigi stood frozen, the noise of battle still ringing in her ears, making it impossible for her to think clearly.
"Mr. Karl said the same thing... and now Captain Smoker too. But what is the justice in my heart? Do I really know what I want to do?"
Just then, the sound of crying and screams snapped her back to reality.
Gritting her teeth, she tightened her grip on Shigure and Kashu before giving a firm command.
"All units, focus on rescuing the civilians immediately! If you encounter the Straw Hats, do not engage—help them if you can! If you come across Baroque Works agents, capture them on sight! If they resist… eliminate them!"
For the first time, Tashigi revealed a ruthless side.
She personally led a squad into the civilian areas, helping lost and terrified citizens while simultaneously hunting down Baroque Works agents. In the midst of her mission, she encountered two figures blocking her path.
"Aren't you... Mr. 11 and Miss Thursday?" Tashigi narrowed her eyes. "As expected, you're still hiding among the civilians. Were you planning to cause more chaos during the war? I won't let you succeed!"
Her gaze then shifted to the sword in Mr. 11's hand.
Liang Kuai Sword, Kashu… Such a fine blade shouldn't be in the hands of a criminal. She would reclaim it herself!
Without hesitation, Tashigi charged forward. The weak girl from Loguetown was gone—standing here now was a warrior forged through battle, trained by the great pirate Karl!
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