The next day.
At Mangrove 29 of the Sabaody Archipelago, in the shopping district next to Sabaody Park.
Nami, Robin, and Perona walked down the street, chatting and laughing.
Dressed in fashionable spring outfits, they held onto bubble balloons that floated in the air, carrying their various shopping bags inside.
"This place is absolutely amazing! I've never left Thriller Bark before, so I had no idea the outside world was this much fun."
Perona laughed cheerfully. She held a three-tiered ice cream cone in her hand, taking a lick with her little pink tongue before a blissful expression immediately spread across her face.
"Mmm, so sweet! The ice cream is delicious, and the amusement park is so much fun! Hey, Nami, how about we go to Sabaody Park one more time later?"
"We can, but we'll have to wait until this afternoon," Nami said with a gentle smile. "Was there something you didn't get enough of yesterday?"
Perona nodded excitedly. "Yeah, yeah! Let's go on the Haunted House Adventure!"
"Uh, well..."
Hearing this, Nami smiled awkwardly, instantly recalling how she had been scared half to death in the haunted house the day before.
"Hey! Did you not eat enough, you idiot? Hurry up and crawl, you bastard!"
Suddenly, angry shouts rang out from a distance.
Nami and the others instinctively turned to look, spotting several people dripping in jewelry and dressed in lavish clothing, looking like nobles.
These nobles each held a chain in their hands, and the other ends were fastened around the necks of rugged men in rags or young women with beautiful faces and figures.
At that moment, one of the nobles was riding on the back of a man crawling on all fours, violently beating and cursing his human mount.
"What's the deal with those guys?"
Nami frowned, unable to hide her confusion.
Robin only needed a single glance to grasp the situation. She spoke in a low voice,
"I heard a few things about this island yesterday. Rumor has it that human trafficking is still legally permitted here in a roundabout way. Those people being led around are likely the nobles' slaves."
"Slaves? No way."
Nami was taken aback by her words and said,
"Isn't this place really close to Marine Headquarters and Mary Geoise? How can the slave trade be allowed to exist right under the World Government's nose?"
"Although it sounds unbelievable, the reality is exactly what's happening right in front of us."
Robin paused, her tone growing somber.
"After all, the biggest clients of the slave trade are the Celestial Dragons who control the World Government, along with the nobles of the affiliated nations."
Hearing this, Nami fell silent.
"Forget it, forget it. Just ignore them, Nami. Let's keep shopping, and then we can head to Sabaody Park together later."
Perona smiled, changing the subject as she grabbed Nami's wrist and turned them in a different direction.
Nami withdrew her gaze. Just as the three of them turned around and prepared to leave, they saw a group of pirates marching toward them with murderous intent.
The man leading them had long blond hair and half-drooping eyelids. His pale face was completely devoid of expression, looking almost like a corpse.
"Found you at last, Demon Lion Pirates. Why are there only three women? Where are the rest of your officers?"
Hawkins walked forward slowly, reaching a hand toward the longsword at his waist.
"Basil Hawkins the Magician from the North Blue, one of the Supernovas with a bounty of 249 million Berries."
Robin furrowed her brows slightly. Seeing his aggressive stance, the three women immediately went on high alert.
Nami's expression turned serious as she demanded, "Looks like you're definitely after us. What do you want?"
"Shouldn't you already know the answer to that?"
Hawkins drew the rapier from his waist, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes as the blade rapidly transformed into a straw whip-sword.
"It's not my intention to raise a hand against women. However, since we are enemies, don't expect me to show any mercy!"
"Straw Sword!!"
With a fierce shout from Hawkins, the elongated straw blade slashed down rapidly from above!
"Look out!!"
Nami and the others hastily leaped away in different directions.
*Bang!*
The long straw blade appeared as soft as a whip, but when it struck the ground, it carved a trench nearly ten centimeters deep.
The sudden outbreak of battle terrified the street vendors and pedestrians, sending them fleeing and screaming in panic.
"What is wrong with this guy? Attacking us out of nowhere! If that's how it's going to be, then don't blame me for not holding back!"
Nami shouted in displeasure. The moment her feet touched the ground, she pulled out three short steel pipes, spinning them a few times to quickly assemble them into a long staff.
*Bzz—Bzz!*
Arcs of electricity sparked across the Clima-Tact. Nami aimed one end of the staff at Hawkins, charging it for less than half a second before a violent bolt of lightning tore through the air and shot toward him!
"Lightning Lance!!"
*Whoosh!*
Under Hawkins's astonished gaze, the lightning arrived in an instant like a hurled spear. Before he could even react, it pierced straight through his abdomen!
However, to the surprise of Nami and the others, the struck Hawkins showed no reaction at all.
Around the wound pierced by the lightning, his skin transformed into thin strands of straw. As it continuously healed, a small voodoo doll squeezed its way out from inside and dropped to the ground, emitting white smoke as if it had been scorched.
"It had no effect? How is that possible!"
Seeing this, a look of sheer shock inevitably appeared on Nami's face.
Hawkins raised his long straw blade, preparing to launch another attack, but right at that moment...
"Twelve Fleur!"
A sharp, feminine shout suddenly rang out from a distance. In the next instant, over a dozen arms sprouted from his body, grabbing and twisting to firmly lock his joints in place.
"Hm?"
A hint of confusion briefly flickered in Hawkins's calm eyes. He shifted his gaze, finally landing on the figure standing not far away.
Robin crossed her arms in front of her chest and forcefully clenched her fingers!
"Hang!!"
*Crack! Crack! Crack!*
Accompanied by a series of crisp popping sounds from his joints, Hawkins's entire body was bent backward into an inverted U-shape, his head slamming heavily into the ground with a loud *thud*!
Yet, even after suffering such a brutal attack, the expression on Hawkins's face remained completely unfazed as he swung his blade to slash at the arms growing from his body.
Robin hastily deactivated her ability. The arms instantly dissolved into a flurry of scattering petals.
"She released it, just as I thought. That means any injuries sustained by those arms would transfer back to her real body. It's quite the opposite of my straw doll substitutes."
Hawkins calmly deduced as he straightened his posture. On his chest, another twisted and deformed voodoo doll squeezed its way out of his body.
"To force me to consume two substitutes right off the bat... I suppose I should expect nothing less from the officers of a Warlord. However, I've managed to test out your abilities. Now, for my next move..."
Suddenly, a massive amount of straw sprouted from within him, rapidly spreading across his entire body and covering his face.
In the blink of an eye, Hawkins transformed into a gigantic scarecrow exuding an eerie, sinister aura, looking just like a demon from another dimension descending upon the mortal realm!
"Demon Face!!"
"A Devil Fruit user? What the hell is this guy?"
Just as Nami and the others were marveling at Hawkins's transformation, another deep voice echoed from a nearby rooftop.
"Basil Hawkins. Heh, what an ugly form."
The sudden voice drew the attention of both the three women and Hawkins simultaneously.
Looking up toward the roof where the sound originated, they saw a middle-aged man dressed in a black suit, looking every bit like a mafia boss. He was biting down on a cigar, staring down at them from his high vantage point.
Hawkins stared at the man who had just appeared, his eyes cold. "Capone 'Gang' Bege. What is the meaning of this?"
"Don't pretend you don't know. My purpose for being here is exactly the same as yours, of course."
The corner of Bege's mouth curled up around his cigar as he spoke in a chilling tone. "There's more than one officer here. I want a piece of that Ancient Zoan Devil Fruit too."
...