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"Uncle Dorry, fight with me!" Luffy declared with a grin.
Everyone present froze, stunned by Luffy's boldness.
They had just witnessed the sheer devastation caused by Dorry and Brogy's battle, yet here was Luffy, charging forward without hesitation, eager for a fight.
"Heh, then I'll take on Uncle Brogy!" Ikki added with a mischievous smile.
The two giants exchanged glances, amused. They could sense that Luffy and Ikki weren't particularly strong—compared to the monsters of the New World, these two wouldn't even qualify as cannon fodder.
"Are you sure you want to fight us?" Dorry asked, planting his weapon into the ground. His tone was serious. "We won't hold back!"
"Yeah!" Luffy nodded enthusiastically, practically bouncing with excitement. Watching the giants' earlier clash had fired him up, and now that they were smaller, he couldn't resist the urge to challenge them.
Ikki remained silent, nodding in agreement, but his hands were busy pulling out a handful of jelly beans. He wasn't nearly as reckless as Luffy. While Luffy could likely endure being pummeled by a giant, Ikki wasn't so confident in his own durability. He figured it was wise to keep a life-saving jelly bean ready.
But as Ikki prepared to use the first candy, he hesitated, realizing a problem—he didn't have anyone to help him consume it. This wasn't like the time with Mihawk, when he could "recruit" an enemy for help. Everyone here was an ally.
Suddenly, Ikki smacked his forehead. "Ah, I almost forgot about my trusty booger man!"
With that, Ikki pulled out his strange creation from his cozy little cabin. Just as he was about to force-feed it the jelly bean labeled "smell of shit," Zoro appeared, dragging Mr. 3 by the hair with one hand and carrying Miss Golden Week under his arm.
Ikki blinked in surprise. "Zoro? You actually managed to find your way here? That's impressive!"
Zoro's eyebrow twitched. "...Idiot. With all the commotion you lot are making, how could I not find this place?"
With a grunt, Zoro dropped Mr. 3 and Miss Golden Week to the ground. "These two were trying to capture Luffy, so I dealt with them."
Mr. 3 remained unconscious, but Miss Golden Week was wide awake. Seeing all eyes on her, tears welled up, and she began to sob. Pointing at Zoro, she cried out, "This weirdo is trying to sell me!"
Everyone turned to Zoro with varying degrees of shock and suspicion.
"Oi, don't make stuff up!" Zoro barked, clearly flustered. "I overheard them plotting to catch Luffy, so I knocked them out. That's all!"
Though Zoro's explanation was straightforward, Miss Golden Week's tearful accusation made the situation feel... complicated. The sight of the crying little girl tugged at the heartstrings of a certain kind-hearted marine.
Tashigi stepped forward, patting Golden Week's head gently before glaring at Zoro. "I can't believe it! You're not just a pirate—you're a human trafficker!"
Zoro stared at her, slack-jawed. "...What?! That's not even remotely true!"
Being accused by Tashigi—who bore an uncanny resemblance to Kuina—Zoro found himself at a rare loss for words, stammering awkwardly.
At that moment, Vivi and Igaram stepped forward, taking a closer look at Mr. 3 and Miss Golden Week. After a careful inspection, Vivi nodded decisively.
"Don't blame Zoro. These two are senior agents of Baroque Works—Mr. 3 and Miss Golden Week!"
Hearing this, Tashigi froze for a moment, realizing the implications. Knowing her mission to stop Baroque Works, she quickly bowed to Zoro in embarrassment, apologizing profusely.
Zoro said nothing, merely crossing his arms with an annoyed look. But Tashigi's next comment made his expression darken.
"Mr. Zoro, while you're not a human trafficker, you should try to be gentler with girls—especially little ones like her! Otherwise, you'll end up like Captain Smoker, unpopular with women!"
Zoro: ...
Smoker: ...
Smoker, suddenly criticized without cause, felt a strong urge to reconsider his choice of adjutant.
With Mr. 3's arrival, Ikki resumed pouring out jelly beans at an even faster pace, preparing for any surprises. Meanwhile, the long-awaited battle between Luffy and Dorry had begun.
Dorry, true to his warrior spirit, opted to fight barehanded, setting aside his weapon. Luffy, brimming with confidence, charged at him head-on without hesitation.
At this point in his journey, Luffy was still unaware of Haki's existence. To him, his rubber body had rendered him impervious to most attacks—except, of course, his grandfather Garp. The reason Garp's fists could hurt him? "Because they're filled with love!" Garp had once said. And Luffy believed it.
Unfortunately for Luffy, history was about to repeat itself.
When Luffy's rubber-coated fist clashed with Dorry's powerful punch, the outcome was one-sided. Dorry didn't budge, while Luffy was sent flying backward, landing hard on the ground.
Groaning, Luffy got up and began blowing on his sore hand, trying to ease the pain. Looking at Dorry in astonishment, he exclaimed, "Uncle Dorry… could it be… your fist is also full of love for me?"
Dorry: ...
Ikki: ...
Smoker: ...
Brogy: ...
Ikki resisted the urge to laugh but immediately realized why Luffy thought that way. When Garp struck Luffy, his fists were infused with colorless Armament Haki, which looked identical to Dorry's attacks now.
Dorry, for his part, was baffled. He didn't dislike the young pirate, but… love? That felt like a bit of a stretch.
Smoker sighed and explained, "Idiot. That's not love—it's Haki."
Realization dawned on Dorry. "Oh, I see. So, in the first half of the Grand Line, people call Haki 'love'? How amusing!"
Grinning mischievously, Dorry raised his fist. "Luffy-boy, that's right! My fists are filled with deep love for you. Come at me!"
Ikki: ...
Smoker: ...
Both Ikki and Smoker were rendered speechless by Dorry's sudden declaration.
Dorry's words made Luffy hesitate for the first time. After all, there was one thing in the vast world of adventure that Luffy truly feared: his grandfather's Iron Fist of Love.
Years of enduring Garp's "love" had left a lasting impression on Luffy. To think that the giant before him might possess a similar power was… intimidating.
Slapping his cheeks to psych himself up, Luffy muttered, "I've gone to sea. I'm my own man now. My dream is to become the freest Pirate King and the King of the Sea. I'm no longer afraid of the Fist of Love!"
With newfound determination, Luffy charged at Dorry again. The result was predictable—Dorry's "loving" fist sent Luffy sprawling once more