The blade flashed down.
Time slowed for a heartbeat.
The guard's sword arced toward Vivi, whistling through the air—sharp, precise, deadly. But it met resistance not with flesh, but with steel.
Zoro's katana intercepted it with a burst of sparks and a solid metallic clang. Their blades locked, grinding slowly as the guard pushed with all his weight. Zoro's stance didn't budge. His eyes didn't blink. Just a calm, unreadable stare behind a single sweep of steel.
"Wrong target," he muttered.
The second guard moved to flank them—fast, foot sliding against stone.
Luffy disappeared in a blink.
A streak of black shadow marked his trail.
Then he reappeared—just behind the guard—and with one twisting punch amplified by his Shadow Step, launched the man sideways into a fruit cart. Crates exploded, oranges tumbling down the street like scattered marbles.
Then came the chaos.
People screamed.
Children wailed. Vendors scrambled to scoop up their coin pouches and kick over stalls to shield themselves. Pottery shattered. A mule tied to a water cart brayed wildly and knocked its handler to the ground.
Inside the café, chairs flipped and glass cups tumbled from trays.
The waiter shouted something in local dialect, ducking behind the counter as Sanji leapt over a table and Nami bolted for the alley door.
"We're compromised," she snapped.
"No more hiding," Sanji muttered, reaching for his leg straps.
Outside, armored footsteps approached like a drumbeat. Dust kicked up behind a dozen fast-advancing figures—Baroque Works agents in desert cloaks and tunics, some with tribal tattoos, others with badges hidden beneath open robes.
They came armed with swords, spears, knuckles, and silent coordination.
"Weapons ready!" one of them barked.
Vivi's breath caught. "They're organized. Not local. Not royal."
"Baroque Works," Zoro said, stepping between the crew and the agents. "Looks like their serious team."
Sanji cracked his neck. "Let's be serious too."
Luffy's shadow flared slightly as he stood at the center. "Quick. Hard. Then we run."
The fight exploded.
Zoro stepped forward, slashing low and fast—one clean sweep that disarmed two agents and knocked them into a market canopy. Sanji swept another with a midair spin-kick, flipping the man across a vendor stand. Luffy zipped through shadows, appearing beside opponents and knocking them out cold with a single, precise blow to the ribs.
Amid it all, Vivi pressed forward, voice strong despite her fear.
"This way!" she shouted. "There's an old tunnel under the merchant district!"
Nami and Usopp stuck close behind as the crew fought their way toward the alley. Civilians cowered in doorways, some peeking out to see who dared challenge the agents.
The alley twisted tight between stone buildings, its floor uneven. Usopp nearly tripped over an overturned crate, and Nami grabbed his shirt to yank him upright.
"Keep moving!"
Zoro brought up the rear, cutting down a collapsing clothesline to trip two more guards on their tail. "They just keep coming!"
They reached the iron gate.
Locked. Thick. Rusted.
Zoro didn't wait.
With one swing, his blade carved through the bolt. The gate groaned as it split apart—metal sparking, latch splintering in half. The way ahead opened.
They rushed through into a back road choked with sand and old debris. The remnants of an abandoned stable stood just ahead. Several camels—tall, shaggy, chewing lazily—were tied loosely to a post.
"Transportation!" Vivi called.
"We're not stealing!" Usopp cried.
"We're borrowing!" Sanji shouted back, already hoisting packs onto one saddle.
The camels grunted as the crew mounted—awkwardly at first. Usopp struggled to control his reins while naming his camel "Goggles." Nami muttered curses about sand and skirts. Sanji helped Vivi up, gently but urgently.
"Hold tight."
A voice shouted behind them. "They're escaping!"
Another agent raised a signal launcher.
A flare rocketed into the sky with a loud pop—a streak of red smoke spiraling above the city.
The whole desert seemed to pause as the signal bloomed.
Everyone knew what it meant.
"They've called reinforcements," Vivi gasped.
Luffy gritted his teeth. "Then we outrun them."
He slapped the reins.
The camels bolted forward, galloping across the sand with surprising speed. The buildings shrank behind them. The cries of pursuit faded.
But the tension didn't.
From a high ridge far beyond the city limits, a single figure sat poised atop a towering spot-billed riding bird. A breeze tugged gently at the figure's dark cloak. Sand curled at the base of the mount's legs.
She watched them without blinking.
Her hat shaded her face, but her eyes glinted beneath.
She whispered to no one.
"No more hiding, Princess."
[End of Chapter 121]
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