https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-1154-Opportunity-Seizing-We-re-Professionals/13541465/
Chapter 1155: One After Another
Chapter 1155: One After Another (Continued)
As Sazil tossed down the small stone bullet, he immediately pulled out the Transponder Snail to provide backup. Moer soon appeared in a wisp of white light.
"It's only been a few minutes—Uncle, I was just about to lay out a mat for a nap, and now you're making me work again?"
The white light vanished, revealing Moer's figure. He scratched his head, looking disgruntled.
Kuro pointed at the unconscious Raile and Pekom, "Less talk. Take them away."
Moer strolled over and casually slung one person over each shoulder, testing their weights with a whistle before turning to Kuro and the others.
"Uncle's friendly reminder: Don't get so drunk you black out, alright? Whether you're a guy or a girl, you might end up getting taken advantage of. Especially men—when you wake up, somewhere might hurt, and you'll be sobbing in the shower, crying 'I'm so dirty!'"
Kuro rolled his eyes, "Stop yapping. Get moving."
"Yes, yes."
Moer muttered perfunctorily as his body began to shift. But just then, an odd sound reached his ears. His ears twitched, and he glanced sideways.
That direction was another corridor, its front end widening into a crossroads. On the floor lay many pirates frothing at the mouth, unconscious.
At the corner of the crossroads stood several figures and a yellow Shikigami dog.
Nami crouched on the ground, eyes wide with fear, desperately covering Tama's mouth. Nearby, Usopp pressed his back to the wall, drenched in sweat, his finger over his lips as he frantically gestured for silence.
Moer frowned, "Did I hear something? Are there people alive here?"
Hearing this, Usopp nearly cried. Why was he so unlucky?
They'd barely dealt with two members of the Six Crimson Stars when they ran into a horde of Beasts Pirates. Fortunately, Big Mom's Conqueror's Haki had swept through this area, letting them use Tama's dumplings to subdue the Artificial Devil Fruit Recipients and escape.
They'd thought they were safe—the subdued Recipients had gone to reinforce other areas. Nami, Usopp, and Tama were preparing to leave when they got lost in the absurdly vast layers of this castle, wandering until they stumbled back to their original position.
Even worse, as they returned, they heard other sounds and spotted a Navy officer down the corridor carrying Raile and Pekom.
Navy?!
Before Usopp could react, Tama gasped. Luckily, Nami was quick to cover their mouth.
But even that soft sound had been heard by that Navy officer—how sharp were those ears?!
And why was there Navy here at all?!
This was Wano Country! What connection did the Navy have here?!
Had they learned about the battle against Kaido and come to cash in on the chaos?!
Step. Step.
The Navy officer seemed to be approaching, their footsteps echoing.
Usopp's heart pounded. He exchanged a terrified glance with Nami, who silently signaled him to think of something!
What could he do?!
Usopp's long nose dripped sweat as the footsteps grew louder. Holding his breath, he gritted his teeth and opened his mouth, emitting an extremely muffled sound:
"Meow~"
The high-pitched cry sounded exactly like a real cat.
"Tch, it's just a cat. Forget it, let's go."
Usopp heard the Navy officer's voice, followed by footsteps retreating until they vanished. His body went limp, collapsing in relief.
A hand reached over. Nami silently gave him a thumbs-up, eyes brimming with gratitude.
Hmph, don't forget who you're dealing with—Captain Usopp!
Usopp was about to return a smug look when he turned his head—and froze. His eyes locked onto Nami's rear, widening in horror.
Nami, confused by his expression, also turned around.
Moer stood to their side, holding two unconscious figures, his face curled into a smile. "Good afternoon. Nice to see you all."
"Ahh!!"
The pair screamed, eyes rolling white, tears and snot flying as they scrambled to flee the crossroads with the Shikigami dog and Tama. Before they could even decide on a direction, Moer abruptly appeared before them.
"No exit here", Moer said, grinning.
They shrieked again, dashing blindly toward another corridor exit. Just as they reached it, they froze.
A group of Navy Commanders armed with weapons stood waiting.
"Who's this?" Kuro muttered, chewing his cigar as he glanced at them. "Seems familiar."
Klah frowned, "Oh? Usopp?"
Usopp and Nami stood stunned for a moment, then simultaneously tilted their heads back with wide mouths, like their souls had left their bodies.
Who did they see?!
Golden Lion!
Their impression of him was unforgettable. Two years ago, when they departed from Shabondy, they'd suffered a harsh lesson at his hands. Luffy nearly died—only saved by meeting Law.
And half a year ago, they heard from Luffy that Golden Lion had returned to Wano Country, clashing with Kaido in a massive battle. That very conflict had united their crew, keeping them stuck in Wano Country for over half a year before finally confronting Kaido.
Tears streamed down Nami's cheeks as she sobbed, "No! I haven't lived enough! I haven't become the richest woman, bought all the beautiful clothes, or completed the world's sea charts!"
Usopp, equally helpless, whispered, "I haven't become the bravest man at sea! I still wanted to return to Koza and tell him my adventure stories! Koza...Koza, I won't disappoint you!"
He suddenly lowered his head, eyes blazing with determination. Reaching into the cloth bag at his waist, he hurled a smoke bomb to the ground.
Boom!
A thick cloud of smoke erupted in the corridor. From the smoke, the yellow Shikigami dog burst forth, carrying Usopp, Nami, and Tama to escape.
"Run faster! If we don't escape now, we're done for!" Usopp shouted from atop the dog.
"Brilliant job, Usopp!"
Nami snapped out of her panic, tears still flowing as she nearly lost hope.
"Calm Step!"
A voice rang from the smoke. Several blue slashes tore through the smoke, hurtling toward them.
From behind the smoke, Klah remained in a kicking stance.
"Ahhhh! Faster, faster!" Usopp screamed.
"Leave it to me!"
Nami's expression hardened. She drew her Clima-Tact, its rod darkening as a humanoid face emerged.
"Ooo~Nami", the rod cooed.
"Stop talking and help already!"
Nami pointed the Clima-Tact forward. "Zeus!"
"Understood!"
Boom!
A dark thundercloud erupted from the Clima-Tact, unleashing a thick bolt of lightning that neutralized the blue slashes.
"Huh? Kuro?!"
After launching the lightning, Zeus spotted the standing Kuro and gasped. "Why are you here?!"
As Sazil tossed down the small stone bullet, he immediately pulled out the Transponder Snail to provide backup. Moer soon appeared in a wisp of white light.
"It's only been a few minutes—Uncle, I was just about to lay out a mat for a nap, and now you're making me work again?"
The white light vanished, revealing Moer's figure. He scratched his head, looking disgruntled.
Kuro pointed at the unconscious Raile and Pekom, "Less talk. Take them away."
Moer strolled over and casually slung one person over each shoulder, testing their weights with a whistle before turning to Kuro and the others.
"Uncle's friendly reminder: Don't get so drunk you black out, alright? Whether you're a guy or a girl, you might end up getting taken advantage of. Especially men—when you wake up, somewhere might hurt, and you'll be sobbing in the shower, crying 'I'm so dirty!'"
Kuro rolled his eyes, "Stop yapping. Get moving."
"Yes, yes."
Moer muttered perfunctorily as his body began to shift. But just then, an odd sound reached his ears. His ears twitched, and he glanced sideways.
That direction was another corridor, its front end widening into a crossroads. On the floor lay many pirates frothing at the mouth, unconscious.
At the corner of the crossroads stood several figures and a yellow Shikigami dog.
Nami crouched on the ground, eyes wide with fear, desperately covering Tama's mouth. Nearby, Usopp pressed his back to the wall, drenched in sweat, his finger over his lips as he frantically gestured for silence.
Moer frowned, "Did I hear something? Are there people alive here?"
Hearing this, Usopp nearly cried. Why was he so unlucky?
They'd barely dealt with two members of the Six Crimson Stars when they ran into a horde of Beasts Pirates. Fortunately, Big Mom's Conqueror's Haki had swept through this area, letting them use Tama's dumplings to subdue the Artificial Devil Fruit Recipients and escape.
They'd thought they were safe—the subdued Recipients had gone to reinforce other areas. Nami, Usopp, and Tama were preparing to leave when they got lost in the absurdly vast layers of this castle, wandering until they stumbled back to their original position.
Even worse, as they returned, they heard other sounds and spotted a Navy officer down the corridor carrying Raile and Pekom.
Navy?!
Before Usopp could react, Tama gasped. Luckily, Nami was quick to cover her mouth.
But even that soft sound had been heard by that Navy officer—how sharp were those ears?!
And why was there Navy here at all?!
This was Wano Country! What connection did the Navy have here?!
Had they learned about the battle against Kaido and come to cash in on the chaos?!
Step. Step.
The Navy officer seemed to be approaching, their footsteps echoing.
Usopp's heart pounded. He exchanged a terrified glance with Nami, who silently signaled him to think of something!
What could he do?!
Usopp's long nose dripped sweat as the footsteps grew louder. Holding his breath, he gritted his teeth and opened his mouth, emitting an extremely muffled sound:
"Meow~"
The high-pitched cry sounded exactly like a real cat.
"Tch, it's just a cat. Forget it, let's go."
Usopp heard the Navy officer's voice, followed by footsteps retreating until they vanished. His body went limp, collapsing in relief.
A hand reached over. Nami silently gave him a thumbs-up, eyes brimming with gratitude.
Hmph, don't forget who you're dealing with—Captain Usopp!
Usopp was about to return a smug look when he turned his head—and froze. His eyes locked onto Nami's rear, widening in horror.
Nami, confused by his expression, also turned around.
Moer stood to their side, holding two unconscious figures, his face curled into a smile. "Good afternoon. Nice to see you all."
"Ahh!!"
The pair screamed, eyes rolling white, tears and snot flying as they scrambled to flee the crossroads with the Shikigami dog and Tama. Before they could even decide on a direction, Moer abruptly appeared before them.
"No exit here", Moer said, grinning.
They shrieked again, dashing blindly toward another corridor exit. Just as they reached it, they froze.
A group of Navy Commanders armed with weapons stood waiting.
"Who's this?" Kuro muttered, chewing his cigar as he glanced at them. "Seems familiar."
Klah frowned, "Oh? Usopp?"
Usopp and Nami stood stunned for a moment, then simultaneously tilted their heads back with wide mouths, like their souls had left their bodies.
Who did they see?!
Golden Lion!
Their impression of him was unforgettable. Two years ago, when they departed from Shabondy, they'd suffered a harsh lesson at his hands. Luffy nearly died—only saved by meeting Law.
And half a year ago, they heard from Luffy that Golden Lion had returned to Wano Country, clashing with Kaido in a massive battle. That very conflict had united their crew, keeping them stuck in Wano Country for over half a year before finally confronting Kaido.
Tears streamed down Nami's cheeks as she sobbed, "No! I haven't lived enough! I haven't become the richest woman, bought all the beautiful clothes, or completed the world's sea charts!"
Usopp, equally helpless, whispered, "I haven't become the bravest man at sea! I still wanted to return to Koza and tell him my adventure stories! Koza...Koza, I won't disappoint you!"
He suddenly lowered his head, eyes blazing with determination. Reaching into the cloth bag at his waist, he hurled a smoke bomb to the ground.
Boom!
A thick cloud of smoke erupted in the corridor. From the smoke, the yellow Shikigami dog burst forth, carrying Usopp, Nami, and Tama to escape.
"Run faster! If we don't escape now, we're done for!" Usopp shouted from atop the dog.
"Brilliant job, Usopp!"
Nami snapped out of her panic, tears still flowing as she nearly lost hope.
"Calm Step!"
A voice rang from the smoke. Several blue slashes tore through the smoke, hurtling toward them.
From behind the smoke, Klah remained in a kicking stance.
"Ahhhh! Faster, faster!" Usopp screamed.
"Leave it to me!"
Nami's expression hardened. She drew her Clima-Tact, its rod darkening as a humanoid face emerged.
"Ooo~Nami", the rod cooed.
"Stop talking and help already!"
Nami pointed the Clima-Tact forward. "Zeus!"
"Understood!"
Boom!
A dark thundercloud erupted from the Clima-Tact, unleashing a thick bolt of lightning that neutralized the blue slashes.
"Huh? Kuro?!"
After launching the lightning, Zeus spotted the standing Kuro and gasped. "Why are you here?!"
Kuro arched an eyebrow. “Ain’t that my line? You’re one of Big Mom’s Homies. What’re you doing here?”
Half a year ago, he’d fought against Charlotte·Big Mom herself riding that very thing. Now she’s already turned traitor?
“Mother.”
Zeus lowered its head, but quickly straightened up. “No, Mother abandoned me first! She found a new thundercloud and swallowed my soul! Nami rescued me! I’m Clima-Tact now—I’m Nami’s companion!”
“You tell ‘em, Zeus!” Nami grinned smugly.
Kuro exhaled a plume of smoke. “Hmph. A Homie forged from someone’s soul turning traitor? How novel. Doesn’t matter, though.”
“Blocked my attack?!”
Klah snarled as his assault got deflected, then lunged forward. “I could dodge that lightning easy!”
As he spoke, his feet moved to charge—
Suddenly, Usopp—focused entirely on the battlefield—rubbed under his nose and smirked confidently. “Grow! Final Strikedemon!”
Klah’s forward foot froze mid-step. He looked down to see thick vines erupting from the ground, wrapping around his calves. The tendrils kept spreading, creeping toward Kuro too.
In front of Klah, the vine erupted into a colossal Venus Flytrap, snapping its gaping maw shut toward him.
Klah scowled, stomping his trapped leg to shatter the vines. He hopped forward, legs carving a circular arc. Blades of Calm Stepslash radiated outward, slicing through surrounding vines. Another kick unleashed a storm of slashes, shredding the giant pitcher plant to pulp.
“Damn nuisance. You think—”
As Klah landed, he scoffed mid-sentence… then froze. The enemy was gone.
“Your reflexes sure dropped, Klah,” Kuro remarked.
Lida laughed openly, pointing at Klah with a grin. “Klah, you’re slow! They already escaped!”
Moer, watching from the sidelines, smirked. “Well, looks like you fell for it. Need help?”
Klah glared at him. “Screw your prisoners!”
“Oh-ho-ho, then I’ll be off, Uncle!” Moer shrugged. A flash of white light, and he vanished with the two captives.
Klah’s head dipped low, his face darkening like storm clouds.
He’d just humiliated himself in front of Kuro Mr., and all the Navy Commanders!
“That’s all you’ve got?”
Klah bared his teeth, his canines sharpening into fangs. His body sprouted coarse fur, shifting into a half-wolf beast form with glowing vertical pupils. He lunged forward.
“You won’t run this time, Usopp!”
But as he roared, the empty corridor suddenly echoed with thunderous paws. The massive shikigami dog, carrying its rider, barreled back.
“Fire! There’s flame!” Usopp and Nami yelled, sweating bullets.
Behind them, scorching flames roared through the corridor, chasing their backs.
Klah charged ahead. Flames wouldn’t stop him!
“Die, Usopp!”
He rocketed toward Usopp, leaping with tremendous force, claws gleaming coldly in daylight. His razor-sharp nails nearly touched Usopp’s head.
Usopp instinctively recoiled, eyes squeezed shut, screaming like a banshee.
“Tree Style: Lesser Gardenia!”
Suddenly, a giant palm burst from the floor, slamming Klah into the ceiling. The massive arm fanned out like petals, leaving Klah pinned like a bug on the roof.
“Damn it!”
Klah roared, dropping back down toward Usopp. But as he descended—
“Nocturne Waltz: Penetration!”
A shimmering afterimage surrounded him. Klah reacted instantly, springing mid-air using Moonstep to reposition. His Haki-coated elbow crashed into the image.
Clang!
It was a slender sword, exuding icy coldness, colliding with his arm.
“Zeus!”
Before Klah could identify the attacker, a voice erupted from below. Another flash of light—
Klah instinctively repelled the blade, stomping hard mid-air to retreat. A wisp of thunder struck the spot he’d just occupied, blasting the ceiling.
Klah twisted mid-air, landing in a crouch. He glared forward.
At the corridor’s fork, Nico Robin stepped out with crossed arms. A skull materialized beside the shikigami dog.
“Robin! Brook!” Usopp gasped joyously.
“We arrived just in time,” Robin smiled faintly.
“Yohohohoho!”
Brook twirled his thin blade, his skeletal jaw bobbing. “Though we parted briefly, may I—”
Wham!
Nami’s powerful leg smashed into Brook’s skull.
“Never asked for it!” she roared theatrically.
Brook slammed into the wall, sliding down it with a comical bone-rattle. “Yohohoho! My head’s rattling—even though I ain’t got one! Yohohohoho!”
“Enough games! Flame’s spreading!” Nami barked.
“It’s not that easy.”
Robin’s gaze hardened, scanning the passage. “Someone dangerous’s coming.”
Her eyes swept past Klah, locking onto Kuro.
Golden Lion…
Why’s he here? Did he get intelligence to arrest us? Or… the Emperors?
Kuro’s lips curled. “Nico Robin… Four of Luffy’s crew here. Looks like Wano Country treated you well.”
Their bodies still bore combat residue. If even the ‘Six Crimson Stars’ fought someone of similar rank, and these folks survived… then Kaido’s officers must’ve suffered heavy losses.
“You lot!”
Klah snarled, trembling with rage, pupils constricted. “One after another, swarming like flies!”
He couldn’t even finish his rant, his fury boiling over.
“I’ll—”
As Klah raised his voice, flames erupted around him. Above, searing heat descended, forcing him to cut himself off, looking up.
A slime-like creature emerged from the ceiling—but jet-black and transparent like night sky, its body radiating scorching flames in all directions. The fire encircled the Navy, engulfing the area.
“What the hell is that?!” Klah shouted.
(End of Chapter)(End of Chapter)
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