75. Why Did You Mess With Him?

"Why are you all using the Rokushiki!" Mole's voice was sharp, tinged with anger as he addressed the Al gang practicing the technique known as "Moonwalk."

"The Rokushiki are meant only for Marines!" he continued sternly.

Back in Arabasta, they saw on the big screen that the Cowboy Pirates had no knowledge of it at that time.

Nami, Carina, and Vivi all simultaneously sneezed.

It seemed like a chilling memory had resurfaced, causing goosebumps to prickle all over his body.

Robin noticed their reaction.

She couldn't shake the memory of Tom and Spike relentlessly training them day and night, a cold sweat forming on her brows.

Good thing the she didn't want to learn it, otherwise she would also have been reminded of the trauma.

Now, thanks to Merlin's magic, she could effortlessly soar through the air.

"I just learnt it casually... is it difficult?" Al shrugged, his tone devoid of emotion.

Little did they know, Al's talent had been boosted by magical chalk. Now, he wasn't just a swordsman capable of unleashing sword energy; he had also mastered all the Marine Rokushiki.

However, Al's words didn't sit well with several Marine Vice Admirals.

"Attack!" Vice Admiral Momonga roared in anger, prompting the other four Vice Admirals to strike simultaneously, each attack brimming with lethal intent!

"Nami, I'll take on the guy with spider hair," Carina declared, crossing her fingers as she quickly spotted her opponent—Marine Vice Admiral Onigumo.

Nami hesitated for a moment before locking eyes with a mustached man bearing several knife scars—Marine Vice Admiral Doberman.

"Then I'll handle you," Nami said with a confident smile, charging forward with a baseball bat in hand.

"Then... I'll take you on," Vivi declared after scanning the area and quickly selecting her target.

She set her sights on a man wielding two knives, his skull bearing a prominent bump from a past encounter with Tom—Marine Vice Admiral Strawberry.

"Nico Robin, stop searching. Your opponent is me!" Yamakaji shouted angrily, cigar clenched between his teeth as he charged straight at Robin.

Meanwhile, back at the start, Al sent Vice Admiral Momonga flying with a powerful slash onto a Marine ship.

Now confronted with the onslaught of thousands of Marine soldiers and Vice Admiral Momonga, Merlin glanced at the few people engaged in battle. He paused for a moment, realizing he had no opponent to face.

He had intended to ease the pressure on his comrades, but Al and the others fought with increasing ferocity, rendering any assistance unnecessary.

"This..." Merlin hesitated, picking up and then setting down his wand, finally shrugging helplessly.

Just as it was contemplating finding a warship to navigate freely...

Suddenly, on the other side of the water capital island, a figure draped in a Marine cloak caught Merlin's attention.

'Marine Cloak + Person = Marine Officer?!' a thought bubble formed above Merlin's head.

With excitement shining in his eyes, Merlin dashed over to Aokiji in a flash.

Feeling the chill in the air, Merlin listened to the words of gratitude from the people around him.

Merlin rubbed his chin, fixing his gaze on the icy expanse of the sea, teeming with people.

Another thought bubble appeared above Merlin's head, this time depicting a cartoon version of Aokiji's head along with the icy surface crowded with people standing on the sea. Merlin finally reached a conclusion.

"This Marine officer is saving lives?" he mused.

After further observation, Merlin clenched his fist with his right hand and slapped the palm of his left hand, his expression suddenly enlightened.

Once confirming that the Marine officer was indeed saving someone, Merlin raised the wand in his hand and gestured towards the water surface.

The next moment, the ice surface rapidly spreading across the sea at a speed visible to the naked eye!

Aokiji, noticing the change in the ice, lazily stood up, stretched his waist, and then turned his gaze towards Merlin.

"Yeah, are you a member of the Cowboy Al Pirates?" Aokiji's tone was devoid of emotion, but Merlin could sense a myriad of complex emotions in his eyes.

Facing Aokiji's question, Merlin didn't hesitate to be forthcoming. He politely removed his hat and placed it over his chest before speaking softly.

"Yes, sir. If you wish to fight, I am at your service."

In response to Merlin's respectful gesture, Aokiji let out a strange meow and didn't directly respond. Instead, he squatted back down, placing his hands on the sea.

"It's certainly an odd bunch," Aokiji muttered, "but... I have no intention of engaging with you now. Let's leave it at that."

Merlin shrugged helplessly but opted to remain in the vicinity. Raising his wand, he used magic to further expand the ice surface, all the while speaking to himself.

"Apologies, sir, but I doubt your subordinates can entertain me for long. I'm willing to assist you in resolving this situation and engage in a battle when you have the time."

Merlin paused, glancing at the dispersing crowd before adding, "Of course, I don't wish for innocent bystanders to get hurt either."

"That's all."

Observing Merlin's continuous chatter from the sidelines, Aokiji couldn't help but feel a slight headache, yet he refrained from attacking Merlin.

With one hand covering his head and the other covering Merlin's mouth, Aokiji let out a sigh of exasperation.

"Yeah, what a meddlesome fellow."

"But let's just drop it. Just stay quiet," Aokiji said in his usual lazy manner.

Listening to Aokiji's directive, Merlin nodded agreeably and fell silent.

The people of the Water 7, witnessing Admiral Aokiji conversing with a mouse, couldn't help but feel a bit perplexed. However, when they discovered that the little mouse before them was a member of the Al Pirates, an inexplicable sense of strangeness lingered in their hearts for a while.

As the news spread further, it left a lasting impact on every refugee who passed by.

They all exchanged strange glances at the sight of Marines and Pirates cooperating tacitly.

However, they refrained from saying much, expressing their heartfelt gratitude before hastily fleeing the scene.

On the deck of the Marine ship, strong shocks reverberated from below. Tom and Spike, initially wearing peaceful expressions, now bore beads of cold sweat and a hint of tension as Big Cousin Muscles drew nearer. Simultaneously, Marine soldiers on the deck vanished at a visible rate.

They witnessed Muscles rampage through a hail of bullets, initially shrugging off gunfire with ease before gradually becoming impervious to its damage.

"I've warned you all! Don't stand in my way, you worthless lot! I'm furious!" he bellowed.

As his words echoed, the Marine soldiers on the deck reacted as if they had witnessed something horrifying, tossing their weapons aside in panic.

Next, to the surprise of Tom and Spike, all the sailors suddenly leaped into the sea and fled.

Tom covered his face with his hands, slumping back and peering through his fingers at the empty scene. A chill swept over his heart.

But Tom didn't appear to be inclined to remain passive in this moment. In no time, he stood up and swiftly darted behind Spike, taking cover.

Sensing Tom's movement, Spike also rose halfway, his gaze fixed ahead. As he opened one eye and caught sight of their imposing cousin glaring at them, Spike broke out in a cold sweat, frantically muttering to himself, "Can't see me, can't see me..."

At that moment, Tom bared his large White Fang and lightly tapped Spike's back with his fingers. Instantly, as if startled by some terrifying specter, Spike shot into the air with a whoosh, clutching onto the ship's mast for dear life.

"Hahahaha~" Tom couldn't contain his amusement at Spike's terrified reaction, bursting into laughter.

Yet, as Tom chuckled, a sudden realization seemed to dawn on him. The smile faded from his face, and his laughter gradually subsided.

Just as Tom contemplated making his escape, hundreds of shells rained down from the sky, obstructing Muscles' path.

Boom...

Boom...

Boom...

As the explosions echoed, Tom swiftly joined Spike at the ship's mast, their eyes meeting in silent understanding.

When Spike saw Tom approach, he mustered the courage to confront him.

Reaching out to grab Tom by the neck, Spike issued a menacing threat, "You foolish cat, if I get thrashed by my big cousin today, you're getting it too!"

Tom, frightened and sweating profusely, nodded frantically while extending a paw in a gesture of agreement.

Seeing this, Spike prepared to toss Tom overboard to appease his cousin's wrath.

However, as Spike lifted Tom into the air with one hand, he suddenly froze in place!

Spike stared blankly at a cannonball hurtling towards Muscles in midair.

As the cannonball traced an arc through the sky, Spike's head swayed in synchrony with its trajectory.

Boom!

With a deafening explosion, Spike covered his eyes in fear.

Meanwhile, Tom, released by Spike's grip, hung suspended in midair.

As he teetered in mid-air, Tom deftly dodged and climbed onto the top of Spike's head.

There, perched atop Spike's head, Tom shut his eyes tightly and covered his ears with his hands.

A dog and a cat, neither daring to imagine what would happen next, braced themselves for the impending chaos.

Unbeknownst to them, Muscles was engulfed in a blast, reduced to a pile of ashes in an instant!

Muscles's hat, caught in the blast, was whisked away and landed safely atop the ashes.

Simultaneously, Tom and Spike opened their eyes, both locking onto the sight of the ashes and the hat in disbelief!

A surge of intense tension gripped Tom and Spike's hearts.

In terror, Tom and Spike, their bodies quaking with fear, screamed in unison!

Their horror deepened as, before their horrified eyes, Muscles' form began to reassemble, devilish horns sprouting from his head!

"Gulp~"

The sound of saliva being swallowed echoed in the tense atmosphere.

Tom and Spike clung to the ship's mast, their bodies trembling uncontrollably. Unable to fathom what terrifying events would unfold next!

This was the first time they had ever encountered an angry Muscles !

Suddenly, a towering wave surged from beneath them, threatening to engulf Tom and Spike in its terrifying force!

Struggling to hold on, Tom and Spike clung desperately to the ship's mast with just two paws!

Before they knew it, Muscles was already gliding across the sea, leaving behind a trail of towering pillars of water in his wake.

Tom and Spike couldn't help but feel a cold sweat trickling down their backs.

Glancing back at the spot where Muscles had stood, they could still see an afterimage lingering in the air.

Meeting each other's gaze, Tom and Spike swallowed nervously before descending from the mast.

Observing the ongoing barrage from the Marine fleet, Tom and Spike leaned against the ship's mast, adopting an air of nonchalance.

"I don't know why they decided to tangle with that guy."

"Agreed. But at least we're both safe and sound."

"Hey, Tom, you got any chicken legs? Fetch me one."

"Sorry, no chicken legs left, but there's steak. How about you grab me a bottle of juice? I'm running low."

As they reached for a large pile of food from behind, intending to enjoy a meal while watching the spectacle unfold, a cannonball struck them directly!

Boom!

With a deafening explosion, Tom, Spike, and the food around them were reduced to ashes in an instant, without any chance for defense.

As Tom and Spike's ashes lay scattered, their pairs of eyes met and blinked simultaneously, conveying a sense of bewilderment.

In an inexplicable turn of events, their eyes suddenly soared into the sky, carried away by a gentle sea breeze.

Then, as if by magic, Tom and Spike's bodies were restored to their original forms.

Now reunited, Tom and Spike shook their heads in unison as they observed the shells raining down upon them.

Suddenly, two volcanoes erupted above their heads, adding to the chaos of the moment!

"Are those... Tom and Spike?" Nami, amidst the battle, observed the three figures darting across the sea, her mouth agape in astonishment. It was the first time she had seen Tom and Spike adorned with devil horns!

"What on earth happened to them?" she wondered aloud.

Meanwhile, in the conference room of Marine headquarters, high-ranking officials watched the towering sea pillars and the blur of three figures moving at incredible speeds, even too fast for the camera phones to capture clearly.

The sheer momentum emanating from the three figures sent a powerful aura that reverberated through the room, shocking every Marine executive present.

"They've grown even stronger..." Garp muttered, his gaze fixed on the figures with a mixture of awe and surprise.

The rest of the Marine Vice Admirals were rendered speechless by the sudden display of power. In just a few days, this group had reached an unprecedented level of strength.

Just as panic threatened to grip the room, the meeting room door swung open abruptly.

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