"Oh, don't be so stupid, Zoro. Though it may be my money, it's still a contract I made, and a contract I make is a contract for our crew," Nami declared, her eyes flashing with determination.
"The hell kinda stupid logic is that?" Zoro yelled, his frustration boiling over.
"A hundred million is fine with me," Lucas said, shrugging.
"That's way too much! How about ten million?" Nami countered, momentarily ignoring Zoro.
"I'm already asking for a small amount," Lucas replied, standing his ground.
"We don't have time for this. We'll talk later when she's safe. Now go help Zoro save her already," Nami ordered, her tone brooking no argument.
"Hey, I never agreed," Zoro grumbled, but Nami went on, reminding him about the 300% loan he took from her to buy his swords.
"Damn you! I swear you're not going to have a peaceful death," Zoro fumed as he walked off, heading to save Princess Vivi.
"If only I were stronger," Igaram wallowed in self-pity as Zoro turned around the corner, with Lucas following closely behind.
"I haven't used any aliens thus far, have I? I wonder which one I should use," Lucas pondered, his mind racing with possibilities as they moved.
"Found her," a voice said behind Princess Vivi. It was Ms. Valentine's voice, and they were closing in on her.
"Don't worry, I'll hold them off. Just go!" Ms. Monday shouted, stepping in to protect Vivi. Vivi, torn by the sight of so many people sacrificing themselves for her, cried a bit as she urged Carue to run faster.
"Chh. Another one. Just how many of you will go on disgracing the name of Baroque Works?" Mr. Five sneered, bashing into Ms. Monday with his arm, an explosion emerging from the impact.
"I'm a human bomb capable of making any part of my body explode," Mr. Five boasted. "And it's thanks to these powers that I've never failed my missions," he added, flinging a booger at Vivi.
But before it could reach her, Zoro appeared, slicing it in half. The booger exploded on the side, sending debris flying. "Ugh, gross. I can't believe I had to cut a freaking booger," he muttered, disgusted.
Ms. Wednesday was spooked, thinking he was also after her. "Calm down, would ya?" Lucas said, arriving just in time. His presence brought a sense of relief to Vivi and determination to Zoro.
The battle was far from over, but with allies like Zoro and Lucas, hope was far from lost.
"Hey, it's easy for you to say! It's not like you're the one who has to clean their blade of someone else's boogers," Zoro grumbled, turning to Lucas with annoyance.
"Big deal. The battle is always filled with unpredictable things. Anyway, calm down there, little princess. We're currently under Igaram's hire to protect you," Lucas said, trying to soothe Vivi, who stood confused but hopeful.
On the other side, Nami was busy extracting information from Igaram about Baroque Works. "Oh, you're the swordsman who defeated the low-ranking agents in this town, and the other one, I presume, is your partner. Why would you try to protect the princess now?" Mr. Five asked, his eyes narrowing.
"We have our circumstances," Zoro replied, his voice steady and unwavering.
"Yeah, we made a deal to protect her for some cash," Lucas added, grinning.
"Well, don't go lumping me with you two!" Zoro yelled, his patience wearing thin.
"Doesn't matter. If you stand in our way, we'll treat you as enemies," Mr. Five declared, his tone menacing.
"Kyahahaha! That's right. And since you're in our way, we'll just have to bury your faces underground with my ability," Ms. Valentine added, her voice filled with glee.
"What's with her always smiling? Maybe she has a smiling condition," Lucas remarked casually. Ms. Valentine heard this and frowned in anger, feeling insulted.
"I guess I'll start wi..." she began, but before she could finish, Luffy cried out, rushing towards them.
"You guys!" he yelled, his voice filled with rage.
"Huh... Luffy... It's fine, we can handle it. Or maybe you also owe that woman something as well?" Zoro responded with a smirk.
"I'll never forgive you guys! Fight me now!" Luffy screamed, his fury palpable as he approached.
"Wha..." Zoro gaped at Luffy's unexpected words, his confusion evident.
The ship swayed gently with the rhythm of the sea, but the tension on deck was anything but tranquil. Lucas leaned against the railing, a small, knowing smile playing on his lips. "What an eccentric captain we have," he remarked, his tone a mix of amusement.
Zoro's brows knitted together in confusion. "The hell are you talking about?" he shot back, irritation lacing his voice.
Before Lucas could respond, Luffy exploded. "Shut up! You ungrateful bastards. I'll set you straight with a nice butt-kicking!" His voice was a furious roar, his anger palpable in the air. Zoro took a step back, bewilderment etched across his face as he tried to understand the sudden outburst.
Luffy's eyes blazed with fury. "How dare you betray the kindness of the townspeople who gave us such yummy food by cutting them up?" he yelled, his voice shaking with righteous indignation.
Zoro stammered, "Well... Uh... I did cut them up but..."
"Enough talking! Haaaa!" Luffy charged forward, his rage fueling every step.
Lucas, sensing the imminent clash, transformed into Gutrot. "Okay everyone, I think we need some time out," he announced, his
Mr. Five and Ms. Valentine stared in shock as Lucas transformed before their eyes. "What the... What is that?" they muttered, their voices trembling with confusion and fear.
Luffy, undeterred, pressed forward. "I said no more talking!" he shouted, his determination evident in every step.
"Well, okay then," Lucas replied calmly. With a swift motion, he released a thick cloud of gas. The dense smoke enveloped Luffy and Zoro, who had moved too close, leaving them no chance to escape. Ms. Valentine, Mr. Five, and Princess Vivi were equally overwhelmed, the gas spreading too quickly for them to react.
The commotion caught Nami and Igaram's attention, prompting them to rush to the scene. "What the hell is going on here?" Nami demanded, her voice filled with urgency as she approached. The gas had dissipated, allowing her to move closer without harm. As the scene came into focus, she found everyone asleep, with a strange creature standing amidst the chaos.
"A monster?" she thought, her heart pounding with a mix of fear and curiosity. She stood frozen for a moment, unsure of what to do next. Before she could react, Lucas returned to his normal form, a light laugh escaping his lips.
"It's just me. This is technically my real power," he said, his voice tinged with a hint of pride.
Nami's eyes were steely as she kept her composure. "Yeah, and how do I know you're not just trying to trick me?" she said, her voice as cold as the sea breeze.
Lucas leaned in, a playful smirk dancing on his lips. "We agreed you give me ten percent of the one billion Beri's for saving the princess," he reminded her, his tone light but with an underlying edge.
"Hell no, I never agreed to that," she retorted, her eyes widening in realization. "Huh, you really are Lucas," she acknowledged, her suspicion fading but frustration taking over. "What the hell are you doing attacking everyone? Do you want me to lose out on my money?" she yelled, her fists clenched, ready to beat some sense into him.
"Calm down," Lucas replied, his demeanor unchanging. "I just put everyone to sleep, or else things would've gotten trickier," he explained, a hint of amusement in his voice.
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