The crew gathered together, watching as two mysterious newcomers—Mr. 5 and Miss Valentine—set their sights on Vivi and Igarappoi. The air grew tense, the festive atmosphere of Whiskey Peak replaced by an ominous silence.
Sanji and Zoro turned to Luffy, awaiting his command.
"Do we fight them or just watch?" Zoro asked, his hand already resting on his sword hilt.
Luffy sighed. "Well, I told Vivi to stop this farce from happening, and she failed... but let's give her a second chance."
Usopp, standing beside Nami, felt a chill run down his spine as Luffy's gaze turned to him. "Usopp, you go fight Mr. 5."
Usopp's eyes widened in horror. "W-What?! Why me?!"
Luffy folded his arms. "Because you and Nami are the weakest right now. You need to gain fighting experience if you want to survive in the Grand Line. Or do you want to stay weak forever?"
Usopp gulped. He hated to admit it, but Luffy was right. If he wanted to keep up with the crew, he had to push past his fears.
"Mr. 5 has the Bomu Bomu no Mi," Luffy continued. "He's a Devil Fruit user who can turn any part of his body into an explosive. So be careful."
Usopp's face paled. "Y-You're sending me against a walking bomb?!"
Luffy ignored his protests and turned to Zoro. "You take care of Miss Valentine."
Zoro smirked and cracked his knuckles. "Gladly."
Sanji, who had been watching silently, suddenly locked eyes with Luffy. He could tell Luffy had given him no orders on purpose.
Luffy sighed again. "Don't look at me like that. If I sent you to fight her, you'd happily play the gentleman."
Sanji scowled, but Luffy's next words froze him in place.
"Sanji, if you want to stay alive and take revenge for your mother's death, then don't be a gentleman to your enemies."
Sanji's cigarette nearly fell from his lips. His heart pounded in his chest as he stared at Luffy, stunned. "How... how do you know about that?"
Luffy smirked. "I know everything."
A heavy silence fell between them before Luffy finally turned away. "Now, let's watch the show."
Usopp gritted his teeth and stepped forward, determination flickering in his eyes as he faced Mr. 5.
"Oi, long nose!" Mr. 5 sneered, cracking his knuckles. "This ain't your business. Step aside before you get hurt."
Usopp's hands trembled as he reached for his slingshot. "Sorry, but my captain gave me an order, and I don't go back on my word!"
Mr. 5 scoffed. "Then die!"
With a flick of his fingers, he launched a booger bomb straight at Usopp. Reacting quickly, Usopp dodged, rolling to the side and firing a round of smoke pellets to obscure Mr. 5's vision.
From within the smoke, Usopp used everything he had learned from Luffy's training—anticipating attacks, moving unpredictably, and most importantly, standing his ground. He launched a series of explosive shots with his slingshot, forcing Mr. 5 to stay on the defensive.
Meanwhile, on the other side, Zoro arrived just in time to block an attack from Miss Valentine meant for Vivi. The weight-altering woman laughed as she increased her weight midair, slamming down toward Zoro. He took the brunt of the impact but remained standing, gritting his teeth as he pushed her back.
"Vivi, go stand with Luffy. Stay out of the way," Zoro ordered.
Sanji's voice cut through the battlefield. "Oi, speak nicely to a lady!"
Zoro shot him a glare. "Shut up, love cook! This is a fight, not a ballroom dance!"
Sanji gritted his teeth but didn't retort. He knew Luffy's words were still lingering in his mind.
As the battles raged on, Nami stood off to the side, watching everything unfold. A nagging thought crept into her mind as she recalled Luffy's words to Sanji.
"How does Luffy know so much about everyone?" she muttered to herself. "What else does he know?"
For the first time, she truly began to question the depths of her captain's knowledge.
The battle for Whiskey Peak was only just beginning.