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  --xLOVEx--

  Coby saw the ehing but let it happen. He khis moment had to unfold just as it was supposed to. His eyes flickered briefly to Luffy, who was oblivious and busy pig out what ride to go o.

  Luffy was too engrossed in trying to get Chopper onto a massive spinning ride. “e on, Chopper! It’s gonna be fun!”

  Chopper shook his head rapidly, his tiny hooves filing in panio way! That thing’s huge!”

  Luffy turned around, scratg his head as he looked for Camie. "Oi, Camie! How about you and I—" He stopped mid-sentenotig she was o be seen. "Huh, where is Camie? Takopachi, where’s Camie?" he asked Hat, his voice casual but fused.

  Hat’s eyes widened in panic, immediately realizing what was going on. "She was just here!" he shouted, gng around frantically. "Pappug, did you see where she went?"

  Pappug, who had been boung around happily just moments before, froze and quickly turned pale. "Camie? Camie!" he called out, spinning in circles.

  Brook and Usopp, who had been casually enjoying the park’s atmosphere, suddenly so attention. "She must’ve been taken! We o find her, fast!" Usopp said, already starting to panic.

  Hat’s voice cracked as he muttered, "We shouldn’t have e here. This is all my fault." His rge, octopus-like hands covered his fa despair. Pappag's little body trembled as his voice cracked. "Where is she?! She’s goears welled up in his eyes, and he immediately started sobbing. "It’s all my fault! I should’ve kept a better eye on her!"

  Coby looked at the crew, feeling a bit sorry, but he knew Camie would be fine. Sighing, he spoke up, "Let’s get going. g won’t bring her back. Brook, call the crew and tell Sanji to tact the Flying Fish Riders. Cho find Nami and Robihem to meet us at Grove #1. We don’t have time to waste."

  Brook nodded, pulling out his den den mushi, "Right away, Coby-san!" He quickly dialed the others, while Chopper shifted into his oint and dashed off, his feet pounding against the ground as he sprinted away.

  "We'll meet you at Grove 1!" Chopper yelled over his shoulder as he vanished into the crowd.

  The crew quickly gathered their things and started moving, with Hat and Pappug trailing behind, their faces still filled with worry. Hat muttered something about how it was all his fault, but Coby wasn’t having it. Cut it out, Hat. We’ll get her bao point in bming yourself now."

  Luffy, meanwhile, cracked his knuckles, his face meant business. "We’ll kick their asses a her back, easy!"

  Coby led the crew straight to the Human Au House, bypassing any unnecessary detours. When they arrived, Sanji, Franky, and Usopp were already there, standihe entrah tense expressions. Chopper soon arrived with Robin and Nami in tow, leaving only Zoro unated for, but they all knew he would show up eventually. He always did.

  Luffy was already fired up, ready to charge in headfirst when Coby stepped in front of him, pg a hand on his shoulder. “Hold up. Let’s enter and bid for now. We’ll py by their rules, and if that doesn’t work, we’ll get her out by force.”

  Nami nodded, uanding the approach. The rest of the crew exged gnces, agreeing without argument. Together, they walked into the au house, positioning themselves discreetly at the ba the left side.

  As they settled, Coby’s eyes sed the room, spotting a red-haired pirate leaning against the wall on the opposite side, behind the seats on the right. The pirate noticed Coby’s gnd gave him a wild grin, to which Coby responded with an upward nod.

  The au started, and one by one, sves were paraded on stage like items at a marketpce. First came beautiful women, theies, followed by strong pirate captains and men capable of hard bor. The crowd bid furiously, prices for their lives and freedom. The crew stood in silence, fists ched, disgusted by the sight. Nami and Robin’s expressions were cold, while Sanji’s fists trembled slightly in anger. Luffy, barely able to tain his rage, kept his eyes locked oage, but he didn't move yet.

  The door suddenly opened, and in walked a Celestial Dragon, fnked by guards. The entire room seemed to freeze. The crew, despite their anger, knew better than to move. They watched as the Celestial Dragon strolled in, looking down on everyone like is.

  Then, the aueer's voied, “And now, dies alemen, the fi merdise of the day!”

  A rge curtain ed around a globe-shaped structure was rolled onto the stage. The light hit it, revealing the silhouette of a mermaid. As soon as the shape became clear, Saint Charlos, one of the Celestial Dragons, perked up with a siing grin spreading across his face.

  “That’s mine!” Charlos shouted gleefully, standing up from his seat, practically drooling at the sight.

  Coby’s eyes narrowed. Luffy’s entire body tensed up, but before he could act, Coby raised a hand subtly, signaling him to wait. The crew kept their eyes locked oage, waiting for the right moment to move.

  The curtain lifted, and there was Camie, trapped ihe globe, her eyes filled with fear.

  When the curtain was lifted and Camie was revealed, the crowd erupted iement. Nami quickly assessed the situatioally calg the amount of treasure they had and what could be liquidated to save her. Meanwhile, Saint Charlos stood up, his voiing through the au house.

  “Oh my! A beautiful mermaid! They’re selling a real mermaid! I will pay 500 million berries. She is mine!” he decred, grinning like a predator.

  Luffy and the others tensed up. Their fists ched, ready to move, but Coby stepped forward, his voice cutting through the noise. “600 million.”

  The entire room fell silent, heads turning toward the audacious pirate who dared to outbid a Celestial Dragon. All eyes locked on Coby, whose expression remained calm and unbothered by the attention.

  Saint Charlos twitched, his face twisting in anger. “Lowly human, do you dare to make a bid after me?!”

  Luffy had already reached his limit. He bolted toward the stage, his fist ched in fury. “Camie! I’m ing to save you!”

  Before he could get far, Hat lunged forward, using two of his arms to hold Luffy back. “Please, Straw Hat! Don’t be reckless!”

  Luffy struggled against Hat’s grip. “She’s right there! I ’t just stand by!”

  Hat tightened his hold, his remaining arms ing around Luffy to restrain him. “But she has a colr! If you cause a se, she’ll be killed!”

  Luffy paused for a split sed, just as the crowd’s horrified screams filled the air. In the otion, Hat’s multiple arms had been exposed, revealing his Fishman nature to everyone.

  “Kyah! It’s a Fishman!” someone in the audience screamed. “How disgusting!”

  Luffy didn’t have time to process the insult. He was too focused on Camie. With a sudden burst of strength, he ripped free from Hat’s grip and charged forward—until the unmistakable sound of a gunshot echoed through the au house.

  Everyone froze.

  Luffy whipped around, his eyes narrowing dangerously. Saint Charlos stood there, a smoking pistol in hand, dang on top of Hat’s bleeding, crumpled body. “I shot a Fishman! A free octopus!” Charlos ughed maniacally, waving the gun around like a trophy. “See, Father? I shot him, so I won’t have to pay anything!”

  The crowd breathed a collective sigh of relief.

  “Good thing he was shot,” someone murmured from the back.

  “I was worried I might cate disease from that thing,” another whispered.

  Luffy’s gaze turned murderous. His fists tightened so hard that his knuckles went white. The sight of Saint Charlos standing on Hat’s bleeding body was enough to send him over the edge. He was done pying along.

  He slowly walked toward Hat, k beside him, and flipped him onto his back, ying an arm over his bleeding body. Hat’s voice was shaky but calm as he tried to soothe Luffy. “Please don’t get mad. It’s my fault. You promised… even if someo shot, you wouldn’t make a move.” He coughed, wing. “I’m a pirate. This is just… my punishment. I’m sorry… I didn’t mean for this to happen. Nami… I just wao make it up to her, even if just a little bit. I wao help you all.” His voice cracked. “Everything I did… was a mistake. I’m useless… I’m sorry.”

  Saint Charlos, seeing Hat still talking, was furious. His face twisted in disgust. “You damn fish!” he shouted, aiming his pistol again. “I shot you, but you’re still yapping? You piss me off!”

  Luffy didn’t say a word. He stood up, pg himself between Hat and Charlos, his eyes log onto the Celestial Dragon with a murderous gre. Charlos blinked, fused at first, then enraged. “What the hell are you looking at? You piss me off too!”

  As Luffy began walking toward him, Charlos, without thinking, fired two more shots. Luffy barely moved, dodging the bullets as if they were nothing. The croed, fear washing over them.

  “What is he going to do?” someone whispered in horror.

  Kid, watg from his position, frowned. “Is he serious?”

  Luffy ignored everything, tinuing his slow march toward Charlos. The Celestial Dragon tried to back up, his face going pale. “Stop!” Charlos shouted, but Luffy didn’t stop.

  When he was just inches away, Luffy swung his fist with all his might. The punch ected with Charlos’ face, shattering the air bubble around his head and sending him flying across the au house. The force of the punch was s that Charlos crashed into the far wall, slumping down with Luffy’s fist imprinted on his face.

  The entire room fell silent. All eyes were on Luffy, who stood there, his fist still raised, gring at the unscious Celestial Dragon.

  The aueer stumbled backward in terror, knog over his podium. “W-What… what has he done?!” he stammered.

  The au house desded into a deathly silence, everyoaring at Luffy as if he had lost his mind. Luffy turo face his crew, casually rubbing his fist. "Suys. I heard if you hit one of those guys, an Admiral shows up."

  Zoro, who had arrived sometime during the chaos, sheathed his sword with a smirk. "If you hadn’t punched him, I would’ve cut him down."

  Coby stood at the back, arms crossed, having waited for his moment. He smirked as well. "Luffy, you think any of us would’ve do differently if we were in your pce?"

  Luffy adjusted his straw hat, a grin splitting his face. "Nah." He let out a ugh that echoed through the room.

  Saint Charlos’s sister and father, their faces twisted in rage, stepped forward. The old man fumbled for his pistol, shaking with fury as he fired wildly into the air. The crowd panicked, screams breaking out as people ducked and ran for cover. Before Charlos’s father could eveer what was happening, Coby used Shadow Step, appearing in front of him and sending a powerful kito the old man’s chest, ung him across the room. "Fuck off, piece of shit," uttered under his breath, dusting off his hands.

  Chaos erupted in the au house. The crowd khere was n baow. Shouts filled the air as people tried to escape, while the Strairates shifted into aode. Zoro drew his swords, eyes gleaming with excitement, while Sanji cracked his knuckles, cigarette hanging loosely from his lips.

  "Let’s go," Zoro muttered, already moving toward the stage.

  Nami, Robin, and Franky joihe fight, taking on the guards who scrambled to taiuation. Usopp and Chopper backed them up, while Brook danced around the edges, his sword sshing through anyone dumb enough to get too close.

  "Find the keys!" Nami shouted as she moved toward the stage, her Clima-Taog out guards left and right. "We o get Camie out of there before the Marines and Admiral show up!"

  As the Straw Hats tinued fighting, a voice from the side caught their attention. “Marines are already here, Straw Hat.”

  Luffy turo see a young man with a sword and a cocky smirk sitting off to the side. “Who are you? And what is the deal with that bear.”

  Robin was the oo answer. “That’s Trafalgar Law. He’s a pirate.”

  Luffy gave him a quiod. “That bear too?”

  Law didn’t get a ce to respond as Saint Charlos’s sister had climbed up onto the stage, her pistol aimed shakily at Camie. Her face twisted with hatred. "Damn fish! This is all your fault!"

  Before she could fire, Coby appeared beside her with Shadow Step once more, delivering a swift punch that sent her flying into the wall. She crumpled to the ground, unscious.

  --

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