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Chapter 72: Ending the Fight
Miss. Valentine wore a dazed expression. She only realized what had happened when the blue-haired girl was standing right in front of her.
"What did you do to Gem!"
She was both shocked and angry. With one hand keeping a tight grip on Vivi, she raised her umbrella with the other and swung it viciously at the girl in front of her!
Clang!
A translucent barrier, shimmering with a crystalline sheen, appeared from thin air and firmly blocked the angry blow.
The girl's face was calm. She raised her palm and lightly tapped Miss. Valentine on the shoulder.
It seemed like an unremarkable tap, but the force it contained was astonishing!
"Ahhhh!"
She sent the stunned Miss. Valentine flying into the sky with a single slap, where she became a shooting star in the night, disappearing who-knows-where.
"So... so strong..." Vivi watched this scene, dumbfounded, staring blankly at the young girl right in front of her.
This was a young girl with a similar hair color, who looked a couple of years younger than her, and was absurdly beautiful.
But the strength she displayed, just like the green-haired swordsman and the straw-hatted boy, was ridiculously strong, completely beyond her prior understanding.
"Of course she is!"
A lively female voice came from behind.
Nami had walked over at some point. Using her height advantage, she affectionately wrapped her arms around Ganyu from behind, resting her chin on her shoulder as she smilingly sized up Vivi.
Her lively eyes sparkled with a light, as if she had just discovered treasure.
"Ganyu's bounty is the second highest in our pirate crew, you know! 'Frost Arrow' Ganyu, 16 million Beli. I'm sure you've heard of her, right?"
She paused for a moment, her smile becoming even more "friendly" as she got to the point:
"So, I heard them just now... they said you're a princess of some country?"
"Yes, I... I am the princess of Alabasta, Nefertari Vivi."
Her identity was already exposed, so Vivi saw no need to hide it anymore and admitted it frankly.
"In that case, if we escort you back to your country, how much Beli will you give us?" Nami's eyes instantly turned into Beli signs as she leaned forward, pressing the question.
After hearing Vivi's true identity, Nami had clearly also realized what Ganyu's "big score" was. The princess of a country. Could there be a bigger score than that?
"I... I don't want to deceive you," Vivi lowered her head, her voice laced with bitterness. "Alabasta is currently in turmoil, and the country's finances are in a very difficult state. I'm afraid... I'm afraid I can't give you a particularly large reward."
As she spoke, her gaze unconsciously swept over to Igaram and the others, who were still down. Seeing them still barely breathing, their fate uncertain, a wave of sadness washed over her.
The people protecting her were all about to die. What was the point of her returning to the country alone?
Swish!
A few faint streams of light, carrying a penetrating chill, shot out from Ganyu's fingertips like living fireflies.
They entered the bodies of Igaram, Mr. 9, and Miss. Monday on the ground.
Afterward, the wounds on their bodies gradually began to heal and repair.
Although they were far from fully healed, their previously faint breathing clearly improved. Soon, they were letting out deep, steady breaths, having escaped mortal danger.
"Igaram! Everyone..." Vivi was so moved she could hardly speak, her gaze toward Ganyu filled with endless gratitude.
Ganyu didn't meet her gaze. Instead, she turned to look at the battlefield on the other side, which was still filled with smoke and dust and constant loud noises, her brow furrowing imperceptibly.
Those two were still fighting.
"Nami, you talk to them about the reward in detail. I'm going to go 'mediate' the conflict between those two idiots."
"Mm." Nami nodded, glancing at the two with a hint of pity.
...
Meanwhile, the battle between Luffy and Zoro had already reached an intense phase.
At first, the two might have just been venting their anger. But as the fight grew more intense, they discovered their strengths were surprisingly close. This rare feeling of being evenly matched instead ignited their deep-seated competitive spirit, and the more they fought, the more exhilarating it became.
Then, it got out of hand. It continued until now, when they were even using their strongest moves.
"Gomu Gomu no... Rifle!"
Luffy stretched his fist far back, his arm twisting like a wringing towel, building up both rubber elasticity and rotational force to the absolute maximum, preparing to unleash a world-shaking blow.
"Santoryu... Oni Giri!"
Zoro, meanwhile, crossed the two swords in his left and right hands in front of his chest. The Wado Ichimonji clenched in his mouth shifted slightly, emitting a chilling aura.
This move used the crossed slashes to lock down the enemy, followed by a fatal blow from the sword in his mouth. It could be called his most powerful killing move at this stage, second only to his secret technique, "Sanzen Sekai."
One could only imagine what terrifying destructive power would be unleashed if these two furious forces were allowed to collide.
But at that very moment, both of their pupils suddenly contracted. In their line of sight, an incredibly familiar blue figure had appeared, abruptly and without any warning, right in the center of their attack paths!
She just stood there quietly, as if she were just passing by chance, making no move to defend against their attacks.
"Ganyu?!"
The moment Luffy and Zoro saw who it was, their hearts almost skipped a beat at the same time!
Almost instinctively, in that split second, both of them forcefully diverted the direction of their attacks!
And in the instant they brushed past Ganyu, the blue-haired girl, who had been standing perfectly still, finally made her move.
She shot out both hands with surprising speed, one to the left and one to the right, grabbing Luffy's not-yet-retracted rubber wrist and Zoro's sword-wielding wrist!
"Bang!!"
Under the force of the immense inertia, the two, whose forward momentum was forcibly halted, were like charging horses caught by a tripwire. They ungracefully planted face-first into the ground, eating dirt and kicking up a cloud of dust.
For a long time.
"Ganyu! What are you doing jumping in the middle like that! I almost hit you!"
Luffy was the first to spring up to a sitting position. He looked up, his face covered in grime, and yelled in dissatisfaction.
Zoro, however, just lay sprawled on the ground in a star shape, his chest heaving as he breathed, not saying a word.
He was just too tired. He hadn't slept all night, had first exhausted a great deal of stamina and mental energy holding off a hundred bounty hunters, and then immediately got into a huge fight with his one-track-minded idiot captain.
Now that he saw her come over, he could finally relax completely.
No matter how stubborn Luffy was, he would definitely listen to this woman.
Of course, if he didn't listen, he'd be frozen into an ice sculpture by her.
Ganyu first glanced at Zoro, confirming he wasn't injured.
Only then did she turn around, crouch down slightly, and reach out to flick the dust off Luffy's straw hat, speaking softly.
"Luffy, you misunderstood Zoro. Those people... I'm the one who told him to cut them."
She knew how simple Luffy's brain was. It would be difficult to explain it to him in a normal way.
It was better to just use the simplest, most direct explanation.