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The Strongest Frost Loli (180)
🕑 Added 2025-01-18 17:25:44 +0000 UTCChapter 180 - Mr. 3 & Miss Goldenweek
In order to escort Vivi and Igaram to the royal palace, the Straw Hat Pirates faced off against Baroque Works while riding on the backs of the Super Spot-Billed Duck Squad. They were maintaining a distance to avoid being overheard. They kept their hoods raised.
The rebel army and the royal army had already clashed. While a peaceful resolution was no longer possible, Vivi refused to give up.
“Vivi, we’ll hold them off. You find a way through,” Zoro instructed.
“…Understood.”
With Mr. 2 absent, there were only five Baroque Works agents present. They were outnumbered. Zoro, prioritizing Vivi’s safe return to the palace, intended to remain behind.
“There should be more enemies inside the city. Take the idiot cook with you. He’s better than nothing,” Zoro said, turning to Sanji.
“Hey! Who are you calling an idiot, you moss-head… But you’re right. It’s better than leaving Vivi-chan unprotected.”
While they trusted Igaram’s abilities, unforeseen circumstances were always a possibility. They had been reacting to events, rather than controlling them. They needed to think strategically. Sanji, with his combination of combat skills and intelligence, was the ideal choice.
“Let’s go!”
At Zoro’s signal, they charged towards Alubarna, heading for the three city gates. From their current position, they could reach the western, southwestern, and southern gates. With the Officer Agents, excluding Mr. 2, operating in pairs, they could cover, at most, two gates.
Mr. 1 and Miss Doublefinger stood at the western gate. Mr. 3 and Miss Goldenweek blocked the southwestern gate. The southern gate remained unguarded. Vivi, Igaram, and Sanji sped through, while the Straw Hats remained behind, preventing the Baroque Works agents from pursuing them.
“…Clever,” Mr. 1 muttered.
“You should say we’re intelligent. Unlike you mindless puppets, we don’t simply follow orders.”
Zoro lowered his hood to reveal his face. Miss Doublefinger chuckled softly at his provocative words.
“What’s so funny, Miss Doublefinger?” Mr. 1 asked.
“Nothing. Let’s just get this over with. You’re taking him, right?”
She shifted her attention to Nami, having correctly interpreted Mr. 1’s intent. Mr. 1 and Miss Doublefinger were both Devil Fruit users, and the highest-ranked Officer Agents present. They weren’t opponents to be underestimated.
Zoro grinned, drawing his swords. Nami, standing behind him, cheered him on.
“Go get ‘em, Zoro!”
“Shut up!”
Mr. 1 faced Zoro. Miss Doublefinger confronted Nami. The clash of steel signaled the beginning of their battle.
***
Meanwhile, Usopp and Chopper faced Mr. 3 and Miss Goldenweek.
“What is this?! Wax?!”
Just as they were about to retreat, having fulfilled their objective of escorting Vivi and Igaram, the Super Spot-Billed Ducks’ feet became stuck.
Mr. 3 sighed dramatically. “Stay back,” he said to Miss Goldenweek, who munched calmly on a rice cracker. She knew her role. She wasn’t a fighter. Her value lay in supporting Mr. 3’s strategies. She obeyed by retreating to a safe distance.
“While I doubt the boss’s plan will succeed… I’m curious to see how this plays out.”
Mr. 3’s position was due to his abilities and his willingness to employ any tactic, no matter how underhanded. While he valued wealth and status, his life was his priority. Betraying Crocodile wasn’t out of the question.
With Twilight and the Yonko involved, the plan’s failure was almost certain. He continued working for Baroque Works because he respected Crocodile’s strength and cunning, honed over years as a Warlord. He would abandon ship the moment the tide turned.
“Damn it! It’s stuck! Chopper, are you alright?!” Usopp yelled.
“I’m fine! But the ducks’ feet…!”
The solidified wax held the Super Spot-Billed Ducks fast. Usopp and Chopper, having been thrown clear, were unharmed, but they couldn't abandon their mounts. Chopper transformed into his Heavy Point form, while Usopp readied his slingshot.
“Ready to fight? Be my guest. But I’m on a tight schedule.”
While he spoke, Mr. 3 wasn't eager for a prolonged confrontation. Alabasta’s desert heat was problematic for a wax-wax fruit user. While the temperature wasn't high enough to instantly melt his creations, the accumulating heat would soften them within minutes. It was a less than ideal environment for his abilities.
“Doru Doru Arts!”
He launched a wax sword towards Usopp, who dodged with a startled yelp. Chopper, using the distraction, charged towards Mr. 3 in his Walk Point form.
“Take this!”
“Candle Wall!”
“Ouch!”
Just as he was about to strike, Mr. 3 erected a wall of wax. Chopper’s fist slammed into the hardened wax, injuring his hand. Once solidified, Mr. 3’s wax was as hard as steel. Breaking through it wouldn’t be easy.
“Hmm, a Zoan… An unusual one. A gorilla, perhaps?”
“I’m a reindeer!”
“Whatever. You can’t escape my wax at this range!”
“Whaaat!”
Chopper, enraged, yelled back, giving Usopp an opening to fire a pellet from his slingshot.
Mr. 3 blocked it with another wax wall. Chopper who was restricted by the surrounding wax, had nowhere to run. By blocking Usopp’s attacks and focusing on Chopper, Mr. 3 effectively neutralized their numerical advantage.
“Surround him with walls, and even a Zoan can’t escape! I’ll roast you alive!”
“Chopper!”
Mr. 3 enclosed Chopper within four walls of wax, then sealed the top, creating an inescapable cage. While the wax would soften in the heat, Chopper would succumb to the rising temperature long before that. All that remained was eliminating Usopp. He dismissed the long-nosed sniper as a minor threat, easily dispatched. He dissolved the wax walls and turned his attention to Usopp, who… had vanished.
“…Where did he go?” He had heard Usopp’s voice only moments ago. He scanned the area, assuming the sniper had fled in terror, when a voice called out from behind him.
“Looking for me, wax-man?!”
“Help me, Mr. 3!”
“What are you doing?!”
Usopp had Miss Goldenweek at gunpoint, his slingshot aimed at her head. Mr. 3 stared in disbelief. Miss Goldenweek, however, seemed unconcerned, calmly calling for help. Mr. 3 pressed a hand to his forehead.
“Sigh… You think you can use her as a hostage?”
“That’s right! Release Chopper!”
“As you wish. Feel free to attack her. If you can.”
Mr. 3 apparent disregard for his partner’s safety surprising Usopp. As Usopp hesitated, his attention momentarily diverted, Miss Goldenweek began painting something on a nearby rock. A few seconds later, she finished, and Usopp, yelling, “What are you doing?!” fired a pellet at… the nearby rock formation.
The resulting explosion sent a gust of wind through the area. Miss Goldenweek stepped back, preparing another painting.
“Colors Trap: Raging Bull’s Red.”
She was a painter, not a fighter. Her art, however, could manipulate emotions. Using special paints, her Colors Traps could induce specific feelings in her targets. Usopp, caught in her trap, had instinctively redirected his attack. He tried to aim at her again, but his slingshot remained stubbornly fixed on the rock formation. He struggled to regain control.
“Not paying attention?”
“Huh?!”
Mr. 3 seized the opportunity and quickly encased Usopp’s feet in wax.
“You can’t escape now. You’ve wasted enough of my time.”
“Damn it! My feet are stuck!”
“Don’t bother struggling. My wax is as hard as steel. You can’t break it.”
He could easily finish him off now. Normally, he would savor the moment, slowly transforming his victim into a wax statue while enjoying a cup of tea, but… he didn’t have time. He formed a wax sword, raising it above his head – when something emerged from the ground beneath him.
“Gotcha!”
“Chopper?! How did you…!”
He looked different. His antlers were enlarged, his form still animalistic, but unlike any of his three known transformations.
Mr. 3 instinctively backed away.
“What is that form…? Zoans only have three transformations!”
“I developed a drug that alters Zoan wavelengths. It allows me to access four additional transformations!”
“Seven transformations?!”
Even Mr. 3, a veteran pirate, had never heard of such a thing. He had used his enhanced antlers to dig his way out of the wax cage. More transformations meant more specialized forms.
Mr. 3, realizing Chopper’s newfound threat, decided to eliminate him immediately.
“I’ll just trap you again! This time, I’ll seal the bottom too! And you too, long-nose!”
He assumed capturing Usopp would hinder Chopper’s judgment. He encased them both in wax walls, ready to seal them – when they burst through the top.
“Jumping Point!”
Chopper, now in a slimmer, more agile form, leaped clear of the wax, carrying Usopp.
Mr. 3 stared, dumbfounded. Usopp, whose feet had been encased in wax, had escaped too. Then he saw Usopp’s bare feet. He had simply removed his shoes.
“Troublesome…!”
He wasn’t a skilled fighter, even compared to Mr. 4. He had underestimated them, relying too heavily on his tricks. He encased his body in wax, gesturing to Miss Goldenweek.
“I’ll crush you with brute force! Candle Champion!”
Clad in his wax armor, the same armor that had once defeated a 42 million berry bounty pirate, he attacked. The hardened wax was impervious to their attacks. Usopp fired a pellet, but Mr. 3 simply laughed, unfazed.
“Champ Fight: My Field!”
He pummeled them relentlessly, forcing them to retreat.
Chopper who had transformed into his Walk Point form, desperately searched for a weakness.
“Diagnostic Scope!” He peered at Mr. 3 through his crossed hooves.
“Hahaha! What’s wrong? Can you only run?! You’re just as cowardly as your captain!”
“…What?”
“What, you didn’t know? Your captain, Straw Hat, has been killed by our boss.”
“You… You’re lying! I’ll kill you!”
Usopp lunged at Mr. 3, who simply punched him aside.
“The rebellion has begun, and our plan is nearing completion… Have you accomplished anything? Straw Hat died for nothing!”
“He’s not dead! He’s going to be King of the Pirates!”
“…King of the Pirates? A childish dream… Experienced pirates don’t utter such nonsense.”
Mr. 3 knew countless pirates dreamed of that title. He didn’t mock their dreams, but… King of the Pirates was a delusion, a childish fantasy. The Four Emperors ruled the New World. The Witch rivalled even the Emperors and her forces potentially were even stronger. The Warlords, recognized by the government for their power. The Marines, hunting down every pirate. The obstacles were insurmountable. Only a fool, or a dreamer detached from reality, would challenge them.
“He had lofty ambitions, but he died here. He was nothing.”
“You…!”
“Usopp, no!”
Chopper grabbed Usopp, preventing him from attacking again. Mr. 3, seeing his opening, prepared to finish him off. Chopper intervened, taking the brunt of Mr. 3’s attack. As Mr. 3 turned his attention to Chopper, Chopper’s eyes widened.
“…Listen, Chopper.”
“You’re still conscious…!”
“There are battles… even against powerful, terrifying opponents… that a man… cannot run from!” Despite his injuries, his spirit remained unbroken.
“When someone mocks… your nakama’s dream!” His body screamed in pain. He had been pummeled by Mr. 3’s hardened wax, his bones were surely aching. But his gaze remained fixed on Mr. 3.
“Very well. I’ll finish you off now!” Mr. 3 formed wax spikes on his fists, ready to impale Usopp. But Usopp was faster. He fired a pellet from his slingshot, striking Mr. 3’s armor. The pellet burst and splattered liquid across the wax.
“That won’t work! My Candle Champion is invincible!”
“It might be tough, but… it’s still wax, isn’t it?!”
While hardened wax was difficult to penetrate, it still retained its fundamental properties. The solution was simple: melt it.
“Firebird Star!”
The oil Usopp had previously fired ignited, engulfing Mr. 3’s wax armor in flames.
“Hot! Hot! Hot!”
The melting wax burned his skin. He rolled across the desert sand, desperately trying to extinguish the flames. He was too focused on escaping to notice Chopper standing in his path.
Chopper, who had planned to use Usopp as a distraction while he targeted Mr. 3’s unprotected head, was astonished by Usopp’s ingenuity. He transformed into his Arm Point form and aimed his reinforced hooves at Mr. 3.
“At this range, I’m faster than you.”
“Y-you…! Wait, I–”
“Kokutei Roseo!” Chopper’s hooves slammed into Mr. 3’s face, sending him flying across the sand. He landed with a thud, unconscious. Chopper turned his attention to Miss Goldenweek, but she had already vanished.
“…Three minutes.”
The Rumble Ball’s effects lasted only three minutes. He had defeated Mr. 3 just in time. He rushed to Usopp’s side.
“Usopp! Are you alright?! Wake up!”
“D-don’t shake me… ugh…”
“Usopp?! Medic!!!”
“You are the medic, idiot!”
Usopp and Chopper versus Mr. 3 and Miss Goldenweek. The victors: Usopp and Chopper.
(By the way, after this, Miss Goldenweek ended up being chased endlessly by two Super Spot-Billed Ducks.)
