The steel archway descended back into place, and darkness was banished by light. Even the setting sun could drive away evil spirits.
The sky was a hazy yellow, with the sun about to sink into the western sea. Its dying rays offered a sliver of warmth.
Nami clutched her head, staring blankly at Luffy, who had ballooned into a giant, engulfing her in his shadow. A primal urge consumed her mind, a lust for slaughter.
Blood…
It was blood!
Nami's eyes seemed to turn crimson, her teeth sharpening. Her craving for blood made her involuntarily open her mouth. Just one bite, one bite, and she could devour Luffy's flesh and drink his blood.
Luffy had already passed out. He was utterly defenseless. If she just bit down, she could taste human flesh and blood…
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Nami seemed entranced, but…
She looked at the gigantic Luffy, her expression shifting to one of conflict. Luffy had transformed into a giant balloon at the last moment to protect her, who had turned into a demon. If he hadn't expended his final energy on that, maybe he would have had enough strength left…
To finish me off?
But…
I really want to eat meat, I'm so hungry, so hungry, so hungry!
So hungry, so hungry, so hungry, so hungry, so hungry, so hungry!
She wanted to eat meat, to devour humans, because she was a demon!
"Ah!!!"
Nami let out a piercing scream. She gripped Luffy's body tightly, her fingernails digging into his flesh. Her face grew more savage, drool dribbling from her mouth. Her craving for human flesh and blood was steadily overpowering her reason.
"Beautiful lady, you don't seem to be feeling well…"
Just as she was about to bite Luffy, a man with blond hair appeared behind her. He gently pressed her neck. Nami, her face contorted in ferocity, suddenly had her pupils contract as if she'd been switched off. She then collapsed.
Sanji caught Nami as she slumped, looking out at the devastated town. No one else was standing.
Baggy had also passed out from exhaustion after pressing the button to block the sun. Coupled with Luffy and Zoro's earlier rampage, which had taken down Gato's subordinates, the town was now filled with ruined houses and downed people everywhere.
Sanji frowned, surveying the scene. He couldn't believe pirates could clash with such intensity in the East Blue. What surprised him even more was what happened next: as sunlight streamed in, the 'people' lying on the ground began to disappear?!
Yes, they were dissolving as if by some force. Where the sun shone, their bodies vanished, until they completely dissipated…
Sanji had spent his years in the East Blue working on the Baratie, so he knew nothing of demons. Seeing this scene, he was naturally stunned.
Witnessing such a bizarre phenomenon, and seeing Luffy as a massive balloon shielding the lovely Nami in his shadow, Sanji, who had been about to move Nami onto the ship, paused.
Judging by her expression earlier, this beautiful lady seemed a bit unstable. It would be better to wait for those two freeloaders to wake up first.
That's what Sanji had intended. But Zoro stirred groggily. The world in his eyes was extremely blurry, as if he would pass out again at any moment.
"Get out of here…"
Zoro said with his last ounce of strength, "He'll be back when night falls."
With that, he closed his eyes again. He wasn't unconscious, but rather trying to recover his strength as quickly as possible.
Muzan's attack was terrifying. Just grazing his chest had felt like all his cells were corroding. He was alive only because of his powerful physique and the inherent strong recovery abilities of people in the world of pirates. Otherwise…
He would have died long ago.
Sanji, hearing Zoro's words, was puzzled. He'll be back when it gets dark? Who is he?
The one who defeated them?
"I'm not interested in cleaning up your mess," Sanji decided to follow Zoro's advice and leave, taking them with him.
He didn't know how strong Zoro and Luffy were, nor who their enemy was. But he felt no need to stay and fight their battle for them.
Of course, he would if it was for the sake of a beautiful lady. But from what he'd seen, the orange-haired beauty didn't seem to have a great relationship with them.
In any case, he'd better follow Uncle Zeff's advice and take them back first.
Sanji took off his jacket and wrapped Nami in it. After a moment's thought, he deemed it unreliable. He pulled out a kitchen knife from his waist and sliced a nearby house into a box shape.
"It looks like a coffin…"
Sanji looked at the 'shelter' he'd made in no time. He couldn't help but mock himself, but with time being of the essence, he didn't dwell on it. After placing Nami inside this 'shelter,' he tossed the green-haired Zoro on top.
Seeing Luffy transformed into the giant balloon, Sanji had a way. He kicked the plump balloon away with a powerful sweep. Then, slinging the 'coffin' over his shoulder and kicking that ball, he headed towards the edge of Orange Town.
Before the sun completely set, Sanji had brought the three of them to Nami's ship.
As for the boat he'd arrived on, he dismissed it as too small.
After placing the three back on the ship, Sanji sighed, "That old man is amazing. He knew back at the restaurant they'd be on the brink of death. But…"
"Why am I saving them!"
Sanji lit a cigarette, but ultimately, despite his protests, he started up the ship. The East Blue routes were relatively simple. Unlike the New World, where it was impossible to navigate without a navigator, only the turbulent magnetic fields around the Chaos Sea were somewhat similar to the Grand Line.
But the route from Orange Town to the Baratie was a normal one. So, Sanji normally brought them back to the restaurant without encountering any pirates along the way.
"The East Blue is truly peaceful," Sanji remarked, his expression a bit somber.
"So, who wants to go out to sea and become a pirate with them…"
When they reached the Baratie, it was already completely dark. However, Sanji didn't bring them into the restaurant. He just left them on the ship, waiting for them to wake up on their own.
Then, Sanji's expression turned a bit ferocious, and he felt a wave of dizziness, nearly collapsing.
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