Chapter 35 – Arrival at Alabasta
'All right then!' Luffy was a little disappointed when Dante Voss refused, but cheered up in no time.
'Even if you're not officially our crewmate, you're still our nakama.'
Everyone laughed; as long as they were comrades, it didn't matter whether they shared the same deck or not.
Dante Voss's steps faltered, a faint smile tugging at his lips.
'That's right—we're nakama!'
'With Dante Voss on our side, taking down Baroque Works will be a lot easier.'
Nami said with a smile:
'Still, just in case, we'd better mark ourselves so Mr. 2 can't copy us.'
With that, she fetched a marker and started drawing an × on everyone's arm.
Dante Voss lifted his arm; at a thought, the sleeve of his top shrank back so Nami could mark him.
'Perfect! Now we can't be mimicked.'
Nami brushed a strand of hair aside and smiled sweetly.
'Boom!'
Suddenly the going merry lurched violently as a gigantic Sea King surfaced beside the ship.
Dante Voss narrowed his eyes, hand instinctively moving to his sword-hilt.
At the sight of the monster, Luffy and the others grew excited—catch it and they'd have food for weeks!
'Grab it before it escapes!'
Sanji rolled up his sleeves, already planning several dishes in his head.
Luffy and Zoro likewise stood ready for battle.
The huge Sea King quivered under their eager stares.
But Vivi gasped, snatched up a broom, and smacked the three would-be hunters down.
'No!'
Taking the chance, the Sea King dove back into the sea.
Leaning on the rail, Luffy shouted in bewilderment:
'Vivi, what was that for?'
Sanji was just as stunned:
'W-why, Vivi?'
Zoro simply lay where he'd fallen, unmoving.
Vivi said seriously:
'We can't eat it—Sea-Cats are sacred in Alabasta.'
'You could've mentioned that sooner!'
Luffy groaned.
'The ocean really is full of all kinds of things,' Chopper marveled.
Dante Voss ignored their antics, his gaze fixed on the sea ahead.
With his Spirit perception he could already sense numerous ships.
Eyes brightening, he walked toward the bow; the flags were clear—every vessel belonged to Baroque Works.
Which meant they were enemies.
After repeatedly leveling up Swordsmanship, his slaughter points were nearly spent; these Baroque crews were exactly the refill he needed.
Noticing his intent, Nami asked, 'Dante Voss, what are you going to do?'
The others stopped fooling around and looked at him too.
Without turning, Dante Voss pointed at the armada ahead. 'They're enemies, right?'
Everyone finally looked forward; after days of sailing they had reached Alabasta, and the shore was packed with ships bearing Baroque Works emblems.
The crew's mood turned serious.
Shielding his eyes, Luffy grinned excitedly, 'When did all those ships get here?'
'Hey, every one of them flies Baroque's flag—should we open fire?'
Usopp quavered.
Vivi studied the fleet. 'So the agents have all assembled?'
'Those are probably Billion Elder, the elite officers under the higher-ups.'
Nami sized them up. 'That means at least two hundred enemies.'
Vivi added grimly, 'And two hundred of Baroque Works' best.'
'So they're definitely enemies.'
Dante Voss's lips curved as he slowly drew the bloodthirsty sword.
'Shing—'
At the sound of steel, everyone looked on expectantly, Zoro especially riveted.
'Then let's wipe them all out.'
Crimson aura flared around him as he swung the bloodthirsty sword toward the Baroque-marked ships.
'Bzzt! Bzzt! Bzzt!'
Massive sword-beams shot forward in rapid succession.
Wherever they passed the sea split and the air hummed.
On the distant ships the Bounty Hunters were swaggering toward Alabasta's shore, eager to carry out the Boss's orders.
This first grand assembly of Baroque Works had them all pumped up.
Before they could reach land, though, a blood-red streak raced toward them.
'What is that?!'
The hunters' eyes bulged at the sight of the sea-cleaving power.
'Run—get out of here!'
But the beam kept closing in, every hair on their necks standing up in deadly alarm.
Too late!
Before any of them could move, the blast struck.
The wooden hulls offered no resistance to the Flying Slashes; the hunters were cleaved in half before they even understood what had happened.
Every ship shared the same fate—men split in two, the elite forces annihilated in seconds.
Though they were Baroque's finest, they stood no chance against a Great Swordsman.
'Boom! Boom! Boom!'
A dozen ships shattered and sank beneath the waves.
[Killed a Bounty Hunter – slaughter points +5]
[Killed a Bounty Hunter – slaughter points +5]
[Killed a Bounty Hunter – slaughter points +5]
…Lines of notifications flashed past as his tally climbed from 165 to 1,555.
Dante Voss felt a twinge of regret—killing at range wouldn't trigger the bloodthirsty sword's passive.
Still, he planned to stay with the Straw Hats a while longer; letting things get too gory wouldn't do.
No matter.
Boosting Physique too much would only inflate the cost of future gains anyway.
Watching Dante Voss wipe out a fleet in the blink of an eye, the Straw Hats gaped.
'Amazing!'
Luffy, Chopper, and Usopp exclaimed.
'Quack-quack!'
Supersonic Duck cheered.
'Great Swordsman… I'll reach that level myself one day,' Zoro declared, eyes blazing.
Sanji took a long drag of his cigarette, stunned.
'As expected of Dante Voss—totally reliable.'
Nami, who had been nervous, now felt only awe; every worry had vanished.
Princess Vivi gazed at Dante Voss, hope shining in her eyes—perhaps, with his help, her kingdom could truly be saved.