Reiner looked around, tapped off his ash, and spoke calmly. "There are probably around a hundred people outside, plus a few officers with Mr. Whatever names."
"Sounds kind of familiar." Zoro stroked his chin in thought.
Reiner looked puzzled. "Baroque Works. Have you dealt with them before?"
"Ah, I remember now. They invited me to join them before."
"You were pretty famous in the East Blue, Zoro." Reiner teased him, heading for the door. "Come on, time to work."
"Oh no! I've caught the disease where I'll die if I walk out that door. Leave the enemies to you guys." The brave warrior of the sea clutched his chest with both hands, then immediately lay down and played dead.
"."
Forget it. A few small fry did not need a great god to step in.
"Then leave them to us. Let's go, Twirly Brows."
"Shut up. Don't order me around, Marimo."
Outside, things were incredibly lively.
The curly-haired Mr. 8 led the way, surrounded by several officer members. Over a hundred ordinary members followed behind them as they surged toward the house where Reiner and the others were staying.
Mr. 8 tugged at his collar. "Don't let your guard down! Their combined bounties exceed seventy million Beli. Take down the people in the house first, then deal with their ship."
"They're just a few drunken pirates. No matter how strong they are, they're still fish on the chopping block." Crown-wearing Mr. 9 chuckled and continued:
"No matter what, there are only a few of them, while we have over a hundred people. The advantage is ours!"
"Oh! Over a hundred people? That'll take a while to chop through."
A disdainful voice rang out. Mr. 8 and the others froze, then could not help looking up.
A full moon hung high in the black sky. Beneath its cold light, three shadows stood on the rooftop with their backs to the moon.
"How could this be?!"
"Weren't they already down?"
"Don't panic!" Curly-haired Mr. 8 shouted grimly. "There are only three of them, and their strongest captain isn't here."
"That's right!" Mr. 9 growled through clenched teeth, quickly pulling out two metal baseball bats.
Everyone wore vicious expressions, raising blades and guns as they prepared for a fight.
"How low-rent. These have to be the cheapest assassins I've ever seen." Reiner could not help mocking the people below. "Is Old Sand so broke that he can only hire this kind of trash, or so rich that he can hire even these small fry on a whim?"
Reiner had no intention of stepping in. They had treated him to food and drink, and even provided so many girls to serve him for free. The undead had no sense of restraint; if they killed too many, he would feel a little embarrassed.
Reiner was now the only one sitting high atop the roof. At some point, Sanji and Zoro beside him had vanished.
"So, you're the ones after my head?"
"Making so much noise in the middle of the night. You're keeping people awake."
Zoro and Sanji's voices suddenly rang out from within the crowd, triggering a wave of alarmed cries.
Everyone hurriedly turned around, but by the time they aimed their weapons, the two had already disappeared again.
Zoro drew all three swords. Cold flashes gleamed as a storm of sword light swept out, spraying blood in every direction.
Sanji moved through the crowd like a dragon, his kicks dazzling the eye as enemies fell in waves.
"They really are strong enough to seem like monsters." Reiner could not help praising them as he watched the battle below.
His physical abilities were not bad. With the special boost of a Zoan and his daily training, it would not be an exaggeration to say he was improving rapidly. But his combat skills were still terrible.
He had tried swordsmanship—his talent was atrocious.
He had thought the ceiling for martial arts was high too—then he just flailed around blindly.
He had tried to overtake everyone with firearms—he became a master of missing.
When he had first crossed over, he had tried blades, spears, staffs, and clubs. He had no talent for any of them.
Rely on hard work?
He laughed.
Later, he decided to keep training his body. It was not like he had anything better to do, but he would not force it. As long as he was strong enough to protect himself, that was enough. He would leave fighting to the undead.
"What kind of proper summoner fights personally? Being a Necromancer Lord has absolutely no style."
Reiner knew where his strengths lay. If he tried to grasp everything and be good at everything, even a power fantasy novel would not dare write that.
"You damned bastard, I finally found you!"
A shout interrupted Reiner's thoughts. Looking toward the sound, he saw several small fry who had climbed up, brandishing swords and blades at him.
The one who had spoken was a brown-haired man at the front, glaring at him while holding a pistol.
"Why are you holding such a huge grudge?" Reiner looked baffled at the gunman.
The brown-haired gunman grew even angrier. "You actually dared... You actually dared—"
"—to grope my little sister! I'll kill you!"
What kind of nonsense was that?! I demand to see my—
"They came onto me, all right?!"
Reiner threw down his cigarette butt and stomped on it hard. "Who got the better deal is still up for debate. And you're lecturing me about this?"
"You shameless bastard! Die!" The brown-haired man roared and pulled the trigger.
Bang—!
The gunshot rang out, but it was the brown-haired man who fell.
"That's right! I am shameless, but taking ten thousand steps back, aren't you at fault too?"
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Reiner fired quickly, and several small fry fell one after another. A master of missing was not blind; he still hit what needed to be hit.
He gently blew away the wisp of smoke rising from the muzzle.
The battle below was also nearing its end, with only a few officers remaining.
"Hot-Blooded Number 9 Backflip!"
Crown-wearing Mr. 9 bent backward, curling his whole body into a circle as he rolled toward Zoro. His metal baseball bats swung at Zoro.
Then Zoro twisted aside at the waist, and the man rolled straight off the roof.
"."
"Come on, man, are you doing a comedy routine?"
Reiner's face instantly darkened. "Why does winning still feel so embarrassing?"
"Die!—Mr. Bushido!"
A blue-haired beauty with a ponytail stood atop a duck, twisting her waist from side to side while waving her hands in flowery motions.
"Mosquito Coil Dance: Allure!"
"Pfft, hahaha~" Reiner recognized the woman below. She was Vivi, the princess of Alabasta!
Seeing Vivi dressed like a little delinquent, Reiner could not stop himself from laughing. "Where the hell is the camera?!"
He had to take a picture of this dark history. Whenever he felt unhappy in the future, he could pull it out and play it on repeat.
But jokes aside, Vivi's move actually worked.
Her clothes patterned with spirals swayed continuously, and Zoro suddenly felt a wave of dizziness.
"Go, Karoo!"
"Quack!!!"
The duck let out a throat-tearing cry. Its webbed feet went pat pat against the ground as it charged toward Zoro with Vivi on its back.
At the critical moment, Zoro braced himself against the ground, gritted his teeth, and swung his sword to block Vivi's chain. At the same time, he cut off her hairband.
Her long sky-blue hair spilled over her shoulders, several strands partially covering her face.
Vivi knelt on the ground. Her delicate, fair face and the way she bit her lip made her look pitiful and helpless.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk."
Reiner glanced over with interest. "Gotta say, Vivi really is a beauty."
Yet today, he witnessed what a Sigma man truly was. Zoro's expression remained unchanged as he held two swords in his hands, bit down on Wado Ichimonji, and charged straight at her.
"Princess!!"
Igaram immediately panicked, aiming his modified cannon-gun at Zoro.
Reiner was stunned too. What?
The princess of Alabasta, the suspected tenth companion, a key figure connected to the Ancient Weapon—was Zoro really about to hack her to death today?
"Three-Sword Style: Hawk Claw!"
Reiner did not stop Zoro's claw attack, because that little punk was using the back of his blades.
Though he did not possess chivalry like Sanji, Zoro also almost never cut women.
"Neck Meat Kick!"
Sanji kicked Igaram over, stopping his sneak attack.
"I saved your life, Marimo. No need to thank me."
"What did you say, Twirly Brows? I would've been fine without you!"
The battle ended there. Reiner ignored the two bickering men and jumped down.
"Princess?" Nami emerged with a confused expression.
When Reiner saw Nami, he could not help laughing at her. "Oh? How did your haul turn out, Nami?"
"Damn it! What a bunch of poor bastards! I finally got to make a move before you, and I didn't earn a thing!"
Nami shouted at him viciously while stomping hard on Igaram beneath her feet. "Hey! Get up, bastard! What did you mean when you said princess?
Before you continue