Getting further away the more you chase?

"Let's go, Vivi," Nami called out, her voice firm.

"They're really strong. We have to trust everyone. Let's keep heading for the Royal Palace."

"Okay, I understand." Vivi nodded heavily, then turned and continued running towards the Royal Palace.

Up ahead, Luffy, whose head had been knocked back at the start, glared down at Mr. 4.

His neck rapidly retracted, and his head plunged downward like an arrow from a bow, colliding forcefully with his opponent.

"Gomu Gomu no Kane (Rubber Bell)!"

The next moment, their foreheads met, producing a resounding crash like a giant bell.

Boom!

On Mr. 4's massive standing body, his head seemed to reel back as if struck by a heavy hammer. Broken teeth flew out with specks of blood, and his eyes rolled back, nearly losing consciousness.

"Mr. 4!"

Ms. Christmas, hidden underground and gripping Luffy's foot, gasped in alarm. Then, reacting quickly, she gritted her teeth and pulled with both arms, dragging Luffy underground.

Thump!

Luffy was slammed hard into the hole, kicking up a cloud of dust. He was stuck firmly in the opening, like a nail driven into the ground.

At the same time, Mr. 4's pupils, which had been about to fall out, returned to normal. He suddenly stepped forward with great force, steadying himself, and glared down at Luffy.

Mr. 4's physical prowess was incredibly strong; he hadn't fallen even after taking a headbutt straight to the head from Luffy.

"You bastard!" Mr. 4 gritted his teeth, hoisted the heavy cannon onto his shoulder, and aimed its dark muzzle directly at Luffy, who was stuck in the hole.

Looking at the heavy cannon in his opponent's hand, a bead of cold sweat trickled down Luffy's forehead.

He tried to struggle free but found himself completely stuck. He started to flail and shout in a panic.

"Hey, wait! Let me out!"

"What the—wait a minute, hey!"

However, what shot out from the bazooka in Mr. 4's hand wasn't a shell, but rather, with a thump, something extended from it.

A dog's head?

No, We're in the middle of a fight, pal.

Are you going for a comedic style? Reiner couldn't help but feel speechless.

Behind him, the Red Ogre, like an athlete preparing to throw a javelin, held its spear parallel to the ground over its shoulder, taking a powerful step forward.

Its pale bone arm gripped the spear tightly, twisting it as it built up power, exuding an immense and terrifying aura.

Rumble!

The deafening whoosh of air was like a dragon's roar. The spear in the Blue Ogre's hand shot out, tearing through the air and creating an instantaneous vacuum tunnel.

Just as the dog's head on the front of Mr. 4's bazooka was about to spit out a bomb, the spear, like a meteor streaking across the sky, struck his massive body with incredible force.

Bang!

Bang! His entire body, pierced through, instantly twisted, flying sideways and smashing through several walls, stirring up thick clouds of smoke.

The tremendous sound drew everyone's attention, and they all looked towards Mr. 4's direction.

When the dust settled, revealing the scene within, all of Baroque Works couldn't help but show expressions of terror.

Mr. 4's massive body was impaled on the wall like a hung piece of cured meat, his eyes rolled back, and blood dripped from his body, his life hanging in the balance.

Haki users are truly terrifying!

The members of Baroque Works looked at the Blue Ogre with changed eyes.

No one tried to bypass their opponents and pursue them anymore; instead, they all focused their attention on the enemies in front of them.

As the fighting continued, they seemed to be getting further and further away from Reiner and the others.

"It seems no one wants to follow us anymore," Nami said, blinking. "Let's just keep going straight to the Royal Palace."

Aside from Zoro fighting Daz and Sanji fighting Bon Clay, the other officers were also being held back by Reiner's Saw Devil.

"What are you doing, Luffy?" Reiner said helplessly, grabbing Luffy by the neck with both hands and pulling him out of the hole.

"Hahaha, I almost got blown up! Thanks, Reiner!" Luffy said cheekily, unconcerned.

Please. If you could be blown up, you wouldn't be alive now.

But…

"You're too nonchalant, Luffy," Reiner sighed.

"Crocodile is very strong. He's an enemy we have to take seriously. Don't be so stupid again later."

Reiner had put a lot of effort into preparing for the fight with Crocodile, yet even so, he didn't feel completely confident.

Luffy, on the other hand, had had too smooth a journey since setting sail, never experiencing a setback.

Reiner hoped his fearlessness came from the courage to face difficulties directly, and the resolve to press on even after failure, not from the naive bravery of a newborn calf.

"Oh, sorry." At that, Luffy dropped his usual playful demeanor and replied seriously, "I get it, Reiner. Let's keep going."

The group continued to race towards the Royal Palace without stopping. The capital was vast, so Reiner conjured a few horse templates and summoned them directly to carry everyone.

Back where they were, Zoro and Sanji stayed behind to confront Daz and Bon Clay.

The Saw Devils and other Undead went after the Afro Hedgehog Woman and the Mole Woman.

Upon arriving at the Royal Palace, Vivi led Reiner and the others as if they owned the place, heading straight for the very center.

All the guards immediately recognized the princess who had been missing for three years and offered no resistance. The group quickly reached the outside of the Royal Palace's main hall.

"Princess Vivi!"

A hurried voice rang out from above. The group looked up to see a massive falcon diving down from the sky, wearing a long sword and a white robe.

"This big bird can talk?"

"Is it an enemy?!" Luffy prepared to attack.

"Everyone, don't worry. Pell is the vice-captain of the Royal Guard," Vivi quickly explained.

The giant falcon that had spoken landed and transformed into human form. He wore a white bandana on his head, and his clothes were adorned with purple cross stars. Two lines extended from his forehead, past his eyes, and down his face.

"Where's Father, Pell? Is he alright?" Vivi urgently took hurried steps, rushing forward in a panic.

Looking at the anxious princess, Pell's face was full of guilt. He dropped to his knees with a thud. "Princess Vivi... His Majesty... He's gone missing!"

Pell clenched his hands tightly on the ground, then suddenly looked up and cried out, "I'm sorry, Princess! It's all my fault for being incompetent! It's my fault for not protecting His Majesty! I'm so sorry!"

"How could this happen... Father..." Vivi stood rooted to the spot, staring blankly at Pell, her eyes devoid of focus.

She hadn't expected Crocodile to dare to break into the Royal Palace and directly target the king. Reiner's prediction had come true.

Luffy and the others were a bit at a loss. Luffy was good at fighting, but he had no idea how to help with something like a disappearance.

"Emmm, Vivi, they should still be here."

Reiner spoke softly. The Blue Ogre and Red Ogre sensed a few figures nearby using Observation Haki, but they weren't on the same level as everyone else.

"They're near us, a little to the west and below. Is it some kind of underground palace or secret room?"

"To the west is the Burial Temple, but underground... I don't know."

"Let's try breaking through the floor, okay?"

"Yes, if we can find Father, even the slightest possibility is worth it!" Vivi replied decisively.

"Alright then!"

Luffy immediately stepped forward. Before the Blue Ogre and Red Ogre could act, he swung his leg out, stretching it high into the air, then quickly retracted it and smashed it down.

"Gomu Gomu no Ono!"

Bang—!

The enraged attack plunged directly into the floor, causing a massive tremor. Cracks radiated out from the point of impact, quickly spreading to cover a large area of the surrounding space in the blink of an eye.

"Wait, wait!"

"Luffy, you idiot!"

Boom!!!

The deafening sound of the floor shattering exploded, mixed with Nami and Usopp's screams. The next moment, the ground began to collapse with intense vibrations.

Reiner, with quick reflexes, grabbed Usopp and Nami, one in each arm, before they fell. Chopper jumped directly onto his shoulder, clinging tightly to his head.

Pell transformed into his animal form and caught Vivi, who was in front of him. Everyone began to fall downwards.

"Ah!!!"

The screams of the Weakling Trio echoed through the air.

"My eyes, Chopper! You're covering my eyes, you idiot!!"