"Damn it! At this rate, we'll never get away!"
Their situation was dire. The rudder was destroyed, their navigator was unconscious, Atalante blocked their path, and Xin Luo's fleet was closing in behind them. Barring a miracle, no one aboard was getting away.
"This is all because of these."
Zoro picked up the scraps scattered across the deck and crumpled them together. He glanced at the enemy ahead. That figure looking down on them reminded him of his encounter with Loa in the Drum Kingdom.
So what if he had grown stronger?
Their enemies were still far beyond anything they could imagine!
Even now, Zoro could not tell how strong Mihawk truly was. Loa had spoken of the power that had split the five-thousand-meter Great Snow Mountain, but Zoro had no idea what kind of power that took.
After a moment's silence, Zoro said quietly, "Usopp, the rest is up to you."
"Huh? What can I do? Ahem!" Usopp cleared his throat. "I am Sogeking, not Usopp!"
"Whatever you are, take Luffy and jump ship."
"What?! We're out at sea, Zoro! We'll die!"
"We'll definitely die if we stay. Abandoning ship gives us at least a sliver of hope!" Zoro said firmly. He turned to Tony. "I'll take the scraps and draw them away. Until they get them back, I doubt they'll pay much attention to you."
That resolve deserved respect.
But...
"You know I can't let them get Pluton's Blueprint."
"I know. That's why..." Zoro bared his teeth, revealing a scrap wedged between them. "If they want the complete Blueprint, they'll have to cut open my stomach before this gets digested!"
Tony stared at Zoro, who seemed impossibly small to him, then took a deep breath. "Then let's take that gamble."
"Zoro!"
As Chopper cried out, Tony grabbed him