At the very moment Luffy and Aramaki were locked in fierce combat...
Elsewhere, Vegapunk's group, retreating under Luffy's orders, quietly slipped into a traitor's carefully woven trap during what seemed to be a smooth evacuation.
The satellite York anxiously guided everyone along, his movements seemingly clumsy and panicked.
At the same time, however, he deftly used the terrain and communication interference to steer the group toward a predetermined location.
"O-oh no!" Halfway there, York spoke with just the right amount of terror in his voice.
"The surveillance feeds show... unidentified energy fluctuations and signs of an intrusion in the Seraphim storage area!!"
Unaware of York's betrayal, Vegapunk explained to the Straw Hats that the Seraphim were top-tier combat weapons into which he had poured his heart and soul. Their importance went without saying.
Moreover, the World Government held the highest authority, and he wasn't there in person to override its commands...
Sanji's and Jinbe's expressions changed sharply after hearing his explanation.
They exchanged a glance, each seeing the resolve in the other's eyes.
"Old man, leave this to us!" Sanji pushed off with his toes, smoke swirling around him. "We'll check it out! We can't let them get away with this!"
"We're counting on you, Boss Jinbe!" Usopp was frightened, but he understood what was at stake.
Jinbe nodded calmly. "I'll leave things here to you. I'll be back shortly. Miss Nami, Usopp, Chopper, protect everyone!"
With little hesitation, Sanji and Jinbe, two dependable fighters, were successfully lured away from the core protective circle by York's mixture of truth and lies.
The group continued onward, but its numbers had dwindled sharply. Only Usopp, Chopper, Nami, Vegapunk's main body, the satellite Shaka, and the scheming York remained.
But York's tricks didn't stop there.
He led the remaining group through twist after