"Oh, we're looking for an idiot!" Sanji replied instinctively.
"Huh? Idiots, you mean Luffy? Why are you looking for him?" the voice asked again.
"Of course, I'd like to find him..."
Sanji answered instinctively once again, but this time he suddenly realized something was off halfway through his answer.
The idiot they're looking for is Zoro, not Luffy!
And that voice... it sounds kind of familiar...
Sanji turned his head and asked in the direction of the sound, only to see the Moss Head idiot he had just been looking for standing there, looking at him curiously.
(╬▔盘▔)╯!
"You bastard, you're the idiot I'm talking about!"
Sanji kicked Zoro...
--
On the other side, not far from the group, two figures were crossing paths.
"Bang!"
"Bang!"
One shockwave after another emanated from the point of their clash, the aftershocks alone causing ice shards to ripple from the ice beneath their feet.
After another fierce collision, the two simultaneously staggered back a few steps.
One of the men looked at his opponent with a grim expression and said through gritted teeth:
" Straw Hat Boy! You're really like an unkillable cockroach!"
Purple Rat is feeling very complicated right now; he and Luffy have been fighting for some time now.
He'd almost forgotten how many times he'd hit Luffy; all he knew was that his hand was getting a little weak.
But what terrifies him now is that the person in front of him is simply too outrageous. No matter how he attacks the other person, the person falls to the ground and then gets up again, full of energy.
"Does this kid even belong to the human species?"
The thought popped into Purple Rat's mind, but before he could think further, he suddenly felt a sweet taste in his throat, followed by spitting out a mouthful of blood.
After spitting out this mouthful of blood, Purple Rat realized that many parts of his body were also aching. His face turned even more pale.
Just like he said, he hit Luffy countless times, and Luffy's strength is not much worse than his, so relatively speaking, he was hit quite a few times as well.
With the new injuries and the old ones he sustained in the Water 7 Xia Chen, he felt his body wouldn't last much longer.
With that thought, Purple Rat's eyes narrowed, and he made a decision. Then, he took a leap and sped off towards Luffy.
He needed to finish this quickly and couldn't drag it out any longer. Besides, he didn't believe that this kid could survive so many of his attacks without any problems; the other guy must be exhausted and in much worse shape than him.
Luffy, seeing the Purple Rat rushing towards him, didn't hesitate and went to meet it as well, shouting loudly:
I'm going to beat you to a pulp!
Purple Rat was right; Luffy's condition was indeed worse than Purple Rat's at that moment.
His passion stemmed from his personality; even with serious injuries, he couldn't lack the drive he needed.
However, in battle, it's not always the case that whoever is more seriously injured will necessarily lose. Given the current difference in their strength, neither of them has a sure chance of winning until the very last step.
But Luffy believed he could win because... he had perseverance!
"Bang!"
The two collided again, producing a dull thud. Then, as if by unspoken agreement, they both abandoned their defenses.
They began a brutal, hand-to-hand combat, or in other words, a brawl!
The two of them exchanged blows, one punching and the other kicking, back and forth, with remarkable politeness!
This battle lasted for quite some time, until...
"Whoosh!"
With a whooshing sound, a figure was instantly blasted away and lay on the ground, unable to move for a long time.
Purple Rat stood still, in a fist-pumping stance. His clothes were torn to shreds, his face was covered in bruises, and half of his face was swollen.
But at that moment, he revealed a genuine smile, truly from the bottom of his heart.
He didn't know why he was so happy right now. He had never felt this way before when he defeated enemies, but this time he definitely felt it!
Ultimately, the only conclusion is that all the missions he had completed before were easy. The only time he was beaten like a dog was when he encountered Xia Chen in Water 7.
Easily defeating an opponent or being easily defeated by an opponent doesn't bring much sense of accomplishment, but defeating an opponent after going through great hardships brings an extremely strong sense of accomplishment.
This was the first time in Purple Rat's life that she had experienced this feeling!
After rubbing his slightly sore shoulders, Purple Rat slowly walked towards the fallen Luffy, a smile on his face.
But after taking only a few steps, his smile froze on his face, replaced by eyes that almost popped out of their sockets and an expression of disbelief on his swollen face.
Just then, Luffy, who appeared to have fallen in front of him, struggled to his feet. He swayed unsteadily a few times as he stood up, but eventually managed to maintain his upright posture.
Moreover, after Luffy regained his footing, he didn't rest on the spot. Instead, he looked at Purple Rat with a determined gaze, a look that sent a chill down Purple Rat's spine.
Then Luffy staggered and charged towards the Purple Rat, his speed increasing as he ran.
Purple Rat couldn't understand this situation at all. Why was he half-dead just a moment ago, but now he was running around like nothing had happened?
But now it's clear he doesn't have much time to think about that, because Luffy is now less than five meters away. That distance is fleeting for Luffy at his current speed.
Purple Rat's eyes hardened, and he charged forward, fists raised.
"Bang!"
A dull thud followed as their fists struck each other's chests simultaneously. In an instant, both were sent flying, but in vastly different ways.
Luffy was sent flying dozens of meters, but Purple Rat was only sent flying a few meters.
After collapsing this time, Luffy lay flat on the ice, panting heavily. Although he was still conscious, he did not get up for a long time.
Instead, after flying a few meters, the Purple Rat stood upright, but the expression on his face was extremely unpleasant. He looked at Luffy and said with difficulty:
"You... you actually got stronger again during the battle, that's... unbelievable!"
Feeling the state of his body, Purple Rat couldn't help but smile bitterly. He seemed to have won, but only he knew that his opponent's Armament Haki had directly attacked the inside of his body.
That's why he flew so close. And he was certain that his opponent hadn't mastered this technique before, otherwise they would have used it long ago, why wait until now!
These thoughts flashed through the Purple Rat's mind one by one, then its eyes rolled back and its body collapsed onto the ice.
"Phew~"
Luffy lay on the ground, panting heavily. The pain in his body made him wince even with the slightest movement. But a happy smile appeared on his face.
This battle wasn't just thrilling for Purple Rat; he felt the same way!
This was the most exhilarating battle he had fought since setting sail, and finally...
He won!
Then Luffy felt a wave of relaxation wash over him, and he simply lay down on the ice and fell asleep...