The ground groaned. Then it gave way.
Vivi barely had time to scream before the sand beneath her collapsed like a rug ripped from beneath her feet. Her arms flailed, scarf fluttering upward as gravity snatched her downward.
"VIVI!" Sanji shouted, eyes wide.
She vanished into a spiraling column of dust.
In a single motion, Sanji kicked off a chunk of broken fountain stone, launching himself into the sinkhole. He tucked his body tightly, boots carving through the air. The descent was fast—hot wind rushing past his ears, his coat flapping. Dust swirled in his wake like trailing silk.
Above, the battlefield erupted with chaos.
Zoro's head snapped toward the tunnel just as another cannonball howled through the plaza.
"Damn it," he muttered, twisting to deflect. The ball hit his blade with a metallic crack, and the pressure behind it forced his boots to skid along the fractured stone.
The explosion behind him sent a burst of dust spiraling into the sky.
Luffy stepped into motion.
Shadow Step surged beneath him—low and pulsing. His form blurred, then reappeared midair as he intercepted a second cannonball. His fist collided just before the impact, and the shadow enveloping his arm shivered with energy.
The resulting blast sent sand and heat in a wide ripple. Cracked tiles shattered underfoot. A ruined stall nearby collapsed entirely.
Luffy landed beside Usopp, crouching.
"She's underground," Usopp said, voice trembling. "With that mole freak and the dog-cannon!"
Luffy's tone was calm, but firm. "Sanji went after her. You're our best shot to back them up."
"Me!?" Usopp choked. "I'm not a tunneler!"
"You can hit targets from above. You're the only one who can."
Usopp swallowed, hard.
Miss Merry Christmas's voice slithered up from below. "Such loyal friends~ Too bad they'll be buried next!"
Her parasol tapped rhythmically as her giggle echoed through the tunnels, light and chilling.
Zoro clashed again with Mr. 4, sweat beading down his temple. Every swing from the massive iron bat made the ground quake. Sparks flew with every block. Zoro's footing slipped slightly, and he adjusted with a grunt.
"Freakishly strong," he muttered.
In the tunnels, Sanji landed in a crouch.
Heat clung to the air underground. The walls were uneven—carved in spirals. Dirt and dust shifted with each movement, the entire tunnel system breathing like a living thing.
"Vivi!" he called.
A strained voice. "Here!"
He ran toward it, sand shifting under each step. Then a blur of movement in the corner of his vision.
Claws.
Miss Merry Christmas erupted from the side wall, sand pouring off her as she swiped with gleeful malice.
"Got you—!"
Sanji spun on one heel. His leg whipped through the air with brutal grace, catching her mid-slash. The impact knocked her back into the wall, where she disappeared again with a shriek.
Above, Usopp gritted his teeth and loaded his slingshot. Luffy stood beside him, eyes locked on Lassoo.
"Now," Luffy said.
Usopp blinked, then aimed.
Another tremor.
Miss Merry Christmas burst upward, claws reaching for Usopp.
He fired instinctively.
The Tabasco Star slammed into her eyes.
She screamed, her parasol clattering against the stones as she stumbled backward into the hole.
Usopp's hands shook. "Did… I actually hit her?!"
"Yeah," Luffy said. "You did."
Underground, Sanji reached Vivi. She was half-buried in loose stone, her arm pinned. Grit clung to her hair, but her eyes were clear.
"You okay?" he asked.
"Been better," she breathed.
He bent down, bracing her shoulder. "Hold still."
With one forceful shove, he dislodged the stone, freeing her arm. She winced but moved. He helped her sit upright, supporting her with one hand.
"They're trying to trap us down here," she said.
"Then we break the trap."
Above, Lassoo barked once more.
A cannonball launched—this time slower, deliberate.
It spun into the air, a glint of steel against the fading sun.
Luffy's eyes tracked it.
His expression changed.
"…That shot isn't for us."
He turned toward the crater.
The cannonball curved—
—and began to fall straight for the tunnel entrance.
[End of Chapter 125]
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