Chapter 118: Quite a Lively Scene

Wolf and Tatamu, if not inseparable, spent the vast majority of their time together. Yet, it never crossed Wolf's mind in his wildest dreams that Tatamu was a member of the Revolutionary Army, let alone a user of the Cat-Cat Fruit.

Cat and mouse, natural adversaries.

Tatamu looked impassive, while Wolf’s expression was complex.

"Tatamu, at a time like this, is there nothing you want to say?"

"You should go."

"Heh, how interesting." A flash of self-mockery crossed Wolf's face. Not long ago, he had been racking his brain trying to get Tatamu away from this dangerous place. Now, it was Tatamu telling him to leave. The underlying sentiment, of course, was exactly the same.

"And what if I don't go?" Wolf took a deep breath, his gaze turning cold.

Tatamu remained silent, instead adopting a martial arts stance that balanced both offense and defense.

*Whoosh!*

Wolf said no more and lunged at Tatamu. In an instant, the cat and the mouse were locked in combat.

Nearby, Bery threw herself at Sunny. Sunny stroked Bery’s head and whispered, "Thank you." She hadn't expected Bery to show up with the Revolutionary Army to save the day. A moment ago, she had truly thought she was going to die. Bery just gave a cheeky grin.

Koala walked over. She glanced at the fierce battle between Tatamu and Wolf before turning to Sunny with a smile. "We meet again."

"Yes." Sunny nodded.

Koala said solemnly, "Although I have many questions, we should get out of here as quickly as possible." With that, she bent down and scooped Sunny up. Sunny did not resist, letting Koala carry her.

Then, Sunny looked toward where Mord was. "Mord, he..."

"Don't worry, Sabo and Morley will go help him. Besides, our top priority is to escape so we don't distract them."

"Mhm." Sunny bit her lip and nodded.

Koala immediately carried Sunny toward the tunnel Morley had "pushed" out of the ground. "Bery, keep up."

"Okay, Koala!"

*Smack!*

"It’s Koala, not 'Koalar'!"

"Ooh, I know." After taking a hit from Koala, Bery’s voice sounded a bit distorted. Having acted on her habitual impulse for violence, Koala quickly looked over at Morley. Seeing that he hadn't noticed, she breathed a sigh of relief. If Morley found out she had hit Bery, she would likely be lectured for a long time. Heaven knows what a giant like Morley had been through to become so protective of small animals.

...

*Clang!*

A steel pipe wrapped in Armament Haki swung in diagonally, blocking the blade Gion was aiming at Mord. Had it not been for this, that strike would have surely finished Mord off.

"Hm?" Although he had blocked the attack in time, the force transmitted through the pipe caused two veins to bulge on Sabo’s forehead. *So strong!* Sabo’s expression turned grave. A single parry was enough to make him fully appreciate Gion’s power. It was no wonder someone as strong as Mord had been beaten to such a state.

Seeing Sabo suddenly interfere, Gion frowned slightly and exerted sudden force, sending Sabo reeling back. Sabo, quick-witted, used that very momentum as he retreated to grab Mord by the collar. He then darted backward, putting distance between them and Gion.

Gion did not pursue. Instead, she spun around abruptly. A massive trident came crashing down toward her head—it was Morley, the Revolutionary Army commander, who had arrived just in time. Gion’s eyes narrowed as she raised her blade to block the heavy, powerful trident. The sharp, deafening sound of weapons clashing sent a shockwave of air and dust sweeping into the distance.

"Revolutionary Army West Army Commander, Morley!" Seeing Morley’s distinctive features and his attire consisting of nothing but a miniskirt, Gion recognized him instantly.

"What is your relationship with Mord?"

"Hahaha!" Morley widened his eyes and said earnestly, "Are you asking about the relationship between me and Mord? Hmph, I won't just confess my romance to a stranger like that."

"?" Gion’s Observation Haki nearly shattered. She couldn't understand how a male giant could act with such effeminate mannerisms.

While Morley engaged Gion, Sabo had already carried the injured Mord away from the fray. However, since Morley was a giant, his voice was naturally booming. Even after retreating, Mord and Sabo could still hear what he had said.

*Cough.* Mord turned his head and spat out blood. Sabo quickly stopped and let Mord sit down safely. "Don't pay him any mind; Morley is just joking." Sabo offered an awkward explanation. Even he found it quite grating to the ears.

"It's fine." Mord wasn't spitting blood because of Morley’s comment, of course. He steadied his ragged breathing and immediately looked toward where Sunny had been. However, she was nowhere to be seen.

"Don't worry, Sunny has already been taken into the tunnel by Koala. They will return to the ship first. Ah, Koala is the girl who was with me earlier."

"Is that so..." Mord sighed in relief.

Sabo took off his gloves and reached out a hand toward Mord, smiling. "U... Mord, let’s have a proper introduction. My name is Sabo, from the Revolutionary Army."

"Bacard Mord. Thank you for the rescue just now." Mord wiped his dust-covered left hand on his clothes before shaking Sabo’s hand.

"Don't mention it. One good turn deserves another." Sabo retracted his hand with a smile. He was referring, of course, to Mord’s assistance to the Revolutionary Army at the pig farm before dawn.

Mord understood the implication and shook his head. "A small favor cannot be compared to saving a life."

"Eh, that wasn't just a small favor. You were a huge help."

"..." Mord nodded and let the subject drop. He first looked at Morley, who was holding off Gion’s assault. As one of the four commanders of the Revolutionary Army and a primary combatant, Morley was not only holding his own against Gion but even seemed to have a slight upper hand.

He shifted his gaze to Tatamu, who was locked in combat with Wolf. "Sabo, is Tatamu one of yours?"

"Yes. In fact, it was Tatamu who told us your real name." Sabo didn't elaborate further. Places like the pig farm, where large numbers of slaves were kept, were everywhere in this world. The Revolutionary Army made every effort to plant members like Tatamu in such locations, then sent teams to liberate the slaves at the right moment. Sabo, naturally, would not speak of these internal details.

Mord rubbed his temples, struggling to organize his thoughts. Judging by the Six Powers technique Wolf was using, there was no doubt that he had a background in the Navy. It was incredible to think that a former Marine like Wolf and a Revolutionary like Tatamu had been living together in the Night Bar for so long... Even more bizarre was that they were both Zoan-type fruit users—the Rat-Rat Fruit and the Cat-Cat Fruit. Such an adversarial relationship; only the two of them could truly understand what that felt like.

Mord stood up, no longer watching the fight between Wolf and Tatamu. "Sabo, we need to leave here quickly. There is someone else in town who is particularly troublesome... Hm?"

Before Mord could finish, he suddenly looked toward the town. Sabo was also alerted, and almost simultaneously with Mord, he turned his gaze toward the town. Their expressions changed in unison.

At the edge of the district, Aokiji emerged, his steps trailing wisps of cold air.

"Ara ara, quite lively, aren't we?" He glanced at Morley from afar. *The Revolutionary Army, huh...* Then, he looked toward Mord. His gaze settled on Mord’s perfectly unharmed legs.