Even Match

Chapter 187 “Even Match”. On a sunny beach beneath a palm tree, Hachi surfaces from the shallow water with a wide grin, one hand raised in greeting. A ragged, bearded man in a tattered coat and hat sits on the sand, clutching a skull-shaped object that emits smoke. The man laughs heartily while Hachi smiles up at him. Below the panel, the caption reads: HACHI'S OCEAN FLOOR STROLL VOL. 5 “HACHI COMES ACROSS A STARVING MAN”.

A cloaked swordsman lunges forward with a blade, grunting “UGH!” as impact lines burst around him. Below, chaos erupts in a crowded street filled with soldiers and civilians. A spiky-haired fighter swings a weapon amid flying debris and panicked figures while massive Japanese sound effects explode: ワアアアー and ドカッ!!. In the bottom panel a pair of legs dashes away with rapid steps marked タタッ....

Kouza, bandaged and sweating, asks a comrade, "Is the bullet wound from Nanohana still hurting y-" The man snaps back, "This is a battlefield! Stop worrying about such trivialities!" as he loads his rifle with a loud CLICK! and charges forward amid smoke and debris, huffing heavily. Another rebel shouts in alarm, "That's crazy! The Northern Block is guarded by the bulk of the Royal Army, not to mention Pell and Chaka!" The determined fighter replies, "I'm going to demand a surrender from the king." A voice questions, "The PALACEI What're you plannin' to doI!" The leader declares, "In any case, I need to get myself a horse! If I can just make it out of the town center, I can then head to the Northern Block where the palace is!" Kouza reaches out desperately, yelling "KOUZA! LEND ME A HAND!" as the man leaps away. The rebel leader answers grimly, "...It's already too late. There's no need for you to risk going in deep alone! We still have reinforcements coming in from the other towns! Most of us rebels haven't even arrived yet!"

A massive explosion erupts with the giant sound effect ビュビュン!!, sending debris and figures flying through the air amid smoke and impact lines. In the chaotic streets of the town, cloaked royal guards confront the rebels. One guard points his weapon and shouts "HALT!" while another demands, "ARE YOU ONE OF THE REBELS!I" as townspeople flee and palm trees sway under the tense sky.

In the streets near the royal palace, civilians and soldiers react to the chaos. A voice warns, "If you're not involved in the fighting, then you better leave this city as soon as possible!" Another shouts, "Do you realize the situation you're in!I Past here is the royal palace!" Small sound effects read "HUFF" as figures hurry away. In a narrow alley, a concerned citizen says, "I heard you..." while another voice cuts in, "THIS IS NO PLACE FOR YOU TO B-" and demands, "DID YOU HEAR WHAT I SAID!I" The scene cuts to a dramatic close-up of Princess Vivi, sweat flying, eyes wide with urgency. Large sound effects emphasize the moment as someone yells, "PRINCESS VIVI!!I" Vivi shouts desperately, "THERE'S SOMETHING I NEED HIM TO DO!" and pleads, "PLEASE TAKE ME TO CHAKA!" Small reaction sounds like "!I" and "..." punctuate her frantic expression.

A detailed map of Alubarna is displayed, labeling key districts including Alubarna Palace, Northern Block, Western Block, Eastern Block, Southern Block, and Alubarna, Southern Block, Polka St. One section is marked "Mr. 2 Bon Clay vs. Sanji." Below the map, a discarded cigarette butt lies on the ground with smoke rising and sound effects "シコ" and "ト..." A two-panel close-up shows the intense fight: Mr. 2 Bon Clay and Sanji clash head-to-head, both drenched in sweat with gritted teeth and swirling impact lines. Heavy motion lines and droplets emphasize the even, grueling struggle between them.

A massive impact rocks the city street as a huge "ビカン!!" explosion erupts between ornate buildings. One fighter is hurled backward through the air, shouting "GAHH!" while another voice cries "UGH!!" amid flying debris and smoke. In the aftermath, a character in a striped barrel lies sprawled on the ground, panting "HUFF HUFF" with SFX "ガラ..." as he mutters, "What a kick... to think he could stand up to my Okama Kenpou..." A second panel shows a dark silhouette rising from rubble, growling "Son of a..." with SFX "ガララ..."

The tall fighter in a long black coat strides forward, shouting "MOOOVEEE OUTTA MY WAY ALREADY, JEEZ LOUISE!" with SFX "ビィ ビィ" and "でしっ!!". A defiant voice answers from off-panel, "Over my dead body, freak...". The okama fighter's face fills the frame, eyes blazing as he declares, "And I'll be damned if some punk thinks he can make my training all for naught! If that's how you wanna play it, then fine! Not a day goes by when I'm not busy honing my Okama Kenpou skills!" He launches a powerful punch with a massive "ドゴオオオ!!" impact, yelling "DOZO OKAMAI KNUCKLE! (Don't mind my okama knuckle)".

The blond fighter lunges forward, shouting "IT'S USELESS TRYING TO DODGE MY FISTS!" as his opponent counters with a sweeping leg strike labeled "SWEEP". The cloaked fighter spins into an elaborate stance and unleashes "TIPSY SWAN DANCE!" followed by "OKAMA KENPOU!", his hands and body moving in a graceful yet devastating ballet of blows that sends debris flying. In close-up, the blond fighter's eyes narrow as he thinks, "THIS FIGHT'S DRAGGING ON... I'VE GOTTA FINISH IT QUICKLY IN ONE BLOW!" He snaps a precise kick toward the neck, yelling "COLLIER! (neck)", while his opponent laughs "HAHH!" and readies another strike.

The cloaked fighter twists mid-air with a powerful overhead strike, shouting "UN!" as impact lines explode around them. He follows with a rapid series of named kicks: "ORAaa! CÔTELETTE! (Rib Chop)", "DEUX! ÉPAULE! (Shoulder)", "GIGOT! (Leg)", "UN! SELLE! (Saddle)", and "DEUX! POITRINE! (Breast)", each blow landing with heavy sound effects and forcing the blond fighter back. The blond retaliates with "KURAAA!" and "GIGOT!" as the two exchange a furious flurry of high-speed kicks in the center of the panel.

In a fierce close-quarters clash, one fighter launches a spinning kick while shouting "OKAMA KENPOU-". The opponent counters with a powerful strike, grunting "NGH-" as impact lines flare. The two unleash simultaneous finishing moves: "SWAN ARABESQUE!" meets "MUTTON SHOT!" in a massive explosion of force. The collision erupts with heavy black impact shapes, swirling motion lines, and debris flying outward as both techniques connect head-on.

The two fighters are blasted backward by the equal force of their clash. One skids across the ground in a cloud of dust while the other tumbles through the air. In the aftermath, the horned fighter sits up panting and declares, "Failed to work on this novice cook... Can't believe... My Swan Arabesque... huff huff... THIS IS NOOOOO JOOOOKE!" Beside him, the other combatant mirrors the exhaustion, muttering, "Failed to work on this okama... huff huff... Can't believe... That my Mutton Shot... huff huff..."

Sanji stands ready and says, "Bring it..." The opponent grins wildly and declares, "Fine, fine! I'll get serious! I'm gonna fight seriously now!" Dramatic impact lines and a distant figure emphasize the shift. The opponent extends a hand and taunts, "You still aren't aware of my Mane-mane fruit's capabilities, are youI" Narration notes, "What's most impressive is its vast memory! Using it..." The opponent rapidly creates bizarre facial features one after another: "Second! The world's weirdest eyes!" followed by "Third! The world's weirdest nose!" then "Last! The world's weirdest mouth!" and finally "First! The world's weirdest head!" Each transformation is accompanied by sharp sound effects and close-up panels of the grotesque montage.

The opponent bursts into a massive close-up laugh with "はがははは" while announcing "TODAY'S SPECIAL PERFORMANCE! MANE MANE MONTAGE!" In smaller panels, a lone figure in a dark coat stands opposite a tiny winged creature that reacts with a silent "!". The opponent then sweats heavily in a dramatic low-angle shot, holding up a mirror-like object as the montage result appears. He mutters, "90% of that was, like... Your own face, dude." Heavy sound effects "ずーん" and "パリン" punctuate the moment.

A powerful kick strikes the flamboyant fighter mid-air, sending him reeling as the attacker shouts, "OPENING SPOTTED!" The masked combatant grunts "UGH!" while twisting dramatically. "STOP FOOLING AROUND, YOU PIECE OF CRAP!" the suited man yells. The fighter with the pom-pom coat and mask recoils in shock, exclaiming "AN ACTI" as the suited figure declares, "I ain't got time for your pitiful one-man act." The masked man wails "NAAAAAYYY!" while a giant face looms in the background shouting "HAVE YOU NO HEART!I" In a close-up, the masked fighter crosses his arms and states firmly, "I've once come across a certain man... who was unable to harm me because of his friendship...!" The suited man retorts, "A MERE ACT IT IS NOT!"

The masked fighter is slammed down violently with a massive impact sound "ドゴォ!!!" and screams "GAHHHH!" while laughing defiantly, "GAHAHA! I'D LIKE TO SEE YOU TRY TO HURT ME N-" The suited blond man smirks and replies, "Oh, pfft... I think I have a good idea what you're planning..." Pointing accusingly, he continues, "No matter how much you try to change your face, you're still you. Pathetic... I'm not gonna fall for something as stupid as that." The masked man, sprawled on the ground, cries out, "H-HOW COULD YOU!I Isn't this your friend's face!I Just what do you think of your friends as, you monster!" In a dramatic close-up, the suited man clenches his fist and declares passionately, "BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE DEFINED NOT BY THEIR FACES, BUT BY THEIR HEARTS!"

In a heart-decorated town square, a suited man faces a woman with heart-shaped hair buns. She declares, "Or any of your other friends... None of it would work on you." He replies calmly, "I understand... So it doesn't matter if I transform into her." A massive impact strikes as a grotesque figure screams "SUCH PURITY!" with the sound effect "ガーン!!" while another voice cries "THEIR HEARTS!I" In the next sequence a fish-like creature lunges, exclaiming "TOO EASY!" with "カシャッ!!" Sanji stands unfazed, cigarette in mouth. The creature transforms further, heart-eyed and drooling with "アアアア" as it lunges toward him. Sanji merely murmurs ".........HmI" A huge close-up reveals the blonde woman’s intense glare, impact lines "カシャッ...!!" flashing across her face as she smiles and says "Silly boy..." while "!!!!I" erupts from off-panel.

At Alubarna Palace, a long-faced man with a topknot sweats and shouts in panic, "IF WE DID THAT, THEN..." A large speech bubble demands "ARE YOU SERIOUS, PRINCESS!I" Inside the grand hall, royal guards react with shock: "But why now of all times...!I" and "Princess Vivi!" Another guard exclaims, "You're right! The princess really is back!" Princess Vivi, standing in profile with a serious expression, corrects them: "You're mistaken. This palace is not Alabasta." A guard asks, "YesI Then whatI" Vivi answers firmly, "Then Alabasta will come to an endI"

In the grand hall of the Alabasta palace, a cloaked figure stands amid armored guards as narration declares, "It is their very existence which allows Alabasta to be a kingdom, not the other way around!" Another voice adds, "If we could just stop the fighting for even a few seconds...!" A speech bubble emphasizes, "The Kingdom of Alabasta is its people, fighting each other as we speak!" In a close-up, a bandaged man with a fierce expression urges, "Just leave what comes after to me!" while a determined ally replies, "Just a few seconds to draw everyone's attention... That's all I need!" Massive sound effects erupt as the plea rings out: "PLEASE DESTROY THE PALACE!" followed by "SO PLEASE!" The final wide panel reveals the majestic domed palace under a dramatic sky, with large SFX "ゴオオオオ" shaking the scene.

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