Zala and Mr. 2 Bon Clay stood there, bloodied and gasping for breath.
Although the two of them were among the top agents within Baroque Works, they were still no match for Daz Bonez.
In just a few minutes, they had been thoroughly defeated.
But the island wasn't guarded by just the two of them—over twenty other agents quickly surrounded the scene, ready to strike together.
"Leave him to me."
Just as the next battle was about to erupt, a voice came from above.
A figure descended from the sky.
"You…?!"
Zala recognized him instantly.
Wasn't this the man who stood behind the boss that day when Miss All Sunday brought them to meet him?
The others recognized him as well.
After all, it was hard to forget someone like Zoro, who always carried three swords. His look was far too distinctive.
Not just the agents of Baroque Works—Daz Bonez recognized him too.
He had seen this man before—back on the volcano island.
Although Zoro had been wearing a mask at the time, his outfit and the three swords made him unmistakable.
"You're from Jun Lin?"
"Who I am doesn't matter. What matters is—either you defeat me, or I defeat you."
Zoro drew Wado Ichimonji from his waist, still sheathed, and lowered his stance into a draw-sword (Iai) technique.
Daz Bonez's eyes narrowed.
He was a swordsman himself and could instantly feel the sharp, piercing aura radiating from Zoro.
He didn't dare let his guard down.
With a single thought, blades extended from every part of his body. He looked terrifying.
The next instant, both men launched their attacks simultaneously.
Their speed left the surrounding agents wide-eyed—especially Zala and Bon Clay.
Only now did they realize something:
When Daz Bonez was fighting them earlier... he hadn't even been going all out!
The two figures passed each other in a flash, both holding their final pose, unmoving.
A few seconds passed—
Then, all of the blades protruding from Daz Bonez's body shattered, followed by a spray of blood.
With a thud, he collapsed to the ground.
"Not that strong after all. Can't even cut iron."
Zoro slowly returned Wado Ichimonji to its sheath, speaking with disdain.
In truth, though Daz Bonez's body counted as a sort of sword technique, Zoro didn't consider him a real swordsman.
Naturally, he hadn't trained along the path of a swordsman either.
So it made sense he hadn't reached the level of "cutting iron."
The nearby agents were all stunned.
Daz Bonez, defeated in a single strike?
What they didn't know was...
Zoro, at this point, was ten times physically stronger than when he originally fought Daz Bonez in the canon timeline.
Not to mention, he could now not only cut iron—but also unleash flying sword slashes.
Daz Bonez never stood a chance.
The only reason it took a single move…
was because even for Zoro, one move is still the minimum.
---
Aboard the Danaan's command bridge—
Watching through drone footage, Robin was visibly surprised to see Zoro defeat Daz Bonez in a single strike.
That quiet, brooding man… was actually that powerful?
"Luo Lan," she asked, suddenly remembering something, "what do you plan to do with the rest of Baroque Works?"
After all, those agents on the island had only been tricked into cooperating. They hadn't surrendered for real.
And based on Luo Lan's views on pirates, she had a hunch he wouldn't tolerate them.
Although she still didn't fully understand what Jun Lin really was, after hearing Luo Lan's conversation with Cobra, and the things he'd casually shared with her, Robin had a solid guess—
Luo Lan absolutely despised pirates.
Moreover, while Jun Lin had no ties to the Marines, it was clearly not an evil organization either.
But as for the people of Baroque Works...
Many of them were infamous for their crimes—vile and unrepentant.
"You still have the personnel files on these agents, right?"
"Yes. I built the Baroque Works from the ground up. Most of these agents were recruited by me personally."
Robin nodded.
Although the mastermind was Crocodile, it was she who had established the organization and handled recruitment.
Crocodile himself had been a hands-off leader.
"Go through the list. Anyone who hasn't harmed civilians—keep them alive."
"And the others?"
"Those with Devil Fruit powers—capture and imprison them. As for the rest—leave none alive."
Luo Lan spoke as calmly as if he were discussing the weather.
But to Robin, it was terrifying.
She knew—Baroque Works wasn't just these agents on the island.
There were also 1,800 lower-tier Millions, and 200 elite Billions.
In total—over 2,000 members.
By Luo Lan's standards...
Barely one in ten would survive.
Meaning he was going to kill over 90% of them?
If she hadn't refrained from killing civilians herself in the past...
Would Luo Lan be coming for her too?
Robin shivered at the thought.
"Relay orders to Hina. Have her lead a squad ashore, clean up the scene, and apprehend every Baroque Works agent for processing."
"Yes, Captain!" the communications officer replied promptly.
---
Marine Headquarters – Fleet Admiral's Office
Inside the room sat Sengoku, Tsuru, and Garp, who had just returned from visiting his grandson.
Also present were Momousagi (Gion) and Doberman, who had returned an hour earlier.
"So you're saying that Doflamingo was likely ambushed by Jun Lin and taken prisoner?"
"We can't be sure. That's just my guess," Momousagi said, shaking her head.
Just as she said, on-site evidence from the Volcano Island showed only wrecked Donquixote family ships and piles of dead grunts.
There was no sign of Doflamingo or any of his top officers.
But—there was also no conclusive evidence that Jun Lin was behind it.
Sengoku fell silent.
This was no small matter.
Doflamingo wasn't just any Warlord of the Sea. He was the most politically sensitive of them all.
He very likely held secrets that even the Gorosei (Five Elders) feared.
If that's the case...
"Fufufufu! Sengoku, isn't this great news?" Garp laughed while munching on a donut.
"You wanted to arrest Doflamingo for ages, but the Gorosei wouldn't allow it. Now Jun Lin has done the job for you!"
"Doesn't that solve the problem?"
Sengoku's forehead pulsed with frustration.
"Shut up, Garp!"
"You think it's over? No. The real trouble is just beginning."
"Now the Gorosei will definitely order us to go after Jun Lin!"
Sengoku glared hard at Garp and scolded him.
And just then...
The Den Den Mushi on the desk rang.
Everyone in the room had the same thought flash across their minds:
As expected…
---
A/N: Sorry for the late updates. I will update 3 more chapters later.
Currently at chapter 385 on Ko-Fi
https:// ko-fi.com/sami27