Under the relentless assault of Mohji and his massive lion, Richie, Alvida finally began to understand how her Devil Fruit power truly worked. The Smooth-Smooth Fruit had altered her body, making her skin so smooth that it was nearly impossible for physical attacks to connect properly. Blades slipped off her like water on polished glass, and brute force attacks lost their impact, sliding harmlessly away.
As Richie swiped with his claws and Mohji lunged with his spiked mace, Alvida dodged not by speed—but by letting the blows simply glance off her slippery form. Her grin widened.
"So that's how it works... Now that I get it, it's time to end this."
With newfound confidence, she leapt high into the air. As she descended, Mohji pointed up with a mocking sneer.
"You think your club can stop me? For your information, I've tamed monsters stronger than—"
*Crack!*
His words were cut short as Alvida's iron club landed squarely on his head. His eyes bulged before rolling back as he collapsed face-first onto Richie's back. The lion roared in surprise, but before it could retaliate, Alvida spun and smashed the heavy club onto its forehead too.
*Thud!*
Richie let out a groan and staggered in place, dazed from the blow. What followed was a flurry of furious strikes. Alvida, still grinning, pummeled both lion and trainer into submission with a mix of wild swings and precise smacks.
By the time she was done, Mohji and Richie lay on the ground groaning, covered in large cartoonish lumps. Both of them were completely unconscious.
Alvida wiped a bead of sweat from her forehead and looked down at her handiwork. "Thanks for being such obedient sparring partners," she said sweetly, though the smile on her face leaned more toward smug than grateful.
Nearby, Zino had already begun tying up the defeated Clown Pirates, stacking them like firewood at the edge of the battlefield. He glanced over and nodded at Alvida. "Good job. Let's wrap this up. We'll deliver them to the nearest Marine base for the bounty money."
Alvida tossed her club over her shoulder and looked at Zoro. "You tie them up," she said, pointing toward the heap of Mohji and Richie.
Zoro, still nursing the stab wound from earlier, raised an eyebrow. "Why me?"
"You're a man. Isn't this kind of thing your job?" she replied without missing a beat, then casually strolled over to Zino's side, leaving Zoro to grumble in silence.
"Tch... You beat them up, and now I've got to tie them up? What kind of logic is that?" he muttered, but still walked toward the downed duo.
With a sigh, Zoro knelt and began binding Mohji, Richie, and Cabaji in thick rope. As he did, he glanced at the others. "We better get a good bounty out of this."
Zino chuckled. "Don't worry—we'll make it worth it."
Alvida on the other hand, wasn't too concerned about the bounty that they could earn from turning in the Clown Pirates. At the moment, she had something else weighing on her mind—something more important than money.
Walking up beside Zino, she said seriously, "Zino, I have something to ask you."
Zino glanced at her, curious. "What is it?"
"Earlier… when you were fighting those guys, I noticed you used a unique pattern of attacks. Quick movements, sharp strikes, even that flying slash. Was that part of your Devil Fruit ability?"
Zino shook his head. "Nope. That has nothing to do with my Devil Fruit."
Alvida raised an eyebrow. "Then what was it?"
"Those are techniques I learned from my grandfather," Zino replied, resting his hands on the railing of the ship. "He's the one who taught me everything."
"Your grandfather?" Alvida narrowed her eyes. "You mean... Monkey D. Kong? I thought you were joking when you claimed that."
"I wasn't lying," Zino said with a slight smile. "He really is my grandfather. And the techniques I used—he taught them to me. They're called *Rokushiki*."
He wasn't sure if it was Kong himself who had taught him, or just the body's memories guiding him, but Zino didn't care to explain further. What mattered was that he knew the techniques well and could use them effectively.
"Rokushiki, huh…" Alvida crossed her arms, thinking. "Those moves looked really powerful—especially the flying slash. That alone could change the outcome of a battle."
After a moment of hesitation, she looked at him seriously. "Zino, I have a request. Can you teach me those techniques?"
Zino blinked, surprised by the sudden request. "Why? You're already pretty strong, especially now with your Devil Fruit powers."
Alvida shook her head. "No. I'm not strong enough—not yet."
Zino looked at her closely. There was no arrogance in her eyes now, only determination.
"My Devil Fruit gives me a great defense," she continued, "but it's not invincible. Strong fighters, or those with sharp instincts, might still be able to hurt me. And on the offensive side… I'm lacking. You saw how long it took me to beat that lion and its tamer. If they hadn't underestimated me, I might not have won at all."
Her words were honest and reflected genuine self-awareness. She wasn't asking for power out of pride—but out of a desire to improve.
"I want to be strong enough to stand beside you guys. I don't want to be the weak link in this crew," Alvida added, clenching her fists.
Zino paused for a moment, reflecting on Alvida's request. What she said wasn't wrong. While Alvida was undeniably strong—able to swing a massive iron club with ease—that alone didn't guarantee victory against more formidable opponents.
In the Grand Line, strength was a different beast altogether. The pirates there weren't just thugs with muscle—they had techniques, Devil Fruits, and years of battle experience. In fact, the pirates in the second Grandline, mostly know how to use Haki. If those people were Alvida's opponents, then she would certainly pose.
"You strong point is on defensive style. So instead of improving on that, why do you want to learn a stronger offensive technique?" Zino asked, studying her.
Alvida looked directly into his eyes, her voice firm. "You said it yourself before—the Snake Empress isn't just beautiful, she's terrifyingly strong. If I want to stand a chance against someone like her, I need more than just my Smooth-Smooth Fruit. I need power that can match or exceed hers."
Zino nodded slowly, understanding her reasoning.
She continued, "When I saw the way you fought—with those strange but powerful techniques—I realized how wide the gap is between me and those who've mastered real combat arts. I don't want to rely on luck or my fruit alone. That's why I want to learn what you know."
Zino let out a light sigh and crossed his arms. "Alright. I'll teach you. But I have to warn you—the training to master Rokushiki isn't easy. These techniques push the body to its limits. It will be painful, exhausting, and frustrating."
"I can endure it," Alvida said confidently. There was a gleam of determination in her eyes, far from the prideful woman she once was. "Besides," she added with a smirk, "I also want to become stronger than that sword guy."
Zino blinked. "You mean Zoro?"
"Yeah," she nodded. "He's strong, no doubt about it—but I want to surpass him."
Zino chuckled. "Why the sudden rivalry?"
Alvida looked away for a moment, then said quietly, "Because I'm your first crewmate."
Zino was momentarily taken aback by her answer. Then, a small, genuine smile appeared on his face. He hadn't expected that response—but it felt honest.
"So that's how you see it," he said, almost amused. "You're taking your position seriously, huh?"
"Of course I am," Alvida replied with a proud tilt of her chin. "As your first crewmate, I should be the strongest one standing beside you."
Zino nodded, a quiet respect forming in his heart. "Alright then. I'll do my best to help you master Rokushiki. Just don't come crying to me after the first round of training."
Alvida smirked. "Save your pity for someone else."
"Then it's settled." Zino smiled, respecting her request. "I will teach you whenever I have free time."
Alvida nodded, and thanked Zino.
"Now then," Zino said, cracking his knuckles. "Let's deal with the big boss of this pirate crew."
As he spoke, he looked off into the distance. From the far end of the path, a figure approached at a hurried pace, led by one of the remaining pirates. The man was immediately noticeable due to his bright red, bulbous nose and flamboyant outfit. It was none other than Buggy the Clown.
As Buggy got closer, his expression darkened. His eyes scanned the scene—his crew members lying unconscious in piles, some tied up like sacks of potatoes. His two most trusted men, Cabaji and Mohji, were also beaten and restrained. Seeing this, Buggy's fury flared.
"Cabaji… Mohji…" he muttered, clenching his fists. Then his gaze snapped to Zino, who was standing casually nearby, a small amused smile on his face. That smile, more than anything else, ignited Buggy's anger further.
"You," Buggy growled, pointing a gloved finger at him. "Are you the so-called reinforcement that came with that thief Nami?"
Zino shrugged nonchalantly. "You could say that. We did come together, after all. And speaking of which—" he pointed over to the side, "—there she is."
Buggy turned his head and saw Nami crouched beside one of his unconscious crew members, happily looting a pouch of coins from their belt. Her eyes widened in surprise when she noticed Buggy glaring at her.
"Thief!!" Buggy roared. "You dare steal from me again?! Where's my map?! Return it right now!"
Nami flinched slightly, clearly nervous under Buggy's furious gaze. "Ah… Captain Buggy… You're looking healthy," she said awkwardly, attempting to charm her way out. Then, with a nervous smile, she quickly pointed at Zino. "Sorry! I was just following his orders! The map's already with him!"
Zino blinked. "Huh? When did I order you to—?"
"Shh!" Nami hissed at him, still smiling awkwardly at Buggy.
Buggy's red nose twitched, his face contorted with rage. "You little rats… You dare gang up on me and steal my treasure map?!"
"Well, technically, she stole it first," Zino said, still calm. "We're just here to clean up the mess."
Buggy's eye twitched violently. "You'll regret crossing me! All of you will pay for what you did to my crew!"
Zino scratched the back of his head, looking genuinely confused. "Uh… sorry that your men were weak?"
"Bastard!" Buggy roared, his face turning redder than his nose. "Did you just insult me?!"
Zino blinked. "Wait, no. I was talking about your crew—"
"How dare you imply I'm weak!" Buggy fumed, not even letting him finish. "You've done it now! Let me show you a glimpse of my power. In fact, you'll be the perfect test subject for my latest invention!"
"Invention?" Zino tilted his head, raising an eyebrow. "Oi, are you even listening to me?"
But Buggy clearly wasn't. Without another word, he turned around and bolted away, while being followed by his last follower.
Zino watched him go, blinking again. "Huh? Didn't he just say he was going to fight me? Why is he running now?"
Even Nami stopped looting for a second to peek over. "Uh… Is he fleeing?"
"I don't think so," Zoro muttered. "He looks too proud to run."
A moment later, the answer revealed itself. Buggy came stomping back into view, pushing a massive wheeled cannon with a maniacal grin plastered across his face.
"Behold!" Buggy shouted, with theatrical flair. "My masterpiece! My ultimate invention! This cannon will light up the sky—and turn you all into dust!"
Zino's eyes widened slightly. "Wait… You seriously brought a whole cannon to a one-on-one fight?"
"Silence!" Buggy barked, spinning the cannon around and locking it into position. "Prepare yourselves for the destructive might of the Muggy Ball!"
"The what now?" Zino took a cautious step back, now eyeing the strange cannonball being loaded into the barrel.
"Light it!" Buggy ordered.
One of the remaining crew members, trembling, lit the fuse.
*BOOM!*
"What the—!? Shi—!"
Zino's instincts screamed danger. The moment the Muggy Ball cannon fired, he activated *Soru*, vanishing in a burst of speed. In the blink of an eye, he grabbed both Alvida and Nami by the arms and dashed far from the blast zone.
Zoro, recognizing the threat just in time, rolled away to the side.
A second later, the cannonball detonated mid-air with a violent explosion. A powerful shockwave surged forward, obliterating everything in its path. Trees were uprooted, crates shattered into splinters, and an entire ship dock was torn apart as the blast tore through the coastline and continued into the open sea.
The sheer force of destruction left a massive scar on the land—and an even bigger one on Zino's face.
He stood silently, his fists clenched, as he stared at the devastation left behind. Smoke billowed from the path of the blast, and embers still flickered in the air.
Zino frowned deeply. He wasn't just impressed—he was pissed.
"That damn cannonball…" he muttered. "It's actually dangerous."