ONE PIECE: Phantom's Wake

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018:
STYLISH ESCAPE

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The streets of the island erupted into chaos as the Straw Hats sprinted full speed toward the dock, dodging cannon fire and roaring with laughter. Marines tripped over their own fallen comrades, scrambling to reload their weapons while their officers screamed orders.

“AFTER THEM! DON’T LET THEM GET AWAY!”

BOOM!

Another cannonball exploded behind them, sending debris flying, but the crew barely flinched. They were too busy laughing.

“Oi! Marines are so SLOW!” Luffy cackled, effortlessly stretching his arm to slingshot himself over a group of stunned soldiers.

“Yeah, yeah! We’ll wait for you at the Sunny!” Usopp cupped his hands around his mouth, taunting as he ducked under a rifle swing. “Oh wait—You’ll never catch up!”

Sanji flipped over a pile of rubble, dodging a Marine’s sword, and exhaled a cloud of smoke. “Tch. Even their aim sucks. These guys can’t hit a barn door.”

“Gahaha! Maybe they need glasses!” Franky shouted, charging through a line of Marines like a wrecking ball. “Better luck next time, LOSERS!”

“I do feel bad for them,” Robin chuckled, elegantly flipping through the air as she used her Devil Fruit arms to trip up entire squads behind them. “They just weren’t prepared for us.”

“OIIII! I SEE THE SHIP!” Chopper shouted excitedly in his Heavy Point form, barreling forward while carrying Usopp on his back.

“ABOUT TIME!” Nami yelled, sparks crackling around her fingertips. She whipped her Clima-Tact over her shoulder, sending a massive lightning bolt into the Marine ranks.

“Here’s a little goodbye present! THUNDERBOLT TEMPO!”

CRACK-BOOM!

A whole squad screamed as they got fried, collapsing in a heap of twitching bodies.

“Yohoho! Magnificent aim, Nami-san!” Brook laughed, effortlessly skating on air past her. “But allow me to add a little melody to our escape! PARTY MUSIC!” He played a wild tune on his violin, hyping up the crew while running.

Zoro glanced back, a smug smirk on his face. “Tch. Not even worth drawing my third sword.”

“STOP GLOATING AND RUN, YOU MUSCLE-HEAD!” Nami screeched, smacking him on the head as she dashed past.

“Hah?! We wouldn’t even be in this mess if you didn’t make us stay at that stupid festival so long!”

“HOW IS THIS MY FAULT?!”

“SHUT UP AND KEEP RUNNING, YOU STUPID SIBLINGS!” Usopp hollered, cackling.

Behind them, the Marines were red-faced with rage, tripping over themselves as cannon fire boomed across the port.

"There it is! The Sunny!" Jinbei shouted.

The Thousand Sunny was waiting at the dock, sails unfurled, the ocean shimmering beneath it.

"FRANKY! START IT UP!" Luffy hollered.

“ALREADY ON IT, CAPTAIN!” Franky bellowed as he leaped onto the ship, slamming his hand down on the control panel. The Sunny’s engines roared to life.

The crew jumped aboard one by one, bullets whizzing past them, a few even clipping the sails.

“DON’T LET THEM ESCAPE!” a Marine captain shrieked.