Dust and broken metal rained down as the four of them slid across the ruined floor, barely having avoided the Seraphim's last combined strike.
The room was almost unrecognisable now.
Walls had been torn open. The ceiling sagged. Live wires sparked overhead, bathing the drifting smoke in flickering blue light. Shattered consoles and chunks of reinforced plating lay scattered everywhere.
Luffy, Zoro, Ryo, and Shaka were crouched low, eyes locked forward.
Luffy: wow that was too close
Shaka straightened slowly, brushing debris from his coat.
Shaka: indeed
He lifted his head, eyes narrowing as calculations raced behind the mask.
Shaka: there is something terribly wrong here, despite my authority level, the seraphim won't respond to my commands, which leads only one possible explanation, they're receiving orders from another vegapunk
Ryo's visible eye widened slightly.
Ryo (thinking): Lilith, Edison, Pythagoras, Atlas, York... or vegapunk himself. one of them gave the order. but who
The pressure Ryo had felt earlier crept back into his chest, heavier now, more focused—like a storm drawing closer.
Shaka's voice dropped.
Shaka: it's all beginning to make sense, our coms failed us and we were caged by our own security system, it was all by design. we have a traitor in our midst and they want every one of us dead
Luffy shot upright.
Luffy: What?!
Behind them, chains scraped against the floor.
Ryo turned just as Lucci, Itsuki, and Kaku slowly pushed themselves upright, sea-prism cuffs still forcing their arms behind their backs.
Lucci's eyes flicked to the Seraphim.
Lucci: that includes us it would seem
Itsuki gave a dry, crooked smile.
Itsuki: to think I'd die to a bunch of genetically engineered children. not really how I pictured it
Kaku clenched his jaw.
Kaku: I'd tear those things apart if I could
Itsuki: can't exactly do anything right now. they've basically got us dead rights
Kaku exhaled, then turned back toward the pirates.
Kaku: alright then
He looked from face to face.
Kaku: Hey strawhat, Roronoa, Dragonkiller, what do you say the six of us call a truce and try to work together
Itsuki tilted his head slightly.
Itsuki: we'll establish a temporary alliance. all you have to do is uncuff us
Itsuki: and then the six of us can destroy those things and we all make it out of here alive
For a split second, none of them spoke.
Then—
Zoro, Luffy, and Ryo all wore the exact same expression.
Disgust.
Pure, unfiltered revulsion.
Noses wrinkled. Brows furrowed. Their gazes dropped to the assassins like they were something unpleasant on the floor.
