Hiccup was now facing Minden and Nadia in the hybrid snake forms, with all the Wing Maidens in the crowd cheering for his execution.
"The Gorgons are about to start their snake dance."
Zera was sitting in the crowd, though she looked generally intrigued about Hiccup.
"I've never seen Minden's salamander move before; I can't wait."
"Oh, don't forget about Nadia's eight-headed serpent."
"They look fabulous when they transform. Of course, they do; it's proved they slayed to the Gorgon."
"They've got great looks and power."
However, Lila looked at Margaret and the others and looked away in shame.
Astrid just stood there in the crowd, folding her arms. "Guess I'm going to have to make a move soon."
Hiccup also noticed the reaction of the crowd with their transformations. "Looks like everyone here doesn't know about devil fruit powers."
"That man is finished now."
"I can't stand waiting; just put him to death!"
"Perhaps I'll just swallow you whole," said Nadia.
"Or maybe squeeze into bits," said Minden.
"Look at him. He's scared stiff."
"Just stand there and die then."
"Timeout," said Hiccup, surprising everyone.
"What now? Want to beg?" Nadia asked.
"Grovel all you like, but will still destroy you," said Minden.
"Hardly," said Hiccup and turned his back on them.
The crowd looked at him, confused.
"What's he doing?"
Everyone watched as he made his way over to Margaret and the others, and then he transformed into his hybrid form. He then picked up Penelope and placed her on the platform below, and he began to do the same for Margaret and Camie.
"Looks like they're not cracked," he said, examining them. "Don't worry. I'll get you out of this mess."
"That's a kind gesture, but you should be more concerned about yourself," said Nadia. "With your ability to fly, you can easily escape here, so why remain?"
"I don't go looking for fights, but when I start one, I don't finish until it's over," said Hiccup.
"Is he trying to… he's saving Margaret and the others from harm," said Lila, surprised.
"But why? He's already been sentenced to death?"
"Because, unlike the rest of you, he has honour," said Astrid as she walked down the stands.
"Who is that?"
"I've never seen her before."
Astrid then jumped into the arena and stood beside Hiccup. "How is it that you attract trouble wherever you go?"
Hiccup smiled. "I've been asking myself the same question."
"Who are you? And why are you siding with that man?" Minden demanded.
"Because he's my friend, it's that simple," said Astrid as she drew her battleaxe. "And I'll cut down anyone who tries to hurt him."
This caused another round of commotion within the stands.
"She siding with the man?"
"Does she have a death wish?"
"Just who is this girl," said Lila.
Atali looked down at Astrid. 'This girl? Her beauty rivals mine; could it be that she is the reason my Love-Love powers had no effect on the man?'
She then turned to Nadia and Minden. "Nadia! Minden! Remove her from my site at once!"
"As you wish, your Highness," said Nadia.
"You can consider it done," said Minden.
Hiccup then raised his fists. "We're ready whenever you are."
"Just don't feel bad when we take you down," said Astrid as she tightened her grip on her axe.
The Wing Maidens were stunned by the defiance but then burst out laughing.
"What a joke."
"Did they just say what I think they said?"
"If they think they can win, they're in front of an ugly surprise."
"Apparently, we're a hit," said Astrid.
"Look, we don't have all day. Are we doing this or not?" Hiccup asked.
"Sure, why not," said Minden and then looked at them seriously. "Since the two of you seem intent on winning this battle, let me warn you. If I were you, I wouldn't fall into that pit between the ring and the seats."
"Yeah, I did and noticed the razor-sharp spikes in the pit," said Astrid.
Hiccup looked around and saw that there were indeed razor-sharp spikes in the pit between the ring and the stands.
"So, shall we begin?" Minden asked.
"We've been ready for a while now," said Astrid.
"Good," said Minden and began to spin her spear. "Don't blink, this won't take long."
"Minden and Nadia, execute them now!" Atali commanded. "For the crime of sneaking onto our island and personally offending me. Disposal upon them the ultimate punishment!"
The crowd burst into cheers.
"Let them have it!"
"Yeah!"
Minden swung her spear and slammed down towards them, but they quickly dodged it, causing her to smash through the railings instead. She then continued swinging her spear, and they continued dodging.
'They may actually have some skill after all,' Minden admitted.
"Show them who's boss! That's the way, Minden!"
Minden swung her spear down, but Astrid blocked it with her battleaxe, and Hiccup flew directly over her. She then quickly spun around and spat out poison. Fortunately, he was able to dodge it.
"Astrid, be careful as you would use poison!" Hiccup yelled.
"Got it," she said and jumped back away from Minden.
"Powerful Poison!" Minden yelled and began shooting out more poison.
She began firing poison at both Hiccup and Astrid, forcing them to dodge it. Hiccup then saw one of the shots of poison nearly hit Margaret and the others. To that end, he landed on the ground and began running directly towards her.
"Dragon Talon!" Hiccup yelled as he swung his leg at her.
However, she was able to block it with the palm of her hand, knocking him back. She then struck him with the butt of her spear, and he crashed into the railings.
"Hiccup, you are right?" Astrid asked, rushing over to him.
"No, that blow actually hurt me," he said, grasping his chest.
"But how your scales are as hard as steel?" Astrid stared.
"Told ya, he's all bark and no bite."
"And the girl is incredibly weak."
Hiccup and Astrid looked up to see Minden swinging her spear down at them, and they quickly rolled to safety.
"Astrid, if their weapons can do damage to me, you need to avoid any direct hits," Hiccup warned.
"I still don't understand how they can hurt you?" said Astrid.
Suddenly, she found herself wrapped up in Nadia's tail.
"No fair, Minden, you're keeping them all to yourself," she said. "I've got you now, girl."
She then began to squeeze, and Astrid yelled in pain.
"Astrid!" Hiccup cried.
He then quickly swooped down, only to be struck by Minden and hit into the ground hard.
"This reminds me of that battle battleaxe guy," said Hiccup, remembering how he managed to knock them around. "But he didn't have any Devil Fruit powers? If that's the case, how was he able to do it?"
"You have powers just like us, huh?" said Nadia as she played around with Astrid. "You're a Zoan type, just like us.
"You certainly seem a bit more informed than the rest of your people," Hiccup noted. "Which begs the question, why are you feeding everyone this Gorgon tale?"
"That's a secret. One that the three of us will take to the grave with us," she said. "So don't bother asking. I take it that neither of you can use Haki, then? Most outsiders don't seem to get it. That is why the two of you are so weak."
Hiccup narrowed his eyes.
"That attack won't work," she said.
Hiccup fired a plasma blast at her, but he moved in the way just before he fired.
Nadia laughed. "Try again."
"She knows what he's about to do?" Astrid stared.
Nadia then lifted her into the air. "Snake Frail!"
She then slammed into the arena.
"Yes, crush her!"
Hiccup quickly rushed over to Astrid. "You okay?"
"It'll take more than that to bring me down," she said, wincing slightly. She then drew her battleaxe. "Axe Onslaught!"
She then began swinging her act with unbelievable speed and Nadia, but she easily danced around each and every one of her attacks.
"Snake Dance!" she said.
"She's so fast, and with her Haki, she can see every attack as soon as they think it up."
"You're really simpleminded," said Nadia as he continued to dance around. "I can read you like a book."
Astrid finally came to a stop, looking exhausted. "How is she doing that? I can't seem to land a blow."
"Astrid, behind you!" Hiccup yelled.
Astrid turned around and saw Minden towering over her. "Looks like you forgot about someone. Snake Stick!"
She then swung her tail, striking Astrid and sending her flying.
"You better be careful not to fall off the edge," Minden warned.
Astrid was still rolling across the ground and fell out of the arena.
"She's falling into the pit!"
"Is it the end already?" Lila asked.
"Astrid!" Hiccup yelled.
"You should be more worried about yourself," said Nadia as she swung her spear towards him.
Hiccup, however, transformed into his animal form and took off before she could stab him. He flew as fast as he could towards Astrid, who was falling towards the spikes. He managed to catch her leg before she was skewered.
Hiccup lowered his head, looking down at her. "You all right?"
Astrid smiled as she hung upside down. "I'm good."
"So close, damnit!"
"They'll probably knock right back down again," Daisy laughed.
"You do have to admire their tenacity, but all they're doing is buying themselves a few minutes at best," said Veronica. "The man might as well have let her keep falling if you ask me."
Atali then brushed her hair behind her ear and smiled, which dazzled the crowd.
"The Snake Princess just brushed her hair behind her ear.
"Her beauty knows no bounds. She's just perfect."
"They seem to be the very definition of all bark and no bite," said Atali. "Though I do find them amusing."
Hiccup flew back to the arena and dropped Astrid onto the ground before returning to human form.
"I can't believe everyone who is so shallow," said Astrid, shaking her head. "I mean, how can they be impressed by her?"
Atali looked stunned and looked as if she was about to faint. "How rude."
This angered the crowd even further.
"The audacity! Teach them a lesson!"
"Come on, skew them!"
"No mercy!"
Atali then stood up. "Nadia! Minden! Kill them; I cannot tolerate them a moment longer. We must ensure once and for all that their filthy outburst are silenced!"
The Gorgons then turned and faced them.
"I was hoping we could drag this out, but you heard our Empress," said Nadia.
"It's a pity we can't prolong your pain," said Minden.
"Indeed, Minden, but at the very least, we will show them a taste of despair."
Nadia then extended her tail and used it to grab Margaret.
"No! Margaret!" Lila gasped.
Everyone in the stands was horrified by what was going on.
"What do you think you're doing?" Hiccup asked.
"Yeah, your fight is with us," said Astrid.
Nadia then began playing around with Margaret like she was some sort of toy.
"You're going to end up breaking her if you keep doing that," said Hiccup.
The Gorgons looked at one another and chuckled.
"Good idea," said Nadia.
"She saved your life, you said, then she deserves it," said Minden.
"There you have it, my lady; we have a new way of making them suffer before they die."
Hiccup looked outraged. "Last I checked, this is a duel between the two of us and the two of you."
"You're nothing more than cowards, both of you!" said Astrid furiously.
They then charge at the two of them.
"Above," said Nadia.
Minden swung her spear down at them, and they quickly jumped into the air.
"Let her go!" Hiccup demanded.
However, Minden slammed into the ground with her tail before they could get anywhere close. Minden then wrapped her tail around Hiccup, lifting him off the ground and forcing him to look directly at them.
"I'm afraid the two of you are the only ones who thought this was a duel," said Minden. "This is clearly a public execution."
"Compared to the trauma you caused our Empress, this is the least we can do to you," said Nadia as she tossed Margaret into the air and caught her with a tail.
"Do you know how she felt?" Hiccup roared as he attempted to free himself. "She loves this country, and this is how you treat her!"
"Our Empress is popular; your friend would agree with this punishment," said Nadia.
"Like hell, she would!" Hiccup glared.
Astrid picked herself up but was still too winded to offer assistance. 'I have to help, but I can barely move.'
"After we take care of this honest little traitor, we'll turn her self-sacrificing friends into pretty little piles of rubble," said Minden. "And when we do, you'll have a front-row seat."
"Wait!" Lila yelled.
This horrified Everyone in the stands, but they could do nothing.
"Here goes," Nadia smiled as she lifted Margaret into the air. "Three…"
"No! Don't do it!" Hiccup yelled.
Nadia then lifted her as high as she possibly could. "…two…"
Astrid's eyes widened. "No! Don't!"
"Put her down!" Hiccup roared.
Minden then tightened her grip around Hiccup. "Give up."
"…one…"
"No, Margaret!" Lila cried.
Everyone close their eyes.
"…zero…" she said.
She then began to slam Margaret down onto the ground.
"I said stop! That is enough!" Hiccup yelled as loudly as he could.
Everyone's eyes widened as he sensed the massive presence coming from Hiccup, which hit him like a shockwave. Everyone stared in shock, and then, people in the stands began to collapse one by one.
"Argh, the Warriors are fainting!"
Minden was so shocked that she lowered Hiccup to the ground and released him. Nadia had stopped moments before she slammed Margaret into the ground, looking completely stunned. She then gently placed Margaret back onto the ground and released her.
Astrid looked around, shocked. "This is almost exactly what happened in the Auction House."
"Absurd," said Lila, stunned. "It can't be."
Hiccup then rushed over to Margaret to check for cracks or scratches; thankfully, there weren't.
"Looks like she's all right," said Hiccup, much to his relief.
The Gorgons just stared at him, completely shocked by what had just happened.
"I'm real," said Veronica. "That was the Congress Spirit."
"You're kidding," said Daisy. "Only one out of a million people can summon forth that Haki, let alone control it."
'I've never seen anyone apart from the Empress do something like that,' said Nadia.
'This boy has the qualities of a conqueror, the ability to stand above all others,' said Minden.
"The same as me," said Atali, biting down on her finger. "There's no doubt about it. He wields such power, but who the hell is this boy? Is he toying with us?"
"Am I dreaming? That really didn't just happen, did it?"
"What's everyone talking about?" Hiccup asked.
"I'm not entirely sure," said Astrid.
"None of them seem to realise that he used Haki," said Minden.
"I guess he doesn't know how to control it then," Nadia assumed.
Hiccup looked at them. "There's no doubt about it that the two of you are strong."
Astrid shook her head and looked. "We may not know what's going on, but we take a fight like this seriously. So what do you say we begin round two?"