The Thousand Sunny sailed through the tumultuous waters of the New World, guided by the pod of Island Whales until the massive creatures dove deep to avoid the boiling currents ahead. The sea turned from a deep indigo to a sickly, sulfurous yellow. Steam rose from the water surface, obscuring the horizon in a thick, choking fog.
Luffy stood at the figurehead, his eyes locked on the silhouette emerging from the mist. It was an island surrounded by a sea of fire. Massive pillars of flame shot into the sky, illuminating the dark clouds with an apocalyptic orange glow.
"It is burning," Nami said, her voice tight with worry as she checked the Log Pose. "The needles are going haywire. This island shouldn't exist. It is not registering on any magnetic field."
"It is Punk Hazard," Robin said, stepping up beside Nami. She wore a light, breezy outfit, but the rising temperature was already making her skin glisten. "Four years ago, it was the site of a massive chemical explosion caused by Dr. Vegapunk's experiments. The World Government sealed it off. It is supposed to be a dead island."
Luffy turned his head, looking at Robin. In his past life, she had been his favorite character. Her intelligence, her tragic past, and her dark humor had captivated him. He knew exactly what dangers lay ahead, and he knew he needed her sharp mind to navigate them.
"Dead islands are the best kind," Luffy said, hopping down from the railing. "They have the best secrets."
He walked over to the group.
"Are you okay with the heat?" Luffy asked generally, though he glanced at Robin.
Robin blinked. "I am fine, Captain. It is just a little warm."
"Good," Luffy nodded. "Stick close to me. If this place was a government facility, there might be traps left behind. I don't want anyone getting hurt."
Robin smiled, a genuine expression that reached her eyes. "I appreciate the concern, Luffy. But I can handle myself."
"I know," Luffy grinned. "But I'm the Captain. It is my job to worry."
Sanji spun out of the kitchen, holding a tray of iced drinks. "Nami-swan! Robin-chwan! Iced Love Tea to cool your beautiful skin!"
"Thanks, Sanji," Nami grabbed a glass. "We need to decide who is going ashore. The Mini Merry can only hold four people."
"Me!" Luffy raised his hand instantly.
"I will go," Zoro said, checking his swords. "I want to see what cut that samurai."
"I have the Can't-Go-To-Fire-Island disease!" Usopp trembled, hiding behind Franky.
"You are coming too, Usopp," Luffy pointed at the sniper. "We need your eyes."
"Nooooo!" Usopp wailed.
"And Robin," Luffy said, turning back to her. "You come too."
"Me?" Robin tilted her head. "I thought you wanted me safe."
"I do," Luffy adjusted his hat. "That is why you are coming with me. We need someone who can read the history of this place. Plus, it might be safer with the monster trio than on the ship if enemies attack."
Robin nodded. "Very well. I am curious about the history of this place."
"Wait!" Sanji dropped the tray. "Why does Robin-chan get to go with the moss-head and not me? I want to protect Robin-chan!"
"You stay here and protect Nami and the ship," Luffy ordered. "If enemies attack from the sea, I need you here."
Sanji stiffened, saluting. "Understood! I will defend Nami-swan with my life!"
The team was set. Luffy, Zoro, Usopp, and Robin climbed into the Mini Merry II.
"Super be careful!" Franky waved as he lowered the winch.
"Bring back a souvenir!" Brook shouted. "Ideally not a corpse! Yohoho!"
The small steam-paddle boat hit the boiling water with a hiss. The heat was immediate and oppressive. The air tasted of ash and sulfur.
"It is hot! It is hot!" Usopp screamed, fanning himself. "Why is the sea boiling? Are we being cooked?"
"Stop complaining," Zoro grunted, wiping sweat from his forehead. "It is just a little heat."
Luffy stood at the prow of the small boat, his gaze scanning the shoreline. He could feel the presence of the Dragon. He could feel the faint, scattered auras of the Centaurs patrolling the area. And deeper in, the cold, calculated malice of Caesar Clown.
He glanced back at Robin. She was looking at the burning ruins of a government facility near the shore. A piece of burning debris drifted through the air, carried by the updraft. It headed straight for the boat.
Before Zoro could draw his sword, Luffy's hand snapped out. He caught the burning wood mid-air, his hand coated in Armament Haki to prevent burns. He crushed it into ash and let it scatter in the wind.
"Heads up," Luffy said. "Ash in the eyes hurts."
Robin watched him. He was different. The Luffy she knew two years ago would have let it hit, or bounced it back with a laugh. This Luffy was hyper-aware.
"Thank you," she said softly.
They reached the shore. The ground was made of blackened rock and magma. A massive metal gate, melted and twisted, marked the entrance to the island. A sign hung crookedly, reading PUNK HAZARD.
"This place looks welcoming," Usopp muttered, clutching his slingshot. "Can we go back?"
"No," Luffy started walking. "I smell something."
"Is it danger?" Usopp asked.
"No," Luffy grinned. "Barbecue."
"ROAAAAAR!"
A roar shook the ground beneath their feet. It was a sound so loud it vibrated in their chests.
From the smoke and flames ahead, a massive creature emerged. It was covered in red scales, possessed giant leathery wings, and had a maw filled with razor-sharp teeth.
A Dragon.
"A Dragon?!" Usopp's eyes popped out of his skull. "They exist?! I thought they were myths!"
"That is a Western Dragon," Robin observed calmly, though her hand moved to ready her powers. "Very different from the dragons in Eastern mythology. It looks artificial."
The Dragon looked down at them, drool dripping from its jaws. It inhaled deeply.
"It breathes fire!" Zoro warned, drawing all three swords. "Scatter!"
"No need," Luffy said.
The Dragon unleashed a torrent of flame. It was a white-hot inferno, hot enough to melt stone.
Luffy stepped forward. He didn't dodge. He walked directly into the path of the fire.
"Luffy!" Usopp screamed. "You are not fireproof!"
Luffy raised his right hand. He didn't use Haki. He didn't use a technique. He simply swung his arm in a backhand motion, creating a massive shockwave of air pressure.
WOOSH.
The shockwave hit the fire breath, splitting it in half. The flames parted around Luffy and Robin, harmlessly scorching the rocks on either side of them.
Luffy stood amidst the fading embers, unscathed. He looked back at his crew.
"You guys okay?"
Robin stared at the parted flames, then at Luffy's broad back. "Yes. That was impressive."
The Dragon, confused that its prey wasn't ash, roared again and snapped its jaws at Luffy.
"Hey, lizard," Luffy looked up. "You are loud."
He jumped. He moved so fast he vanished from sight. He reappeared above the Dragon's head.
"Gomu Gomu no."
Luffy grabbed the Dragon's horns. He spun his body, using the momentum to twist the massive beast's neck.
"UFO!"
He spun the Dragon around like a ragdoll. The massive beast flailed, its wings smashing into the burning buildings. Luffy threw it toward the ground.
CRASH.
The Dragon slammed into the earth, creating a crater. It groaned, trying to get up.
"It is tough," Zoro noted, sheathing one sword. "Want me to finish it?"
"No," Luffy landed on the Dragon's snout. "It looks tasty."
"Tasty?!" Usopp shrieked. "It is a monster!"
"Dragon meat," Luffy drooled. "I wonder if it tastes spicy."
Suddenly, a voice spoke. Not from the Dragon, but from below the Dragon.
"It is hot! Someone help! I am stuck!"
The crew froze.
"Did the Dragon just talk?" Usopp whispered.
"No," Robin pointed. "It came from underneath."
Luffy grabbed the Dragon by the tail and lifted it up. Stuck to the Dragon's underbelly was a pair of legs. Just legs. No torso. No head. They were wearing hakama pants and sandals.
"Legs?!" Usopp screamed. "Walking legs?!"
The legs kicked wildly. "Unhand me, you beast! I am a samurai of Wano! I will not be eaten!"
Luffy dropped the Dragon and grabbed the legs.
"Hey, legs," Luffy said. "Where is the rest of you?"
"I cannot see!" The legs shouted. "Who is there? Are you a demon?"
"I am a pirate," Luffy said. "And you are weird."
"A pirate?!" The legs kicked Luffy in the face.
Luffy didn't flinch. His rubber face absorbed the kick. He laughed. "Shishishi! You are funny! Join my crew!"
"Luffy!" Usopp yelled. "Stop inviting body parts to the crew! We need a whole person!"
"This is fascinating," Robin walked closer, inspecting the legs. "The cut is clean. There is no blood. It is as if he was surgically disassembled, yet he retains motor function and consciousness. This must be the power of a Devil Fruit."
"A samurai," Zoro walked over, looking at the legs with interest. "He said he was a samurai of Wano. That means he is a swordsman."
"Can you talk through your butt?" Luffy asked the legs, poking them.
"How dare you!" The legs flailed. "I speak through my spirit! I am looking for my son! Momonosuke!"
"Momonosuke," Luffy repeated the name. He knew exactly who that was. The future Shogun. The key to the alliance.
"Okay," Luffy dropped the legs. "We will help you find your body. And your son."
"You will?" The legs stopped kicking. "Why? You are a pirate."
"Because I'm bored," Luffy lied. "And because you look like you know where the food is."
He turned to Zoro. "Zoro, carry the legs."
"Why me?!" Zoro snapped.
"Because you are the swordsman. It is professional courtesy," Luffy said.
Zoro grumbled but grabbed the legs, slinging them over his shoulder. "If you fart, I will slice you."
"I do not fart!" The legs protested. "I am a noble warrior!"
Luffy turned his attention back to the unconscious Dragon.
"Sanji isn't here," Luffy frowned. "Who is going to cook this?"
"I can roast it," Usopp offered, pulling out a Firebird Star.
"Good idea," Luffy ripped a massive chunk of meat from the Dragon's tail. "Let's eat first. Then we explore."
As they sat around the fire, eating roasted dragon meat, Robin sat next to Luffy.
"Luffy," she said quietly, so the others wouldn't hear. "You seem to know exactly where to go. And you knew about the samurai before we even saw him."
Luffy chewed, swallowing a massive bite. He looked at Robin. Her blue eyes were sharp, analyzing him.
"I have a good instinct," Luffy said.
"It is more than instinct," Robin pressed. "Ever since we met up at Sabaody, you have been different. You carry a weight you didn't have before. You look at things like you have seen them already."
Luffy stopped eating. He wiped his mouth.
"Robin," he said.
"Yes?"
"Trust me," Luffy said simply. "I promised I would protect you guys. I'm not going to let anyone hurt you again. Not the Government. Not Kaido. Not anyone."
Robin looked at him. His eyes were serious, devoid of his usual playfulness.
"Okay," she whispered. "I trust you."
Luffy nodded, standing up.
"Alright!" He shouted. "Adventure time! Let's go find the rest of the leg-guy!"
"He has a name!" The legs on Zoro's back shouted. "I am Kin'emon! The Foxfire!"
"Foxfire Kin'emon," Zoro tested the name. "Interesting style."
They began their trek deeper into the burning lands. The heat was relentless. The ground was littered with skeletal remains of giants and melted steel beams.
"This place is a graveyard," Usopp shivered. "What happened here?"
"A fight," Luffy said, looking at the center of the island where a massive crater separated the fire side from the ice side. "A fight between two monsters."
"Akainu and Aokiji," Robin deduced. "They fought for the position of Fleet Admiral. It changed the climate of the island permanently."
"Akainu," Luffy's face darkened. The scar on his chest throbbed phantomly.
Robin noticed the change in his mood. "We don't have to face him yet."
"I know," Luffy nodded. "But when I do, I'm going to punch him so hard he forgets his name."
They reached the edge of the burning lands. Ahead, a massive lake lay before them. But it wasn't water. It was ice. The transition was abrupt. One step was magma, the next was permafrost.
On the other side of the lake, massive shadowy figures loomed in the mist.
"Giants?" Usopp squeaked. "Why are there giants?"
"They aren't giants," Luffy said, his eyes narrowing. "They are kids."
"Kids?" Robin asked. "That size?"
"Experiments," Luffy spat the word out. "Caesar Clown is turning kids into giants. He is addicted to science without morals."
"That is horrible," Robin's eyes grew cold. She hated nothing more than those who abused history and knowledge for pain.
"We are going to crash his party," Luffy cracked his knuckles.
"But first," Luffy turned to the group. "We need coats. It is cold over there."
"We don't have coats!" Usopp yelled. "We are wearing tropical clothes!"
"We take them," Luffy pointed to a group of centaurs patrolling the ice bank. They were wearing thick fur coats.
"Centaurs?!" Usopp rubbed his eyes. "Legs, dragons, now centaurs? This island makes no sense!"
"Hey!" Luffy shouted, waving at the centaurs. "Give me your clothes!"
The centaurs turned, raising their rifles. "Intruders! Shoot them!"
Bang. Bang. Bang.
Bullets flew.
Luffy didn't dodge. "Zoro."
"On it," Zoro blurred.
Clang. Clang. Slash.
The rifles were cut in half. The centaurs stood there, holding useless pieces of metal.
"Strip," Zoro said menacingly, holding Shusui.
Five minutes later, the Straw Hat exploration team was bundled up in warm, albeit ill-fitting, centaur coats. The centaurs were left shivering in their underwear.
"Much better," Luffy said, grabbing a coat and tossing it to Robin. "Put that on. It is freezing over there."
Robin caught the coat. "Thank you, Captain."
"Good," Luffy turned to the ice lands.
"Now," Luffy declared, his voice echoing across the frozen lake. "Let's go find a scientist and beat him up."
"And find my body!" Kin'emon shouted from Zoro's back.
"And find the snow meat!" Usopp added tentatively.
"No snow meat!" Luffy and Sanji shouted together, Sanji's voice echoing in spirit.
They stepped onto the ice, ready to face the frozen heart of the conspiracy.