The morning sun rose over the New World, casting a golden glare upon the turbulent waves. The sea here was never truly calm; massive currents twisted beneath the surface like writhing serpents, and the wind carried the scent of ozone and distant storms.
On the deck of the Thousand Sunny, however, the weather was the least of Trafalgar Law's problems.
The Surgeon of Death sat against the mainmast, his long nodachi resting on his shoulder. He pulled his spotted hat down over his eyes, trying to block out the reality of his current situation. He was a Warlord of the Sea. He was a cold, calculated tactician who had spent years planning the downfall of Donquixote Doflamingo. He was feared across the Grand Line.
And he was currently wearing Chopper on his head.
"Law! Look!" Luffy shouted, hanging upside down from the rigging. "It is a Chopper-Hat!"
"Get him off," Law said, his voice a low growl.
"I am checking for head injuries!" Chopper insisted, parting Law's hair with his hooves. "You took a lot of damage from Vergo! As the ship's doctor, I must ensure your cranium is intact!"
"My cranium is fine," Law gritted his teeth. "My dignity is what is dying."
"Shishishi!" Luffy laughed, dropping from the ropes and landing lightly on the grassy deck. "Don't be grumpy, Traffy. It is a nice morning! We have a new crewmate! We have a hostage! We have a samurai!"
Luffy pointed to the lawn, where a bizarre scene was unfolding.
Sanji was dancing. He was spinning like a tornado of hearts, holding a tray of steaming coffee. Following him, mimicking his every move with military precision, was Baby 5.
"Sanji-sama!" Baby 5 shouted, her eyes sparkling. "Do you need a spoon? I can transform my finger into a spoon! Or a ladle! Or a whisk!"
"Oh, my violent angel!" Sanji swooned, stopping his spin to pose on one knee. "Your willingness to serve is the sweetest sugar my coffee could ever need! But a lady should not transform her delicate fingers into kitchenware! Allow me to serve you!"
"He wants to serve me!" Baby 5 clutched her cheeks, blushing so hard steam rose from her ears. "He needs me to be served! It is a double need!"
She transformed her upper body into a missile launcher.
"I am so happy I could explode!"
"Don't explode on the deck!" Franky yelled from the helm. "I just painted the railing!"
"Is this normal?" Kin'emon asked. The samurai was sitting on a wooden crate, staring at the chaos with wide, bewildered eyes. He was fully assembled now, though he still felt a phantom itch where his legs had been detached.
"Define normal," Zoro grunted. The swordsman sat nearby, polishing Shusui with a cloth. "If you mean loud, annoying, and stupid, then yes. This is normal."
"I see," Kin'emon nodded solemnly. "Pirates are truly fearsome creatures. They weaponize love."
"Where is Momonosuke?" Luffy asked, looking around.
"The young master is inside with the womenfolk," Kin'emon said. "He was complaining of hunger, and the navigator offered him a tangerine."
Luffy's expression shifted. He knew Momonosuke. He knew the little dragon was a pervert who used his child status to get close to Nami and Robin. In his past life, he found it funny. In this life, he felt a strange, protective twitch in his eyebrow.
"I'm going to check on them," Luffy said.
He walked toward the kitchen/dining area. Law watched him go, then sighed, finally peeling the reindeer off his head.
"Doctor-ya," Law said. "I am going to the kitchen too. I need coffee. Black. Bitter. Like my soul right now."
The Galley
The kitchen of the Thousand Sunny was warm and smelled of baking bread and frying bacon. Nami sat at the table, peeling a tangerine. Robin sat opposite her, reading the newspaper they had retrieved from Caesar's subordinates.
Sitting between them, looking smug, was Momonosuke in his human form. He was currently snuggled into Robin's side, resting his head against her arm while Nami fed him slices of fruit.
"Is it good, Momo-chan?" Nami asked sweetly.
"Yes, Nami-dono," Momonosuke said, giving a thumbs up to the empty air—specifically towards Sanji and Brook, who were peering through the porthole with jealousy.
"That brat!" Sanji hissed from outside. "He is exploiting the system!"
"Yohoho! I wish I had skin so I could feel the warmth of a lady!" Brook lamented.
Luffy kicked the door open.
"Meat!" Luffy announced his arrival.
He walked over to the table. He looked at Momonosuke. He looked at Robin.
Momonosuke looked up at Luffy. He saw the captain's eyes. They weren't the goofy eyes of earlier. They were sharp. Assessing.
"Yo, Momo," Luffy said, grabbing a chair and spinning it around to sit straddle-style. "Comfortable?"
"Un," Momonosuke nodded, burying his face deeper into Robin's coat. "Robin-dono smells like flowers."
Luffy reached out. He grabbed Momonosuke by the back of his kimono and lifted him up effortlessly.
"Hey!" Momonosuke flailed. "Unhand me, you ruffian! I am a samurai's son!"
"And she is my archaeologist," Luffy said calmly, placing Momonosuke on the empty chair next to him. "You sit here. Men sit with men."
"Ehh?" Nami blinked. "Luffy? He is just a kid."
"He is a samurai," Luffy corrected. "Kin'emon said samurais have dignity. Hiding behind a girl isn't dignified."
He leaned in close to Momonosuke, whispering so only the boy (and maybe Robin) could hear.
"Plus, if you try to peek, I'll tell everyone you're a dragon and Sanji will try to cook you."
Momonosuke went pale. He sat up straight instantly, folding his hands in his lap. "I understand! I shall sit with honor!"
Robin looked at Luffy. A small, amused smile played on her lips. She understood exactly what he was doing.
"Thank you, Captain," she whispered.
"Coffee," Law walked in, looking like a zombie. He slumped into a chair at the far end of the table. "Don't speak to me until I have caffeine."
"Breakfast is served!" Sanji burst in, carrying platters of food. Baby 5 followed him, carrying napkins, salt shakers, pepper grinders, and a grenade launcher just in case.
"Here you go, Nami-swan! A fruit salad! Robin-chwan! A light sandwich! Luffy! Meat stack! Moss-head! Razor blades! Wait, no, just rice balls."
Sanji placed a plate of grilled fish and rice in front of Law.
"Eat up, gloomy guy."
Law stared at the plate. He stared at the rice balls next to it. He stared at the bread basket in the center of the table.
"I hate bread," Law stated.
"Huh?" Luffy paused mid-bite, a ham hock hanging from his mouth. "You hate bread?"
"I despise it," Law glared at the croissant as if it were Doflamingo.
"More for me!" Luffy stretched his arm, snatched the entire bread basket, and swallowed it whole. "You are weird, Traffy. Bread is fluffy."
"It is dry," Law argued. "Rice is superior."
"This is the Pirate Alliance strategy meeting!" Usopp declared, walking in with Franky and Chopper. "Topic one: What is wrong with Law's taste buds?"
"Topic two," Law ignored Usopp, his voice serious. "Dressrosa."
The atmosphere shifted slightly. Even Luffy stopped chewing for a second.
"We have Caesar," Law gestured to the corner where the gas scientist was tied up, gagged, and currently being used as a coat rack by Zoro. "He is the key. Doflamingo has to resign from the Warlords to get him back. If he resigns, the Admirals will hunt him. If he doesn't, Kaido will hunt him. He is checkmated."
"Sounds complicated," Luffy said, picking his nose. "Can't I just punch him?"
"No," Law slammed his hand on the table. "If you punch him, the Navy Admirals will descend on us! We need to be subtle! We drop Caesar off at Green Bit, destroy the factory while Doflamingo is distracted, and leave!"
"Green Bit?" Luffy tilted his head. "Is it made of peas?"
"It is an island next to Dressrosa," Robin explained. "Known for its dense forests and fighting fish."
"Fighting fish?" Luffy's eyes sparkled. "Can we eat them?"
"Focus!" Law rubbed his temples. "We are not eating the fish! We are destroying the SMILE factory!"
"Master Law!" Baby 5 raised her hand. "I can destroy the factory!"
"You work for Doflamingo!" Law reminded her. "Or you did."
"But Sanji needs the factory gone, right?" Baby 5 looked at the cook.
"I need whatever makes you smile, my dear!" Sanji swooned.
"Then I will blow it up!" Baby 5 transformed her arm into a Gatling gun and aimed it at the ceiling. "I will practice now!"
"NO!" Everyone shouted.
"Don't shoot the ship!" Franky grabbed her arm. "This is Super Adam Wood! You can't just put holes in it!"
Luffy laughed. "Shishishi! This is going to be a fun trip."
Law looked around the table. Luffy was eating Law's untouched rice balls. Zoro was sleeping. Sanji was flirting with the enemy. Usopp was lying to Chopper about fighting sea kings.
I formed an alliance with idiots, Law thought, despair washing over him. I am going to die. Not by Kaido, but by stress.
"Hey, Traffy," Luffy said, swallowing the food.
Law looked up. "What?"
"Don't worry," Luffy grinned. It was the same grin he gave before he punched the Celestial Dragon. "It will work out."
"How can you be so sure?" Law asked.
"Because we are strong," Luffy said simply. "And because I promised I would beat Mingo. I don't break promises."
Law looked at the Straw Hat Captain. For a moment, he saw the shadow of the Will of D. The storm that broke gears.
"Fine," Law sighed, taking a sip of his black coffee. "But we stick to the plan. Mostly."
"Mostly," Luffy agreed.
Somewhere in the Sky
High above the clouds, a figure soared through the air. He didn't fly with wings; he ran on thin, invisible threads attached to the clouds themselves.
Donquixote Doflamingo. The Heavenly Demon. The King of Dressrosa.
He held a Transponder Snail in his hand. His veins were bulging on his forehead, throbbing in rhythm with his anger.
"Vergo defeated," Doflamingo whispered to the wind. "Monet dead. Caesar captured. Baby 5 and Buffalo... missing."
He laughed. It was a terrifying sound, manic and furious.
"Fufufufu! Straw Hat Luffy. Trafalgar Law. You brats think you can play in the big leagues?"
He stopped mid-air, hovering over the ocean. Below him, a massive sea king breached the surface.
Doflamingo moved his finger.
Parasite.
The sea king froze. Its eyes rolled back. It began to thrash violently, tearing into its own flesh, controlled by strings it couldn't see or fight.
"You want me to resign?" Doflamingo grinned, his sunglasses reflecting the harsh sunlight. "You want to break the gears?"
He slashed his hand. Five colored strings cut through the air.
Pentachromatic Strings.
The sea king was sliced into perfect cubes. The pieces rained down into the bloody water.
"Fine," Doflamingo said. "I'll play your game. But when you come to my kingdom... you will find that the strings are already around your necks."
He pulled out another snail.
"Diamante. Get the Colosseum ready."
"Boss?" Diamante's voice crackled. "What prize should we offer?"
Doflamingo reached into his pocket. He pulled out a fruit. It was orange, swirled with flame patterns. The Mera Mera no Mi. The Flame-Flame Fruit.
"Offer this," Doflamingo smiled cruelly. "Straw Hat won't be able to resist. Let's see him watch his brother's legacy burn."
Back on the Sunny
Luffy stood on the lion head figurehead, looking out at the horizon. The wind whipped his hair.
He felt it. The trap. He knew about the fruit. He knew Doflamingo had it. As a transmigrator, he knew every dirty trick the Warlord had up his sleeve.
He clenched his fist. The memory of Ace dying in his arms—the original Luffy's memory—burned in his chest.
You think you can use Ace as bait, Mingo? Luffy thought, his eyes darkening.
He wasn't going to just win the fruit. He was going to make sure Sabo got it. He needed to find Sabo. He knew his other brother was in Dressrosa.
"Luffy?"
Robin walked up to the figurehead. She held a cup of coffee.
"You look serious," she said softly.
Luffy turned. The dark expression vanished, replaced by a soft smile he reserved only for her.
"Just thinking about fire," Luffy said.
"Fire?" Robin leaned against the railing next to him. "Because of the island we left?"
"No," Luffy looked at his hand. "Because of something I lost. And something I'm going to get back."
Robin didn't press him. She just stood there, her presence a comforting anchor. She took a sip of her coffee.
"It is strange," Robin said. "With Baby 5 here, the ship feels even more chaotic. But..."
"But?"
"But it feels safer," Robin looked at him. "You handle chaos well, Captain."
"Chaos is just freedom moving fast," Luffy said.
"That is profound," Robin chuckled. "Did you read that in a book?"
"No," Luffy grinned. "I made it up. Does it sound smart?"
"Very smart," Robin agreed.
"Captain!" Usopp shouted from the crow's nest. "I see something! A ship! It is... a giant duck?"
"A duck?" Luffy turned.
"No! It is the News Coo ship!" Usopp corrected. "They are dropping the morning papers!"
A seagull wearing a hat dropped a bundle of newspapers onto the deck. Nami ran to grab them.
"Let's see," Nami unrolled the paper. Her eyes widened. She gasped. "No way!"
"What is it?" Sanji asked, pirouetting over.
"Look!" Nami held up the front page.
The headline was bold and massive.
DONQUIXOTE DOFLAMINGO RESIGNS FROM THE SEVEN WARLORDS OF THE SEA!KING OF DRESSROSA ABDICATES THE THRONE!
"He did it!" Usopp screamed. "He actually did it! Law's plan worked!"
Law walked over, snatching the paper. He scanned the text. He checked the seal. It looked official.
"He resigned," Law muttered, stunned. "He actually gave up his status to get Caesar back."
"We won!" Chopper cheered. "Now the Admirals will catch him!"
Luffy looked at the paper. He looked at Doflamingo's picture. The man was smiling in the photo.
It is fake, Luffy thought. It is a misprint. A lie he fed the papers to trick us. CP0 is helping him.
But he couldn't say that yet. He couldn't reveal he knew the future.
"Don't celebrate yet," Luffy said aloud. "Mingo is a tricker. Even if the paper says it, I bet he has a backup plan."
"You are surprisingly cynical," Law noted. "But you are right. We cannot let our guard down. We head to Dressrosa to destroy the factory and hand over Caesar. Then we leave."
"Right," Luffy nodded. "We leave."
After I kick his teeth in, Luffy added silently.
"Baby 5!" Luffy shouted. "Do you know where the factory is?"
Baby 5, who was currently letting Sanji use her gun-arm as a lighter, looked up.
"Yes, Captain! It is under the Colosseum! Hidden deep underground!"
"The Colosseum," Luffy grinned. "Sounds like a fun place."
"It is a place of death!" Kin'emon shuddered. "Warriors fight to the death for entertainment!"
"Like I said," Luffy cracked his knuckles. "Fun."
"Nami!" Luffy pointed forward. "Full speed to Dressrosa! I want to see this toy country!"
"Aye, aye!" Nami sighed, clutching her new Log Pose. "Into the lion's den we go."
The Thousand Sunny caught the wind, surging forward. The waves crashed against the hull, carrying the Pirate Alliance toward their destiny.
And in the shadows of the ship, unseen by everyone, a small, pink dragon stared at the island appearing on the horizon, his body trembling with a fear he couldn't voice.
"Kaido is there," Momonosuke whispered. "The Dragon is there."
Luffy walked past him. He patted the dragon's head.
"Don't worry, Momo," Luffy said softly. "I hunt dragons too."
Momonosuke looked up. For a second, he thought he saw a massive, golden aura behind Luffy. The aura of a King.
"Okay," Momonosuke whispered back.