The waiting room of Block C was a cage of testosterone and sweat. Gladiators from across the New World sharpened their blades, glared at their rivals, and boasted of their bounties. The air was thick with the scent of cheap oil and impending violence.
Luffy, disguised as the elderly Lucy, sat on a wooden bench. He was eating a bento box he had stolen from a passing staff member. He chewed rhythmically, his eyes scanning the competition.
"You eat with no manners, old man."
Luffy looked up. Standing before him was a man who sparkled. Literally.
Cavendish of the White Horse. The pirate prince. He held a rose in one hand and a wine glass in the other. His blond hair flowed as if caught in a perpetual wind machine.
"You are shiny," Luffy observed, swallowing a meatball. "Do you glow in the dark?"
"I shine with the radiance of a star!" Cavendish declared, flipping his hair. "I am Cavendish! Captain of the Beautiful Pirates! Bounty 280 million berries! I was the talk of the generation before you disgusting Supernovas showed up and stole my headlines!"
"Supernovas?" Luffy tilted his head. "You mean like Straw Hat?"
"Do not speak that name!" Cavendish snarled, his beautiful face twisting into a demonic scowl. He drew his sword, Durandal. "If I find Straw Hat Luffy, I will carve my name into his rubber face! He stole my popularity! He stole my fan girls! He is the enemy of beauty!"
Luffy blinked. He swallowed the last of his rice.
"You are jealous," Luffy stated bluntly.
"I am not jealous!" Cavendish shrieked, stabbing the bench next to Luffy's thigh. "I am rightfully indignant! I was a star! And then he punched a Celestial Dragon and suddenly I was old news! It is unforgivable!"
Luffy picked his nose. "Maybe you should punch a Celestial Dragon too. It is fun."
"Do not be ridiculous! That is suicide!" Cavendish huffed, sheathing his sword. "Anyway, old man. Try not to die in the first minute. I want to be the one to knock you out."
"Okay, Cabbage," Luffy grinned.
"It is Cavendish!"
Suddenly, the ground shook. A shadow fell over the bench.
A massive, old man with a pointy beard and a head shaped like a crushed bell loomed over them. Don Chinjao. The legendary pirate with a bounty of over 500 million.
"Lucy," Chinjao rumbled. His voice sounded like grinding stones. "That beard. That stature. You remind me of someone."
Luffy looked up. He recognized the old man instantly. Garp's punching bag.
"I have a common face," Luffy lied, adjusting his fake beard.
"No," Chinjao leaned closer. His eyes narrowed. "You smell like Garp."
"Grandpa?" Luffy slipped up.
Chinjao's eyes snapped open. "Grandpa? So it is true! You are Garp's grandson! Straw Hat Luffy!"
The room went silent. Every gladiator turned to look.
"Straw Hat?" Cavendish gasped. "Where?"
"Right here!" Chinjao roared. He jumped into the air. "I have waited thirty years for this vengeance! Garp stole my treasure! He flattened my head! I will flatten his grandson in return!"
Chinjao dove headfirst, his skull coated in black Armament Haki.
"Don't say my name out loud!" Luffy shouted.
He didn't dodge. He jumped up to meet the headbutt.
"Gomu Gomu no Helmet!"
Luffy coated his forehead in Ryou. He hardened his neck muscles.
CLANG.
The impact created a shockwave that blew the roof off the waiting room. The other gladiators were blown back against the walls. Cavendish had to stab his sword into the ground to keep from flying away.
Luffy and Chinjao hung in the air, forehead against forehead. Sparks of red and black lightning crackled between them.
"You blocked it?" Chinjao growled, veins popping on his neck. "With your head?"
"My head is harder than yours, old man," Luffy said. He pushed.
CRACK.
Chinjao was forced back. He landed on his feet, skidding across the stone floor.
"Impossible," Chinjao muttered. "Garp's fist was the only thing that could stop my drill. You possess his strength?"
"I am stronger," Luffy landed lightly. "Listen, Cone-head. If you want to fight, wait for the ring. If you break the waiting room, we both get disqualified. And I want that fruit."
Chinjao glared at him. He stroked his beard.
"Fine," Chinjao scoffed. "Enjoy your few remaining minutes of life. In the ring, I will grind you to dust."
He walked away, his footsteps heavy with rage.
Cavendish stared at Luffy. He looked at the fake beard, which was now hanging loosely from Luffy's chin.
"You," Cavendish whispered. "You are Straw Hat."
Luffy slapped the beard back on. "No. I am Lucy."
"You are totally Straw Hat!" Cavendish raised his sword. "Duel me!"
"Attention Gladiators!" The loudspeaker boomed. "Block C is starting! Please enter the arena!"
"Saved by the bell," Luffy laughed. "See you out there, Cabbage!"
He ran toward the gate.
Green Bit - The Southeast Beach
The iron bridge connecting Dressrosa to Green Bit was a ruin, destroyed by the Fighting Fish that infested the waters. On the sandy beach of the isolated island, Trafalgar Law stood alone.
He checked his pocket watch. It was 3:00 PM. The time of the exchange.
Law placed the cage containing Caesar Clown on the sand. Caesar was gagged, his eyes darting around in panic.
"It is quiet," Law muttered. "Too quiet."
"Usoland said there are dwarves here," Robin's voice whispered from the foliage. She and Usopp were hiding in the dense jungle, watching Law's back. "But I sense something else. A heavy presence."
"Me too," Usopp whimpered through the transponder snail. "My I-Will-Die-If-I-Stay-Here disease is flaring up. Can we leave?"
"Wait," Law said. "Here he comes."
From the sky, a figure descended. He didn't fly; he walked on the air, stepping on invisible strings. Donquixote Doflamingo.
He landed on the beach, his pink feather coat settling around him like the wings of a predatory bird. He smiled, his veins throbbing on his forehead.
"Law," Doflamingo said. "You look tired."
"Joker," Law kept his hand on his sword. "You are alone?"
"Of course," Doflamingo spread his arms. "I am a man of my word. I resigned. I am just a pirate now. Give me Caesar."
Law looked at Doflamingo. He looked at the morning newspaper lying on the sand.
"You never resigned," Law stated.
Doflamingo's smile didn't waver. "What makes you say that?"
"The CP0 was in town this morning," Law said calmly. "They were calming the citizens. They told the people that the news was a mistake. A misprint."
Doflamingo paused. "You saw them?"
"Only the Celestial Dragons have the power to mobilize the CP0 to fake a news report," Law said, his grip on Kikoku tightening. "You aren't just a Warlord. You are something else. Your lineage."
Doflamingo laughed. "Fufufufu! You are smart, Law. Too smart. That is why you have to die."
"I am not giving you Caesar," Law said.
"I figured," Doflamingo took a step forward. "But it doesn't matter. Because you have nowhere to run."
"Excuse me."
A new voice entered the conversation. A deep, gravelly voice accompanied by the tapping of a cane.
From the jungle path, Admiral Fujitora emerged. He walked slowly, his blind eyes closed. Behind him stood a squad of Marines.
"I believe I heard something about a fake resignation," Fujitora said. "And an illegal alliance."
Law froze. He looked from Doflamingo to Fujitora.
"An Admiral," Law whispered. "You brought an Admiral?"
"I didn't bring him," Doflamingo grinned. "He came on his own. He is here to arrest you, Law. And your little Straw Hat friend."
"Trafalgar Law," Fujitora said, stopping between the two pirates. "I have a question. Is your alliance with Straw Hat Luffy a subordination? Are you his underling? If so, the Warlord status might still apply, technically. But if it is an equal alliance."
Fujitora drew his blade an inch.
"Then you are just a pirate. And I must strip you of your title and arrest you."
Law looked at the Admiral. He looked at Doflamingo. He was trapped. If he said he was an underling, he might survive the Admiral but lose his pride and his plan. If he admitted the alliance, he fought both.
But he remembered Luffy's words. I'm coming for Mingo.
"We are equals," Law declared.
"I see," Fujitora sighed. "That is unfortunate."
"Gravity Blade."
CRASH.
A meteor.
Fujitora didn't throw a rock. He pulled a meteor from space. It tore through the clouds, burning red and gold, aiming directly for the beach.
"Are you insane, Issho?!" Doflamingo yelled, looking up. "You will kill us all!"
"Testing your strength," Fujitora said calmly.
The meteor impacted.
Law created a Room. "Tact." He tried to redirect the meteor.
Doflamingo created a cage of strings. "Spider's Web."
Fujitora stood still.
BOOM.
Green Bit shook violently. The shockwave flattened the trees for a mile. The ground shattered.
When the dust cleared, three small pillars of earth remained standing in a massive crater. Law, Doflamingo, and Fujitora stood on their respective pillars, unharmed.
"Monster," Law panted. "This is the power of the new Admiral."
"Fufufufu!" Doflamingo laughed, dusting off his coat. "This is going to be fun! Law! Try not to die in the crossfire!"
"Robin! Usopp!" Law shouted into his radio. "Get out of here! The plan is a bust! It is a trap! Tell Straw Hat to forget the factory and run!"
Corrida Colosseum - The Arena
Luffy stood in the center of the arena. He was riding a giant fighting bull.
"Go, Ucy!" Luffy cheered, patting the bull's head. "Charge!"
The bull, Ucy, snorted and charged through a group of gladiators, sending them flying.
"He tamed the Brutal Bull?!" The announcer screamed. "Lucy is unstoppable!"
Luffy wasn't paying attention to the fodder. He was looking at the giant warrior standing in the center of the ring. Hajrudin the Giant.
Hajrudin stomped on a gladiator. "I am the strongest! I will win the fruit and become the King of Giants!"
He looked at Luffy and Ucy.
"A bug and a cow," Hajrudin sneered. "Be crushed!"
He raised his shield, intending to flatten them both.
Luffy jumped off the bull.
"Don't hurt Ucy," Luffy said.
He jumped up to Hajrudin's face level.
"Gear Second."
Jet Pistol.
BANG.
Luffy punched the giant in the face. Hajrudin's eyes rolled back. The massive warrior crumbled like a tower of blocks, crashing to the ground unconscious.
The crowd went wild. "Lucy! Lucy! Lucy!"
"He one-shotted a giant?!" Diamante watched from the tower, his wine glass trembling. "Who is this old man?"
"He is strong," Burgess muttered from the sidelines. "Very strong."
Luffy landed back on Ucy. "Good job, Ucy. Let's go find the helmet guy."
He didn't have to look far. Don Chinjao was rampaging across the arena, headbutting gladiators into orbit.
"Straw Hat!" Chinjao roared, spotting Luffy. "Stop playing with the cow and fight me!"
"His name is Ucy!" Luffy yelled back.
Chinjao charged. "Hasshoken Secret Art: Drill Dragon!"
He leaped into the air, spinning his head like a drill. The air pressure alone cracked the arena floor.
Luffy sighed. He jumped off Ucy again.
"You really hold a grudge, old man."
Luffy floated in the air. He clenched his fist. He remembered the technique Garp used. He remembered the story.
"I will give you back your pointy head," Luffy said. "So you can stop crying."
"Gomu Gomu no."
Luffy's arm expanded. It turned black with Haki. But he concentrated the mass. He made it dense.
"Thor Elephant Gun!"
He brought his fist down on Chinjao's head.
CRACK.
The collision was deafening. The arena floor shattered completely, sending chunks of rock into the water below. The Fighting Fish jumped up to eat the falling gladiators.
Chinjao's flat head crumpled under the force. But it didn't break. It reshaped. Under the immense pressure of Luffy's Haki, the dent Garp had made thirty years ago popped out.
Chinjao's head was pointy again.
The old pirate fell into the water, unconscious, but with his legendary drill restored.
"Winner of C Block!" The announcer screamed. "LUCY!"
Luffy stood on a piece of floating debris. He waved to the crowd.
"That was easy," Luffy said.
Suddenly, a soldier toy hopped onto the debris next to him.
"Lucy-san!" The toy soldier whispered. "We need to talk. I know where the factory is."
Luffy looked at the toy. It was the one-legged soldier he had seen earlier.
"You are Rebecca's dad, right?" Luffy asked.
The toy froze. "How... how do you know that?"
"I guessed," Luffy grinned. "Lead the way, Soldier-san. I'm bored of waiting."
Acacia Streets - The Love Chase
Sanji and Baby 5 were running down the street. Well, Sanji was running. Baby 5 had transformed her legs into tank treads and was rolling alongside him, holding his hand.
"Sanji-sama!" Baby 5 cheered. "We lost the fairy! But we found this lovely bakery!"
"We cannot stop for pastries, my love!" Sanji cried, looking frantically for Zoro. "The moss-head is lost! If we don't find him, he might accidentally wander into the Marine base and start a war!"
"If he starts a war, I will help him!" Baby 5 offered, transforming her other arm into a bazooka. "I am helpful!"
"You are perfect!" Sanji wept.
Suddenly, a massive explosion rocked the street ahead. A building collapsed.
"Found him," Sanji sighed.
They ran toward the dust cloud. Standing in the middle of the rubble was Zoro. He was holding Shusui, which he had apparently retrieved. Lying at his feet was a battered fairy—Wicca of the Tontatta.
"You cut a fairy?!" Sanji screamed. "You brute!"
"I didn't cut her," Zoro sheathed his sword. "She tripped. And then she told me something interesting."
"What?"
"She said the factory isn't just underground," Zoro pointed to a massive building nearby that looked like a giant toy house. "It is connected to that. The Toy House."
"The Toy House?" Baby 5 gasped. "That is the employee entrance! But it is guarded by Senor Pink!"
"Senor Pink?" Franky walked out of an alley, adjusting his sunglasses. He had joined up with them. "Who is that?"
"A man," Baby 5 shivered. "A very hard-boiled man."
"Hard-boiled?" Franky's eyes lit up. "Now I am interested."
"We destroy it," Zoro said, grabbing his swords. "Luffy is at the Colosseum. We handle this."
"Wait!" The fairy, Wicca, jumped up. "We need to coordinate with the Commander! The Tontatta army is ready to attack!"
"We don't do coordination," Sanji lit a cigarette. "We do chaos."
"Sanji-sama is so cool!" Baby 5 swooned.
"Let's go," Franky posed. "Super Destruction Time!"
On the Sunny - The Artistic Assault
Nami, Chopper, Brook, and Momonosuke were playing cards on the deck of the Thousand Sunny.
"Go Fish," Momonosuke said, placing a card down.
"That is not how you play Poker!" Nami yelled.
Suddenly, the cabin door turned into a painting. A surreal, abstract painting.
"What the?" Brook stood up. "The door melted?"
"It didn't melt," a screechy voice laughed. "It became Art!"
An old woman with cloud-shaped hair and strange glasses floated onto the deck. She was riding a cloud of artistic smoke. Jora.
"Who are you?!" Chopper screamed, transforming into Heavy Point.
"I am Jora! Executive of the Donquixote Family!" She posed weirdly. "And I am here to turn this ship into a masterpiece! Dying Art!"
She threw a cloud of smoke at them.
"Nami! Run!" Brook pushed Nami out of the way. The smoke hit Brook, Chopper, and Momonosuke.
Their bodies distorted.
Chopper turned into a cubist reindeer. His face was flat and sideways. "My vision is 2D!" Chopper cried. "I cannot fight!"
Brook turned into a terrifying abstract scribble. "Yohoho! I am a doodle!"
Momonosuke turned into a weird, geometric dragon. "I look hideous!" Momonosuke wailed.
Jora laughed. "Beautiful! Now for the ship! I will turn the Thousand Sunny into a postmodern nightmare!"
"Stop!" Nami raised her Clima-Tact. "Thunderbolt Tempo!"
"Artistic Shield!" Jora painted a shield in the air. The lightning hit it and turned into yellow paint.
"My lightning became paint?" Nami gasped. "This power is broken!"
"Surrender!" Jora shouted. "Or I will paint you into a crying woman portrait!"
"Hey, grandma."
A voice came from the crow's nest.
Jora looked up. "Who is there?"
A figure jumped down. It wasn't a Straw Hat. It was a stowaway they hadn't noticed because he was sleeping in the barrel of cola.
Kin'emon? No, Kin'emon was with the others.
Wait. It was Momonosuke? No, Momonosuke was a drawing on the floor.
It was... another samurai? No.
It was Brook's soul. He had left his doodle body.
"Soul King!" Brook's spirit shouted. "Freeze the Art!"
"A ghost?!" Jora screamed.
"Nami-san! Now!" Brook shouted.
Nami didn't hesitate. She grabbed her Sorcery Clima-Tact.
"Mirage Tempo: Invisibility!"
She vanished.
"Where did she go?" Jora looked around frantically.
"Right here," Nami whispered in Jora's ear.
ZAP.
"Thunder Lance Tempo!"
A lance of concentrated lightning pierced Jora's chest. The artistic executive convulsed and fell to the deck, unconscious.
The art spell broke. Chopper, Brook, and Momonosuke popped back to normal.
"We are 3D again!" Chopper cheered.
"That was close," Nami sighed, tying up Jora. "Luffy better hurry up. If executives are attacking the ship, the whole island must be moving against us."
She looked at the transponder snail. It was ringing.
"Hello?" Nami answered.
"Nami!" It was Law. His voice sounded desperate. "Get the ship to Green Bit! Now! We need extraction! Doflamingo and an Admiral are here!"
"An Admiral?!" Nami screamed. "We are on our way!"
"Full speed!" Nami shouted. "To Green Bit! We have to save Tora-o!"
The Thousand Sunny revved its engine. The Coup de Burst charged.
"Hang on, Law!" Nami gritted her teeth. "We are coming!"