The skies over Green Bit were a chaotic canvas of purple gravity waves and razor-sharp strings. The iron bridge, already ruined by the Fighting Fish, was now being systematically dismantled by the clash of monsters.
Trafalgar Law panted heavily, clutching his sword Kikoku. Sweat dripped down his forehead, stinging his eyes. He stood on a precarious pillar of earth, the only solid ground remaining in a sea of cratered destruction.
Opposite him, hovering effortlessly in the air, was Donquixote Doflamingo. The Warlord—or rather, the Pirate King of Dressrosa—looked barely winded. His grin was a permanent slash across his face.
"Fufufufu!" Doflamingo laughed, his fingers twitching as if playing a piano. "You look exhausted, Law. Is the burden of the Heart Seat too heavy for you? Or are you regretting your little alliance with the monkeys?"
"I regret nothing," Law spat, raising his sword. "Room."
A blue sphere expanded, covering the bridge remnants.
"Gravity Blade: Tiger," Fujitora murmured from his own pillar.
The blind Admiral swung his blade sideways. A horizontal column of gravity slammed into Law.
"Tact!" Law redirected a chunk of the bridge to block it, but the gravity crushed the steel like paper. Law was forced to teleport, reappearing mid-air, gasping for breath.
"Give it up," Doflamingo taunted. "Give me Caesar. Give me your heart. And maybe I will make your death quick."
"Captain!"
A scream pierced the roar of the battle.
From the coast of Dressrosa, a ship flew through the air. The Thousand Sunny, propelled by a massive burst of air pressure, soared over the Fighting Fish and crashed into the waters near the beach.
"We are here!" Nami shouted from the deck, clutching the railing. "Tora-o! Get on!"
"Nami-ya!" Law's eyes widened. "I told you to stay away until I signaled! It is too dangerous!"
"We don't leave friends behind!" Chopper yelled, transforming into Kung Fu Point. "Hoooo-cha!"
"Yohohoho! Even though I have no guts to leave behind!" Brook added, drawing his soul-solid cane.
Doflamingo turned his head. His sunglasses glinted with predatory delight.
"The Straw Hat ship," Doflamingo mused. "And Caesar is not with Law. He must be on the ship. Perfect."
He raised his hand. Five colored strings extended from his fingertips.
"Overheat."
He whipped his hand. A whip of superheated string, capable of slicing buildings in half, lashed out toward the Thousand Sunny.
"Nami! Dodge!" Law screamed, terrified. He was too far away. He couldn't create a Room large enough to teleport the ship in time.
The whip descended. Nami froze. The sheer killing intent radiating from Doflamingo paralyzed her.
"Diable Jambe," a voice burned through the sky.
"Premier Hachis!"
A blur of fire and black steel intercepted the whip.
BOOM.
The impact created a shockwave that rocked the ship. Sparks flew.
Hovering in the air, his leg clashing against the strings of the Heavenly Demon, was Sanji.
"You," Sanji growled, the cigarette in his mouth glowing red with rage. "Stay away from my crew."
"Oh?" Doflamingo tilted his head. "The cook. Black Leg Sanji."
"And me!"
A second figure dropped from the sky. Baby 5. She had transformed her entire lower body into a jet engine and her arms into Gatling guns.
"Sanji-sama needs me to provide covering fire!" Baby 5 screamed. "Die, Joker!"
Ratatatatatata!
She unleashed a torrent of bullets at her former boss.
Doflamingo's smile vanished for a split second. He waved his hand, creating a web of strings to block the bullets effortlessly.
"Baby 5," Doflamingo said, his voice dropping an octave. "You betray me? For him?"
"He needs me!" Baby 5 cried, tears of joy streaming down her face as she reloaded. "He needs me more than you ever did! He asked me to dance!"
"Fufufufu!" Doflamingo laughed, but it was a cold, jagged sound. "Is that so? Then I suppose I have to break his legs. Then he will really need you."
Doflamingo pushed. The strength of his strings overpowered Sanji's kick.
"Gah!" Sanji was knocked back. He spun in the air, grabbing Baby 5.
"Are you okay, my love?" Sanji asked.
"I am fine!" Baby 5 transformed her hand into a giant blade. "Let us cut him together!"
"Right!" Sanji ignited his other leg. "Poêle à Frire: Spectre!"
Sanji and Baby 5 launched a coordinated assault. Sanji rained down fire kicks while Baby 5 transformed into various weapons—missiles, blades, flamethrowers—augmenting his attacks.
It was a chaotic, beautiful dance of violence.
But Doflamingo was an Emperor in all but name. He dodged, parried, and weaved through their attacks with insulting ease.
"Too slow," Doflamingo sneered.
He appeared behind Sanji.
"Athos."
He slashed.
Slash.
Sanji barely twisted in time. The strings cut his suit, slicing deep into his shoulder. Blood sprayed.
"Sanji-sama!" Baby 5 screamed. She transformed into a bomb. "I will blow him up!"
"No!" Sanji grabbed her before she could detonate. "Don't hurt yourself! We need to buy time for the ship to escape!"
"Shambles."
Zip.
Sanji and Baby 5 vanished. They reappeared on the deck of the Thousand Sunny. Law stood next to them, his fingers raised. He had expanded his Room at the last second.
"Get out of here!" Law ordered, panting heavily. "Take Caesar! Go to Zou! I will hold him off!"
"We aren't leaving you!" Nami yelled.
"You have to!" Law roared. "If Doflamingo gets Caesar, the plan is over! I will distract him on the bridge! Go!"
Doflamingo hovered above the bridge, looking down at them. Fujitora was preparing another meteor.
"We have to go," Sanji said, clutching his bleeding shoulder. "Franky said the factory is destroyed from the outside, but Luffy is still inside the Colosseum. We need to split up. Law is right. If we stay, we all die."
"Coup de Burst!" Franky's voice echoed from the ship's speaker system (he had installed a remote trigger).
BANG.
The air cannon fired. The Thousand Sunny launched into the sky, rocketing away from Green Bit and Dressrosa, heading for the open sea.
"They escaped," Fujitora noted, sheathing his sword. "Shall I pursue?"
"No," Doflamingo landed on the bridge. He looked at Law. "We have the mastermind right here. Fufufufu! Law. You sent your friends away to die alone? How noble."
Law gripped his sword. He was alone against a Warlord and an Admiral.
"I am not dying," Law said. "I am just buying time for the storm to arrive."
Corrida Colosseum - The Changing Room
Luffy, still dressed as Lucy, sat on a bench in the locker room. He had won Block C effortlessly. Now he was waiting for the finals.
A one-legged toy soldier hopped onto the bench next to him.
"Lucy-san," the soldier whispered. "You recognized me earlier. Who are you?"
Luffy looked at the toy. He pulled off his fake beard for a second.
"I'm Luffy," he said.
The soldier gasped. "Straw Hat Luffy? The pirate?"
"Yeah," Luffy put the beard back on. "And you are Kyros. The guy the statue is based on."
The toy soldier trembled. "No one remembers that name. Not even my own daughter."
"Sugar's power," Luffy said. "Hobi Hobi no Mi. She turns people into toys and erases the world's memory of them."
"You... you know everything?" The soldier asked, stunned. "How?"
"I have good intuition," Luffy tapped his nose. "Shishishi!"
Suddenly, the door to the locker room opened. A young female gladiator walked in. She wore golden scale armor and a red cape. She looked determined, but her eyes were sad.
Rebecca.
She saw the toy soldier.
"Soldier-san!" Rebecca ran over. "What are you doing here? It is dangerous! If Diamante sees you..."
"I am speaking to the winner of C Block," the soldier said. "Rebecca. This is Lucy."
Rebecca looked at Luffy. She drew her sword.
"I need that fruit," Rebecca said, pointing the blade at Luffy. "I need the Mera Mera no Mi to kill Doflamingo. Please. Withdraw."
Luffy looked at the sword. He didn't move.
"I can't do that," Luffy said. "That fruit is my brother's memento."
"I don't care!" Rebecca lunged. She was fast, using the erratic movements of the Backwater Sword Dance.
Luffy didn't dodge. He caught the blade between his thumb and forefinger.
Clang.
"You are fighting not to hurt people," Luffy observed. "You are trying to ring-out opponents without cutting them. That is why you are weak."
"I am not weak!" Rebecca cried, tears forming in her eyes. "I have won a thousand battles!"
"But you can't beat Doflamingo like that," Luffy said. He let go of the blade. "He is a monster. You can't beat a monster by being nice."
"Then what do I do?!" Rebecca sobbed, dropping her sword. "I just want to live with Soldier-san! I want to protect him!"
Luffy stood up. He patted Rebecca's head. It was an awkward, stiff pat, but it was well-intentioned.
"I'll handle Mingo," Luffy said.
"You?" Rebecca looked up.
"Yeah," Luffy grinned. "I'm going to kick his butt. And I'm going to make sure your dad turns back into a human."
"Dad?" Rebecca blinked. "Soldier-san is... my dad?"
The toy soldier froze. He hadn't told her. He couldn't.
"Oops," Luffy covered his mouth. "Spoiler alert."
"Lucy..." The soldier sighed. "You truly are a strange man."
Suddenly, the wall of the locker room exploded.
"Wiiihahaha!"
A massive figure burst through the brickwork. Jesus Burgess.
"I heard interesting things!" Burgess laughed, flexing his massive arms. "Straw Hat Luffy is here? Where is he?"
Luffy adjusted his helmet. "I am Lucy."
"Don't lie!" Burgess swung a massive elbow. "Hado Elbow!"
A shockwave of air blasted toward Luffy.
Luffy raised his hand.
"Busoshoku."
He caught the shockwave. He didn't block it; he caught it. He grabbed the compressed air and crushed it in his palm.
"I told you," Luffy said, his voice dropping. "I am Lucy. And if you break the waiting room, we get disqualified."
Burgess's eyes widened behind his mask. "You stopped my Hado Elbow with one hand? Wiiihahaha! You are definitely Straw Hat!"
Burgess prepared to charge again.
"Attention Gladiators!" The loudspeaker crackled. "The Finals are about to begin! All Block Winners to the arena! Also, the Donquixote Family Executives are entering the ring!"
"Saved by the bell," Luffy said. "See you in the ring, store-bag."
He walked out.
Burgess watched him go. He pulled out a Den Den Mushi.
"Captain Blackbeard," Burgess said. "He is here. And he is stronger than we thought. Wiiihahaha!"
The Toy House - Factory Entrance
"Super Nipple Light!"
Franky unleashed a blinding flash from his chest, blinding the guards at the entrance of the Toy House.
"Gah! My eyes!" The guards screamed.
"Now, Zoro!" Franky shouted.
"Santoryu: 1080 Pound Phoenix!"
Zoro swung his swords. A massive, spiraling cannon of air pressure blasted the heavy doors of the Toy House off their hinges.
"We are in!" Franky struck a pose. "Let's find the factory!"
They ran inside. The Toy House was a massive warehouse filled with toys sorting scrap metal.
"Intruders!" A voice shouted.
A man wearing a baby bonnet and sucking on a pacifier swam through the ground as if it were water. Senor Pink.
"You look hard-boiled," Franky noted, pulling down his sunglasses. "Wearing a diaper in public takes guts."
"It is a style," Senor Pink grunted, swimming up the wall. "And you look like a pervert."
"I am a Super Pervert!" Franky agreed. "Let's fight! Nipple to Diaper!"
"Bring it on," Senor Pink swam toward him.
"Zoro! Go find the factory!" Franky yelled, engaging Senor Pink in a suplex contest.
"Right," Zoro ran down a hallway. "Straight ahead."
He turned left.
Then he went up some stairs.
Then he went through a window.
Ten minutes later, Zoro was standing on top of a giant stone statue in the middle of the royal plateau.
"Where is the factory?" Zoro looked around. "They moved the building."
Suddenly, the stone beneath his feet began to move. A face formed in the rock. A massive, high-pitched voice screeched.
"Pikkyapikkyapikkyarara!"
The stone giant rose. Pica. The top executive of the Spades seat.
"Who are you standing on?" Pica asked, his voice squeaky and hilarious.
Zoro blinked. He tried not to laugh. He failed.
"Pfft," Zoro covered his mouth. "Your voice... it doesn't match your size."
Pica's stone face turned red with rage.
"Die!" Pica roared (squeaked).
He merged with the giant statue, swinging a fist the size of a city block at Zoro.
"That is big," Zoro noted, drawing Shusui. "But stone is just stone."
Zoro tied his bandana. His eye glinted.
"Let's see if I can cut a mountain."
Green Bit Bridge - The Aftermath
Law lay on the bridge, bleeding from a dozen cuts. Doflamingo stood over him, holding a flintlock pistol.
"You fought well, Law," Doflamingo said. "For a brat. But the difference in our power is absolute."
"Is it?" Law coughed blood. "The Straw Hats... they escaped. They have Caesar. They have the factory location. Your birdcage is leaking, Doflamingo."
"Fufufufu!" Doflamingo aimed the gun at Law's chest. "Maybe. But you won't be alive to see it."
"Wait!"
Fujitora stepped forward.
"Joker," Fujitora said. "I have decided to spare the Straw Hats for now. The citizens are in danger if we continue to fight here."
"Oh?" Doflamingo looked at the Admiral. "You are soft, Issho."
"Blind," Fujitora corrected. "But I see things clearly. Law is stripped of his title. I will take him into custody."
"No," Doflamingo smiled. "I will take him. I have questions for him. About the Will of D."
He shot Law.
BANG. BANG. BANG.
Three shots. Law's body jerked. He fell silent.
"Law!" Bepo (in spirit) screamed again.
Doflamingo grabbed Law's unconscious body. He turned to the city of Dressrosa.
"I'm taking him to the palace," Doflamingo said. "Issho. Do what you want. But if you get in my way, I will kill you too."
He flew off on his strings, dragging Law behind him.
Fujitora stood on the bridge. He tapped his cane.
"The balance of the world is shifting," Fujitora whispered. "I'll roll the dice. Let us see if Straw Hat Luffy rolls a snake eyes or a critical success."
Corrida Colosseum - The Finals
The arena was set. Five fighters remained.
Lucy (Luffy). Burgess. Bartolomeo. Rebecca. Diamante.
They stood in a circle. The chest with the Mera Mera no Mi sat on the back of a Fighting Fish swimming in the pool surrounding the ring.
"Let the battle royale begin!" The announcer screamed.
"Wiiihahaha! I'm taking the fruit!" Burgess charged at Luffy.
"Barrier Crash!" Bartolomeo cast a barrier, slamming into Burgess. "Don't touch Luffy-senpai!"
"Get out of my way, Rooster-head!" Burgess punched the barrier.
"Death of the Army!" Diamante waved his cape, which turned into steel. "I will kill all of you!"
Luffy stood still. He looked at the fruit.
He remembered Sabo. He remembered the sake cups.
I know you are here, Sabo, Luffy thought. Come and get it.
He sensed a presence. A familiar, warm presence entering the stadium. A man in a top hat with a pipe.
Luffy smiled.
"Time to switch," Luffy whispered.
He ran toward the edge of the arena. He spotted the man in the tunnel.
"Sabo!" Luffy shouted.
The man stopped. He looked up. He tipped his hat.
"It has been a long time, Luffy."
Tears streamed down Luffy's face, washing away the fake beard glue.
"I thought you were dead!"
"I am alive," Sabo smiled. "Go save Law. Go beat Doflamingo. leave Ace's fruit to me."
"Okay!" Luffy didn't hesitate. He knew Sabo was strong. He knew Sabo would win.
Luffy jumped out of the arena, shattering a wall.
"I'm disqualified!" Luffy shouted happily. "I'm coming for you, Mingo!"
"Wait! Where is Lucy going?!" The announcer panicked.
Sabo stepped into the light. He picked up the helmet Luffy dropped. He put it on.
"Lucy is right here," Sabo said. He gripped his pipe. "And I'm taking that fruit."
Luffy sprinted through the corridors of the Colosseum. He found Zoro (who had fallen through the roof after cutting the stone giant) and Kin'emon.
"Luffy!" Zoro stood up. "Where is the fruit?"
"My brother has it," Luffy said.
"Ace?" Zoro blinked.
"No. The other one," Luffy grinned. "Sabo."
"You have too many brothers," Zoro grumbled. "Where to now?"
Luffy looked at the Royal Palace towering over the city. He felt Law's fading life force up there.
"To the Palace," Luffy declared. "We are going to save Traffy and kick Mingo's butt."
"Good," Zoro drew his swords. "I was getting bored of stone."
"I shall accompany you!" Kin'emon shouted. "My friend Kanjuro is also held there!"
"Let's go!" Luffy kicked a wall down. "Gear Second!"
He rocketed toward the palace, his form blurring as he accelerated to supersonic speeds.