Buzz!
In an instant, an invisible force swept across the entire land.
A dense mist shimmered with shifting colors, filled with a strange, intangible energy. It spread across the sky above Elbaf like a glowing aurora.
"This is…"
Red Hair stood at the forefront, staring upward as his expression sharpened.
"Verglas's Devil Fruit ability? What a bizarre kind of power."
"What is this feeling? I feel… so sleepy…"
The giants of Elbaf checked themselves nervously, only to find their eyelids growing heavier by the second. Their bodies began to sway as sleep took hold.
"Hey! Hey! Dorry-sensei, you're not about to fall and crush me, right?!"
Usopp clung tightly to Dorry's shoulder, panic rising in his voice.
"Ah… no! Have I been hit too? I feel…"
His words slowed, his vision distorting into swirling colors.
"The world is getting… really strange…"
Beside him, Chopper wobbled unsteadily on all fours, his eyes half-lidded.
"Huh… U-so-pp… why are you talking so slow…"
Perched on Robin's shoulder, Nami reached forward lazily, her gaze unfocused.
"Huh, Chopper… why does your face look so big? So cute…"
…
Robin leaned lightly against a nearby tree, her cheeks faintly flushed. Her eyes, though hazy, were fixed on Shirogai in the distant sky, carrying an unusual gleam.
"Don't talk. Focus your will. You've all been affected."
Zoro stood firm on Dorry's other shoulder, his grip tightening around his sword hilt, his voice low and steady.
A faint crackling sound echoed from his body.
His Armament Haki surged outward, trying to repel the invading energy. Yet the mist slipped through effortlessly, seeping into him as if it had no physical form.
"This isn't targeting the body."
Sanji landed beside him, cigarette between his lips, his brows furrowed.
"It's the mind. My thoughts are getting slower… blurry. Damn, this is subtle."
"Hmph. You think I don't know that?"
Zoro's gaze sharpened for a brief moment. Without hesitation, he drew his blade and slashed toward his own arm.
But no blood appeared.
"…What?"
He froze.
In his hand, there was no sword. He had been swinging at empty air.
"Idiot swordsman… looks like you're already under it."
Sanji let out a short laugh, but when he reached for his cigarette, his expression changed.
His hand was holding a cluster of them, more than a dozen at once.
"…Damn it. I'm affected too."
Zoro swayed slightly, irritation creeping into his voice.
"Shut up… idiot cook…"
Even the Red Hair Pirates were not spared.
"Whoa! Monda, when did you get so huge? I'm calling you King Kong now!"
Benn Beckman laughed in disbelief.
"Squeak! Squeak!"
(You're the one who looks like a monkey!)
"Meat! There's meat everywhere!"
Lucky Roux happily chewed on leaves, tearing branches apart as if they were food.
"Hahaha! So many beautiful women!"
Hongo stared into empty space, completely entranced.
Within seconds, the entire battlefield had descended into madness under the influence of the dreamlike energy.
"A rule-based ability… something ordinary people can't resist."
Red Hair let out a deep laugh, his presence still steady despite the distortion creeping into his mind.
"So, Shirogai… what game are you playing?"
He did not believe Shirogai was trapped. If he could break free, then Shirogai certainly could.
Then, suddenly…
The two figures in the sky vanished.
"They're gone! Shirogai disappeared!!!"
Usopp screamed, his voice trembling.
As if triggered by that cry, the aurora-like mist above Elbaf twisted violently.
The sky warped into spiraling curves, forming a massive, dazzling vortex that defied comprehension. Its pull was overwhelming.
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
One after another, everyone collapsed.
Within moments, the entirety of Elbaf fell into a deep sleep.
"Help me… I'll die if I fall asleep…"
Usopp's muffled voice faded as he lay face-first in the dirt.
Silence took over.
…
Dream World.
Roar!!!
A monstrous howl echoed through a black-and-white void.
The moment Shirogai entered, countless grotesque creatures surged toward him from all directions. They covered the sky and ground like a living tide.
"Oh? Is this all your nightmare amounts to?"
Shirogai floated calmly, hands behind his back, a faint smile on his face.
He raised a single hand and waved it lightly.
…
Silence.
The world itself seemed to pause.
Then…
Pfft!
A sharp sound rang out.
Pfft!
Pfft!
Pfft!
One after another, the monsters burst apart like fragile balloons. Their bodies shattered into fragments, scattering across the empty space.
Within seconds, nothing remained but drifting debris in the dark void.
Shirogai glanced around, unimpressed.
"So this is the extent of the nightmares you've gathered, Verglas?"
His tone carried mild amusement.
"The Marines went through all this effort to trap me, and this is all you have?"
…
No response came.
The space remained still.
"If that's the case, then this is disappointing."
Shirogai raised his hand again, lightly tapping the air in front of him.
The entire dream world trembled, cracks forming as if reality itself was about to collapse.
Then…
A voice echoed softly through the void.
"This world has nothing worth entrusting…"
It carried deep sorrow.
"This world is filled with war, plunder, death… and endless grief…"
"Does it even deserve to continue existing?"
Shirogai paused.
He turned slowly toward the source of the voice, a faint smile forming.
"Now this is more like it."
A figure emerged.
A girl with half-red, half-white hair stepped forward. Black-and-white headphones covered her ears, and feathered black clothing draped over her slender frame. Her head remained lowered.
Her voice, soft and haunting, faded into silence.
Then she lifted her face.
Her pale features were twisted with despair, her eyes locked onto Shirogai with unstable intensity.
"As long as I kill you… the world will become beautiful…"
Her voice dropped into a whisper.
"Kill you… kill you… kill you!"
===
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