The rhythm dictated the battlefield.
Don. Da-da.
The sound echoed from the dirt, bounced off the tree trunks, and rattled the metal plating on the cyborg's arms. The tall grass in the center of the camp no longer moved with the wind. The blades swayed back and forth, matching the tempo of the heartbeat.
Luffy bounced on the balls of his feet. His white hair flowed upward, defying gravity. The captain wore a relaxed smile. His red eyes watched the arachnid beast waiting in the center of the crater.
Saturn did not wait. The Elder pushed a spider limb into the dirt and lunged. A sharp chitinous point thrust forward, aiming for the white-haired pirate's chest.
Luffy did not dodge. He jumped forward, meeting the strike. Reaching out with both hands, Luffy grabbed the point of the leg. The impact should have pierced flesh and bone. Instead, his clothes and skin yielded. The spider limb pushed forward, stretching Luffy's arms and torso backward like a drawn bowstring.
The kinetic energy reached its limit.
The rubber snapped back.
Luffy rebounded, using the stored force to launch himself into the air. He spun rapidly, turning into a white blur, and brought a Haki-coated heel down onto Saturn's head. The blow flattened the beast's face against the grass, stretching his features before the ground gave way.
"Take the opening!" Franky shouted.
The cyborg shifted his stance. His metal boots dug into the earth. The nanites flowing through Franky's arms reshaped the metal. The twin rotary cannons retracted into his forearms, and a long barrel extended from his right wrist. Vents opened along Franky's shoulders, releasing steam to manage the rising heat.
Franky aimed the barrel at the struggling beast. A glowing projectile shot from the weapon and struck the armor on Saturn's side. The explosion threw dirt and grass into the air, pushing the massive beast sideways.
From the tree line, Usopp tracked the movement.
The sniper rested the shifting rifle against a low branch. Dirt coated his hands, and sweat ran down his face. Usopp ignored it, keeping the crosshairs locked on the target.
"Movement left," Usopp whispered, pulling the bolt back. A click sounded as a new cartridge entered the chamber.
Saturn recovered from the explosion, pushing himself upward with four legs. His twisted face turned toward the cyborg. A sphere of dark venom formed above his horns, preparing to launch.
Usopp pulled the trigger.
The rifle kicked against his shoulder. A specialized round flew across the clearing.
The ammunition did not strike Saturn.
It hit the sphere of venom mid-air. The capsule shattered, releasing a cloud of freezing gas. The sudden drop in temperature solidified the venom, turning it into falling ice crystals.
Saturn snapped his head toward the trees, locating the shooter. His eyes narrowed.
Before the beast could move, Luffy dropped from the sky. He stretched both arms wide and grabbed two of the thick spider legs. Planting his feet in the dirt, Luffy pulled. The rubber limbs elongated, building tension.
"Franky!" Luffy laughed. "Make a wall!"
Franky did not question him. The cyborg slapped both hands together. The nanites surged, forming a thick, angled shield in front of his chest. Franky braced himself behind it.
Luffy released the tension.
The rubber arms snapped back, pulling Saturn forward with force. The Elder stumbled and crashed face-first into Franky's shield.
The impact rang out, denting the metal and stunning the beast.
Usopp fed another round into the chamber.
"Binding shot, going out!"
The sniper fired. The shell struck the back of Saturn's head and exploded into thick adhesive cables. The fibers wrapped around his horns and upper torso, tying him to the damaged shield.
Saturn roared. The sound vibrated through the clearing. The cables stretched and began to snap under his strength. His dark aura flared, burning the adhesive away.
Luffy appeared beside the struggling Elder.
The captain grabbed the air itself.
The empty space deformed under his grip, folding like a sheet. Luffy pulled the warped air back and swung it forward like a club, striking Saturn in the ribs.
The invisible impact sent Saturn flying across the clearing, tearing the remaining cables and leaving trenches in the dirt.
The three fighters regrouped.
Luffy bounced lightly on the grass. Franky vented steam as the shield retracted into standard arms. Usopp swapped the rifle magazine, his hands moving with practiced efficiency.
Saturn stood on the far side of the crater. His breathing was heavy. Regeneration repaired his broken ribs, but the dark aura around him had weakened. The coordinated attacks were beginning to wear him down.
"Insects," Saturn hissed, anger now clear in his voice. "You rely on tricks."
"We rely on each other," Franky yelled, raising his metal fists.
The rhythm continued.
Don. Da-da.
Far from the center camp, near the southern edge of the forest, the temperature dropped below freezing.
Frost covered the grass. Morning dew became ice beneath heavy boots. Moisture in the air condensed into fog.
Nusjuro stood in the clearing. The Elder occupied a skeletal horse-centaur form. Cold radiated from his bones. The dark blade, Kitetsu, rested in his hands, reflecting no light.
Across the frozen grass, Zoro stood ready.
The swordsman held three blades. Wado Ichimonji rested in his mouth. Sandai Kitetsu and Enma occupied his hands. Black lightning crackled around the steel, striking the frozen ground and leaving scorched marks in the ice. Zoro breathed out a cloud of mist.
Behind him, the ground shook.
Dorry and Brogy stepped forward. The giants cast shadows over the clearing. Dorry held his sword, while Brogy rested his battle axe against his shoulder.
"A strange creature," Dorry rumbled, his voice carrying across the clearing.
"A cold bag of bones," Brogy agreed with a grin. "Let us shatter it."
Nusjuro did not speak.
The skeletal horse kicked off the frozen dirt. The beast crossed the distance in an instant, swinging the dark blade horizontally toward the three pirates.
Zoro moved.
The swordsmans feet shifted over the ice, his body relaxed. The movement carried no fixed pattern.
Zoro leaned backward, allowing the dark blade to pass close to his chest. As the attack missed, he stepped into the opening. The three blades moved in a continuous arc, leaving faint afterimages in the cold air.
Moonlight Purgatory.
Steel met bone.
The three Haki-coated blades struck the skeletal forelegs at once. The impact generated a shockwave that blew the fog away. The cutting force bypassed the cold aura, leaving jagged marks in the ancient bone.
Nusjuro stumbled back, his attention fixed on Zoro.
Before the beast could counter, the sky went dark.
Brogy swung the massive axe downward. The weapon displaced the air as it descended. Nusjuro raised Kitetsu and caught the edge of the axe.
The clash of giant iron and ancient steel produced a screech. The frozen ground beneath Nusjuro shattered, forming a crater. His skeletal legs buckled under the force.
"My turn!" Dorry shouted.
The second giant stepped into the crater, swinging his sword toward the beast's flank. Nusjuro pushed against the axe and used the leverage to jump backward.
Dorry's sword cut through the air and severed a thick oak tree behind him.
Nusjuro landed on the frozen grass and swung Kitetsu through the air.
A wave of cold launched forward in the shape of a crescent moon. The freezing slash crossed the clearing, freezing everything in its path.
Zoro stepped in front of the giants.
He spun his blades and caught the freezing slash on their Haki-coated edges. Black lightning flared as it fought against the ice. Zoro gritted his teeth, feeling the cold creeping up the hilts and numbing his fingers.
Redirecting the force, Zoro pushed the freezing slash upward.
The attack sailed into the sky, striking the heavy clouds and triggering snowfall over the southern camp.
"Don't give it space," Zoro said.
Dorry and Brogy nodded and rushed forward. Their boots cracked the frozen earth as they attacked together. Their strikes forced Nusjuro to parry and retreat.
Zoro followed within the giants' shadow. He used their bodies as cover, stepping out at unpredictable angles to deliver rapid strikes. The Moonlight rhythm made his attacks difficult to read. His blades struck from blind spots, wearing down the Elder's defenses.
Nusjuro's cold aura flared again, but the combined pressure of Zoro and the warriors of Elbaf held him in place.
On the eastern edge of the island, the earth tore apart.
Deep sinkholes formed in the dirt, swallowing grass and rocks. The ground trembled, making it difficult to stand.
Ju Peter moved beneath the surface. The segmented worm traveled through the soil, leaving trenches behind.
Above ground, Nami gripped the Clima-Tact and swung it, releasing weather balls into the sky. Dark clouds gathered, dropping rain over the eastern sector. The water soaked the dirt, turning it into mud.
"The mud will slow it down!" Nami shouted over the wind. "Watch the ground!"
Brook moved across the collapsing soil, his skeletal feet barely sinking into the mud. He drew his cane sword, the blade glowing with the chill of the underworld.
"A most unpleasant ride," Brook said, watching the moving bulge beneath the ground.
Chopper stood nearby in Heavy Point. The doctor planted his feet in the mud, ready to intercept an attack.
A mechanical clanking sound broke through the earthquake.
Karoo stood ready.
Karoo let out a loud quack. Fire blasted from the thrusters in his boots, lifting the armored duck above the mud.
Vivi stood in the center of the group, holding a Vibranium spear.
The princess ignored the rain. Her hands were slick with sweat and water. Vivi closed her eyes for a moment, trying to feel the flow of Haki and summon the dark lightning Ben had demanded.
The ground beneath Vivi exploded.
Ju Peter breached the surface. The massive worm opened its mouth, revealing rows of rotating teeth. The suction pulled air, mud, and rain toward its throat.
Vivi stumbled forward as her boots slipped in the mud. She was pulled toward the open jaws.
A flash of red and gold intercepted.
Karoo fired his boot thrusters and crossed the gap. The armored duck grabbed the back of Vivi's coat with a metal wing. The thrusters burned as he fought the suction, pulling the princess back to solid ground.
"Thank you, Karoo!" Vivi yelled.
Karoo turned toward the worm and raised a metal wing. A glowing port on the gauntlet charged. A beam of energy shot forward, striking Ju Peter on the snout.
The impact caused an explosion. The worm thrashed, snapping its jaws toward the flying duck.
"Heavy Gong!" Chopper roared.
The doctor leaped from the mud and drove a massive fist coated with haki into the side of the worm's head. The force redirected the bite, sending its teeth into a cluster of trees. Wood disappeared into the dark throat.
Brook arrived a second later. He ran along the exposed segmented body, his cane sword tracing a line across the hide.
"Soul Solid," Brook whispered, sheathing the blade.
Ice spread along the cut, freezing the segments together and restricting the beast's movement.
Ju Peter thrashed, shattering the ice and throwing Chopper into the mud. The worm reared into the air, casting a shadow over the group.
It prepared to bring its full weight down on the pirates.
Vivi looked up at the falling mass. She raised the spear and planted her boots in the mud. Fear disappeared, replaced by resolve. The spirit of Alabasta burned within her.
A faint line of black lightning traveled up the spear.
It was small, barely visible through the rain, but the Haki was there.
Vivi widened her stance, preparing to swing.
The blow never arrived.
The drumbeat echoed across the island.
Don. Da-da.
The sound penetrated the earth beneath the mud.
The ground beneath Ju Peter did not simply shake.
It shattered.
A section of bedrock and soil erupted upward, throwing the worm off balance. Ju Peter halted its downward strike as the ground gave way beneath it.
From the crater, a shape emerged.
It was an ancient machine covered in centuries of dust. Rust coated its metal plates. Gears the size of houses turned with grinding sounds, fighting against their long sleep. Chains snapped against its limbs.
Emeth climbed onto the surface of Egghead Island.
The ancient giant stood taller than the trees and the giants of Elbaf. Rain washed dirt from its metal shoulders. A single golden eye burned in the center of its face.
Nami lowered the Clima-Tact. Chopper stared upward. Karoo hovered in place. Vivi lowered her spear.
Ju Peter recovered and turned toward the machine.
The worm lunged, opening its jaws to swallow the rusted giant.
Emeth shifted one foot.
The ground buckled.
The ancient giant drew back an arm. The joints screamed as sparks flew from the metal. The massive hand curled into a fist.
Emeth punched.
The iron fist met Ju Peter's jaw.
The impact produced a shockwave that sent the rain outward. Ju Peter's armored hide buckled under the force.
The worm lifted completely from the ground.
It flew backward through the air, clearing the tree line before crashing into a distant laboratory building.
The battlefield fell silent.
Only the sound of ancient gears and the heartbeat remained.
Don. Da-da. Don. Da-da.
Emeth lowered its fist. The giant turned its head, the golden eye scanning the ruined landscape.
It did not look at the pirates.
It did not look at the fallen Elder.
The ancient robot looked toward the center of the island, toward the source of the drumbeat.
After eight hundred years of silence, the ancient giant had finally heard the heartbeat of the Sun.