Chapter 57: The Plan to Topple an Emperor
"Trafalgar... was DEFEATED?!"
"What the HELL is happening?!"
The G-5 Marines could only stare in disbelief as Itachi hoisted Law's unconscious body over his shoulder and calmly walked in the direction Luffy and the others had gone.
Luffy and the others had found Nami and the crew beneath an overhang of rock, Brook having already reunited with them.
But the reunion brought two revelations—one hilarious, one deeply confusing.
Hilarious: When they'd first encountered Law, there'd been a brief skirmish. In that skirmish, Law's Ope Ope no Mi had swapped their souls.
Nami was in Franky's body.
Franky was in Chopper's body.
Chopper was in Sanji's body.
Sanji was in Nami's body.
And to make matters worse, Chopper's body—currently occupied by Franky—had taken a Rumble Ball and transformed into a massive monster. Franky had no idea how to control it.
Every time Franky spoke with Chopper's voice, Luffy nearly died laughing.
"FRANKY! STOP TALKING IN CHOPPER'S VOICE!" Robin's face was a mask of exasperation.
Deeply confusing: Sanji and the others had somehow acquired a detached samurai head.
Just a head. With a topknot. Rolling around and talking.
However—when they placed the head on the half-body they'd found earlier (the one attached to the dragon), it fit perfectly.
"YOSH! I'M FINALLY WHOLE AGAIN!"
Usopp scratched his head. "Uh... something feels wrong here."
"Wait." Robin's eyes narrowed. "How did you communicate with the headless half-body earlier?"
The samurai turned around and pointed his butt at them.
"Oh! I have a secret technique! FART LANGUAGE!"
His rear end proceeded to produce comprehensible human speech.
Sanji—in Nami's body—kicked him into next week.
"STOP DOING DISGUSTING THINGS!"
At that moment, Itachi arrived.
"Tear-trough Itachi! You're fast!" Luffy waved—then noticed Law draped over Itachi's shoulder.
"TRA-GUY! He's asleep too?"
"THAT'S LAW?!" Nami, Franky, and Chopper (in various bodies) all lunged toward him—their only hope of reversing the soul swap.
Sanji, meanwhile, was still appreciating his stolen moment.
Brook approached. Nami—in Franky's body—punched him into the stratosphere.
"TRY TO PEEP AGAIN! 20 MILLION BERRIES! 100 MILLION IF YOU DAMAGE MY BODY!"
Zoro studied Law's unconscious form with new respect.
"Itachi defeated him."
"No." Itachi set Law down gently. "Just unconscious."
The samurai's head recoiled.
"THIS BASTARD! THAT DAMN WARLORD!"
He raised his mismatched legs, ready to charge—Sanji kicked him away again.
"HE'S CLEARLY DEFENSELESS! WHAT 'FIGHT'?!"
Nami couldn't process it. "Itachi... captured Law? Just now Law defeated Smoker like it was NOTHING!"
Robin and Zoro simply watched Itachi with quiet appreciation. Usopp, however, was already patting Itachi down frantically.
"Brother Itachi! Are you hurt?! He's a WARLORD! Did he cut you?! Are you bleeding internally?!"
"I'm fine." Itachi gently removed Usopp's hands. "The information was uneven. The battle ended quickly."
"Information... battle..." Zoro filed this away. Itachi's fighting style was different from theirs—more calculated, more strategic—but the result was undeniable.
Law had been defeated.
"Tie him up." Itachi gestured. "Especially his hands and feet. His ability requires hand gestures."
Usopp produced rope immediately, binding Law securely to a nearby rock.
Only then did Itachi squat before him and form a seal.
Law's eyes snapped open.
His hand reached for Kikoku—but the sword was gone. Itachi held it.
He tried to move—bound.
"What... WHAT HAPPENED?!"
Itachi hadn't damaged his mind—only trapped him in a high-level binding genjutsu. His body was unharmed, his strength intact. But he was captured.
"TRA-GUY!" Luffy bounded over, grinning. "Looks like Itachi beat you!"
"Itachi?"
Law tried to look at him—then caught himself. Don't meet his eyes.
Itachi noticed.
"Relax. You're bound. I won't use genjutsu again."
Genjutsu? The word meant nothing to Law. What WAS this man? Fire abilities. Clones. Illusions that trapped the mind. And that swordplay—on par with his own.
"Who ARE you? What are these strange powers?!"
Luffy answered cheerfully.
"Itachi's a ninja! He knows all kinds of stuff! Like you're—"
Zoro's fist connected with Luffy's skull.
"DON'T REVEAL EVERYTHING, IDIOT!"
"Ninja..." Law murmured. He risked a glance at Itachi's eyes—the crimson patterns were gone. Normal now.
Itachi got straight to the point.
"This island. What's happening here? Why are you on it?"
Luffy blinked, confused by the question.
The rest of the crew understood. Itachi was gathering intelligence—finding the core of the problem.
"And the children." Chopper pointed behind them. The oversized children, originally dressed in white lab garments, had been given winter coats by the samurai. They played in the snow, seemingly unaware of their situation.
Law's lips curved.
"As you've already concluded—I'm here to stay."
He studied the group.
"So the Straw Hats haven't gained another madman. Just another troublesome one."
He'd noticed, too, that he wasn't seriously injured. The blade that had pinned his shoulder—Itachi had controlled it precisely. No permanent damage.
Seeing Law's reluctance, Itachi first explained their own arrival on Punk Hazard—the distress call, the dragon, the centaurs.
Nami added their experience—the kidnapping, the laboratory, the children.
Law listened. Then he laughed.
"Sincere. Very sincere."
A plan formed in his mind.
He looked at Luffy.
"Straw Hat-ya. Interested in an alliance?"
Luffy tilted his head.
"Alliance? What's that?"
Robin answered smoothly. "Pirates sometimes join forces to achieve a common goal. It's common in the New World."
Law nodded.
"Pirates entering the New World have two paths."
He held up one finger.
"First—join an Emperor's crew. Become their subordinate. Most choose this."
Second finger.
"Second—form an alliance. And try to bring down an Emperor."
His eyes gleamed.
"I have a plan. A plan to topple one of the Four Emperors."
Everyone stared.
"The target..."
Law's voice dropped.
"Kaido of the Beasts."
(End of Chapter)
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