Gravity crushed the northern shore of Green Bit.
The air distorted. A crater formed. Inside the crater, Roronoa Zoro pushed upward. He held Shisui and Sandai Kitetsu crossed above his head. He held Wado Ichimonji in his teeth.
Above him, Admiral Fujitora pressed his cane sword downward. Purple gravitational rings pulsed from the blade.
"You hold your ground well, Pirate Hunter," Fujitora stated.
"You talk too much, old man," Zoro grunted. He pushed his arms up. He forced the gravity wave back. He swung his swords.
A flying slash tore through the purple rings. It flew toward the Admiral. Fujitora deflected it with a flick of his wrist. The slash hit the ocean behind him, parting the waves for a mile.
Two hundred yards away, the rest of the Straw Hat alliance sat on the grass.
They watched the duel.
Dorry, Brogy, Oimo, and Kashii sat in a circle. They held massive wooden barrels of ale. Brogy laughed, slamming his tankard against Dorry's. They drank deeply, entirely ignoring the shockwaves rattling their teeth.
Luffy sat cross-legged on a broken log. He held a roasted Sea King meat bone. He tore chunks of meat off with his teeth. He chewed rapidly, swallowed, and grabbed another piece.
Law sat leaning against a tree stump next to them. He looked significantly better than he had an hour ago.
After Carue had swooped in and rescued Law from the crater, the armored duck had flown him to this secure location.
Usopp and Vivi had arrived shortly after defeating the CP0 agents. Vivi had immediately utilized her Simurgh flames. The blue and gold fire had enveloped Law, bypassing his skin to knit his shattered ribs and stitch his ruptured organs. To finish the treatment, Vivi had forced him to drink a thick, blue potion from Ben's inventory. The potion had restored his stamina instantly.
Now, Law sat quietly, watching the fight.
Carue the duck stood nearby, his armor gleaming. He pecked at a piece of bread Luffy had tossed him.
Usopp sat next to Luffy. He cleaned his sniper goggles with a cloth.
A dozen tiny Tontatta dwarves sat on Usopp's shoulders and knees. They held miniature sandwiches. They had climbed out of the dimensional suitcase the moment the fighting stopped. They chewed their food, watching the swordsmen clash.
Vivi stood apart from the group. She held her Kimiyo bead to her mouth.
"Ben. Do you read?" Vivi asked.
Static hissed. Then Ben's voice came through.
"Loud and clear, Vivi. Status?"
"The island is secure," Vivi reported. She looked at the crater where Doflamingo lay defeated. She looked at the unconscious Vice Admirals and CP0 agents buried in the rubble. "Luffy defeated Doflamingo. The CP0 agents are down. The Marines are incapacitated. Zoro is currently fighting Admiral Fujitora."
Vivi paused as a meteor fell from the sky. Zoro swung Kitetsui, slicing the meteor into six neat pieces. The flaming rocks splashed into the ocean.
"The fight might take a while," Vivi added.
"Understood," Ben said over the comms. "The situation in Dressrosa is also under control. We destroyed the SMILE factory. We helped former King Riku take back the plateau. Brook and Kin'emon found Kanjuro."
Vivi nodded, though Ben couldn't see her. "What now?"
"Wait for me," Ben instructed. "I am coming."
The comms clicked off.
Vivi lowered her wrist.
A distortion appeared in the air next to her. The space folded inward, forming a swirling vortex of blue energy. Ben stepped out of the portal. He adjusted his coat collar. The portal snapped shut behind him.
Ben looked around the ruined island. He saw the shattered trees, the massive fissure splitting the bedrock, and the unconscious bodies.
He walked over to the group sitting on the grass.
"Ben!" Luffy cheered, waving a bone. "You missed it! I punched Mingo really hard!"
"I saw the shockwaves from the city," Ben said. He looked at the dwarves sitting on Usopp. "Your princess is safe. Franky and Nami rescued Mansherry. She is currently at the palace with King Riku."
The dwarves stopped eating. They blinked their large eyes.
Then, they erupted.
They cheered. They jumped up and down on Usopp's arms. They threw their tiny sandwiches into the air.
"Princess Mansherry is safe!" a dwarf named Leo yelled. He turned and pointed directly at Usopp. "You did it! You kept your promise! Praise God Usopp!"
The other dwarves joined the chant. "Praise God Usopp! Praise the Great Warrior!"
Usopp did not correct them. He did not point out that Franky and Nami did the actual rescuing. He crossed his arms. He puffed his chest out. He closed his eyes and nodded sagely.
"Of course," Usopp declared. He pointed a thumb at Ben. "Good work, Ben. You executed my orders perfectly. I command you to rest now."
Ben stared at Usopp. He slowly shook his head. Black lines of exasperation appeared over his forehead.
Ben turned his back on the sniper. He closed his eyes. He expanded his Observation Haki.
Ben located the heartbeats. He found Vice Admiral Momonga. He found Vice Admiral Bastille. He located all five CP0 agents. He found dozens of Marine infantrymen scattered and unconscious in the jungle.
Ben raised his right hand. He snapped his fingers.
Space warped around every single unconscious enemy on the island. Portals opened beneath them. They dropped through the portals.
Ben opened a larger portal in front of himself. It led to his spatial dimension pocket. He channeled a specific sleep enchantment into the pocket.
"That will keep them out for three days," Ben stated. He closed the dimension. The air sealed itself.
He turned back to the crew.
"Let's leave," Ben said. He pointed toward the gravity waves distorting the sky to the north. "That battle between Zoro and Fujitora will take days to resolve. We are going to the palace. King Riku has prepared a banquet for us."
Luffy stopped chewing. His eyes widened. They turned into giant, sparkling stars.
"BANQUET!" Luffy roared.
He swallowed the rest of the Sea King meat, bone and all. He jumped onto the log. He cupped his hands around his mouth. He inhaled deeply, filling his lungs to maximum capacity.
"ZOROOOOOO!"
Luffy's voice boomed across the island. It carried over the sound of the clashing blades and the crashing meteors.
In the crater, Zoro parried a heavy strike from Fujitora's cane. He slid backward, his boots digging trenches in the dirt. He kept his eyes on the blind Admiral.
"WE ARE GOING TO THE BANQUET!" Luffy yelled. "AFTER YOU FINISH YOUR FIGHT, COME JOIN US AT THE PALACE!"
Zoro gritted his teeth. He swung Shisui, sending a compressed air blade at Fujitora. He didn't look back at Luffy. He shouted over his shoulder.
"MAKE SURE MY BOOZE IS KEPT ASIDE! IF YOU DRINK IT ALL, I AM CUTTING YOU!"
"OKAY!" Luffy shouted back.
Fujitora lowered his blade slightly. He tilted his head. He listened to the exchange. A small smile crossed the Admiral's scarred face.
"Your captain prioritizes food over your safety, Roronoa," Fujitora noted.
Zoro smirked. He tightened his grip on his swords. "He knows you can't kill me, old man. Now stop talking and swing."
Fujitora chuckled. "Very well." Gravity intensified, crushing the ground beneath them.
Ben raised his hand. A massive portal opened on the grass behind the crew.
"Everyone in," Ben ordered.
The giants stood up. They carried their ale barrels through the portal. Vivi walked through. The dwarves rode on Usopp's shoulders as he marched through. Law stood up and stepped through the portal, followed closely by the Caroo.
Luffy sprinted into the portal, drooling at the thought of the feast. Ben stepped through last and closed the gateway.
King Riku's Palace stood at the highest point of Dressrosa.
The architecture featured white marble, red tile roofs, and sprawling courtyards. The front courtyard was massive. It spanned the size of three football fields.
Right now, it was packed.
Thousands of people filled the courtyard. Royal guards stood at the perimeter. Citizens from the town below had climbed the plateau. But the majority of the crowd consisted of heavily armed fighters.
The Colosseum gladiators.
Hajrudin the giant stood near the fountain. Cavendish groomed his white horse. Don Chinjao rubbed his head. Blue Gilly stretched his long legs. Ideo shadow-boxed. Orlumbus organized his men.
These were the pirates, mercenaries, and warriors who had been turned into toys. When the curse broke, they regained their bodies. They remembered their imprisonment. They remembered the humiliation.
They took to the streets. They fought Doflamingo's remaining forces. They protected the citizens. They secured the city while the Straw Hats fought the executives.
Now, they waited in the courtyard. They waited for the ones who saved them.
A blue portal opened in the center of the courtyard.
The chatter stopped. The warriors turned. The royal guards readied their spears.
Ben stepped out. Luffy followed. Then Usopp, Vivi, and the Elbaf giants.
The courtyard remained dead silent for three seconds.
Then, Hajrudin dropped to his knees. The ground shook.
The giant warrior of Elbaf pressed his forehead against the cobblestones. He stretched his massive arms out in front of him in a posture of submission and reverence.
Cavendish dropped to one knee. He bowed his head, letting his blonde hair cover his face.
Don Chinjao knelt. Ideo knelt. Blue Gilly knelt. Orlumbus commanded his entire fleet to kneel.
Within ten seconds, three thousand hardened pirates, murderers, and gladiators knelt on the marble stones. They faced the Straw Hat crew.
Luffy tilted his head. He picked his nose.
Ben stood perfectly still, his expression unreadable.
Usopp blinked. He looked behind him to see if King Riku had walked out. No one was there. He looked back at the kneeling crowd.
"Thank you," Hajrudin's voice boomed across the courtyard. "Thank you for our lives."
The crowd echoed the sentiment. "Thank you!"
Then, Cavendish raised his head. He looked directly at the sniper.
"Praise the Great Warrior!" Cavendish shouted.
"Praise God Usopp!" Orlumbus roared.
"God Usopp! God Usopp! God Usopp!" The chant erupted from three thousand throats. It echoed off the palace walls. It rolled down the plateau and across the city of Dressrosa.
Usopp froze. His jaw dropped. His eyes bugged out of his skull.
The Tontatta dwarves sitting on his shoulders puffed their tiny chests out.
"See?!" Leo shouted to the crowd. "He is a god!"
The crowd cheered louder. Some pirates began openly weeping, raising their hands toward Usopp as if seeking a blessing.
Usopp leaned sideways. He hid his mouth behind his hand and whispered to Ben.
"Ben," Usopp hissed, sweating profusely. "What happened? Why are they praising me? I didn't even fight in the city! I was on Green Bit!"
Ben looked at the cheering crowd. He looked at Usopp.
"What do I know," Ben said flatly. "Did you do something for them?"
Usopp panicked. "No! I just shot some government guys in the jungle!"
Ben turned away. He walked toward the palace doors. He did not smile.
But internally, Ben was satisfied.
He knew exactly what happened. He orchestrated it.
An hour ago, Ben had infiltrated the underground port. He found Sugar. He knocked her unconscious. The moment she fell, the toy curse broke.
Ben knew the toys would transform back. He knew they would be confused. He knew they would want a savior.
So, Ben used illusion magic.
He projected a massive, holographic image over the underground port and the Colosseum just as the transformation occurred.
He projected Usopp.
He gave the illusion giant, glowing falcon wings. He placed a radiant, golden halo above Usopp's head. He amplified a pre-recorded audio clip of Usopp laughing triumphantly. The illusion bathed the newly freed humans in holy, golden light.
Every gladiator, every pirate, and every citizen trapped as a toy saw that image the exact second they regained their humanity. They associated their freedom entirely with the winged sniper.
Ben did it entirely for his own amusement. He wanted to see how high the World Government would raise Usopp's bounty based on the sheer number of false testimonies.
Usopp did not know this.
Usopp looked back at the crowd. Hajrudin looked at him with tears in his eyes. Cavendish looked at him with absolute respect.
Usopp swallowed hard. His knees knocked together.
Then, his survival instinct kicked in. The instinct of a pathological liar.
Usopp closed his eyes. He stopped shaking. He stood up straight. He crossed his arms over his chest.
He opened his eyes and looked down at the masses.
"Rise, my followers," Usopp declared. His voice carried across the courtyard.
The pirates stood up. They looked at him in awe.
"It was a difficult battle," Usopp began, raising one hand toward the sky. "The Heavenly Demon possessed strength beyond your comprehension! He summoned a dragon made of pure fire! He tried to burn the very concept of freedom!"
The crowd gasped.
Luffy sat on the ground and pulled a piece of jerky from his pocket. He chewed, watching Usopp intently. "Woah. A fire dragon? When did that happen?"
"I stood alone!" Usopp shouted, getting into the rhythm. "I drew my mighty weapon! I fired a single shot! My arrow pierced the heavens! It shattered the sun! It struck the demon directly in his black heart! And as he fell, I shattered the curse binding the kingdom!"
"Incredible!" Ideo yelled, punching the air.
"A true deity!" Blue Gilly wept.
The dwarves on Usopp's shoulders nodded furiously, validating every word.
"But heed my words," Usopp lowered his voice, making it sound ominous. "The World Government fears this power. They will come for me. They will try to silence the truth! But as long as you carry my name in your hearts, you will never be toys again!"
The courtyard erupted into absolute pandemonium. Pirates screamed his name. Gladiators swore eternal loyalty.
King Riku stepped out of the palace doors.
The old king wore a simple robe. Kyros stood to his right. Rebecca stood to his left. Viola walked behind them. Sanji, Nami, Franky, Robin, and Brook followed the royal family.
King Riku looked at the cheering crowd. He looked at the Straw Hat pirates. He walked to the edge of the palace steps. He raised his hands.
The crowd fell silent. They respected the true king of Dressrosa.
"Citizens. Warriors. Friends," King Riku spoke. His voice carried the weight of ten years of suffering. "Today, a nightmare ends. Today, the Donquixote Family falls. We have our memories back. We have our country back."
He turned and looked directly at Luffy.
"We owe this to the Straw Hat Pirates. They fought our battles. They bled for our freedom. They asked for nothing in return."
Luffy stopped chewing his jerky. He smiled.
"Tonight, we do not mourn the past," King Riku declared. "Tonight, we celebrate the future. Let the banquet begin!"
The courtyard exploded.
Royal guards carried massive wooden tables out of the palace. They lined them up across the marble stones.
Ben stepped forward. He raised his hand.
He opened a portal to his spatial dimension. He bypassed the sleep enchantment zone. He accessed his inventory.
He snapped his fingers.
Crates materialized in the air. They fell onto the tables.
Hundreds of crates of high-grade rum. Barrels of aged wine. Thousand-pound slabs of prime Sea King meat. Sacks of rice. Crates of fresh vegetables. Ben provided enough raw ingredients to feed an army for a month.
Sanji stepped forward. He took off his suit jacket. He rolled up his sleeves. He pulled a pack of knives from his pockets.
Vivi tied her hair back. She summoned a small cluster of Simurgh flames. She didn't use them to heal; she used them to ignite the massive stone fire pits in the center of the courtyard. The blue and gold flames burned perfectly clean, providing optimal cooking heat.
Sanji moved like a blur. He kicked frying pans into the air. He sliced vegetables mid-flight. He landed on the tables, seasoning massive steaks with rapid flicks of his wrists. Vivi worked beside him, managing the flames, searing the meat perfectly.
The smell of roasting meat, spices, and garlic filled the night air.
Luffy sat at the head of the largest table. He held a fork in each hand. He banged the hilts against the wood. "Meat! Meat! Meat!"
Franky pulled a guitar from his chest compartment. He stood on a fountain and started playing a fast-paced, upbeat rock song. Brook pulled out his violin, seamlessly matching Franky's rhythm. The cyborg and the skeleton turned the courtyard into a concert.
Nami sat at a table with Robin. She counted a massive sack of gold coins she had "liberated" from the SMILE factory vault. Robin drank a cup of coffee, smiling as she watched the chaos.
Chopper, Bonney, Sunny, and Merry arrived. They carried massive sticks of pink cotton candy. They sat next to Luffy, immediately demanding real food.
Usopp sat on a makeshift throne the dwarves had built for him out of crates. He held a massive mug of ale. Pirates lined up to bring him food, asking him to bless their weapons. Usopp obliged, tapping their swords with his slingshot and telling them stories of how he wrestled a kraken with his bare hands.
Luffy choked on a piece of meat. Chopper panicked. Sanji kicked Luffy in the back, dislodging the meat. Luffy immediately started eating again.
Ben sighed. He took another sip of wine.