A/N: I forgot Law and Caroo in the last chapter; I added them.
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Smoke drifted over the King's Plateau. Meat roasted over open fire pits. Thousands of pirates, gladiators, and citizens packed the royal courtyard. They ate. They drank. They celebrated the fall of Donquixote Doflamingo.
Bartolomeo stood near the central fountain. He did not eat. He did not drink. He stared.
He looked to his left. He saw Monkey D. Luffy swallowing entire sides of beef in single bites.
He looked to his right. He saw Nico Robin sipping coffee, laughing at something a dwarf said.
He looked forward. He saw Sanji flipping flaming pans of seafood. He saw Nami counting gold. He saw Franky shooting sparks from his hand.
Bartolomeo's brain stalled. The sensory input overwhelmed his nervous system. He stood in the epicenter of the Straw Hat Pirates. He breathed the same air.
His eyes rolled completely back into his skull. Foam erupted from the corners of his mouth. He convulsed. His knees buckled. He hit the cobblestones hard, his body seizing violently.
Chopper dropped his stick of cotton candy.
"Medic!" Chopper screamed. "We need a doctor!"
Chopper stopped. He realized he was the doctor. He panicked harder.
Chopper transformed. Heavy Point. He shifted into his massive, muscular reindeer form. He rushed toward Bartolomeo. He slid on his knees, tearing the cobblestones up.
Chopper grabbed Bartolomeo's shoulders. He pinned the shivering pirate to the ground.
"Stay with me!" Chopper yelled. He checked Bartolomeo's pulse. It raced at two hundred beats per minute. He checked his pupils. They were dilated to the edges.
Chopper opened his medical bag. He pulled out a syringe of mild sedative. He injected it directly into Bartolomeo's arm. He pressed both hooves against Bartolomeo's chest and applied rapid compressions.
Bartolomeo gasped. His eyes snapped open. He stopped seizing.
He looked up.
He saw Tony Tony Chopper, the pet of the Straw Hat Pirates, leaning over him. Chopper's face was inches away.
"Are you okay?" Chopper asked, sweating profusely.
Bartolomeo stared. Tears welled in his eyes.
"Chopper-senpai... touched me..." Bartolomeo whispered.
His eyes rolled back again. He let out a high-pitched squeal. He fainted instantly, completely unconscious this time.
Chopper threw his hooves in the air. "He's getting worse! I need a defibrillator! Sanji, get me a battery!"
Ten yards away, Don Chinjao sat at a massive wooden table. He ignored the medical emergency. He reached up. He tapped the top of his head.
His head was perfectly pointed. The drill had returned. Ben had punched the dent out during their initial clash on the island.
Chinjao tapped the point against a marble pillar. The pillar shattered into dust. The drill remained flawless.
"Hahaha!" Chinjao roared. He grabbed a barrel of ale and poured it down his throat. "The Great Magician possesses terrifying power! He restored my treasure! He restored my pride!"
Sai sat next to his grandfather. He held a smaller mug of ale. Boo sat across from him, eating roasted chicken.
Baby 5 stood behind Sai. She wore her maid outfit. She held a pitcher of wine. She refilled Sai's mug the second the liquid dropped an inch. She wiped his mouth with a napkin. She massaged his shoulders.
Sai slammed his mug on the table.
"Stop that!" Sai barked. "You are not a servant anymore! You defected from the Donquixote Family! Sit down and eat!"
Baby 5 stopped. She clutched the pitcher to her chest. Her face flushed completely red. Steam whistled out of her ears.
"You..." Baby 5 whispered, her eyes turning into spinning hearts. "You want me to sit by your side? You want us to share a meal? As equals? As husband and wife?!"
"I DID NOT SAY THAT!" Sai roared, his face turning equally red.
"I need you!" Baby 5 cried, throwing her arms around Sai's neck, crushing his face into her chest.
Boo laughed. Chinjao slammed his fist on the table, breaking the wood in half. "A fine addition to the Happo Navy! You will give me strong great-grandchildren, Sai!"
Across the courtyard, the ground shook.
Hajrudin walked through the crowd. The giant warrior parted the pirates like Moses parting the sea. He carried his massive club on his back. He scanned the banquet tables.
He found them.
Four men sat on the grass near the edge of the plateau. They wore Elbaf armor. They drank from barrels. They were ten feet tall.
Hajrudin approached them. He towered over them. He stood sixty feet tall. They barely reached his ankle.
Hajrudin did not laugh. He did not question. He dropped to his knees. The impact cracked the bedrock. He pressed his forehead to the dirt.
"Dorry the Blue Ogre," Hajrudin rumbled. "Brogy the Red Ogre. Oimo. Kashii. I grew up listening to the tales of the Giant Warrior Pirates. You are my idols."
Dorry looked up. He set his barrel down. "A warrior of Elbaf. Rise. We do not kneel outside of battle."
Hajrudin sat up. He crossed his legs. He looked at their small bodies.
"I heard the rumors," Hajrudin said. "But seeing it is jarring. Why do you possess the bodies of normal humans? Was it a curse?"
"A blessing," Brogy laughed, wiping ale from his beard. "The Great Magician, Ben. He altered our size. We move faster. We fight harder. We dodge attacks that would have gutted us at our true size."
Oimo nodded. "We retain our full strength. We wield weapons of unbreakable material. We are stronger now than we were a century ago."
Hajrudin widened his eyes. He looked at the grey metal weapons resting on the grass. He felt the dense, overwhelming aura radiating from the four giants.
"It is an honor to sit with you," Hajrudin said.
Dorry leaned forward. He rested his elbows on his knees. "Tell us, young warrior. We have been trapped on Little Garden for a century. How fares our homeland? How fares King Harald?"
Hajrudin stopped moving. He lowered his eyes. The joy drained from his face.
He remained silent for a long moment.
"King Harald is dead," Hajrudin stated quietly.
Brogy stopped drinking. Oimo froze. Kashii gripped his halberd.
"How?" Dorry asked. His voice dropped an octave. It sounded like grinding stones.
"He fell in battle," Hajrudin explained. "Many years ago. He was killed by Prince Loki."
Dorry closed his eyes. He let out a long, slow breath. Brogy did the same.
Brogy stood up. He picked up his barrel of ale. He didn't drink. He walked to the edge of the plateau. He tipped the barrel over.
The ale poured out, splashing against the dirt and stones.
Dorry stood up. Oimo stood up. Kashii stood up. They picked up their barrels. They poured their ale into the dirt.
"To Valhalla," Dorry chanted.
"To the all-father," Brogy chanted.
"May his battles be eternal," Oimo and Kashii echoed.
Hajrudin watched the four legendary warriors honor their fallen king. He vowed internally to become a warrior worthy of his Father's legacy.
Near the palace doors, the royals gathered.
King Riku stood with King Elizabello II. Elizabello rubbed his massive, muscular right arm.
"My country owes yours a great debt, Riku," Elizabello said. "Doflamingo caused chaos across the surrounding kingdoms. We will send aid. We will help rebuild Dressrosa."
Riku nodded. "Thank you, my friend. It will take time. But the people have their memories back. That is the true foundation of our recovery."
A few yards away, Kyros stood on his single leg. He leaned on his broadsword.
Rebecca stood next to him. She wore a simple white dress instead of her gladiator armor. She held a plate of food, eating hungrily. Viola stood on Kyros's other side, watching the Straw Hats party.
"They saved us," Viola said, looking at Sanji flipping food in the distance.
"They did," Kyros agreed. He looked at his missing leg. "I only wish I could have fought alongside them at full strength. I owe them my life."
Footsteps approached.
Ben walked down the marble steps. He wore his black coat. He carried a bottle of wine.
He stopped in front of Kyros.
"You fought Lao G on one leg," Ben stated. "You won."
Kyros bowed his head respectfully. "I did what I had to do, Ben-dono. I am a gladiator."
Ben didn't speak. He handed the wine bottle to Viola.
He extended his right hand. He pointed his palm directly at the stump of Kyros's missing left leg.
Ben channeled cursed energy. He multiplied it against itself. Negative multiplied by negative equaled positive.
Reverse Cursed Technique.
A blinding white light erupted from Ben's palm.
Kyros flinched. He felt heat. He did not feel pain. He felt an intense, overwhelming itching sensation at his stump.
Rebecca dropped her plate. The ceramic shattered.
Viola covered her mouth with both hands.
The white light surrounded Kyros's leg. Flesh bubbled outward. Bone extended. Arteries wove themselves together like thread on a loom. Muscle fibers wrapped around the bone. Skin grew over the muscle.
In ten seconds, the light faded.
Kyros stared downward.
He had a left leg.
It was perfect. It matched his right leg exactly. The muscles were thick. The skin was tanned. It did not look like a prosthetic. It looked like it had never been severed.
Kyros dropped his broadsword.
He tentatively lowered his left foot. He touched the cobblestones. He applied pressure. The leg held. He shifted his weight. He stood evenly on two feet for the first time in ten years.
Kyros fell to his knees. Both knees.
He pressed his hands against his face. He sobbed. The tears flowed uncontrollably. He grabbed his new leg, feeling the muscle, feeling the pulse of his own blood pumping through the veins.
Rebecca dropped to the ground next to him. She threw her arms around his neck, crying into his shoulder. Viola knelt and hugged them both.
"A miracle," King Riku whispered, stepping forward. He looked at Ben. "You are a god among men."
Ben lowered his hand. He put his hands in his pockets.
"Don't think about it," Ben said flatly.
He turned around and walked away, heading toward the wine crates.
Luffy swallowed a giant skewer of meat. He stood up on the central table.
"BROOK!" Luffy roared. "MUSIC! WE NEED MUSIC!"
Brook stood atop the stone fountain in the center of the courtyard. He held his violin. Franky sat on the edge of the fountain, using his metallic stomach plates as a drum kit.
"Yohohoho!" Brook laughed, tapping his bow against the violin strings. "Right away, Captain! A song of liberation! A song of the sea!"
Brook drew the bow across the strings. Franky hit a deep, heavy beat on his stomach.
Brook leaned into the microphone Ben had materialised on the fountain.
[A/N : Freedom by Pharell Williams]
La, la la la la la, la la la
La, la la la la la, la la la
La, la la la la la, la la la
La, la la la la la, la la la
Brook's voice carried a strange, soulful rhythm.
The pirates in the courtyard started clapping. They matched Franky's drum beat.
Hold on to me
Don't let me go
Who cares what they see?
Who cares what they know?
Miles away. On the broken coast of Green Bit.
Gravity crushed the earth.
Zoro bent his knees. The bedrock beneath his boots shattered into dust. He held Shusui and Sandai Kitetsu. Wado Ichimonji rested between his teeth.
Fujitora stepped forward. He pressed his cane sword down. Purple rings of sheer gravitational force stacked on top of Zoro.
Zoro's muscles bulged. His veins popped against his skin. The pressure aimed to flatten him into a bloodstain.
Zoro inhaled. He gripped his hilts tighter.
"One Gorilla." Zoro flexed his left bicep.
"Two Gorilla." Zoro flexed his right bicep.
He pushed back.
Your first name is Free
Last name is Dom
We choose to believe
In where we're from
Zoro swung both swords upward.
Black Armament Haki coated the blades. The force of his swing met the gravitational wave.
The air shattered like glass.
The purple rings broke. Zoro pushed the gravity back.
Fujitora raised his eyebrows slightly beneath his bandages. He adjusted his grip on his cane.
"Fierce," Fujitora noted.
Zoro didn't pause. He kicked the broken ground. He shot forward, closing the distance instantly.
Man's red flower
It's in every living thing
Mind, use your power
Spirit, use your wings
In the courtyard, Sanji spun on his hands. He activated Diable Jambe. His legs ignited into bright orange fire. He kicked the air, sending sparks flying into the night sky like fireworks.
Vivi channeled her Simurgh fruit. She manifested massive wings of blue and gold fire. She flew above the crowd, leaving a trail of glowing embers that healed the minor scrapes and bruises of the rioting citizens below.
The crowd roared in amazement.
Freedom!
Freedom!
Freedom!
Freedom
Freedom
Freedom
Luffy danced on the table. He stretched his rubber arms out, grabbing Chopper and Usopp, pulling them into a chaotic, spinning jig.
The Tontatta dwarves formed a conga line, weaving between the giant legs of Hajrudin and Orlumbus.
The entire plateau shook with the sound of thousands of people stomping their feet in unison to Brook's violin.
Hold on to me
Don't let me go
Cheetahs need to eat
Run, antelope
On Green Bit, Zoro ran.
He didn't run straight. Fujitora swung his blade horizontally. A massive wave of gravity swept across the ground.
Zoro ducked under the wave. He leaped over a newly formed crater. He sidestepped a falling meteor that Fujitora pulled from the stratosphere.
Zoro moved like a predator hunting in a collapsing world. He kept his eyes locked on the blind Admiral. He closed the gap. Ten paces. Five paces.
Your first name is King
Last name is Dom
'Cause you still believe
In everyone
King Riku watched his people dance. He saw pirates laughing with shopkeepers. He saw Colosseum gladiators sharing meat with royal guards.
He saw his daughter, Viola, crying tears of joy. He saw his granddaughter, Rebecca, dancing with her father, Kyros, who stood flawlessly on two strong legs.
King Riku closed his eyes. He believed in his country again.
When a baby first breathes
When night sees sunrise
When the whale hunts the sea
When man recognizes
Fujitora closed his unseeing eyes.
He extended his Observation Haki. He didn't focus on Zoro. He cast his senses across the ocean. He reached Dressrosa. He reached the King's Plateau.
He felt the auras of the citizens.
For the first time since he arrived on this island, he did not feel anger. He did not feel the dark, twisting resentment of the toy curse. He did not feel fear.
He felt joy. Pure, unadulterated joy.
He heard the music vibrating through the earth. He heard the word 'Freedom'.
A genuine, warm smile spread across Fujitora's scarred face.
Freedom!
Freedom!
Freedom!
Freedom
Freedom
Zoro reached Fujitora.
He crossed his swords.
"Purgatory Oni Giri!"
Zoro swung all three blades simultaneously. He unleashed a spiraling, focused slash aimed directly at the Admiral's chest.
Fujitora didn't dodge. He brought his cane sword up.
He blocked.
The clash created a shockwave that tore the remaining jungle apart. The ocean around Green Bit receded violently. Purple gravity fought against black Haki.
Sparks rained down around them like a meteor shower.
Breathe in
We are from heat
The electric one
Does it shock you to see
He left us the sun?
Zoro exhaled a breath of pure steam. He pushed his muscles past their limit. He forced more Haki into Shusui. The cursed sword drained his spirit, turning it into raw destructive power.
Fujitora pushed back. The gravity intensified, crushing the bedrock beneath Zoro's boots into a fine powder.
Neither man yielded an inch. They stood locked in a stalemate of absolute power.
Haki in the air
Sea Kings in the sea
Sun and yes, night
Are made of the same things
Brook drew the bow across the violin strings rapidly, building the tempo to a frenetic, heart-pounding climax.
Franky hit the metal drums with a flurry of robotic punches.
Luffy threw his head back and laughed, his voice echoing over the music.
Freedom!
Freedom!
Freedom!
Freedom
Freedom
Freedom
Freedom
Freedom
Zoro and Fujitora broke the clash.
They jumped back simultaneously.