Freezing vapor continued to roll across the Live Stage.
Kneeling on the cold floorboards, Vivi extended her feathered wings over a group of shivering, infected samurai. Azure flames cascaded from her plumage, washing over the victims. The mythical Simurgh fire did not burn. Instead, it radiated a soothing, profound warmth, melting the jagged frost accumulating on their skin. Easing the agonizing pain of the virus, the magical flames bought the infected crucial time.
Working frantically at a ruined banquet table nearby, Chopper ground herbs in a stone bowl.
Tristan and Dr. Miyagi moved swiftly beside the reindeer. The mink doctors handed him clean vials and fresh water, assisting in the rapid synthesis of the cure. Mixing the extracted antibodies with the herbal base, Chopper poured the resulting liquid into a large, pressurized delivery tank.
"Almost ready," the doctor announced, wiping sweat from his furry forehead.
A ragged, coughing laugh interrupted the medical triage.
Stumbling through the crowd, Scratchmen Apoo dragged himself toward the table. Bruises covered the musician's face, but his stubborn resolve remained. Raising a battered arm, he prepared to strike his own chest to unleash a final, desperate sound wave at the fragile medical equipment.
Before a single note could play, a massive shadow eclipsed the ceiling lights.
Transforming into a towering Allosaurus, X Drake lunged forward. Massive jaws clamped shut around the Longarm pirate. Lifting Apoo off the floorboards, the ancient Zoan shook his head once before tossing the defeated musician casually into a pile of rubble.
Shifting back into his human form, Drake drew his sword and rapier.
"Focus on the medicine," the undercover Marine instructed, stepping in front of the table. "Boss Hyogoro and I will hold the line. No one touches the doctors."
Nodding in gratitude, Chopper returned to the chemical mixture. Remaining focused on her task, Vivi continued to spread her healing flames across the floor, working in tandem with the defensive line to keep the samurai alive.
Several floors above the banquet hall, the Left Brain Tower echoed with the sound of heavy destruction.
Guarding the central passage, Sasaki blocked the corridor. The armored Tobiroppo had shifted into his full Triceratops form. Scraping his massive, three-horned head against the stone walls, the dinosaur glared down the hallway at the lone intruder.
Standing his ground, Franky cracked his knuckles.
"Move aside," Franky requested, his voice steady. "I have a captain to support."
Snorting loudly, Sasaki scraped a heavy foot against the floor. "You aren't going anywhere, cyborg."
Charging down the narrow passage, the Triceratops moved like a biological tank. The mass of the ancient Zoan tore the floorboards to splinters, aiming the three lethal horns directly at Franky's chest.
Instead of bracing for impact, panels on the cyborg's back shifted open.
Glowing blue thrusters ignited. Launching backward, Franky hovered inches above the ground, matching the dinosaur's charging speed. Raising both hands, repulsor nodes in his palms flared to life.
Twin beams of concentrated energy struck the Triceratops squarely in the face.
The blasts lacked explosive heat, delivering raw, concussive force instead. The impact snapped Sasaki's heavy head backward, stalling his charge and leaving him disoriented in the middle of the hallway.
Cutting the thrusters, Franky landed on his feet.
Tapping into the nanite reserves flowing through his artificial bloodstream, the cyborg's right arm dissolved entirely. The metallic liquid expanded and reconstructed in a fraction of a second, forming a massive, mechanical broadsword that dwarfed his own body.
Gripping the oversized weapon, Franky lunged forward.
Bringing the heavy blade down, the metal sparked against the thick, bony frill protecting the dinosaur's neck. The durability of the ancient Zoan deflected the lethal cut, but the weight of the massive sword drove Sasaki to his knees.
"Annoying," Sasaki grunted, pushing back against the blade.
Shifting into his hybrid form, the Tobiroppo stood on two legs. His massive frill began to spin like a mechanical propeller. Taking flight the Heliceratops hovered in the air, drawing a massive katana from his waist.
Diving toward the cyborg, Sasaki unleashed a barrage of heavy, spinning slashes.
Retracting the nanite broadsword, Franky shifted his defense. His left arm morphed into a thick, glowing energy shield. Catching the descending sword strikes, the shield flared brightly, holding back the immense physical strength of the spinning dinosaur.
Analyzing the attack patterns with his cybernetic eye, Franky calculated the exact timing.
Dropping the shield intentionally, the cyborg leaned backward. The spinning katana sliced through the air mere millimeters above his nose.
Planting his feet firmly onto the stone floor, Franky opened the heavy chest plating of his dark gi.
A bright, blinding light gathered in the center of his chest. Fusing the concussive power of an arc reactor with the devastating heat of a radical beam, the cyborg unleashed his full arsenal.
The concentrated blast of energy engulfed the hovering Tobiroppo.
Screaming in pain, Sasaki was blown backward. The beam carried him down the length of the corridor, smashing him through three consecutive stone walls before finally dissipating.
Walking slowly down the ruined hallway, Franky inspected the final crater.
The Triceratops lay unconscious, his spinning frill cracked and smoking. Closing his chest plates, the cyborg adjusted his hair and continued his march toward the upper floors, leaving the defeated Headliner behind.
On the fourth floor of the fortress, a different atmosphere settled over the Cat Café.
The large, spacious room usually served as a lounging area for the Beast Pirates. Cushions and low tables littered the floor. Currently, the room housed Who's-Who and his personal squad of feline SMILE users.
Stepping lightly over a broken table, Brook entered the café.
Lounging on a velvet couch, Who's-Who smoked a cigarette.
"A talking skeleton," the masked Headliner noted, unimpressed. "Kaido's forces are fighting a war outside, and you wander into my parlor."
Gesturing with a lazy wave of his hand, Who's-Who ordered his subordinates forward.
Dozens of feline SMILE users drew their weapons, leaping across the room toward the lone intruder.
Brook did not draw his sword. Standing still, he tapped into the runes carved into his collarbone.
A gravitational field expanded outward.
The leaping SMILE users crashed instantly to the floor. Pinned against the floorboards by an invisible, crushing weight, the grunts struggled to breathe, immobilized without sustaining any lethal injuries.
Raising an eyebrow beneath his mask, Who's-Who stood up from the couch.
"Interesting trick," the Headliner admitted. Tossing the cigarette aside, his body expanded rapidly.
Shifting into the massive, terrifying form of a Saber Tiger, Who's-Who lunged across the room. Moving with the blinding speed of the Rokushiki Soru technique, the ancient Zoan closed the distance in a fraction of a second.
Fang Pistol!
Thrusting a clawed finger forward, a compressed bullet of air shot directly at the skeleton's skull.
Sensing the attack, Brook tapped the runes on his wrist.
Reversing the gravity enchantment, the musician altered his own weight, making himself lighter than a feather. A slight breeze in the room naturally drifted him to the left, allowing the lethal air bullet to pass harmlessly by his ear.
Landing on the floor, the Saber Tiger slashed horizontally with massive claws.
Floating gracefully above the strike, Brook finally drew his cane sword. Channelling the elemental enchantments provided by the magician, the steel blade ignited.
Azure flames wrapped around the sword, immediately replaced by crackling yellow lightning, and finally settling into a layer of freezing ice. The enchantments cycled flawlessly through the natural elements, following the skeleton's will.
"Let us make this a swift performance," Brook stated politely.
Swinging the blade downward, a crescent of freezing air shot across the café. The attack struck the Saber Tiger's front legs, encasing the paws in solid blocks of thick ice.
Roaring in annoyance, Who's-Who shattered the ice with his strength. Shifting into his hybrid form, the Headliner drew a short blade, combining his predatory power with advanced martial arts.
Iron Body: Dagger Rush!
Hardening his muscles, Who's-Who delivered a flurry of rapid, devastating stabs, forcing the skeleton on the defensive.
Brook parried the strikes smoothly. The Uru metal coating absorbed the shock, preventing his bones from rattling or cracking under the immense pressure. Recognizing the durability of his opponent, the musician decided to end the engagement.
Tapping the runes on his chest, Brook shifted his weight completely.
Instead of floating, his body density skyrocketed. Weighing several tons in an instant, his metallic feet cracked the stone floorboards beneath him. He became an immovable object.
Who's-Who thrust his dagger forward, aiming for the skeleton's ribs.
The blade struck the Uru metal and snapped in half.
Seizing the opening, Brook channeled the earth element through his sword. The blade turned a dull, heavy brown. Stepping forward with immense, crushing momentum, the musician delivered a single, precise thrust directly into the Headliner's chest.
The blunt force impact carried the weight of a falling mountain.
Knocked out of his hybrid form, Who's-Who flew backward. Crashing through the velvet couch and the back wall of the café, the Headliner slumped against the ruined masonry, unconscious before the dust even settled.
Sheathing his cane sword with a soft click, Brook adjusted his cuffs.
"A bit too aggressive for my usual tastes," the skeleton murmured. "But undeniably effective. Yohoho."
Leaving the pinned SMILE users and the defeated commander behind, the musician tipped his hat to the empty room and continued his slow, steady ascent through the chaotic fortress.