Smoke hung thickly in the air of the fifth-floor corridors.
Taking the stone stairs two at a time, the rubber captain marched toward the very top of the fortress. Shattered weapons and broken armor littered the wooden floorboards. The sounds of combat had faded from this section of the castle, replaced by the ragged breathing of exhausted warriors.
Reaching the final landing before the roof access, the hallway opened into a wide antechamber.
Dozens of Beast Pirates lay unconscious across the room. Leaning heavily against the stone walls, the warriors of the Mink Tribe rested their battered bodies. The feral Sulong transformations had faded, leaving the animal fighters drained of their stamina. Shishilian, the lion mink, sat near the heavy wooden doors leading outside, clutching a broken sword.
Stopping his march, the captain looked around the room. The path to the summit stood clear, secured by the willpower of the exhausted tribe.
"Thanks for clearing the way," the pirate offered, a rare sincerity in his voice.
Raising his head, Shishilian offered a weary, bloodstained grin. Pushing off the wall, the lion mink stood up and delivered a sharp salute.
"The retainers are waiting up there," the mink commander rasped, gesturing toward the heavy doors. "Avenge our fallen, Straw Hat."
Nodding firmly, the captain turned his attention to the final threshold.
Outside, freezing wind howled across the dark summit of Onigashima.
Snow drifted down from the gray clouds, melting against the burning debris scattered across the roof. The Red Scabbards lay broken among the rubble. Pools of blood stained the cracked stone. Swords rested uselessly a few feet away from the fallen samurai. Despite landing several strikes, the Wano retainers had failed to bring down the King of the Beasts.
Standing amidst the wreckage, the two Emperors of the Sea paid the defeated warriors no attention.
Sitting on a pile of shattered masonry, Big Mom casually picked at her teeth. Floating nearby, a miniature sun and a dark thundercloud hummed happily. Prometheus devoured a burning wooden beam, while Zeus swallowed patches of stray storm clouds hovering near the edge of the dome.
Taking a long drink from his gourd, Kaido stood in his human form, ignoring the shallow cuts across his chest.
"It has been a long time since we fought side-by-side," Big Mom noted, resting Napoleon on her lap. "Reminds me of the old days. Riding on the same ship."
"Don't bring up the past," Kaido grunted, tossing the empty gourd over the side of the roof. "It annoys me."
Laughing a deep, rolling laugh, the giant woman leaned forward. "You owe me a lifelong debt, Kaido. Never forget that. Back in God Valley, when the crew fell apart, I was the one who gave you that Mythical Fish-Fish fruit. Without me, you wouldn't be sitting here today."
Scowling, the dragon user crossed his massive arms. "I said drop it. We have a war to finish."
"And a prize to claim," Big Mom added, her eyes narrowing with ambition. "Once we crush this little rebellion, we need to secure the Nico woman. We have the rubbing from my Poneglyph, and you have yours here in Wano. We need her alive to read the stones. Then, the One Piece is ours."
Before the conversation could continue, a heavy, splintering crash interrupted the summit.
The thick wooden doors leading to the interior stairwell burst off their iron hinges, flying outward and shattering against the rocky ground.
Stepping out of the darkness, the rubber pirate walked onto the roof.
Turning their heads simultaneously, both Yonko looked at the solitary intruder. The wind caught the dark cape resting on his shoulders. Underneath the shadow of his straw hat, his eyes quickly scanned the battlefield, locking onto the bleeding bodies of the Wano samurai resting just behind the two towering monsters.
A faint spatial distortion rippled near a pile of loose rocks a few yards away.
Swapping places with a pebble, Trafalgar Law materialized on the roof. The surgeon drew his nodachi, keeping his spotted hat pulled low.
Ignoring the sudden arrival of the second Worst Generation captain, the rubber pirate kept walking.
"Straw Hat," Kaido growled, hefting his spiked kanabo. "You actually made it up here."
"You escaped from me once," Big Mom laughed, gripping her massive sword. "I will squash you like a bug this time."
The captain did not stop. He did not speak. He did not even look at them.
Walking with a steady, purposeful stride, the boy stepped between the two Emperors. Passing right through their towering shadows, he treated the most dangerous pirates in the world like irrelevant pieces of scenery.
A vein pulsed on Kaido's forehead, insulted by the blatant disrespect.
Reaching the fallen samurai, the captain knelt on the cold stone. Slipping an arm beneath Kin'emon's shoulders, he gently cradled the battered leader of the Scabbards.
Coughing weakly, Kin'emon forced his eyes open. Seeing the pirate's face, tears immediately spilled down the samurai's bruised cheeks.
"Luffy-dono," Kin'emon wept, his voice cracking with shame and agony. "I am sorry. We were not strong enough. We failed Lord Oden."
Reaching up with a trembling hand, the samurai grasped the fabric of the boy's dark cape.
"Please," Kin'emon begged, his grip tightening. "I have no right to ask this of an outsider... but please, carry Wano on your back. Save our country."
Looking down at the weeping warrior, a reassuring smile broke across the captain's face.
"Of course I will," the pirate promised quietly. "This is my friend's country."
The tears flowed freely from the samurai's eyes, relief washing over his broken body.
Standing up slowly, the captain turned his head toward the surgeon waiting nearby.
"Torao," the rubber pirate requested, keeping his voice level. "Move them downstairs."
Frowning under his hat, Law gripped the hilt of his sword.
Before the spatial manipulation could trigger, Kaido lost his patience.
"Don't ignore me, brat!" the King of the Beasts roared, lifting his kanabo high into the air. Swinging the heavy iron club downward, he aimed to crush the boy and the samurai in a single strike.
"Room."
A blue sphere expanded across the roof.
Shambles.
The Nine Red Scabbards vanished instantly, teleported safely to the floors below.
Left alone in the path of the descending weapon, the captain did not flinch. Biting down on his thumb, he blew a massive burst of air into his bones. His right arm expanded rapidly to the size of a giant's limb. Coating the swollen fist in dense Armament Haki, the rubber turned a gleaming, metallic black.
Ducking under the heavy swing of the kanabo, the pirate leaped directly into the air.
Friction ignited the Haki-coated rubber. Bright, intense flames erupted around his massive fist, burning with a fierce intensity that mirrored a certain fallen brother.
Gum-Gum Red Roc!
Swinging the burning, giant fist forward, the attack struck Kaido squarely in the jaw.
The impact snapped the Emperor's massive head backward, lifting his feet off the ground. Crashing into the stone roof, Kaido tumbled backward in a tangle of limbs and shattered rock, leaving Big Mom staring in shock.
Landing lightly on his feet, the captain adjusted the brim of his straw hat.
"I am Monkey D. Luffy," the boy declared, his voice ringing clearly across the windy summit. "The man who will surpass both of you and become the King of the Pirates."
Silence hung over the roof for a brief moment before the sound of shifting gravel broke the tension.
Adjusting his white scarf, Law glared at the rubber pirate. A look of exhausted annoyance settled over the Heart captain's face.
"Don't do that," Law complained sharply, pointing a finger.
Tilting his head to the side, the boy blinked in confusion. "Do what?"
"Don't give me orders," Law clarified, gritting his teeth. "When you tell me to move the samurai right in front of the enemy, it makes it look like I am working under you. I am an allied captain, not your subordinate."
Staring blankly for a second, the rubber pirate picked his nose casually.
"But I just asked for a favor," the boy replied, failing to understand the complex political implications of pirate hierarchy. "You were going to move them anyway, right?"
The lack of comprehension only irritated the surgeon further. Letting out a long, heavy sigh, Law decided arguing with an idiot in the middle of a warzone was a waste of stamina. Gripping his nodachi, he turned his attention back to the two very angry Emperors currently recovering from the surprise attack.
---
Several floors down from the summit, the sounds of battle raged on.
Jogging up a wide, curved stairwell, Franky adjusted the heavy metal plating on his forearms. Brook floated lightly beside him, the skeletal musician carrying his cane sword at the ready.
Clearing the Tobiroppo and the remaining Numbers had taken time, but the path to the roof finally seemed open.
A sharp, rhythmic buzzing interrupted the climb.
Stopping on a stone landing, Franky raised his right wrist. The glowing Kimiyo bead tied to his wristband flashed rapidly, indicating an incoming priority transmission.
Tapping the bead, a small holographic projection flickered into the dim stairwell.
"Franky! Brook!" Nami's frantic voice shouted from the bead, the sound of explosions echoing in the background of the call.
"We read you, Nami," the cyborg answered, leaning closer to the projection. "What's the situation down there?"
"The Big Mom Pirates breached the Live Floor!" the navigator reported rapidly. "Perospero and a dozen of the heavy hitters just walked through the front doors. Chopper is still brewing the cure, and the samurai are getting overwhelmed. We need backup immediately!"
Hearing that the two pirates exchanged a quick glance.
"Understood," Brook replied smoothly, tipping his top hat to the empty air. "We will provide assistance."
Cutting the connection, the glowing bead faded back to a dull hum.
Reaching the roof to support the captain remained the primary objective, but allowing the medical triage to fall to a fresh wave of enemy commanders guaranteed a massive loss of life. The choice required no debate.
Sighing heavily, Franky cracked his knuckles and turned around, facing back down the long stairwell.
"Looks like the boss has to handle the lizards on his own for a bit longer," the cyborg noted, revving the internal engines in his shoulders.
Nodding in agreement, the musician drew his sword, leaping over the railing, the two pirates skipped the stairs entirely, dropping back toward the Live Floor to intercept the incoming reinforcements.
On the second floor of the skull dome, a frantic chase tore through the ornate hallways.
Bursting through a sliding paper door, Nami sprinted down the wooden corridor, clutching her weather staff tightly. She did not stop to check her corners, focused on putting as much distance between herself and the pursuer as possible.
A heavy, predatory footstep crushed the wooden floorboards right behind her.
Lowering her head, Ulti charged through the broken doorway. The ancient Zoan had recovered from the hit in the attic, her temper burning hotter than ever. The Pachycephalosaurus hybrid refused to let the annoying navigator escape.
"Get back here!" the masked woman shrieked, preparing another devastating headbutt.
Skidding to a halt, Nami spun around. Twirling her staff, lightning crackled in the confined space, illuminating the corridor in bright flashes of blue as the two women prepared to clash.