In the middle of the city, a man could be seen—six wings behind his back.
He had a halo above his head; he looked rather angelic.
The citizens of Water 7 had to pause whatever the fuck they were doing as, in the sky, something they couldn't ignore was unfolding.
A man floated in the air.
"Greetings, citizens of Water 7."
His voice was calm, elegant even—it carried authority and comfort at once. If you didn't know better, you'd think he was some divine guardian sent by the heavens.
Spoiler: he wasn't.
"It has come to my attention that a dangerous pirate has come to this island," he said, pausing just long enough for the crowd to hang onto every word.
This was his stage. His performance. His chance to ruin Kairo's image forever.
"The criminal known as Kairo, the Demon of the Abyss, has come seeking revenge—wishing to annihilate the world for his evil deeds. However, we have located him. He is here, now, and something on this island is what he needs for his plan. Alongside the Straw Hats, he aims to take this weapon... and destroy us all."
The man could've won an Oscar with how dramatically he sold that. He didn't even blink when he pulled Robin forward in chains.
"Do not fret. We have managed to capture his ally."
The crowd gasped. Mothers clutched their children. Somewhere, a vendor dropped his takoyaki.
The Holy Knight smiled faintly. Yeah—this was working.
He didn't bother being discreet or subtle; he wasn't about to play ninja in a world where actual ninjas existed. The last group that tried that? Never heard from again.
And honestly, why lower himself to that level? He was divine. He deserved to be seen.
"Now... you demon. If you wish for your ally to survive, come find me. Or else..."
And with that, his wings spread wide, and he ascended into the sky—light raining down around him as he left.
The people below felt safe, as if they had just seen an angel. But what he'd really done was set the stage for chaos—if Iceburg didn't cooperate after this, he'd be painted as a traitor and probably get ventilated with bullets.
Didn't matter, though. What mattered was baiting the "demon."
POV change.
The Straw Hats stood outside the massive complex the Holy Knight had retreated into. The air was thick with tension—and smoke.
There were multiple entrances ahead, branching off like a maze.
"Alright," Luffy said, cracking his knuckles. "Let's go!"
"Wait, wait, wait, WAIT!" Usopp panicked, waving his arms. "We should—uh—formulate a plan or something? Split up means we die!"
Too late.
Zoro had already walked off through the eastern passage, muttering something about finding the fastest route.
Sanji was gone the opposite direction, lighting a cigarette and saying something about "a woman's scent" being nearby.
Luffy had already punched through a wall because—why not?
By the time Usopp turned around, Franky was strutting confidently through another corridor.
"FRANKY!" Usopp yelled.
"Super!" was all Franky shouted back before disappearing inside.
Usopp looked at the last remaining person near him—Nami.
"You're not leaving too, right?"
Nami smiled. It was the kind of smile that made Usopp's soul tremble. "I've been waiting to test out my new weapon."
And just like that, she, too, was gone.
Leaving only Usopp and Chopper standing there.
Usopp adjusted his slingshot and puffed his chest. "Well, I guess it's up to me to protect the innocent reindeer!"
Chopper beamed. "You're so brave, Usopp!"
"Y-Yeah... totally..."
Each Straw Hat soon found themselves facing their own opponents—
Luffy vs Lucci.
Sanji vs Jabra.
Zoro vs Kaku.
Nami vs Kalifa.
Franky vs Nero.
Usopp and Chopper vs Kumadori and Fukurou.
As for Blueno... don't worry about it.
Meanwhile, at the heart of the ruins—
The air shifted. The Holy Knight stood alone, wings spread wide, black corruption tracing his spine like veins of tar.
He could sense it. The storm coming his way.
Fwoosh.
The flames arrived before the man did.
Kairo landed, sword in hand, his expression cold.
The Holy Knight's lips curved upward. "About damn time you showed up."
"Someone had to," Kairo said flatly, gripping his sword.
Blue fire roared to life around the blade—wind twisting, compressing, making the heat so intense it burned the color itself away.
"Einherjar."
The Holy Knight grinned, his halo flickering with unholy light.
He would show this kid what it meant to be a soldier of god. It wasn't like the kid could win, with his divine healing, nothing could save this boy from the heavenly beating he was about to receive from god greatest soldier.
If he actually succeeded, maybe he could get promoted a few ranks; that supreme commander rank wouldn't be a dream anymore, hahaha. Even if he had a kid with the lowest of the low, they'd still be considered pure blood...
Hahahaha, his family was guaranteed to stay a world number for at least another 400 years; he was goated like that.
Now, the only thing left was to slither out this fuck.
A/N
Fate/Judgment Order