Chapter Text
The Mini Merry II, freshly prepped by Franky, bobbed gently beside the Thousand Sunny. The air still carried a faint metallic tang from the "Lightning Island," but now it mingled with a growing sense of anticipation and a grim determination.
Luffy, practically vibrating with energy from the Sunpetal Fruit and the thrill of a new mission, was the first to leap onto the smaller vessel. The K'voth mark on his chest pulsed with a soft, warm light beneath his shirt, a silent reassurance. "Alright! Punk Hazard, here we come! Let's go find that crying snail and the choppy samurai!"
Zoro followed, his three swords strapped to his waist, his single eye already scanning the hazy silhouette of Punk Hazard on the horizon. "Hope he's worth the trip."
Robin boarded with her usual serene grace, a small satchel of supplies slung over her shoulder. Her mind was already piecing together the fragmented information: a sealed government island, extreme temperatures, a rogue samurai, and desperate pleas for a "boss." It was a puzzle she was eager to unravel.
Usopp, armed with his Kuro Kabuto and a pouch filled with Pop Greens, took his place, albeit with slightly less enthusiasm. "Just so we're clear," he muttered, adjusting his goggles, "if things gettoocrazy, I'm deploying the 'Strategic Retreat via Feigning Sudden Narcolepsy' maneuver. It's a classic for a reason."
Hancock was the last to board, her presence adding an air of regal authority to the small reconnaissance team. Salome, her giant snake weapon, was not with her for this stealthier approach, but her mastery of Haki and her own formidable combat skills were more than sufficient. "Luffy-sama," she said, her voice calm but firm, "I shall ensure no harm befalls you from any cowardly ambush."
Nami leaned over the railing of the Sunny. "Be careful, all of you! That island is bad news. Keep the Den Den Mushi open, and if anything seems too dangerous, get back here immediately!"
"You got it, Nami!" Luffy grinned, giving a thumbs up. "We'll call if we find any treasure... or any good meat!"
"Focus on the mission, Luffy!" Nami sighed, though a small smile played on her lips.
Franky gave a final SUPER wave. "Mini Merry's all tuned up! She'll get you there safely!"
Chopper waved his tiny hooves frantically. "Don't get hurt! And if you find anyone injured, bring them back so I can treat them!"
Sanji, leaning against the railing with a cigarette, called out, "Oi, Marimo, try not to get them all killed before lunch! Robin-chwan, Hancock-chan, take care of yourselves! Luffy, Usopp, don't do anythingtoostupid!"
With final farewells, Usopp started the Mini Merry's engine, and the small boat began to cut through the choppy New World waters, heading directly for the ominous, two-toned island of Punk Hazard. From the Sunny, they watched the small craft recede, a knot of worry and anticipation in their chests.
As the Mini Merry II drew closer, the stark division of Punk Hazard became terrifyingly clear. One half of the island was a hellscape of towering infernos, rivers of molten rock, and skies choked with black, volcanic smoke. The other half was an arctic wasteland, encased in colossal glaciers, jagged mountains of ice, and swept by blizzards that howled with unnatural fury. A strange, hazy line in the very center of the island seemed to be where these two extreme climates clashed, creating a perpetual, violent weather front.
"Whoa..." Luffy breathed, his eyes wide as he took in the spectacle. "It reallyishalf burning and half freezing! How does that even happen?!"
"The reports of the duel between Admirals Akainu and Aokiji..." Robin mused, her gaze sweeping the devastated landscape. "It was said their battle here permanently altered the island's climate. This is likely the result – their Logia powers, fire and ice, clashing on such a scale that they terraformed the island into this extreme dichotomy."
"So, two really strong guys had a big fight, and the island got stuck like this?" Usopp gulped. "That's... terrifying. What kind of monsters were they?"
Zoro merely grunted, his gaze fixed on the burning half. "A good place to test your endurance."
Hancock surveyed the island with a critical eye. "Such destructive power, unleashed without restraint. It is a testament to the terrifying capabilities of those at the pinnacle of the World Government's forces."
The Mini Merry approached the 'burning side' first, as the distress call had mentioned some survivors were there. The heat was already intense, even from a distance. They navigated through plumes of steam rising from where lava met the sea, looking for a safe place to land.
Meanwhile, on the frozen side of Punk Hazard, earlier...
A pair of disembodied legs, clad in the lower half of a samurai's hakama and geta sandals, sprinted erratically through a desolate, snow-swept plain. They moved with a surprising speed and agility, occasionally stumbling but righting themselves quickly. These were, of course, the lower half of Kin'emon, separated by Trafalgar Law's Op-Op Fruit powers.
Not far behind, a group of Caesar Clown's hazmat-suited underlings, armed with gas rifles, pursued the legs with a mixture of frustration and fear.
"There it goes again!" one guard yelled. "Don't let it get away! Master Caesar wants all parts of that samurai contained!"
"How can a pair of legs be so fast?!" another complained, panting in the frigid air. "And it kicked Henderson right in the gas mask!"
"Just shoot it! Tranquilize it! Whatever! I don't want to get 'Shambled' by that surgeon guy again if we lose it!"
The legs, seemingly with a mind of their own, dodged a tranquilizer dart and then, with a surprising leap, kicked out, sending one of the pursuing guards sprawling into a snowdrift. They then disappeared over a jagged ice ridge.
Meanwhile, also on Punk Hazard, within the ruins of a research facility on the burning side...
A different scene of chaos was unfolding. A terrified, low-level underling of Caesar's, let's call him "Cinders," was scrambling backward, trying to escape a different, equally bizarre threat.
"N-no! Stay back! I don't have any more food!"Cinders shrieked.
Before him was the top half of a samurai – Kin'emon's torso, head, and arms – seemingly floating or dragging itself along the ground. He was currently wielding a pilfered meat cleaver with surprising ferocity, his face contorted in a mixture of anger, desperation, and a distinct, rumbling hunger. He wasn't intentionally "cutting people up" in a malicious way; he was usually just trying to get food or escape, but his desperate, erratic actions, combined with his bizarre, bisected state, were terrifying to Caesar's grunts.
"Where is Momonosuke?!"Kin'emon's top half roared, his voice hoarse."And what have you done with my legs?! Give me food, and tell me where my son is, you scoundrel!"He lunged, and Cinders yelped, barely dodging a swipe of the cleaver. It was this kind of panicked encounter that had led to the garbled message about a "samurai cutting people up."
It was during one of these chaotic encounters, when another grunt had his "boss" on a Den Den Mushi (perhaps a lower-level supervisor), that the crying call had been made, mixing up the fear of Kin's top half with the general misery of the island and the (unrelated for that specific call, but present on the island) actions of Law.
Back on the Mini Merry II, as Luffy's group disembarks on the burning side...
Luffy jumped onto the hot, black rock, his sandals sizzling slightly. "Alright! We're here! Now, where are those crying guys and that samurai?"
Usopp scanned the desolate landscape with his goggles. "This place is a nightmare. I don't see anyone. Just lava and smoke."
Robin knelt, examining the ground. "Footprints. Relatively fresh, and varied. Some are heavy, booted – likely guards. Others are... smaller, more panicked." She looked towards a series of scorched, ruined buildings nearby, remnants of an old facility. "The signal seemed to be coming from this general direction."
"Let's check out those broken buildings!" Luffy decided. "Maybe someone's hiding in there!"
"Stay alert," Zoro cautioned, his hand resting on his swords. "This place feels wrong."
Hancock nodded. "The air is heavy with despair and residual fear. Something terrible has indeed happened here."
As they began to move inland, navigating carefully around fissures venting sulfurous steam and rivulets of molten rock, Usopp suddenly yelped, pointing. "L-l-look! What in the Grand Line is THAT?!"
Scrambling awkwardly but quickly over a pile of twisted metal debris, was a sight that made even Luffy blink in surprise: a pair of samurai-hakama-clad legs, running on their own, with no torso attached. They seemed to be heading in their general direction, though perhaps not intentionallyatthem.
"Whoa!" Luffy exclaimed, his eyes wide with curiosity rather than fear. "Legs! Just legs! Are they lost? Shishishi! This island is already SUPER weird!"
Zoro raised an eyebrow. "Well, that's a new one."
Robin's eyes widened slightly, a spark of academic interest igniting. "Fascinating. A seemingly sentient, detached lower body. This could be the work of a Devil Fruit user with unique surgical or separation capabilities."
Hancock looked on with a mixture of surprise and distaste. "An unnatural state of being."
Usopp, however, was already backing away. "Nope! Nope, nope, nope! Running legs with no body? That's where I draw the line! That's classic horror movie stuff! We are NOT following the haunted samurai pants!"
The disembodied legs, perhaps sensing the new group or simply continuing their flight path, stumbled slightly, then corrected and sprinted past them, disappearing behind a plume of black smoke.
Luffy, naturally, was intrigued. "Hey! Wait up, Legs! Where are you going?" He started to give chase.
"Luffy, wait!" Nami would have yelled, but Nami wasn't there. Robin, however, put a restraining hand on his arm.
Robin's voice, calm and analytical, pulled Luffy back from his immediate urge to chase the disembodied legs. "Captain-san, as intriguing as that is, our priority should be the source of the distress signal. Those legs, while bizarre, did not appear to be the 'samurai' described as 'cutting people up.' That description implied a torso and arms capable of wielding a weapon."
Luffy pouted for a second, the image of the running legs clearly having captivated his sense of the absurd. Then he grinned. "Okay! You're right, Robin! Business before super weird running pants! But if we see 'em again, I wanna ask how they run so fast without a butt to push off with!"
The group refocused, continuing their cautious advance towards the skeletal remains of the old research facility. The heat radiating from the ground was intense, and the air was thick with the smell of sulfur and chemicals, a grim reminder of the island's past as a World Government science outpost. Twisted metal girders jutted from the earth like the ribs of a fallen beast, and shattered remnants of buildings lay strewn across the volcanic rock.
Meanwhile, deep within the labyrinthine corridors of the largely intact, but repurposed, research facility on Punk Hazard...
Trafalgar Law stood before a complex control panel in what appeared to be a laboratory, his fingers flying over arcane dials and glowing screens left behind by Vegapunk's teams. The room was chilled, a stark contrast to the burning landscape outside, yet not as frigid as the island's icy half. He was focused, his expression unreadable as he monitored various data streams. The "SAD" production, Caesar Clown's current obsession, was a key part of his own intricate scheme.
Suddenly, Law paused. His head tilted slightly, his senses, sharpened by his Devil Fruit and his keen intellect, picking up on something new. Not a visual, not yet, but a series of powerful, distinct Haki signatures entering the island's periphery on the burning side. They were strong, uncoordinated in a way that suggested a group rather than a military unit, and possessed a chaotic, almost untamed energy he hadn't anticipated.
"New arrivals..."he mused internally, a flicker of something unreadable in his grey eyes."Strong ones. Not Caesar's usual rabble, and not Marines... at least, not any I recognize."He hadn't seen them, nor did he know their identities yet, but their presence was a ripple in the pond, an unscheduled variable. His lips curved into a subtle, almost predatory smirk."This island grows more crowded. Let's see how this complicates Caesar's little kingdom... and my own plans."He returned his attention to the control panel, but a part of his mind was now cataloging these new, potent signatures.
(Flashback - Aboard a G-5 Marine Battleship, en route to Punk Hazard, some time after the Straw Hats entered the New World)
Vice Admiral Smoker stood on the deck of his G-5 battleship, the wind whipping his white hair. His expression was grim as he stared out at the turbulent New World seas. Beside him, Tashigi adjusted her glasses, looking over a report.
"We've had confirmed sightings, sir," Tashigi said, "from multiple sources. Pirates fleeing Fishman Island. They all report the same thing: Straw Hat Luffy was there. And while the details are confused, it seems he was involved in the... overthrow of the New Fishman Pirates and had some interaction with Princess Shirahoshi."
Smoker took a long drag from his two cigars. "Straw Hat... Every time that brat shows up, chaos follows. Fishman Island... he wouldn't just pass through quietly." He remembered the reports about the Ryugu Palace incident, the alliance with Jinbe. He knew Luffy. Wherever he went, the established order was shaken.
"We were already tracking his general trajectory into the New World," Smoker continued, "but this narrows it down. And then there's this..." He tapped a Den Den Mushi on the railing, which had a distinctly troubled look on its face.
"Our communications unit intercepted a fragmented emergency broadcast a short while ago, sir," a G-5 marine reported from nearby. "It was weak, civilian by the sound of it. Mentioned being trapped on Punk Hazard, extreme cold, and... a samurai attacking people."
Tashigi looked up, surprised. "Punk Hazard? But that island is strictly off-limits! It's supposed to be entirely uninhabitable after what happened between Aokiji-san and Akainu-sama."
Smoker nodded, his eyes narrowed. "Exactly. An off-limits island, a distress call, and Straw Hat likely in this quadrant of the New World. Too many coincidences." He remembered the call Luffy had made to him from Fishman Island, the boy's audacity. "That idiot... he'd run headfirst into a disaster zone if he thought it sounded like an adventure."
He exhaled a cloud of smoke. "Change course. We're heading for Punk Hazard. If Straw Hat is there, or heading there, I want to know why. And if there are civilians in distress on a sealed government island, G-5 will investigate. Something isn't right about this." He also knew that communications with Marine Headquarters were notoriously unreliable in this sector of the New World, especially around an island with such a disrupted magnetic field as Punk Hazard. They would likely be on their own.
(End Flashback)
(Back with Luffy's group on the burning side of Punk Hazard)
Unaware of the Marine vessel also converging on their location, or of Trafalgar Law's distant, calculating awareness, Luffy's reconnaissance team pressed deeper into the ruins. The metallic tang in the air grew stronger, now mixed with a faint, sweet, and cloying chemical odor that made Usopp wrinkle his nose.
"Ugh, what's that smell?" Usopp gagged. "It's like rotten fruit and... burning plastic."
Robin sniffed delicately. "I recognize some of the compounds. These are byproducts of advanced chemical experimentation, likely volatile. This facility was indeed involved in sciences the World Government would prefer to keep hidden."
They rounded a collapsed wall and found themselves in what might have once been a large courtyard or loading area. Several large, metallic containers, now rusted and broken, lay scattered about. And in the center of the courtyard, huddled behind one of these containers, they saw movement.
"Someone's there!" Luffy whispered loudly, pointing.
Before anyone could suggest a stealthy approach, he cupped his hands around his mouth. "OI! ARE YOU THE GUYS WHOSE SNAIL WAS CRYING?! WE'RE HERE TO HELP! AND ARE YOU GETTING CUT UP BY A SAMURAI?!"
Luffy's booming, if well-intentioned, announcement echoed through the ruined courtyard. The whimpering from behind the rusted container intensified, followed by a distinct, albeit muffled, series of sounds:PFFFT! PFFT-PFFT! PUUUUUT!
Usopp stared, his jaw slack. "Did... did that container just...talk backin farts?"
Luffy blinked, then his eyes widened in delighted realization. "Shishishi! It's the Legs! The Running Pants! They're trying to say something!"
Robin, despite the absurdity, managed a thoughtful frown. "A rudimentary form of communication, perhaps? Morse code via... flatulence? Highly unorthodox, but given the circumstances..."
Hancock looked utterly bewildered, a rare crack in her regal composure. "This island... defies all decorum."
Zoro simply grunted, unimpressed by the method of communication. "If it's got something to say, it should say it with its chest... if it had one."
Before they could decipher the gaseous message, a new sound ripped through the air – a monstrous, guttural roar that vibrated the very ground beneath their feet, far more powerful than any volcanic rumble. From behind a colossal, half-melted gantry crane at the far end of the courtyard, a shadow rose, vast and terrifying.
With a deafening screech of tearing metal, a massive, scaly head emerged, followed by a long, serpentine neck. It was a dragon – a classic Western-style dragon, with crimson scales, enormous leathery wings, and eyes like molten gold. It let out another earth-shaking roar, smoke and embers billowing from its nostrils.
"A DRAGON?!" Usopp shrieked, his eyes threatening to pop out of his head. "A REAL, FIRE-BREATHING DRAGON?! WE ARE SO SCREWED!" He immediately dropped into a combat crouch, Kuro Kabuto aimed, though his hands were shaking.
Luffy's eyes, however, lit up like Christmas trees. "WHOOOOAAAA! A DRAGON! SO COOL! I wanna ride it! Or eat it! Or both!"
Zoro grinned, his hand instinctively going to his swords. "Nowthat'smore like it."
Robin's eyes, though wide, held a spark of intense academic fascination. "A genuine dragon... Remarkable. They were thought to be purely mythological creatures, or at best, long extinct."
Hancock, while surprised, quickly assessed the threat. "It appears hostile. Luffy-sama, permit me to—"
But then they noticed something even stranger. Perched precariously on the dragon's massive head, clinging to its horns, were the samurai styled torso. It seemed to be attached to the neck of the dragon, controlling it or more like aggravating it in action.
"The Torso! It's controlling the dragon!" Luffy pointed, laughing. "Shishishi! That's the weirdest team-up ever!"
Usopp just stared. "The farting pants are DRIVING a dragon?! Okay, I've officially seen everything. Can we go home now?"
The dragon, under the agitated "guidance" of Samurai lower half, spotted the Straw Hats. Its molten eyes narrowed, and it let out a targeted roar, unleashing a torrent of searing fire directly at them.
"Scatter!" Robin yelled.
Luffy, still in his Nika form, simply laughed and stretched his body into a giant, spring-like coil, bouncing out of the fire's path. "Gomu Gomu no Nika Spring!"
Zoro dashed to the side, the heat scorching the ground where he'd stood. Hancock used her incredible speed to evade, her expression one of annoyance rather than fear. Usopp yelped and dove behind a piece of wreckage, firing a Pop Green. "Green Star: Skull Exploding Grass!" The projectile hit the dragon's snout, causing a small, irritating explosion that made it roar in anger but did little real damage.
The terrified grunts who had been hiding behind the container (the ones Luffy had initially called out to) seized the distraction. "N-now's our chance! Run!" They scrambled out, trying to flee the courtyard, their earlier fear of the "choppy samurai" now completely overshadowed by the rampaging dragon.
The dragon, irritated by Usopp's attack and further agitated by the legs stomping on its head, turned its attention back to the Straw Hats. It reared back, preparing another fiery assault.
But before it could, Zoro had already closed the distance. "You're big," he said, a predatory glint in his eye, "but let's see how you handle this!Santoryu Ogi: Ichidai Sanzen Daisen Sekai!"
With a blinding series of slashes, Zoro unleashed his powerful technique. The air itself seemed to ripple as his Haki-infused blades carved through the dragon's thick scales. The dragon let out a sound that was half roar, half agonized shriek, as deep gashes appeared across its chest and neck. It stumbled, its fiery breath dying in its throat.
Simultaneously, from the other side, Luffy had bounced high into the air. "My turn, Mr. Dragon!Gomu Gomu no Nika Gigant Stamp!" His Nika-flamed foot, enlarged to colossal proportions and imbued with Armament Haki, slammed down onto the dragon's head with incredible force.
The impact was tremendous. The dragon's eyes rolled back, and it crashed to the ground with a thunderous boom that shook the entire courtyard, narrowly missing the fleeing grunts. The samurai legs, dislodged by the force of Luffy's attack, went flying, landing in a heap near where Zoro stood over the now-fallen beast.
The dragon lay twitching, clearly defeated.
"Shishishi! We got it!" Luffy cheered, landing lightly.
Usopp peeked out from his hiding spot. "You... you took down a DRAGON?! Just like that?!"
The surviving Caesar grunts, who had paused in their escape to witness the unbelievable takedown, stared in terrified awe. One of them fumbled for a Den Den Mushi. "We-we have to tell him! We have to tell Master Caesar! We're under attack by Some incredibly strong... pirates! They just... they just defeated the dragon!"
Before he could dial up the call, a blur of motion. Zoro was suddenly there, the tip of Shusui resting lightly against the grunt's throat. His single eye was cold. "I wouldn't do that if I were you. Now, tell us what's going on here. Who's this 'Master Caesar'? And why are you all so scared of a pair of running pants?" The other grunts froze, their fear of the dragon-slaying pirates now eclipsing everything else. They dropped their weapons and raised their hands.
Luffy, meanwhile, poked the fallen dragon with his foot. "Wow! It's even bigger up close! Sanji! Is dragon meat good?" (Forgetting Sanji wasn't with them). He then spotted the samurai legs, which were now trying to get up, albeit unsteadily. "Oi! Legs! That was some awesome dragon riding! You guys okay?"
The legs responded with a series of agitated, almost indignant-sounding farts.PFFFT! PUUT-PUUT! FFFWUMP!
Robin, ever the decipherer, tilted her head. "It seems... offended? Perhaps it's trying to convey that it wasitsdragon, and it was doing just fine warding off its pursuers before we interfered?"
Hancock wrinkled her nose slightly at the gaseous communication. "A most undignified dialect."
Luffy, however, was laughing. "Shishishi! It's a feisty pair of pants!"
Zoro efficiently disarmed the terrified grunts and tied them up with some salvaged cable. "They're not saying much. Too scared. Something about a 'Master' who experiments on people, and they were trying to capture those legs because they belong to a samurai their Master wants."
"A samurai their Master wants..." Robin mused, looking at the twitching legs. "Perhaps these legs are connected to the 'choppy samurai' from the distress call."
Luffy, whose stomach suddenly rumbled loudly, looked at the massive dragon. "This thing's gotta be good to eat! It's huge!" He started imagining dragon steaks. While Sanji wasn't there, Luffy wasn't entirely incapable of roasting meat over a volcanic vent if he was hungry enough.
As if summoned by the thought of food, the air near the fallen dragon shimmered, and Sanji would have appeared. But since he isn't, Luffy would just have to make do.
"Okay, new plan!" Luffy declared, already looking for a good fire source among the lava flows. "First, we have a dragon barbecue! Then, we find the rest of that samurai and help those crying guys!" He then remembered the immediate surroundings. "And we gotta check out that building those guys ran into!" He pointed to a small, somewhat intact outpost-like structure near the edge of the courtyard where the grunts had been attempting to report.
The immediate threat of the dragon was gone, replaced by the prospect of a massive meal and the lingering mystery of the disembodied samurai and the shadowy "Master" of Punk Hazard. They were making their presence known, and the island's secrets were slowly beginning to unravel. The next step was to investigate that outpost, and then, perhaps, brave the transition to the island's frozen, equally perilous other half. Luffy, despite the heat of the burning side, felt no discomfort, his Nika flames and the subtle energy of his Shinigami fruit creating a personal equilibrium. The others, however, were definitely feeling the oppressive heat, fanning themselves and already looking forward to the (hopefully) cooler interior of the island.
Luffy's declaration of a dragon barbecue was met with enthusiasm primarily from himself. While the others were intrigued by the prospect of dragon meat, the immediate priority was information. Zoro quickly "persuaded" the bound Caesar grunts to spill what little they knew about the outpost building. It was a minor surveillance and control station, mostly automated, but it had communications and possibly some data on the facility's layout.
Luffy, his hunger sated by the surprisingly tasty (if hastily cooked) dragon meat, wiped his mouth. "Alright! That was a good snack! Now, let's find those crying guys and the rest of that samurai!" He looked towards the massive, central lake that, according to the crude map they'd found in the dragon's presumed territory (or perhaps near the grunts), separated the burning and frozen halves of Punk Hazard. "The map showed a way across over there!"
The K'voth mark on his chest pulsed faintly, and he felt invigorated, the lingering heat of the burning side barely registering on him. His crewmates, however, were already feeling the oppressive heat radiating from the lava flows and scorched earth, fanning themselves and sweating profusely. The prospect of entering an evencolderregion was not appealing without proper gear.
"Are we sure about this, Luffy?" Usopp asked nervously, already dreading the temperature shift. "We're not exactly dressed for a blizzard." He gestured to their standard New World attire, which was hardy but offered little protection against extreme cold.
"The distress call mentioned some were on the frozen side," Robin reminded them, her expression calm but her eyes acknowledging the potential hardship. "And that seems to be where the main facility is located."
Zoro just grunted. "Cold, hot, doesn't matter. Trouble is trouble."
Hancock, though clearly uncomfortable in the intense heat of the burning side, simply stated, "Where Luffy-sama goes, I shall follow. The elements are but a trifle."
They began the trek towards the lake. The transition zone was a disorienting hellscape of swirling mist, where gouts of superheated steam from the lava fields met howling, ice-laden winds from the frozen plains. The temperature fluctuated wildly with every step.
As they finally crossed a precarious, half-melted, half-frozen land bridge spanning the vast, steaming central lake, they were hit by the full force of Punk Hazard's icy wrath. The temperature plummeted with shocking speed. Gone was the oppressive heat, replaced by a soul-chilling cold that bit through their clothes like needles. The ground was a treacherous expanse of slick ice and deep, powdery snow. Jagged mountains of pure ice clawed at the bruised sky, and the wind howled like a banshee, driving razor-sharp ice particles against their exposed skin.
"F-F-F-FREEZING!" Usopp wailed, his teeth chattering so hard he could barely speak. His nose was already turning red, and he hugged himself tightly, trying to generate some warmth. "I-I can't f-feel my f-fingers! Or my t-toes! Or my... my sense of self-p-preservation!"
Robin, despite her stoic demeanor, was visibly shivering, her breath misting heavily in the frigid air. She wrapped her arms around herself, the thin material of her clothes offering little resistance to the penetrating cold. "This is... far more severe than I anticipated. Hypothermia will be a genuine risk if we're exposed for too long."
Zoro, his jaw clenched tight, pushed through a snowdrift, his usual resilience tested by the sheer, unrelenting cold. Every breath was an icy shock to his lungs. He could feel his muscles stiffening.
Hancock, her lips tinged with blue, her movements less fluid, pressed instinctively closer to Luffy. Even her regal pride was struggling against the elemental fury. "Luffy-sama... this cold is... unnatural. It pierces to the bone."
Luffy, however, stood amidst the swirling snow and biting wind, his Nika flames still burning brightly around him, a beacon of white fire in the icy gloom. He looked at his shivering, miserable crewmates with concern. "Huh? Oh, yeah! Itispretty chilly out here, isn't it?" The extreme cold, as before, barely affected him. His dual Devil Fruit nature – the Sun God's inherent warmth and the Shinigami's affinity for the "cold end" – rendered him almost immune.
Seeing their distress, he grinned reassuringly. "Shishishi! Don't worry, guys! I told ya, I can help!"
He spread his arms wide, and the white Nika flames around him seemed to expand, not with aggressive heat, but with a soft, encompassing radiance. The fire lost its searing edge, becoming a gentle, caressing warmth that pushed back against the icy wind, creating a small pocket of relative comfort around them. It was like stepping into the subtle, welcoming glow of a hearth on a winter's night.
"Ahhhhh..." Usopp sighed, a wave of profound relief washing over him as the life-giving warmth touched his frozen limbs. "L-Luffy... you're a miracle! A walking, talking, super-powered bonfire! I take back half the bad things I've ever thought about your recklessness!"
Robin allowed herself a small, grateful smile, the shivering easing from her frame. "Your abilities continue to be a source of wonder, Captain-san. This warmth... it is most welcome."
Hancock leaned closer into the comforting aura, her color slowly returning. "Luffy-sama's radiance... it truly is a gift to all who stand with him."
Even Zoro visibly uncoiled, the stiffness in his muscles lessening as the gentle heat permeated his clothes. He gave a curt nod of acknowledgement towards Luffy.
With Luffy now acting as their mobile, personal heat source, the beleaguered reconnaissance team found the frozen wasteland slightly more bearable. The wind still howled, and the ice was still treacherous, but the immediate threat of freezing to death had been significantly reduced. They pressed on, deeper into the icy half of Punk Hazard, following the vague directions from the distress call and the crude map, towards the looming, ominous silhouette of the main research facility.
Meanwhile, aboard the Thousand Sunny, anchored in a secluded cove some distance from Punk Hazard's chaos...
Nami was at the ship's helm, keeping a watchful eye on the volatile weather patterns surrounding the island. Franky was running diagnostics on the ship's systems, while Chopper was meticulously organizing his medical supplies, just in case. Sanji was in the galley, preparing a hearty, warming soup, his thoughts on the reconnaissance team.
"I hope they're okay," Chopper said worriedly, looking out at the distant, two-toned island. "Punk Hazard sounds really dangerous."
"Luffy's with 'em, Chopper," Franky said, giving a SUPER thumbs up. "And Zoro, Robin, Hancock, and Usopp! They can handle anything!"
Suddenly, a faint hiss, almost too quiet to notice over the wind, emanated from several vents on the deck. A colorless, odorless gas began to seep into the Thousand Sunny.
Nami, usually so attuned to atmospheric changes, was focused on her charts. Sanji was absorbed in his cooking. Franky was deep in the engine room. Chopper was the first to feel its effects.
"Huh?" Chopper blinked, his nose twitching. "I feel... sleepy..." He yawned, a huge, uncontrollable yawn. "So... tired..." His small reindeer body swayed, and he slumped to the deck, fast asleep.
Nami looked up from her charts, a wave of drowsiness washing over her. "What... what's happening? I... can't keep my eyes open..." Her head drooped, and she too succumbed.
Sanji, stirring his soup, felt his knees buckle. "This soup... needs... one more... zzzzz..." He collapsed beside the stove.
Franky, in the engine room, suddenly felt an overwhelming urge to nap. "SUPER... sleepy... overhaul..." He slumped against a console.
The sleeping gas, a potent creation of Caesar Clown known as Koro Gas, had effectively neutralized most of the Sunny's crew.
Hidden figures, clad in hazmat suits and moving with practiced silence, swarmed aboard the Thousand Sunny from a stealthily approaching, low-profile vessel. They were Caesar's underlings, tasked with capturing any intruders. They quickly bound the unconscious Nami, Sanji, Franky, and Chopper.
"The 'Master' will be pleased," one whispered. "Four live specimens. Strong ones, by the look of them."
Another prodded the sleeping Chopper. "This one's strange. A talking raccoon-dog?"
"Doesn't matter. Bag 'em and tag 'em."
They moved through the ship, checking for any other crew members. In the dining area, near the galley, they found Brook. He too had succumbed to the Koro Gas, slumped over the table where he might have been composing a new song or perhaps just enjoying a cup of tea (if he still drank tea). His skeletal form was still, his top hat askew, his sword cane resting beside him.
The hazmat-suited figures paused, looking at the unconscious skeleton.
"Is... is this another one?" one of them asked, poking Brook's bony shoulder with a gloved finger.
"It's... just a skeleton," another observed, peering closer. "A very well-dressed one, but still. Bones."
A third one, who seemed to be the leader, scoffed. "The gas even knocked out a pile of bones? Must be stronger than I thought." He then waved a dismissive hand. "Forget it. What's the Master going to do with a skeleton? There's no flesh to experiment on, no organs to study. It's useless. Probably just some creepy decoration these pirates picked up."
"But... it was moving before, wasn't it? When we scouted the ship earlier, from a distance?" the first one said uncertainly.
"Eh, maybe the wind rattled it. Or maybe it's one of those weird wind-up toys pirates like," the leader replied, already turning away. "We have who we need. These four are clearly the living ones. Let's get them to the transport and back to the facility before the gas wears off. The Master is impatient."
And so, deeming the unconscious Brook to be of no value or simply too mundane in his skeletal state compared to their other captives, Caesar's men left him slumped at the table. They efficiently transferred the still-sleeping Nami, Sanji, Franky, and Chopper to their own vessel and departed, leaving the Thousand Sunny seemingly deserted, save for one slumbering skeleton.
A short while later, Brook began to stir, a groan escaping his (non-existent) throat. The effects of the Koro Gas were wearing off. He sat up, his head feeling strangely... hollow, which was normal for him, but also fuzzy. "Yohohoho... My, that was an unexpectedly deep nap. I had the strangest dream... I was a marimo, and Sanji-san was trying to cook me..."
He blinked his empty eye sockets, looking around the silent dining room. "Hello? Nami-san? Franky-san? Is anyone about?"
A growing sense of unease, a rare feeling for the eternally cheerful skeleton, began to creep in as his calls went unanswered. He rose and began to search the ship. The galley was deserted, Sanji's soup now cold on the stove. The helm was unmanned. Chopper's medical bag lay open on the deck, its contents slightly disarrayed. Nami's maps were scattered.
"Oh dear," Brook murmured, his jovial tone completely gone, replaced by a chilling realization. "This is not a prank. This is... abduction! My friends... they've been taken!" His skeletal hand clenched around the hilt of his sword cane.
Filled with a sudden, cold resolve, Brook knew he couldn't just wait. His crewmates were in danger. He spotted one of the Sunny's smaller emergency vessels, a small paddle boat, still secured. "It seems a solo rescue mission is in order! Yohohoho! Though I do wish I had a bit more muscle for these sorts of things... and perhaps some lungs, so I don't tire so easily from paddling!" He chuckled weakly at his own joke, the gravity of the situation weighing on him.
He launched the small boat and began to paddle with surprising speed and skeletal determination towards the ominous, two-toned island of Punk Hazard, following the faint, lingering scent of the abductors' vessel (or perhaps just a gut feeling, as skeletons don't have particularly good noses).
After a harrowing journey through the icy waters, avoiding treacherous ice floes, Brook managed to make landfall on the frozen side. He shivered, despite having no flesh to feel the cold. "Yohoho! So chilly! It chills me right to my bones! Though, I suppose that's all I have!"
As he stumbled through a narrow ice pass, he suddenly heard a roar of anger and the distinct clang of metal. Peeking around an icy corner, he saw a bizarre sight: the top half of a samurai, dragging himself along the ground with his arms, was furiously attacking what looked like... nothing? No, the samurai was swinging his sword wildly at the air, shouting.
"Foul fiend! Unhand me! Where have you taken my noble lower half?!"the samurai torso (Kin'emon) bellowed, swinging a katana.
"Goodness me," Brook observed. "A talking torso? This island is truly full of surprises!" He stepped out. "Excuse me, sir samurai-torso! Might you have seen some ruffians abducting a lovely navigator, a swirly-browed cook, a SUPER shipwright, and a small, fluffy doctor?"
Kin'emon's top half whirled around, his eyes fixing on Brook. For a moment, he just stared, his anger replaced by sheer, dumbfounded shock at the sight of a walking, talking skeleton in a top hat.
Then, his warrior instincts kicked in. "A... a talking skeleton?! A demon?! Another of this cursed island's horrors! Prepare to be exorcised, foul spirit!" Kin'emon, despite his compromised state, launched himself at Brook, katana flashing.
"Yohohoho! A misunderstanding, I assure you!" Brook yelped, parrying the surprisingly swift strikes with his sword cane. Their blades clashed in the icy canyon. Kin'emon was strong, his swordsmanship skilled even without his legs. Brook, a former fencing champion, held his own, his lighter frame and swift movements making him a difficult target.
"My word, you're quite persistent for half a man!" Brook quipped, leaping back from a powerful slash.
"Silence, apparition! I shall send you back to the netherworld!" Kin'emon roared.
After a few minutes of clashing steel, Brook realized that while he could likely hold his own, defeating this enraged (and understandably confused) samurai torso would be a protracted affair, and his primary mission was to find his crew.
"My sincerest apologies, sir torso, but I really haven't the time for this!" Brook declared. With a nimble feint and a burst of speed only a skeleton of his lightness could achieve, he disengaged and began to run. "A strategic withdrawal! Yohohoho!"
"Cowardly spirit! Come back and face my righteous fury!" Kin'emon bellowed after him, though giving chase without legs was proving difficult.
Brook ran, his skeletal legs pumping with surprising speed, deeper into the frozen wastes of Punk Hazard, hoping to pick up a trail of his abducted crewmates. The icy wind howled around him, and the terrain was treacherous, but his determination was absolute. As he rounded a large, jagged outcrop of ice, he skidded to a halt, his non-existent breath catching in his (also non-existent) throat.
Before him stood a formidable group, blocking his path. They were unmistakably some of Caesar Clown's enforcers, bizarrely altered. The most imposing figure among them was a large, powerfully built man with a thick, tangled brown beard that flowed down his chest, his expression stern and weathered. His lower body was that of a massive, scaly brown alligator, its powerful tail swishing slowly in the snow, kicking up small flurries. He carried a large, curved blade with an air of authority. Flanking him were several other figures, all of them centaur-like in appearance: some had the powerful lower bodies of horses, snorting and stamping impatiently in the cold, while another had the lithe, muscular hindquarters of what looked like a large predatory cat. They were armed with an assortment of crude spears, nets, and clubs, and their eyes, a mixture of human and animalistic, were fixed on Brook with predatory intent.
The alligator-centaur leader stepped forward, his heavy tread crunching on the ice. He rested the tip of his massive blade on the frozen ground. "Hold it right there, you strange apparition!" he boomed, his voice deep and gravelly, carrying easily over the wind. "You've wandered into territory under the protection of the great Master Caesar Clown! I am Brownbeard, leader of this patrol, and captain of my own fearsome crew – or what's left of it after that traitor Law had his way with us!" His eyes narrowed as he scanned Brook from his top hat to his bony toes. "Never seen anything like you. What are you, some kind of cursed spirit?"
One of the horse-centaurs snorted derisively. "Looks like a pile of bones that forgot it's supposed to be buried, Captain Brownbeard!"
Another patrol member, a wiry man whose lower half was that of a shaggy mountain goat, licked his chapped lips. "The Master might be interested in this one, Captain. An animated skeleton? Something new for his collection, definitely. Or perhaps good material for one of his experiments."
The Centaur Patrol began to spread out, their movements a strange combination of human deliberation and animalistic readiness, clearly intending to encircle Brook and cut off any escape.
Brook sighed, the sound barely audible over the wind, and meticulously adjusted his top hat. "Yohohoho. Captain Brownbeard, you say? A pleasure to make your acquaintance, despite the rather chilly reception. And an alligator, no less! My, what a striking combination. Your mother must have been very surprised." He then drew his sword cane, Soul Solid, its blade gleaming faintly in the icy light. "I'm afraid I'm in a bit of a hurry, however. My friends are in peril, and I really must be on my way. So if you gentlemen would be so kind as to step aside..."
Brownbeard hefted his massive blade. "Boys! Secure him! Gently, if you can – the Master prefers his playthings intact!"
The Centaur Patrol began to close in on Brook, their crude weapons raised, a mixture of predatory hunger and cruel amusement in their eyes.
Brook braced himself, Soul Solid held ready. "Yohohoho! It seems a musical interlude will have to wait! Prepare yourselves, gentlemen, for a chilling performance!"
Just as the first horse-centaur lunged with a spear, a loud, cheerful voice echoed across the icy plain, cutting through the howling wind.
"OI! ALLIGATOR-MAN! AND HORSE-GUYS! Whatcha doin' to our skeleton?!"
Everyone froze – Brook, Brownbeard, and his entire patrol. They all turned towards the source of the voice.
Emerging from a snow-laden ridge, enveloped in a soft, warm aura of white Nika flames that pushed back the biting cold in their immediate vicinity, were Luffy, Zoro, Robin, Hancock, and Usopp. Luffy was at the forefront, grinning broadly, the K'voth mark on his chest pulsing faintly beneath his shirt.
Brook's jaw would have hit the ice. "LUFFY-SAN! EVERYONE! Yohohoho! You're here! And looking remarkably warm!" He felt a surge of immense relief.
Brownbeard stared, his eyes widening in disbelief, then in dawning recognition as he focused on the figure wreathed in flame. He recognized the straw hat, the carefree grin, and the sheer, untamed energy. He'd seen that face on wanted posters, heard tales from other pirates, and even caught glimpses during the chaotic broadcasts from Marineford.
"You... You're... Straw Hat Luffy!" Brownbeard stammered, his bravado faltering slightly. "Fire Fist Ace's little brother! From the Paramount War!" The memory of Whitebeard's forces clashing with the Marines, the sheer destructive power unleashed, was still vivid. This was not some random intruder.
Luffy bounded forward, his Nika flames gently warming the air around his shivering crewmates. "Yup! That's me! And that's our musician you're bothering!"
Usopp, his teeth chattering despite the proximity to Luffy's warmth, suddenly noticed something very important about Brownbeard's crew. "H-hey, Luffy! L-look!" he stuttered, pointing a trembling finger. "C-c-clothes! Real, w-warm-looking c-coats and f-furs! They all have 'em!"
A collective realization dawned on Zoro, Robin, and Hancock, who were still feeling the biting chill despite Luffy's efforts.
Zoro eyed the thick, fur-lined cloak Brownbeard wore. "Hmph. They do look warm." A dangerous glint appeared in his eye.
Robin pulled her own inadequate garment tighter, her gaze lingering on the insulated gear of the centaurs. "Indeed. Far more suitable for this climate than our current attire." Her smile was serene, but held a hint of predatory calculation.
Hancock, ever regal but undeniably cold, looked at the centaurs' warm outfits with a newfound, almost covetous interest. "Such practical attire... It would be a shame for it to be wasted on such uncouth ruffians when Luffy-sama's noble companions are suffering from the cold."
Luffy blinked, then looked at his shivering friends, then at the well-dressed Centaur Patrol. A wide, slightly mischievous grin spread across his Nika-flamed face. "Shishishi! You guys are right! Theydohave nice warm clothes! And we're cold! So... I guess we'll just have toborrowthem!" His tone was cheerful, but the underlying intent was unmistakable.
Brownbeard, recovering from his initial shock, bristled at the Straw Hat captain's audacity. He might be Fire Fist's brother, but this washisterritory, under Master Caesar. "Borrow?! These are the uniforms of Master Caesar's elite guard! You'll do no such thing, Straw Hat! You and your bizarre skeleton friend will be coming with us!" He gripped his blade tighter. "Don't think because you have a high bounty you can just—"
He didn't get to finish.
"Gomu Gomu no Nika Rocket!" Luffy launched himself forward, a blur of white flame and elastic energy.
Brownbeard barely had time to register the attack before Luffy's Haki-infused fist slammed into his alligator jaw with incredible force. The mighty centaur leader was lifted off his feet, his eyes rolling back, and crashed into a snowdrift with a sound like a collapsing iceberg, his prized coat already looking a little loose.
"CAPTAIN BROWNBEARD!" the other centaurs yelled in shock and outrage.
"Alright, guys!" Luffy called back, already eyeing Brownbeard's cloak. "Pick a coat! First come, first served!"
What followed was less a battle and more a swift, brutally efficient "clothes drive."
Zoro moved like a phantom through the snow. "Ittoryu: Shishi Sonson!" One horse-centaur found himself suddenly relieved of his warm vest and his consciousness, his sword strike missing Zoro by a mile. Zoro didn't even bother drawing all three swords for most of them.
Usopp, emboldened by the prospect of warmth and the presence of his captain, actually got proactive. "Green Star: Devil!" A Pop Green erupted into a man-eating plant that latched onto a goat-centaur, conveniently stripping him of his insulated trousers in the process (much to the centaur's horror). "Got some pants!" Usopp cheered triumphantly.
Robin used her powers with chilling efficiency. "Cien Fleur: Delphinium!" Multiple arms sprouted, disarming and neatly unbuttoning the coats from several struggling centaurs before gently placing them in a pile. "Such a crude design, but the insulation appears effective."
Hancock, with a disdainful sniff, found herself face-to-face with the cat-like centaur. "Slave Arrow!" A flurry of hearts, and the centaur was petrified mid-lunge, his warm, leopard-spotted cloak practically falling into her hands. "This pattern is somewhat gaudy, but it will suffice."
Brook, meanwhile, had already retrieved his top hat and was gleefully "assisting" by tripping up any centaurs trying to flee, his sword cane a blur of polite taps and disarming maneuvers. "Yohohoho! Such enthusiasm for sharing! Truly, you are all too kind!"
Within minutes, the entire Centaur Patrol lay groaning in the snow, disarmed and, more importantly, divested of their warm outer garments. The Straw Hats were now much more comfortably attired, Luffy having claimed Brownbeard's impressive (and surprisingly clean) captain's coat, which was a bit big on him but wonderfully warm. Zoro had a rugged fur-lined vest, Usopp some much-needed insulated trousers and a jacket, Robin a practical, dark-colored cloak, and Hancock had reluctantly draped the leopard-print one over her shoulders, already planning how to modify it later.
Luffy, snug in Brownbeard's surprisingly comfortable (and nowhis) captain's coat, which billowed around his Nika-flamed form, beamed. "Shishishi! Much better! Now we're all warm!" He looked down at the groaning, shivering Brownbeard, who was now clad only in his under-tunics, his alligator hide providing little comfort against the icy wind. "Thanks for the clothes, Alligator-Man! You guys should get some sleep now. You look tired!"
Luffy raised a fist, preparing to deliver a "thank you" punch that would undoubtedly ensure Brownbeard got plenty of rest.
Brownbeard, seeing the fist descending and the memories of Fire Fist Ace's terrifying power flashing before his eyes (projected onto Ace's equally terrifying little brother), flinched violently. "W-WAIT! HOLD ON, STRAW HAT!" he yelped, his voice a desperate croak. "D-Don't hit me again! I... I surrender! Completely! Utterly!"
Luffy paused, his fist hovering. "Huh? You give up?"
"Yes! Yes!" Brownbeard blurted out, propping himself up weakly on his alligator elbows. "No more fighting! We're no match for you! Clearly!" He looked at his similarly de-clothed and defeated patrol, who were all nodding vigorously, their teeth chattering. "We... we can help you! You said you were looking for the main facility, right? Where Master Caesar is? I... I can take you there! I know the way! The safest route, even!"
Luffy blinked, then lowered his fist. "Oh! You know the way? That's helpful!"
"The safest route from the man who just tried to capture us?" Zoro said skeptically, his hand still on his sword.
"He seems genuinely terrified, Zoro-senpai," Usopp whispered, now much warmer in his new gear. "And if he can save us a walk through a blizzard, I'm all for it."
Robin observed Brownbeard with a cool, analytical gaze. "He is likely telling the truth about knowing the route. His survival here would depend on it. Whether it's thesafestroute forusremains to be seen, but his cooperation could be... convenient."
Hancock sniffed. "He only offers aid out of cowardice. But if it serves Luffy-sama's purpose..."
At that moment, Brook, who had been politely ensuring none of the other centaurs tried anything foolish, stepped forward, his usual jovial tone replaced by a grim seriousness. "Luffy-san! Everyone! I have dire news!"
All eyes turned to the skeleton.
"While you were on your... zappy island detour," Brook began, his voice heavy, "the Thousand Sunny was attacked! A strange gas filled the ship, and everyone fell asleep! Nami-san, Sanji-san, Franky-san, and Chopper-san... they've been abducted!"
A stunned silence fell over the group, broken only by the howling wind.
Luffy's cheerful demeanor vanished instantly. The warm, gentle aura of his Nika flames flickered, and for a terrifying moment, a raw, oppressive pressure emanated from him. The K'voth mark on his chest seemed to glow brighter, almost angrily, and the golden rings in his eyes burned with a cold, furious light. The temperature around them, despite his flames, seemed to drop several degrees. It wasn't just the Shinigami fruit's chill; it was the palpable weight of a Yonko-level Conqueror's Haki, barely restrained, tinged with the righteous fury of Nika.
Usopp and even Zoro took an involuntary step back. Hancock's eyes widened, a mixture of concern and fierce pride in her gaze. Robin watched him intently, recognizing the depth of his anger.
"Abducted?" Luffy's voice was dangerously quiet, each word like a chip of ice. "Our friends...taken?"
Brook nodded grimly. "I was unaffected by the gas, or so their captors believed, thinking me already deceased. Yohoho... a miscalculation on their part. I saw them. Men in strange suits. They mentioned a 'Master' who wanted them alive."
The pressure around Luffy intensified. The snow at his feet began to melt rapidly, not from warmth, but from the sheer force of his will, then instantly refreeze into jagged spikes. Brownbeard, witnessing this display, turned an even paler shade of green-brown and began to tremble uncontrollably.
"His... his Haki... it's even stronger than what I sensed from some of Whitebeard's commanders!"Brownbeard thought, terror gripping him."This isn't just Fire Fist's little brother... this is a monster!"
"This 'Master Caesar'..." Luffy said, his voice now a low growl, his Nika flames flaring higher, but with a dangerous, almost predatory edge. "He's going to give them back.Now."
He turned to Brownbeard, his fiery, Haki-laden gaze pinning the terrified centaur. "Alligator-Man. You said you'd take us to his facility. You're going to do that. And you're going to do it fast."
Brownbeard, practically whimpering, nodded so vigorously his beard shook. "Y-Yes, Straw Hat-sama! Right away! The fastest, safest route! I promise! No tricks!"
Luffy's furious aura receded slightly, though the dangerous glint in his eyes remained. He took a deep, steadying breath, the K'voth mark on his chest pulsing. "Good. Let's go. My friends are waiting."
And so, under the terrified but now utterly compliant guidance of Captain Brownbeard, the newly-attired and highly motivated Straw Hat reconnaissance team set off. Their earlier curiosity about Punk Hazard had transformed into a burning urgency. They weren't just investigating a distress call anymore; they were on a rescue mission. And heaven help anyone who stood between Monkey D. Luffy and his abducted nakama. The frozen hellscape of Punk Hazard was about to experience a different kind of heat.
Yayyyy!!!!