The heavy steel doors of the laboratory slammed shut behind the unlikely coalition, sealing out the howling blizzard. The interior of the facility was sterile, bathed in the hum of fluorescent lights and the distant thrum of machinery.
Luffy walked at the front, his hands behind his head, the ridiculous centaur coat flapping around his legs. Beside him, Trafalgar Law walked with a measured, silent stride, his long sword resting on his shoulder. Vice Admiral Smoker brought up the rear, his jitte drawn, his eyes darting between the pirate captain and the warlord with deep suspicion.
"This is a mistake," Smoker growled, smoke leaking from his clenched teeth. "I should be arresting both of you. Instead, I am walking into a trap with two pirates."
"It is not a trap, Smokey," Luffy said without looking back. "It is a field trip."
"Stop calling me that," Smoker snapped. "And tell me what you know. You mentioned a spy. You mentioned experiments."
Luffy stopped. He turned around, his expression shifting from playful to dead serious. The change was so abrupt that Smoker instinctively tightened his grip on his weapon.
"The G-5 Base Commander," Luffy said. "Vergo."
Smoker froze. The name hung in the air like a lead weight. Tashigi, who was being carried by a marine subordinate due to her lack of legs, gasped.
"Vergo-san?" Tashigi cried. "That is impossible! He is a hero of the Marines! He is the most honorable man in the G-5!"
"He is a pirate," Luffy stated bluntly. "He has been working for Doflamingo since before he joined the Marines. He is the Joker's top executive. And he is probably on his way here right now to kill you."
"Luffy-ya is correct," Law interjected, his voice low. "Vergo is Doflamingo's most trusted agent. He infiltrated the Navy fifteen years ago. Every report you sent, every distress call you answered, he knows about it. He is the one covering up the disappearances of the children."
Smoker stared at Law, then at Luffy. He wanted to deny it. He wanted to scream that they were liars. Vergo was his superior, a man who had earned his respect through blood and discipline. But deep down, pieces of the puzzle began to click into place. The missing reports. The covered-up accidents. The children who vanished without a trace.
"If you are lying," Smoker whispered, his voice trembling with suppressed rage. "I will kill you myself."
"If I am lying, you can arrest me," Luffy said. "But when he shows up, don't let him hit you. His Haki is strong."
"Let us keep moving," Law urged, checking a pocket watch. "We are in the B-Sector. The children you put to sleep are in the Biscuits Room, which is back that way. But my crew and your crew, Straw Hat-ya, are likely being held in the C-Sector. Caesar would want to examine the 'intruders' personally."
"My crew is tough," Luffy grinned. "They are probably breaking out right now."
Sector C - Holding Cells
BOOM.
A massive explosion shook the foundation of the laboratory. A thick steel door flew across the corridor, embedding itself into the opposite wall. Smoke billowed out of the cell.
"Super Radical Beam!"
Franky stepped out of the smoke, posing with his metallic shoulders high. His hair was shaped into a cannon, and his robotic arms were smoking.
"That was loud!" Nami coughed, waving the smoke away. She stepped out behind him, holding her Clima-Tact. "But at least we are out. I can't believe we got caught!"
"It was that sleeping gas," Sanji gritted his teeth, lighting a cigarette. He looked furious. "They caught us off guard while we were docking. I have failed as a protector of the ladies!"
"Don't beat yourself up, Cook," Chopper said, transforming from his Kung Fu Point back to Brain Point. "That gas was odorless. We couldn't have smelled it."
"Where are we?" Nami looked around the grey corridor. "And where is Luffy?"
"I do not know," a voice spoke from the floor.
Nami looked down. Resting on the cold metal floor was a severed head. It had a topknot and a face contorted in distress.
"Kin'emon!" Nami shrieked. "Stop talking suddenly! It is creepy!"
"My apologies, m'lady!" Kin'emon's head shouted. "But I sense my legs! They are close! And my torso is... somewhere cold! I must be reassembled! A samurai cannot die in pieces!"
"We need to find the Captain," Sanji said, adjusting his tie. "And we need to teach whoever kidnapped us a lesson."
"Intruders escaping!" A squad of hazmat-suited guards turned the corner, raising their rifles. "Sector C breach! Fire!"
"More gas masks?" Franky grinned. "Weapons Left!"
His arm opened up, revealing a gatling gun.
Ratatatatatata.
The bullets tore through the corridor, sending the guards scrambling for cover.
"Thunder Trap!" Nami swung her baton. Dark clouds formed on the ceiling. Bolts of yellow lightning rained down, electrocuting three guards instantly.
"Let's go!" Sanji launched himself forward. "Collier Shoot!"
He kicked the last guard in the neck, slamming him into the wall.
They ran down the hallway, following the sound of alarms. Suddenly, the wall to their right exploded inward.
CRASH.
Dust and debris filled the air. When it cleared, a massive hole connected their corridor to the adjacent one. Standing in the hole, dusting off his centaur coat, was Luffy. Behind him stood Law, Smoker, Zoro, Robin, and Usopp.
"Luffy!" Nami cheered. "You found us!"
"Yo!" Luffy waved. "I heard explosions. I figured it was Franky."
"Captain!" Franky laughed. "You look ridiculous! Is that a horse coat?"
"It is warm!" Luffy defended.
"Wait," Sanji narrowed his eyes, looking at the people behind Luffy. "Why is the Smoker guy here? And... is that a Warlord?"
"We are allies now!" Luffy announced happily. "Traffy is helping us take down Kaido. And Smokey is just tagging along because he is lonely."
"I am not lonely!" Smoker roared. "And I am not tagging along! I am monitoring the situation!"
"Kaido?!" Nami turned pale. "Luffy! You allied to take down an Emperor? Are you insane? We just got to the New World!"
"We have to start somewhere," Luffy shrugged.
Law stepped forward, looking at the chaotic group. "Straw Hat-ya. We need to focus. Caesar is likely in the Control Room. We need to capture him to proceed with the plan."
"Right," Luffy nodded. "Capture the gas clown. Save the kids. Beat up Vergo. Simple."
"Nothing you do is simple," Law sighed.
Suddenly, the lights in the corridor flickered and died. The emergency red lights bathed them in a bloody glow. A deep, mechanical laughter echoed through the intercom speakers.
"Shurororororo!"
"That laugh," Smoker looked up. "Caesar."
"Welcome, my precious test subjects!" Caesar's voice dripped with malice. "I see you have all met up. How touching! A Pirate-Marine alliance? The world would be shocked!"
"Come out and fight, Caesar!" Smoker shouted.
"Fight? Me?" Caesar laughed. "I am a scientist! I do not fight brutes. I have pets for that."
A hiss of hydraulics sounded from the ceiling. Two massive panels opened up.
Dropping from the shadows were two colossal figures. They were at least twenty feet tall, covered in thick white fur. They wore top hats and carried rifles the size of cannons. Their faces were obscured by shadows, their eyes glowing red.
The Yeti Cool Brothers. Rock and Scotch.
"Assassins," Law identified them immediately. "Mercenaries employed by Caesar. Be careful. They use gas bullets and are extremely durable."
"Cool," Luffy said.
One of the Yetis, Rock, raised his rifle. He didn't aim. He just fired.
BOOM.
The bullet wasn't a normal projectile. It exploded mid-air, releasing a massive cloud of white gas.
"Gas!" Chopper screamed. "Don't breathe it!"
"Room," Law lifted a finger. "Tact."
He levitated a large section of the metal floor, creating a wall to block the gas cloud. The gas hissed against the steel, corrosive and deadly.
"They are sniping us indoors?" Usopp yelped. "That is not fair!"
The second Yeti, Scotch, leaped. He moved with surprising speed for his size, jumping off the walls. He drew a massive knife and slashed at Zoro.
"You are big," Zoro said, drawing Sandai Kitetsu. "But you are just a snow monkey."
Clang.
Zoro blocked the knife with one hand. The floor beneath him cracked from the weight, but Zoro didn't buckle.
"Sanji! Franky!" Luffy barked orders. "Take the one with the gun! Zoro! Take the jumper! I'm going for the door!"
"Roger!"
Sanji and Franky charged at Rock.
"Franky Rocket Launcher!" Franky fired a missile from his shoulder.
Rock swatted the missile away with his rifle barrel. It exploded against the wall. Rock growled, aiming his gun at Franky.
"Bad aim!" Sanji appeared above him. "Epaule Shoot!"
Sanji kicked Rock's shoulder. The Yeti grunted, stumbling back, but he didn't fall.
"They are tough," Sanji noted. "Thick fur."
Meanwhile, Zoro pushed Scotch back.
"One Sword Style," Zoro sheathed two swords, holding only Shusui. "360 Pound Phoenix!"
He swung. A flying slash of compressed air cut through the hallway. It hit Scotch in the chest. The Yeti roared in pain, blood staining his white fur.
"Boring," Zoro said. "Finish him."
"Luffy!" Law shouted. "The gas is spreading! We need to move!"
Luffy looked at the chaos. He looked at the gas filling the room behind them. He looked at the Yetis blocking the path.
"Okay," Luffy said. "I'm bored of this."
He took a deep breath.
"Gear Second."
His skin turned pink. Steam jetted from his legs.
He vanished.
He didn't attack the Yetis. He ran past them. He ran so fast the wind pressure knocked Rock off balance. He reached the sealed blast door at the end of the hall.
"Gomu Gomu no..."
He coated his fist in Ryou.
"...Red Hawk!"
BOOM.
The blast door melted. Literally melted. The fire punch blew a hole straight through the reinforced steel.
"Come on!" Luffy shouted from the other side. "Leave the monkeys! We are going to the boss!"
"He ignored the fight?" Usopp gaped. "That is so un-Luffy-like!"
"He is focused," Robin smiled, running after her captain. "He knows what the real target is."
The crew abandoned the Yetis, sprinting through the hole Luffy had created. Smoker and his marines followed, dragging Tashigi. Law brought up the rear, casting one last glance at the confused assassins.
"Room," Law whispered. "Shambles."
He swapped the Yeti's rifles with two pebbles on the ground. The assassins were left holding rocks.
"Amateurs," Law muttered, teleporting after the group.
Control Room
Caesar Clown floated in the center of the room, staring at the monitors. His gaseous body shifted nervously.
"They broke through Sector C!" Caesar screeched. "They ignored the Yeti Brothers! And Straw Hat... he melted the blast door! That door was explosion-proof!"
Standing in the corner of the room was a woman with green hair and wings instead of arms. Monet. She was reading a newspaper, looking unbothered.
"He is worth 400 million, Master," Monet said, turning a page. "And Law is with him. It seems your plan to gas them failed."
"Shut up!" Caesar threw a beaker at the wall. "This is not my fault! It is Law! He betrayed me! I knew I couldn't trust a Warlord!"
He scrambled to the main console.
"Joker! I need to call Joker!"
"Joker is busy," a deep, calm voice came from the monitor.
Caesar froze. On the screen, a man in a feathered pink coat sat on a sofa, grinning. Donquixote Doflamingo.
"Joker!" Caesar cried. "They are here! Straw Hat! Smoker! Law! They are all here! They are destroying the lab!"
"I know," Doflamingo smiled. "Vergo told me."
"Vergo?" Caesar blinked. "Vergo is here?"
"He just arrived," Doflamingo said. "Open the gate to Sector D. Let him in. He will handle Law."
"And Straw Hat?" Caesar asked, trembling.
"Straw Hat," Doflamingo's glasses glinted. "He is a wild card. But he is just a rookie. Kill him, Caesar. Show them the power of your creation. Unleash the slime."
"The slime?" Caesar's eyes lit up with madness. "Yes! Smiley! My ultimate weapon! I will feed it the candy! I will turn this entire island into a gas chamber!"
"Do it," Doflamingo ordered. "Leave no witnesses."
The screen went black.
Caesar turned to Monet, a twisted grin stretching his face.
"Monet! Release Smiley! Open the outer vents! Let the Land of Death consume them all!"
Monet closed her book. She smiled, a cold, harpy-like expression.
"As you wish, Master."
Sector D - The SAD Production Room
The group arrived at a massive industrial chamber. Giant tanks filled with a bubbling green liquid lined the walls. Pipes hissed, carrying the fluid to unknown destinations. The symbol of a crossed-out smiley face was painted on every tank.
"This is it," Law said, stopping in front of a tank. "SAD."
"Sad?" Luffy tilted his head. "Why is it sad?"
"SAD is a substance," Law explained. "It is the essential ingredient for creating Artificial Devil Fruits. SMILEs."
"Artificial Devil Fruits?" Sanji asked, horrified. "You can make those?"
"Caesar can," Law nodded. "He makes the SAD. Doflamingo uses it to manufacture the fruits in his factory in Dressrosa. And then..."
"Then he sells them to Kaido," Luffy finished the sentence.
Law looked at Luffy sharply. "Yes. Kaido has an army of five hundred artificial Zoan users. The Beast Pirates. They are fueled by this stuff."
Luffy walked up to the tank. He placed his hand on the cold glass. He looked at the green sludge.
"This is what makes them monsters," Luffy whispered.
He pulled his hand back.
"Franky."
"Yeah, Captain?" Franky stepped forward, his weapons ready.
"Can you blow this up?"
"Can I?" Franky grinned, his metal nose shining. "Captain, asking me if I can blow something up is like asking Sanji if he can cook. It is my specialty."
"Wait!" Law interrupted. "We cannot destroy it yet! We need to kidnap Caesar first! If we destroy the SAD now, Doflamingo will lose his mind and send his entire fleet here immediately! We need leverage!"
"I don't need leverage," Luffy turned to Law. "I want him to come."
"What?" Law looked stunned. "You want Doflamingo to come here?"
"If he comes here," Luffy said, clenching his fist. "I can beat him here. Before he hurts anyone else in Dressrosa."
"That is reckless!" Law argued. "Our plan relies on breaking the gears of the machine! Not fighting the operator head-on!"
"Traffy," Luffy put a hand on Law's shoulder. "Your plan is smart. But it is based on fear. You are afraid of Doflamingo."
Law stiffened. Memories of a dead man, of a smile, of a gun, flashed through his mind.
"I am not afraid," Law hissed. "I am cautious."
"Same thing," Luffy said. "We are destroying the SAD. Now."
He looked at Franky. "Do it."
"With pleasure!" Franky opened his chest cavity. "General Cannon!"
"Stop!" Law tried to activate his Room, but Zoro stepped in his way.
"Let him do it," Zoro said, his hand on his sword. "Captain's orders."
Law gritted his teeth. He looked at the conviction in their eyes. He realized he had lost control of the operation the moment he agreed to the alliance.
BOOM.
Franky fired. The blast of air pressure and light slammed into the SAD tanks.
Glass shattered. Metal twisted. The green sludge spilled out onto the floor, hissing and evaporating into useless steam. The machinery sparked and exploded.
"There," Luffy dusted off his hands. "Now the factory is broken."
"You are insane," Law whispered, staring at the destruction of his leverage. "You just declared war on the Underworld, the Warlords, and an Emperor, all in one move."
"Shishishi!" Luffy laughed. "Sounds like a busy week."
Suddenly, the intercom crackled again.
"Shurororororo! You fools! You destroyed my SAD! My precious SAD!"
Caesar's voice was hysterical.
"But it doesn't matter! Because you are all about to die! Look outside!"
A massive screen on the wall flickered to life. It showed the exterior of the facility.
The snowy landscape was gone. In its place was a towering, gelatinous mountain of purple slime. It was moving. It was eating the ground. It was releasing a cloud of gas that melted the rocks it touched.
"Smiley!" Caesar cheered. "The embodiment of the poison gas that destroyed this island four years ago! I compressed it! I gave it life! And now, I will feed it the candy!"
On the screen, a small cart rolled toward the slime monster. It tipped over, spilling massive, glowing candies.
The slime monster ate them.
Its body convulsed. It turned a deep, angry red. It began to dissolve into gas—a gas so potent it turned the camera lens black before the signal died.
"Shinokuni," Law whispered, his face pale. "The Land of Death. He is going to fill the facility with that gas. It petrifies everything it touches."
"Petrifies?" Nami screamed. "Like statues?"
"We are trapped," Smoker realized. "He sealed the exits. The gas is coming from the outside."
Luffy looked at the screen. He looked at the destroyed SAD room. He looked at his crew.
"Traffy," Luffy said.
"What?" Law asked, his mind racing for a solution.
"Where is Caesar?"
"Sector R," Law said. "The main lab."
"Is there a door?"
"Yes."
"Then we run," Luffy said. "We grab Caesar. We beat him up. And we fly out of here."
"Fly?" Usopp asked. "We don't have a plane!"
"We have a dragon," Luffy pointed to the ceiling.
"What?"
CRASH.
The roof of the SAD room tore open. A small, pink, serpentine dragon fell through, screaming.
"I am not a plane! I am Momonosuke!"
The small dragon landed on Luffy's head.
"A pink eel?" Luffy blinked.
"I am a dragon!" Momonosuke shouted. "And I am a samurai!"
"Found the son," Luffy grinned. "Kin'emon will be happy."
He looked at the door leading deeper into the facility.
"Let's go," Luffy ordered. "Race you to the clown."
He sprinted.
"Wait for me!" Nami yelled.
"Damn it," Law adjusted his hat, running after them. "Worst alliance ever."
But as he ran, a small smile crept onto Law's face. For the first time in thirteen years, the gears were turning. And they were turning fast.