Five minutes ago, Corrida Colosseum – Finals Ring.
A heavy clash between "Lucy" and Burgess had just concluded. Lucy had gained the upper hand by completely shattering the armor on Burgess's elbow.
Up in the commentary booth, Gatz shrieked in disbelief, "Unbelievable! How can this be?! Burgess's armor has been utterly pulverized!"
Lucy pulled back his hand and stared at Burgess, his tone turning serious. "You really are a handful..."
He was a top officer of a Yonko, after all; he wasn't someone who could be disposed of so easily.
"His fighting style has completely changed!" Diamante muttered, his eyes narrowing with suspicion. "Is that really Straw Hat?"
Meanwhile, Vito's gaze was fixed on Lucy's hand, specifically his right hand, which was held in a three-fingered "claw" stance. His expression shifted drastically.
"Wait... that 'Dragon Claw' stance... I've seen it somewhere before."
The shocking power of Lucy's strike had sent ripples of astonishment through everyone on the ring.
In the preparation room, Cavendish bolted upright. "No! That isn't Straw Hat's combat style at all!"
"Nani?"
Dimitri's face paled as he stood up abruptly. "It's not Straw Hat? Then who is he?"
"I don't know!" Cavendish shook his head firmly. "But I know for a fact these aren't Straw Hat's moves. I saw the battle between Otto and Straw Hat back at Punk Hazard, his style almost entirely relies on his Gum-Gum Fruit abilities!"
Hearing Cavendish's explanation, Dimitri's expression turned icy. He knew Cavendish wouldn't lie about this. There was only one possibility: Straw Hat had switched places with someone else!
Back on the ring.
"That's the Dragon Claw style!"
Vito finally recognized the technique. He glared at the man before him and growled, "You aren't Straw Hat!"
The declaration sent a shockwave through the crowd. If Lucy wasn't Straw Hat, then who was he?
"What's going on?" Diamante was utterly bewildered. Had they been mistaken from the very beginning?
"Or rather," Vito said, his voice heavy as he stared at Lucy, "the Lucy in the Block E preliminaries was Straw Hat, but he switched out afterward for... the Revolutionary Army's No. 2, Chief of Staff, Sabo!"
"The Revolutionary Army!"
"The No. 2 of the Revolutionaries?!"
"Are you kidding me?"
The officers of the Donquixote Family were stunned, staring at Lucy in disbelief.
"Well, I've been found out. I knew I couldn't hide it for long!"
Lucy shook his head and pulled off the helmet and the fake beard. He revealed a face wearing a helpless grin, framed by short, wavy blond hair and a distinct scar over his left eye.
Sabo, Chief of Staff of the Revolutionary Army, the second-in-command!
"I knew it!"
Max wasn't overly surprised; he simply looked at Sabo with curiosity. "The moment I stepped onto the ring, I could smell that this Lucy was different from the previous one. I just didn't expect it to be the Revolutionary No. 2!"
"I don't have much of a choice," Sabo said with a wide, confident grin. "I have a little brother who's always causing trouble. As his big brother, I've got to help him out!"
"Dammit!"
"How did Straw Hat get away?"
"The plan has failed!"
Led by Diamante, the faces of the Donquixote officers twisted in fury.
Splash—!
Suddenly, a massive Fighting Fish Boss burst from the water, charging straight toward the ring. The crowd gasped again, as this Fighting Fish was bound with heavy metal chains, and a large treasure chest was strapped to its back.
"You beast, how dare you attack me!"
Vito snarled. He lunged into the air, throwing a punch at the gargantuan fish. His fist hardened with Armament Haki, taking on a dark, metallic luster.
"The Flame-Flame Fruit is mine!"
Sabo didn't let his guard down for a second. The moment the Fighting Fish Boss breached the water, he gripped his steel pipe and swung it, aiming straight for Vito's fist.
"You bastard!"
Enraged, Vito twisted his body mid-air, forcibly redirecting his attack.
Clang—!
A deafening metallic ring erupted as the fist collided with the pipe. A powerful pressure wave exploded from the center of the clash, causing the entire ring to tremble violently. The Fighting Fish Boss, still mid-leap, was knocked back by the shockwave and slammed into the water with a thunderous boom, sending a spray of water dozens of meters high.
Just as both sides were about to escalate the fight, something unexpected happened.
In the spectator stands, countless golden motes of light began to drift from the toy audience members, floating up toward the sky.
Beneath the blinding light, the onlookers watched in horror as the toys' bodies expanded and warped. They grew into humans, while a few transformed into massive, ferocious beasts.
"We're... we're back!"
"We turned back into humans!"
"Awoo—!"
It wasn't just the Colosseum. Throughout all of Dressrosa, toys were reverting to their true forms. Simultaneously, the residents felt a rush of memories flooding back, the memories they had lost.
In this single moment, the truth and the darkness hidden in the depths of Dressrosa were laid bare.
Dressrosa had fallen into utter chaos!
…
Green Bit – Center of the Forest.
Pere-pere-pere… Pere-pere-pere…
The sound of a Den Den Mushi rang out. Doflamingo frowned slightly and pulled a small receiver from his coat.
Katcha.
"Su... Sugar... I'm sorry, Doffy!"
The moment the line connected, the sound of Trebol wailing came through.
"What happened to Sugar?" Doflamingo asked, his brow twitching.
"She... she... Sugar has fainted!" Trebol cried hysterically.
In an instant, Doflamingo's face underwent a terrifying transformation. Cold sweat began to pour down his face.
"Hey... are you kidding me?"
"Our army of toy slaves, built up over ten years... they are all turning back into humans! The Hobby-Hobby Fruit's curse has been broken!!!"
Trebol dared not hide anything, sobbing the truth to Doflamingo. The voice from the Den Den Mushi was loud enough that everyone nearby heard it clearly.
"So, those toys were all Sugar's doing!" Law, lying on the ground, realized the truth. He let out a loud, mocking laugh. "Hahahaha! You're finished, Doflamingo!"
"It seems things have taken an unexpected turn," Fujitora (Issho) said, casting a deep, piercing look at Doflamingo. "Perhaps our relationship needs to be redefined."
"No wonder... so those toys were actually people," Zoro muttered, recalling his initial shock upon entering Dressrosa. The talking, emotive toys had been humans all along.
"You bastards! I'll slaughter you first!"
Doflamingo was beyond livid. His powerful Conqueror's Haki surged out uncontrollably, nearly solidifying the air and blanketing half the forest in crushing pressure.
"ROOM!!"
Law suddenly barked out the command. A massive, translucent spherical dome expanded instantly, enveloping the center of the forest.
"You'd better keep a handle on that gravity, Fujitora!" Law ignored Doflamingo's threat and glanced at Issho. "We're leaving. Shambles!!!"
"Hmm…" Issho frowned and immediately increased the gravitational pressure.
Doflamingo's expression shifted violently. He lashed out with a claw-like swipe, sending five sharp, crystalline threads whistling through the air.
In the next heartbeat, Law and Zoro vanished from the crater along with their weapons. Two jagged rocks appeared in their place.
Squelch—
The sharp strings sliced through the ground, leaving five thin fissures. The rock that replaced Law was instantly diced into six pieces. Under Fujitora's crushing gravity, the debris was further pulverized into dust.
Meanwhile, Law and Zoro reappeared over a hundred meters away. Without looking back, they sprinted toward the coast.
"Let's go! Back to Dressrosa!"