Pica's voice echoed across the skies above the Flower Capital…
But all the samurai, as well as the members of the SWORD Secret Special Force, showed no signs of being intimidated. On the contrary…
They were desperately holding back laughter.
As everyone knew, sometimes holding back laughter was even harder than suppressing groans of pain.
"Pfft!"
One person broke first—and that was all it took for everyone else to lose it as well.
Bursts of laughter rose and fell around them.
"Hahahaha! What the hell is with that voice?! It's way too shrill! Whose kid is that?!"
"Listening to the voice alone doesn't feel like much, but pairing it with such a huge body makes it ridiculously funny!"
"This isn't intentional comedy?!"
Pica's expression gradually darkened.
What he hated most… was people mocking his voice!
Listening to the laughter coming from all directions, Pica didn't hesitate at all and detonated a Dyna Stone in the distance!
With a thunderous boom, a violent explosion erupted in the forest.
"This! Is your warning!"
"I'm giving you a chance! Hand over Young Master, and I'll tell you where the Dyna Stones are planted!"
And just as Pica was issuing his threat, several Logia-type Devil Fruit users within the SWORD Secret Special Force had already taken cover behind Jack the moment Pica appeared.
When his attention was completely drawn by the waves of laughter, the four of them activated their elemental forms…
And circled around to his blind spot.
Enel's Mantra instantly spread out, quickly locating the Donquixote Family officers hiding throughout the Flower Capital.
Looks like they'd already prepared escape routes… just waiting for Doflamingo to be rescued.
After informing everyone of their positions, Stella waved her hand at the others.
"You go catch those people… leave this big guy to me."
Enel, who had been about to say something, obediently shut his mouth after seeing the look in Stella's eyes.
Even he didn't want to provoke Stella at a time like this.
So he quietly dispersed into his elemental form and vanished from the spot.
Stella raised her head and looked at Pica.
A Paramecia-type — the Stone-Stone Fruit user… Having seen the Devil Fruit Encyclopedia, she naturally knew its characteristics.
The Stone-Stone Fruit allows the user to assimilate with any rock they touch, absorbing all its properties as their own power.
They can also freely alter the form of the absorbed stone.
In truth, the user doesn't actually turn into stone—instead, they hide their true body inside a massive stone giant.
But exactly where it's hidden… that's hard to say.
"Since I don't know where you're hiding…"
"Then I'll just smash all of you."
"Just a few dozen meters…"
"Don't tell me you think you're that monster Douglas Bullet."
Stella had suffered the biggest setback of her life today at Bullet's hands…
Right now…
She desperately needed an outlet.
As she spoke, countless clouds were created in Stella's hands.
Each one contained violent lightning and freezing snow.
They gradually gathered above Pica's head.
"Hitting a thirty-thousand-meter giant barely does anything…"
"I refuse to believe a tiny thing just a few dozen meters tall can take this!"
"In this lifetime! What I hate most is you freaks who randomly turn into giant hulks!"
...
"Let go! Let go right now!"
"Oh my, such a lively little kitty."
After landing, Michael casually released Pedro, who had been struggling the entire way.
Finally back on solid ground, Pedro let out a long breath.
Then he looked at Michael.
"You… who exactly are you?" Pedro gripped his sword tightly, his expression tense. "This is where the Poneglyph is stored—it's also sacred ground for the Mink Tribe… I absolutely will not let you go inside!"
"Can you at least be reasonable?" Michael said irritably. "Someone sent me a letter that's inside there, and you won't let me in—what kind of logic is that? Are you planning to keep it for yourselves?"
"Nonsense! There's nothing inside except the Poneglyph left behind by Joy Boy!"
"That's exactly what I'm talking about." Michael rolled his eyes, too lazy to keep explaining. "In short, I already have Inuarashi's permission…"
And with that, he walked toward the roots of the whale-shaped giant tree.
Entering the cavern, the space suddenly opened up.
Inside the vast hollow of the tree, at the deepest point, stood two Poneglyphs—one large and one small.
The larger one was, without question, the Road Poneglyph pointing the way to Laugh Tale.
The other one, much smaller, was made of the same material, but the writing on it was noticeably more casual.
Combined with what Zunesha had said, this was clearly Joy Boy's message to him.
"If I'd known, I should've brought Robin with me."
Michael sighed, weighed the one-meter cube in his hands, then turned to leave.
"What you're holding is a Poneglyph! I won't let you take it!"
"Which eye of yours sees this as a Poneglyph?!" Michael's mouth twitched. "Look at that crooked handwriting—it's obviously a personal message or something!"
"Don't try to fool me! I'm smart!"
"Fool you… sigh."
Michael rubbed his temples.
The next instant, his figure vanished from the spot.
Pedro's fur instantly stood on end. Just as his Observation Haki was about to activate, a sharp pain struck the back of his neck. His vision went dark, and he collapsed unconscious.
More than half an hour later, with severe morning grumpiness and an extremely irritated expression, Nekomamushi, escorted by the Musketeers, arrived inside the tree hollow where the Poneglyph was stored.
"Where's the damn intruder?!"
"Hm? Is that Pedro lying there?"
Though Nekomamushi's personality was extremely violent—so much so that Inuarashi once called him "the madman of this land"—he was also deeply loyal and valued his comrades, even willing to give up his life for them…
Otherwise, in the original story, he wouldn't have lost his left arm due to Jack's torture.
Nekomamushi picked Pedro up, felt his steady heartbeat, and let out a breath of relief.
"He's fine—just knocked out."
After saying that, he stood up and scanned the surroundings.
Then he realized that the small Poneglyph that had always stood beside the larger one… was gone.
"This… must have been taken by the winged human you mentioned."
"Damn it! I'll find that human and tear him to pieces!"
Just as Nekomamushi was about to turn around, his nose suddenly twitched twice.
He hadn't smelled it along the way earlier, but in this relatively enclosed space, the scent was much stronger.
And the moment he caught it, shock and hatred flooded his eyes.
Among the many scents present, one in particular dominated—and he would never forget it…
It was the smell of Kaido.
-----------
Fanfic is finished. 583 chapters in total on p@treon/tambeerg