Fog rolled low across the courtyard.
The treasure piles glittered faintly under broken moonlight.
Laughter had already died.
Every eye was fixed on the towering figure standing at the edge of the ruins.
Bartholomew Kuma.
Lola's crew stiffened.
Several of them stepped back.
Lola's eyes widened.
"…That's—!"
Her jaw dropped.
"What the hell are YOU doing here?!"
The Straw Hats glanced between Lola and the massive stranger.
Luffy tilted his head. "Who's that?"
Lola pointed shakily.
"That's another Warlord of the Sea!"
"Bartholomew Kuma!"
The name hit like thunder.
Silence.
Then—
"ANOTHER WARLORD?!" Usopp shrieked.
"We JUST beat Moria and now a sequel boss shows up?!"
Chopper's knees trembled.
"We're all exhausted…"
"H-how are we supposed to fight someone like that…?"
Nami clenched her staff.
"Are you here to avenge Moria?!"
Kuma stared forward.
Unblinking.
"I have come for Monkey D. Luffy."
The courtyard grew colder.
Kuma continued.
"Moria contacted the Marines regarding your presence."
"However…"
"The Fleet Admiral did not trust Moria to handle you."
"That is why Sengoku sent me."
Sanji stepped forward, smoke curling from his cigarette. "So even the Fleet Admiral knows about Luffy now?"
Kuma nodded slightly.
"Yes."
"With your actions…"
"You have reached a level that cannot be ignored."
He lifted his head slightly.
"I was ordered to take your head, Straw Hat."
Usopp fainted. "HE SAID HEAD."
Robin's eyes narrowed.
Zoro slowly placed his hand on his swords.
Luffy stared at Kuma. "…You wanna fight?"
Inside Kuma's mind—
Now what will you do, Monkey D. Luffy?
Will you run?
Will you fight?
Zoro stepped forward, blades sliding halfway from their sheaths. "You think we're afraid of you?"
Sanji took position beside him.
Franky cracked his knuckles.
Nami tightened her grip on her staff.
Usopp swallowed hard. "…We're not backing down."
The Straw Hats spread out.
Luffy planted his feet. "Bring it on."
Kuma said nothing.
Zoro lunged first. "ONIGIRI!"
Three blades slashed toward Kuma's torso.
CLANG!
Kuma raised one paw.
The attack bounced away like it hit rubber.
Zoro skidded backward. "What?!"
Sanji launched a kick. "KICK COURSE!"
Kuma tilted his palm.
BOOM.
Sanji was flung sideways.
He slammed into rubble.
Franky fired. "COUPE DE VENT!"
Compressed air blasted forward.
Kuma flicked his paw.
The blast curved.
Turned.
Shot back.
Franky barely blocked. "WHAT KIND OF CHEAT IS THAT?!"
Usopp fired multiple shots.
"EXPLOSIVE STAR!"
"FIRE BIRD STAR!"
Kuma waved both paws.
Every projectile bent.
All attacks reversed course.
Explosions detonated around the Straw Hats instead.
Smoke filled the courtyard.
Usopp screamed. "HOW IS HE DEFLECTING EVERYTHING?!"
Kuma spoke calmly.
"Because of my ability."
"I ate the Paw-Paw Fruit."
"I am a Paw Human."
He slowly raised his hands.
Large paw pads were embedded in his palms.
The Straw Hats stared.
"…Paws?"
"…On a human?"
"…What the hell?"
Chopper whispered. "That doesn't make any sense…"
Zoro snapped. "Don't get distracted!"
Suddenly—
Kuma vanished.
Instantly reappeared behind Zoro.
Palm raised.
Zoro's eye widened. "—!"
Usopp and Chopper screamed. "ZORO!"
A blur cut across.
Sanji appeared midair. "DIABLE JAMBE!"
Flaming kick smashed into Kuma's head.
BOOM!
Kuma's head tilted slightly.
Sanji landed. "Enough of that!"
Zoro turned. "Oi, what the hell are you doing—"
Sanji suddenly dropped to one knee.
He grabbed his leg.
"GAH!"
He slammed his fist into the ground.
"It hurts…!"
The crew froze.
Nami's eyes widened. "Sanji… got hurt?"
Usopp whispered. "How tough IS this guy…?"
Kuma turned his head slowly back toward Sanji.
No damage.
Not even a scratch.
Luffy vanished in a burst of steam.
"GEAR SECOND!"
He appeared in front of Kuma.
"GOMU GOMU NO—"
"JET PISTOL!"
His fist rocketed forward.
Kuma raised his paw.
The punch landed—
And bent.
The force reversed.
BOOM!
Luffy was launched backward.
He slammed into the ground.
Hard.
Dust exploded.
"LUFFY!" Robin screamed.
She rushed to him.
She knelt, checking his face.
"…He's unconscious."
"His body couldn't take anymore…"
"Between Moria and Oars…"
"…He's completely exhausted."
Zoro clenched his teeth.
"…Figures."
He stood straight.
"Then we handle this ourselves."
He drew all three swords.
"RASHOMON!"
Zoro slashed forward in a furious cross pattern.
Kuma stepped sideways.
Every slash missed by centimeters.
Zoro stared. "…How fast are you?"
Kuma turned slightly—
Toward Luffy.
He began walking.
Zoro's eye widened. "Tch!"
He vanished.
Appeared in front of Kuma.
"SHISHI SONSON!"
A lightning-fast draw slash.
Kuma's shoulder was struck.
The coat tore open—
Revealing metal underneath.
Sparks flew.
Zoro skidded past.
He turned slowly.
"…You're tougher than steel."
Kuma glanced at the exposed machinery.
Then looked back at Zoro.
"Interesting."
The Straw Hats tightened their formation.
Bloodied.
Bruised.
Exhausted.
But still standing.
Zoro raised his swords. "We're not letting you touch our captain."
For the first time—
Kuma paused.
The wind swept through the ruined courtyard.
Smoke drifted between broken stones.
Kuma looked at the unconscious Luffy.
Then at the battered crew standing in front of him.
He slowly exhaled. "…Very well."
The Straw Hats blinked.
"…Huh?"
Kuma spoke calmly. "I will let you all leave."
Silence.
Nami stared. "…What?"
Usopp squinted. "…Is… is this a trick?"
Chopper whispered. "He's… giving up?"
Sanji clenched his jaw. "Guys… don't trust him."
Kuma spoke again. "I will allow everyone else to leave this island."
The Straw Hats froze.
Lola's mouth fell open. "…Huh?"
Nami blinked. "You'll… let us go?"
Usopp snapped awake. "WAIT REALLY?!"
Zoro scowled.
"Don't be idiots."
"That kind of offer always comes with a price."
Kuma turned his massive body slightly.
"I will let you all leave…"
"…If you give me Straw Hat Luffy's head."
Dead silence.
Then—
"NO WAY!" Usopp shouted.
Chopper stepped in front of Luffy. "We won't give him to you!"
Sanji moved beside Luffy. "Touch our captain and you die."
Nami stood firm. "We didn't survive all this just to hand him over!"
Franky crossed his arms. "That's our captain, you walking refrigerator."
Brook raised his sword. "Yohohoho! I refuse most sincerely!"
Robin's voice was calm. "We will not comply."
Lola slammed her axe into the ground.
"He saved us!"
"You're not taking him!"
Her crew roared in agreement.
"Yeah!"
"Find another head!"
Kuma looked around at the gathered pirates.
"So…"
"What will it be?"
For half a second—
Silence.
Then—
"WE REFUSE!!"
The shout came from everywhere at once.
Luffy's crew.
Lola's crew.
Voices overlapping.
Unified.
Defiant.
Nami stepped forward. "We're not handing over our captain!"
Usopp pointed shakily. "Not to you!"
Chopper planted his hooves. "Never!"
Sanji lit a cigarette. "You picked the wrong crew."
Zoro raised his swords. "Try and take him."
Even Lola roared.
"Straw Hat's one of us!"
Kuma's expression did not change.
"…I see."
The pads on his palms slowly faced outward.
A low hum filled the air.
Pressure warped the space around his hands.
Robin's eyes widened.
"Everyone—!"
Kuma spoke one word.
"Ursus Shock."
A massive invisible shockwave detonated.
BOOOOOOOOOOM!!!
Light swallowed the courtyard.
The ground ripped apart.
Walls collapsed.
Trees were torn from their roots.
Pirates were flung like leaves.
"AAAAAH!"
"GYAAAH!"
Bodies slammed into stone.
Weapons flew from hands.
The blast expanded in a perfect sphere—
Then vanished.
Dust rained down.
Rubble clattered.
Silence followed.
One by one—
Pirates lay scattered across the courtyard.
Unconscious.
Groaning.
Completely overwhelmed.
Lola's crew—down.
Usopp—face-first in the dirt.
Chopper—sprawled on his back.
Franky—smoking.
Brook—bones rattling.
Only a few figures remained barely standing.
Zoro.
Sanji.
Robin.
And Kuma.
Kuma lowered his arms.
"…Now then."
He turned his gaze toward Luffy's body.
"Let us proceed."
Kuma took another step toward Luffy.
Heavy.
Unhurried.
Zoro's knees buckled—
But he forced himself upright. "Wait!"
Kuma stopped.
He turned his head slightly.
"…You are still conscious."
Zoro wiped blood from his mouth.
"The only way you'll back down…"
"…is if you have Luffy's head, right?"
Kuma answered calmly.
"Yes."
"That is the compromise I am willing to make."
Zoro inhaled sharply.
"Then…"
"If you want a head…"
"Take mine."
The air froze.
"You can't have my captain's head."
Zoro planted his feet.
"I may not have the same bounty as him right now…"
"But I swear to you…"
"I am destined to become the greatest swordsman the world has ever known."
His eye burned with certainty.
"Surely… that must be worth something."
Inside Kuma's mind—
Such loyalty…
Such resolve…
Kuma stared at him.
"You possess ambition of the highest order…"
"Yet you are willing to abandon it…"
"And exchange your life for his."
Zoro didn't hesitate.
"With the way things are looking…"
"I don't see any other way to save my crew."
His fists clenched.
"What's the point of having a dream…"
"If I can't even protect my captain?!"
He roared—
"LUFFY IS THE MAN WHO WILL BECOME KING OF THE PIRATES!!!"
Silence roared louder than any explosion.
Kuma and Zoro locked eyes.
Footsteps scraped.
Sanji staggered forward.
Bleeding.
Bent.
But standing.
"Heh…"
"How cute…"
"Don't try to hog all the glory, moss head."
Zoro glared.
"…Don't tell me."
Sanji exhaled smoke.
"You've got the right idea."
"But what about your dream, idiot?"
"You can't become anything if you're dead."
He stepped past Zoro.
Staring straight at Kuma.
"Listen here, you giant oaf."
"Don't listen to this marimo."
"If you're taking a head…"
"Take mine."
Zoro snapped. "YOU JACKASS!"
Sanji didn't look back.
"The government might not see me as a huge threat yet…"
"But they will."
"And when I start causing trouble…"
"You'll regret not taking my head today."
He smirked weakly.
"So go on."
"Now's your chance to take the life of Black Leg Sanji."
Zoro's teeth clenched.
Robin, barely conscious in the rubble, opened one eye.
"…What… is happening…?"
Her gaze drifted.
She saw them.
Zoro.
Sanji.
Standing.
Offering themselves.
Her breath caught.
Don't…
Don't do this…
Tears pooled in her eyes.
Robin tried to move.
Tried to speak.
Her fingers twitched weakly against the stone.
"…Zoro…"
"…Sanji…"
But her body had reached its limit.
The injuries.
The exhaustion.
The shock.
Everything crashed down at once.
Her eyes slowly lost focus.
"…Luffy…"
Her head tilted to the side.
And Robin collapsed.
Unconscious.
Unaware of what was about to happen.
Unaware of the hell that was about to be endured in silence.
The wind whispered through the ruined courtyard.
Kuma observed them.
"…Both of you…"
"Are willing to sacrifice yourselves for your captain."
He turned toward Luffy.
"But since you are both intent on taking his place…"
"You will face living hell."
He lifted Luffy's unconscious body with one massive hand.
Zoro's eyes widened. "What are you doing?!"
Sanji stepped forward. "HEY!"
Kuma placed his other paw against Luffy's chest.
A red, bubbling mass began to emerge.
Liquid.
Dense.
Writhing.
Like compressed agony.
Zoro stared. "…What the hell is that?"
Kuma answered flatly.
"This…"
"Is all the pain Straw Hat Luffy has accumulated during his battle with Gecko Moria."
Sanji swallowed.
"…All of it?"
"Yes."
The massive red sphere pulsed.
Kuma separated a small portion.
Two smaller orbs floated toward Zoro and Sanji.
Kuma continued.
"If you survive this…"
"I will allow everyone here to leave."
The small orbs touched their chests.
Instantly—
Both men spasmed violently.
Veins bulged.
Eyes rolled.
Blood sprayed from their mouths.
Sanji screamed.
"GAAAAAH!"
Zoro bit down hard.
Crack.
His teeth bled.
They collapsed to one knee.
Bodies shaking uncontrollably.
Sanji gasped.
"…That's… only a part?!"
Zoro forced his head up.
Blood dripping down his face.
"…We're not backing out."
Sanji coughed.
"Bring it on…"
Zoro growled.
"Give us everything."
Both of them stared at Kuma.
Unyielding.
Unbroken.
Ready.
————————
Light crept slowly across Thriller Bark.
Morning.
For the first time since arriving…
The fog was thinning.
Broken stone, shattered walls, and overturned rubble littered the courtyard where bodies were scattered like fallen leaves.
One by one—
People began to stir.
Usopp groaned.
"…Ugh…"
He sat up suddenly. "Huh?!"
He looked around wildly. "THE WARLORD?!"
He spun in a circle. "Where's the big scary paw guy?!"
Franky pushed himself up. "…He's gone."
Usopp's jaw dropped. "…He left?"
Nami rubbed her temples, sitting up.
"…What the hell…"
She scanned the area.
"No Kuma."
No pressure.
No killing intent.
"…It must be luck," she muttered.
Brook slowly stood, brushing dust from his coat.
"Yohohoho! I prefer to call it a miracle!"
Chopper hopped up and spun in circles.
"We're alive!"
"We're alive!"
"We didn't die!"
Lola and her crew looked around in disbelief.
"He really just… left?"
Then—
Luffy popped up out of nowhere.
"YAAAY!"
He started hopping in place.
"We're safe!"
"We won!"
"NOW WE CAN HAVE A PARTY!"
Usopp screamed.
"WHY ARE YOU ALWAYS READY TO PARTY?!"
Chopper stared at Luffy.
"…Luffy."
"…How are you moving?"
Luffy tilted his head.
"Huh?"
He stretched his arms.
"Dunno!"
"I don't feel any pain!"
Everyone froze.
Nami narrowed her eyes.
"…That's not normal."
Before anyone could say more—
"…Nngh…"
Robin's fingers twitched.
Her eyes slowly opened.
"Robin!" Chopper cried.
"You're finally awake!"
Robin sat up abruptly.
Her head snapped toward Luffy.
She saw him standing.
Alive.
Smiling.
Uninjured.
Relief flooded her face.
"…Luffy."
Then—
Her memory caught up.
Zoro.
Sanji.
Kuma.
Her eyes widened.
"…Zoro…"
"…Sanji…"
She scrambled to her feet.
"Where are they?!"
Usopp blinked. "H-Huh?"
He looked around quickly.
"…Now that you mention it…"
"I haven't seen Zoro or Sanji since we woke up."
Nami turned sharply.
"Wait— you're right."
"They were right next to us before…"
Chopper's ears drooped.
"D-Do you think they wandered off?"
Robin's heartbeat thundered in her ears.
Her eyes swept across the courtyard.
Luffy was laughing.
Franky was stretching.
Brook was dusting himself off.
No green-haired swordsman.
No blond cook.
"…Where are they?" Robin repeated softly.
Usopp swallowed.
"…We didn't see them yet."
That was all it took.
Robin turned and bolted.
"ROBIN?!" Chopper shouted.
She ran.
Past rubble.
Past shattered stone.
Past broken pillars.
Her breath grew ragged.
A terrible feeling twisted in her chest.
Don't.
Don't.
Don't.
Then—
She stopped.
Her breath caught in her throat.
Zoro stood leaning against a crumbled wall.
Still upright.
Still on his feet.
Blood soaked into the ground beneath his boots.
His body was covered in deep gashes.
Fresh.
Old.
Layered.
But he refused to fall.
A few steps away—
Sanji stood as well.
Not kneeling.
Not collapsed.
Standing.
One leg trembling.
His posture stiff, forced by sheer will alone.
His suit was torn.
Buttons missing.
Fabric burned and shredded.
His skin bruised and darkened.
Blood dripped steadily from the corner of his mouth.
The stone beneath both of them was stained deep red.
Neither man moved.
Neither man spoke.
They were statues held together by nothing but pride.
Robin's hands flew to her mouth.
"…No…"
Her voice broke.
The ground around them was stained red.
A battlefield with no enemy in sight.
Robin's eyes filled instantly.
"…Zoro…"
"…Sanji…"
She ran to them.
"What happened?!"
"Why… why is there so much blood?!"
Sanji lifted his head slightly.
A weak smile formed.
"Robin-chan…"
"Don't worry…"
Zoro crossed his arms slowly.
"…Nothing happened."
Sanji turned his head slightly.
"Yeah."
"Nothing worth talking about."
Robin's knees almost gave out.
Nothing.
They were drenched in blood.
Barely standing.
And they said nothing happened.
Her chest tightened painfully.
"…You're lying."
Sanji gave a weak chuckle that turned into a cough.
Blood splattered onto the ground.
Zoro clenched his jaw.
"…Don't make a big deal out of it."
Robin's tears fell freely now.
"What did Kuma do to you?"
Silence.
A heavy, crushing silence.
Zoro stared ahead.
Sanji stared at the ground.
Neither answered.
That answer alone told her everything.
Robin pressed her hands against her mouth, trembling.
"…You did this…"
"…For Luffy…"
"…For the crew…."
Sanji didn't deny it.
Zoro didn't deny it.
Robin's shoulders shook.
"…Why…"
Zoro finally spoke, voice low.
"He's our captain."
Sanji added quietly.
"That's reason enough."
Robin squeezed her eyes shut.
Tears streamed down her face.
Two men.
Standing in pools of their own blood.
So their captain could keep smiling.
So their crew could live.
So nothing happened.
And somehow—
They were still standing.