Dressrosa Kingdom.
The news of the Flame-Flame Fruit had sent shockwaves through the New World, drawing countless warriors to compete in this grand Corrida Colosseum tournament.
Pirates, mobsters, bounty hunters, underworld assassins, mercenaries... agents from the World Government, intelligence officers from the Navy, spies for the Revolutionary Army, and informants for the Chris Investigation Bureau... a sea of people flooded the nation. Each carried their own agenda: some sought the Flame-Flame Fruit, while others harbored far more secretive motives.
Like a butterfly flapping its wings to start a storm, the sheer number of participants in this tournament far exceeded the original records of history.
At a remote stretch of coastline, the Straw Hat Pirates' Thousand Sunny lay at anchor.
"Sanji! Robin! Wait for me!" Luffy swore as he stepped off the ship, staring out at the horizon with absolute resolve. "Once I get the Flame-Flame Fruit, I'm coming to save you!"
"Straw Hat-ya, rest easy," Law said, walking up beside him. His voice was deep and steady. "That man is a collector at heart. He definitely has Poneglyphs in his hoard, which means he needs Nico Robin to translate them. For now, they'll be safe."
"I know!" Luffy nodded firmly.
"Hey, Luffy! Law!" Zoro called out, tossing two thick black coats toward them.
Luffy and Law caught them instinctively.
"Doflamingo's people have seen us before. We need disguises," Nami explained.
"Exactly! Exactly! If we're spotted, it's game over!" Usopp shrieked.
THUD. THUD. THUD.
The Giant, Sloan, approached with heavy steps. "Don't underestimate Doflamingo's subordinates," he rumbled. "If you're discovered early, it'll be nothing but trouble."
"He's right. A disguise is a necessity," Law agreed, pulling on the coat.
Soon, the Straw Hats and Law were fully transformed. Some wore heavy overcoats and hats, while others applied fake beards and facial markings to blend into the crowds.
Nami, wearing a small white top hat with a flame tattoo sticker on her cheek, glanced at Sloan. She frowned slightly. "Sloan, you're a Giant. You stand out way too much. Stay here with Franky to provide backup."
THUMP!
Sloan sat his massive frame down on a coastal rock. "Just remember to call me when it's time to fight," he said in a hollow voice.
"Aow! No problem! My arm needs a bit of fine-tuning anyway," Franky shouted, flexing his right limb. During the battle at Punk Hazard, his arm had been torn off by Otto. Though it had been repaired, the mechanical limb still required precise calibration.
"Yeah! Thanks for the help!" Luffy waved as he began to walk away.
Nearby, Caesar Clown sat bound in Seastone handcuffs, his head bowed as he hissed curses. "Hmph... Joker will kill you all for this!"
Law spared Caesar a cold glance. "I'm taking Caesar with me. I need to make a deal with Doflamingo."
"A deal?" The crew looked at Law in surprise.
"Caesar is vital to Doflamingo. My original plan was to use him as leverage to force Doflamingo to abdicate his position as a Warlord," Law said, shaking his head with regret. "Unfortunately, once I joined the Seven Warlords Alliance, I realized the waters here are much deeper than I imagined."
"What do you mean?" Zoro asked, his brow furrowed.
"I thought that by destroying the SAD factory and kidnapping Caesar, I could provoke Kaido's wrath since he could no longer receive Artificial Devil Fruits. I figured Doflamingo would be forced to choose between facing Kaido or stepping down from the Warlords to let the Navy protect him. It was a checkmate," Law explained grimly.
"But after being invited into the Alliance, I discovered that almost all the Warlords have formed a secret mutual defense pact. If Kaido moves against Doflamingo, it will trigger a full-scale war between the Warlords and the Four Emperors. With a man like Golden Ring Aeridar standing in the way, Kaido has almost no chance of actually toppling Doflamingo."
"Consequently, Caesar's importance to Doflamingo's survival has dropped. My old strategy won't work anymore."
"Joker will save me! And King will definitely slaughter you brats!" Caesar shrieked, struggling against his bonds.
"Shut up!" Nami roared with shark-like teeth. WHAM! She slammed her fist into Caesar's head three times in rapid succession. A massive bump swelled on his scalp, nearly knocking him unconscious.
"So, what's the new plan?" Zoro asked.
"Don't worry, Caesar is still highly valuable," Law said, a cold smirk playing on his lips. "Doflamingo won't give him up easily. We can still trade him for something else. Perhaps I can trade for the Flame-Flame Fruit before you even reach the Colosseum finals."
Luffy's eyes lit up. "Really? This guy is worth the Flame-Flame Fruit?"
Law wrapped his cursed blade, Kikoku, in white cloth and answered vaguely. "Perhaps."
…
Acacia Harbor, Dressrosa.
A black wolf-headed warship, flying a black flag adorned with a golden ring, crossed swords, and a skull, glided into the harbor and pulled into a private berth.
THUD—
The gangplank lowered, and three figures stepped off, drawing the immediate attention of everyone at the docks.
"Wh-What?! The Chris Pirates sent three officers?!"
"That's the 3rd Division Commander, Gunfighter Myles Dimitri! And the 'Pirate Prince' Hakuba Cavendish! And the Captain of the Triangle Pirates, Fanged Devil Quiniel Vito!"
"Is the Chris crew taking this a bit too seriously? With this much firepower?"
"I'm dropping out. There's no way to win against monsters like that!"
The crowd erupted in hushed whispers of shock and panic. Several registered contestants were already looking for the exit. However, another group watched the trio with predatory eyes.
"Chris Pirates officers... perfect. This is my chance to make a name for myself!"
"If I take even one of them down, I'll be world-famous overnight!"
"So these are that man's underlings..."
"If we kill these three, that bastard will be devastated. Nya~"
Dimitri and the others stepped onto the pier, glancing around casually. They paid no mind to the stares, whether they were full of malice or sycophancy.
Vito bared his jagged teeth, looking mockingly at Dimitri and Cavendish. "So, about the Flame-Flame Fruit... do you think Straw Hat will go save his friends first, or come here to snatch the prize?"
"Who knows?" Dimitri replied tonelessly.
"Could be either," Cavendish said, stretching lazily.
"Tch, boring!" Vito grumbled, dissatisfied. "Honestly, is the Captain overestimating Straw Hat? He's actually standing by to come here personally. Can't the three of us, combined with the Donquixote Family, handle one depleted crew and Trafalgar Law?"
Cavendish's expression turned serious. "Don't underestimate Straw Hat. Back at Punk Hazard, Otto and I thought the exact same thing."
"Heh... I'm not Otto. Just watch me tear them apart!" Vito grinned, a murderous glint flashing in his eyes as arcs of electricity—Zzzt, zzzt—cracked around his body.
In that instant, a terrifying, bloodthirsty aura surged across the docks.