The magic wands hummed. White light shot from the wooden tips.
Nami waved her wand. A row of collapsed stone houses rebuilt themselves. Robin pointed her wand at a ruined courtyard. The shattered fountain fused together. Water flowed through the stone mouth of a carved lion. Vivi repaired the central bridge. Bonney fixed a bakery.
Chopper stood near the medical ward. He fixed the roof with a flick of his wand.
He lowered his arm. He wiped his forehead.
A group of reindeer minks approached him. They walked on two legs. They had soft brown fur and large, bright eyes. A female reindeer mink stepped forward. She had light blonde hair falling over her antlers.
"You fixed our hospital," the female mink said. Her voice sounded sweet.
She leaned forward. She rubbed her furry cheek directly against Chopper's cheek.
"Garchu," she whispered.
The other reindeer minks stepped forward. They surrounded Chopper. They rubbed their cheeks against his shoulders, his head, and his back.
"Garchu! Thank you, doctor! Garchu!"
Chopper froze. His eyes widened. His entire face turned bright, cherry red. He started doing a strange, wiggling dance.
"You idiots!" Chopper yelled, his voice cracking. "Rubbing your cheeks on me doesn't make me happy! Stop flattering me, you jerks!"
He smiled a massive, dopey smile while he yelled. He did not step away from them.
Behind a newly repaired stone wall, Merry and Sunny peeked out. They held a small, black camera.
Click. Flash.
Sunny took a picture. Merry covered her mouth, suppressing a giggle.
The reindeer minks finished their greetings. They waved and walked toward the center of the city. Chopper stood still, staring after the blonde reindeer mink.
Merry and Sunny walked out from behind the wall. They flanked the doctor.
"Oh my," Sunny teased, leaning close to Chopper's left ear. "Look at our brave doctor."
"Uncle Chopper found Aunt Chopper," Merry giggled, leaning into his right ear.
Chopper flinched. He spun around. "Shut up! She was just saying thank you! It is a mink greeting! Garchu!"
Sunny smirked. He tapped his camera. "I got a picture of your face. You looked like a tomato. I am going to frame this in the ship's galley."
"Give me that!" Chopper yelled, jumping for the camera.
Merry passed the camera to Sunny. Sunny held it high. Chopper jumped, missing it completely. Steam started whistling out of Chopper's ears. His fur puffed up. His face turned darker red.
"Give it back!" Chopper whined.
Ben walked down the street. He carried his coat over his shoulder.
"Stop teasing him," Ben said as he approached. "His blood pressure is spiking. He might actually explode."
Merry and Sunny laughed. They lowered the camera.
"Okay, Papa," Sunny agreed. "We will leave Uncle Chopper alone."
Ben turned to walk away. He motioned them to follow him. They walked a few steps down the stone path.
Ben looked back over his shoulder. He looked at Chopper.
"Save your energy, Chopper," Ben said, keeping his face entirely straight. "You will need your stamina for the rutting season."
Chopper's eyes bugged out of his skull. The steam stopped whistling. His brain short-circuited. He fell over backward, hitting the cobblestones completely unconscious.
Ben chuckled. Merry and Sunny burst into loud, echoing laughter. They walked away, leaving the fainted doctor on the street.
In the center of the city, the fires roared.
Sanji kicked a massive iron pan into the air. He flipped a hundred steaks at once. Dog minks and cat minks assisted him. They carried barrels of fresh water, crates of fruit, and giant slabs of meat.
Sanji landed on the stones. He caught the pan. He slid the steaks onto a long wooden table.
"Food is ready!" Sanji shouted.
The minks cheered. The pirates cheered.
Nami, Robin, Vivi, and Bonney walked into the courtyard. Chopper jogged behind them, fully recovered from his fainting spell.
"We finished a quarter of the city," Nami announced, putting her wand into her pocket. "We will restore the rest tomorrow. I need a drink."
Luffy sat at the head of the table. He grabbed a steak in each hand. He shoved them into his mouth simultaneously. "Meat! Party! Eat!"
The banquet began.
Pirates and minks sat together. They drank ale from wooden barrels. They ate roasted meat and fresh fruit. King Riku's banquet in Dressrosa felt formal. This banquet felt wild. The minks laughed loudly, howling at the moon.
Brook jumped onto a high stone wall. He held a microphone. Franky stood below him, plugging a set of large speakers into a battery pack.
"Yohohoho!" Brook laughed into the mic. "Are you ready to dance, Zou?!"
The crowd roared.
Brook adjusted his sunglasses. He struck a pose. A heavy, rhythmic beat blasted from the speakers. It wasn't classical violin music. It was a modern, electronic beat.
Brook started to sing.
Get up on the floor
Dancing all night long
Get up on the floor
Dancing 'til the break of dawn
Get up on the floor
Dancing 'til the break of dawn
Get up on the floor
Dancin'
Luffy jumped onto the table. He kicked a plate of bones out of his way. He started bouncing to the beat, throwing his rubber arms into the air.
Usopp jumped up next to him. They locked arms and spun in a fast, chaotic circle.
All the time, my baby, you on my mind
And I don't know why, yeah, but the feelin' is fine
Can't you see? Yeah, honey you are for me
Oh, we were meant to be
Nami and Vivi dragged Robin into the center of the courtyard. The three women danced together. They moved gracefully. The minks clapped to the beat, watching them spin.
Sanji spun on his hands, his legs kicking to the rhythm. His eyes formed giant hearts as he watched the women dance.
Chopper stood near the edge of the crowd. He held a cup of juice.
He looked across the courtyard. He saw Milky, the blonde reindeer mink. She stood with her friends, laughing and tapping her foot to the music.
Chopper wanted to walk over. He took a step forward and froze. He took a step back and gripped his cup tightly. His face flushed red again. He shook his head and looked at the ground.
Ben stood near the food tables, saw Chopper pacing nervously. He saw the reindeer mink.
Ben smiled. He raised his right hand. He waved his fingers slightly.
He didn't use a heavy spell. He used a tiny, precise burst of magic.
A wooden cup fell off a table.
A small dog mink saw the cup fall. The dog mink chased it.
The dog mink bumped into a large barrel of ale.
The barrel tipped over. It rolled across the cobblestones.
A massive gorilla mink stepped backward. His foot hit the rolling barrel. He lost his balance. He fell backward.
The gorilla mink crashed into a group of monkey minks. The monkeys scattered in panic.
One monkey mink bumped hard into Milky.
Milky tripped forward. She lost her footing completely. She stumbled through the crowd.
She crashed directly into Chopper.
They fell to the stone floor together. Chopper dropped his juice.
Milky opened her eyes. She lay right on top of Chopper. Their faces were inches apart. She looked directly into his eyes.
Chopper stopped breathing.
Ben snapped his fingers.
BANG.
Above the courtyard, the sky exploded. Massive, colorful fireworks erupted in the night sky. Red, blue, and gold sparks rained down over the dancing crowd.
Milky looked up at the fireworks. She looked back down at Chopper. The colorful light reflected in her eyes.
She smiled.
"Do you want to dance with me?" Milky asked softly.
Chopper stared at her. His brain stopped working. He just nodded his head dumbly up and down.
Milky laughed. She stood up and pulled Chopper to his feet. She dragged him into the crowd. Chopper danced stiffly, but he didn't run away.
Ben watched them go. He set his cup down.
He walked into the crowd. He walked up to Robin.
Nami and Vivi spun away, dancing with a group of rabbit minks. Robin stood alone for a second, clapping her hands to the beat.
Ben offered his hand.
Robin looked at his hand. She looked at his face and smiled warmly. She took his hand.
Ben pulled her close. He placed his right hand on her waist. They danced. They didn't jump like Luffy. They moved smoothly, stepping in perfect time to the heavy bass of the song.
Dancing in the moonlight
Gazing at the stars so bright
Holding you until the sunrise
Sleeping until the midnight
Brook spun his cane. He pointed at the sky.
Get up on the floor
Dancing all night long
Get up on the floor
Dancing 'til the break of dawn
Get up on the floor
Dancing 'til the break of dawn
Get up on the floor
Dancin'
Momonosuke jumped into the crowd. He ran up to Nami. He grabbed her hands and danced with her.
Sanji saw this. Fire erupted from Sanji's head. He charged forward to kick the young shogun, but a giant elephant mink stepped in his way and pulled the cook into a heavy, crushing hug-dance. Sanji thrashed helplessly in the giant mink's arms.
Zoro sat at a table near the edge of the light. He drank a massive mug of ale. He scowled at the dancing crowd.
He did not dance. But his right foot tapped the stone floor in perfect time with Brook's beat.
Ben spun Robin out. He pulled her back in.
As she spun, Ben raised his left hand.
Ben snapped his fingers.
Click.
Dancing is what to do
Dancing's when I think of you
Dancing's what clears my soul
Dancing's what makes me whole
Dancing is what to do
Dancing's when I think of you
Dancing's what clears my soul
Dancing's what makes me whole
Franky fired small lasers from his fingers into the sky, adding to Ben's fireworks.
Law sat next to Bepo. Bepo danced in his seat. Law pulled his hat down.
"Captain, you should dance!" Penguin shouted over the music.
"No," Law said flatly.
Bepo grabbed Law's arm and pulled him up. Shachi grabbed his other arm. They dragged the Surgeon of Death into the center of the crowd. Law glared at them, completely unamused, while the minks cheered.
Every time when I look in your eyes
I smile with pride, happy that you're mine
Joy in love, your love is true I know
You are the best thing that has happened to me, ah
Duke Inuarashi and Master Nekomamushi stood on a balcony overlooking the courtyard. They held massive bowls of sake. They clinked the bowls together and watched their people celebrate.
They watched the Straw Hat Pirates. They saw the joy they brought to the ruined city.
Get up on the floor
Dancing all night long
Get up on the floor
Dancing 'til the break of dawn
Get up on the floor
Dancing 'til the break of dawn
Get up on the floor
Dancin'
Luffy jumped off the table. He grabbed Zoro's chair and tipped it backward. Zoro fell onto the floor, spilling his ale.
"Dance, Zoro!" Luffy yelled, running away.
Zoro drew Sandai Kitetsu. He chased Luffy through the crowd.
"Get back here, you rubber idiot!" Zoro roared.
Dancing is what to do
Dancing's when I think of you
Dancing's what clears my soul
Dancing's what makes me whole
Dancing is what to do
Dancing's when I think of you
Dancing's what clears my soul
Dancing's what makes me whole
The music played. The beat pounded against the stone walls.
Get up on the floor
Dancing all night long
Get up on the floor
Dancing 'til the break of dawn
Get up on the floor
Dancing 'til the break of dawn
Get up on the floor
Dancin' (Oh)
Get up on the floor
Dancing all night long
Get up on the floor
Dancing 'til the break of dawn
Get up on the floor
Dancing 'til the break of dawn
Get up on the floor
Dancin' (Oh)
The fireworks stopped. Ben stepped back from Robin. He bowed slightly. Robin curtsied, laughing softly.
Brook hit the final chorus, his voice ringing loud and clear.
Dancing is what to do
Dancing's when I think of you
Dancing's what clears my soul
Dancing's what makes me whole
Dancing is what to do
Dancing's when I think of you
Dancing's what clears my soul
Dancing's what makes me whole
Dancing is what to do
Dancing's when I think of you
Dancing's what clears my soul
Dancing's what makes me whole
Dancing is what to do
Dancing's when I think of you
Dancing's what clears my soul.
The music faded. The speakers hissed with static.
The crowd erupted into massive applause.
The next song started. And the next. They danced to rock, they danced to jazz, they danced to sea shanties.
They danced for hours.
Eventually, the energy drained. The minks fell asleep on the grass. The pirates collapsed onto the wooden benches.
Luffy lay flat on his back, panting heavily. Zoro sat against a wall, drinking from a fresh barrel. Sanji leaned against a pillar, smoking a cigarette. Robin and Nami sat at a table, drinking water.
Kin'emon, Kanjuro, Raizo, and Momonosuke sat together near the center of the exhausted group.
Ben walked over. He pulled up a wooden chair and sat down.
"We need to plan," Ben said. His voice cut through the quiet chatter. "We are going to Wano. We need to know the layout."
Luffy was picking his nose. Zoro opened his eye. Law stood near the edge of the light, listening.
Kin'emon nodded. He drew his sword and scratched a rough map into the dirt.
"Wano is closed to the outside world," Kin'emon explained. He pointed at the map with his blade. "It is surrounded by waterfalls and deadly whirlpools. There is only one safe port, and Kaido controls it."
"What about the inside?" Sanji asked.
"It is divided into regions," Kin'emon drew lines in the dirt. "The Flower Capital sits in the center. That is where Orochi rules. To the west is Kuri. That was Oden-sama's territory. To the east is Hakumai. To the north, Ringo. And to the south, Udon. Udon is a wasteland. Kaido turned it into a massive weapons factory and a prison."
"A prison?" Law frowned.
"Yes," Kanjuro spoke up. He held a cup of ale. "Many samurai who rebeled against Orochi are held there. They work the factories until they die of exhaustion."
Zoro took a drink. "So, we break into the prison, free the samurai, and use them to fight Kaido's men."
"It is heavily guarded," Raizo noted, crossing his arms. "The Disasters manage the prisons. The guards use weapons made of Seastone. Wano is where Seastone originates."
"We can handle guards," Franky cracked his metal knuckles.
"We need to move quietly," Law said from the shadows. "We infiltrate the regions. We gather allies in secret. If Kaido learns we are there before we are ready, he will crush us instantly."
Kin'emon nodded. "Trafalgar-dono is correct. We must use stealth."
Ben leaned forward. He rested his elbows on his knees. He looked directly at Kanjuro.
"Kanjuro," Ben said. His voice sounded casual. Conversational.
"Yes, Ben-dono?" Kanjuro replied politely.
"Since when were you working for Orochi?" Ben asked.
"I have worked for Orochi since before I met Oden," Kanjuro said clearly.
He said it in a calm, normal voice.
He froze. His own eyes widened in terror. He realized what he had just said. He clamped his hands over his mouth.
Kin'emon stopped breathing.
Raizo turned his head slowly, his face contorting in confusion.
Momonosuke stared at Kanjuro.
Shing.
The sound of steel leaving a scabbard cut through the night air.
It was fast. It was blinding.
Zoro stood behind Kanjuro. He held Shusui in his right hand.
The black blade rested firmly against the front of Kanjuro's throat. The sharp edge pressed slightly into the skin, drawing a single, tiny drop of blood.
Zoro did not speak. His eye locked onto Kanjuro with the intensity of a demon.
Luffy sat up perfectly straight.
Sanji dropped his cigarette.
Law rested his hand on Kikoku.
The dancing was over. Dead silence fell across the ruined city of Zou.