Chapter 107: Utopia
The final and greatest operation of Baroque WorksââUtopia.â
A grand plan to seize a powerful military force sleeping within the Kingdom of Alabasta.
To accomplish this, the Officer Agents of Baroque Works have been summoned for one last mission, heading toward the capital city of Alubarna, where over a million strong from the Royal Army and the Rebel Army are set to collide.
But⌠no plan ever goes off without a hitch.
There are currently six main factions in Alubarna.
The Royal Army standing to repel the rebels. The Rebel Army determined to take the capital. And the ones stoking the flames of their battleâBaroque Works.
Then there are the pirates whoâve come to stop the rebellion after learning the truth and hearing the princessâs pleaâthe Straw Hat Crew.
The Navy, acting to uphold their own sense of justice. Andâ
âAhahahahahaha!!! Now this is a spectacleâŚ!!!â
From the rooftop of a building overlooking the palace square, a girlâNueâlaughs with sheer delight at the sight before her.
The monstrous being leading this scene is here for nothing more than a celebrationâthe Beasts Pirates, treating this war like a festival.
âThe Royal Army and the Rebel ArmyâŚ!! A battlefield of over two million people killing each other⌠fufufu⥠Wouldnât it be so much fun to perform a live concert hereâĄ?â
âNue-san!! Weâre all set!!â
The rumbling of two million warriors turns into tremors and sandstorms, shaking the very desert earth.
With preparations complete to witness the entire spectacle, they gaze out upon the battlefield alongside the girl.
But of course⌠simply watching would never be the end of it for them.
âThanks for your work!! Come now, all of youâtake a good look before you join in!!â
Nue declares that this sight is the world they seek.
âTo witness so many living beings slaughtering one another⌠You donât often get to see a paradise like this.â
âIncredible numbers!!â
âYes, quite a number, arenât they⥠You donât see this often⌠But thatâs only for now.â
Indeed. Large-scale warfare is still rareâfor now.
But in the era to come, once they take control of the worldâit will become the norm.
âYou newcomers, brace yourselves!! Weâre going to make this kind of scene visible all across the world!! No more battles of just one or two millionâpeople everywhere will have to choose: either embrace violence, or live cowering in fear!!! There will be wars in every corner of the world! A world ruled by power, where everything is seized through violence!!! Thatâs the world weâre after!!!â
âUWOOOOOOHHH!!!â
âThis is the best!!!â
âGives me chills...!!!â
They are all outlawsâthose who became pirates in search of power, and once voyaged across the Grand Line with dreams of becoming Pirate King.
And the world they dream of is just as lawless. No boring rules, no laws from the World Government. A world where only the strong claim everything through force.
Though they once faltered after losing to the mightiest beast, that overwhelming power inspired awe. Swearing loyalty, they became part of the beastâs pack.
âFor now, we prepare!! Thereâs a single key to dragging the world into war!! And itâs hidden within this country!!! Weâre going to go and claim it!!!â
They are beasts with intelligence. If needed, theyâll bide their time and seek out the means to their end.
That âkeyâ to building a world of violence is the ultimate military forceâexactly what Baroque Works is after as well.
âPage One!! Bao Huang!!â
âYes!â
âAye!!â
Commanding the beasts are the executivesâtwo of the Tobi Roppo. Nue gives them orders.
âTake your subordinates and go wreak some havoc on the battlefield!!â
âAye!!!â
âUnderstood.â
âItâs more like a little diversion under the guise of a break⌠but be careful, okay? Even if most of them are small fry, a few might put up a decent fight. Especially for Page Oneâseems like thereâs someone you have unfinished business withâĄâ
â! âŚIâll capture them without fail.â
âDonât go overboard, keep it moderate⥠And the rest of you, no massacres!! Keep it to five hundred kills per person!!â
She commands them to rampage, and everyone eagerly accepts.
In fact, the very notion of a kill limit is almost disappointing to these bloodthirsty beasts.
âHave fun out there, everyone!! Enjoy the festivalâĄâ
âYesâalright you lot!! Letâs go!!!â
âUWOOOOOOOOH!!!â
To them, this battlefield is a festival.
No need for reasonsâthey charge off, leaving only destruction and slaughter in their wake.
And in the end, only two remained behind.
âDulac. Youâll stay here with me. Weâll observe and, when the time is right, move to retrieve the Poneglyph.â
âSure. But⌠do we already know where it is?â
âOf course we doâĄâ
Left behind were Nue, and one of the Tobi RoppoâDulac, archaeologist of the Beasts Pirates.
Their goal: to seize the Poneglyph from the royal family or Baroque Works.
That much, Dulac had already accepted. Yet Nueâs behavior struck her as strange.
ââŚIf you already know where it is, wouldnât it be better to go fetch it now?â
âAhaha, fair point. Yeah, itâd definitely be easier that way. But donât you think itâs more fun to go after all this?â
ââŚâFun,â huh.â
Dulac lets out a sigh. That one word calls up all kinds of dreadful memories.
Sheâs been with the Beasts Pirates for over 20 years. She knows how they operateâand whenever Nue says something like that, nothing good ever comes of it.
Just earlier, she gave her subordinates permission for meaningless slaughter.
Their only true goal is the Poneglyph. They know where itâs hidden. If Nue were serious, sheâd retrieve it and leaveâend of story. Itâd take minutes.
But she doesnât. She lets loose the blood-hungry beasts, using âdisruptionâ as an excuseâwhen no such tactic is even necessary.
Itâs clear this is nothing more than a personal hobby. All this talk of ânewcomer trainingâ is probably just a convenient pretext.
To make it worse, the sources of their intel are often unknown, adding to Nueâs mystique and unpredictability.
Her cruelty and ambiguity have dyed millionsâno, uncountable peopleâin terror.
âYes, yes, itâll be great fun~⪠So until then, we watch the battlefield.â
ââŚSo thatâs why the screens?â
âExactly. I attached Visual Den Den Mushi to one of my UFOsâlooks like a bird, doesnât it? We can watch it all from here⥠See? Nice and clear!â
âListen up, Chopper!! A real manâ!!â
Even now, their battle is being spied onâby this monster.
Nueâs UFOs fly over the battlefield, equipped with visual snails. She embeds them with her ability to obstruct recognition, allowing her to view the fight without interference.
Even Nueâs Observation Haki isnât perfectâitâs difficult to track millions, or distinguish individuals.
She says Observation only lets you pick out people clearly if they stand out. The more distance or numbers involved, the weaker it gets.
And the more she sharpens it to predict the future, the less effective it becomes at sensing far-off presences. Unforeseen events with no will behind them also evade her.
So her supreme Observation isnât all-powerful. But with these modified UFOs, she can still gather detailed intel⌠though in this case, it's doubtful intel is even the goal.
âDIIIIIEEEEEE LONG NOSE!!! âMolehill Highwayâ~~~~~!!!â
ââŚEâŚeven ifâŚ!! Even if theyâre a terrifying enemy whoâll kill meâŚ!!!â
âWhoa~~!! Thatâs one nasty moveâŞâ
A makeshift monitor shows the footage transmitted by the visual snail.
Itâs a battle. The Straw Hat Crew vs. Baroque Works Officer Agents.
ââŚPaâŚPapoey⌠O-opey⌠Even if weâve got no shot at winningâŚâŚ!!!â
The first screen shows a desert.
A long-nosed man and a strange reindeer humanoid, likely a Zoan user, are fighting.
Their enemies: the hulking Mr. 4 and Miss Merry Christmas, the mole-woman with the Mole-Mole Fruit.
Nue watches with glee, snacks and booze in hand, as if sheâs enjoying a sports match.
âMr. 4!! Ready that â4-Ton Batâ!!!â
âFoooo~~!!â
âHere we go!! âMolehillââŚ!!!â
The battle is at its climax.
The long-nosed man is grabbed by the mole-woman and launched toward the bat-wielding giant.
âFOURTH INTERSECTION!!!!â
âUSOPP~~~~~~~~!!!!!!â
âWow!! Brutal attack~~âŞâ
A full-force swing with a 4-ton bat to the face.
His skull shouldâve shattered, brain turned to mush. Dulac judges coollyâsurely that boy is dead.
But that judgment was premature. Onscreen, the boy rises.
ââŚA real manâŚ!!! There are fights⌠you just canât run fromâŚ!!!â
âWh-What?! Youâre stillâŚ?!â
â!â
âWhen someone laughs at a friendâs dream!!!!â
âHyuu~⪠What a cool line!!â
Dulac was astonished. At the sight of that boy standing up and shouting defiantly at his enemy.
âUltimate Lie Technique â Hammer Comet!!!â
And even more so, that he continued the battle like that and ended up winning through quick thinking.
âAhahahaha!!! Wowww~~~ that was incredible!!! I mean, he looks like a totally normal kid, but he takes a full swing to the head with a four-ton bat and gets back up? Thatâs some real potential, donât you think?â
ââŚIt was impressive, sure⌠but is this really what youâre enjoying?â
âItâs one of the things Iâm enjoying⪠Fufufu, entertaining, right? Until the time comes, Iâll just sip some booze and enjoy watching this. I mean, waiting around doing nothing is boring!!â
Nue watched the fight with clear amusement, even voicing her thoughts with glee.
It was a battle worth watchingâDulac could admit that much.
But what became clear here was Nueâs rotten nature. As Nue turned her eyes to the next screen, Dulac came to understand it once again.
âGwahahaha!! All bark and no biteâthat fits you perfectly, doesnât it? Canât even stand back up? And you call yourself a first-rate chef of the sea!!â
âAhahaha!! The Mane Mane no Mi really is the best~~!! I mean, I can do something similar too, though!!â
The next battle featured the blond man known as the chef, and the large okama in a swan coatâMr. 2.
Using the powers of the Mane Mane no Mi to transform into his companions and throw off their attacks, Mr. 2 gained the upper hand. Nue doubled over with laughter watching it.
But the battle evened out again, and Mr. 2 launched a new wave of attacks on the chef.
âTrue power, concentrated into a single point, doesnât cause wasteful destruction, yâknow!?â
âOof, that stings. Both Kaido and I tend to go a little overboard with the destruction. Like that one time I tried using Rokushiki just for fun, and totally wrecked everything around me!! Ahaha!!â
Even as she watched a battle where the fighters risked their lives, Nue just laughed and enjoyed herself.
Which meant one thing: to Nue, even life-or-death struggles, fought for things that truly mattered to people, were just entertainment to consume.
âVeal Shot!!!â
âExploding Swan Bomberdi Arabesque!!!â
âOooh~~!! Theyâre both going at it with combo kicks and ending with a finishâso cool!!â
The fight between the chef and Mr. 2 ended, and Nue praised it without hesitation.
But to her, a fight like that could be destroyed at any time.
No, not just that fight. She could wipe out all the battles happening in this landâalong with the country itself.
Yet she didnât. Because she could do it anytime. There was no need to go out of her way to ruin it.
After all, to Nue, these people were just comedians putting on an entertaining show.
âFor eight years as a thief, I survived death countless times⌠You think Iâm on the same level as those random girls!?â
âOh right, I used to do a lot of that kind of stuff too... But trying not to get caught while stealing really gets the adrenaline going, yâknow? And the satisfaction when you succeed? Itâs amazing!!â
Another battle beganâa woman wielding a strange staff and Miss Doublefinger, the user of the Spike-Spike Fruit. Still, Nue kept watching.
âThis doesnât hurt⌠or itch⌠not even a little⌠Could you ever understand her pain? Compared to that...â
âOooh~~ nice. A bleeding beauty~âŞâ
Even Dulac, who only knew the general context, could tell how deeply these people felt about their fights.
The emotional intensity... the strength of will⌠it all came through clearly.
ââBut to Nue, it was all just a âperformance.â
ââŚHmph⌠Go ahead and try to cut me. Just taking hits wonât let you slice this body.â
âToo bad⌠Looks like I wonât be showing you how I cut through steelâŚâ
âSupa Supa no Mi is strong, huhâŚ? If he learns Haki, he might be able to turn his whole body into a black blade. Both of them still have room to growâŞâ
âIâll cut steel⌠when youâre dead.â
â...Fair enough...â
The Pirate Hunter Zoroâa former bounty hunter from East Blueâand his opponent, Mr. 1, once feared as a âkillerâ in the West Blue.
Durac had been with the Beasts Pirates for over twenty years, and had been at sea even before thatâhe was no amateur. He had thrown away his old name, risen to become a Headliner of the Beasts Pirates, and earned a bounty of over 200 million. He could recognize strength.
And from his perspective, this fight was top-tier. They werenât using Haki yet, but their raw abilities alone could have earned them a spot among the Headliners.
âHowâs he still standingâŚ? After all those cuts⌠and dodging that rockfall tooâŚ!!?â
â! ThatâsâŚ!!â
âYupââheâs awakened Haki. Ahaha, well, it does tend to awaken in the face of certain death~~âŞâ
Still⌠even that was just a farce.
To them, it was a desperate struggle to surviveâbut to Nue, it was like watching a play.
âOne Sword Style Iaijutsu⌠Shishi Sonson!!!â
âAtomic Spark â Fine Dust Slash Speed!!!â
âYessssss~~!!! So cool!!!â
ââŚThanks.â
ââSheâs making a joke of peopleâs real emotions.
Nue enjoys both tragedy and comedy equally.
If this were just a novel or a story, her taste might be considered normal.
But this is reality. And that is why Nue is a disaster.
To her, even reality is just a toy to be played with. Nothing more than feed for her entertainment.
The way of the Beasts is pure ego. Thatâs what it means.
Sure, pirates are all ego-drivenâbut the Beasts Pirates donât care about anyone elseâs circumstances, and even if they do, they trample over everyoneâs rights regardless. Theyâre utterly vile.
âIf the Seven Warlords are our enemyâŚâ
âWe have no room to complain about cowardice.â
âWe four shallââ
âSettle this.â
ââŚSo youâre famous or somethingâŚ? Whatever. Go home, before I let you go.â
âThe Toe Jam Troop, huh⌠Hmm⌠Even if this is a Grand Line country, if this is what they call âeliteâ in Paradise, itâs kind of sadâŚâ
âWe cannot back down. We have our reasons!!â
âReasonsâŚ?â
âIf youâre truly the source of this rebellionâŚâ
â!! That markâŚ!!! Donât tell me⌠YouâreâŚ!!?â
Yeah⌠They donât treat people like people. Giving them control of ancient weapons would beâŚ
âTheyâŚ!!! Drank âEnergy Steroidâ just for a temporary power boost⌠knowing it would shave years off their lives⌠Theyâve only got minutes left⌠theyâre beyond saving!!!â
âKuhahahahaha!! If theyâre gonna die on their own, no need for me to lift a finger, right?â
âYou wonât even fightâŚ?â
âAhahahahahahaha!!! Well, what did you expect him to say!!? If you hadnât told them, maybe they wouldâve fought. Man, theyâre so dumb!! Seriously!! Ahahahaha!!â
âŚFor now, the critical parts have been successfully covered up. If they can be hidden again this timeâ
âDulac!!â
â!â
âIâve been calling you for a while now. âŚActually, Iâve been talking to you on and off, and youâve just been ignoring me. Would be nice if you could at least pretend to hold a conversation, you know?â
âAh, r-right⌠Iâm sorry.â
Realizing Nue was staring at her with a clearly displeased look, Dulac quickly gave a small shake of her head, like snapping out of a daze. Losing awareness of Nue while deep in thoughtâthat was dangerously careless. Thereâs no telling what she might do in that time.
âWell, whatever. More importantlyâare you even watching the footage properly? Youâve been totally spaced out and barely paying attention.â
âYes⌠Sorry. Iâll focus.â
âItâs fine⥠Now, come on, focus here and watch this partâŞâ
âYes, I got itâahâŚâ
Forgiven with surprising ease, Dulac shifted her attention to the screen as prompted. This time, she made sure to truly watch. Right now, Crocodile had just defeated a warrior named Chaka, and a young man named Kozaâthe leader of the rebel armyâhad arrived.
As the agonized voices of the princess and the king echoed through the scene, Dulac finally noticed a woman in the footage.
âEhâŚ?â
Thump, thumpâhis heart began to race.
No way, he thought. Maybe itâs a mistake.
But it couldnât be. It wasnât a mistake back then, and even nowâtwenty years laterâshe could tell at a glance. The woman on the screen wasâ
âYou look confused⌠Itâs simple, really. Just imagine the âworst-case scenarioâ you can.â
âRobinâŚ!!!â
âFufufuâŚâŞâ
âIt was the image of her only daughter, Robin, whom she had parted with twenty years ago.
The Kingdom of Alabasta, the royal plaza in front of the capital cityâs palace, had become the main battlefield where the royal army and the rebel forces clashed in full force.
âOverthrow the royal army! Storm the palaceâ!!!â
âRepel the rebels! Protect the kingdomâ!!!â
They all fought with the same desireâto protect their country.
But none of them realized that this very battle was what would ultimately destroy it.
Even so, amidst a battlefield already beyond anyoneâs control, there were still a few individuals who knew the truthâpeople who had the power to change the tide.
The battlefield stirred uneasily. The madness of war prevented full-blown panic, but one section of the field was clearly abnormal.
âWho the hell are youâGyaa!!?â
âArenât they on our side!?â
âAre they rebelsâŚ!?â
In one corner of the plaza before the palace, soldiers were being slaughtered by combatants not affiliated with the royal army.
The royal army was seasoned and far more battle-hardened than the average soldier. They were putting up a fight, even against much stronger foes. The rebels were formidable as well.
But it was the rebels who were confusedâbecause these strange attackers, while not part of the royal army, were also striking down rebel soldiers with equal ferocity.
âGyahahahaha!! Dieâ!!!â
âWhat the hell⌠theyâre laughing!?â
âGrizzly Nail!!!â
âGahh!!?â
âWhat is thatâŚ!?â
The most violently rampaging fighters on the battlefield right now were these mysterious soldiers.
Men who smiled eerily the entire time. Others wielding inhuman, monstrous powers. Though small in number, their presence alone was wreaking massive havoc.
And yet, among them, one man wasnât focused on killing. He was scanning the area intently.
âNow then⌠where the hell are youâŚ!?â
Amidst the battlefield obscured by swirling sand and dust, dodging enemy soldiers while keeping his gaze movingâwas Page One of the Tobiroppo, elite officers of the Beasts Pirates.
He wasnât concerned with the royal army or the rebels. His eyes were locked on a single target.
That wasânone other than the pirate who had once infiltrated the Beasts Piratesâ very headquarters, caused significant damage, and earned Kaidoâs wrath: âFire Fist Ace.â
His mission was clearâfind Ace, beat him down, and drag him back to Kaido.
âTch⌠Canât find him just wandering around.â
But locating him wasnât going to be easy.
There were nearly two million people in Alubarna right now. Even with Kenbunshoku Haki, it was tough to pick out one person among them all. Observation Haki wasnât omnipotent.
So heâd have to come up with something. As Page One pondered that, he noticed a certain group.
ââŚ! Thatâs⌠the Straw HatsâŚâ
Near the palace, within the plaza, a group had gatheredâpresumably the Straw Hat Pirates Nue had mentioned, along with a woman who appeared to be the princess of the country. They seemed to be discussing something, but Page One didnât care about that.
Still, he did recall something.
(âŚCome to think of it, that Fire Fist guy seemed to know the Straw Hat.)
When they crossed paths in a port town a few days ago, Ace and Straw Hat Luffy had spoken like old acquaintances. He didnât know or care what their relationship was, but if they were close, he might be able to use them to locate Ace.
(Nue told me not to mess with the Straw HatsâŚ)
They were useful tools for taking down Baroque Worksâthe organization secretly run by the Warlord Crocodileâso the directive had been to leave them alone if spotted.
But he had also been told it was fine to engage them if they made the first move. Justâdonât kill them.
â!? YouâŚ!!â
Which meantâŚ
Now that theyâd noticed him, he could afford to get a little rough.
(Looks like theyâve just finished a fight. Did they really take down one of Baroque Worksâ Officer AgentsâŚ? Maybe Warlord executives arenât as tough as I thought.)
âWasnât that guy Mr. 6âŚ!?â
âNo, dumbass. Someone claiming to be Mr. 6. Were you even listening, you shitty marimo?â
âShut it!! Hah⌠But we donât have time to deal with this guy right nowâŚ!!â
âHeyâZoro!! Sanji!! Hurry up!! If we donât handle this in ten minutes, the cannon fireâŚ!!â
ââŚCannon fire?â
Page One furrowed his brows. What was that long-nosed guy talking about?
But he dismissed it quickly. Whatever that was, it didnât matter. Their situation, this countryânone of it mattered to Page One.
âTch⌠I hate helping people, butâŚ!!â
âNowâs not the time to complain⌠Letâs end this in one shot!!!â
â!â
Page One noticed the green-haired swordsman and the blond man with distinct eyebrows charging at him. They seemed ready to unleash their strongest attacks.
âOniâŚ!!â
âMutton ShotâŚ!!â
âBut Page One did not dodge.
âSlash!!!â
âShot!!!â
â!!â
âWoooooah!! That had to do it, right!?â
The long-nosed manâUsoppâshouted, seeing the sheer force of the attacks. These were the top moves from Zoro and Sanji, second only to Luffy. No way anyone could take that head-on and be fine.
But the first to sense something was off were none other than Zoro and Sanji themselves.
âââTch⌠Attacking out of nowhere like that⌠Damn annoying pestsâŚâ
âWha!!?â
âWhat!?â
"What!!? Even after taking hits from those two...!?"
"Gyyaaaaahhh!!?"
"Eeeeehhhhh!!? H-He must be a Devil Fruit user!!?"
"...!! No... something's off... Mr. 6 couldn't possibly be this strong...!!"
Zoro and Sanjiâkey fighters of the Straw Hat crewâhad just regrouped after defeating Baroque Works' main force.
Given the intensity of that battle, it was unlikely they were fighting at full strength. Still, what had just happened in front of them was too much to believe.
Sanjiâs kick had landed squarely in the gut. Zoroâs slash had connected from shoulder to chest.
And yet, Page One had taken both attacks head-on.
Without a scratch.
Nami, Chopper, Usopp, and Viviâall of whom knew how strong those two wereâcouldnât hide their shock.
Page One snorted at their reaction and opened his mouth to speak, intending to deliver his message.
"Hmph... Hey, you lot."
"Wh-Wh-What do you want!? Just so you know, Iâve got 8,000 men under meâ"
"I'm only here for 'Fire Fist Ace'... Tell me where he is!! If you don'tâ"
Page One cut Usopp off mid-sentence. He didnât care about some made-up army. Even if it were true, heâd just crush them all.
But he couldnât lay a finger on the Straw Hats. Killing them was out of the question. So instead, he went for intimidation.
"...Seems like you care a lot about the people of this country..."
"Tch... And what if we do!?"
"Itâs simple. Until you talk... Iâll go around slaughtering everyone in sightâindiscriminately."
"...!!?"
"You bastard...!! Thereâs no way weâll let that happen!!"
The Straw Hats were stunned by the threat, but just as Vivi declared, they werenât going to stand by and let it happen. Their eyes burned with resolve.
Page One stared them downâand grinned.
"Then fight me. Maybe if I rough you up a bit, your tongues will loosen..."
"You son of a...!!"
"Donât mock us...!!"
Sanji and Zoro narrowed their eyes and clenched their jaws at Page Oneâs arrogant tone. Just as they were about to charge inâ
"Wait!! We donât have time to fight right now!! Weâve got to find the gunner, or weâll run out of time...!!"
"Tch...!! Sheâs right...!!"
The two pulled back just in time. Only ten minutes remained.
Even if they could beat him, it wouldnât be quickâand any delay was a luxury they couldnât afford.
"Whatâs the matter? If you donât wanna die, then spit it out!!"
"Damn it...!!"
But the truth wasâthey had no idea where Ace was.
Back when theyâd entered Alubarna, Ace had split off to pursue this âMr. 6â on his own.
Now that very person was standing in their way, and Zoro cursed Ace internally for not wrapping things up.
But thenâ
"...Iâm right here."
"Huh?"
A shadow fell over Page Oneâthen a boot came crashing down.
"Right here!!!"
"Guooh!!?"
Page One was kicked away. He recovered quickly, but the impactâand the Haki behind itâmade it clear.
Heâd found his target.
"Whoa!!? Thatâs Luffyâs big bro for you!!"
"...Sheesh... Can I leave the rest to you?"
"Yeah. Sorry. I was looking for him too, but you guys found him first... Iâll finish this. Now get going!!"
"Ace!!"
"Yeah!! Letâs move!!"
Relief and determination lit up the Straw Hatsâ faces. The man who had effortlessly knocked Page One backâwas none other than Fire Fist Ace.
As he secured the crewâs retreat, Ace stood to face the recovering Page One. Behind him, the Straw Hats made their escape.
"I found you... Fire Fist Ace...!! Honestly thought you'd run back home!!"
"Seriously... You guys just donât quit. Following me all the way to a country in civil war? Donât you have better things to do?"
"No can do...!! Weâve got a score to settle with you for what you did back at our turf...!! And we donât care what country weâre in!!"
"...Yeah, fair enough. This country has nothing to do with us."
Ace nodded. He agreedâthe conflict between him and the Beasts Pirates wasnât this countryâs burden to bear.
They were pirates. Anywhere could be a battlefield. He had no intention of dragging innocent people into it.
"But... this place does matter to meâitâs my little brotherâs friendsâ country."
"...Huh? Brother?"
"Yeah. Thatâs why I canât let you run wild here. Youâre going downâBeasts Pirates."
"...!! Say that again, I dare you!!!"
"...!! Here he comes...!!"
Enraged, Page One lunged. Mid-sprint, he transformedâAce narrowed his eyes.
It was a Zoan-type, the Human-Beast form.
But not just any ZoanâPage One was a carnivorous Ancient Zoan, far more powerful and durable than the standard kind.
"RAAAGHH!!!"
"!!"
His body doubled in size, covered in scales with massive claws, fangs, and a long tail. He charged at Ace with crushing force.
Ace was a Logia user, but attacks imbued with Haki couldnât be phased through. He could avoid them by turning into fire, but if hit, heâd still take damage.
On top of that, Ace deliberately began retreatingâdrawing the fight toward a more deserted part of the town.
And thatâs when it happened.
"RAAAAAAAHHHH!!!"
"!!?"
Ace reached the wall of a large buildingâPage One didnât even hesitate.
He crashed into it. The building stood nearly a hundred meters tall and wideâbut it may as well have been paper.
"!!? Hey!! That buildingâs coming down!!!"
"Shit!! Run!!"
"Uwaaaahhhhhh!!!?"
Nearby rebel and royal soldiers realized the destruction too lateâthey didnât even know what had caused it.
Page Oneâs claw, aimed at Ace, had pulverized the buildingâand the shockwaves damaged others nearby.
The soldiers, caught in the collapse, couldnât flee fast enough. It could have been a massacreâbut then, a pillar of fire rose.
"Flame Pillar!!!"
"! What the hell!? Fire!!?"
A towering blaze shot into the skyâfar beyond anything a normal fire could do. The soldiers stared in awe. That fire had saved them.
But it wasnât some miracle. It was Ace, using his powers to protect them.
To a Logia user like Ace, collapsing buildings meant nothing. He could have ignored it.
But he couldnât bring himself to let innocent people die.
"Hey!! Get out of here!!"
"Huh? Wait, arenât you... Iâve seen you before...?"
"Just go fight somewhere else, okay...?"
"You let your guard down!!!"
"!!? Shitâ"
"RAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!"
And thenâit happened.
Page One didnât waste the opening.
Through the fallen rubble and rising dust, the dinosaur monster roared and swung its claws.
The destruction went far beyond Ace.
The blow hurled him through over ten buildings in Alubarnaâhundreds of meters away.
A chain of crashes followed as building after building collapsed. Ace, hurled into the eastern block of town, coughed up a little blood and rose from the rubble.
"...Damn it... Still got that insane power, huh...? Itâs not the people Iâm worried aboutâthis cityâs not gonna last...!!"
It wouldnât hinder his fighting. But the damage was real.
The collision with the building didnât harm Ace, who was a natural Logia-type, so the only damage came from Page Oneâs blows. Even so, it was effective to some degree.
If this had been an ordinary human, or if Ace hadnât used Haki for defense, that one hit alone might have been fatal.
âHey!! Donât tell me that was enough to take you down!? No way thatâs all it took, right!!?â
âTch... Guess Iâve got no choice.â
As Page One moved in to press the attack, Ace wiped the blood from his lips and made up his mind. There was only one thing he could do if he wanted to avoid casualties.
âIâll finish this fast!!!â
âThen try it, if you think you can!!!â
Ace, now engulfed in flames, launched his attack at Page One. Page One took the blow and countered again with relentless strikes.
The end of this conflict was near. SoâAce would end it before then.
âThe battle was nearing its conclusion.
"ââHey!! What is the meaning of this!!?"
ăâŚSo this is the "Poneglyph of Historical Record". Nico Robin.ă
ăâŚâŚâŚâŚYou got here fast.ă
Among Baroque Worksâ Officer Agents, only Mr. 0âCrocodileâremained.
But the pirate Monkey D. Luffy, who challenged Crocodile, had been defeated again. Crocodile had already descended to the underground chamber beneath the royal mausoleum in the west of the palace, where his partner awaited.
The city was still engulfed in conflict. The royal army and the rebels clashed, the pirates fought, and the princess battled to save her people. In secret, even the officers of a major pirate crew were engaged in their own deadly struggles.
And amid it allâone of the lead fighters of the Beasts Pirates, Durach, stared intently at the footage from a visual Den Den Mushi and questioned the girl beside him with desperation.
The girl glanced at her subordinate and gave a thin smile.
"âŚâŚâŚâŚWhat do you mean, "Whatâs going on"?"
"You should know full well!! Why is⌠that girl⌠here!!?"
Dulacâs voice trembled. Not as a member of the Beasts Piratesâbut as Nico Olvia, the mother of the woman now standing beside Crocodile on screen, Nico Robin.
To her, this was a crisis she could not ignore.
Yet the girl she questionedâthe Vice Governor of the Beasts Pirates, feared as the âPhantom Beast Nueââanswered with a calm, amused smile.
"âŚEven if you ask me why⌠I donât know what your kid is thinking."
"Donât play dumb!! Have you forgotten the agreement between us!?"
Olvia shouted, remembering the pact she made with the Beasts Pirates twenty years ago. It was clear:
âIn exchange for becoming your scholar to decipher the Poneglyphs, you will never lay a finger on my daughter.
That was the deal. And yet Nue now sat observing her daughter. What did this mean? Olvia glared at her intensely.
But Nue didnât flinch at all. Humming to herself, she watched the screen with an entertained grin.
"NahhhâI didnât forget~ ⪠But more importantly⌠hey, itâs getting really good right now. You should watchâĄ"
"ďź"
ăI couldnât care less about this countryâs history!!! Just tell me alreadyâwhere is the worldâs most dangerous âweaponâ hidden in this land!!!ă
On the screen, Crocodile snarled at Robin, demanding she decipher the Poneglyph.
But Robin stood firmâ
ăItâs not written here. This only records history.ă
ăWhat?ă
"RobinâŚ!!"
Olviaâs daughter, Robin, refused him.
Like her mother, Robin could read the ancient script. She was a survivor of Ohara.
But she would not use her gift to aid wicked intentions.
That choice made Olvia proud. She bore too much sin to even call herself a motherâbut even so, her heart swelled with joy.
âŚHowever, Nueâwatching Olviaâs teary-eyed smileâsimply grinned.
And on the screenâ
ăâŚI seeâŚâŚâŚâŚWhat a shame.ă
ă!?ă
Crocodileâs face twisted with frustration as he stared at Robin.
ăYou were a brilliant partnerâbut Iâll kill you here.ă
ă!!!? WhaâŚ!?ă
"âŚâŚ!!?"
Not just Robin and King Cobra on screenâeven Olvia outside the screen was shocked.
Nue watched gleefully. And Crocodile had no intention of letting Olvia compose herself.
ăThe deal we made four years ago is now fulfilled. You approached me with this: If I took you to the Poneglyphâs location, you would give me the weaponâs informationâŚă
"âŚEhâŚâŚ?"
Olvia froze. A deal? Weapon information?
Noâit couldnât be. There was no way Robin would do such a thing.
But the truth didnât stop. Crocodile went on, smugly.
ăYour contributions over these four years at Baroque Works showed excellent intelligence and leadership.ă
"ââAnd so, turns out the Vice President of Baroque Works, Miss All Sunday, is none other than your daughter, Nico Robin~~~!! Ta-daaa!! Shocking truth revealed!!"
"No wayâŚ!! Why⌠why would sheâŚ"
ăButâ!! In the end, you broke our agreementâŚ!! This countryâs Poneglyph doesnât even contain a clue about âPlutonâ!!ă
"! Robin!!"
Nueâs words and Crocodileâs accusations echoed in Olviaâs mind. To hear that the vice president of the group tormenting this country was her own daughterâit was more than she could process.
But beyond the confusion, her eyes locked onto the screen, where Crocodile now turned to attack Robin. She stepped toward the screen instinctivelyâbut of course, she couldnât reach through. The events pressed on relentlessly.
ăââYet I feel no anger toward you. Do you know why, Nico RobinâŚâŚ!!!ă
ăHehâŚ! Fool⌠Weâve worked together for four years! You think I didnât see this coming!?ă
ăHm!? âŚWaterâŚ?ă
Robin pulled a flask from her coat. Inside was a liquidâCrocodileâs known weakness.
ă! GhâŚâŚ!!ă
ăIf youâre soaked, even a knife can pierce you, right!?ă
ăOhhh, your daughterâs really giving it her all~.ââBut this is probably the end for herâĄă
ă!!? He dodgedâwhere is he!!?ă
"!! No!! Run, Robin!!! Stop!!!"
Olvia realized it even before Nue pointed it out, and she desperately called out to the screen. âŚBut her efforts were in vainââ
ăI will forgive everything, Nico Robin. Because IâŚă
"Ah⌠ahâŚ!!"
Crocodile's hook pierced through Robin's chestââ
ăFrom the very beginning, I never trusted anyone anywayă
"Robin!!!!"
Olvia looked at the screen, tears streaming down her face. Her fists trembled as she cried Robin's name, who was collapsing to the ground.
Watching that, Nue took a casual sip from her bottle and offered words of comfort to Olvia.
"Pwah. Man, this drink is hitting the spot!! But hey, itâs not instant death or anything. The woundâs a little off-center from her heart, so there's still a chance she might make it. So come on, maybe save the crying for a bit later?"
ââThough at this rate, sheâs still going to dieââ Nue added lightly.
Hearing that, Olvia immediately tried to act. She forced strength into her wobbling knees and tried to stand.
Butââ
"Ahânope, nope. Youâre staying right here for now."
"!! Let go of me!!! I have to⌠I have to save Robin!!!"
Olviaâs hand was grabbed by Nue, but she tried to shake it off and rush to help nonetheless. From her hand, a tree grew.
"âFull Bloom Fire Blossom!!!â"
"!!"
The tree bloomed with red flowers, then burst into flames, exploding at point-blank range to blow Nue off her. A lethal-level attack, all from Olvia's powers.
Howeverâ
"To think youâd actually attack me⌠she really is that important to you, huhď˝?"
"âŚ!! Agh!!"
âŚEven so, Olvia couldnât escape Nueâs grasp.
Unaffected by the explosion, Nue kept hold of her and pinned her to the floor.
With nothing more than that, Olvia was completely restrained by Nueâs vice-like strength. Her face twisted in pain.
"And besides⌠we just fought a plant user recently, and honestly, Iâm not in the mood for that again. Though your âNyo-ki Nyo-ki no Miâ is a way better version than that weird ninjaâs, Iâll give you thatâĄ"
"Ugh⌠ahâŚ!!"
"But since itâs a power we gave you, thereâs no way I wouldnât understand it. And even if I didnât, you still wouldnât stand a chance against me, would you?"
A âPlant Humanâ able to sprout and control any vegetation. That was Dulac'sâOlvia'sâability.
But the Devil Fruit powers granted by Nue and her group twenty years ago were utterly useless against them.
"No need to panic so much⌠the girl might still live⌠and hey, maybe Iâll even help her"
"âŚThen⌠do it now!!"
"Nooope⥠Even if youâre our dear comrade, thatâs a big no⥠And besides⌠thereâs something I need you to do"
"Something you⌠need?"
"Thatâs right," Nue nodded cheerfully. She crouched in front of Olvia, grabbed her face with both hands, and locked eyes with her from up close.
"You havenât told us the contents of the âPoneglyphs of Historyâ yet⌠have you?"
"!!!?"
Olvia's eyes widened. Her face betrayed her shock.
Nue was still smiling, her face close. She didnât look angry. Butââ
"To be precise, you havenât told us accurately.⌠Just now, you said it yourself, didnât you? âDo you remember the agreement from twenty years ago?â"
"Kh⌠ahâŚ!!"
"Let me throw those words right back at youâDo you remember that agreement? That in exchange for your cooperation, I would leave your precious, precious child unharmed. I kept that promise. But you? You broke it first. Isnât that just awfulď˝?"
"UaaaaahâŚ!!"
"Seriously⌠youâve worked with us for twenty years, you shouldâve known better. Your lies have always been so obvious, you know"
Nue squeezed Olviaâs head with her monstrous strength, making her cry out. She tried to thinkâhow had she been found out? But her thoughts were too scrambled to follow through.
Still, somehow, they had discovered her lies. That much was clear.
"ââJust kidding"
"Wh⌠what are you�"
Suddenly, Nue let go of her.
Olvia was stunned. Sheâd been bracing for torture, and now⌠confusion overtook her. What is she planning? The bad feeling in her gut only grew stronger as Nue smiled at her.
"If a little pain was all it took to make you talk, I wouldâve done that from the start. But to really make you obey⌠the only way is to break the things you hold dearestâĄ"
"!! NoâŚ!!"
Olvia realized what was coming.
That condition, part of the agreement made twenty years agoâNue was about to invoke it.
"Lately, Iâve gotten into making hamburgers, you know? Mince itâmake the pattyď˝âŤ Slice itâadd the picklesď˝âŤ Stack it in a big bun and squish it downââMonster Burgerâď˝âŤ Saw a pirate crew doing it once, but they were awful at it. Just roughing it up a bitâdidnât mince it properly, didnât knead or cook it right, just lazy. And they didnât even eat it all! Thatâs not a Monster Burger!! You gotta finish every bite. So hey, next time, why donât I show you how Nue-chan makes a real Monster BurgerâĄ"
ââ"With your daughter as the pattyâĄ"
"âŚâŚ!! Stop it!!!"
Olvia screamed. There was no way she could let her daughter suffer such torment.
But Nue just looked more amused.
"Eeeehď˝ď˝? But youâre a liar. We canât trust that youâll tell us the truth⌠Maybe itâs better if you do feel some pain? Might help you break a little. Get desperate enough to finally listen?"
"Wait!! Please!! Iâll tell you next time!! Everything you want to knowâŚ!!!"
"Oh wow, now you say that? After all this? Thatâs a little too convenient, donât you think? Youâre not underestimating us, are you? Like, âIâm the only one who can read the Poneglyphs, so thereâs no way theyâll hurt me,â kinda thinking. That is what you were counting on, wasnât it?"
"âŚThatâs notâŚ!!"
But Nue was right. Olvia was one of only two people in the world who could read the ancient script.
To acquire the ancient weapons, or reach âRaftel,â her cooperation was essential.
Thatâs why she knew Kaido and Nue would never kill her. Thatâs why she thought she could lie without consequence.
But now⌠that optimism was shattered.
"Well, yeah, you're not wrong. If you were just a traitor, weâd have killed you already. But youâre not. Youâre an irreplaceable asset to us.ââSo hereâs what weâll do"
"âŚâŚâŚâŚ?"
Nue raised a finger and declared with that same unchanging, mischievous-girl smile,
"If the ancient weapon isn't at the location you're about to point us to⌠I'm going to kill that girl."
"!! That'sâŚ!!"
"Fufu, not a bad deal, right? I'm being super kind here, aren't I? I mean, if you just read the Poneglyph and honestly tell us what's written in it, there's absolutely no problemâŞ"
"âŚâŚ!! But!! Even if I do⌠what ifâfor some reasonâthe ancient weapon isn't actually thereâŚ!!"
Olvia voiced her concern. Even if she shared the contents of the Poneglyph and gave them the information, there was no guarantee the weapon would actually be at that location.
"Hmm~~⌠Well, yeah, itâs totally possible someone took it already or itâs just not there. But if it's not, that could mean you're lying, right? Soâexecution it is!!"
"NoâŚ!!"
Olvia was overwhelmed with despair. This wasnât about whether she told the truth or not.
Even if she did tell the truthâif nothing was thereâthen⌠it would all end the same way.
"Can't be helped, right? If it's not there, that's a crime. You're out. So do your best. Anyway, we already know this Poneglyph here points to where 'Pluton' is, so we'll be coming to collect it later. Make sure you're ready then, okay?âĄ"
"âŚâŚâŚâŚ"
"Huh? No answer?"
"âŚâŚâŚâŚYes⌠I understand."
Olvia lowered her head and nodded.
There was no choice but to nod. Her daughter's life and death were, at this moment, entirely in Nueâs hands.
ăWeâve got you corneredâŚ!! Croc!!!ă
ăâŚâŚâŚâŚWhy are you still alive? No matter how many times I kill you, why do you keep coming back at me⌠huh? âŚStraw Hat!!!ă
"Look, things over there are heating up too. Why donât we sit back and enjoy the show together? Your daughterâs still hanging in there, after allâŞ"
"âŚâŚâŚâŚYesâŚ"
Just like Nue said, Robin was still alive on the screen, and Luffy had appeared before Crocodile.
And then Olvia thoughtâwas everything happening exactly the way Nue wanted it to?
She had sensed something was off before, but this time, the way everything was unfolding just as Nue described made her feel deeply unsettled.
How far ahead had this monster planned everything?
"Once this fightâs over, weâre heading out to get that Poneglyph, okay?âĄ"
"âŚâŚAlrightâŚâŚ"
And once again, Olvia was struck by a desperate realization:
She must not let her daughter become involved with this monsterâno matter what.
The sun always risesâand the rain always falls.
âYou say I took something from youâŚ? Was it money? Fame? Trust!? âŚLives? âŚThe rain!? Kuhahaha! Tell me, what do you want back? If itâs something Iâve stolen, Iâve got more than I can count!â
âYour nation!!!â
Every battle, without fail, reaches its final act.
âSeems youâre a pirate worth your salt⌠But a pirateâs duel is always a fight for survival. Thereâs no such thing as cowardice in this gameâŚ!! If thereâs an explosion on the surface, this placeâll come crashing down with it.â
The turmoil wonât stop.
âItâs because I donât want them to die⌠that theyâre my crew!!!â
ââŚEven if they end up dead?â
âIf they die⌠then thatâs just how it isâŚ!!â
The storm rages on.
âA greenhorn like you was never meant to stand against someone like me⌠Thereâs no end to the things in this world you just canât do a damn thing aboutâŚ!!â
But the dreams of people never end.
âIâm the man whoâs gonna become King of the Pirates!!!!â
â!! âŚListen, brat⌠The deeper one knows this sea, the less likely they are to spout reckless crap like that. I told you, didnât I? There are countless rookies like you on these seas!!!â
The battle between the man whose dream was broken and the one still chasing his dreamâ
âThe more you understand the level of this sea⌠the less youâre able to dream at all!!!â
ââŚIâm the man whoâs going to surpass youâŚ!!!â
The fight between one who steals a nationâand one who protects itâ
ââŚSome nobody from who-knows-where dares to stand before me!? Do you even know who the hell youâre dealing with!!!?â
âNo matter who you are!!!â
The battle between pirate and pirateâ
âIâll surpass you!!!!!!â
In this land of sandâ
âGum-GumâŚâ
âDesert DessertâŚâ
Nowâthe final blows are struck.
âTempest Storm!!!!!!â
âDiamond Blade Raspara!!!!!!â
And with that, the nightmare that plagued this country comes to an end.
âPresident of the underground crime syndicate Baroque Works, and Warlord of the Sea, Pirate Sir Crocodileâunder the name of the World Government and Marine Headquarters, all your titles, rights, and privileges are hereby revoked.â
âNo one can erase the past!!! âŚStand atop the ruins of this war!!! And live on, Kingdom of Alabasta!!!!â
A battle never meant to be spoken ofâcomes to a close.
But⌠not all nightmares end.
âNow then, letâs have you read this, shall we, darling Drac-chanâĄ?â
ââŚYesâŚâ
What they stole from beneath the underground tombstone was an ancient stone that recorded a long-lost past.
A stone that marked the location of the worst ancient weaponâsomething that should never be revealed to those with malicious intent.
âLetâs put our little duel on hold for now.â
âDamn⌠Weâre out of timeâŚ!! Retreat!!â
Some laid down their arms, knowing the battle was over. Others, called back from above, retreated like beasts.
And as the rain fell on all of them equally, the truth of their location nowâ
âThe ancient weapon⌠Pluton⌠itâs locatedââ
ââŚWell nowâŞâ
âwas exposed⌠by those with evil in their hearts.
And when the incident ended, the pirates once again set sail upon the sea.
âYouâre leaving already?â
âYeah⌠We lost a lot of time here.â
Before the pirates who worked in the shadows, he bid farewell to his younger brother and his crew.
What he shared was his own burden. What he handed overâa small piece of paper symbolizing life.
âThe next time we meet⌠itâll be at the top of the pirate world.â
âYeah!!â
And just before saying goodbye, he hesitated.
Should he tell themâabout those pirates who had been here in this country?
But he shook his head quickly. Even if he told them, nothing would change.
They had their adventure. And he had his. No matter how hard it might be, he had to see it through.
âââAh, excuse me. Have you seen a guy like this?â
And so, without saying anything to his brother and the others, he returned to the sea to fulfill what he had to do.
But at that very moment, in nearby watersâ
âââAh, sorry! Have you seen a guy like this? Freckles on his face, body blazing like fire⌠Yes!! Fuhaha!! Thatâs right, that guy!! Where did you last see him!!?â
Another had set out to sea, chasing after him. But he was unawareâthat the one they were pursuing was the very crew wearing the straw hat.
Grand Line, on the sea.
Aboard the Beast Piratesâ ship returning to the New World, carrying the Poneglyph with them, Nue muttered like a curse to Olvia.
ââŚStill⌠itâs just so amusingâĄâ
ââŚ?â
And then Nue whispered in her ear, as if to shatter her very soulâ
âYour daughter went through all that trouble to protect the secret of the ancient weapon⌠And you, her own mother, are the one who exposed itâĄâ
ââŚAhâŚ!!â
âThatâs right.
The future her daughter had protected, the history. She, the mother, had taken it away.
She had handed the knowledge of the ancient weapon over to them.
Even though her daughter was still aliveâfighting to protect it.
And she, the mother, hadâŚ
âFufufu⥠Well, thatâs what makes you our kind of comrade. Looking forward to working with youâDevil MamaâĄâ
âAh⌠AahhhâŚ!!â
There was no going back now.
Olvia collapsed to her knees on the deck, sobbing uncontrollably.
In the end, her resolve from twenty years ago had been shallow, fragile.
She had trampled on the will of Ohara⌠and she had meant to do so, fully prepared to sacrifice the entire world.
But now, she was cryingâpatheticallyâout of guilt for both sides.
She repeated her apologies to her daughter and to everyone, over and over. Only now did she realize the depth of her foolishness.
And upon realizing that she had even trampled on her daughterâs wishesâshe fell into despair.
âWell then! Now that weâre one step closer to our ideal, itâs time to say goodbye to this country~⥠Weâve got the treasure, so letâs head back and party!!â
âUooooh!! Thatâs our Nue-san!!â
âGyahaha!! This is the cash we stole from Crocodileâs casino!!â
But many of the crew were drunk on the spoils of victory, making a raucous celebration. Everyone praised Nue.
âStill⌠I canât believe they really took down CrocodileâŚâ
âIâm shocked!!â
âAhaha, they really are something!! ââThough Iâm even more amazing!!â
âWell, thatâsâŚâ
âOf course, right!? Was it childish of me to compete with them? Ahahaha!!!â
And so the nightmareâdid not end.
It spread.
The yokai girl Nue, with her spoils in hand, left the land of sand and sailed once moreâtoward a place where she could further indulge her own desires.
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