Chapter 14

The Treasure Vault of Thriller Bark was surprisingly unguarded. The reason became obvious the moment Kurumi stepped inside: the ceiling was caving in.

Outside, the roar of Oars—the Continent-Puller—shook the foundations of the island. Dust and debris rained down on mountains of gold, jewels, and antique weapons.

"Moria is frantic," Kurumi noted, stepping over a fallen chandelier. "He’s throwing everything he has at the Straw Hats. He’s not the lazy Warlord of the original timeline. He’s desperate."

She ignored the gold. She ignored the legendary swords. Her eyes locked onto a small, unassuming pedestal in the back, protected by a glass case that had miraculously survived the tremors.

Inside sat the fruit.

It was shaped like a pomegranate, but instead of seeds, the surface was segmented into twelve distinct ridges, like the hours on a clock face. It was a deep, swirling crimson and gold.

The Toki Toki no Mi, Model: Zafkiel.

Kurumi shattered the glass with the hilt of her rapier.

"Finally."

She picked it up. It was heavy, pulsing with a faint, rhythmic heat. Thump-thump. Thump-thump. Like a heartbeat. Or a ticking clock.

She didn't hesitate. She didn't savor the moment. She took a massive bite.

Crunch.

The taste was indescribable—like rotting metal and sour milk. It was the foulest thing she had ever put in her mouth, worse than the sludge of the Marine mess halls. She gagged, tears pricking her eyes, but forced herself to swallow the chunk, then another, until the fruit was gone.

"Disgusting," she wiped her mouth, grimacing. "Now… let's see what I bought."

The First Tick

She closed her eyes, reaching into the depths of her soul. She visualized the massive clock face behind her—the Emperor of Time, Zafkiel. She visualized the dual muskets, the ability to freeze time, to reverse wounds, to consume life.

"Come forth, Zafkiel!" she commanded.

Nothing happened.

The massive golden clock did not appear. The shadows did not twist to her will.

Instead, a small, antique flintlock pistol materialized in her right hand. It wasn't physical; it was made of smoky, golden energy. It flickered weakly.

"Is this it?" Kurumi looked at the ghostly gun, disappointed. "God wasn't kidding about the limitations."

She focused on the pistol. She felt its capacity. It had one bullet. Just one. And it regenerated slowly.

First Bullet: Aleph (Accelerate).

"I can only speed up my own time," she realized, sensing the mechanics. "And only for a few seconds. No time travel. No rewinding death. Just… a speed boost."

It was weak. Compared to the Admirals, compared to Moria, it was a parlor trick.

But, she thought, a smile creeping back onto her face, speed is weight. And I am already fast.

The Collapse

BOOM!

A massive red arm punched through the vault's wall. Oars.

The giant zombie wasn't even aiming for her; he was just thrashing around, destroying the mansion as he fought.

"Luffy!" Oars bellowed with Luffy’s voice. "I'm gonna be King of the Pirates!"

Kurumi dissipated the energy pistol and sprinted. The vault was collapsing. She used Soru, her legs pumping, dodging falling masonry.

She burst out onto a balcony overlooking the main courtyard. The scene below was a nightmare.

The Slaughter

The battle was going poorly. Worse than she had calculated.

In the anime, the Straw Hats worked together to disable Oars. But here, Moria wasn't sitting inside the stomach cockpit idly. He was standing on Oars' shoulder, actively fighting.

"Doppelman!" Moria shrieked.

His shadow detached, forming a massive spear that skewered the ground where Zoro had just rolled. Zoro was bleeding heavily, his swords barely keeping him upright.

Sanji was limping, his leg twisted at an unnatural angle.

Franky was out of cola, his hair deflated.

And Luffy…

Luffy was nowhere to be seen. He was still lost in the forest, presumably looking for the shadows to become Nightmare Luffy. But he was taking too long.

"Moria has eaten 100 shadows already," Kurumi analyzed, watching the Warlord bulk up. His skin was stretching, his veins pulsing purple. "He's not waiting for the end. He's powering up now to crush them before Luffy returns."

Oars raised a massive fist. "Gomu Gomu no… GATLING!"

The giant fists rained down. Chopper and Robin were thrown into the air like ragdolls.

"This is bad," Kurumi whispered. "If they die here, the timeline ends. Ace dies in Impel Down. Blackbeard wins. And I never get to Awakening."

She gripped the railing. Her orders were to wait. Her strategy was to let them fight.

But the scales were tipped too far.

"I need to buy them five minutes," she decided. "Just enough time for the rubber idiot to find his way back."

The Intervention

Kurumi pulled her Marine coat tight. She drew her real, physical flintlocks—not the energy one. She couldn't reveal her Devil Fruit yet; it was too weak and too recognizable. She had to fight as "Commander Kurumi."

She leaped from the balcony.

Geppo.

She soared through the air, aiming not for Oars, but for Moria.

"Hey! Onion-Man!"

Moria turned his head, his massive, shadow-filled eyes widening. "You… that Marine girl! You're still here?!"

"You are making a mess of my investigation," Kurumi lied, landing on Oars' other shoulder. She was tiny compared to the giant, a flea on a mountain.

"Kishishishi! A Marine Commander? You want to die with the pirates?" Moria laughed. "Doppelman! Eat her!"

The shadow monsters swarmed her.

Kurumi didn't panic. She triggered her new power internally.

Zafkiel: Aleph.

Time warped around her body. For three seconds, she moved at triple her normal speed.

To Moria, she vanished.

Slash.

Kurumi reappeared behind Moria, her rapier drawing a thin line of blood across his massive arm. It wasn't deep—his skin was hardened by the shadows—but it drew blood.

"What?!" Moria gasped. "She's faster than the CP9 agents!"

"Don't ignore me," Kurumi taunted, dancing away as Oars tried to slap his own shoulder to crush her. "I am Commander Kurumi! And I am placing you under arrest for… disturbing the peace!"

It was a ridiculous claim, but it worked. Moria, enraged that a mere human had cut him, turned his focus away from the battered Straw Hats.

"KILL HER FIRST!" Moria screamed at Oars.

Oars roared and began punching at his own shoulder, trying to hit the red-and-black blur.

Down below, Zoro looked up, panting. "That woman… she's drawing their fire."

"Why?" Nami whimpered, clutching her climatact. "She's a Marine!"

"She's buying time," Zoro grunted, forcing himself to stand. "Don't waste it! Get ready for Luffy!"

High above, Kurumi dodged a shadow spear by a millimeter. Her stamina was draining fast. The Aleph acceleration burned calories like a furnace.

"Hurry up, Straw Hat," she hissed through gritted teeth. "I can't dance with a giant forever."