Chapter 30

The Clockwork Rose cut through the Calm Belt, propelled by the silent hum of the Jet Dials. The water here was dead still, home to the largest Sea Kings in the world, but Kurumi had a solution for that.

"Laki," Kurumi called out from the helm.

"On it."

High in the crow's nest, Laki adjusted her goggles. Through the lens of her scope—and her specialized Mantra—she saw the massive shadow rising from the deep three miles ahead. A Sea King the size of an island.

She didn't panic. She loaded a single round made of Skypiean iron.

Breath Dial Imbued: Impact Shot.

Bang.

The bullet flew silently. It struck the Sea King between the eyes before it even broke the surface. The impact force, stored within the bullet, exploded inside the beast's skull. The shadow sank back down without a ripple.

"Target neutralized," Laki reported calmly.

"Good shooting," Kurumi nodded. "But standard bullets won't scratch a Yonko Commander. We need to upgrade your arsenal."

The Kitchen of Hell

Below deck, the kitchen was a war zone. Carmen was moving so fast she was a blur of red and white.

"Out of the way, Ghost Girl!" Carmen shouted, tossing a pan of searing oil.

"I'm just trying to steal a tart!" Perona shrieked, floating through the wall to escape the splash damage.

Carmen slammed a plate onto the counter. "Attack Cuisine: Adrenaline Stew! Eat this, and your muscle fibers will regenerate 30% faster for the next four hours. But it tastes like burning rubber!"

Kurumi walked in, sniffing the air. "Function over flavor, Carmen. We are approaching Rusukaina."

"Rusukaina?" Carmen wiped her hands. "Isn't that the island of beasts?"

"It’s where Straw Hat Luffy is training," Kurumi said, her eyes narrowing. "And it is where a ghost from Level 6 Impel Down has just surfaced."

She pulled out a wanted poster.

Byrnndi World. "The World Destroyer". Bounty: 500 Million Berries (Frozen).

"This man has the Mosa Mosa no Mi (More-More Fruit)," Kurumi explained. "He can increase the size and speed of anything he touches by up to 100 times. Imagine a bullet moving at Mach 100. Imagine a frying pan the size of a battleship."

Laki and Carmen froze.

"That…" Laki’s eyes widened. "That’s a sniper’s dream."

"And he has a subordinate," Kurumi flipped another page. "Don Accino. A bounty hunter working with him. He holds the Atsu Atsu no Mi (Heat-Heat Fruit). He can raise his body temperature to 10,000 degrees."

Carmen grinned, her knife glinting. "A walking oven? I could cook the ocean with that."

"They are attacking the Marines nearby," Kurumi said, checking her pocket watch. "Luffy is intercepting them as we speak. We are not there to save the day. We are there to rob the dead."

The Battle of the 3D2Y

The sea near Rusukaina was in chaos. The World Pirates’ massive submarine ship, the Groseade, was surfacing. Marines were being decimated by cannonballs that suddenly grew to the size of mountains.

"There," Kurumi pointed.

On the deck of the massive ship, Byrnndi World was fighting Luffy. The clash was intense—Haki vs. Haki.

"Perona," Kurumi ordered. "Create a ghost fog. Mask our approach. Laki, take the crow's nest. If World tries to escape, shoot his engines. Carmen, you're with me."

The Heat

They boarded the Groseade amidst the chaos. While Luffy kept the main boss busy, Kurumi and Carmen hunted for the officers.

They found Don Accino in the engine room, overheating the core to blow up the ship.

"Who are you?!" Accino roared, his skin glowing orange. "I'll melt you!"

"Too hot," Carmen said, stepping forward. She wasn't intimidated. She was analyzing him like a piece of meat. "You have no temperature control. You're just burning everything."

"Carmen, handle him," Kurumi ordered, leaning against the door. "If you can't beat a filler villain, you can't cook for the Pirate King."

Carmen cracked her knuckles. "Order received."

Accino threw a punch of molten heat. Carmen didn't dodge. She used Kami-e (Paper Art)—a technique Kurumi had forced her to learn—to drift around the heat. She slapped a Flash Dial onto his chest.

"Flash!"

The blinding light disoriented him. Carmen spun, her leg coated in Armament Haki.

Collier Shoot!

She kicked him in the throat. As he stumbled, she drew her frying pan.

"Frying Pan… IMPACT!"

She slammed the heavy iron into his skull. Accino collapsed, unconscious.

Kurumi walked over. She pulled a regular apple from her bag. She placed it next to Accino.

"Do it," Kurumi commanded.

She shot Accino in the heart.

A moment later, the apple swirled. It turned deep red and developed steam-like patterns. The Atsu Atsu no Mi.

"Eat up, Chef," Kurumi tossed it to her.

Carmen bit into it. She gagged. "Disgusting! Tastes like burnt hair!"

But then, her hand ignited. She smiled. "Oh… I can feel it. The perfect sear."

The Sniper's Prize

Above deck, the battle ended. Luffy hit Byrnndi World with a Red Hawk, shattering the man's ambition. World crashed into the debris, broken and dying.

Luffy, exhausted, was carried away by Boa Hancock’s ship. The Marines were closing in to arrest the World Pirates.

But Kurumi was faster.

She stood over the broken body of Byrnndi World.

"You were too obsessed with revenge," Kurumi whispered. "A true destroyer calculates."

She ended his misery with a single, silent bullet.

She held out a pear. The fruit twisted, turning green and cubical with strange spikes. The Mosa Mosa no Mi.

"Laki!" Kurumi called up to the rigging.

Laki slid down a rope, landing softly. Kurumi handed her the fruit.

"The power of multiplication," Kurumi said. "Speed. Size. Velocity. With this, your range is infinite."

Laki looked at the fruit. She took a bite.

"Gross," she muttered. She picked up a pebble. "More… 100x Speed."

She flicked the pebble.

CRACK.

The pebble vanished. It hit a distant Marine battleship's mast. The mast exploded as if hit by a cannonball.

Laki stared at her hand. A terrifying smile formed on her face. "I like it."

The New Crew

Back on the Clockwork Rose, the mood was electric.

"Status report," Kurumi ordered, sitting in the captain's chair.

* Carmen (Cook): User of the Atsu Atsu no Mi (Heat-Heat Fruit). Can heat her body and objects to melting points. Can cook instantly without fire. Immune to heat-based attacks (like Akainu's ambient heat, though not direct hits yet).

* Laki (Sniper): User of the Mosa Mosa no Mi (More-More Fruit). Can multiply the size and speed of her projectiles up to 100x. A silent bullet can become a supersonic missile mid-flight.

* Perona (Scout): Ghost user with Observation Haki. Can debuff enemies and scout entire islands.

"We are no longer a ragtag group," Kurumi announced, pouring a glass of wine. "We are a Calamity."

"Luffy is entering the New World soon," she looked at the Red Line. "But we have a head start. There is one more thing we need before we challenge the Emperors."

"What?" Carmen asked, heating her tea with a touch of her finger.

"An alliance," Kurumi said. "I'm not joining Law. I'm not joining Kid. I'm going to find the man who owes me a favor."

"Who?"

"Donquixote Doflamingo," Kurumi smirked. "I have his prototype guns. I have his secrets. It's time to visit Dressrosa and cash in."

"Set course for the New World. The toys are waiting."