Chapter 19

The ground of the Sabaody Archipelago shook. Not from an earthquake, but from the sheer, overwhelming power of an Admiral.

Kurumi and Perona stood on a high branch in Grove 12, overlooking the chaos. Below them, the frantic battle of the Straw Hats against a Pacifista—PX-4—was reaching its climax.

"That big bear man…" Perona whispered, clutching Kurumi’s arm, her face pale. "There are more of them? And he shoots lasers from his mouth?!"

"That is a Pacifista," Kurumi explained, her eyes tracking the beams of light. "A weapon of human sacrifice. It has Kuma's body and Kizaru's lasers. Nasty piece of work."

Down below, Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji unleashed their strongest attacks simultaneously. Diable Jambe, Santoryu, Gear Third.

BOOM.

PX-4 exploded. The Straw Hats collapsed, panting, exhausted. They had won, but at a terrible cost. They were running on fumes.

"They look finished," Perona noted. "Should we help them?"

"No," Kurumi said sharply. "Look."

From the smoke, another figure emerged. Not a robot. A man in a yellow suit, lazily scratching his head.

"Ohhh… trouble, trouble…" Admiral Kizaru drawled. Beside him stood a massive man with a giant axe—Sentomaru—and another Pacifista.

The Speed of Light

The despair was palpable. Zoro was barely conscious. Usopp was dragging him.

Kizaru raised his foot. Light gathered at the tip of his shoe.

"Zoro!" Luffy screamed.

Kurumi’s hand twitched toward her flintlock. I can't stop it, she calculated. Even with Aleph, I can't intercept a photon kick. If Rayleigh doesn't show up in the next three seconds, Roronoa Zoro dies, and the timeline shatters.

One.

The light intensified.

Two.

Kizaru swung his leg.

Three.

CLANG.

A dark leg, coated in Haki, kicked Kizaru’s foot upward. The laser beam shot into the sky, destroying a massive mangrove tree instantly.

An old man with glasses and white hair stood there, smiling. The Dark King, Silvers Rayleigh.

"I can't let you pluck these young buds just yet," Rayleigh said.

Kurumi let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. "Right on time, old man."

The Separation

The battle that followed was a blur. Kizaru and Rayleigh clashed, their Haki creating shockwaves that popped the bubbles around the grove.

But the real threat wasn't the Admiral. It was the Tyrant.

The real Bartholomew Kuma appeared. He held a Bible. He moved instantly.

Poof.

Zoro vanished.

"ZORO!" the crew screamed.

One by one, they were erased. Brook. Usopp. Sanji. Franky. Nami. Chopper. Robin.

It was a systematic dismantling of the Straw Hat Pirates. A massacre without blood.

Perona watched in horror. "Where are they going?! Did he kill them?!"

"He’s saving them," Kurumi whispered, her voice uncharacteristically soft. "He’s casting them into the corners of the world to grow strong. Because they aren't ready for the New World. Not yet."

Finally, only Luffy remained. He was on his knees, pounding the ground, tears streaming down his face.

"I couldn't… save… anyone!"

Kuma towered over him.

"We will not meet again," Kuma said.

Paw Pad.

Luffy vanished.

The Aftermath

Silence fell over Grove 12. The bubbles floated peacefully, indifferent to the tragedy.

Kizaru stopped fighting Rayleigh. "Ohhh… Kuma… what have you done? The Celestial Dragons will be upset…"

Kuma didn't answer. He simply turned and walked away.

Kurumi adjusted her cap. "Showtime, Perona. Act natural."

She jumped down from the tree, landing gracefully near the Admiral. Perona floated down behind her, terrified but trying to look haughty.

"Admiral Kizaru!" Kurumi saluted, snapping her heels together.

Kizaru looked down at her through his yellow-tinted glasses. "Oh? Commander Kurumi? You're quite far from your patrol route. Were you watching?"

"I was securing the perimeter, sir," Kurumi lied smoothly. "I assessed that my interference would only hinder your battle with the Dark King. I prioritized containment of civilian casualties."

Kizaru hummed, a slow, annoying sound. "Scary, scary… The Dark King is strong. And Kuma… well, he has his own mind. For now."

He glanced at Perona. "And this ghost girl?"

"A defector from the Moria pirates," Kurumi said quickly. "She is under my custody. Key witness for the investigation into the Warlord's failure."

"Hmmm. Is that so?" Kizaru leaned down, his face inches from Kurumi’s. "You have a strange shadow, Commander. Almost as if… you knew they would escape."

Kurumi didn't flinch. She met his gaze with her mismatching eyes—one red, one gold clock.

"I knew they had no chance against you, Admiral," she flattered him coldly. "Escape was their only option. And Kuma provided it."

Kizaru stared for a moment longer, then straightened up. "Well… whatever. I have to report this mess to Sengoku. It’s going to be a long paperwork night."

He turned into particles of light and vanished.

The Next Move

Once the Admiral was gone, Perona collapsed in the air. "I thought I was going to die! He’s so shiny! And scary!"

"He is the pinnacle of Marine power," Kurumi said, staring at the spot where Luffy had vanished. "That is what we are up against, Perona. Speed. Light. Magma. Ice. If we want to change anything… we need to be better."

She turned around, her coat billowing.

"The Straw Hats are gone. The chessboard is cleared."

"So, what do we do now?" Perona asked, wiping her eyes. "Do we go after them?"

"No," Kurumi smiled, a dangerous glint in her clock eye. "Luffy has his own hell to face. He will go to Amazon Lily, then Impel Down, then Marineford. He has to fail one more time before he succeeds."

She pulled out her notebook.

"Our destination is Marineford. But we have a stop to make first. There is a certain 'Empress' I need to avoid, but a certain 'Warlord' I need to provoke."

"Who?"

"Donquixote Doflamingo," Kurumi said the name with distaste. "If the War is coming, I need to know where the Joker stands. And… I need a better weapon than this flintlock."

"Perona," she ordered. "Pack your bags. We are going to the New World."