Chapter 32

The Clockwork Rose approached the island of Punk Hazard not from the sky, but from beneath the waves. Using a Breath Dial coating technique adapted from Skypiean technology, the ship surfaced silently in a hidden cove on the frozen side of the island.

The view was apocalyptic. To the west, endless lightning and magma. To the east, jagged mountains of ice and snow.

"It’s freezing!" Perona chattered, hugging herself despite her thick coat. "Why is half the island on fire and the other half an ice cube?!"

"Admiral Aokiji and Admiral Akainu fought here for ten days," Kurumi explained, stepping onto the ice. "Their Haki permanently altered the climate. A testament to Awakened Logia power."

She turned to Carmen. "Chef, we need climate control."

Carmen smirked. Her skin glowed with a soft, orange light.

Heat Dial: Ambient Warmth.

She didn't start a fire; she simply raised her body temperature and radiated it outward. A bubble of comfortable 25°C air surrounded the crew, melting the snow beneath their boots.

"Better?" Carmen asked, lighting a cigarette with her finger.

"Much," Laki nodded, checking her rifle. "My scope is clear. No visual on guards outside. The entrance should be marked 'PH-006'."

"Let’s move," Kurumi ordered. "We are on a strict timetable. The Straw Hats are leaving Fish-Man Island soon. Once they hit the New World currents, they’ll distress-call their way right here."

The Infiltration

They bypassed the main gates, which were guarded by Caesar’s hazmat-suit subordinates (the Centaurs). Instead, Kurumi led them to a ventilation shaft buried under a snowdrift—knowledge she had gleaned from her "future memories."

"Perona, scout ahead," Kurumi whispered. "Use the ghost network. Avoid the giant children in the Biscuits Room. We are heading for Sector B: The Old Research Lab."

Perona saluted and floated through the metal grate. Her astral body passed through walls, invisible to the naked eye.

Minutes later, she returned. "The path is clear, but… there’s someone else here. A guy with a spotted hat and a big sword. He’s sitting in the hallway like he owns the place."

Kurumi smiled. "Trafalgar Law. He’s already made himself at home."

"Do we fight him?" Laki asked, loading a Impact Round.

"No," Kurumi shook her head. "We talk. He hates Doflamingo as much as I do. But first… I need to secure the package."

The Prize

They navigated the labyrinthine corridors of the laboratory. The facility was filled with Caesar’s gas weapons and drug experiments.

Finally, they reached a reinforced door labeled "SECRET ROOM – DO NOT ENTER".

"This is it," Kurumi said.

"What's inside?" Carmen asked, melting the lock with a touch.

"A failure," Kurumi replied as the door hissed open.

Inside, sitting alone in a glass display case, was a small, artificial Devil Fruit. It was pink, with swirling patterns.

The Artificial Zoan: Fish-Fish Fruit, Model: Azure Dragon.

Vegapunk’s "failure." A clone of Kaido’s power.

"A Devil Fruit?" Laki asked. "Is it real?"

"It’s the most powerful artificial fruit in existence," Kurumi walked up to the case. "Vegapunk called it a failure because the color was pink instead of blue. But in terms of power? It turns you into a dragon."

She shattered the glass.

"Perona, bag it. Put it in the lead-lined box."

"Got it!" Perona grabbed the fruit. "Why do we want a dragon fruit? We're all fruit users!"

"I don't intend to eat it," Kurumi’s eyes glinted. "But Momonosuke would have eaten this by accident if we left it. If I hold this… I hold the future Shogun of Wano in my pocket. And more importantly… Kaido would pay a kingdom to get his 'son's' fruit back."

The Surgeon Appears

"I was wondering who tripped the sensors in Sector B."

The voice was cool, calm, and laced with menace.

The crew spun around. Standing at the end of the hallway, leaning against his massive sword Kikoku, was Trafalgar D. Water Law.

He wore his long black coat, his hat shadowing his eyes. His fingers twitched, ready to form a Room.

"Room," Law whispered.

A blue sphere expanded instantly, covering the entire hallway and trapping Kurumi’s crew inside.

"Shambles."

Pop.

Perona, Laki, and Carmen were instantly teleported back to the ship outside. Only Kurumi remained, standing face-to-face with the Surgeon of Death.

"Separating the captain from the crew," Kurumi noted, not reaching for her guns. "Classic tactical maneuvering, Trafalgar."

"You're the Marine," Law said, his eyes narrowing. "Commander Kurumi. The one who 'died' at Marineford. But here you are, breaking into a derelict lab to steal a failed fruit."

He lifted his sword.

"Are you working for Joker? Or are you working for the Government? Either way… I can't let you leave with that."

The Negotiation

Kurumi stood in the Room. She knew that if she moved, he could cut her into pieces without touching her.

"I am working for myself, Law," Kurumi said calmly. "And I know you aren't really 'vacationing' here."

Law’s grip tightened. "Oh?"

"You're waiting for the SAD production," Kurumi stepped forward, daring him to slice. "You want to break the gears. You want to destroy the factory, kidnap Caesar, and force Doflamingo to resign from the Warlords. All to avenge… Corazon."

Law froze. The name hit him like a physical blow. His composure cracked.

"Who are you?" Law hissed, the blue sphere vibrating with his killing intent. "How do you know that name?"

"I know everything, Law," Kurumi tapped her temple. "I know about the Amber Lead. I know about the 'D'. And I know that if you try to do this alone, you will die in Dressrosa."

She held up the box containing the Artificial Fruit.

"Doflamingo sent me here to stop you. But I have no intention of doing that. In fact… I want to help you break him."

Law stared at her. He was calculating. "Why should I trust a ghost?"

"Because Luffy is coming," Kurumi smiled. "He’s at Fish-Man Island right now. In two days, he will land on this island. He will punch Caesar. He will ally with you. And he will drag you into a storm you can't control."

She tossed the box to Law.

He caught it, surprised.

"Keep the fruit," Kurumi said. "As a gesture of good faith. It’s useless to me, but it’s a nice paperweight. In exchange… when the Straw Hats arrive, you introduce me as an ally. Not a Marine. Not a pirate. An ally."

Law looked at the pink fruit, then at Kurumi. He lowered his sword. The blue Room faded.

"You're a strange woman," Law muttered. "Doflamingo will hunt you down if he finds out."

"Let him come," Kurumi turned to leave, her coat billowing. "I have a cook who can melt his strings and a sniper who can shoot faster than he can think."

She paused at the door.

"Oh, and Law? Secure Caesar's heart soon. Vergo is arriving tomorrow."

Law’s eyes widened. "Vergo… is coming?"

"Vice Admiral Vergo. The first Corazon," Kurumi dropped the final bomb. "Be ready, Surgeon. The game has started."

She vanished down the hallway, leaving Law alone in the cold lab, holding the key to a dragon and the weight of his past.

Reunion

Outside, on the deck of the Clockwork Rose, Perona was panicking.

"She’s gone! The spooky hat guy teleported us!"

"Calm down," Carmen was heating up a cup of cocoa. "She’ll be back. She always has a plan."

Sure enough, Kurumi emerged from the snowstorm, looking unbothered.

"Did you get it?" Laki asked.

"I gave it away," Kurumi shrugged.

"WHAT?!" Perona shrieked. "We stole it just to give it to the hat guy?!"

"It was the entry fee, Perona," Kurumi took the cocoa from Carmen. "Now we have a Warlord on our side. And more importantly… we have a front-row seat to the humiliation of Caesar Clown."

She looked at the burning side of the island.

"Set up camp. The Straw Hats will be here soon. And I want to be the first to say hello to Nami."