...

I could hardly contain my excitement as I stared out, my sunglasses no doubt gleaming in the sunlight. Said sunlight was pouring through the giant window.

Today was going to be a very good day. I could just feel it!

A snort escaped me, one that slowly turned into a cackle. Something I quickly got under control, shaking my head before peeking out onto the vast silent city. My mind running through the plan in it's entirety. Doflamingo's amusement once again peaking as the urge to laugh grew again.

To genuinely laugh. My string made hands shaking as another grin split my face-

The sound of something crashing into a wall suddenly caught my attention. Turning, I blinked at the sight of the literal lynchpin of my plan.

Sugar. Currently leaning against the wall for support, a tired expression filling her face. Even as she matched my mood.

Perhaps somehow even more excited about it than I...

Which went completely against what I'd expected. She even seemed be holding up much better than I'd expected. Given the mass workout she'd gotten from having to use her devil fruit the past week.

She'd barely managed to complete her job in time, only managing to finish the previous day.

Mind you, I didn't say anything to encourage or discourage her... The work ethic was entirely her own.

Even Doffy had been surprised.

Still.

She should've been resting-

I blinked when I finally realised what was in her hands.

A newspaper.

I stonily waved her off, grabbing hold of the News Coo's special delivery, glaring at the girl to rest.

She promptly rolled her eyes at me and walked away.

I was admittedly impressed. Kudos to her, even!

Poor ole' Doffy on the other hand was as pissed as a Wonderland flamingo.

Though admittedly his irritation at his crewmate aside, even he couldn't help the surprise from echoing through. Not that I could blame him. My own eyes widenedat the front page's scoop. Widened at what Big News Morgan considered important enough he thought I had to be informed immediately.

I idly relaxed myself, my body falling onto the chair behind me, a dazed expression on my face as I stared at the headline. My mind processing the information as my free hand snatched up the cup beside my bed.

The effect was more metaphorical then physical really, I couldn't exactly get hungry or tired given I was a walking mass of devil fruit bullshit.

I like to think it still helps.

Doflamingo insists I am crazy.

Regardless, given the bird-sourced update, presuming he wasn't lying, though I had to admit... It was rather short-sighted of me to think he wouldn't make a move. It should've been obvious that, set in stone even, he'd make a move the moment news of an admiral's death made the world.

And that's not even including the clusterfuck that was Akainu, nor his new sibling, Rockainu. The new inhospitable zone, covering approximately one sixth of Marine HQ.

I just didn't expect him to dash straight to the top.

Dragon did not fuck around.

-The Burning Of Mary Geoise-

And front and centre of the page was the man himself, directly flipping off the entire world, not literally of course.

He had more class than that.

The small read at the bottom, explained the situation, even as barebones as it could, mentioning little more than how he'd appeared, almost like a miracle, at the rebellion's most desperate hour, saving them, taking any and every slavee he came across and disappearing.

Doffy, do remind me to never cross the man. I think it's a matter of life and death.

At the end of the morning however, it wasn't exactly bad news. It just meant I couldn't really count on the marines showing up today as well. A pity, really, but I think I'll be able to live past it.

I released another contended sigh, enjoying the peace of silence. The silence that up until yesterday had been non-existent.

Oh yes, today was going to be a very good day.

...

-Shanks-

He stared ahead, his eyes narrowing as his hand clasped his blade harder than necessary, his stare down the street cold. He'd finally reached the top of those stairs, his panic and paranoia growing by leaps and bounds as he failed to get a sense of anything remotely resembling human life.

At first, he'd assumed it to be some kind of devil fruit based power blocking him. Yet he could do naught but stare ahead. Even as his crew-mates footsteps suddenly drew nearer.

"Shanks!" Benn called out, a harried tone to his voice.

"...How many?" Shanks voice echoed out down the street as the other reached him, the lack of anything making it easy for the sound to travel. "How many people lived in this country?"

Benn's eyes turned grim as he took in the empty streets before them. As he listened in on the lonely sound of wind travelling around unimpeded.

He didn't turn from his spot. He'd stopped running as soon as he reached the top of the stairs, as soon as he'd taken his first look into the city.

As soon as he'd heard the nauseating silence that filled the deserted city.

Everywhere his gaze swept, nothing in sight. From the empty houses to the empty shops. He barely paid any attention to the sounds he made as he slowly walked in. His crew-mates having caught up. Yassop had been about to open his mouth only to stop himself as he joined them and let silence take over again.

He didn't need to look at their faces to know they were confused. To feel their shock and subtle horror.

The sound of the rustling leaves, with no tree in view, only seemed to make things worse as everyones footsteps slowly died out. Having barely gone past the main gate.

"It's a trap." Yassop murmured, the first to break the silence to Shank's relief.

"Doesn't need saying," Benn spat to the side, his gun held close.

"The ca-"

"Can you hear that?" Luffy suddenly called out, cutting off whoever had been about to speak. Shank's minutely turned towards the rubber captain, his own expression turning bemused.

"Hear what Luffy?" He questioned the slightest bit alarmed. His body turning towards the younger pirate, the urge to leave him on the ship coming back in full for-

Luffy's face scrunched up, tilted to the side and shrugged. "Sounded like... Footsteps?"

Shanks blinked, Benn Beckman's voice reaching his ears as his first mate spoke to Roux.

"Footsteps?"

Luffy nodded, one hand raised as he pointed towards the-

Castle... "I think it came from there..."

He locked gazes with the teen for a moment before his eyes snapped towards Benn's grim ones.

"Well," He eventually stated, rising up to his full height, a wary smile on his face. "There's only one thing to do with a trap isn't there?" He turned to face the castle. His blood pumping faster as the unease threatened to grow.

"Let's go spring it!"

...

"Are you sure about this," Benn whispered, their crew-mates making enough noise to drown him out and keep Luffy company.

"Of course not," Shanks sighed. "But if theres any chance that was a fake-"

"Yeah, I get it alright," Benn waved that off, his expression tightening. "Still... Even you have to admit something's not quite right about this..."

"It certainly ain't no picnic for me..." Shanks grumbled. "I am probably going to end up doing most of the work,"

Benn idly nodded. "That's enough reason to avoid this, but you won't... I know you, captain."

Shanks turned his head the slightest, his face showing surprise at the sudden burst of emotion from his first mate. Even if he pretended to hide it behind his passive face.

"... How bad is it?" He deadpanned, earning a twitch. As well as the ghost of a smile from him.

"..." Benn eventually shook his head, pushing the worry to the back of it. "I am just saying... We're missing something. Something obvious."

Shanks couldn't help the frown as he heard the next two words.

"Something dangerous."

Yet, for the life of him, Shanks couldn't see it.

...

It didn't take long before the source of what Luffy had heard came to light, though admittedltly, no one found it remotely humorous.

"Can't be..." Benn's haunted voice filled the empty clearing, the others not remotely saying a word. The sudden killing intent in the air freezing them solid.

"..." His own grim silence spoke enough, long-contained memories regarding the horrifying power coming back to the forefront of his mind. His expression turning worse for wear as he realised someone else now possessed that same despicable ability.

Luffy's head snapped between them and the singular toy steadily walking towards them down the middle of the road. His mind screaming at him to admit how cool it was but his instinct screamed even louder for him to wait. A feeling he hadn't really felt with in years.

Shanks slowed down as the toy knight reached them. His eyes momentarily turning away from it, to the buildings surrounding them, to anything near them. His gaze searching and hopeful he was wrong. Hope that quickly died down as he spotted it, in one of the corners of a window.

A moving toy.

Funnily enough, it was a lot easier to spot the others after that.

It turns out they weren't alone after all.

"The king is expecting you, Red-hair," The toy before them remarked, passively, quickly earning their attention.

"...Has the whole country been affected?" Shanks asked, his voice a whisper as he wasn't entirely sure who he was likely speakin-

"The king is expecting you, Red-hair," The toy repeated, word for word, in the exact same tone as a dark cloud filled the Emperor's mind. His hand shaking as he quickly rose back up to his full height.

"A command..." Benn grit through his teeth. Though Shanks paid him, nor his crew-mate's words no mind as he promptly started walking towards the castle. The toy, likely following orders, turned around on the spot and started following him without skipping a beat.

...

He warily eyed the castle before them, the small climb had, for whatever reason, felt easier then the last time he remembered being here. And given he couldn't quite recall who the king was...

He was slowly starting to get an idea on what to expect. Someone had gone through a lot of effort to get his attention... Effort that evidently involved transforming an entire kingdom into a toy factory.

He eyed the regular looking entrance, wariness clear for all to see, as he contemplated his options. He could practically feel his crew's unease.

"Take it you've noticed?" Benn drawled, beside him. Another cigarette already in his mouth.

"Yeah... There's a life source inside..." He admitted, his hand on the castle wall nearest to him.

The entrance had, surprisingly, been empty. Not single guard in sight, their only companion, the toy from earlier.

The one least effected being, unsurprisingly, Luffy.

The, despite all he'd learned during this trip, still cheerful teen was akin to a ray of sunshine to the rest of them. While everyone else's reactions surrounding the toy had involved wariness, pity or something in between... Luffy had decidedly ignored the fact the toy was forbidden from speaking and spent the past, who knows how long, aimlessly chatting away. Telling it of the wondrous and more often then not, pointless adventures he'd had in the grand line.

And when asked why, he'd simply shrugged it off.

"'So what if he can't speak? He can still hear me can't he!?'"

...

He wasn't sure what he'd expected going in, but an empty castle, not a sign of any other toy inside, was not it. The toy from earlier slowly leading them towards the main hall. Luffy having since entering gone quiet, his eyes wide as they took in the castle itself. Lucky Roux was beside him, stealthily passing the boy meat thinking no one else had noticed.

"For a trap, it's not been half bad," Shanks remarked good-naturedly, though the humour didn't reach his eyes.

Benn's non-commital grunt was all he received in return. The man's hawk-like gaze landing on every physical piece of 'art' that decorated the grand hallways. Making certain it wasn't an enemy in disguise.

Though all of the effort eventually proved futile as they reached the throne room. Even outside, they could practically feel the temperature drop. In front of the door and blocking the throne's view, the familiar long legs of what was likely a monstrous-sized toy showed themselves, almost tauntingly. The added, leftover smirk on it's face only cementing the fact. The sight caused him to grit his teeth as his mind wondered just how many people were needed to form such an abomination. It's head seemed to twist on it's self, the hint of horns growing through what was supposed to be a wooden head with what looked suspiciously like scales growing down the length of it's arms and legs.

Shanks frowned as he took the first step past it, for a moment expecting violence before to his relief, going through the door without issue.

Only than did his breath hitch as his eyes landed on the throne itself. His crew-mates all carefully side-stepping the toy just as he did, their quiet murmurs going unnoticed to him. His eyes busy widening at the sight of a humanoid blonde, grinning crazily towards him.

He more or less felt Benn's questioning gaze.

Not that he could blame him. Given the source of life he'd detected earlier was currently coming from above them. In one of the floors further up...

Which only begged the question on who, or what this was.

"Now," The blonde stranger started the moment everyone had walked through the gate. "Before you get started, I have a message and a question for everyone's favourite red-head. But considering Eustace Kidd's not here, I'll settle for you!"

"Ho?" Beckman sneered. "Funny, we just have questions for you." Ignoring the jab sent at his captain entirely.

The stranger raised an eyebrow, the action ending abruptly as Beckman finished his statement.

"Mr. Nobody,"

Shanks breath hitched as his gaze snapped to Benn.

"Same voice," The man grunted before, to both him and Beckman's own bemusement.

The blonde stranger started clapping.

"Congratulations. Good luck proving that in court." Nobody drawled, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Now. I believe I was about to give you a message..." And before any of them could react, most of his crew hoping to at least have a few shots on the man in question, the sound of bars rapidly crashing into the ground around them filled the room.

Strings? Of all kind flew about the room at unbelievable speeds, Shanks briefly having to side-step a few as they started surrounding his crew. With a silent command, the Red-hair pirates scattered, Beckman immediately grabbing hold of Luffy as Shanks instead chose to close the distance between him and-

His sword clashed against the rapidly generated string, his eyes widening at the sight of haki covering it, protecting it. The sight, and sound enough to make him briefly jump back a few feet, his crew-mates themselves running into the same problem in every direction they'd taken. His momentary lapse in judgement costing him as he watched thousands of strings convert, surrounding him and, to his further irritation, his crew mates.

"Bird Cage." The stranger stated, bored, idly twirling one finger. "The refinededition,"

Shanks briefly eyed the haki-covered strings and their patterns. Eyed how they seemed to cross over each other, giving him enough of a view of the man on the throne and yet making it impossible for him to walk through, lest he was a Logia.

"Now," The blonde brought his hands together, a grin splitting his face. "As for my question-"

"You're playing a dangerous game." Shanks stated, blocking the man off, not remotely in the mood to entertain him. "You've got one chance. Take down the cage,-" Shanks took one step forward. "-before I break it. Free this country-" Another step. " And of course," He stopped, no further ground left to cover, his sword-hand idly twirling the blade.

"I want the straw hat back. Do that, and you might just walk out of this alive."

The stranger had, to Shanks's irritation, been nodding serenely to each condition.

"All valid and reasonable conditions." Beat. "I reject them all."

Shanks stared at the stranger, resigned as he raised his sword, his head tilting to the side as his haki covered the blade. Though, to the blonde's surprise, he didn't immediately strike.

"I was hoping we could avoid this,"

"I am sure you were, anyway, back to my question-"

"...What are you playing at? This isn't goddamn a game! You're messing with people's, no... You couldn't stop there, you had to go for the country! All to what!? Prove a point!?-" Shanks's hand shook, his patience running thin, his face twisted as it stared at the blonde, no doubt, pirate. The man's barely held back chuckle threatening to send him over the edge. Red colouring his vision before-

"Exactly... Sound familiar?" The sudden answer froze his words, his vision turning clearer as his mind wondered what he could possibly be trying to say.

"Answer me this simple question, Akagami. And I promise you, you'll be dying to listen to me, or at least someone else will if you don't!" The stranger chuckled, for whatever reason even more excited at the sight of his still rising anger, before he leapt of his throne, landing within sword reach of the Yonko, though still outside the miniature cage.

And with but a few words, the curtain that had been clouding them since landing, the curtain of unease and silence that had followed them, finally seemed to lift. History itself almost lodging itself back into place for a moment as the blonde's five word's truly made him realise exactly what he'd walked his crew into.

What he'd walked Luffy into.

"How many Yonkos are there?"

...

For those who want a clearer idea of what the giant wooden toy outside the throne room looked like, search up Atamawari Ningyo.

Ending line: There are four Yonko, there have always been four Yonko. Yet Shanks can only think of three (Including himself)