Law followed after Toshiro as the night passed, letting the Soul Reaper try to sense anywhere the Heartless may be, and take any possible ambushes as he was immune. In different directions, Sanji and Zoro explored alleys and the pair of Luffy and Brook kept up a good attitude as they too looked around. They tried to ignore the hidden figures cowering away from them and the bodies strewn in the streets, but even Luffy's bouncing footsteps weren't as carefree as usual, so Brook noticed.

"We may have to try and use the cure against it." Toshiro spoke up, still not able to sense any specific source of the monster.

"I doubt anyone wants us to come near them at the moment." Law responded in a doubtful tone, but removed the vial from his pocket once more.

It was as if that action alone was the trigger. There were two bodies on the streets they walked, both suddenly convulsing before turning into small armored Heartless. More of the little Shadows like what Dennis had become rose from the ground to increase their numbers.

"Well, at least we can thin this thing's army down." Toshiro scowled, his icy katana appearing to his hands as he fell into a natural swordsman pose. Law didn't draw his yet, putting up a Room around them. It was the first Toshiro had really been able to see it, a light blue light in the air around them and the dome's edge barely visible. If one didn't pay attention, he could definitely surprise an enemy with it.

They were not the only ones to encounter the Heartless. As it noticed the new threat, bodies everywhere dispersed into little armored Heartless that swarmed the different parties in town, the tiny Shadows appearing easily where the pale lanterns barely illuminated to stop the humans. Brook gave a shriek of surprise but was still a practiced swordsman, and his own cold blade made quick work of them. Unlike most animals he encountered, they were more interested in him than Luffy, whereas normally he was ignored for not having any flesh. His soul was strong, or at least the most visible, and the Heartless wanted it. Scowling fiercely, Luffy forgot the warning about touching them and punched away, proving the idea that Devil Fruit's did allow the upper hand as he banished them away, little hearts floating into the air before disappearing. Fortunately for him, though no one else would have been sure, these Heartless no longer spread disease, fully formed as they were, and so they were safe.

Sanji and Zoro were startled by the sudden initial appearance of the creatures, but were otherwise quick to action. With a cursed sword and two blades imbued with the will and dreams of a swordsman and swordswoman before Zoro, they were strong enough to break the shadows. While bearing no special weapons or Devil Fruit, Sanji had a strong enough fire in his soul to beat down the shadows around him with little trouble, and with this assurance he could hit them, set to challenge Zoro on who could kill the most. The fact that these were all indeed once people who lived and worked here, that suffered to the end with this plague, did not leave their minds, but it was best to just see the monster and put their hearts to rest through death.

This was the last defense the main boss had left before it would need to worry, and it did not focus on just the ones in town. Its attention stretched further as another threat of a cure was made ready. At the ship, Nami lifted her head curiously to the dark sky.

"Cold wind…is there a storm?" She wondered. It was a bit sudden for such a thing, no other warning.

"Oh, if it's cold, it's probably Toshiro." Shachi explained to her.

"But…isn't he like, way in town?" Usopp looked confused. "Why would we feel cold all the way over here?"

"Because he controls the weather when he's fighting, which probably doesn't bode well in town." Penguin frowned in the direction their friends had gone.

"That's some impressive control, changing the weather enough to where Nami notices." Jimbei seemed impressed. "Such a wide range."

"The way he explained it it's like some unconscious side effect of using his abilities, starting a blizzard gives him an advantage in tough fights, and he said since his power is based on water it's easier for him to do it here since there's an ocean around a whole island."

"Starting a blizzard without trying? If he's all unstable and stuff isn't that bad out at sea?" Franky frowned.

"Um…probably?"

"Probably!? That's not really a good answer!"

"I mean we don't know, we're underwater most of the time and most of his energy goes to keeping himself cold cause the ship gets kind of stuffy and hot when we're under, he overheats a lot faster than a human, so I guess he's just never had the chance? I don't think he'd let it get that bad though…"

Dark clouds were beginning to form in the sky as the wind picked up. Not bad enough to worry about, but definitely a signal that the Ice Nobody was in a fight.

Inside, Dextra was taking notice to the change as well, looking towards the doors intently. So that was the feeling of a Heartless. She could focus better this time since she wasn't about to get eaten by one. They were everywhere, her Papa and the others fighting them all over town. It was like the plague came alive and grew claws. She didn't like them. Her hair turned a little feathery and was a bit ruffled.

"What's wrong?" Robin asked, still inside with them. Chopper looked over curiously, holding a syringe with a small amount of cure. He wasn't sure how much was needed to get rid of this Stigma, so best to start small and hope it worked before day two hit and they had fewer chances.

"There's a bunch of Heartless in town, they've started fighting." She reported to them quietly.

"Fighting? More of those shadowy things?" Chopper asked with concern. He put a hoof to his mouth with worry when the eagle girl nodded.

"Hey, Chopper, give it to me." Heinrich spoke up, shifting himself with some difficulty to the edge of the bed. "If it works I want to go help Papa kick that thing's ass. So many people have been killed by that thing…"

"No way, you're not going to recover that quickly." The tiny doctor argued firmly. "If you want to try it first that's fine but you're not going anywhere."

"Come on…"

"He knows what's best, Heinrich, best you listen to him." Robin spoke in a soothing tone, hoping to avoid an argument. The children were as stubborn as their adoptive father, best to keep things calm.

Though frowning, Heinrich consented, holding his arm out but staying put. Considering his slouched posture and tired eyes it was definitely better for him not to move. He had just hoped to get back at the Heartless that hurt Thursday. Chopper first pushed his stool over to the beds before hopping up and going about the usual business of administering a cure. Alcohol swab over the injection site, wait a few seconds, then a precise poke into the vein and quick injection. Hooves or not, Chopper wasn't a doctor for nothing. Heinrich still flinched a bit, but had no other reaction. Ever since becoming a Heart Pirate, he wasn't a stranger to shots. It did itch a bit though.

"How are you feeling?" Chopper questioned, hoping he didn't give too much.

"Itchy."

"Some medicines do that when first injected, so nothing too abnormal." The reindeer mused with a nod, moving to look at the bruised patches to see if they were dispersing.

As the cure took its effect, those outside fighting found themselves meeting together in a large square in the center of town. Toshiro's experience with these creatures made it very obvious what was about to happen.

"We've finally managed to trap it." He told the others, readying his zanpaktou.

"How can you tell, there's been nothing but little guys all the way here." Sanji didn't look too sure they had trapped anything. There was nothing in sight!

"I've fought Heartless like this before, once you get rid of its pawns, the main fighter comes out. If the goal of this one is to spread a plague, it's more of a hive mind than the normal kind, and we've pissed it off."

"Good, now get out here!" Luffy yelled his challenge proudly to the space around them.

"If we can get close enough, this might even damage it enough to get rid of it." Law once more held up the vial of cure to the others. "Normally I don't like wasting equipment but throwing it in the mouth would work."

"If it has one." Toshiro countered. Law looked annoyed; it better have a mouth, he wanted this to be quick.

Getting bored with conversation, Zoro tapped one of his swords on the ground in a challenge of his own as his Captain yelled again.

"I aint afraid of shadows." He growled out.

With the cure in plain sight and multiple challenges thrown its way, the Heartless finally seemed willing to show itself. Black wisps rose from between the broken cobblestone, followed quickly by a pungent smell that made them cover their noses. Mushrooms of various colors but all with black stalks started growing up, bigger and bigger, until the ground seemed to bulge upwards.

"Looks like Chopper was right, the source was spores." Law scowled as the mushrooms bloomed and let off horrible smells.

The ground finally burst and they heard a chilling gurgle as the huge fungal monster showed its main body. Multiple spindly black legs with bright, poisonous colored spines and claws, a large black body with the Heartless symbol right on the top of its brightly colored mushroom head, a few other fungi sprouting from its body. It bore a tail with more sharp spines but, unfortunately, no mouth. Law was not disheartened though, as fungi tended to absorb what was around them. Hopefully this freaky Heartless worked the same way.

More of the Shadows rose from the ground around it, adding numbers to their problems, but the pirates didn't let that stop them.

Sanji spun himself rapidly, stopping only when his leg lit aflame and using the other leg to leap with ease into the air. With a swift kick, a good grouping of the Heartless were ignited and destroyed.

Zoro held one sword in each hand and a third in his mouth. As impractical as it seemed, it was vital to a powerful wind attack he created between his blades that took out another chunk of the little shadow army.

With an angry yell, Luffy's arms stretched and flailed in what seemed a mild manner, but he never missed a punch as he pummeled yet another huge chunk out of their way.

Lastly, Brook unsheathed his rapier from within his cane, a different kind of cold settling around him as with a flash he took out another group.

Seeing them all in battle for the first time, Toshiro had to admit he was impressed. No wonder this world was completely off the radar, they probably didn't need any help, only his presence brought any attention to it in the first place, but seeing the ease with which even a relatively normal human like Sanji destroyed the creatures he didn't feel as guilty as he first had. There was still a fair bit of it, too many people here suffered under this Heartless, but he felt it would never become a world-ending problem as it did for many others.

As their fight started, attention cuts back to the infirmary of Law's ship.

Heinrich seemed even more uncomfortable than previously, Robin watching over him with concern as Chopper hurriedly tried to make more so he could give it to Thursday and then the rest of them. The reindeer had concerns about the black patches not going away, but he couldn't let that stop him from getting as much of the cure as he could have prepared for the many who needed it. Time was their enemy.

Another fit started in the boy, making Chopper pause.

"You okay?" He asked.

"Y-yeah…guess it's taking a little longer to work." Heinrich reassured the small doctor. His statement, however, was followed by another fit, and this one sounded worse, causing the child to double over, hand over his mouth in a vain attempt to stifle it. Robin dared reach over and rub his back, knowing she had plenty of time and a cure ready and waiting for her to take and wanting to comfort Heinrich any way she could. Thursday used up any energy she had to scoot herself over and hug her partner in her own way of trying to help. It was all the girls could really do.

"M-maybe it's rough because it got so far in you." Chopper whimpered, afraid of what Heinrich's fits might mean. Did the cure… not work? Did they mess it up? They couldn't have, it got rid of the samples Law had when they tested it, why wasn't it working now? Or maybe… it was poisonous to humans as well as the plague? They were in such a rush to find what killed the spores they didn't think about the effect on the body.

Dextra was not quite as close and comforting as the others, her hair morphing into feathers and looking quite ruffled as her eyes lay hard and cold on her fellow orphan. Her stiff, lurking posture was different than her usual self, a predator sensing danger, her lips curled into a snarl. She was waiting for something, some kind of indicator, the only reason she didn't seem to be lunging already. She had the Haki and pure instinct to recognize something they didn't and was unhappy to have it near her family.

"Ugh… my arm…" Heinrich moaned in pain, hand going from his mouth to his blackened arm. "I-I feel like… it's burning. Fuck, make it stop!" He started scratching at the patches.

"H-Heinrich, what's wrong?" Thursday was scared, wondering why he was shaking so much. She reached over to make him stop scratching.

Having seen what happened to Dennis, Robin reluctantly saw the situation for what it was and put her hands crossed in front of her as she backed up quickly. More arms, clones of her own, sprouted from the bed and pulled Thursday carefully but quickly off before she could latch onto the boy. She protested strongly, but was too weak to fight the many arms. Simultaneously, another single pair grabbed a startled Chopper and pulled him away as well.

"I'm so sorry." She told them all, her voice a sad, defeated tone.

And then darkness overtook the infirmary as another unlucky human was transformed into a creature of shadow. Heinrich did not get stuck as the same tiny Shadow Dennis had. With their shape linked to the sins of their heart and life, a pirate would have worse forms than a misfortunate child, even if that pirate was a child themselves. Heinrich's form was like a ghost, his shadowy body holding no lower half, his arms draped in white like ripped sleeves that ended in thick claws. A long tendril of black flowed off the top of his small head, his body skinny, almost malnourished looking. Armor covered what could be the lower jaw of the Heartless, just below the vacant yellow eyes. The symbol of the Heartless was stitched right on his chest, glaring and insulting.

"Oh no!" Chopper was devastated by this event. They had failed. Not only did the cure not work, it seemed to accelerate the transformation. Thursday let out a scream of rage and grief, which, of the two shouts, caught the creature's interest the most, its head turning to look at her.

It hovered down so its arms rested on the bed, pulling itself forward as if crawling as it moved towards Thursday on the ground. Its head twitched before turning sideways to look at her curiously. Her eyes widened, wondering, briefly, if he may still be there. Maybe the transformation wasn't the end, maybe she could bring him back. Toshiro had become a monster of the darkness, if a different half, so if he could stay himself, maybe Heinrich could too. The faint hope amidst her horror and pain made her reach out, almost pleadingly, towards the ghastly thing that had taken place of the oldest child.

A white covered arm lashed out. Thursday screamed as scratches appeared across her arm from where the beast struck out, darkened blood from the Stigma coursing through her oozing from the wounds.

The moment her sibling gave a cry, the moment the threat was made obvious, that was when the necessary switch was flipped and things only got worse.

Dextra leapt with ease up onto the bed, half formed into her eagle to form some kind of child harpy. She struck first with her legs, scaly and bird-like with wicked talons, each as big as her head grabbing onto the thin Heartless and smashing it down onto the bed. It squirmed in her grip, but she gave it no chance to escape or claw back. Eyes like a true eagle and face hardened into a beak, she held no remorse in her expression as her hands, now grown with talons themselves as flight feathers grew off her arms for the wings, dug into the face of the Heartless with precise fury.

Much like Dennis's Heartless, once killed, it popped into flecks of black smoke and a crystallized heart rose up before vanishing into the air just before hitting the ceiling. The deed was done. The Heartless was gone.

Thursday didn't even have the heart to stop the younger girl, tears falling down her face as she watched the heart disappear forever. For a moment… she had hope they could save him… but Dextra never left a threat unchecked and any possibility of that was forever gone. The pain of the Stigma felt almost nonexistent to the heavy heart in her chest. Why couldn't it just kill her too? Let her turn into a Heartless! Let her be killed! Anything to get back to him.

Meanwhile, Robin stuck next to Chopper as Dextra remained in this dangerous form. Having been shocked and silent the whole time, Puffin could only pale. He knew this form… this form she took when her only goal was murder, death, and the kill. A form shaped into her by a man even more twisted, who used her for horrible things. Only her 'master' could stop her once she got this way… and he wasn't here.

"This is really bad…" He gulped, more nervous than a rabbit in a cage with a lion.

Dextra turned towards the door, the feathers formed up from her hair ruffling once more. She was taking notice of more of the creatures out in the town. Worse yet, some much closer to them than those being fought by the other pirates.

Knowing he couldn't let her out until Law got back, Puffin jumped for the door and hoped she wouldn't kill them all while locked in here. But she was faster… and was gone before his hands even felt the metal.

"We better go stop her." Robin said as she assisted a distraught and limp Thursday back onto the bed. "Chopper, stay here and get that finished."

"But, it didn't work!" The reindeer put his hooves to his head, expression panicked and terrified.

"I don't think it was the cure… keep making it, but don't give it to anyone until everyone comes back from defeating the main Heartless." Keeping her tone firm, the archeologist turned to Puffin next. "Please do what you can, I'll make sure things don't get out of hand outside."

The nurse scowled but nodded, knowing that was all he could do in his weakened state. He moved weakly over to Thursday as Robin ran back through the halls to get to her crew.

Once outside, she realized chaos had already ensued.