Grand Jipang was a mess. The Imperial Dragons stormed the city in search for the Summoner. They made a mess of the decorations meant for the festive occasion. In the Pinwheel, Omao picked up debris from the onslaught. "Damn, that was a ruthless attack," Sanji sighed. "Who knew those Imperial Dragons had that much destruction?"

"It's the Imperial Dragons," Onami voiced. "It's not like they're going to be peaceful when they came in unannounced." Robin treated Ash's face while Pikachu watched from Luffy's shoulder.

"They were after my son," Robin pointed out. "From what Onami said, they were on the hunt for the Summoner."

"If that's true, why?" asked Luffy. "It's not to use his abilities on other lands, right?" Usopp shook his head, not agreeing with Luffy's take.

"Don't get me wrong, but it sounds pretty unreasonable that it's for that purpose," he denied.

"They were more in shock when they found out it's me," Ash pointed out. "I think they believe the Summoner was more of Sanji or Usopp for that matter." Sanji sneered with his eyes closed.

"They were all men, so I believe they wouldn't have stood a chance in hell for their attack on this place," he assumed.

"Are you saying that because that's all we saw?" assumed Onami. "How do you know there wasn't a girl among them?" Sanji's sneer grew, the thought of a woman among them.

"I'd find a way to recruit them to working for me," he plotted. "No violence, just telling them there's more worth here than with the Imperial Dragons." Onami's disgusted look didn't approve of Sanji's idea.

"You're hopeless," she mulled.

Aftermath! Left in Dragons' Wake!

As Omao, Robin and Onami clean up the mess in the Pinwheel, Ocarrot soon woke up. She was beaten badly trying to protect Shirahoshi and Rebecca. "Ocarrot!" noticed Robin.

"Are you okay?" wondered Onami. Ash helped Ocarrot sit up.

"I think so…" she muttered. "Those lesser Minks…"

"We know, we were attacked as well," Usopp told. Sanji offered Ocarrot some sushi.

"This will help get your strength back," he offered.

"Thanks, Sanji," Ocarrot praised before taking and eating. "I don't know why youteia would give it to me after I failed to protect Princess Shirahoshi and Rebecca."

"But you did try, right?" wondered Ash.

"Yes, but I was beaten down," Ocarrot whined. "Those lesser Minks were rather ruthless… and many." Ash petted Ocarrot's head.

"Thank you," he sighed. Ocarrot put the meal down before hugging Ash.

"I feel that much better…" she awed. Luffy wondered about the ordeal.

"It doesn't make any sense," he thought. "Why would those big shots want Weepyhoshi? All she does is whine a lot." Usopp smashed a bo staff to Luffy's head, causing it to spin several times and coiling his neck.

"You and your behavior around royalty!" he snapped. Luffy's head stopped spinning, his neck looking like a swollen spring coil.

"That didn't help," he denied, not bothered by the condition of his neck. His head spun back before it stopped, and his neck was back to normal. Zoro came in clasping his head.

"I probably shouldn't hit the Sake so hard before finding myself in Kappa territory," he mulled before he looked inside. His tone changed. "On second thought, never mind. What happened, did Boss get the wrong order?" Omao shook her head.

"It wouldn't surprise me if that happened," Brook shrugged.

"It was the Imperial Dragons that stormed Grand Jipang," Onami briefed. Zoro's eye lit up.

"Those nobles?" he realized. "They stormed the city!? What about the agreement the governments made about involvement?"

"They violated it," Onami pointed out. Ash bowed his head.

"They were after me," he admitted. "They wanted the Summoner." Luffy palmed Ash's crown, causing him to look to the Boss.

"They would've come here, regardless," Luffy assured. "You were just part of it." The thought made Usopp blink.

"What makes you think that the Imperial Dragons would still come here looking for the Summoner if he didn't come here!?" he argued.

"Easy: With everyone coming here for the holiday festivities," Luffy started. "It would mean more targets and more captured people to force Ash out of hiding whether he was here or on his way here." To Luffy, the Dragons wanted the Summoner to appear and confront them.

"That logic sounds lost in thought," Onami mulled.

"Or does it?" pondered Brook. Everyone turned to the skeletal man. "Allow me to illustrate my findings: The Imperial Dragons had to have known about the Summoner for some time and banked on him coming to this place based on the fact that there were others like Rayleigh who would take him in a bid to further strengthen the defenses if invaders like the Dragons had anything to offer. It was either they find him here or wait for him to arrive eventually. They want an ambush on him to kill and leave nothing behind." The thought made the other men realize the ordeal that had occurred.

"Is that why the Dragons took the other children while you protected Ash?" gasped Omao. "And with how ruthless they are, the Dragons act without consequence." Ash mulled, thinking the children he befriended could die at the hands of the Imperial Dragons.

"Orika…" he knew. "Aisa, Carrot…" The thought of Orika and Aisa being handled by the Dragons made Ash clench fists. "Those Dragons won't kill them, but what I imagine is that what they'll go through… It's a fate worse than death… and it would be unacceptable." Just then…

"HELP!" shouted Owanda. Everyone turned to outside before they came to see Hancock, Owanda, Dogstorm, Cat Viper, Neptune and Fukaboshi. The mermen and the Minks were badly injured.

"Let's get them help!" urged Onami. They helped the Minks and mermen inside while Hancock started closing wounds those suffered.

"I'm… glad you're… okay… jamon," Neptune groaned, his injuries hurting him as he adjusted his body.

"Just take it easy, your highness," Robin eased.

"Yes… but the other… mermaids…" mulled Neptune. Fukaboshi recovered enough to turn to the others.

"The dumb-sounding Imperial Dragon took all of our mermaids with a grin that could scare Poseidon," he muttered.

"And… they took… our cubs," Cat Viper struggled. Owanda palmed Cat Viper's face before wiping blood from his face.

"They're knowing about it," she assured. Dogstorm growled.

"They used something on us that made us weak," he mulled. The sight of Neptune and Fukaboshi made Ash question.

"What about Mamboshi and Ryuboshi?" he asked.

"Knocked out cold," Fukaboshi mulled. "Other guards are tending to them." The news continued to pile on.

"Is there a district that wasn't touched by these bastards?" mulled Zoro.

"I know what you mean," another voice came in. Hearing the new voice, they turned to find Buggy appearing, holding up a wounded Cobra.

"Your highness!" gasped Robin. She reached him and put him down. "I'll help him." Buggy allowed Robin to take Cobra.

"What are you doing here, Buggy?" groaned Onami. "You didn't do this to get a free meal from us, right?"

"There are bigger fish to fry if you didn't realize!" snapped Buggy. Onami irked back to the yell. Luffy didn't want to trust the criminal kabuki as Ash assisted his mother.

"Just because you brought Lord Cobra here for help, it doesn't mean anything between us," Luffy advised.

"Then, you won't care about the details I bring thanks to learning from an aide about why the Imperial Dragons ignored the treaty," Buggy warned. The rest now grew suspicious to Buggy's claim.

"Let's hear what he has to say before we pass judgment," Franky suggested. "It may prove vital when we do go and confront the chaos." The others were reluctant. They knew the history wasn't good between Buggy and the rest.

"As long as he doesn't pull any funny business," Hancock warned. Buggy nodded, expecting the reply.

"The Imperial Dragons had been known as gods, allowed to do anything at their will," he started. "However, there was decorum and unity among them and those they governed over. In hindsight, the Dragons were not as ruthless and barbaric as they were today. They had nobility and obedience. When Cobra became the Lord of Grand Jipang, an Imperial Dragon made an agreement that allowed this city to run peacefully without their interference. It was nice for the time being until a month before the Summoner arrived. It just happened to be that I received the news just moments before they attacked." Eyebrows rose to the new detail.

("You couldn't warn us in time, right?") guessed Pikachu. Buggy blinked to Pikachu's thought.

"Can someone get me a translator with this little rodent!?" he demanded. Pikachu unleashed Thunderbolt, shocking Buggy. "SORRY! SORRY!" Pikachu stopped before allowing Buggy to continue. "Anyway, the ones who helped keep the treaty in check were known as the Five Elders, old fogies who couldn't lift a bar, let alone a sword. Needless to say, all five were killed… and the one behind it was named Rosward. He and his two children, Charlos and Shalria, carried out the attack in due succession to the news about the Summoner. Their obsession for the Summoner made them lose their collective minds… and without the elders to maintain the treaty, there was nothing holding them back." Ash bowed his head, his appearance becoming the reason for Grand Jipang's destruction.

"It just makes it sound more and more like my sensei's an idiot for sending me here," he admitted. "Besides, they're after me. I'm the one to blame."

"Don't yougara say that!" Dogstorm groaned. "It was for the best… that yougara… came here. They were after… yougara from… the start."

"He's right," Owanda believed. "Youteia came to Grand Jipang on the sense that we'd protect youteia. It was only a matter of time." Ash sighed, the pressure building on him.

"It doesn't change the fact that I need to face the music," he admitted. "Not to mention rescue everyone." Shirahoshi entered his mind. "Besides, I know at least one person I want to save most of all." Buggy dug into his robes and pulled out a scroll. Unfurled, there were maps and layouts of a building.

"Buggy, is this the layout of the Imperial Dragons' castle?" guessed Omao.

"You're quick to decipher," Buggy awed. "What we do know is that the main location of Rosward and his kids are up here on the top floor." Robin sensed a problem already.

"But it's not like you can just go barreling into the castle like that," she pointed out.

"With how heavily secured it is, that's not a question," Buggy agreed.

"The first part is easy, just neutralize the guards and go in from there," Luffy simplified, making Usopp sigh.

"You make it sound like it's a cakewalk," he muttered. Ocarrot palmed Ash's shoulder, causing him to turn to her.

"I want to come along," she wished. Ash, Luffy and Sanji gasped to Ocarrot's offer.

"Ocarrot!?" gawked Sanji.

"I want to get back at those Dragons after they attacked me!" she declared. Owanda hugged Ocarrot from behind, holding her back.

"I nearly lost Cat Viper and Dogstorm to those evil lesser Minks," she whimpered. "I don't want to lose youteia, too!" Ocarrot didn't move. She allowed Owanda to hold her. Ash turned to Robin, a new grit in mind.

"Mom, let's get it," he wanted. Robin irked to Ash's desire.

"You mean… your sword?" she assumed. Ash nodded.

"If I knew they'd attack, I would've had it on me aside my jitte," he believed. "They sealed my summons. They'll expect me to bring my summons and then use the sealing ofudas again. Besides, if I stay here, they'll come back, and you'll be involved as well." Robin awed Ash's concern for her.

"I understand," she surrendered. They returned to the flat with Usopp following.

"Well, better to have it at the ready," he shrugged. At the flat, Ash found his sword. He glanced at it, his blade now coming to use.

"It's time," he muttered. "I may need you to rescue everyone." Ash stood before turning to Robin.

"Just letting you know that I want to come along," she wished. Ash gasped to Robin's wish.

"Mom…" he hushed.

"I failed to protect Princess Vivi," she briefed. "I want to bring her back as well as the rest." Ash and Pikachu looked to each other with Pikachu nodding.

"Let's do it," Ash answered. Robin smiled. A minute later, Ash gathered all of the scrolls he could on hand.

"Are you sure that you want to do this?" asked Usopp. Ash looked to Usopp, ready to end the reign.

"It's either me or Grand Jipang," Ash pointed out. "And if what Buggy's saying is true- which is saying a lot from that criminal kabuki- those elders that Rosward murdered will have their spirits freed. Let's go." They left with Robin as Sanji, Luffy, Brook, Franky and Zoro gathered.

"So, this is the lineup, huh?" believed Usopp.

"Trust me, I'd rather go alone about this," Zoro mulled. "I can find the castle and take care of them." Onami came out of nowhere and bashed Zoro's head with a wok.

"You're staying with them!" she hollered. "I don't trust you going anywhere alone during this!" Sanji swooned at Onami's anger.

"Oh, Onami-Swan…" he swooned.

"Luckily, we can get there on Tauros-back," he offered.

"How when there's eight of us?" questioned Sanji. That's when there was a snicker.

"Did you forget about the portable shrine race?" voiced Franky. All turned to the cyan-haired. "I fixed one of them so that it has wheels. We should get there pretty quickly on that." Agreeing, Ash unfurled his scroll.

"COME FORTH, TAUROS!" he chanted. The scroll flashed before Tauros appeared. Franky placed a harness on Tauros while Ash placed a hand on its snout. "We're gonna need you to pull us to the castle. Can you do it?" Tauros mooed as the harness was attached to a wagon.

"I'll admit, Franky," Sanji sighed. "You certainly outdid yourself." Everyone boarded the wagon before Tauros hoofed it out of Grand Jipang. The final struggle was upon Ash and Pikachu. What could the Imperial Dragons want with the Summoner? An answer lied within Rosward, Charlos and Shalria.

TO BE CONTINUED...