LW: And now we move to one of the 2 most recognizable locations/events in Dressrosa, the Colosseum fights!
Rubber King and Mirror Master - New World Chaos: The Perfect Straw Girls, Hello Laki and Saria!
"I'm sorry, what?" Law asks as he looks at Kaos through Valentina's mirror, his fists clenched out of view.
"Doflamingo put the Nagi Nagi no mi up as the prize in the Colosseum today, seems he's trying to bait a trap, or just showing off that he's so untouchable and wealthy even now, that he can just give away a Devil Fruit" The researcher muses, seeing it even just for a moment, and grins "It's you he's baiting, because just for a moment, you were thinking 'Fuck the mission, I need to get that fruit out of the demented Flamingo's hands' even if you know that's probably what he wants"
"It's probably a coincidence, or a flex he'd planned before we even got here" Ussop hums, not able to see Law's expression from behind the Doctor "Sure WE know Kaos is about as Devil fruit obsessed and collecting them about as ravenous as Blackbeard, but nobody else does, so how could he bait a trap with information he doesn't have"
"Because it's not me, it's Law. Rochinate, he meant something to you, and all you have to do, is say it"
'Corazon' Law grits his teeth before nodding "2 of you can branch off and win that fight, get that fruit away from Doflamingo. I don't care who eats it, other than it not being one of his goons. Everyone else stick to the plan, we need to find that factory or it's all for naught" he orders, getting nods from the visible straw hats before the mirror ripples and only his own face remains "Let's get on with this quickly, the sooner we're done with Doflamingo the better, especially if those idiots need back up" he groans tiredly.
In town
"You're doing this to fuel your obsession" Vivi states rather than asking, getting a shit-eating grin from her brother-in-law.
"I can have more than 1 reason to do things. Luffy and I will be a little busy for a while, plus it's not like we weren't heading there anyway if ALL of Doflamingo's heavy hitters are at the Coliseum regardless of our participation or not" the purplette argues, stroking the long wispy beard he was currently sporting, even matching his hair colour, more or less.
With Zoro
"Fairy my ass, it's nothing but a little thief, stupid brat" Zoro grumbles, stopping at a fork in the road "Damn it, where'd you go?" he frowns, before using Observation haki to scry for Shusui "There we are, to the right" he mutters and continues running, Sanji almost catching up to him when he paused, until the blond was distracted by something more to his tastes, leaving the swordsman to continue his hunt alone.
Sanji
The blond's gaze was locked onto a curvy brunette in a polka-dotted dancer's dress with flowy maroon ruffles on the lower portions, and a rose clenched between her teeth. Of course initially it was simply the fact she was an exotic woman with a full figure, until she began to dance, mesmerising the woman crazy chef instantly. And it seemed something about him she liked as well, since upon the completion of her dance, she tossed her rose into the gathered crowd, right into Sanji's hand.
He swooned, before realising he'd lost his idiot, and in the commotion…. Also lost sight of the lovely lady his heart had been stuck by. Damn it!
A little later
"Nothing but couples as far as the eye can see, it's like the Sunny but worse, the universe really is laughing at my single ass" Sanji mutters bitterly as she strolls down the streets of Dressrosa, looking for the others, Zoro, Kinemon, or the runaway sword, anything would be nice right now.
"Excuse me" a woman's voice called out behind him "Aren't you the man who I locked eyes with earlier?"
Sanji turns and his jaw drops, not expecting to run into the lovely dancer, especially so soon, in fact, he freezes up in shock as she takes his hands in her own "I need your help. Hold me in a romantic embrace!" she pleads desperately.
"WHAT!" Sanji yelps…. I mean he didn't see an issue with holding a woman with such a fiery spirit and ample curves close to him, but he'd spent too much time around the Demon Twins not to develop a Sus detector, also one of his crewmates was a ninja, it comes with the territory. Apparently whatever she needed him for, was more urgent than even her tone implied as she pulled Sanji against her and buried her face into the crook of his neck, causing him to lock up to the point he almost didn't notice the guards running past them, clearly on the lookout for someone… probably a sinfully curved dancer currently pressed against him like a strangler fig.
"Right, i think they're gone now" the woman mutters as she pulls away from Sanji, only to realise the blond's arms are locked around her waist "Um, Sir, you can release me now" she says before looking up and surprised to see the man with heart eyes and a slight trickle of blood, as well as a low crackling noise of which she could find no origin.
"Believe me, the pleasure was all mine" Sanji responds honestly before releasing the dancer, and slipping to his knees.
"Are you ok? Did I hit my head off your nose?" she asks in concern.
"Maybe, I kind of zoned out after your arms went around my neck. It's unlikely but possible as I've already been struck by the overwhelming power of Love!"
"Oh senor, please don't say such things, for I have already given up on love many years ago" she cries, slipping away from Sanji "Every man I've ever been with has…" she tries to run, only for Sanji to reach out, their fingers interlock almost automatically.
"Either broken your heart or met with a terrible fate" Sanji states with a surprisingly serious tone, shocking the dancer "An attitude like that from someone as vibrant and passionate as you, at your age and in this town, it had to have been bad. But for now I shall not dwell on the past, who were those men hunting you just now?"
"They are the local policeia I'm afraid. There was a man, and things… went sour. I stabbed him" she confesses.
"Holy shit that puppet was telling the truth!" Sanji yells before he could stop himself 'Damn, the local women really are crazy, but maybe they're worth it…. I'll wait and see' "Ok" he says with a thumbs up.
"You're ok with stabbing?" the woman squeaks, very confused, and a little concerned for the man in front of her.
"Not the weirdest thing I've seen between couples, plus he probably did something to piss you off, completely understandable… still technically either assault or murder, but that's not my place to argue" Sanji explains with a casual shrug.
She whimpers and turns away "Don't tempt me with those honeyed words, beware this wicked woman. I may fall for you too given the chance" she whispers, gazing back out the corner of her eye.
"You say that like I should be afraid. Lady, I'm the most passionate man in my family and my crew" Sanji boasts, giving a reassuring smile that was mostly hidden by his fake beard, damn it! Luckily he was able to take her hands in his, giving them a comforting squeeze.
"Thank you Sir. My name is Violet by the way, sorry I didn't say that before all of this" Violet apologises "If it's not too much trouble, might I ask that you escort me to the next town?" she asks breathily.
"It would be my pleasure to get you there my lady"
"And once we arrive… there is a man there I need you to kill for me"
'Shit… this is not going to end well. Eh, maybe I can get Psycho to do it for me, unless he's a real piece of shit… or a rapist, then he's getting a flaming foot to the face' Sanji thinks, trying to hide his thoughts behind a surprisingly impressive poker face.
Zoro
'I don't care what that idiot says, National Treasure or not I won it from its previous owner, therefore the Shusui is mine' Zoro thinks irritably as he continues the hunt for his sword, glad Kinemon had also gotten lost as it means he's not breathing down his neck for the moment 'Giant toys walking around like it's normal and now thieving fairies we're supposed to just let do what they want? This country is messed up even ignoring the pirate running the show, and the random stabbings by the local women, apparently' he grimaces as he keeps running.
Elsewhere - Sanji and 'Violet'
After procuring a cloak to help Violet disguise herself, Sanji followed the alluring woman through the side roads and out of the busier parts of town. He kept her close in case more police or worse the marines happen to locate them, something she actually didn't seem to mind, in fact leaned into with flushed cheeks.
"Until we reach our destination, think of me as your personal bodyguard, my one purpose in this world is to protect you my sweet flower" Sanji declares, a little over the top but it felt right given the island.
Not much later
"Wait here a moment, a lady such as yourself should not go unfed" Sanji says softly, before slipping into the closed restaurant in front of them, Violet giving him a strange look, but she was more curious than anything else.
"Oh, beat it we're closed" the men inside sneered, but Sanji ignored them and started rooting around in their pantry.
"Decent quality supplies, foodwise at least. Cutlery is kind of shit though, do you even wash the dishes? Or yourselves for that matter?" Sanji asks, though it was rhetorical as he could see they did neither.
"Get lost punk, who do you think you are?" one of the 'chefs' growled.
"The man who'll make the greatest dish possible for the most beautiful woman on this island" Sanji declares, dodging a stab from the angry staff, then kicking the crap out of them "I just need to borrow your kitchen for a bit, not like you're using it" he hums.
Violet found a seat easily, what with the restaurant being empty at the moment, and waited to see what this young man would provide for her, a little surprised with the level of presentation he went through, as he wheeled out his prepared meal.
"A dancer of your skill level requires great stamina which is best gained through a nutritious and delicious dish such as this" he says as he unveils the food, lovingly prepared only moments ago.
"Oh my, you made this?" Violet gasps.
"But of course. I'm the best cook on the ship, and all of that training will provide the perfect meal for one as lovely as you" Sanji waxes poetically.
Meanwhile - Corrida Colosseum
"So, this is where you 2 idiots will be fighting for this Devil fruit then?" Alivda hums, mostly because she wasn't allowed to join them.
"Yep, only Colosseum in Dressrosa, or at least the only one in the direction the beetle-masked dumbass pointed" Franky nods, then the whole group turn as they hear gunshots, seeing some of the police chasing and shooting at a one legged soldier puppet, who was taunting them as he skated away at a brisk pace.
"I get the feeling that even for Dressrosa that's not a normal sight" Vivi mutters with a sigh, turning to Kaos whose eyes were closed, and his eyebrows knitted in confusion "Problem?"
"Not exactly, but my answers just spawn more questions. Also definitely Devil Fruit bullshit is involved, just not sure how yet" he admits with a shrug.
"Wait, did that wind-up toy just say the Colosseum is off-limits to the police and the Navy?" Artemis parrots "Huh, I suppose that makes some level of sense, there are probably a lot of pirates here to fight, and it would be bad for business if they got arrested mid or even between fights"
"Last call for sign ups, entries for the public are closing in 5 minutes. It's now or never for those brave enough to enter the arena and try to claim the Nagi Nagi no mi" the woman on the desk shouts, then sighs "Not that anyone has the guts to enter, given the strength of the outside entrants this time"
"Oh that would be us, we should go now" Luffy whispers as the toy soldier wheels over to them.
"Just one second, we need better disguises" Kaos argues, dragging the rubber idiot behind a pillar.
"Should we be worried?" Vivi asks the rest of the group.
"Pops won't hurt Luffy, plus he's right that the beard isn't really much of a disguise" Artemis shrugs.
"2 please" The woman turns and blushes seeing the one who spoke was a cheekily grinning, well-endowed ravenette, a sunflower patterned shirt barely containing her bust, while her shorts looked almost painted on her plump, cannonball-sized cheeks. Her hair flowed down to mid back with a straw hat sitting delicately on the crown of her head.
"Um, you do know this is the line for fighters, not spectators right?" the booth girl asks with just a hint of concern.
"Yup, that's what I'm trying to register for. I wanna fight some people, besides this lanky bastard here" the girl cackles.
"Pardon my sister, she's an idiot, but she hits like she's part Sea king" a taller girl muses, prompting the booth girl to look across, and then up. The 2nd woman had almost sickly pale skin, dark purple hair that flowed to her shoulder blades, shimmering amethyst eyes, wide grin with far too many teeth, a large bust that fitted her impressive height of just shy of 10ft even rather well, a billowing cloak that fell to her knees, blood red blouse, and jet black pants that became more flowy/poofy once they passed her knees.
"It's your funeral, sign here please," the woman says, passing them both a form to fill in.
"Laki, that was easy" the now-named Laki grins, then turns to Saria who was giving a sinister grin "You ok?"
"Yes, just want to make things a little more fun" she coos, pulling out an ornate mask and a bounty poster from her cloak "Any chance you can hold off announcing me until later, it'll be more interesting for everyone, just don't ruin the surprise" she purrs, as the booth girl opens the poster and the colour drains from her face.
"Yes Miss, um…. What should I put down under your fighting number?"
"Miss Fortune" Saria grins before sliding the mask onto her face, Laki hearing it click around her ears.
With tags on their backs, both girls are led to the main area of the arena with the gate locking behind them.
"Good luck you two, try not to blow your cover too quickly" Franky encourages with a teasing edge.
"Try not to kill everyone you fight Mother, it will be over too quick if you do" Artemis states with a deadpan that Franky worries the toy soldier who was now tagging along with them.
"Lu… Laki, be careful" Vivi frets, squeaking when she's pulled close by Laki's stretching arms.
"I'll be fine Vivi, you just get your job done" she purrs, kissing her wife gently before running off after Saria with a cackle, the princess blushing as she sighs.
"Aw, I wanted a kiss from my wife too" Alvida pouts, before getting pulled by her collar to Vivi for a kiss of her own "That'll do" she giggles.
"Sigh, it is as I feared. My Rebecca, she is also in the competition" the soldier mutters, surprised when he feels elbows on his head
"She any good?" Artemis asks curiously, finding the name easily but a little annoyed none of these names came with photos "But on an unrelated note, you from around here bucko?"
"But of course I am, don't you know a born and bred Dressrosan?" the soldier shouts.
"Jeez, cool your jets Kyros I was just asking" the artist pinched the bridge of her nose before whistling "I think we found someone" she called over, a hint of amusement in her eyes at the frozen shock on the toy's face.
"True that kiddo, the toys are probably just as good as the regular folk when it comes to information. So Mr Soldier, I hear the Donquiote bigshots are all here at the moment, is that true?"
"What do you want with the Donquiote's good sir? And where did your elderly companions go?" the toy asks evasively.
"Can't say, and probably the bathroom, Luffy has no sense of direction and a small bladder. We'll meet up later" Franky lies.
"What about the SMILE Factory, know anything about that?" Vivi asks
"YOU WANT TO KNOW ABOUT THE FACTOR…" the toy shouts before Franky shuts him up with one of his oversized fingers in its nutcracker style mouth.
"Calm down, or at least lower the volume. But yes, and the fact you ever know the factory exists is a start" Alvida hums, a smirk crossing her features.
Elsewhere
His quarry fed and watered, Sanji once more followed Violet like the diligent, albeit a little lovestruck, bodyguard he claimed to be.
"I must thank you, you're a wonderful chef" She says out of seemingly nowhere "That dish you made me, it was the most wonderful thing I've tasted in a long time" she metaphorically gushed, causing his heart to flutter and a flame to blaze in his core. Unfortunately, the moment was sullied when they noticed more police in their general vicinity, prompting Violet to drag the blond into the nearest alleyway and through some side streets to keep out of sight, until they reached a more open section of the town "We will be noticed it we run, best to simply walk away, blend in with the crowds" she mutters, Sanji close enough to follow the orders. The 2 simply walking down the road, hands interlaced like a pair of lovers out for a stroll.
The Coliseum
"This is the waiting arena for competitors, wait here until we call for you" the booth girl states, leaving the 2 Straw Hats to their own devices amongst the other fighters.
"Oh, this place is impressively fancy… and these are heavy, how do the girls do this every day?" Laki whines lowly, getting a flick from Saria's tail.
"It's why bras were invented dumbass, besides, you are remarkably well endowed for a former male, the only people comparable to or exceeding your curvage are Robin, Alvida, and Shirahoshi, though Vivi has you beat in the rear end" Saria states half teasingly, Laki not needing to look to know there was a wide grin on her face, she could tell even with the mask on, though is surprised by the deep sigh that follows "None of these lug-heads would be a match for the Nagi Nagi no mi, a fruit that works best with stealth and subterfuge, not raw physical power"
"Well maybe they don't know what it does, all they know is it's a Devil fruit, therefore it must be good" Laki suggests with a shrug that bounces her chest "By the way, what does it do?"
"If I remember the encyclopaedia correctly, silence. It could have probably been just as easily named the Mute Mute fruit as it is the Calm Calm fruit" Saria explains.
"Huh, neat" Laki hums, eager to get to the fighting.
"Who let these bitches in here? Weaklings like you will get crushed in seconds. And you, a mask like that isn't making you any more intimidating, it just makes you look like a moron" one of the gladiators snarl
"It seems we've drawn a commotion, Franky will be most disappointed" Saria sighs with a sarcastic tone.
"Get out of here, this is a contest for the strong, not pushovers like you who'll only stain the floor with your blood. Piss off, in fact how about I help you!" Spartan bellows as he throws a massive punch at Laki who dodges with a sway and a jiggle, in fact the move itself, particularly when he kept throwing haymakers and Laki kept weaving, reminded Saria of Sandersonia's Snake Dancing technique. Right until the massive gladiator overextending himself, Laki grabbed him by his chunky wrist, lifted him over her head, and after a spin SLAMMED him into the ground with a mighty thud, everyone bar her sister was shocked by how easily this little slip of a girl took out the previously undefeated Champion of the Colosseum.
"Anyone else want a turn, Big sis could use the exercise, the fat ass" Laki chuckles, until Saria cow kicks her into the nearby pillar, though the rubber girl just bounces off like nothing happened.
"Hey, are you starting fights before the tournament even begins?" One of the staff shouts as he sees the gladiator lying in a small crater "We don't need unruly trash like you in our esteemed competitions, I'm afraid I'll have to disqualify…" he begins scolding the duo until a battleaxe is flung and lands between them and the man.
"Cut the crap, the moron started a fight he couldn't handle, if anyone should be disqualified it's him…. If he weren't unconscious" a man with a ruffled collar states with a smirk.
"That's Sai and Boo from Kano Kingdom" was whispered amongst the other fighters.
"And that's Don Chinjao behind them! He's a living legend" was gasped.
"Oh, it seems Devil fruits attract all kinds, Zesesese" Saria chuckles.
"Is what he said true, did Spartan start it?" the man asks another fighter.
"Sure thing, he was running his mouth and tried to stomp some of the competition, only to get stomped himself" the gladiator responds.
"In that case, Spartan is disqualified from this month's event, and Laki can stay"
"Great" Laki chirps before picking up the battleaxe, hefting it over her shoulder as easily as a fishing rod, and walked over to the Chinjao family contingent "Thanks for the help, also you dropped this"
"No problems brat, you seem too interesting to get kicked out on a technicality, plus all I said was the truth, Spartan got too big for his boots and paid the price, nothing more" Sai answers with a shrug as Boo takes back the axe.
"A lot of big names from all across the globe, some even on Grima's hitlist" Saria coos, her grin almost escaping the edges of her mask.
"If you're going to kill someone, do it AFTER the matches, we were this close to getting kicked out" Laki sighs, knowing there was no point telling them not to go after whoever she set her sights on.
"Fair enough, and remember you're in Block C's match while I'm in Block B's so try not blow your cover while I'm gone, ok?" Saria states with head tilt.
"No promises" Laki hums with a grin.
The arena - a little later
"I know you're all excited for today's matches, but first we have to go over the ground rules due to so many new fighters this month" The commentator shouts into his Den Den Mushi "For the 1st round the fighters have been divided into 4 blocks to duke it out in a Battle Royale, everyone fighting everyone until only 1 fighter remains standing, everyone else either unconscious or dead we don't really care! Meanwhile, in the moat surrounding the arena we have a special surprise, a school of Mini Fighting Fish, waiting to devour anyone unlucky enough to enter their domain. Doesn't matter if you're in or out of the ring, this battleground is Hell, now who wants to see the bloodshed?" words are drowned out in the deafening cheers from the stands "That's what I like to hear! Now let the Block A fight begin!" he shouts as the bell is rung and everyone starts fighting each other.
Waiting area
"A half-naked statue of some ancient Warrior dude, kick ass. Shame it wouldn't fit on the ship" Laki chuckles as she examines all the weapons and armour they have to sift through, right until she hears bodies drop. Turning her head she sees women falling to the ground with heart eyes, reminding her of the reactions Hancock and Alvida had gotten previously…. Only this time it's a dude with puffy blond hair and a pompous face, also lots of sparkles that she was 95% sure was some kind of magical effect "Yep, definitely a lesbian in this form, he's probably handsome or some shit, but I don't see it" Laki mutters as Cavendish has made his arrival, 'fashionably late' of course.
"Greetings my dear, the name is Cavendish, and the pleasure is all yours" he coos, part flirtatious, and part leering, Laki just stood there looking unimpressed "I'm sure you already knew who I am…"
"Nope, never heard of you in my life, must not be all that strong then" Laki states bluntly, not even trying to cushion his fragile ego "Hey, is there a reason all the guys are running around half-naked?" she asks anyone within earshot, not that she's doing much better with those shorts.
"Yeah, there's a weight limit for gear, so we all try to use the best we can find while being as minimalist as possible" one of the returning fighters confirmed, making her pout, then deciding that if she could only bring so much… a helmet was a Must Have. And a cape for style points.
"Thanks Mister" she nods then gets distracted by the cheering crowd "Huh, must be pretty good out there" she hums.
"Correct my sultry little minx" Cavendish purrs (Vivi and Alvida have the sudden urge to punch someone in the face) "Do you know what inspires such revelry? A desire to witness bloodshed, which these gladiators are merely vessels for such vices, well the blood of the losers at least. In this place, men are at their most authentic nature, outside these walls man buries his instincts, and smothers his primal urges, but in here it's unleashed to their full potential, and it's exhilarating" Cavendish grins sharply "By the way Miss, I saw you crush that giant brute earlier, made me curious about who you are"
"Laki, it says so on my ID tag" the rubber girl states, pointing to the tag on her back.
"That's good, I was worried when I saw the back of your head and that straw hat of yours, then you turned around and it was all better" he chuckles "Because if you had been Straw Hat Luffy, I'd have killed you here and now, especially as my beauty would have allowed me to avoid disqualification of course" Cavendish cackles.
"Um… ok. But why?" Laki asks, wondering if she needs to check Saria's hit list for Cabbages or whatever his name is. She should probably get his name too.
"3 years ago I set out on the sea, I was the talk of the town in every Blue and the Grand Line, the cameras loved me" Cavendish croons "My bounty poster became a collector's item, women tearing it off the bounty boards to hang in their bedrooms!"
"Sounds like Nami" Laki mutters, remembering some of the reactions he saw to her Wanted Poster.
"There's the shining star! They'd cry" Cavendish continues, not even noticing Laki said anything, though she noticed his mood drop to the floor "But then…. A single year later, All everyone wanted to talk about was that stupid war in Marineford! So what if some old fart nearly died, so what if Gold Roger had a son? Whitebeard stole my spotlight, and Straw Hat, Hellfire Prince and Mirror Demon booted me out like I was nothing!" he screamed in frustration "And on top of that, a deluge of rookies kept pouring into the Grand Line, washing away my accomplishments to Page 10, usually not even including a photograph, if even that. The journalists forgot that I even existed… So I'm Gonna KILL ALL OF THEM!" the blond cries looking on the verge of going feral… but Laki wasn't impressed.
"You, have the most messed up priorities I've ever seen, and my sister has a murder boner half her size and an almost compulsive urge to collect any Devil fruits she sees" Laki mutters a sweat drop forming on the back of her head, before leaving the narcissist to his own babbling.
"Oh, that's one hell of a coincidence, I ended up wearing a girl version of this guy's outfit" she hums seeing the Kyros statue also had a similar helmet and cape as she'd finally decided to wear.
"Are you interested?" another woman asks, causing Laki to turn.
"Howdy, who are you?"
"My name is Rebecca, one of the gladiators here" the pink-haired girl greets, Laki noticing her armor was rather bare, and revealing, and the pink-haired teen was very noticeably not wearing any kind of underwear. She was wearing some nice armored boots at least, and a helmet "You made a fool of Spartan, I always hated that guy"
"You're welcome, I think" Laki chuckles awkwardly, unsure where this was going "Besides, that dickhead was asking for a humbling, he should be lucky it was me as it means he's still breathing"
Rebecca smiled before her gaze rose to the statue "This man before you, he was a legend, he was the greatest gladiator in the entire history of the Corrida Colosseum. Kyros. He fought in 3000 matches, and claimed 3000 victories, he was rightly seen as the undefeatable, the insurmountable, the symbol of Victory. He was actually fighting her until just 20 years ago. Even so, he is unknown to this country, no one remembers a thing" she states, the pirate's eyebrows rise. An undefeatable warrior, the Whitebeard of Gladiators…. And the people don't know who he is? She may not be Saria, but even she knows that sounds like Devil Fruit bullshit.
"What do you mean?" Laki asks, hoping for a little more info.
"None of the elders, or any of the other gladiators remember ever fighting or even meeting him. This statue is the only proof of his existence, and that makes it the most mysterious one in the entire island, as he may not have even existed, and this is merely the ideal warrior, a myth for Gladiators to draw strength from" Rebecca elaborates "We don't know how long the statue has been here, and all we know about him is what's engraved beneath. Though despite all those facts and mysteries, nobody wants to remove the statue, so Kyros remains, watching over the fighters of the Coliseum"
"Well if it ain't the Great Rebecca. Think you can keep your win streak going?" one of the gladiators jeered.
"Bet you're real happy your bully got his ass handed to him" another taunts, getting in her face.
"You're free to join him if you want" Laki growls, drawing attention to herself "Now piss off before there's a new hole in the wall" she threatens, half a second of conqueror's haki rushing through a 10ft radius around her.
"You didn't have to do that" Rebecca whispers "I've dealt with worse. Besides, this is my last fight. I'll take that devil fruit, and with it my fate into my own hands" she states, Laki smiling softly at the fire in her eyes "I will kill, Doflamingo"
'Well, that escalated quickly' Laki thinks as she watches Rebecca storm off, unsure how to deal with that, but hopefully it won't interfere with whatever Law was planning.
"What block are you in?" Rebecca asks as she walks away.
"C" Laki answers
"Good, I'm in D. You seem like a nice girl Laki. I didn't want to have to kill you to achieve my dream" the pink-haired girl says as she leaves.
Block A fight
"The titan in the paper mask, known only as Mr Store is tearing through Block A, I'm not sure if he's even breaking a sweat… and with that final knockout, we have a champion for Block A!" the announcer bellows, as a large man in appropriately Gladiator adjacent gear and a bag over his head wipes the contest, cheering and laughing as he runs around, yelling 'Wiiihahaha' at random intervals, then as his victory is announced, he pauses, and reaches for the flimsy paper bag "Oh my, it appears the Mystery Man is about to reveal himself…" the announcer begins, then stops as everyone in the stands freezes in shock as the Luchador mask is revealed "Oh my, it would seem the fighter is a man known the world over. In a stunning turn of events, the Winner of the Block A match is Jesus Berges of the Blackbeard Pirates!"
'Interesting, seems Blackbeard really is desperate for Devil fruits to send a blunt instrument like Berges after the Nagi Nagi no mi' Saria thinks as she watches from the alcoves, hopping down as it was her turn next, and by the look of things she at least won't be bored.
"And that concludes Block A's match, Block B has quite the tough act to follow, but I'm sure they'll give it their all" The commentator cries, hyping up the crowd.
Outside the Colosseum
"So, find anything worth investigating, also you forgot your coat you old coot" Lucina grumbles as the blind man exits the Colosseum, stopping to return a little girl's runaway balloon as he passes her by.
"Given what happened this morning, you'd think there'd be mass panic or riots in the streets, but nothing, any thoughts Issho?" Doll asks as she passes him his coat.
"More than enough, there's something terribly wrong with this country, I just can't put my finger on it" Issho admits as he puts back on and adjusts his Marine jacket "To be safe, we should send for no less than 3 Navy ships. In the meantime, we'll need to head to… what was that place called again?"
"Greenbit Sir, an island just to the North North East of Dressrosa" Doll answers.
"That sounds accurate. And while we're calling in those other teams' requests… well as many medics as they can spare, just in case there are civilian casualties. I also want a list of all the people in the stands, and the census data for an estimate of the island's population numbers"
Lucina raises an eyebrow "You want civilian numbers, not the enemy's?"
"The enemy? That number is of no concern until we're fighting them, what we need to worry about is how many lives our actions will impact and hopefully protect" Admiral Fujitora states bluntly, getting a stiff nod from the Vice Admiral.
"Attention All Marines in Dressrosa, we're relocating to Greenbit, rendezvous at the Main Gate of the Colosseum and await further instructions. Under the Admiral's orders, we're moving forward with the original plan"
"Oh, that doesn't sound good, not one-bit" Cipher grins manically, slipping the Den Den Mushi into his pilfered jacket. The man he stole it from won't be needing it, not now his insides were on the outside at least.
"The marines are acting very strange, we might need to call off the operation after all" Meninas notes as they run across the rooftops.
"Not just yet, His Majesty needs some loose ends tied, and we still have a job to do. Unfortunately, the Revolutionaries aren't as easy to find as the Marines" Bambietta scolds, looking down at her Black Den Den Mushi.
TBC
LW: Things have just gotten messy, but it doesn't look like it's slowing down anytime soon. We're just getting started guys!