The floor, which had reflected everything as if it were water, transformed in a matter of seconds into a trap that ensnared everyone's feet, preventing them from escaping. The group watched in fear as the entity before them morphed again, growing larger and larger as it absorbed more energy from its surroundings.
The multiple heads submerged into the amorphous body, leaving only the eyes, which turned toward the group.
Those eyes... became sources of light, emitting countless vibrations that generated a cacophony of sounds, both beautiful and horrifying, disturbing and damaging the eardrums of those who listened.
The figure split horizontally, its upper half remained open and the radiating light from within began pulling the pirates' feet toward it, dragging them closer to its core.
"Oi, let us go!" Luffy demanded, struggling in vain to free his feet. He glanced around desperately, seeing that his nakamas were equally helpless, unable to break free.
The gaping opening began to take on the shape of lips, descending to the pirates' level.
The corners of the mouth cracked and tore grotesquely, stretching the jaw wide enough to engulf all 11 humans. They could clearly see the blinding void within, an abyss of dazzling emptiness.
"AAAAH! IT'S THE LIGHT! DON'T GO TOWARD THE LIGHT!" Brook cried out in panic, flailing his arms wildly.
"IT'S BAD! IT'S BAD! THIS IS NOT A DRILL—IT WANTS TO KILL US!" Usopp screamed with his body and tongue flapping like a frantic flag.
"RUMBLE!"
Chopper quickly consumed his drug, transforming into his monstrous reindeer form in hopes that his drastic increase in size would break the hands holding him to the ground.
His plan succeeded instantly, and he bolted toward Hades, leaping to close its gaping jaws. He managed to grab onto one of its massive fangs, but a glowing tentacle emerged from the radiant light, wrapping around his torso and attempting to drag him inside.
"CHOPPEEEEER!" his nakamas shouted in unison, struggling to free themselves as they watched in horror.
Hades' size was overwhelming, far larger than even Oars, leaving no doubt that they needed to fight with everything they had.
"Gigante Fleur!"
A brilliant purple aura appeared in front of the crew. Thousands of petals swirled into a vortex around Robin, forming the giant torso of the elegant archaeologist. The colossal figure defended her nakamas, stopping them from being dragged further. Their jaws dropped in awe, having never witnessed this extraordinary technique before. Even the hero was stunned, both dazzled and intimidated by the sheer reach of her ability.
Robin's giant form gripped the upper jaw of Hades, attempting to close its mouth, but the strength of the beast proved overwhelming.
"SERPENT!"
Dozens of enormous arms sprouted around the beast's head, locking it in place. In retaliation, Hades chose to disintegrate its form, releasing Chopper but regenerating instantly to ensnare Robin's giant version, which vanished upon capture.
"Let's see how true it is that you can cut through the depths of hell..." Zoro thought, drawing Enma. With a swift, powerful swing, he severed the hands gripping everyone's feet effortlessly.
"WE'RE FREE!"
"Thanks, Zoro!"
"About time you did something right, Marimo," Sanji quipped with a smirk.
"Thanks for holding it off while we got free, Robin," the swordsman acknowledged with a respectful nod.
"Are you okay, Robin-san? Doesn't that ability drain a lot of energy?" Brook asked with concern.
Robin felt confused. She didn't feel weak in any way. She was using a technique that usually drained a lot of energy, but this time, she could use her power without any physical repercussions.
"The energy... The energy of this place benefits us as well," She murmured hesitantly, while a bead of sweat slided down her forehead.
"What are you implying, Robin-san?" Brook asked, tilting his skull in confusion.
"Chopper, don't you feel tired?"
"I just ate a Rumble Ball, so I can't really tell," Chopper admitted.
"We can use the full potential of our abilities without side effects," Robin deduced.
Hearing the archaeologist's conclusion, the hero didn't hesitate. Transforming on the spot, but blood spurted from his mouth as he immediately reverted to his frail form.
"ALL MIGHT!" Chopper's massive form called out in concern.
"It's not his ability... It's his body that can't handle it," Robin clarified, calming the panic in the group.
The musician, inspired by the revelation, reached for his guitar, slinging it over his torso with its strap. Strumming a powerful, resonating note, he seemed to awaken something deep within himself. A swirling green aura spiraled around him, gaining intensity with every pluck of the strings.
"The guardians shared their bodies with human souls... There must be remnants of them in the Demon King," Brook stated, while his voice echoed through the underworld as he struck another note.
The swirling aura grew into a wild vortex, enveloping him entirely as an immense spirit began to take form at his back.
The colossal figure of Brook's spectral form absorbed the life energy from its surroundings, gaining power as the skeleton's aggressive guitar riffs reverberated through the silent underworld.
The way his phalanges glided over the strings would have shredded any mortal fingertips, but his skeletal body allowed him to play with unparalleled intensity. The more ferocious his composition, the wilder his spirit became. It crawled among his companions, surging toward Hades, whose form distorted uncontrollably under the relentless vibrations of Brook's music. The violent resonance disrupted the monster's ability to solidify, rendering it incapable of returning to its gargantuan form.
"Brook, How do you feel?!" Robin called out with concern, as she saw him unleash the full power of his Devil Fruit after hearing her theory.
"FULL OF LIFE, BABY!"
"Hahaha, Akuma no Mi users are stronger in the underworld!" Jinbei cheered with a wide grin.
Bakanee collapsed due to the instability caused by Hades falling into the ground, but still held like a puppet by thin threads still connecting her to the main body.
The titanic amorphous monster twisted and contorted its faces and form due to the vibrations caused by the wild music of the skeleton, forcing it to generate a strong vibration with its body, creating a sound even louder than the heavy rock, which caused part of the skeleton's soul to be consumed by the entity. Only his weakened bones remained, barely held together by the remnants of his vitality.
"BROOK! ARE YOU OKAY?!" the cyborg called out, worried as he saw the pieces of the musician scattered on the ground like a broken puzzle.
"Ah... It consumed part of my soul..." Brook muttered weakly, barely able to move his bones.
"You did well, Brook. Can you still use it?"
"I think I can still manage..." He replied, using the remnants of his soul as joints to weakly rise, preparing to try again.
The music continued. The two vibrations destabilized each other, but the musician Rock was not enough to destabilize the massive monster, which absorbed the girl once again, as her mouth was moving endlessly but her words were lost in the overwhelming intensity of the sounds dominating the land.
"It has yue-chan again!" the cook pointed out.
"What's it trying to do?" Zoro asked, analyzing before making a move.
"HEY YOU! LET HER GO!" the captain demanded.
A cloud of steam completely enveloped the captain, causing his hair to wave like flames as his body grew larger, arms and legs covered in haki, making him appear even more muscular than before.
"GEAR 4! SNAKEMAN!"
The captain's speed was breathtaking, launching himself toward the creature with such force that it kicked up hundreds of bubbles filled with memories of past battles, in which he appeared angry.
As these memories reached a certain height, they disintegrated, turning into energy that was absorbed by the main consciousness once again.
Luffy managed to get close to the entity, showcasing the vast difference in size between the two.
"JET CULVERIN!"
The captain's arms shot forward, changing direction at random, so the creature which could anticipate attacks, would not avoid them and disintegrate.
Dozens of impacts surrounded it at mid-air, and hundreds of faces emerged from the creature's body, gazing at the movements of the captain with their countless eyes.
Even with perfect peripheral vision, it could not avoid the attack, which made contact and continued bouncing off, impacting again and again, but it was not enough to defeat the creature.
His comrades watched Luffy's attacks, though they made contact, seemed to have no effect on the being.
"Luffy's attacks are not working." Sanji said in shock.
"Luffy won't be able to do this alone." Zoro commented, tying his bandana and drawing only Enma, concentrating his strength into one single strike, holding his forearm with his other hand as the sword absorbed the haki from its wielder.
A dark aura began to emanate from Enma, turning into a brilliant red glow, claiming the life force of its owner. But unexpectedly, the aura shifted its target, stealing the life from the surroundings and feeding it to the sword, increasing its power.
"Enma is a sword capable of cutting through hell..." Zoro remembered Tenguyama's words.
"I see... It's claiming the souls around it," Zoro murmured, understanding what was happening.
"I'll make sure you consume all the lives you want until you're satisfied," the swordsman declared with a sinister smile.
Zoro positioned his body, ready to focus all his strength into one devastating strike, releasing a direct slash that connected with Hades.
The cut managed to tear away part of the brilliant being's life and energy, weakening it, while the slash continued its path, claiming the surrounding energy and becoming even more powerful and unstoppable. The sheer force of the attack cut through everything in its path, leaving even Zoro astonished by its reach.
"That's what they meant by cutting through hell." Zoro said, impressed as he realized that instead of halting the power, it only grew stronger, eliminating everything in its infinite path, seemingly without end.
"IT WAS LITERAL!" The coward trio shouted, startled.
A sadistic smile spread across the swordsman's face as he confidently approached the enemy.
"That thing isn't as strong as Bakanee said... We worried for nothing." Zoro's words caused the others to relax, exhaling in relief.
"You're doing great, Zoro, take care of it," Nami and Usopp said, hiding behind Jinbei.
"Something's not right..." Jinbei said, as his expression got tense.
"What's wrong, boss Jinbei?" Chopper asked.
"It's being defensive."
The form of Hades disintegrated in all directions, but Bakanee's body was nowhere to be seen, suggesting that she had shifted within the various paths, hiding among the energy.
Behind the pirate group, the girl appeared, with her eyes glazing over, being controlled by Hades, which had shrunk in size, while its main body was still under attack by the captain.
Bakanee moved her mouth, but her words were barely audible due to the constant flow of blood in her mouth that made it difficult for her to speak clearly.
"Kill..."
"Help..." She pleaded with tears running down her face, unable to stop coughing up thick crimson liquid.
"Let her go, you damn thing!" the cook shouted, charging towards the captive girl.
He leaped into the air, spinning endlessly until his leg ignited with fire, which shifted to beautiful cold colors that painted the monochrome white surroundings.
The friction in his leg continued to burn hotter until it glowed a brilliant blue.
"Ifrit Jambe!" The blonde's leg slammed into the creature's ever-changing face, causing it to disintegrate and freeing Bakanee, who was immediately assisted by the cook.
"Looks like it got mad." The Fish-man said, watching as the creature disintegrated completely before regenerating, vibrating incessantly.
"It wants her back," the navigator deduced, stepping back from the unstable movements before them.
"Should we give her back?" the sharpshooter suggested, watching as Hades began to take another terrifying form.
"HERE! TAKER HER!"
"USOPP!" Chopper shouted.
"B-b-but... But only over our dead bodies!" the sniper corrected, as his legs shaked.
The monumental creature grew hundreds of claws from its body, while its amorphous face, resembling a mask with no nose or eyes, split in two, with multiple vertical mouths filled with sharp teeth formed one inside another.
Every part of its torso that touched the surface began to vibrate, disintegrating and drawing all the surrounding energy, claiming the life that was part of the core illuminating the underworld. With each passing second, grew exponentially in mass.
"It's... getting more energy, it's going to grow bigger..." Nami said despairingly, falling backward in shock.
"We'll still stop it." The swordsman assured.
"Yue-chan, wake up, you're safe." Sanji tried to rouse the girl, gently shaking her.
Everything around them solidified into a thin white layer, dangerously giving rise to a wave of spikes that covered the entire ground, heading straight for the pirates.
"Finally counterattacking," Jinbei announced, preparing to defend.
"Get off the ground!"
"Gigantesco Mano!"
Massive arms erupted from the surface, lifting their comrades before the spikes could reach them. The spikes pierced through the archeologist limbs, affecting her main body. As soon as they were safe, she deactivated her ability, pressing her mutilated arm, which hadn't managed to escape the attack.
"ROBIN!" Nami and Chopper called out, rushing to her side, seeing her blood pouring uncontrollably.
"MISS ROBIN!"
"I need to stop the bleeding. Nami, help me stitch up her wounds... I don't have the full kit, but it'll be enough to keep her stable."
"Robin Chwan!"
The cook's hands trembled, seeing how the archaeologist winced in pain, yet she tried not to show it, not wanting to worry her comrades.
"Damn thing! How dare you hurt Robin Chwan?!" Sanji was furious, his body feeling the burn of his anger.
In a fit of rage, he leaped into the air, wrapping his leg in Haki, fueled by his fiery body, and focused on the creature, while the spikes on the ground thickened, forming large faceless bodies emerging from the ground and going toward the group.
"Usopp, help Chopper... This can't be left like this." The navigator said fiercely, standing up with a shadowed expression, rummaging through one of her pockets.
Nami took her Clima-Tact, modifying the temperature and humidity in the environment to generate a rain cloud that stopped the creatures just as they felt something different in their world.
The navigator's ability created a light rain that moistened the white surface, which then disintegrated, forming new guardians that acted strangely.
"They're enjoying it," Franky remarked, seeing the small curious creatures.
"Not for long... Thunderbolt Tempo!" Lightning struck all the creatures who weren't affected by the rain.
"But what? Why didn't it do anything?!"
"Fishman Karate~"
Jinbei took advantage of the water Nami had created, to control it, forming a powerful water cannon that struck the multiple bodies with monstrous force, but once again, it had no effect.
"SPEAR WAVE!"
"Pop Green... Firework flowers!" Usopp launched his first and last attack before moving to assist the doctor.
Hundreds of flowers covered the creatures, exploding in beautiful colors and lighting up a stunning scene, leaving the creatures mesmerized.
"Not even that?"
"WE'RE JUST ENTERTAINING THEM!" Franky shouted angrily, preparing the ammunition created by Momo, but it had no effect when it impacted the demons.
They began to distort, creating new bodies resembling the pirates and beings from their memories, forms that had been created in the bubbles during their journey.
The bizarre scene, with familiar faces, created unease within the crew, as they didn't want to hurt the people from their memories. These copies were identical in form, but lacked color and personality.
The personifications of their memories, unlike the invaders, didn't hesitate to attack, and were far more resistant, faster, and capable of disintegrating before they could be struck.
Zoro's attacks were successful in absorbing the life force of his multiple enemies, but they kept multiplying, making it a never-ending task. However, his body ceased responding as a small Kuina approached, intent on attacking him.
"Nami Swan, Dirty old man, take care of Yue-chan," the cook requested, leaving the unconscious woman with them and joining the fight, kicking the swordsman away from the child, since he froze at the sight of her.
Luffy was busy holding off the giant entity, but tired of playing, the beast finally landed a blow that sent him flying across the distance.
"LUFFY!"
The massive figure turned toward the group, forming dozens of giant arms to trap them.
"To fight a demon, we need another demon..." Robin, in pain, smiled devilishly, crossing her arms, which were barely able to hold themselves up.
"No, wait, Robin, you're not okay!"
"DEMON FLEUR!"
A massive and dark figure formed before them, presenting a demonic woman who shielded them, wrapping her wings around her nakamas creating a barrier, taking the full force of the blow, nearly crushing her comrades but stopping just in time to avoid harming them.
The attack on the demon reverberated through the pirate main body, causing her to crouch in pain after coughing up blood.
"ROBIN!"
"ROBIN-SAN!"
Sanji and Zoro watched with growing fury as their comrade's condition worsened, knowing that no one had been able to harm the beast. Zoro was the only one capable of holding it back, but even he couldn't defeat it.
"Oi... Marimo," Sanji called, his voice tight with anger. Zoro responded with a simple grunt, confirming his readiness.
The cook's body became entirely covered in flames as the swordsman focused all his strength into one single attack, swelling his arm that held Enma.
The two, who usually fight against each other, moved in perfect synchrony toward Hades. Their combined attack severed the creature into two independent bodies, both of which connected with blows from Sanji and Zoro.
Although the swordsman and cook moved quickly to avoid the beast's blows, it eventually threw them away, with a sudden flexible wall trapping them and preventing further damage.
"Marimo... Can you stop it while we come up with an escape plan?"
"Yes..." He responded, getting up and looking at the massive body that, given the distance they had been thrown, now seemed like a small bug.
Yagi was stunned by the teamwork of the pair. Although they always had their differences, it seemed that what united them the most was their affection for their crew, creating an attack between them that could easily defeat a professional hero... But it wasn't time to admire the group's skills, as he watched as one by one, they fell without giving up, igniting the fighting spirit within him.
"EVERYONE STAY BACK!" The hero ordered, taking the last drug given to him by the doctor.
His muscles swelled, and as his body reached its maximum size, he shot up into the air in a quick movement, creating a strong gust of wind after launching himself, reaching the front of the giant, mystical being.
"UNITED STATES OF SMASH!" The blonde pronounced, creating an expanding shockwave with his punch, lighting up everything around him, tearing apart the creature and its replicas.
"ALL MIGHTOO!" The cowardly trio celebrated, hugging each other.
"WHY DIDN'T YOU DO THAT SOONER, YOU STUPID OLD MAN?!" Sanji shouted as he reunited with the group to suggest a retreat.
The body Nami had been holding disappeared, dragged away by the ash, further from the group.
"It was a distraction!"
"It only pretended to be eliminated!"
The hero's attack hadn't done anything. Once again, the white-haired body was enveloped by the same underworld, positioning her where the heart should be, which Jinbei noticed.
"She's always located where her heart should be... Could we defeat it if we destroy her?"
"Jinbei! What are you saying?!"
"We don't know how it works, and nothing seems to harm it... The more energy reaches the epicenter, the more we're at a disadvantage... If this continues, we only have two options: escape or destroy what allows it to manifest."
"YOU CAN'T SUGGEST THAT! THERE MUST BE ANOTHER WAY!"
"He's right Jinbei, she knows how to get us out of here."
"Brook! Can you stop it again?"
"I'm sorry, Nami-san, my guitar broke during the battle."
The small guardians disintegrated and reformed into a single entity with Hades, which remained motionless in front of the group, reopening its jaws to devour them into its bright interior.
A rumble echoed in the distance, followed by undulating movements in the ground that came from behind them.
The surface began to deform, becoming elastic and forming two hands that grabbed Hades by the snout, distorting it like a trumpet, preventing it from escaping, while a playful laugh echoed in the distance.
"Shishishishi."
"HAHAHAHAHA!"
A dazzling and mystical white figure approached, leaping happily toward where her nakamas were, carrying the green-haired man, who had lost his way after being left behind by Sanji.
"HEY, MULTIHEADS, STOP HURTING MY FRIENDS!" Luffy ordered at distance with a broad smile, creating a giant arm that emerged from the shadows, repeatedly hitting him and slowly driving him completely into the ground like a nail in an animated cartoon.
Before the next smash, half of the girl's body emerged from the top where the blows were landing, but the weight overwhelmed her, causing her to collapse backward.
"Cease thy harm upon her..." A feeble voice didst issue forth from the guardian. "Thou art like to bring about her doom."
"Huh?"
"Huh?"
"WHAAAT?!" everyone present shouted.
"It can talk!"
"YUE-SAN, ARE YOU OKAY?" With Hades incapacitated, Franky and Yagi tried to pull the body out, but without success.
"She hath fallen senseless." The white-haired announced weakly, half-submerged in the creature's body.
Her voice sounded altered, but her face showed no emotion. The girl's words made Luffy stop his attack, and start to come back to the group in his base form.
"Ah, Bakanee, are you okay?" he asked, concerned for her weakened body, which was still communicating despite her eyes being rolled back.
"At this moment, she dwelleth only within our memories," the maiden responded.
"What? What do you mean?"
"I think Hades is speaking through her." Robin said, exhausted, with her injured arm supported by bandages.
"ROBIN! WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU?" The captain asked, worried for his nakama.
"I'm fine... I just can't overexert myself." She replied with a pained smile.
"Ah... that's a relief..." He exhaled, feeling some weight lifted.
"Wait... It can talk... through..."
"WHY DIDN'T YOU SAY THAT BEFORE?!" The idiot trio shouted with sharp teeth.
"This is uncharted for us as well... I have endeavored to parley with thee, yet thou didst persist in thine assaults... I was compelled to shield her from thy onslaughts; hadst thou continued thus, thou wouldst surely have slain her." Her voice was flat, burdened with weariness.
"Ah. Our bad..." Luffy said, adjusting his hat on his head.
"YOU COULD HAVE NOT TURNED INTO SUCH A TERRIFYING BEING!"
Silence reigned for a few seconds before a response was given.
"Certain familiar visages were intended to kindle trust... yet thou didst perceive them as a menace," The being responded, as its essence began to scatter, ascending and weaving itself into a new form.
This time, it took the young versions of the present members, the energy constantly shifting, while the girl remained embedded in one of its hands, continuing to communicate at ground level.
"YOU WANTED TO SWALLOW US!"
"SO IS SHE OKAY?"
"She liveth... yet she is sorely marred."
"I DON'T CARE ABOUT YOUR EXCUSES! YOU HURT ROBIN-CHWAN AND NOW YUE-CHAN! WHAT DID YOU DO?! YOU BASTARD!" —Sanji shouted furiously, keeping his eyes closed to avoid feeling like he was yelling directly at the woman.
"I feel not pain, thus she hath borne the brunt of all thy assaults."
"WHAT?!" —Everyone except Robin reacted, taking a step back, their mouths wide open, and sweat dripping down their foreheads.
"I... in... indi... INDIRECTLY HIT A WOMAN!" —Sanji spat blood, horrified at the consequences of his actions.
"We canst not take form without a vessel nigh... To converse, we required a body, and she didst offer hers." Hades' form continued shifting, mimicking different ages of those present as it spoke.
"AH! THIS IDIOT KNEW AND DIDN'T SAY ANYTHING!"
"How did you just call her, Marimo?" Sanji complained angrily, moving closer to Zoro to start one of their classic squabbles.
"Who? The one you kicked?" Zoro's serious words made Sanji drop to the floor, pounding it in regret and crying.
"I used my strongest attack on a lady... I don't deserve to be called a man."
"Alright... Princess." Sanji couldn't respond to Zoro's jab, he was too broken inside to argue.
"Zoro, stop mocking the women beater." Usopp chimed in.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!" Sanji let out a guttural scream as a spiraling negative aura surrounded him, leaving him paralyzed and detached from reality.
"That explains why she seemed so terrified upon finding him." Robin analyzed calmly.
"Hades... Can you grant our wish to return?" Nami asked cautiously, keeping her distance.
"That is not a task we canst fulfill alone."
"What do you mean?"
"We lack the power to return thee... It yet abideth upon the surface."
"Who? What are you talking about?"
Hades' form split into different masses of energy, each one glowing with distinct power. One resembled Brook, while the rest took the shapes of various races, with only a few humans among them.
"That's... me."
"It is the consciences that hath managed to return, we possess their memories and intentions..."
"Hey! Give them back!" Luffy demanded angrily, being stopped by Chopper in his hybrid form.
"Our apology, he does not understand at all." Said Jinbei with regret.
"I am cognizant of his ignorance."
"Oi!"
"Their essence liveth among us." It replied, morphing in the captain at various ages, never ceasing to smile.
"The joy of his soul helped to balance the wickedness of others who returned... Upon the surface yet resideth the remainder of our consciousness, but we have endured millennia without contact until this day." Hades' words left most of the company bewildered, who merely tilted their heads.
Part of the being's body disintegrated, becoming the fenec that ran joyfully with the group, inviting them to play.
"Oh... There you were." Said Jinbei to the guardian, who disintegrated part of its body to harden around Robin injured arm, creating a splint.
The life of the guardian and its surroundings manifested in the girl's wounded arm, which, though still in bad condition, was no longer in danger due to the excess life entering her body through the splint.
"She tended it with great care*. Despite the torment, she suffered not his wrath to rule, but did nourish him with affection and love, that he might not return as a threat to defile us."
"She let it feed on the souls of the dying..." Franky complained.
"The lives were purified by those beloved, even unto their final moment," Hades corrected, giving little regard to the cyborg's words.
"EVEN SO, WHAT SHE DID WASN'T RIGHT... SHE COULD HAVE STOPPED THEM."
"The life was freely given, brimming with joy at the hour of their passing, that he might accept the gift of life with peace and harmony... Thus, is It's joy." Hades spake, as all his forms pointed to the Fenec, who, like a child, insisted on playing.
"Emotions are like unto a craving for us. Thus, we ever seek to bind ourselves to another, for we cannot cultivate it on our own. Another must experience it, that we may partake as well."
"When the bonds began to sever from the underworld, we didst follow them to the surface."
"We already know that."
"And the fruits wherein we sought refuge were taken by men, that they might prevent a rebellion they could not control. When the users, led by the high command, departed from their realm, they hid their fruits, leaving them in oblivion, forcing us to desert and seek new bodies to inhabit, that we might return."
"For millennia, we have striven to reintegrate into one single being... Therefore, we did focus much of our life in sending forth a final guardian to the surface, one capable of bringing us all."
"Thanatos..." The archaeologist thought.
"The guardian with the might to bear many powers..." Hades' words stirred the hero, who began to sweat cold.
"The vessel, a Mink explorer who volunteered, could not endure the excess of power and perished ere reaching Styx, yet still managed to release it, fulfilling our purpose."
"We knew naught of him until this day... Thanks to their memories." The entity said softly, touching the maid who bore its voice, still controlling her as a puppet.
"The now bearer of the guardian we sent was fully corrupted. The excess of wickedness within us may bring forth the utter destruction of life upon the surface, and in like manner... Refusing that energy its return shall, in time, decay the earth from within to without."
"Long story short, his generation is dead." The swordsman said, pointing to the blonde hero.
"ZORO!"
"Say it with more tact, you damn marimo."
—"Hades... The red Poneglyph speaks of a King of Chaos who guides the lost souls to experience it, and that only a great harvest can restore balance to the Realms... Does it refer... to the guardian you sent?" —Asked the intrigued black-haired girl.
Hades' energy shifted slightly, as if reacting to the question. The surrounding air grew heavier, as if the very atmosphere was weighed down by ancient knowledge.
"Indeed."
"What is the great harvest?"
"Something that shall come to pass inevitably... But ye must experience it for yourselves."
"I do not wish to be here when that happens..." Nami expressed, supported by Usopp, Brook, and Chopper.
Hades disintegrated, surrounding them, leaving only a trace of his essence in the young girl to continue communicating through her.
"Only those entwined in the great event can resolve all."
"It was your doing? Did you bring us here?! To this time?"
"HEY! We don't care about the future! Why did you bring us here?" Luffy grumbled, irritated.
"Future... Time is but a fleeting illusion, a concept foreign to our being... Our consciousness permeates what ye call present, past, and future, all at once, existing beyond the boundaries of mortal understanding... Yet, as long as there remains an "end," all things, in their essence, shall be undone."
The body of Hades disintegrated once more, forming two terrifyingly enormous jaws, wide open with radiant light emanating from within. The pale girl, now a mere vessel of the entity's will, gestured invitingly for them to enter.
The pirates hesitated, as their instincts warned them of the unknown, but Luffy, ever the optimist leader, boldly pointed toward the entrance, signaling his crew to follow him into the strange portal.
The jaws snapped shut behind them, and the heartbeat of most of the group quickened with tension. The oppressive silence that followed was broken only by the subtle echo of their own breaths. But what lay ahead was far beyond any of their expectations.
The moment they passed through, it was as though the very fabric of time had been twisted. The world around them began to warp and bend, presenting an overwhelming flood of imagery—past, present, and future—colliding in a dizzying array of visions.
The boundaries of time seemed to shatter, leaving them in a state of confusion, unsure of what moment they were truly experiencing.
What they saw was at once beautiful and terrifying: fleeting glimpses of eras long past, the vibrant present, and a foreboding future, all blending together in a kaleidoscope of shifting landscapes. The earth itself seemed to pulse with these changes, as if each moment was fighting for dominance, refusing to allow the pirates to grasp one solid truth about where they were or when.
Nami squinted, trying to focus as the scene flickered between epochs, but it was nearly impossible to tell what was real.
"What is this...?" She whispered, almost to herself. The landscape around them flickered so rapidly that it was hard to catch the details—one second they were standing amidst the ruins of an ancient civilization, the next, they were on a bustling futuristic city street.
Luffy grinned, unbothered by the chaos around him, trying to catch the fleeting moments as they passed.
"Hey, looks like we're in the middle of everything! Pretty wild, huh?"
The others remained silent with their eyes wide, trying to make sense of the world that seemed to be folding in on itself. Time was no longer linear. It had become something else entirely—a chaotic dance that none of them could predict.
Brook muttered under his breath "It's like the world is showing us its memories... and its future... in one massive moment..."
"Your locations across these varying eras were chosen in accordance with your experience, wisdom, and strength... This alone was the only combination capable of fulfilling our purpose."
"Wisdom..." They all thought, looking at the captain, who was picking his nose and gazing at the surroundings, paying no mind.
"What purpose?" Jinbei asked.
The image that remained in the present began to shift toward the future, which, unlike the past's history, disintegrated shortly after.
"WAIT... WHY DIDN'T YOU SHOW MORE OF THE FUTURE?" The hero asked, alarmed, as chaos quickly passed, ending in dissolution.
"It is uncertain... There may be no more." The words spoken through the controlled body froze the blonde's blood, as he remained unaware of how much time was left for them to inhabit the world or when exactly that apocalyptic scene would unfold.
A series of memories from each present individual in different times began to project around them, along with others from unknown eras that caught the attention of the archaeologist and the merman.
"If the fate is to disappear, why not just let it flow and be fulfilled?" The swordsman asked seriously.
"A request."
"The wish they spoke of..."
"Without life in the core, everything will disappear." The various images began to disintegrate after the words.
"What do you mean by that?" Nami asked in fear, turning toward the body suspended by light veins.
"Follow ye your instincts and ideals. When all hath ended, ye shall be able to return."
The figure vanished, dropping the woman, who fell to the ground, conscious but in pain.
"Wait, Hades!"
The trees began to reform, the flora reborn in the endless reflective plain, and the energy reappeared, heading toward the great star, allowing the massive stones to levitate once more.
"She freed her." Franky commented, looking at the woman lying on the ground like a rag doll.
*Growls
"Are you okay?"
*Growls
"I can't move..."
"Where does it hurt?"
"Everywhere..."
"Where exactly? Your body looks fine." The doctor asked, examining the woman's body, which appeared to be in perfect condition.
"Everywhere... Migraine, burns, cuts, bruises..." Her painful responses, describing the attacks everyone had inflicted upon her, caused them to swallow hard.
"GAHHHH, I'M SORRY!" Sanji pleaded in tears, scratching his head in the dirt, deeply regretful.
"How were we supposed to know Hades didn't want to hurt us? He was going to eat us!" Usopp complained, trying to rid himself of the guilt from the misunderstanding.
"They... invi~ted you to the colle~ctive con~scious~ness to show you the ans~wers to your ques~tions..." She answered, stretching her words almost like growls, making it difficult for them to understand.
"Bakanee... You connected to her consciousness, right?" Robin asked.
"I won't tell you anything... Psychopaths! ... Aaah..." Her screams only caused her more pain.
"It was an accident." The group bent their heads in embarrassment, with silly expressions.
Seeing the repulsion forming within the group, All Might attempted to approach to assist her.
"Don't come near me either, Toshinori! Teh-teh-tch!" Her painful rebuke made the hero swallow hard as he realized he was included in her disdain.
The group fell silent, giving Bakanee space, who didn't seem willing to cooperate anytime soon.
"There will be no future anymore... What was Hades trying to say with that?"
"If the earth is rotting from within, as Terk believes, and the core dies like Hades told us... Then life on the outside has an expiration date."
"That's why It couldn't show any more future..." —Nami concluded after her nakama's words.
"There's something that doesn't make sense..."
"What, Robin?" —Franky asked.
"If her energy is connected to all timelines, and it disappears, that means the core should disappear, and our time would be destroyed too."
"This is so confusing, Robin!" The sniper complained.
"In short... Whatever happens today with Hades will affect the past, present, and future... He needs to regain the strength he once had, or will disappear."
"NO."
"Huh?"
"BECAUSE THE ENERGY WOULD JUST TRANSFORM, BECOMING PART OF THE SAME UNIVERSE... SO WHETHER IT WORKS OR NOT, IT WON'T AFFECT HADES."
"INSTEAD, THE STRENGTH... ITS CONSCIOUSNESS EXISTS IN ALL TIMES SIMULTANEOUSLY, BUT ITS POWER DOES NOT."
"Here you go again with your complicated thoughts..."
"Is the earth rotting?" The white-haired, asked in surprise.
"Yes. Because of that, the inhabitants of Lemuria are migrating to the outside little by little."
*Growls * The woman grimaced in disgust, sinking into the ground as she continued complaining.
"So... If she exists in all times at once, that means everything will be fine." The sniper expressed confidently.
"Yagi just explained it... Energy doesn't get destroyed... It just transforms... They'll continue to exist, just not in the same way, and that could affect life on earth." Bakanee confirmed.
"But if They weakens enough to disappear, then everything will be affected... Including our time."
"They can't leave this place... So it might disappear if they wishes to."
"What do we have to do?"
"I don't know."
"Hades said we should just be ourselves..." Sanji recalled, leaving everyone confused and the white-haired girl disheartened.
"AND HOW DOES THAT HELP US GET BACK?!" Usopp complained, leaving the group in silence.
"..."
"So now what?" —Franky asked, placing his metallic hands on his sides.
"ALL THESE PROBLEMS FOR NOTHING!" Usopp shouted, throwing his expedition hat to the ground.
"Bakanee... You said you knew how to return." The archaeologist gently descended next to her, who lay like a ragdoll on the ground, and returned a tired gaze.
"What's the point of going back if everything will still disappear? For now, we need to start by getting back to the surface." She expressed, exhausted.
"And then?" Zoro demanded an answer.
"For safety, I won't give any details until we're out..."
As she finished her response, the forehead of the fenec began to distort, revealing a message; The glowing script shimmered momentarily before settling into clear words meant for Robin alone. Her eyes flicked over, until she lifted her gaze, now laced with suspicion toward the frail, white-haired woman standing nearby.
A/N:
An apology for disappearing for so long; I haven't had time to continue with this as the chapters in Spanish have become longer and more complex. Additionally, I had two jobs, but now that the Spanish version is nearing completion, I might be able to continue with the translation.
Thank you very much for your patience.