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Chapter 59:

Powerful Prizes

"This better be important!" Nami panted, Ace in one hand and her den-den in the other as she tried to chase after Luffy, the pirate captain in turn chasing after the so-called fairy that had nicked the navigator's purse and Perfect Clima-Tact along with a number of other items from the patrons of the restaurant. Needless to say, Nami didn't really care about the other people's items, but her Clima-Tact was kind of important, thank you very much. "We're in the middle of a chase right now!"

"What, already‽" Coby gasped. "I thought we were trying to be discrete!"

"We're doing the chasing, Uncle Coby," Ace supplied. "Some fairy meanies stole from Mommy."

"Fairies, you say?" Robin asked. "Have you, by chance, seen what these fairies look like?"

"Nope. Sorry, Auntie Robin-sensei. It's just a bouncy bag."

"Interesting."

"Um, what's interesting?" Coby questioned, the snail blinking slowly in the same manner as the roset whose voice it was transmitting. The snail's eyes shifted to those of Merry, the Klabautermann interrupting.

"Forget the discount fairies! We found something Captain Luffy's gonna wanna know!"

"Well, he's… a bit busy at the moment," Nami commented, watching as her husband dove for the little thief. Said thief —or at least the bag that hid the 'fairy' beneath— jumped upward so it landed on Luffy's back. The captain growled, rolling over as the bag scurried away. "I'll pass along the message."

"That might be for the best," Usopp said. "Soon as Luffy hears this, he's gonna drop everything else."

"Just spit it out already."

"His brother's Fruit is here," Merry told her, all sound on the other ends of the line going quiet. "It and Whitebeard's Quake-Quake Fruit are prizes for today's matches in the Colosseum."

"…How?" the navigator squeaked. "How… Where did you learn that?"

"We super overheard a conversation with the guys Doflamingo tasked with getting them. Right before one of Doflamingo's guys…" Usopp trailed off, remembering that the captain's son was listening on the other side. "Er, put them to sleep."

"Oh…" Nami breathed, understanding the euphemism. "I see."

"I hope those guys get some good sleep," Ace commented. "If they're asleep, we don't gotta beat 'em up."

"Yes, I agree," Robin supplied, quickly nudging the conversation away from such dangerous —and frankly finished— topics. "Moreover, how shall we revise our plan around this new information? Captain will, undoubtedly, move to gain his late brother's Devil Fruit by any means necessary without regard to plans nor consequences."

"According to what we heard," Usopp suppled, "they're going to be the prizes for the winners in the Corrida Colosseum. And they're then expected to join the Doflamingo Pirates."

"Donquixote Familia," Law corrected.

"We heard about that, too," Amy muttered. "The toy we talked to didn't know what the prizes were, but it did say today's fights would be special."

"Speaking of the toys," Coby piped up, "they are not normal."

"Thanks, Shrimp," Zoro muttered, unable to keep the sarcasm out of his voice. "We didn't notice."

"That's not what I mean," the roset shot back. "I mean, they feel twisted. Sad, angry, confused. Practically every emotion except the fake happiness they're showing. Whatever these toys are, I don't think they started out that way."

"My group shall look into the matter," Robin offered, Sanji voicing his eager agreement in the background.

"But we must find Kanjuro!" Kin'emon protested.

"This is our best lead thus far," Robin argued. "It is just as likely Kanjuro has become one of these toys than any other possibility."

"Coming back around to the Fruits," Nami said, "I'd like one or two of our stronger fighters to go with Luffy. If we can't steal his brother's Fruit, I'd like to increase our odds of winning it."

"Gin and I can go," Amy said.

"But—!" Law tried to protest.

"We aren't nearly as stealthy as Grace and can't feel souls or whatever like Pinky, so we really aren't that much help for infiltration, but a good ol' brawl is a different matter."

"Since Luffy's going to ditch me for the Colosseum," Nami thought aloud, "I've suddenly got some free time. I could join you guys at the castle."

"Sounds like a plan," Coby said, the snail mimicking his nod. "I'll direct us to you once you get close enough."

"Oh! Oh!" Ace called. "I wanna go with Daddy! I wanna see all the strong people fight so I can get stronger, too!"

"That's…" Nami blinked. "Now hold on. Your father, Gin, and Amy are all going to be in the fights. You would be in the stands, and that means you can't go unless you have a babysitter."

"I'll go!" Merry offered instantly. "I can make it to the Colosseum fast if I leave right now. And with my crew sense, I can pick him up without having to look. Or you can send him with Captain Luffy and I can meet them outside."

"Yay!" Ace cheered. "Coloso fighty time!"

"And to assuage Coby's concerns," Robin said, "Our group can investigate the origins of these toys and if they will be a danger."

"We cannot!" Kin'emon tried to protest. "We must find Kanjuro!"

"He could be a toy or something for all we know," Zoro argued, the snail rolling one eye in mimicry of Zoro.

"Thank you, Robin," Coby nodded, ignoring his teacher and the samurai. "They all apparently live in this place called the Toy House at the base of the castle, so we'll be nearby if something happens while you're there. If you need us, just, I don't know, blow something up, I guess."

"That sounds like the best place to start. Thank you."

"You must find information on the factory first!" Law growled. "The toys are no concern of ours!"

"We can look for the factory," Usopp said. "Someone at the docks has to know something. If that SAD stuff was shipped in."

"Very good," Nami nodded. "Any update from Sunny?"

"It is all quiet here," Brook reported. "There are a surprising number of pirate ships and a fair number of partial Wood Fairies according to Sunny. We cannot identify any of the flags, however."

"Could they be super connected to Doflamingo?" Franky wondered aloud.

"They might be here for the tournament," Nami considered.

"I didn't recognize any of the ships, but that doesn't mean much considering Hody prevented a lot of crews from reaching the New World through Fishman Island," Merry said. "I'll see if there's a list when I get to the Colosseum and check if I recognize any names."

"Gotcha!" Luffy yelled, pulling Nami and Ace's attentions from the call. The father of their little family stood triumphant in the middle of the street, Nami's purse held high in one hand while the bundle that was the fairy's other stolen goods bounced several feet away. Whatever the fairy was, it seemed to think cutting its losses was the better choice, the bag and whatever was carrying it scampering away before Luffy could get the bright idea to try for any more of its goodies. Ignoring the fleeing fairy, Luffy walked his way over to his wife and son, a satisfied smile on his face as he offered the reacquired bag. "That fairy was tricky, but I got your purse back like I said I would."

"Thank you, Luffy," Nami grinned, accepting the accessory. She checked its insides quickly, confirming that the pieces of her Perfect Clima-Tact were still inside. "Here, hold Ace for a minute."

"Daddy!" the boy smiled, wrapping his arms around the captain's neck. "We're gonna meet Merry an' Uncle Gin an' Auntie Amy and go to the Coloso!"

"Sounds like fun!" Luffy nodded. He blinked. "Uh, why?"

"Luffy," Nami said, hanging up the call. "You're going to want to hear this. Before that, I'm going to join Coby, Grace, and Law and help them break into the castle, so you don't have to worry about me. Okay?"

"Okay…?"

"They're having a fighting competition in the Colosseum today. They have two prizes, a pair of Devil Fruits. One belonged to Whitebeard. The other…" Nami swallowed. "The other belonged to your brother."

"My—?"

"Now before you go running off, remember no one is supposed to know we're here. When you enter the competition, do not use your real name. Got it?"

"They have Ace's Fruit?" Luffy blinked. "It's a prize?"

Nami nodded as Luffy's surprise and joviality drained away, his expression settling into one of determination.

"Just remember," she said. "You can get it, but don't let anyone know it's you. Amy and Gin will be there to help and Merry's going to watch Ace. Now" —She grinned— "go kick some butt."

"That Fruit is miiiiine!" Luffy roared, charging off in a random direction with Ace holding on for dear life. The woman sighed as they turned a corner. She wasn't sure if they were going in the right direction, but she trusted he'd find his way to the Colosseum one way or another.

Shaking her head, Nami checked her surroundings for a view of the castle. She could just barely make out the top of its outline to the north, the navigator heading that direction at a jog. Coby, Grace, and Law should find her when she got close enough.

The snail clicked as Nami hung up. Robin shrugged, surmising they had discussed everything they needed to and put her own snail to sleep as well.

"We do not have time for this," Kin'emon complained. "Finding Kanjuro should be our primary mission."

"And like I've said, we don't have the first clue where to look for him," Zoro replied. "At least this way, we might find a clue."

"Like you're one to talk about finding anything," Sanji muttered. "You couldn't find your way out of a wet paper bag."

"What did you just say to me, you swirly-browed bastard?"

"We need to get moving," Chopper insisted, walking toward the castle at Robin's gesture. "Coby said the Toy House was at the base of the castle, yes? In that case, we have a direction to go."

Zoro paused, his good eye turning slowly.

"We're being followed," he muttered, his voice low. "I don't know who by, but they're armed."

"Could it be lesser members of Doflamingo's crew?" Robin wondered, keeping her demeanor relaxed as unwanted memories of being followed and chased in her younger years reminded her of the best practices for escape.

"I don't know, but they don't feel all that strong. Any of us could take them easily."

"In that case, they are of no concern," Kin'emon nodded.

"So let me see if I remember what you said," Sanji breathed, smoke dispersing from his breath. "You and Kanjuro split up while looking for Momo. You followed the ship directly while Kanjuro came here as insurance?"

"Yes," the samurai nodded. "This seemed like a likely landing spot for the ship and my vessel was not as sound as the kidnappers'. Should I have been lost at sea, we hoped Kanjuro would find Momonosuke here. We knew not about Punk Hazard at that time."

"And you don't have any way to contact him?"

"Well…" Kin'emon's shoulders slumped. "No."

"You realize how bad a plan that was, right?"

"Poor planning or no, we must work within the ramifications of their decisions," Robin put in. "Unfortunately, I predict Dressrosa is much larger than either samurai predicted."

"It is one of the larger islands we have visited in the short time we've had," Kin'emon admitted.

"And with your drawing skills, there's no chance asking any of the locals will help," Zoro said.

"Kanjuro is rather memorable," the samurai tried, though he didn't seem that sure of himself. "The only identifying characteristics he has are long red hair, kabuki make-up, very colorful clothing, and a large paintbrush that acts as the sheath for his katana." The pirates stared at him, each and every one blinking slowly. "Hm?"

"Oh, that's it, is it?" Sanji groused around his cigarette. "I guy like that would stand out in a circus. Why didn't you say any of that sooner?"

"I though it was rather obvious from my drawing."

Robin closed her eyes and sighed, pinching the skin between her eyes. Some stupidity could be endearing and she'd become rather used to such during the time with her crew. This? This was not that kind of stupidity.

"I will keep my eyes open for a character of that description," she offered. "May we continue on our way?"

"I… suppose," Kin'emon conceded. The group continued in silence, their eyes watching for anything out of the ordinary. Flamenco dancers showed their skills as mariachi played their tunes, filling the streets of Dressrosa with music and life. If the Straw Hats had not come with Law or known who the ruler was, they never would have thought anything was amiss in the kingdom.

"Honestly, it's almost unsettling," Chopper commented. "The toys act so much like humans, but from what Coby said…"

"We will help them," Robin insisted, patting Chopper's neck. The base of the Castle Plateau rose from the houses and buildings above them, looming larger with each step. Soon, there were no obstructions to block their view as they eyed the cliff and the buildings at its base.

One of said buildings caught their attention. It was wide, seemingly more like three massive warehouses connected at the sides but distinctive by the heights of their roofs. Said roofs were jagged things, coming to points and dropping off repeatedly as if they were meant to break the wind. A pair of smokestacks rose from the right side of the building, pumping out smoke that blew away and dispersed before coming close to the castle above. The words TOY HOUSE were printed on the building in big, red letters.

"This looks like the place," Sanji commented. "I'm guessing we can't just waltz up to the door and they'll let us in."

"Probably not," Zoro agreed. "But it looks like those guys have access." He pointed, directing the others' attentions to a group of men unloading a number of pallets from a massive horse-drawn carriage. A number of soldiers stood around them, blocking off any passerby from thinking they had any sort of path inside.

"Not a bad idea, Mosshead," Sanji admitted. "We just have to deal with the guys following us first. Although, those guys have guards dressed the same way as our guys."

"You all thinking what I'm thinking?" Zoro asked with a smirk.

"I know their present locations nearby," Robin agreed. "Obtaining those outfits will be simple."

"Looks like we're getting changed," Sanji nodded. "Let's go."

"Well, I'm off!" Merry said as their call ended, the Klabautermann only giving a backward wave as she took off deeper into the city.

"Mer—!" Usopp called, but she was already turning a corner. The sniper sighed, lowering his arm. "They grow up so fast."

"She's a super pirate Wood Fairy from our crew, Sniper-Bro," Franky commented. "What else would you expect?"

"I don't know. A hug goodbye, maybe?"

"You can be a real bummer, you know that?" Kaku commented. "Merry'll be fine. She might look soft as a sheep, but she's slippery as an eel and hits harder than a brick."

"I know that," Usopp admitted. "It's just…"

"She's a reminder of home, right?" Franky finished. "You told me before Merry super came from your home island and it was you that cared for her until you guys reached Water 7. You still feel responsible for her even after she manifested."

"You don't need to smother her so much, though," Kaku put in. "Moreover, we haven't got a single clue about where to start lookin' for this factory jazz."

"I doubt it's going to be at the docks," the cyborg thought aloud. "If I was building a secret factory, I'd super hide it as something else in a place without a lot of foot traffic. The docks have way too much of that and is not easily defended."

"Then I guess we need to head deeper into the city," Usopp agreed. The others nodded, the now-trio heading toward the main path into Acacia. Usopp and Franky threw a couple of waves toward those on the Sunny, Billy holding the dragon egg in a pouch close to his chest as he roosted on the top of the crow's nest.

The three pirates were so absorbed in how they would go about locating the SMILE factory, they barely glanced at the rather rotund woman in the navy-blue dress with orange flowers decorating it and the men in black clothing that followed her. Nor did they see how her eyes locked onto the Straw Hat flag in the bay, a grin coming to her face.

Coby, Grace, and Law found Nami counting money, the young mother with a satisfied smile on her face. She looked up as they approached, tucking the money into her purse.

"Nami, what was that?" the roset questioned.

"What was what, Coby?"

"Why were you counting money like it was new?"

"Because it is. I needed to make sure my skills haven't gotten rusty considering I've been more focused on Grand Line weather and Ace these last couple of years. I can't let Grace get ahead of me."

Coby sighed, biting back his personal views of justice. He just hoped she didn't steal from anyone who couldn't afford to lose. Luckily, the country at large seemed pretty wealthy and he figured Nami would only steal from those who looked like they had more money than sense. This, however, was cold comfort since he was pretty sure the people of Dressrosa were innocent of anything other than being manipulated.

Law flinched, his hand coming up to his chest as he pressed his other against the nearest wall, using the bricks to support him. He grunted, trying to control his breathing as, somewhere, Doflamingo squeezed his heart.

"You okay, Law?" Grace asked as the former Warlord's breath eased.

"They aren't as frequent now as they were on the way in," the man said. "We can only hope Doflamingo isn't carrying my heart around."

"What are the odds of that?" Nami asked.

"Honestly, pretty low," Law admitted. "A toy like that, he'd want to keep it close to him at the very least."

"You haven't sent us on a suicide mission, have you?" Coby demanded.

"Come on, we can do this," Nami nodded. "We don't have to beat Doflamingo. We just have to distract him long enough to get Law's heart. After that, he can warp us out and we can make a run for it."

"Easier said than done," Grace muttered, putting her sketchbook away. "Alright, Law. You've got this grudge against Doflamingo and all, but do you have a way into the castle?"

"Well, it's on top of a plateau so those inside can overlook the rest of the island. Getting up there without being seen will be a challenge. My Rooms could get us up there, but others can see them and it would cause a stir."

"Assuming we get up there, what are the ways into the castle?" Coby asked. "Other than the front door, I mean."

"There's the servants' entrance," Law recalled. "There are also a number of secret entrances and exits for the royal family in case of an emergency, but only one that I know of can be accessed from the outside. There's also an underground; it's a supply route so provisions and foodstuffs don't need to be carried up the stairs or lifted up the cliff where others could see." The others blinked, unsure why he seemed so knowledgeable about Dressrosa Castle.

"Would you be able to get us to that secret entrance if we can get up to the top of the plateau?" Grace questioned.

"Probably. Why? Do you have a technique that allows you to manipulate the perceptions of those around you?"

"As a matter of fact, I do," the young woman grinned. "As you may or may not recall, my epithet was Mood Painter when I first got my bounty. That was quite literal, and my ability to manipulate the human body has only grown since then. Allow me to introduce you to Illusion Indigo." Grace waved her hand beside her thigh, a small stream of indigo paint flowing from a pouch hidden under her clothing. It condensed into a ball smaller than a marble. She rolled it between her fingers. "This little baby causes those who breathe it in to go into a sort of trance. It blips out of their memory and the brain fills in the gap by assuming nothing changed. With this, we can walk right by any guards at the stairs."

"What a useful ability."

"The Chem-Chem Fruit has a lot of uses for a chemist like me," Grace nodded. "Now then, let's get moving. The sooner we get your heart back, the less you have to deal with Doflamingo squeezing it and the sooner we can celebrate."

Amy, Gin, and Merry all beat Luffy to the Colosseum, but considering how lost he got on the way, that wasn't really a surprise. Luffy skid to a stop beside them, panting, and Ace climbed down from his shoulder.

"Is it true?" Luffy demanded. "My brother's Devil Fruit is here?"

"Seems like it," Merry confirmed, gesturing with her thumb over her shoulder toward the door where a woman in a black bikini and a gladiator mask was accepting new challengers and directing them into the building. "That's what everyone's saying. The current sign-up list has almost 800 names already and there's a line to get in. I recognized a few names on there, but no one you all need to worry about. Your biggest concern should be getting found out."

"Well, let's hurry up," the captain replied, already moving toward the line. Gin and Amy shared a look with Merry, the Klabautermann putting Ace on her shoulders. She nodded to the pair, trusting them with Luffy's safety, before carrying Ace toward the spectator entrance. She paused, however, at the sound of several POPs. She and Ace turned to see a toy soldier with a single leg on a roller-skate, his toy gun pointed at a group of children. His body was painted to look like a red coat and his head was tall, painted to appear like a black helmet.

"Begone, all of you!" the toy soldier insisted with a rather thick accent Merry guessed was native. "This is no place for children! People are going to die here today, and that is not something you need to see! Go home!"

"I thought toys were supposed to be fun!" one of the children complained. "We just wanted to watch the fights."

"The ruler using these deadly fights as entertainment is a barbaric practice!" the soldier argued. "The Colosseum is not what it used to be, children, and you have no place here!"

Pop! Pop! The children ran, whining about mean toys. The soldier let out something like a sigh and turned, his inorganic eyes landing on Merry and Ace.

"You there!" he yelled, skating toward them. "What do you think you are doing? This place is not fit for children! Take him away!"

"No way, Soldier Guy!" Ace denied. "Daddy, auntie, and uncle are fighting in there today."

"You have family competing? That…" The toy looked away, shaking his head quickly. "No, that is no excuse. Children should not be here for such a gruesome sport."

"You're not going to stop us," Merry said. "Captain's son wants to watch him compete. You have no say over either of us."

"But—!"

"We don't have to listen to you." Merry walked around the toy, said soldier gaping at the unconcerned audacity of this person. "Come on, Ace. Let's go get some good seats."

"Do you not understand what I am saying?" the toy demanded, blocking their path again. "Children should not be here! I even hesitate to let you in, miss! You can barely be an adult yourself!"

"You can't stop us, so don't make me force my way past you. We know what we're going to see but Ace wants to see Captain fight. Step aside."

If the soldier's face could move, Merry imagined it would have looked angry or annoyed. As it was, she was forced to rely on basic body reading as the toy hopped aside.

"Do not say I did not warn you, but if any soldiers ask you to go with them, do not. There is much about this place that you cannot know."

"Yeah, thanks for the tip." Merry watched as the soldier caught sight of another group of unaccompanied children trying to sneak into the Colosseum, quickly going after them. The short conversation had tied a not in her gut, and she trusted her gut.

There was more to this Colosseum than there appeared, she was certain.

A distance away, the monk and chocolatier stepped into the line, the latter leaning over Luffy's shoulder.

"We can't use our real names," she whispered. "If we get found out, we might get thrown out or arrested."

"That's easy," Luffy waved off. "I'll be Lucy, you can be… Amucy, And Gin can be Gucy."

"Those are terrible names," Amy denied, Gin giving an unseen nod. "Why don't we go with Lucy, Coco, and Rum?"

"Ya want me t'be Rum?" Gin blinked.

"Why not?" Amy shrugged, turning an eye on the monk. "It's easy enough to remember."

"An' let me guess, 'Coco' as in 'Chocolate', yeah?"

"So it's not the most inspired name. It's at least better than Amucy."

"I'll give ya that one." He blinked. "The Don's gone off without us."

"Of course he has," Amy sighed, rubbing her temple. Their fake names decided, the pair stood a few minutes in the line, keeping a discrete eye on their captain ahead. Thankfully, the woman running the table didn't react to the name he gave, so they could only trust he followed the plan, as hard as that was to believe. Pretty soon, it was their turn, Gin allowing Amy to go first.

"Name?" the woman behind the table asked, clearly bored. She was massaging her writing hand.

"Name's Coco, sweetheart," Amy replied in a voice deeper than her usual. She winked.

"Listen, this is a gladiator battle. People are going to die today in that arena. If you're looking for the spectator entrance—"

"No way. I'm here to fight. I have to prove these muscleheads aren't the only ones who can win a fight."

"You're fighting in that?"

Amy looked down at her yellow dress, thinking. "If there's a changing area, I'd use it, but I can fight in this if need be."

"Alright," the woman sighed, leaning her head on one of her hands while the other pushed a couple papers. She wasn't paid enough to stop every idiot who would clearly die. "There is a changing area. Sign here. It just says Dressrosa and the Corrida Colosseum are not liable for your death should you be killed and that you entered the competition with full knowledge about the risks. Blah blah blah."

Amy wondered how many times the woman had had to give that spiel as she signed the papers with her fake name. As the blonde returned to quill —and wasn't that old fashioned?— she asked, "How many are in this competition, anyway?"

"We're expecting something like eight- or nine-hundred. If that's all, please follow Stella here. She'll show you to the waiting area and the changing rooms. You'll be fighting in Block F. Good luck."

"Why, thank you, but I don't need it." Amy sent her one more wink before following the other woman into the building. Gin watched her go before stepping up to the table.

"Name?"

"Rum of Vergio," Gin answered, keeping his accent suppressed. "I am here to claim the Flame-Flame Fruit."

"Very well. Sign this waver saying Dressrosa and the Corrida Colosseum are not responsible in the event you die. You will be fighting in Block G. Please follow Aqua here; she will lead you to the waiting area."

"Thank you, miss." Gin gave a respectful bow and followed the woman —Aqua— into the Colosseum. She had blue hair was dressed in the same skimpy attire as the rest of the female staff, but the man's eyes were more focused on the walls and construction. The building was old, much older than the rest of the buildings they'd seen by a fair margin.

"Pardon," Gin said, getting his guide's attention. "If you would be so kind, could you please explain the rules of the tournament?"

"You didn't read the posters then," the woman muttered with a shake of her head. "The tournament will have eight brackets of about a hundred competitors each. Of those, only one will move on. Once those eight brackets have concluded, we'll begin the second round which will consist of two four-person battles, of which there will be only one winner each. In the third round, the remaining two fighters will have already won, but they will compete for first choice at the prizes. The winner gets to pick which Devil Fruit they want, second place gets the other."

"Then even if you receive second," Gin thought aloud, "there is still a chance you may get the Fruit you want anyway, but the only guarantee is to win."

"That's right, but you'll have to struggle to get there." Aqua glanced over her shoulder, taking in the man's beard. "For your sake, I'd suggest you drop out. You seem a bit… old."

"You need not concern yourself with my sake," the pirate said. The pair exited the corridor into a large room filled with fighters of all shapes and sizes. Most were men of the muscular variety, everywhere from four feet to pushing 20, but there were a small number of women among the competitors. It was difficult for any one person to stand out of the line-up, but a number of people stood in small, separated groups or had an air of silent confidence.

"Now this is my kind of place," Gin heard Luffy say in what he guessed was supposed to be an elderly voice. "Only thing that'd make it better is a buffet."

"The winners get to join the Donquixote Familia as officers," the woman escorting Luffy commented. "They have the best chefs of the island cooking for them in the castle."

"Sounds tasty."

"What's with this old guy?" one of the competitors demanded, Gin turning to see there was a man staring down on him. His 12-foot frame rippled with muscle. Others whispered about the man being Spartan, a favorite to win the competition. "Hey! Get lost, old man. This is no place for frail grandpas."

Gin glanced around, only to see no one near him. He pointed at himself.

"Pardon, are you referring to me?" Gin asked. "I assure you, I am not as old as I appear."

"Get lost!"

Spartan swung a fist down, ready to crush Gin into the flooring, but the pirate raised an arm. Armament Haki coated the limb a shiny black, his feet sliding a few inches but his stance unchanged even as the gladiator's fingers gave a horrible CRUNCH. Spartan screamed, clutching the hand with now-broken fingers.

"What is the meaning of this‽" an official demanded, the man walking up with a clipboard in one hand. "Who started this fight?"

"It was the big guy," a woman said. Gin and the official turned to see a pair of women, siblings if the pirate had to guess. They both stood at almost six feet, one with short hair a darker purple-blue and the other with hair a light purple.

The first was dressed in a skintight, fuchsia bodysuit, the upper arms on the sleeves missing, and a sword with a golden guard and blue wrapping on the hilt hung at her hip. She had a pink flower in her hair and had large, brown eyes.

Her sister stood beside her with arms crossed. She wore less clothing, only a red band around her chest and a short, pink skirt with a loose belt lined with fangs. A lime-green coat was open, showing the woman's slim midriff and hanging to her long legs. Her purple hair fanned out to either direction, smirk plain under her slanted eyes.

"Spartan decided to attack that man believing he was too old for this tournament," the first woman continued. "Clearly, he didn't understand the respect elders are due. Only the strong reach such years in this sea."

"With brains like that, it's clear he wasn't going to make it past the first round anyway," the other sister shrugged. "Probably won't make it past 35, either."

"I see," the official commented with a frown. "If that's the case, Spartan is disqualified from the tournament." He waved his hand, a pair of tall, muscular guards walking in. One reached upward, smashing a fist into the back of Spartan's head. The gladiator's eyes rolled into the back of his head, the two men them dragging his unconscious form away. "Our apologies for the inconvenience…" He checked the nametag on Gin's shirt. "Rum. Please do not get into any other fights."

"I trust that will not happen," Gin nodded. He glanced at the women, stepping toward them. "Thank you for your words."

"Think nothing of it," the first waved. "Only fools pick fights they cannot win, and only the stupid cannot see who is above them."

"You're stronger than you appear," the other added, eyeing the disguised pirate. "You looking for a wife? We've got a few sisters that would be interested in a man of your caliber."

"A kind offer, but I'm afraid I have no time for such things," Gin denied.

"A shame," the first sighed, offering her hand. "I'm Custard, and this is my sister Angel."

"Rum," Gin said, accepting the hand. Her grip was far stronger than her frame suggested it should be.

Across the room and stepping out of the changing room with shorts and leather armor to replace her dress, Amy felt her eyes widen in fear. She quickly ducked back into the changing room, shoving her back against the door.

"Shit," she hissed, trying to slow her now-racing heart. "What are they doing here? Why are they here? Why are they talking to him?"

Their mission to the Colosseum just got a lot harder, Amy thought. After all, among the fighters were a pair of Mama's daughters. If they recognized her, that would open a can of worms Amy really wanted to keep firmly closed.

And if Big Mom had fighters in the Colosseum, what other big-name subordinates could Merry have missed on that list?

Momo paced the grass deck, his small arms crossed and a frown on his face. Sunny and Brook watched him pace with their not-eyes, the boy having denied their every attempt to distract him from being left behind on the excursions into the city.

"Hey, Brook?" Sunny asked. "Why don't we get some more practice in?"

"Yohoho! A wonderful idea, Sunny. Perhaps some music could help take Momo's mind off his troubles. I'll go get our instruments."

"No, let me." Sunny snapped her spectral fingers —and she was ever so excited that she'd developed her manifestation enough that she could do that— as the door to the lounge opened. Brook's piano rolled out onto the deck, his violin placed atop in its case. "I was hoping you'd say yes, so I prepped."

"It's wonderful to have another lover of music on this crew," Brook whispered, and Sunny imagined a smile tugging at his nonexistent lips. He sat at the piano as Sunny opened the violin case and levitated the instrument from within. Brook's boney fingers ran through a couple scales, doublechecking the tuning on the piano, as Sunny played with the violin's strings, situating herself so she sat on the piano itself.

The sounds were enough to pull Momonosuke from his thoughts, the boy looking up to see the skeleton sitting at the strange, boxy table from the lounge and the ship's ghost sitting atop it with an instrument. It was stringed like the samisens of Wano but was half the size and with twice as many strings. The boy's eyes widened when the Klabautermann —as he had learned her species was called— raised an odd rod and dragged it across the strings. Rather than breaking the strings, the instrument vibrated, the notes resonating from within.

The skeleton seemed to take that as a sign, his scales fading into a tune that seemed familiar. Upbeat music formed between the pair as they came around to the beginning of their song.

"Yohohoho~ yohoho~ ho~! Yohohoho~ yohoho~ ho~! Yohohoho~ yohoho~ ho~! Yohohoho~ yohoho~ ho~!

"Gather up all of the crew, it's time to ship out Bink's brew~! Sea wind blows! To where, who knows? The winds—!"

"WAH!" Billy screeched from above. "Wah wa-wa-wah!"

"Something's happening?" Sunny echoed, her music stuttering. "What do you…" Her words trailed off as pink smoke rose around her hull. She felt her manifestation begin to warp as the same power started to affect her ship. "Wh-What's happening?"

"This smoke is not natural!" Momonosuke gasped as it touched him. He flinched back, but the smoke already began to affect him, his hand turning rigid. The shock caused him to cry out, his Devil Fruit powers acting without his control as he turning into his dragon form. Moments later, his entire body was cubical, as if someone had shoved him through a square hole and he maintained that shape.

Brook reached for his sword-cane only for his fingers to fuse together like mittens, his bones turning soft and rounded. The piano, too, warped, seeming to melt yet still maintaining its shape. The same happened to the violin in Sunny's hands. It fell from her hand as she lost control of her soul's body, its edges extending and contracting into something only vaguely recognizable as humanoid. Her head deformed, taking on a sun motif with a sideways face.

"How beautiful," a woman cooed, her face held by her hands as she eyed the abstract art the pirates and child had become. She wore a blue dress with orange flowers and a pair of pointed, red glasses. Her hair was two different colors, red on her right and yellow on the left, both of them fanned out to the sides.

"What did you do to us?" Brook demanded.

"I turned you into art!" the woman answered. "And what beautiful art you are! Oh, I can't wait to fill this beautiful ship with the art pieces your crewmates become when the Young Master lets me get my hands on them!"

"Young—?" Sunny asked. "You work for Mingo!"

"That is Doflamingo to you, Wood Fairy."

"Wah!" Billy dove, his claws sparking as they aimed for the woman. She gave him a frown as more of the pink smoke emerged from her head where she grabbed it and threw it at the bird. Billy was moving too quick to dodge, the smoke surrounding him. When he emerged, he was little more than a rough sketch of a rubber duckie, the dragon's egg having become a green bell around his neck. Unable to move his wings that were now trapped against his sides, the Gigafowl-turned-art crashed headfirst into the rolling green of the deck and bounced, coming to rest on his side. Momonosuke wisely kept his mouth shut, slinking behind the piano.

"You won't get away with this!" Sunny growled. "When our captain—"

"Oh, but I already have," the woman waved off. "We already have. We know where your captain and where your crewmates are, we know your goals and what you want, and we know that you'll never find them. Honestly, you all were foiled the moment Monet escaped."

"Then what is it you want here?" Sunny demanded. "Us? Who even are you?"

"Ah, I haven't introduced myself," the woman realized. "You may call me Giolla. Boys, fan out and search the ship. Find that brat."

"Ace isn't here," Sunny grunted as the men forced her doors open despite her attempts to stop them. Whatever Giolla had done to them, whatever her Devil Fruit powers were, they were preventing Sunny from manipulating her ship effectively.

"We aren't looking for the Heir of Chaos," Giolla waved off. "We're here for the samurai kid. Sending him to Wano will net us a pretty penny more than the SMILEs alone do."

"What brat?" Sunny blinked, feigning ignorance as Momonosuke crawled under the piano, still in his dragon form. "What are you talking about?"

"The brat from Wano. The one the samurai serve."

"I don't know who you're talking about."

Giolla rubbed her hands together, frowning. Merry shifted, hating the way the men throwing stuff around and rummaging in her insides tickled. She tried not to shift, but the feeling of the lesser pirates inside her rooms was like bugs crawling under her skin.

"You can lie all you want, but I'll get the truth out of you soon enough."

Sunny swallowed heavily.

End of Chapter 59

Oh no! Whatever will they do? And who else could be in the Colosseum?

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-SwordOfTheGods