LW: And with the anniversary of this story being last Friday (happy birthday to me there :D) we begin chapter 27.

Rubber King and Mirror Master - New World Chaos: Wonders of the Hazardous Kind

Caesar's Chambers

After slamming Caesar into the wall, Luffy goes for a lunge, but the gas man engages his brain and flies out of his path, cackling as he does, meanwhile, Monet practically melts into the background, content to merely observe Caesar and Luffy beat each other up.

"Spoke too soon you little imbecile…gah!" Caesar yelps as Luffy bounces up toward him, the scientist forgetting Luffy was rubber for a moment and just barely dodged "Guess we're doing it this way…" he mutters, lighting 2 matches and holding them between his fingers "Flammable type: Miok Gas" he cries, unleashing a goat of flame that followed the path of the gas he exuded in Luffy's direction, the pirate leaping out of the path of the flames, but missed it's secondary use, creating a wall of fire, boxing him in with Caesar above him "Straw Hat! What's your problem, what reason do you have for attacking me?"

"Besides the obvious, that you tried to kill me, my friends AND kidnapped my neice to experiment on her? Law asked us to capture you, and something interesting's supposed to happen when I do" Luffy answers directly, but honestly.

"Oh my, sounds like you formed some kind of alliance with Law"

"I just said that. You're a really dumb scientist" Luffy sighs, fairly sure Caesar was about to start monolguing.

"...trusting him is an act of foolishness, take it from me who did just that and am still getting burned by the consequences. He will betray you when your guard is down, mark my words!" Caesar cries.

"If I wanted your opinion I'd have beaten it out of you!" Luffy retorts, shooting his arm back to launch another punch.

"You really are a sucker for pain then Straw Hat. Karakuni" Caesar mocks, spreading his arms as with a grin a large portion of the flames in the lab are snuffed out, and Luffy's arm snaps back as he begins chocking.

"Ah crap, not again" he wheezes.

"Yes, you must be getting weak child, that's usually what happens when someone removes all the oxygen from the room, Shurorororo!"

Luffy tries to hit the gasbag, but without haki it merely passes through, and suffocating in an airless void is not exactly inducive of haki manifestation, meaning his only option was to retreat to a safe distance as it seemed Caesar's Devil Fruit had a set range withing which he could manipulate the air around him. Stopping where there was still fire, Luffy was able to actually breath once more.

"So, you can only steal the air from that far away. That's all I needed to know" Luffy hums as Caesar's smug face looked extra punchable right about now "Gear 2nd. Jet Pistol" Luffy cries, managing to once more suckerpunch the scientist as his attack was too fast for the logia to see, never mind activate his powers to avoid.

"So fast" Caesar wheezes, before collapsing into his pure gas form "That hurt you dullard! However, your moment of triumph allowed me to close the distance!" he smirks as he returns to normal and clenches his fists, absorbing the oxygen around him once again.

"Not this again" Luffy chokes.

"That looks painful. Want your oxygen back? Then you can have it!" Caesar grins before pulling out a sword hilt, which he immediately sets ablaze, forming a blue flame sword, which he attempts to immolate Luffy with, failing to do so and putting them back to square 1, in a ring of fire "Shurorororo, every gas is a weapon for me. Maybe I can't kill you with poison, but I still have plenty of other gases and methods to ensure your imminent demise"

"This guy's a pain in the ass, not really hard, just annoying, mostly not being able to breath" Luffy mutters irritably.

"I'm sending you straight to Hell, Straw Hat!" Caesar cries as he shoots forward, fully intent on impaling and incinerating the rubber boy on his flame sword.

The A-B corridor

BWAA! BWAA! BWAA!

"Crap, I know that sound, the Blast doors are being opened, or closed again" One of the remaining G5 marines grimaces "We need to get out of here, everyone run to the exit!" he bellows.

"You're a pirate" Vergo states as he pulls himself out of the dent in the wall Sanji had kicked him into "Why are you helping a bunch of marines?"

"I should ask you a similar one, why are you killing your own men, but that's beside the point. You're not supposed to hurt ladies, scumbag, if your parents didn't at least teach you that much I guess I'll just have to give you the late-stage 'crash' course" the blond scowls around his cigarette.

"I have far more important things to do than indulge your inane moral platitudes pirate" Vergo monotones, both fighters shooting forward, their kicks perfectly blocked by the other's strike, a fact that drew notable irritation from both combatants. The deadlock ending when Sanji put a little distance between them just enough to reignite Diable Jambe, before striking Vergo centre mass and shooting him head first, into the opposite wall.

"Damn, Blackleg's beating the ever loving crap out of that fake Vergo, ay Captain?" one of the marines hum

"That's the real Vergo, but yes, he's doing a lot better than I expected" Tashigi nods with a sigh.

"Can you dumbasses, and miss Tashigi though you're also a dumbass given your taste in men, get moving, they're trying to seal you in here with the poison Gas!" Sanji bellows, just as the men realize the alarm wasn't one or the other, they were opening 1 door and sealing up the other. This revelation prompted a mad dash by the remaining members of G5 who hadn't already made it to the next building.

As the marines were fleeing, Vergo pulled himself out of the wall, looking unperturbed and just as expressionless as before, barely feeling the need to brush himself off after the fight.

"I see now, you've got metal under your skin or something, that's why you're so durable" Sanji theorizes.

"Quit interfering, this is an internal matter" Vergo scoffs, cracking his neck and not even denying to acknowledge Sanji's accusation.

"I know your type, could see it a mile away. Captain hates men like you" Sanji snarls, before having to block Vergo's next barrage of attacks, the Vice Admiral clearly kicking it up a notch in terms of power, as he was starting to inch a win out of the kicking Chef. Then, as the gas began to encroach upon them, Vergo decided 'fuck it' and haki'd up his right arm for a finishing blow.

D building

Splat!

Creeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeek!

Bloodshot eyes peer past jet black hair, near devoid of humanity, and replaced by only 1 desire. To feed. The pipe, stained with the blood of any who cross her path, scraps across the floor, its prescience a cold comfort for the one wielding it.

A few minutes later

"I expected this area to be more heavily guarded, but it seems one of Caesar's experiments got loose instead" Law muses as he walks the bloodied hallway joining Buildings B and D, the latter being the SAD production and storage center.

"Well, everything else has gone to shit, why not unleash what he has left to kill us?" Kaos asks with a grin, mostly to hide his concern, as he's seen this carnage before, on Whiskey Peak. It almost put him off his appetite, almost, which was why Lily and Nagini were getting the lion's share of the bodies he was squirreling away once out of Law and Smoker's line of sight. He had a different feast in mind anyway, he was even getting paid for it.

BWAH! BWAH! BWAH!

"Do all doors in this facility come with a free air raid siren?" Kaos asks, though is unsure if Law couldn't hear him, or was ignoring the taller pirate. He was such a cold, rude individual either scenario was likely. He was curious though, did Law know he wasn't the first to get in, or was he as ignorant as the rest of the staff? Kishishishi!

Caesar's Quarters

"You can't avoid me forever brat!" Caesar cries, having switched from his blue flame back to his gastanets as the latter seemed ineffective at hitting Luffy while in Gear 2nd, especially in the air.

BOOM!

BOOM!

He was still missing, but only barely, most likely due to Luffy's observation haki giving him the edge. Though the intermittent periods of asphixiation were really doing a number on his reserves.

"I can breath again, better not waste it" he mutters, breathing deeply, before having to dodge Caesar's flamesword once again, the scientist swinging wildly with no finesse or technique behind his attacks.

"Quit running and give me your breath, die already you simpleton!" Caesar demands as he slashes away just out of reach of Luffy "How long do you think you can evade me, wouldn't it be better to just let me kill you? Shurorororo!"

"You pain in my ass, STOP CHASING ME!" Luffy bellows, slamming his knee into Caear's gut, shooting the gasbag across the room with as much ease as if he were a soccer ball.

"Damn you Straw hat, and your haki!" Caesar snarls, clutching his stomach.

'It seems the rumors are true, Straw Hat is an interesting little man after all' Monet smirks from her safe little corner of the room.

"This bastard is nothing but a walking headache, I need to find a way to capture him, before he suck all the air out of my lungs" Luffy mutters to himself.

"Aw, is that little brain of yours working overtime? Hate to break it to you, but there's no way you can beat me, any attempt to capture me will lead to your death and my victory, but keep trying, it amuses me greatly Shurororo!" Caesar cackles, preparing another firestorm attack.

As the flames surrounding him grew higher, Luffy only had mild consolation that the fire meant Caesar wasn't employing his air vacuum technique at the moment.

"How long do you think you can play this little game Straw Hat. Based on my calculations, you have only 2 moves to chose from. You can walk out of here with your tail between your legs like a good boy, or you can die here and now by immolation, that's burning to death in case the words are too complex for you" Caesar gloats "The point of this experiment was to prove to the brokers was to demonstrate the lethal force of Shinokuni. Killing you in any other way defeats the purpose of trying to trap you in the gas cloud in the first place, don't you see? This isn't what I wanted for you, but I will still enjoy it, immensely. Karakuni!" he cries once more, snuffing out the flames between himself and Luffy, and drawing all the oxygen into himself "I'm giving you 1 last chance to walk away…" he's interrupted by Luffy fist slamming the ground, reactivating Gear 2nd.

"I'm not walking away until I catch you, clown" Luffy scowls, steam billowing from his glowing pink body "Take my air as much as you like, I only need one breath to kick your ass, gasbag"

"Oh, now that's a side of you I didn't expect. Masochist with a death wish, fine by me!" he laughs as he shoots forward, blue sword ignited.

Luffy winces as he feels the fair pulled from his lungs, shooting his head back he draws in a breath, then using Gear 2nd's speed lunges for Caesar, using a Jet Bell to disburse the logia, as well as get him behind the scientist "Now's my chance. Armament hardening. Gum Gum Jet Gattling!"

CLANG

"What? A wall? He shouldn't be able to do that" Luffy frowns as his attack was blocked, dropping to the ground in confusion.

"Igloo. You intrigue me Straw hat" Monet grins, finally entering the arena so to speak "And continue to impress, not many people can break that defensive technique" she coos as all 3 of them could hear the crackling, before the entire structure explodes, showering the room in snow and ice.

"So, is that a Devil fruit or magic, cause I've got a ninja and a niece who could probably pull this bullshit off in they tried. Maybe Chopper and Brook with practice given some of the things Valentina said" Luffy asks, actually a little curious, distracted from his fight by the harpy with the ice powers.

"Damn you, you little rubber bastard!" Caesar bellows as he pulls himself free of the snow, about to try again, until his path is blocked by Monet's wing.

"Time to go now Master, this fight is pointless, it's merely a waste of all our time" the harpy chirps.

"You're right, we are in the middle of a very important event, can't waste my time with trash like Straw Hat when I have investors to please" Caesar grins.

"So, you're just going to run away like the coward Law said you were?" Luffy taunts, Caesar twitches, as does Monet, but hers was trying to hold in a smirk.

"I'll keep you in my thoughts, as I turn your crew into a demonstration of my perfect weapons. Tada Strawboy, Shurororo!" Caesar cackles as he dissipates into gas and flits through the air vents.

"Hey, get back here you dickhead!" Luffy cries, only to get pinned down by Monet's talons.

"I'm sorry Straw Hat, but I can't allow you to continue, Master Joker would be most displeased if you interfer with his plans" Monet croons, a much more animalistic grin splits her features.

"You know Law already told me he's that Flamingo guy, you don't need to hide his name from me" Luffy sighs "What is up with that weirdo?"

Everywhere

"Attention all staff, this is an alert from Building D. Attention all buildings of the 3rd Laboratory, The Warlord Trafalgar Law has infiltrated the premises, and has just gained access to the S.A.D. manufacturing room!"

"What is that idiot doing? If he goes through with this plan, he'll bite off even more than he can chew" Caesar scowls, a hint of panic in his tone.

"So that's what he was planning" Vergo notes, a rare hint of anger in his voice, completely ignoring the kick to the face Sanji just dealt him, before using Gepo to blitz out of the corridor, heading straight for Building D.

"So that was the plan. You were to capture or at least distract Caesar, while Law finds the SAD. Well, I finally see what your little scheme is" Monet purrs, an amused glint in her amber eyes.

"Law's scheme, he didn't tell me anything besides Capture Caesar" Luffy corrects, knowing it didn't really matter in the end.

Entrance to Building B

"Come on, come on, don't close yet, Black leg isn't out yet!" One of the marines fret, guilt gnawing at them for letting Sanji stay behind to hold off Vergo, even if it was clear the man wasn't taking no for an answer.

"He'll be fine, you don't know the Straw Hats. They live to defy the odds" Tashigi argues, just as the doors seal shut… and Sanji drops beside her, carrying a few of her men.

"Here we are, safe and sound" Sanji bows, setting the men down and winking at Tashigi "Now, I believe a fair maiden needs an escort, as well as someone well equiped to kick doors down. All me to assist in locating the exit, until such time as I locate my companions"

"Laying it a little thick there swirly" Tashigi deadpans.

"I spent 2 years on an island of Drama Queens, and I learned that occasional indulgences are quite fun actually" Sanji admits with a chuckle, mostly to distract himself from the pain "By the way, who was the stone-cold bastard I was fighting, some commander of yours?"

"Vice Admiral Vergo" Tashigi answers, ignoring the blond's whispers 'shit' "He's crooked, he's been working for Caesar, and worse, Doflamingo for years! He's the reason all the investigations into the missing kids never went anywhere or were simply dropped. It's not right… but a part of me hopes Smoker, Law, or even your crewmate takes Vergo OUT rather than down." She exhales sharply, a fine mist escaping her lips "But enough of that, you mentioned escort? Great, you can help us locate, gather up, and rescue those kids Caesar has experimented on"

"Fine by me, Chopper and Kaya are somewhere in this place working on a cure for some of the drugs the clown's been feeding them, so with some luck we'll run into them and the kids" Sanji agrees swiftly.

Somewhere in Building B

"Law's going after S.A.D?" a voice asks from Vergo's Den Den mushi.

"Indeed, there's no doubt he's betrayed us" Vergo relays neutrally as he continues to Gepo his way through the facility.

"I see, Fufufufu. Well, can't say I'm shocked" Doflamingo admits, even if the smile refuses to leave his face "But that's some gratitude after I took him in. I treated the kid like a brother and this is the thanks I get? Pity huh?"

"Indeed it is" Vergo nods.

"He made it to the manufacturing room you said?" Doflamingo confirms, explosions audible in the background, as well the wails of an angry woman "Here's what I'd do in his place. I'd destroy everything in sight, burn it to the ground metaphorically and literally. Then I'd probably kidnap Caesar, or maybe just kill him, either way, it keeps the SAD out of my enemy's hands" he continues, unaffected by whatever was going on over there.

"He did strike up an alliance with Straw Hat to apparently kidnap Caesar, but whether that was genuine or merely a distraction is hard to say at this point" Vergo adds

"Indeed. Frankly, Vergo, if Law can actually pull this off, we've got a big problem, specifically, I'll have a big problem as this is my business Law is interfering with, and I'll have a pissed-off Azure Fucking Dragon on my ass if he succeeds. They say Ms. Fortune never comes alone, she'll will make a fun visit to his small neck of the wood. I know this will be difficult for you Vergo, but I need you to take out Law, while making it as cruel and gruesome as you can manage. Understand?"

"I won't hold back Doffy, in fact, I'll even send you a picture of his corpse for you, you know that camera I'm always using?" Vergo promises.

"What are you talking about, you don't have a camera, the chance of an incriminating photo would be too big a risk?" Doffy asks in confusion and a little irritation.

"Oh right, I don't… my mistake. Actually, I don't think I've ever taken a photo in my life, would probably do something stupid like leave the lens cap on or something" Vergo shrugs as he flies around "How about I bring you an ear instead?"

"Bring me his tongue, I hear Kira accepts requests as part of the challenge, so let's make this fun for both of us" Doffy chuckles, though starts to make plans on contacting the hitman himself, just in case Vergo is somehow defeated, as minuscule a posibility as that may be.

Dressrosa

Pura! pura! pura!

"Caesar, Monet, can you hear me?" Doflamingo calls moments after hanging up on Vergo,

"Joker, what a surprise" Monet greets cheerfully

"Shurororo, oh Hello there" Caesar acknowledges.

"You have to be careful with Law, but Straw Hat and his crew are dangerous too. The kid may act like a brainless moron, but he's a Conqueror, I saw him use it at Marineford. Plus, being the fool never stopped his Grandfather from being the menace to piracy he was for all those years" Doffy warns "He might even have more potential than Law. Same with his brother, he's a freak of nature, a Conqueror, and the Demon Blade. I'd snatch him up for myself, but I get the feeling Kujan loyalty would work against me. Shame that. Listen I'm going to send Baby 5 and Buffalo to help clear things up. Once you're done, head straight back to Dressrosa, understood?"

"Of course Master" Monet purrs.

"As you wish, though I don't see the need for backup when I can handle the brats myself" Caesar sighs, but agrees before hanging up.

Caesar's Quarters

"I understood basically none of that, so I'm just going to kick your ass and then go hunt down Caesar!" Luffy declares, only to find himself in the middle of an indoor blizzard.

"Like I'd give you the chance, Joker said you were a threat and I know how to handle those, quick, clean, and cold" Monet chirps "Also, to answer your question from earlier, I ate the Yuki Yuki no mi, I'm a snow woman, though on the other side of things, my magic is only a novice level, which is a shame" the snow harpy sighs "Now, lets get to dealing with you" she says before using the snow she's created to bind and hang Luffy like thick ropes.

"Damn it, it's always the logias and their bullshit!" Luffy grumbles as he squrims and flails, having to put a lot more effort than he expected to break free of the snow tendrils, then as is common for logias Monet disperses into snow and reforms behind him, dodging his attack in the process "What next?" he asks irritated by the stonewalling.

"I know the accommodations are less than ideal, but I need you to stay put for both our sakes" Monet argues, though her voice has a similar undertone of amusement Luffy recognized from Kaos when he fought people he had animosity towards "Igloo" she cries, revealing the technique was as much a capture tool as a defensive one.

It still didn't last that long, as Luffy simply went into Gear 2nd and unloaded on the snow dome with a Jet Gattling, shattering it to pieces "Where'd that bitch go?" he mutters, looking a little lost and confused, then screaming as she appeared right behind him, the harpy giggling maniacally as she unleashing another indoor snowstorm upon the Straw Hat Captain.

Building B - Just Outside the Biscuit Room

"I understand now. I can't let anyone eat the Candy. Then you can get us all home safely right?" Moka asks, fearful, but determined.

"Exactly. We need to cure you of the bad things in the candy, but once that's over we should be able to get you out of here no problem" Chopper agrees.

"The problem is this door will only hold for so long, and we don't have any means to contact the others. Especially with that warning a few minutes ago" Kaya grimaces as she tries to keep the door shut with her syrup tendrils.

"Yeah, they'll break through in a few minutes at most" Chopper sighs "Moka, get out of here, get to safety" he orders, surprising the giant little girl.

"But, what about you?" she asks.

"We'll be fine, pirates remember" Chopper winks "Plus, she's actually made of candy syrup, so maybe we can distract them with her tendrils"

"I'm not letting some giant brats chew on me!" Kaya screams, slamming one of her tendrils into Chopper's face, a haki blackened fist at the end of it "But he is right, we can hold our own for a little while, you need to get rid of the candy while we keep the kids out of the room. Understand?"

Moka nods "Right. I won't let you down!" she cries, speeding off using her long strides to blitz away to the Biscuit room. To the Straw Hats displeasure the door held for less than a minute before being torn open by the hoard of drug addicted giant kiddos.

Meanwhile on the Ground Floor of Building B

"You guys better do something quick that Dragon's coming in for another attack!" Carue yelps, huddling behind Nami and Ussop

"It seems to be more interested in wanton destruction than actually roasting us, quite strange" Robin notes, as the dragon seemed to be burning everything indiscriminately, the entire building was engulfed in flames at this point.

"Unlike it's pals, we got another of these weird fuckers on our tail!" Ussop shouts, another oddly suited 'marine' leaping at them in a burst of speed.

"I'll tear out your fucking throats!" he cries, his path interrupted by Vivi, though he still found his mark as his teeth sank into her slender neck.

"Damn it princess, you're supposed to be the vampire expert, why did you let him bite you, dumbass?" Zoro groans, grabbing Wado's hilt in preparation to cut down the bastard that may have just killed his Captain's 1st wife.

"Because I needed him close enough I couldn't miss, and besides, I'm the one person, who can be 0% liquid and still kill with a touch" The princess smirks, the Straw's hat's eyes widen as they realize, she'd turned most of her body to sand, just kept it in a human form, so there was no blood for the vampire to drink "Now, since you offered yourself up to me, how about I do a little sucking?" clamping her hands on the back of his head, her sand engulfing him before he could even attempt to break free "Exsanguination" she cries, draining all the fluid from the being in front of her, then letting go as they crumble to ash, leaving a trail behind them as Brownbeard keeps running.

"That, was cold princess, Kyahahaha!" Valentina cackles, impressed by the girl's ruthelessness "Gonna do a little hunting of your own?"

"Only to find my wife, if any more show up, remember Fire works on all undead" Vivi answers, then dispurses, to the surprise of a fair few of the crew.

"So, that's what 5 of us we're going to need to go look for before we leave?" Artemis chuckles, Shirahoshi nods but the snake-mermaid-something, is confident they will get through this without anything too serious occurring.

"So, are we slaying the damn dragon or not? It's gonna blow this place to Kingdom come sooner or later otherwise" Nami groans

"I shall slay this beast, my grudge against its kind must be paid for in blood" Kinemon declares, only for Brook to butt in

"Hold on a second, I've got beef with this dragon too! He went to attack me, only to turn away like I wasn't worth eating, like I was a bag of bones or something. Accurate but still hurtful" the skeleton whines.

"To be fair, it's a small dragon, probably doesn't have the jaw strength to crack bones and extract the marrow" Victor suggests

"That's what the fire is for, to break the bones with heat, then eat the cooked marrow!" Brook counters, getting eye rolls from some of his crewmates.

"Ok, so are you killing it or not?" Carue asks, now just confused.

"Nin Nin Nin" Nami mutters as she draps herself over Brownbeard's shoulder.

"Are you casting a spell?" the alligator man asks.

"Not one I've seen before" Artemis hums.

"If you're doing what I think you are, I'm kicking you ass when this is over!" Valentina states.

"Hey, magic is a samurai thing, I'm just getting in the spirit of things" Nami defends.

"That's ninja, which is why Val is completely in the right for you disrespecting her culture" Ussop argues.

Their argument was interrupted by the Dragon flying into one of Nami's Thunder Trap Clouds. Stunning it and sending it hurtling towards the ground.

"Let's keep it stun locked a little longer. Special Attack: Green Star Raflagia!" Usopp shouts, shooting out the smelly red flower, which the dragon ended up essentially divebombing into"

"So the perky one is skilled in the ninja way, and the goblin commands flowers to do his bidding, this is quite a formidable crew" Kinemon states with awe.

"The fuck you just say?" Nami and Ussop shout.

"And for the grand finale. Ochenta Fleur, Cuatro Manos: Hold!" Robin declares, blooming massive arms that grabbed and broke the Dragon's wings, ensuring it's only option, was straight down.

"Are you all masters of the mystic arts?" Kinemon gasps "Perhaps a squad of Master Ninja?"

"No you idiot, I know Wano is isolated, but do you really not understand what Devil fruit and non-ninja forms of sorcery are?" Valentina groans.

"Um, not a sorcerer" Ussop pipes in.

"The only masters of magic or ninjutsu on the crew are Artemis, myself and maybe Kaos, the lanky purple fuck. Everyone else is either a Devil fruit user, a dabbler in magic that suits them or both, such as Nami being the last of the Stormbreakers, and even then she's still just a rookie" the Jonin ninja elaborates.

"Hey guys, I found the kids" Carue shouts, using her wings to point the highest level of Building B, where the kids were rushing along the gangways "Now what?"

"We follow them, then make sure Caesar regrets ever laying a finger on them" Nami answers.

"I'm going to break his legs, then his arms, then squeeze his heart so he almost loses consciousness, to start" Robin mutters darkly, holding Medusa to her bosom, which the child is confused by, but doesn't mind as Mama's hugs always make her feel safe.

"Um, can Robin use haki?" Victor asks the others.

"Not that I know of, but given how Nami can punch Luffy so hard it hurts him when she gets mad, I'd say a mother's wrath would manifest haki on par with at least a New World pirate" Zoro shrugs, Kaya not there to point out she'd flared strong enough armament when she gave birth she broke a Nephalim's hand and shoulder in the process.

GRAWWWWH!

"Oh crap, that's Chopper. He had to use THAT form to deal with the kids?" Brook yells "Actually, that makes sense, some of them are massive and the drugs seem to give them super strength" the skeleton muses a moment later.

But as Chopper and Kaya come into view, it's clear that even Monster Point was just delaying the inevitable, the wave of giant kids was just too much for 2 pirates to contain alone.

SAD Manufacturing Station

"So, you gonna tell us what this shit is? No? Ok then" Kaos sighs deeply, Smoker similarly annoyed but silently chewing through his cigar, all the while Law stares at the massive tank labeled S.A.D. with a whole host of warning symbols on it. He then steps forward, and begins to draw his sword…

"You know, it feels like I've been bitten by my own dog" Vergo states as he lands in the doorway, drawing all attention to himself "Law. I'm afraid you crossed the line this time kid, you're just too damn…. Smart, for your own good" he drawls as he slowly enters the facility "You know what sad about folks like you? They tend to die young, and painfully" he continues, Law turning as he finally had the Warlord's attention "You know, it would be almost laughably easy to kill you, I just need to crush your heart. However, that's not what I'm going to do, because is both too easy, but no fun for me, so instead, I'm going to torment you until you're begging for death" he continues, enhancing his bamboo staff with the telltale sign of armament haki before blitzing Law, catching him in the chin, before choke slamming him into the ground "Stand up, Law" Vergo commands "You can't die that early, you're beginning to irritate me with this weak ass defiance"

Caesar's Quarters

"Fuck, this is a pain in the ass. I can't even sense her as all the snow feels like her to my haki," Luffy grumbles as he tries to see through the blizzard "What do you want with me?"

"I already told you, I can't allow you to continue to fight Caesar, he's a liability and a pain to work with, but if anything were to happen to him it would inconvenience the boss, and that is unforgivable," Monet calls from high above, before entombing him in a massive Igloo technique.

"This again, but she knows I can bust through it?" Luffy mutters, smashing through the wall with a Jet Pistol, only to find another directly behind it "Ah, layered walls, damn it. Fine then, Jet Gattling!" he cries, unleashing all his might, but the logia just continued to form walls and restore the broken ones with her Devil fruit powers, Luffy's more focused attack plan making it easier for her as she doesn't need to rebuild the entire igloo, just the one damaged portion each time. Besides, it was all just a misdirection, something to keep him occupied while she deployed her actual plan. The moment he stopped to catch his breath, she formed from the snow he'd already smashed apart, and gave him a lethal embrace, the knock off Yuki Onna dropping his temperature in a matter of moments.

It almost worked, until something clicked in his head, and the Igloo shook with a burst of Conqueror's haki, breaking Monet's spell on him as he pushes her away, though still held on even as he activated Gear 2nd and unleashed a Jet Spear….. Though unlike any of his previous attacks, he aimed for the one place he knew Monet hadn't reinforced with snow, straight down, shattering the floor beneath him. He gave a triumphant grin, before his brain caught up to the rest of him, and realized he was in for a long fall in about 5 seconds 'Shit'

"What tremendous power you have Straw Hat, especially for one so young. Buuuut, that hole he made for himself will send him straight for the trash shoot and then the subterranean garbage dump. It wasn't how I intended to deal with him…. But it all works out in the end" the harpy grins, dismissing her ice walls as she flies away.

Just outside the Biscuit room

"CANDY!"
"GIVE IT TO US!"
"MEANIES!"

"WE'LL SMASH YOU UP!"

"Stop this right now, the candy is what's making you sick" Chopper tries to explain, but the kids were too out of their minds from the drugs to even process his words, never mind respond to them.

"We can't hold them off much longer" Kaya pants, even with her Devil fruit and Chopper in Monster Point, there were too many and too strong, plus they were still kids, neither of them wanted to actually hurt them, and one of the reasons the former was only pushing them away with her syrup tendrils, not for example, shooting them.

Their resistance ended when Chopper's rumble ball ran out, Kaya switching to catching the reindeer out of the air and protecting him from the stampeding kids, as she knew she'd be unable to stop more than the normal-sized children alone, and this way he avoided being trampled.

"W-We failed" Chopper whimpers, unable to move in the medic's embrace.

Kaya winces, but knows he's right "All we can do, is hope Moka was able to get rid of the candy while we were out here" she sighs heavily, weariness filling her core.

Luckily the duo, the rest of the crew, (minus 5) showed up at that moment to assist, Nami even taking Chopper off Kaya's hands, as the gunslinger was scooped up by Ussop, to her blushing amusement.

"Need a lift?" he asks with a wink.

"Flirt later, save the kids now" Valentina shouts as the entire group run for the biscuit room.

"Any chance you know what the story is with these kids?" Zoro asks.

"And what any of this has to do with Medusa" Robin adds, which was when the 2 medics notice the extra wing things in the toddler's hair.

"Caesar's trying to turn the kids into giant soldiers by feeding them drugged candy. I don't know what he was doing to Medusa, given he only just started, but given her unique biology…" Chopper begins

"That's provided he knows Medusa has the enhanced durability of her Dad's side of the family, he could have been working on a few new plans besides gigantification, especially with Medusa being so young she's basically a blank slate" Kaya adds

"We need to stop them eating any more of the candy. There's a girl called Moka, she's been helping us and will hopefully have gotten rid of at least some of the candy while we were holding the line against the kids" Chopper continues as the group get to the doorway of the biscuit room.

"Mille Fleur: Gigantso Mano" Robin calls, forming Giant hands to block the kid's path "I can hold them off for a little while, but we need a more long-term solution. Violent little shits aren't they?" Robin grimaces as the kids bite at and slam their pipes into her hands.

"We just need to get to Moka and destroy the Candy, it won't be much longer" Ussop assures her as the rest of them rush the group, Shirahoshi even growing back to her full height as for once it actually made things easier, even just a little against all these giant kids.

"Moka run!" Artemis shouts, seeing the girl frozen in fear, holding the candy to her chest as her friends barrel toward her "We have to keep the candy away from them"

"R-r-right!" the girl stutters but nods, turning on her heels and running as fast as she could, the room itself wasn't that big form someone of her stature so the exit wasn't that far away….. Until the entire doorway was blocked by a snow mound.

"Ok that's just unfair" Nami whines "We can't get the candy or Moka out of here with that blockade, and I really don't want to hurt kids"

"Clearly the mastermind behind this heinous experiment is in the wings, that obstruction was simply too well timed otherwise" Kinemon states, his logic sound in the eyes of the Straw Hats.

"What do I do?" Moka frets staring at the wall blocking her path.

"You don't have to do a thing Moka dear" the giant looks up, seeing Monet perched on a high railing "You shouldn't be mean girl Moka, share the candy with the others" she commands softly, before dropping down, her wings delivering an icy chill in the air as she lands.

"See, I told you there was a bird woman earlier, but do you listen? No!" Ussop shouts.

"Anyone know what the Hell she is?" Zoro asks "Are there even bird people normally?"

"Given the other things in Punk Hazard, I'd say she's another mix and match from Law" Victor assumes.

"Meaning it's the ice and snow we need to consider as either magical or Devil Fruit related" Valentina agrees.

"She's modeled after a harpy, much like how the men outside were based on centaur and satyr" Robin adds, frowning when Medusa squirms in her arms, waving at the pretty bird lady.

?

"I never thought I'd enter this secret room, never mind use it" Caesar mutters in irritation as he opens the door, the mechanism hisses and creaks from lack of use "But under the circumstances it's the only option. A pity, they just had to go and ruin EVERYTHING!" he cries as he boots up the system and the camera feeds reroute to this room "Oh how I wish things had all gone according to plan, it would have been an amazing show, one befitting of the greatest scientist the world has ever seen, me. But then they had to show up and ruin everything: Straw Hat Luffy, his pirate crew, the G5 marines, and even Trafalgar Law. They will all regret crossing me, I'll make sure of it!"

SAD Facility

Law and Vergo, it's wasn't really much of a fight, more a one-sided beating, the traitorous Vice Admiral smacking the Warlord from one side of the room to the other with minimal resistance from his opponent. But they had to give it to Law, he kept getting up.

"Let me guess" Law wheezes, still conscious enough to trash talk at least "You're pissy because your little scheme with Doffy went up in smoke? This thing's really important to you, ain't it?" He gives a bloody smirk "It's a hunk of junk" he sneers, then gasps, his knees shaking as Vergo squeezes his heart.

"I'd watch my mouth if I were you" Virgo deadpans.

"Room. Now give me my heart!" Law commands, the organ flickers before manifesting in his hand, eyes widen as Vergo shoots forward… and collides with a huge blade exuding an ominous crimson aura.

CLANG!

"Tunnel vision, ain't it a bitch?" Kaos cackles, Hebi slimming down from a Greatsword to a katana-sized blade, though the crimson aura didn't fade one bit "Didn't even see me standing there, all that mattered to you in the world was Law. Zesesese!"

"I'm kind of in the middle of something, can't you two wait in line, Mirror Demon, White Hunter?" Vergo asks flatly, as Smoker appears directly behind him "Not that it matters, I'll kill both of you while I'm here, save me the trouble of hunting you down"

"Funny, we were having a discussion on the way here and were thinking the same thing" Smoker sneers around his cigars "I can only stomach trash like you in my prescience for so long, so I'm going to make sure you don't sully the name of the marines a day longer" he declares, drawing his jute.

TBC

LW: The epic clash has begun! Vergo got jumped, but seems to not care. Let's see how that turns out next time ;)