The tunnels trembled again, subtly this time. Not a quake, but a pulse—like a heartbeat stirring the bones of the island. Deep beneath the surface, eight battles unfolded.
Zoro clashed steel with his cloaked opponent in a chamber littered with rusted training dummies. The figure mirrored his stances with eerie precision.
"You think swordsmanship is just strength?" the cloaked swordsman hissed.
Zoro narrowed his eyes, one brow twitching. "No. It's about resolve... and cutting down anyone who gets in my way."
He shifted his weight and struck with a twist the figure didn't expect, knocking the blade from his hand. The copy vanished into smoke. Zoro sheathed his sword with a grunt. "Nice trick. But not good enough."
Nami dodged lightning from her opponent's wand. The woman's voice echoed in the metal corridor. "Do you fight for the crew, or your survival? What happens when you're forced to choose?"
Nami ducked and rolled behind cover. "I choose both! I survive because of them. And I protect them... even from people like you."
With a crack of her clima-tact, she blasted the figure with a shockwave of wind. The woman staggered, then dissolved into mist. Alone again, Nami stared at the report clutched in her hand, lips pressed tight.
Sanji kicked hard, but stopped short when his opponent's cloak fell away to reveal a woman's face. He hesitated, cigarette dangling.
"You..."
The figure grinned. "You won't hit me. You never hit women. That's your weakness."
Sanji's jaw clenched. "It's called chivalry. You wouldn't understand."
He shifted, targeting only the ground near her feet, collapsing the platform. The enemy fell into darkness. Sanji lit another cigarette, his voice soft. "But I'll still win—without crossing my line."
Robin held back, watching the cloaked figure open the chained book.
"I can show you what Ohara never dared uncover," the woman whispered. "A truth even the Void Century feared."
Robin didn't flinch. "I've seen what fear does to truth. That's why I keep going."
She summoned arms to slam the book shut. The figure evaporated. Robin stood still for a long time, heart pounding, her expression unreadable.
Chopper stared at broken glass filled with flickering images—children crying, patients screaming.
"You weren't enough," the cloaked doctor sneered. "You still aren't."
Chopper's hooves balled into fists. "I'm not a monster... I'm a doctor! I'm not perfect, but I'll never stop trying to heal!"
He transformed into Heavy Point and shattered the display with one punch. The lab went silent. Chopper's breath came fast and heavy, but his eyes were firm.
Usopp ducked and rolled as a bolt of energy whizzed past.
"You're the weakest one. The lie everyone pretends is brave."
Usopp trembled, sweat on his brow. But his hands steadied. "You don't get it. I am scared. But brave isn't about not being scared. It's about standing up anyway!"
He fired—an exploding Pop Green engulfing the figure in smoke. When it cleared, he was alone again.
"That's right! Captain Usopp's still standing!"
Brook danced across stone tiles, clashing blades with the violinist.
"You carry the dead with you. But you fear forgetting them."
Brook's tone shifted, somber but strong. "I remember every name. Every smile. Their laughter lives in my music."
He strummed his violin with one slash, releasing a wave of sound that scattered his opponent. Silence followed.
"And now, I carry this song forward—with their souls in every note. Yohohoho."
Somewhere in the labyrinth, Franky grumbled as he picked himself up from the floor of a circular chamber.
"Ow! That button was not SUPER labeled!" he groaned, brushing off dust from his shoulder. Around him were cracked machines and busted tools. His eyes widened as he recognized the design.
"Whoa... these gears... these aren't just weapons. This tech is ancient!" he exclaimed, his voice echoing. "It's like some prototype Vegapunk stuff!"
He walked forward, examining a partially powered console. "Man, whoever built this had craftsmanship, but zero safety protocols. I love it!"
As he wandered deeper, Franky found a chamber with walls covered in blueprints. Some were of weapons. Others were of people. His jaw tightened.
"Weaponizing people... that's not SUPER. That's disgusting."
He clenched his fists. "I build to protect. Not to turn someone into a ticking time bomb."
A flicker of movement made him whip around. One of the cloaked enemies appeared at the doorway.
Franky cracked his knuckles. "Alright. Let's test your metal. But don't expect me to go easy!"
Luffy stared at his cloaked opponent. They hadn't moved.
"You don't want to fight?"
Still, no response.
Luffy walked closer, frowning. "You're not bad. You're just... stuck."
The figure finally spoke. "You don't understand what this place is."
Luffy smiled, hands behind his head. "I don't care. I'm here for my friends. That's all I need to know."
He punched the wall beside the figure. It shattered. The figure vanished, leaving only dust. Luffy dusted off his straw hat. "Weird guy."
High above, Kael clenched the edge of the console. The screens flickered—some shattered entirely.
The cloaked figure behind him murmured, "They passed. Each one."
Kael said nothing. Doubt pressed harder in his chest. They weren't breaking. They were adapting.
Suddenly, the lab shook with real violence. Alarms screeched to life. Emergency lights turned crimson.
Robin, regrouping in a central stairwell, looked up. "Something just woke up."
Across the tunnels, each Straw Hat felt it: something massive, ancient, and mechanical, stirring below.
Kael turned to the control panel and saw it—deep in the vaults of the lab, an automated weapon, long sealed, was activating. His hands hovered over the keys, then dropped.
"This wasn't supposed to happen," he whispered.
The cloaked figure stepped forward. "Then it's out of your hands now."
Kael watched as the Straw Hats—bruised, breathless, and uncertain—began running, not from the threat, but toward it.