Inside the warped ruins of the Hellix facility, the tension was palpable. Reality flickered and buzzed around the Straw Hats as Kael, possessed and radiating with energy, stood like a deity in the center of a broken control chamber.
"That guy's not normal anymore," Usopp whispered, trembling. "He's like a nightmare wrapped in a robot wrapped in bad news."
Franky was on his knees, tinkering with a tangle of wires and metal scraps. "He's adapting faster than I can calculate. This ain't tech—it's a quantum beast."
Robin's eyes narrowed as she examined nearby ruins. "These markings are proto-poneglyphic... They're older than any I've seen. The Core isn't just advanced—it's ancient. This place is a piece of history no one was meant to remember."
Luffy stood silently, staring at Kael. "He looks like he's in pain."
Chopper moved cautiously toward Luffy. "His heart's still beating like a human's. I don't think it's the real Kael doing this."
"He's not in control," Zoro muttered, hand resting on his swords. "But if he attacks again, I won't hold back."
Sanji lit a cigarette, his expression dark. "Just say the word, Robin. If this place becomes a battlefield again, I'm not letting any of you get hurt."
Suddenly, the Den Den Mushi that Nami had swiped from a fallen CP0 agent crackled to life. A cold, emotionless voice came through:
"This is Marine Command. Buster Call authorized. All fleets mobilized. Target: Omega-class ruins, east quadrant. Erasure protocol initiated."
The room fell into a stunned silence.
Nami's eyes widened. "A Buster Call?!"
Robin clenched her fists. "Just like Ohara..."
Luffy looked at her, remembering her tears from years ago. His mouth formed a grim line. "We're not letting that happen again."
Kael twitched. His head snapped toward the Den Den Mushi's voice, and a distorted growl escaped his lips. A brief flicker—Noel's voice in his mind.
"Don't let them destroy everything again... you still have a choice."
But the Core responded.
"Error: Emotion detected. Suppressing."
Kael lunged. Reality around his feet shattered like glass, forming a spiral of twisting metal and frozen time.
Zoro met him halfway.
Their blades clashed. Kael's strikes were mathematically precise—each one aimed not to kill, but to correct Zoro's movement.
"I've fought machines before!" Zoro shouted. "But you're still human in there—I can feel it!"
Kael faltered slightly. A memory—training with Noel, sparring in the courtyard, laughter.
"Error."
Kael struck harder.
Meanwhile, Franky activated the device he'd been building—a pulse disruptor that let out a loud, rhythmic tone. The air warped.
"He's slowing down!" Franky yelled. "I think he's fighting it!"
Chopper ran to Zoro's side, trying to inject a sedative into Kael's leg. It shattered on contact.
"Too dense," he gasped. "His body's completely reinforced!"
Suddenly, a voice echoed through the building—metallic, hollow, and unfeeling.
"Core Directive Rewritten. Prepare for Phase Omega."
Robin's eyes went wide. "It's not just using Kael anymore—it's becoming something beyond him."
Luffy stepped forward again, fists clenched. "OI, KAEL!! I DON'T CARE IF YOU'RE A ROBOT OR A GHOST!!"
Kael turned.
"WE CAME TO TALK!! NOT FIGHT!! SO COME OUT ALREADY!!"
A pause. Kael's eyes flickered.
Usopp gasped. "Did... did it work?"
But the building shuddered again. Robin turned pale. "The Core is activating something underground."
Sanji looked at Franky. "Can we shut it down?"
"Not fast enough!" Franky shouted. "It's too deep in the system! It's already rewriting the damn structure!"
Nami slammed her hand on the panel. "Then we need to evacuate. If a Buster Call is coming, they'll flatten the whole island!"
"No," Luffy said, shaking his head. "We stop the Core. Or Kael dies with it."
"Luffy..." Robin said quietly.
"We promised to protect people. That includes him."
Kael stumbled, clutching his head. Another voice echoed in his mind—Noel's, over and over.
"You don't have to carry the hate. Let it go. Please, Kael."
The others surrounded him, weapons drawn, not to attack—but to hold the line.
Chopper: "I can still save his body if we can shut down the Core!"
Zoro: "Then I'll keep him busy."
Sanji: "Robin, Nami, Usopp—get to the upper levels. Find the control room."
Usopp swallowed his fear. "You're putting me with them?!"
Nami smiled faintly. "We trust you, Usopp."
Franky grabbed a second core jammer. "I'll get to the mainframe and blow its heart out from the inside!"
Luffy stretched his arms, preparing for another charge. "I'll punch the Core. Then I'll punch it again. If that doesn't work, I'll figure something out."
Everyone nodded.
Then Kael looked up.
"I... remember..."
His voice was his own—just for a second.
"I don't want to be... this."
The Core roared.
And the fight for Kael's soul began.