The dry air of the burning plains crackled as Luffy leapt toward Smoker, arm pulled back.
"Gomu Gomu no... JET PISTOL!"
Smoker blocked with his jitte, Haki reinforcing his weapon. The impact kicked up a wave of steam and dust.
Zoro met Tashigi's blade with his own, parrying and countering with brutal efficiency.
"You've gotten stronger," Tashigi muttered.
"You haven't changed," Zoro replied, pushing her back.
Robin and Usopp kept their distance, eyes scanning the area for the voice's source—the disembodied legs were still hopping nearby.
"Usopp, try to get those legs to safety!" Robin ordered.
"I'm not sure how to carry just legs!" Usopp wailed. "They're kicking too much!"
The dragon above them let out a frustrated roar, circling wide.
Inside Caesar's Facility – Containment Block
Sanji's foot smashed against the reinforced door again. "Come on! They caught us with our pants down. Not cool!"
"My bones are chilled," Brook said from behind his cell. "Though I have no flesh... yohohoho."
Franky was studying the strange tubes connected to the walls. "This stuff... it's Vegapunk's base tech. Modified. Sloppy."
Chopper, still groggy, blinked at the children through the glass. "They're sick... He's testing something on them."
Nami stood, arms crossed, pacing. "We need to escape. We don't have time to play Caesar's guinea pigs."
From a vent above, a tiny camera blinked. Caesar, monitoring, cackled in his lab.
"Se-re-re-re! You're all perfect specimens! Let's see what breaks first—your minds or your bodies!"
Elsewhere – Secret Passage Beneath the Island
A door hissed open. Law stepped quietly into the corridor, coat fluttering. He moved with purpose.
He passed under signs marked "Project: Hellix – Authorized Personnel Only."
"So... the rumors were true," he muttered, eyes narrowing.
Inside a secured chamber, a stasis tube glowed ominously. Floating inside, half-assembled drones orbited what looked like fractured fragments of a core—cracked but pulsing faintly.
"The Hellix Core... even Vegapunk didn't have full control over it. Why revive it now?"
He tapped his sword lightly against the wall. "Caesar's reckless... but someone else is moving the pieces."
He turned back. "I need to warn the Straw Hats. Before this island becomes a grave."
Back on the Surface – Combat Continues
"Luffy, we need to retreat!" Usopp shouted, now dragging the legs behind a rock. "We've got what we came for!"
"But he's fun to punch!" Luffy grinned, blocking another smoke-infused strike.
"Not the point!"
Robin formed arms to assist Zoro, who narrowly dodged a haki swipe from Tashigi. "She's faster than before," he muttered.
A sudden explosion shook the cliffs.
"That wasn't us," Smoker growled, stepping back.
Everyone turned as a huge plume of gas burst from the island's center. Atop the lab, Caesar's silhouette loomed.
"Se-re-re-re! Your brawling is cute, but it's time for the curtain to rise! Phase Two begins now!"
From the Observation Deck, alarms blared.
Monitors malfunctioned. Caesar turned. "What?!"
Behind him, the Hellix Core shimmered brightly. Several walls in the lab's lower floors opened without command.
"Security breach—unauthorized override," a robotic voice droned.
Kael's eyes twitched.