The sun rose high over Dressrosa as the sounds of the city came to life. At the massive Corrida Coliseum, crowds had already begun pouring in, cheering for blood, glory, and spectacle. Inside, the preparation chambers buzzed with the tension of warriors readying for battle.
Luffy, still under his comical disguise as "Lucy," adjusted the scruffy beard tied around his ears and laughed. "Man, this is gonna be awesome! I wonder what kind of food they've got here."
"You're more excited about food than the fight," said a broad-shouldered man beside him, glaring. "You'll be eliminated fast."
Luffy shrugged. "Maybe, but I came for the fruit. I'm gonna win."
Across the room, Kael—cloaked in dusty armor and wearing a metal-plated mask—stood silently near a wall. Under the name "Ironshade," he kept to himself. He already knew who "Lucy" was—there was no mistaking Luffy's voice, not after traveling with him across the sea.
What he didn't understand was why Luffy's presence unsettled him.
Kael had boarded the Thousand Sunny with doubt in his heart, certain the Straw Hats would only bring chaos. And yet... Luffy hadn't tried to dig into his past. He hadn't asked probing questions. He just smiled. Laughed. Acted like Kael had always been there.
Why does that bother me more than if he had pushed me away? Kael wondered, folding his arms as he watched the carefree pirate.
He didn't feel hate. He didn't feel anger. Just confusion—and an odd, frustrating sense of safety.
And that made him nervous.
Contestants from all over the world milled about. Some were brash and loud, swinging weapons for show. Others, like Kael, remained still, conserving energy.
A tall, blonde man in a pristine white coat stepped into the preparation chamber with a grand sweep of his cape. The others instantly turned toward him.
"Is that—?"
"Cavendish... the White Horse!"
Luffy blinked. "White who?"
Cavendish walked in with measured grace, his cape trailing behind him as murmurs of recognition rippled through the chamber. He gave a calm nod to the room, not breaking his composure. "So this is where the next spectacle begins," he said with a refined tone. "I am Cavendish of the Beautiful Pirates. Once hailed as the most dazzling rookie of my generation."
He paused, surveying the room, his eyes thoughtful rather than boastful. "But then... the Worst Generation rose to fame. Their bounties soared, and mine was forgotten. Among them, Straw Hat Luffy... his name stole the winds from my sails."
Luffy blinked, tilting his head. "That guy sounds popular."
Cavendish smiled politely, still unaware. "Indeed. I came here hoping to prove something. To reclaim a little of what was lost."
He then gave Luffy—disguised as Lucy—a nod. "You have an interesting aura. Not reckless like the others. Perhaps we will cross blades."
Kael raised an eyebrow, silent but observant.
Kael didn't react, but Luffy squinted. "Never heard of you."
Cavendish's eye twitched. "Tch. That blasted Straw Hat Luffy… always stealing the spotlight. I came here to prove I'm the most dazzling pirate alive!"
Luffy blinked. "That guy sounds kinda cool."
Cavendish chuckled, not recognizing the disguised Luffy. "You're not so bad yourself, Lucy. But stay out of my way, or I'll be forced to show you just how beautiful and deadly I can be."
Luffy scratched his chin. "Huh? Did I steal something?"
"Your fame! My glory! And now they're calling you a hero!"
Kael, watching the exchange, thought, This man… is he for real?
Cavendish turned to Kael and gave a curious nod. "And you? Ironshade, was it? You move like someone who's not new to killing. A bounty hunter, perhaps?"
Kael didn't answer. He simply shifted his weight and replied, "I didn't come here to make friends."
"Tch. Suit yourself. Just don't get in my way. I plan to win this whole tournament and claim the Flame-Flame Fruit."
He gave them both a final dramatic pose before striding off.
Luffy leaned toward Kael. "He's kinda funny. Think he's strong?"
Kael replied dryly, "Strong or not, he talks too much."
Luffy laughed. "He reminds me of Sanji when he's trying to impress Nami."
"So this is the chaos I walked into," Kael muttered. "Every fool here wants power. They don't even know what it costs."
The crowd exploded with cheers as the live projection changed again, now focusing on the new combatants preparing for Block C.
"Contestants for Group C, prepare to enter the arena!" boomed the announcer. The gate creaked open, revealing a coliseum floor still slick with dust and sweat.
Among the crowd stepping forward:
Don Chin Jao, the drill-headed former pirate with a grudge against Garp.
Sai and Boo of the Happo Navy.
Jean Ango, the bounty-collector with razor-sharp throwing weapons.
Ideo, the explosive martial artist.
Abdullah and Jeet, the feral tag-team fighters.
Kelly Funk and Bobby Funk, the manipulative brothers with a dangerous secret.
Luffy and Kael, still in their disguises, took their positions among the chaos.
The horn blared.
"BLOCK C… BEGIN!"
The battlefield descended into pure madness. Fighters launched into the fray with savage force. Dust exploded into the air as Abdullah and Jeet leapt onto Kelly Funk, only for Bobby Funk to transform into a monstrous brute and smash them back.
Ideo spun and delivered a whirlwind punch that sent three men flying. Jean Ango's whirling blades created a deadly perimeter around himself. Sai and Boo coordinated strikes with elegant precision.
But the center of the storm was Don Chin Jao. His hardened head shattered stone as he bulldozed through competitors, seeking one opponent: Lucy.
"STRAW HAT LUFFY!" he roared, though still unaware Lucy was Luffy.
Luffy looked around. "Huh? Someone say my name?"
Kael sidestepped a lunging attacker, disabling him with swift strikes. "They're focusing on you."
"Me? I didn't do anything yet!"
The floor cracked beneath Don Chin Jao's furious stomp. "I'LL CRUSH YOUR SKULL, GRANDSON OF GARP!"
Luffy blinked. "Wait... what did I do?!"
As chaos erupted, Kael moved into a defensive position, staying to the edges of the brawl. His mind raced.
Too many unknowns. Chin Jao's dangerous. Luffy's being targeted. And yet… he smiles.
As the violence roared on, Cavendish watched from the shadows, calculating. Let them exhaust each other, he thought. Then I strike.