The crew began regrouping, their work in the facility finished. Robin, Chopper, and the others, the crew raided the lab efficiently, tearing through rooms and clearing out the facility. Smiley production was reduced to ruins. Zoro hacked through storage crates marked with the "SAD" logo while Sanji stood nearby, occasionally redirecting him when he wandered off. Franky blasted heavy machinery into scrap with his beam cannons, his loud "Super!" echoing over the destruction.
Nami and Usopp rummaged through offices, hauling anything valuable into sacks. Usopp grumbled about the weight, but Nami just smirked, clearly focused on maximizing the haul. Robin sifted through documents.
Chopper gathered syringes, vials, and medical tools from the shattered lab tables. "This stuff might still be useful," he muttered to himself as he worked quickly.
Coby stayed outside, watching the horizon, half expecting Aokiji to show up. Luffy perched on a pile of rubble, chewing on a piece of meat he'd pulled from nowhere, his eyes following the activity with curiosity.
But the Admiral-turned-pirate was nowhere to be seen. That suited him fine. He had a pretty good idea why Aokiji wasn't here this time.
In the original timeline, Caesar had streamed the weapon's destructive power to the black market, drawing in all kinds of attention. This time, Coby had made sure things played out differently. Instead of letting events spiral, the crew had raided the lab right away, throwing Caesar's plans into chaos before he could even begin broadcasting.
With the timeline altered, there was no broadcast to reach the underworld, no Smoker pinned down and vulnerable for Aokiji to "coincidentally" stumble upon. Without that key piece, Aokiji—now part of Blackbeard's crew—had no reason to show up here.
It wasn't a certainty, but the pieces fit well enough. Whatever the reason, the lack of Aokiji's freezing chaos was a relief. One less wildcard in an already messy situation.
"Think we missed anything?" Luffy asked, tossing the bone over his shoulder.
Coby glanced back. "If we did, it's probably not worth worrying about."
Luffy nodded. "Good enough."
Sanji approached, brushing the last speck of ash off his suit. "We're almost done. Should we leave?"
Coby glanced at Luffy, who gave a lazy nod, still perched on a heap of rubble. "Yeah, no point sticking around. Everyone back to the Sunny," He called out.
The crew started regrouping. Zoro sheathed his swords pointed at opposite side of the island, "I'm ready. Ship is in this direction right?"
Sanji rolled his eyes. "Just follow me, moss head."
"Don't boss me around," Zoro snapped, but followed without further argument.
Nami hoisted a heavy bag filled with loot over her shoulder, smirking at Usopp's groans as he struggled with his share. "You'll be fine, Usopp. It's only half your weight."
"Half my weight?!" Usopp panted, nearly dropping the bag. "It's like carrying Franky!"
Franky flexed nearby, hauling two massive crates as if they weighed nothing. "SUUUUUPER light, Usopp. You need to train more."
As the crew headed toward the Thousand Sunny, Coby noticed Law still standing near Doflamingo's unconscious body, Kikoku resting on his shoulder. "You coming, Surgeon? Or do you want to stick around and babysit?"
Law gave a small nod, his gaze fixed on Doflamingo. "He's done. The Marines can deal with him now." He turned and walked after the crew.
Coby knew Law wouldn't kill Doflamingo. That wasn't a concern. Law could take all the dramatic speeches he wanted; Coby had already ensured that if anyone landed the final blow, it'd be him. Before the fight even began, he'd left a subtle trick in Doflamingo's head to make sure of it.
[Special Rewards:
Plot Shift Bonus: 20,000 SP awarded for drastically altering the events of the New World by killing Doflamingo. His death disrupts the black market underworld and prevents his plans to weaponize Smile fruits, significantly weakening Kaido's influence.
Underworld Collapse Bonus: 14,000 SP awarded for causing a ripple effect in the criminal underworld, dismantling key alliances and destabilizing power dynamics.
Strategic Assassination Bonus: 5,000 SP awarded for eliminating a major antagonist without engaging in direct combat, conserving resources and avoiding collateral damage.
Total SP Awarded for Assassinating Doflamingo: 39,000 SP.]
With their business finished on Punk Hazard, the crew set sail toward Dressrosa, where Law's crew and Kin'emon's ally were waiting. Now that Doflamingo was out of the picture, events in Dressrosa would be far easier to handle.
"So, how are we going to fix Dressrosa?" Robin asked, leaning on the ship's railing. "From what I know, Doflamingo's web runs deep."
Coby chuckled, brushing his face with his hand as he morphed into Doflamingo's likeness. Gasps echoed around the deck.
"Right! You have Bon Clay's powers," Usopp exclaimed, nearly dropping his tools.
"Yeah," Coby replied with a grin. "Kin'emon can make me some clothes. Then, I'll take Doflamingo's place, pull his strings, and dismantle his entire operation. It'll be quick."
Coby turned to Luffy. "But, Luffy. You should know, Ace's fruit, the Mera Mera no Mi, is in Dressrosa. It's being used as a tournament prize." Coby was surprised by this. In the original timeline, Doflamingo was using it to lure Luffy out of the shadows, or so he thought. Turned out it was just a coincidence. It also made sense, as in the anime, at the time, people from all around the world had already gathered for that fruit.
Luffy blinked, tilting his head. "Ace's fruit? Why's it there?"
Coby explained that the tournament was a setup in Dressrosa's colosseum, with Ace's fruit as the grand prize. Luffy's excitement was immediate, but when Coby offered to compete in his place, Luffy quickly agreed. Coby needed the extra SP anyway.
The Thousand Sunny sailed into the waters near Dressrosa, blending with the ships docked in the bustling harbor. The city loomed ahead, vibrant yet shrouded in tension. From the deck, the crew discussed their approach.
"Alright," Coby said, stretching his arms as he morphed into Doflamingo. He hovered in the air using Doflamingo's string technique, mimicking the Warlord's casual flight. "I'm heading to the palace to handle business there. Once I take care of his crew, we'll move on with the plan. Luffy, you guys meet with the dwarfs and handle their side. Wait for my mark."
Luffy grinned, punching his palm. "Got it! Let's go!"
At the palace gates, Doflamingo's underlings patrolled, their postures relaxed but alert. A guard stepped forward, shouting, "Who goes—"
Coby landed with a solid thud in front of the palace gates. "Gather everyone," he said, voice sharp and clipped. The guards stiffened, exchanging wary glances. Without delay, they rushed to obey, their steps hurried as they disappeared into the palace.
Minutes later, Coby sat on Doflamingo's lavish throne, legs casually crossed, surveying the assembled crew. Diamante, Trebol, Pica, and the others were lined up before him. Their expressions varied, some uneasy, some confused, but all deferential.
"Young Master," Diamante started, his tone cautious, "you called us?"
Coby leaned forward slightly, his hands resting on the arms of the throne. "Something big has happened." He let the words hang for a moment, watching the crew shift uncomfortably. "Vergo and Monet are dead. Caesar too."
A ripple of shock moved through the group. Trebol blinked, his long nose twitching. "Dead? All of them? What happened?"
Coby tapped a finger against the throne's armrest. "The Straw Hats and Trafalgar Law. They hit Punk Hazard. Hard."
Pica's deep laugh rumbled through the hall. "Those fools think they can challenge us?"
Coby cut him off with a sharp gesture. "Two Admirals are on their way to Dressrosa."
--
From the last free chapter to the last Patreon chapter, there are currently 64 chapters available. Patreon now offers 64 advance chapters, and that number will go down by one each day as I steadily release them to the public.
patreon.com/pinkisjustice