【One Piece】Dawn in the Darkness

"Huh?" Ace scratched his head. "That kid didn't even call me!"

"Oh, he actually fell asleep. It's so noisy outside." Hearing the noise outside, Tea Beard looked delighted. "Someone must be coming to rescue me. Is it Luo or Master?"

"That's right, if they're in the snowy mountains, it must be them!"

"Tea Beard, do you know something? Who's coming?" Franky (Nami) immediately turned to look at Tea Beard.

"They are enormous orcs covered in hair! The Snow Mountain Killer Duo who appeared in the blizzard! The Snow Mountain Brothers!"

"Oh, here they come." Ace yawned, looking at the huge figure pointing a gun at the tea bearded man, casually watching them argue about whether the tea bearded man's master really wanted to kill him. Just as the tea bearded man fell into sadness because of what the Den Den Mushi said, Ace made his move.

……

"Luffy, that was an explosion, wasn't it?" Usopp shouted, pointing to the mountaintop.

“Perhaps it has something to do with the guy who left these footprints,” Robin said, looking at the large footprints in the snow.

“Indeed, it looks like some kind of wild beast!” Luffy nodded, then noticed the aura on the mountaintop and frowned, “Someone has gone to the cave where Nami and the others are.”

"Ah!? Then let's hurry back!" Usopp exclaimed in shock.

"No need, Ace can handle it," Luffy said seriously. "Let's continue down to the research institute at the foot of the mountain, find Lucci, and ask that despicable master what he did to those children!"

"Hey! Luffy!"

Luffy immediately turned his head towards the direction of the sound and, sure enough, saw a familiar figure. He exclaimed with delight, "Lucci!! Travis!?"

"Hey, give me back my body!" Chopper (Franky) immediately rushed up to Trafalgar and yelled, baring his teeth.

"Huh? Chopper?" Lucci picked up Chopper in confusion, looking at the expression on Chopper's face. Lucci was unusually bewildered. Would Chopper really show such a...unruly? expression?

"Lucci, let me go!"

"what!?"

"Lucci, he's not Chopper. Chopper wouldn't make that kind of expression." Robin frowned at Franky and said sternly, "Franky, stop using Chopper's body to talk!"

"Hahaha, I was shocked when I saw it too!" Luffy laughed heartily, clutching his stomach. "Nami and the others swapped bodies, how hilarious!!"

“Without someone else’s body, I can’t switch back,” Luo said, looking at the reindeer.

"How awful!" Chopper (Franky) said, crossing his arms in dissatisfaction.

"You did it." Lucci recalled what Law had done to Nami and the others earlier, and looked at Chopper thoughtfully, saying, "Your ability is really strange, but it seems quite interesting..."

"Yours is strange too." Law glanced at Lucci, then looked at Luffy. "Straw Hat Master, I came here because I have something to tell you... You guys came here by chance, didn't you..."

Luffy looked at Law with a puzzled expression. "We're here to find Lucci."

"Luffy, how did you know I was here?" Lucci asked, puzzled.

“I have the Life Paper you gave me…” Luffy took out the Life Paper from the red ribbon on his hat and showed it to Lucci.

"I'd completely forgotten about that," Lucci said with a smile, looking at the paper in Luffy's hand. "I want a part of it back from you."

"No!" Luffy immediately gripped the Life Paper and pulled his hand back. "This is mine!"

"I understand." Lucci sighed and tapped Luffy's hat brim lightly. "I won't take it."

Luo's eye twitched; these two guys always interrupted him suddenly.

"Just say what you want to say," Robin said, amused.

Law took a deep breath, looked at Luffy again, and said seriously, "This island holds a key that could turn the New World upside down. There are only two ways to survive in the New World: join the Four Emperors or keep challenging them. You should disdain being subordinate to anyone, right?"

"Yes! I want to be the captain!" Luffy said firmly.

“Then let’s form an alliance!” Luo said.

"An alliance?" Luffy repeated, puzzled.

"If you and I join forces, perhaps we can achieve..." Law's lips curled into a smile, "I have a strategy to bring down the Four Emperors!"

"Huh!? The Four Emperors!? Don't be ridiculous! How could they possibly defeat the Four Emperors by teaming up?!" Usopp exclaimed in shock. "Luffy, you can't trust him! If we team up with this kind of terrorist of unknown origin, I won't be able to sleep peacefully for a single day!"

Robin stood to the side, his eyes fixed on the conversation, subtly observing Trafalgar with a wary gaze.

"I didn't say we could take down the Four Emperors immediately, but rather that as long as we follow the plan, we'll definitely find an opportunity..."

Ignoring the others' words of rejection and distrustful looks, Law gripped his sword tightly, his sharp eyes fixed on Luffy. He didn't expect the Straw Hat crew to accept the alliance readily; all he needed was the Straw Hat leader's consent. "So, Straw Hat leader?"

Luffy stared at Law for a moment, then asked, "Which of the Four Emperors are you referring to?"

"A man named Kaido of the Beasts."

"Hmm, Shanks has to be the first one, but never mind!" Luffy grinned and held up his finger. "My goal is to defeat all four Yonko!"

"You want to defeat all four Emperors?" Law looked at Luffy, somewhat surprised, but didn't show it at all. "It seems we're on the same page. But you underestimate them. That man named Kaido of the Beasts is known as the strongest creature in the world."

"Huh?" Usopp looked at Law in shock. "Could it be that that guy isn't human?"

“Our alliance will last until we take Kaido’s head… The success rate of the plan should be… let me think… 30%,” Law said calmly.

"That's way too low!" Usopp exclaimed incredulously. "It's not worth allying with him at all! Luffy, the others won't agree!"

"I see. Okay, let's form an alliance!" Luffy completely ignored Usopp's words, his face full of smiles.

"No, Luffy!" Usopp cried out in despair, feeling hopeless at the thought of having to challenge the Four Emperors so soon after arriving in the New World.

"Luffy, betrayal is commonplace in pirate alliances!" Robin immediately reminded him. "You're always too trusting of others, which might not be suitable for you."

"Luffy, this guy can't be trusted!" Franky said to Law, his face full of distrust.

"Would you betray me?" Luffy asked Law with a grin.

"No." Luo said succinctly, but he really didn't expect the Straw Hat leader to agree so easily.

“Okay, no problem.” Luffy immediately smiled, as if it were a promise.

Lucci chuckled, while the others covered their faces in exasperation.

Robin looked at Lucci, who hadn't said a word, with some confusion. He didn't seem surprised at all. "Lucci, you already know?"

Lucci turned to look at the puzzled Robin, chuckled, and said gently, “Yes, Law told me, but this should be Luffy’s decision. Whatever choice Luffy makes, I will support him.”

Hearing Lucci's answer, Robin smiled, no longer worried. Since the first mate and the captain both thought this person was trustworthy, they had no reason to doubt him. However, if he did something... no, she wouldn't let him do it.