【One Piece】Dawn in the Darkness

"This guy is really annoying." Lucci watched as the stone giant stood up, ready to take care of him. "Luffy, I'll go deal with him."

"Wait, I'll handle this!" Luffy bit his thumb, leaped up, and slammed his two massive fists down on the stone golem's head. "Gum-Gum Grizzly Gun!!"

"Oh, he took him down!" The pirates stared in shock at the stone giant whose head had been smashed by the Straw Hat Pirates.

"He got away." Lucci could sense the aura that had been hiding inside the stone giant disappear when Luffy threw his punch. He then looked at the aura that had recently appeared on the stone giant's shoulder. "The real body is over there!"

Zoro looked in the direction Lucci was looking, and a smile crept onto his face as he watched the man emerge from the rock. "This is the first time you've shown yourself in human form! Lucci, leave this guy to me."

"Hmm." Lucci nodded casually. The stone man posed no challenge to him. He reached out and grabbed Luffy's outstretched hand, pulling him back onto the bull's back.

"Wow! He pulled out a huge knife!" Jett exclaimed in terror. "He's going to swing it at us, Brother Bull! Get out of the way!!"

"Keep charging forward, Bull Bull!!" Luffy grinned, noticing Lucci's preparation to attack.

Almost the instant Luffy finished speaking, Lucci's weapon, already unsheathed, attacked Pica's chest armor at incredible speed.

The attack struck without any finesse, shattering the golden armor and sending Pica's massive body flying. He crashed heavily into the stone wall behind him, the long sword still gripped tightly in his hand, poised to strike downwards.

The bull's charge forward showed no signs of stopping. With no enemy blocking its path, it galloped even more joyfully. Lucci gently landed back on the bull's back, sheathed his long sword, and looked at Pica lying in the ruins ahead, adding casually, "You're in my way."

Zoro, sitting at the very back, glanced at Pica, who had risen from the ruins, and watched him swing his long sword as he chased after them.

A bloodthirsty smile crept across Zoro's lips as he leaped down, his twin blades raised to parry Pica's longsword as it swung down again. "Luffy, leave this guy to me!"

"Oh! We're off now, Zoro."

"Wow, that's amazing!" Jet exclaimed. "They truly are the companions of the divine messengers."

"Get out of my way!" Pica shouted angrily in a shrill voice. "I'm going to settle scores with Straw Hat!!"

"Our captain doesn't have any grudges to settle with a piece of junk like you," Zoro grinned, his sharp eyes fixed on Pica who had just appeared. "You'd better have some patience and play with me for a bit, you shrill-voiced hermaphrodite!"

……

King's Heights

"Ah! So Luffy-senpai isn't here!?" Bartolomeo exclaimed incredulously.

"Definitely! Luffy will never stay in one place for more than 5 minutes!" Usopp had already guessed it. Even if they said they would meet at the high ground, Luffy wouldn't wait for them here. It was entirely expected that they wouldn't see Luffy.

Robin looked at Qi, who was sitting next to King Riku, with some confusion. "Qi, didn't you leave with Luffy and the others?"

“Luffy has Lucci on his side,” Lucci said with a smile. “I have nothing to do there anyway. Besides, you guys said you’d meet up at the highlands, so I’ll wait for you here. What’s more, we have a five-star member in our crew.”

"Wow! I'm so touched!" Usopp exclaimed excitedly. "You actually stayed behind to protect me!"

Qi shrugged. "I stayed behind just to make sure Robin is safe."

"And protect me too! I'm the one in the most danger, with a 5-star bounty from Doflamingo!"

Usopp was terrified at the thought of it. The guys he rescued immediately switched sides to Doflamingo the moment they heard he had a 500 million bounty on his head. One second they were incredibly grateful to him for saving them, and the next they wanted to take his head. It was truly terrifying.

"You're a man, how can you ask for protection?" Qi grinned.

"No! Protect me!" Usopp cried out, reaching out his hand.

Robin chuckled softly, then turned to look at Rebecca, who had called her name, and couldn't help but smile as she watched the enemies climbing the net of arms she had created with her Devil Fruit powers.

“Now that everyone’s up here, it’s time to take the net down,” Robin said with a smile, then removed the net ladder made of his arms from the wall. “Excuse me.”

"Your Majesty King Riku, who is that giant stone monster?" Leo asked in shock, pointing at the stone figure in the direction of the palace. "And why is the palace located there?!"

“That stone golem made it,” Qi explained, then looked at Robin and asked, “Robin, aren’t Ace and Sabo with you?”

"They split up when we came out of the underground port."

“That Sabo kid…” Qi cracked his knuckles. It seemed he wouldn’t be able to get the Den Den Mushi back for the time being. He’d just have to see how long that kid could hide.

"Your Highness Viola!" the dwarves greeted Viola excitedly.

"Aunt Viola!" Rebecca rushed over and hugged Viola excitedly, then asked nervously, "Auntie, have you seen my father?"

“Brother-in-law Cyrus has arrived on the first floor of the palace.” Violet stroked Rebecca’s hair tenderly. “Thank you for your hard work, Rebecca.”

Rebecca smiled through her tears, then asked, "Lucy went to the palace too, right? I want to go help them."

“Rebecca! Why do you still want to go find them? They're pirates!” King Riku said disapprovingly.

"Father, it was these pirates who shattered the facade of peace in this country. It was they who bestowed the title of Shichibukai upon Doflamingo, who caused such deep harm to our nation."

Violet shouted angrily, "I have no intention of seeking help from those Navy and World Government who claim to be champions of justice. They can't hear the angry cries of this nation. At least the Straw Hats are acting according to their own hearts!!"

"Your Majesty King Riku, please look at this!" Leo pointed at Usopp and said earnestly, "This man is the great hero who risked his own safety to break the toy curse that had plagued this country for 10 years!"

"And Luffy and Rando are the captains of this hero, His Majesty King Riku! Straw Hat Rando is the light of hope for us in Dressrosa!! Even if they are pirates, we are willing to believe in them unconditionally!" Leo shouted with a firm expression.

“That’s right, so while Lucy is fighting for us with his life, I can’t just sit here doing nothing.” Rebecca looked at Violet firmly. “I want to do something.”

"Great! You're right! If you're going to find Luffy-senpai, take me with you! I'll take you right!" Bartolomeo immediately chimed in.