The Royal Palace was silent, save for the wind howling through the massive hole Luffy had punched in the roof. Donquixote Doflamingo, the Heavenly Demon who had ruled the underworld for a decade, lay broken on the tiles. His sunglasses were shattered, revealing eyes that were rolled back in unconsciousness.
Law stared at the body. He nudged Doflamingo with his boot. The Warlord did not move.
"He is really down," Law said, his voice hollow. "Thirteen years of planning. Thirteen years of nightmares. And you ended it in three minutes."
"I told you I was in a hurry," Luffy said, picking his nose. "I am hungry. Fighting makes me hungry."
"You are a monster," Law sighed, sheathing his sword. "But I suppose that is what was needed."
"Captain!"
Zoro walked over, dragging an unconscious Trebol by his sticky coat. "I found this snotty guy hiding behind a pillar. He tried to attack you while you were checking Mingo. I cut him."
"Good job, Zoro," Luffy grinned. "Shishishi! Now we just need to wait for the toys to turn back."
"Toys?" Law frowned. "Doflamingo is defeated, but his executive Sugar is still conscious somewhere. Unless she is knocked out, the curse remains."
"Usopp is on it," Luffy said confidently. "He is the God of Snipers, after all."
Underground Trade Port - Officer's Tower
Usopp was hyperventilating. He was hiding behind a crate of grapes, clutching his Kabuto slingshot so hard his knuckles were white.
"This is bad," Usopp whispered to the Tontatta leader, Leo. "We are supposed to knock out the little girl? She looks harmless! But Robin said she turns people into toys just by touching them! That is the scariest power ever!"
"We must be brave, Usoland!" Leo declared, his tail wagging. "For the Princess! For the Captain! We must deliver the Tatababasco grape into her mouth!"
"It is too spicy!" Usopp hissed. "If I miss, she will turn me into a toy and I will be forgotten! Nami will forget I owe her money! Wait, that might be a good thing. No! It is bad!"
Inside the tower, Sugar was sitting on a throne of teddy bears, eating grapes. She looked bored. Trebol was gone (having gone upstairs to help Doflamingo and getting cut by Zoro), leaving her unguarded.
"Master is fighting," Sugar mumbled, popping a grape. "It is noisy."
"Now, Usoland!" Leo pushed Usopp.
"Okay! Okay!" Usopp stood up. He aimed his slingshot. He loaded the spicy grape fake.
"Hissatsu: Special Tabasco Star!"
He fired.
The grape flew through the air. It arced perfectly.
Sugar opened her mouth to eat a real grape. Usopp's projectile intercepted it, landing directly on her tongue.
She bit down.
Time seemed to stop.
Sugar's face turned blue. Then red. Then purple. Her eyes bulged out of her head. Fire erupted from her mouth.
"KYAAAAAHHHH!"
She screamed so loud the glass windows of the tower shattered. She foamed at the mouth and fell backward, fainting from the sheer shock of the spice.
"I did it!" Usopp cheered, throwing his hands up. "I am a brave warrior of the sea!"
"Usoland! Usoland!" The dwarves cheered.
At that exact moment, a wave of light swept across Dressrosa.
Corrida Colosseum
The arena was in chaos. The battle for the Mera Mera no Mi had reached its climax. Jesus Burgess was rampaging, trying to kill Sabo.
"Wiiihahaha! Give me the fruit, Lucy!" Burgess roared, swinging a massive lariat.
Sabo, wearing the Lucy helmet, dodged gracefully. He gripped his steel pipe.
"Dragon Claw," Sabo whispered. He coated his hand in black Haki. He grabbed Burgess's armor. "Breath."
CRUNCH.
He crushed the steel armor like it was paper. The shockwave blasted Burgess backward into the water.
"Get out of my way," Sabo said coldly. "That fruit belongs to me."
He leaped onto the Fighting Fish that carried the chest. He smashed the chest open. He picked up the orange, flame-patterned fruit.
"Ace," Sabo whispered. "I will inherit your will."
He took a bite.
"Gah! It tastes terrible!" Sabo gagged.
But then, his arm ignited. Orange flames danced along his skin. He felt the heat. He felt the fire.
"Hiken (Fire Fist)!"
Sabo punched the air. A massive column of fire erupted, punching a hole through the Colosseum floor and straight down into the underground trade port.
"I have the power!" Sabo shouted.
Suddenly, the screaming started.
Throughout the stands, the toys began to glow.
A toy dog turned into a man. A toy soldier turned into a pirate. A marionette turned into a government official.
The memories returned. Wives remembered husbands. Children remembered fathers. The horror of ten years of slavery washed over the island in an instant.
"Doflamingo!" A man screamed, hugging his crying wife. "That demon! He turned us into toys!"
"Revolt!" A pirate captain shouted. "Kill the Donquixote Family!"
Chaos erupted. The deception was broken.
Royal Palace - Roof
Luffy watched the smoke rising from the city. He felt the sudden shift in the island's aura. The suppressed anger of a nation had just been unleashed.
"It happened," Law murmured, watching his own hand to make sure it didn't turn into a paw or something. "The curse is broken. Doflamingo's reign is over."
"Yeah," Luffy nodded.
Suddenly, the Den Den Mushi in Law's pocket rang. It was a broadcast on the open channel.
"Citizens of Dressrosa!"
A voice boomed across the island. It wasn't Doflamingo. It was Gatz, the announcer.
"The King is down! The Heavenly Demon has fallen! The winner is the Pirate Alliance! Straw Hat Luffy has defeated Donquixote Doflamingo!"
A roar went up from the city. It was louder than any thunder. It was a roar of liberation.
Fujitora, who was standing in the plaza below, listened to the cheers. He tapped his cane on the ground.
"Heh heh," Fujitora chuckled. "The dice have rolled a six. It seems I bet on the right side."
Maynard, a Vice Admiral standing next to him, panicked. "Issho-san! We must arrest them! Straw Hat and Law are weakened! We can take them now!"
Fujitora turned his blind eyes toward the subordinate.
"Do you want to arrest the heroes who saved this country while we stood by and watched?" Fujitora asked softly. "Is that your Justice?"
Maynard gulped. "But... they are pirates!"
"And we are the World Government," Fujitora said. "We let Doflamingo rule for ten years. We have no right to arrest his defeaters today. Let them have their victory lap."
The Flower Field
Luffy, Zoro, Law, and Kin'emon descended from the palace. They were met by a massive crowd.
But the first person to reach them wasn't a fan. It was a girl with pink hair and a sword.
Rebecca.
She ran toward them, tears streaming down her face. Behind her ran a tall, one-legged man who was no longer a toy. Kyros.
"Father!" Rebecca cried, hugging the man. "I remember! I remember everything!"
Kyros held his daughter, weeping openly. He looked at Luffy. He dropped to his remaining knee.
"Lucy-dono... no, Luffy-dono," Kyros bowed his head. "You saved my family. You saved my country. I owe you a debt I can never repay."
"You don't owe me anything," Luffy smiled. "Just feed me. I am starving."
"Luffy!"
Another voice called out. A man in a blue coat and top hat landed gracefully next to them, fire trailing from his boots.
Luffy's eyes widened. He ignored Kyros. He ignored the crowd. He ran.
"Sabo!"
Luffy launched himself at his brother. Sabo caught him, laughing.
"Oof! You are heavy, Luffy!" Sabo grinned, his face scarred but his eyes warm. "You haven't changed a bit."
"You are alive!" Luffy cried, snot running down his nose. "I thought you died! The boat exploded!"
"Dragon saved me," Sabo explained, patting Luffy's back. "I lost my memory for a long time. But when I saw the news about Ace... it all came back."
Sabo's expression turned sad. He raised his hand, igniting a small flame on his thumb.
"I'm sorry I wasn't there, Luffy. I'm sorry I let you handle it alone."
Luffy wiped his eyes. "It is okay. You are here now."
"Yeah," Sabo smiled. "And I ate the fruit. Ace is with me now."
Zoro watched the reunion, a rare smile on his face. "So that is the other brother. He seems strong."
"He is the Chief of Staff of the Revolutionary Army," Robin said, walking up to them. She looked at Sabo. "Hello, Sabo-kun."
"Robin!" Sabo nodded. "Thanks for looking after my little brother."
"He is a handful," Robin giggled.
"Hey!" Luffy protested.
"Luffy-senpai!"
A loud, sobbing voice interrupted the moment. Bartolomeo came crawling through the crowd, dragging a bag of souvenirs.
"Luffy-senpai! You were so cool! You beat Doflamingo! You are the King! Please let me be your slave! Let me clean your shoes!"
"You are the weird guy," Luffy pointed. "Rooster-head."
"He called me Rooster-head!" Bartolomeo fainted from happiness.
Behind Bartolomeo, a group of pirate captains gathered. Cavendish (who was angry but impressed), Hajrudin the Giant, Sai of the Happo Navy, Ideo, Leo, and Orlumbus.
"Straw Hat," Sai stepped forward. He looked battered from the Birdcage chaos (that barely started). "We have discussed it."
"Discussed what?" Luffy asked, tilting his head.
"You saved us," Hajrudin boomed. "You defeated the tyrant. You are a man worth following."
"We wish to exchange sake cups!" Cavendish declared, flipping his hair. "I, Cavendish, will graciously lend you my popularity!"
"We want to join your fleet!" Leo chirped.
Law walked over, looking confused. "Fleet? What are they talking about?"
"Grand Fleet," Sai said seriously. "We represent 5,600 warriors. We wish to pledge loyalty to the Straw Hat Grand Fleet."
Luffy looked at them. In the original timeline, he had refused, saying he just wanted to be free. But this time, he remembered Kaido. He remembered the Onigashima raid. He remembered being outnumbered.
He grinned.
"Okay," Luffy said.
The captains froze. "Okay?"
"Yeah," Luffy nodded. "But I have rules."
"Rules?" Bartolomeo woke up instantly. "Anything! We will follow any rule!"
"Rule number one," Luffy held up a finger. "If I call you, you come. Rule number two: If you are in trouble, I come. Rule number three: Have lots of banquets."
The captains blinked. Then they broke into massive grins.
"Boss Luffy!" They shouted in unison.
"Wait," Law interjected. "Straw Hat-ya. You are accepting a fleet? Do you realize the responsibility? You are becoming an Emperor in all but name."
"I need them," Luffy said to Law, his voice dropping so only the Warlord could hear. "Kaido has 500 smile users. He has the samurai. He has Big Mom maybe. I need an army."
Law stared at Luffy. He realized then that Luffy wasn't just reacting. He was planning.
"Fine," Law smirked. "Then I suppose the Heart Pirates are technically allies of a massive fleet now."
"Shishishi! Yep!"
"Boss Luffy!" Leo tugged on Luffy's pants. "We have prepared the feast! The Royal Palace kitchen is ours!"
"Feast!" Luffy threw his hands up. "Sanji! Where is Sanji?"
"He is on the ship," Nami reminded him via Den Den Mushi. "We are docked at the East Port. Bring the food here! We are not missing the party!"
"To the East Port!" Luffy commanded his new fleet. "To the banquet!"
Later that Night - East Port
The bonfires roared on the beach. Barrels of sake flowed like rivers. Giants wrestled with dwarves. Fishmen danced with humans.
Luffy sat on a crate, stuffing his face with paella. Sabo sat next to him, drinking sake.
"So," Sabo said. "You are going after Kaido next?"
"Yeah," Luffy nodded. "Kin'emon and Momo need to go home. Kaido is in their house."
"Kaido is a beast," Sabo warned. "Dragon-san says he is preparing for a massive war. He is stockpiling weapons."
"I know," Luffy said. "I broke his factory. He is going to be mad."
"He will be furious," Sabo laughed. "Here. Take this."
Sabo handed Luffy a piece of paper. It was a Vivre Card.
"My card," Sabo said. "If you need me, call. The Revolutionaries are busy, but for my brother, I will drop everything."
"Thanks," Luffy tucked it into his hat.
"Luffy-sama!"
Baby 5 ran over, holding a tray of drinks. She was wearing a Straw Hat t-shirt she had made herself.
"Does the Captain need a refill?" Baby 5 asked eagerly.
"Yeah! Thanks, Missile-girl!" Luffy took the drink.
"He thanked me!" Baby 5 swooned. "I am useful!"
Sanji crawled over, looking jealous. "Baby-chan! Why do you serve him first?"
"Because he is the Captain!" Baby 5 said logicially. "If the Captain is happy, the ship is safe. If the ship is safe, you are safe. I am protecting you!"
Sanji wept tears of joy. "Her logic is flawless!"
Zoro sat nearby, drinking with Fujitora. The Marine Admiral had joined the party incognito (though everyone knew who he was).
"You are a Marine," Zoro said, clinking his cup against the Admiral's. "Shouldn't you be arresting us?"
"The dice," Fujitora said, sipping his sake. "They told me to take a night off. Besides, the blind man cannot see the pirates in the dark."
"Heh," Zoro grinned. "Convenient dice."
"Indeed," Fujitora smiled. "This sake is delicious. It tastes like freedom."
As the party raged on, Luffy looked up at the stars. Doflamingo was down. The Fleet was formed. Sabo was back.
Everything was going better than the last time.
But he knew the calm wouldn't last. Somewhere in Wano, a dragon was drinking, and he was getting angry.
Kaido, Luffy thought. Just wait. I'm bringing the whole world to your doorstep.
"Luffy!" Nami called out. "We have a call! It is... Big Mom?"
The music stopped.
"Big Mom?" Usopp shrieked. "Why is she calling?!"
Luffy walked over to the snail. He picked it up.
"Hello?"
"Straw Hat," Pekoms' voice answered, not Big Mom. "Mama is not happy. You destroyed the factory. You ruined the wedding cake supply chain. She is coming."
"Let her come," Luffy said calmly. "But tell her I'm busy right now. I'm eating paella."
"You... you insolent..."
Click.
Luffy hung up.
"Let's dance!" Luffy shouted.
"Yeah!" The fleet roared, ignoring the impending doom of a second Emperor.