The Beasts Pirates' Wano base sat on the north side of the Flower Capital, close to Fujiyama—so far out it was practically beyond the city's edge.
Dimon walked straight past the pirates milling about and found Kaido.
"Kaizo. With me."
"What for?"
"Got something fun to show you."
Kaido's brows perked; curiosity won. They left the compound and headed for a bare stretch of ground with no one around.
"So what is it?"
"Watch closely."
Dimon clenched both fists and moved a single thought.
Twisted Future: Nika Form.
In an instant his body went stark white, a pale flame-cloud curling around him.
"What… is that?" Kaido stared. "Besides sprouting wings, now you can become this?"
He paused—then frowned. "You look a bit like… Nika."
"You know Nika?" Dimon blinked.
"Heard the stories. In my country there's an old tale about the Liberator, Nika. The description's pretty much what you look like now." Kaido nodded.
"This is Nika."
—A knockoff version, anyway.
Dimon grinned. "I'm going to punch you. Block it with everything you've got."
Kaido didn't know what scheme Dimon was running, but he was game. They sparred often enough to know each other's ceilings.
"A little bout? Bring it."
Dimon's frame swelled, stretching into a colossus that blotted the sky.
Kaido gaped—compared to the white giant, he was an ant on the ground.
"Wait—what is this?!"
"Gomu Gomu no… Bajrang Gun!"
Dimon wasn't in the mood to explain; he just replayed the finishing blow Luffy used in that other future. A mountain-sized fist crashed down from the heavens.
Kaido's mouth twitched. He lifted both arms to guard.
When the fist landed, the earth howled. The boom rolled across the Flower Capital; people snapped their heads up in terror.
"Earthquake?!"
The ground caved. Kaido was smashed into a crater.
Dimon pulled the punch and looked down. In the pit, Kaido was still braced, forearms locked against the blow.
"Looks scary. Thought you were about to shatter the whole island," Kaido barked up. "But the punch? Kinda meh, Dimon!"
"No Haki. Just raw arm strength."
As he spoke, the white sheen bled away; Dimon returned to normal.
Bootleg Nika wasn't quite the real thing. The moves hit lighter than the originals.
"There's another trick. Watch."
Free-falling, Dimon cocked his right fist and hammered the air.
The sky spider-webbed with cracks. A quake rolled outward toward Kaido.
Kaido's eyes went wide. "No way—that's Whitebeard's…!"
The tremor hit; ground heaved; the crater collapsed. The shock tore the whole clearing into rubble.
"Hm… still not great."
Dimon drifted down and stared at the stone heap where Kaido stirred.
Kaido shoved the rocks aside and stood, dazed. "What's going on? How are you using the Quake-Quake Fruit?!"
"Too weak—maybe one-fifth of Whitebeard." Dimon shook his head. "If it were him, the Capital would be gone with one punch."
The Age-Age Fruit could simulate futures—but every copy was a bootleg, weaker than the genuine article. That was its limit: the power rode on belief. The stronger your conviction, the stronger the twist. Even having seen Whitebeard's power, Dimon's replica hit softer—maybe he hadn't developed the Fruit yet, maybe he wasn't as "imaginative" as a kid like Bonney.
Either way, it wasn't as broken as he'd hoped—just incredibly versatile.
"So what is it, really?"
"Just mimicking people's powers. What's there to be shocked about?"
Dimon waved it off and started back toward the city. "That's all. Thanks for being the sandbag, Kaizo."
Kaido: "…"
So you dragged me out here… just to get punched?
—
Holy Land, Mariejois
At daybreak, Doflamingo jolted awake to a voice from the shadows.
"Up already, brat?"
He shot upright. Dimon sat on the room's sofa, legs crossed, paging through a newspaper.
"Big Bro? No—who are you?"
Doffy gaped. The guy looked maybe ten years old—like Dimon, but not quite.
"It's me. New face for walking around the Holy Land. Stop yelping."
Dimon lowered his eyes to the paper—yesterday's issue. While he'd been kidnapping Shamrock, the world had churned out a sideshow: the Flying Pirates and the Roger Pirates had skirmished on the Grand Line, then stopped when the Kuja Pirates popped up. From there the pages devolved into "world's greatest beauty" and "Idol Empress" Shakky fluff pieces.
Oppression Era vibes. Gold Lion and Roger who? One Shakky appearance and the tabloids fainted.
Dimon was getting used to the era's flavor—everyone wound too tight.
"Big Bro, why are you a kid?"
Doffy slid out of bed and obediently poured him water. Training worked; Dimon took a sip, pleased.
"This shape is convenient in Mariejois. If your mom asks, say I'm a friend."
He dares?
Doffy almost admired the nerve. The mastermind of yesterday's abduction lounging in a Celestial Dragon's house? Bold didn't cover it. Shamrock had been returned yesterday afternoon, but this wasn't over.
"Oh—Doffy." Dimon set the paper down. "After the Rocks crew split, where did they lock Rocks himself? Impel Down?"
I'm a kid; how would I know… He didn't dare say that.
He shook his head instead. "I don't know the exact place, but I've heard… he's held somewhere in the Holy Land."
Not Impel Down—Mariejois?
Dimon was surprised, but not shocked. Rocks was undying; even Level 6 couldn't hold someone who could die and not stay dead. Five years of silence meant the prison was airtight.
"Come on. Let's go ask around."
Does he hear himself…?
Doffy went numb. Did Big Bro not know how to spell fear?
◇ I'll be dropping one bonus chapters for every 10 reviews.
◇ One bonus chapter will be released for every 100 Power Stones.
◇ You can read the ahead chapter on P@treon if you're interested:
patreon.com/MugiwaraTL