"Alright, let's charge through in one go!" Gian shouted, full of confidence.
"But what if those staff monsters follow us through the exit?" Shizuka quickly raised her concern, her voice trembling slightly.
"We'll just have to block the door once we're through!" Bruce suggested, knowing it was their only option.
"Let's go all out and get through!" Doraemon echoed, his voice determined.
"Storm Arrival!"
"Watch me with my air cannon!"
"Shrink Ray!"
"Desert Coffin!"
"Great Wind Scythe!"
Everyone unleashed their respective abilities, clearing out wave after wave of staff monsters, carving a path to the exit.
After what seemed like endless effort, they finally reached the exit!
Luffy: "They made it! Keep going, guys!"
Chopper: "Hurry and leave that place!"
Onboard the Thousand Sunny, Luffy, Chopper, Usopp, Franky, and Brook were all cheering them on, anxiously watching as their friends battled. Although the others stayed quiet, their expressions mirrored the same urgency. Only Robin seemed deep in thought.
"Is that really the right exit?" she muttered.
Meanwhile, in Kamar-Taj, the Ancient One frowned as she observed the screen.
"They come from different universes, but there is only one exit... Could it be?" The Ancient One pondered, already guessing what might lie ahead.
Doraemon's group charged through the exit, but what greeted them on the other side was not the familiar landscapes of their own worlds. Instead, they found themselves on an abandoned, dusty street, reminiscent of an old western town with rolling sandstorms.
"Where... are we?" Gian asked, completely confused by the new setting.
"This doesn't look like anywhere near our home," Shizuka remarked, puzzled as she surveyed the area.
"It doesn't resemble the Sand Village either," Kankuro added, frowning. Although the environment seemed somewhat familiar, it definitely wasn't the Hidden Sand Village.
And there was certainly no connection to Gotham City.
"Could it be...!" Doraemon suddenly had a realization. He took out the Anywhere Door, called out a random destination, and opened it. But when the door swung open, it still revealed the same western town on the other side.
"It's as I thought. We're in another universe—not our own!" Doraemon exclaimed, finally understanding the situation. Since they were in a different universe, the Anywhere Door couldn't function as usual.
"Another universe? What does that even mean?" Temari asked, utterly confused.
"It means we're no longer in our respective worlds. This place... isn't where we came from," Doraemon struggled to explain.
"That means leaving through here won't take us home either," Bruce Wayne pointed out, cutting straight to the heart of the issue.
"Leave Ikea!"
As they deliberated, a new swarm of staff monsters came rushing toward them, determined to drive them out.
"W-We should just leave! Who cares if it's another universe? It's better than staying here!" Nobita cried, trembling at the sight of the approaching monsters.
"Idiot! If we do that, we'll never see our parents again!" Gian scolded, firmly rejecting the idea.
"Jumping into another universe is reckless," Bruce agreed, dismissing the suggestion as far too dangerous.
"The exit... it's gone!" Shizuka suddenly pointed out, her voice full of panic. The doorway that had led to the western town had mysteriously vanished without a trace.
"No wonder no one ever escapes from Ikea. It seems like the exit only appears and disappears randomly," Bruce muttered, beads of sweat forming on his brow. If that was the case, their situation had just become much more dire.
"What are we going to do now?!" Nobita wailed, collapsing to his knees in despair.
"For now, we head back to Return Town. Everyone, hold on to me!" Doraemon called out, pulling out a button from his pocket.
Everyone quickly grabbed onto Doraemon, and Bruce even made sure to place the Darkwing's claw on Doraemon's head.
With a press of the button, they vanished from the spot, leaving the staff monsters momentarily confused before wandering away as if nothing had happened.
The next moment, Doraemon and the group reappeared in Return Town, a settlement built by those who had been trapped in Ikea.
The townspeople, who had been on guard duty, jumped in shock when they saw Doraemon and the others materialize out of nowhere.
"Where are we? Why are there so many people?" Nobita asked, still bewildered.
"This is Return Town. Over the years, many humans have been trapped in Ikea. They banded together to survive and built this town," Doraemon explained.
"How did you do that? Was it some kind of teleportation technology?" Bruce Wayne inquired, eyeing the button in Doraemon's hand.
"This is a Teleportation Device, divided into parts A and B," Doraemon clarified as he picked up another button from the ground that matched the one in his hand.
"First, you place part A at a location. Then, no matter how far away you are, pressing part B will instantly bring you back to the location of part A."
Doraemon's explanation left Bruce, Alfred, Gaara, Temari, and Kankuro astonished. The three Sand Siblings were particularly shocked—this was something far beyond the capabilities of any known ninjutsu.
"What's going on with this mall? And what do you mean by 'another universe'? Also, where did you get all these gadgets?" Kankuro asked, overwhelmed as he struggled to make sense of everything.
"Calm down, and I'll explain everything," Doraemon said, rubbing his head as he realized he had a lot to unpack.
Meanwhile, those watching the events unfold from different universes had already started forming their own theories.
Aokiji: "What a terrifying place. The exits appear randomly, and they might not even lead back to your own world."
Usopp: "I'm just glad this Ikea isn't in our world, or else I'd never make it out."
Luffy: "But I want to go on an adventure in there!"
Nami: "Are you crazy?!"
Goku: "What a hassle. I wonder if we could just destroy the entire store."
Piccolo: "You idiot. It's an infinite space. No matter how hard you hit, it won't be destroyed."
Tsunade: "So, if they want to get out, they'll have to keep searching for the exit until they find one that leads to their world?"
Nick Fury: "My god, how long would that take?!"
As the audience continued to debate, a familiar voice interrupted.
"Infinite space doesn't just contain Ikea and stairwells. The Foundation once discovered an even more terrifying island within it—Infinite Skull Island."
(End of Chapter)
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