The sun hung high over Dressrosa, casting long shadows that seemed to stretch and twist unnaturally across the cobbled streets.
The air was thick, not just with the weight of the night, but with an unshakable tension. The crew was gathered in a narrow alley, their eyes fixed on the looming silhouette of the royal palace in the distance.
"So, we're really doing this, huh?" Usopp's voice trembled as he peeked around the corner, his slingshot ready but his hands shaking.
"We're going straight to Doflamingo's heart. I don't know if I'm ready for this..."
Rimuru raised an eyebrow, unfazed by the tension.
"You think you're the only one scared? The real question is if you're ready to win."
Franky pumped his fist into the air, his usual exuberance shining through.
"This is gonna be a super showdown! Let's break that factory wide open!"
Robin remained calm, scanning the area.
"We need to stick to the shadows. If we're caught, it'll be game over. Doflamingo's spies are everywhere."
"Not to mention his officers,"Law muttered. He was already piecing together the strategy in his head, thinking through every move before making it. "We can't afford to underestimate him."
Rimuru nodded.
"I agree. But I'm not worried about the officers. It's the factory I'm interested in. This kind of power... it's unlike anything I've seen before."
His fingers flexed as gravity swirled around him, feeling the invisible force vibrate under his control.
The group moved in silence, creeping deeper into Dressrosa's twisted streets.
The usual sounds of the island-laughter, music, the clinking of glasses-had all but vanished.
Now, only the distant hum of machinery from the underground factory broke the silence.
As they approached the palace's walls, Rimuru could feel it-the pull of something much larger than Doflamingo's influence.
The gravity in his chest hummed, as if the very structure of the island was alive and pushing back against him.
"This place is... different," Rimuru muttered.
"It's like the whole island's under a spell."
"That's might be a devil fruit?,"
Robin replied, her voice low.
"The Smile factory is at the core of all of this. Doflamingo's grip on Dressrosa isn't just from fear-it's from magic. Dark artificial."
Franky's metal fingers tingled with anticipation.
"Artificial, huh? I'll smash any thing that gets in our way!" His voice was as loud as ever, but his words held a hint of seriousness behind them.
"We need to be quiet,"
Law warned, his eyes scanning the environment.
"Doflamingo's people are probably on the lookout. One wrong move, and this whole place will come down on us."
Rimuru gave him a sidelong glance.
"You really think we can't handle it?"
Law gritted his teeth but didn't respond. He didn't need to say anything; they both knew the stakes.The palace's grand gates loomed ahead, guarded by a few shadowy figures that stood like statues in the darkness.
As the crew huddled behind a nearby building, Rimuru's mind raced. The gravity within him pulsed again, more urgently this time, drawn by something deeper inside the palace.
"I'll handle this," Rimuru said, his voice quiet but determined. Without another word, he walked out from their hiding spot and toward the guards.The figures saw him immediately, their eyes glowing under the faint light. One of them-tall, cloaked, and with an unnerving grin-stepped forward."Who goes there?" the figure barked, but before he could make another move, Rimuru raised a hand.The air around him seemed to bend and shift."Gravity." Rimuru whispered.Without warning, the force of gravity surged out from his body, directed with surgical precision at the two guards.
They froze, struggling against an unseen weight that pushed them down into the ground. Their faces twisted in shock and panic, but before they could cry out, they were slammed to the floor with a thunderous crash.
The rest of the crew watched in stunned silence as the guards lay motionless."Let's go," Rimuru said, as calm as ever, not even glancing at his handiwork.
"We have more work to do."
Franky whistled, impressed.
"Woah! That was awesome, man! You sure know how to make an entrance!"
Rimuru didn't respond, instead focusing on the entrance before them.
"The Smile factory is beneath us. We'll need to find a way inside."
As they slipped through the now open gates, the palace seemed to stretch higher, its walls curving inward as though pressing down on them.
Every step was carefully calculated, every shadow an enemy waiting to strike. Yet, there was a strange, magnetic pull toward the heart of the palace-toward the factory.
Franky was the first to break the silence.
"So, what exactly are we dealing with down there?"
"We don't know yet," Law replied,
"but it's Doflamingo's biggest secret. Whatever's happening in that factory is tied to the toys, the people who've been transformed. If we break it, we might free them."
Rimuru's eyes narrowed. "Might isn't good enough. If we're doing this, we do it right. I'll take care of the factory, you all take care of the rest."
They approached the palace entrance, the sound of their footsteps drowned by the deep, eerie hum coming from below.
Rimuru's gravity continued to hum around him, a reminder of the immense force he wielded, but even that felt small in comparison to what was waiting for them in the depths of Dressrosa's heart.
As they entered the dimly lit passage that led beneath the palace, the air grew colder, and the hum of machinery grew louder. The factory was close.
"What do you think we'll find?" Robin asked, her voice a whisper now.
"Something dark," Rimuru answered quietly, a glint in his eyes.
"Something that could change everything."
And just as they reached the bottom, a door creaked open in front of them, the smell of smoke and chemicals heavy in the air.
It was time.
Zoro grunted, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword.
"Keep it down, Luffy. We don't want to draw too much attention."
Kin'emon, always the serious one, nodded in agreement.
"Zoro's right. Doflamingo's men are everywhere. We need to be careful."
Luffy flashed them both a wide grin.
"Careful? But that's no fun! Let's just go in and crush everything!"
Kin'emon sighed but couldn't help but chuckle at Luffy's optimism.
"You may not understand the danger, Luffy, but we have a mission here. We need to find a way to take down Doflamingo and free the people."
"Don't worry, Kin'emon,"
Luffy said, his tone serious for once.
"I'm not going to let him get away with what he's done to these people. We'll smash his palace and bring freedom back to Dressrosa!"
Zoro nodded, his expression determined.
"Just don't get yourself into trouble, Luffy. I won't be there to bail you out."
Luffy's grin returned as he leaped forward, his excitement contagious.
"Come on, let's get to it!"
The trio moved swiftly through the city, sticking to the shadows as much as possible, avoiding the eyes of Doflamingo's men.
They could feel the eyes of the island on them-something about Dressrosa made even the bravest feel uneasy.
Soon, they came across a group of soldiers, marching through the streets.
They were heavily armed, and the tension in the air was palpable. But Luffy, ever the troublemaker, couldn't resist a challenge.
"Hey, Zoro! Kin'emon!" Luffy whispered loudly, a grin spreading across his face.
"Wanna have some fun?"
Zoro raised an eyebrow, his hand resting on his sword.
"What are you planning now?"
Kin'emon gave Luffy a stern look.
"Don't do anything reckless."
But it was already too late.
Luffy had dashed forward, his rubber body stretching to grab one of the soldiers by the collar, lifting him off the ground effortlessly.
"Hey! What's the deal with Doflamingo?!" Luffy shouted, his voice carrying a mix of curiosity and defiance.
The soldier, struggling in Luffy's grip, was terrified.
"W-What are you talking about?! Let me go!" he stammered.
Kin'emon's eyes widened.
"Luffy, stop it! We need information, not trouble!"
Zoro sighed, drawing his sword.
"Luffy, you're going to start a war if you keep acting like this."
Luffy's grin didn't falter.
"I know! That's the plan!" He tossed the soldier aside with a casual flick of his wrist. "But you're not going anywhere until you answer me."
The soldier scrambled to his feet, clearly frightened by the strange power Luffy possessed.
"I-I don't know! I just follow orders!"
Luffy was about to grab him again when Kin'emon stepped in, drawing his own katana.
"That's enough, Luffy. We'll find out what we need to know without causing a commotion."
"Fine," Luffy said, his excitement not dimming in the slightest.
"But next time, I'm taking them down!"
As the trio continued their journey deeper into Dressrosa, they began to uncover the dark truth behind the island's troubles.
Doflamingo's grip on the island was much stronger than they had anticipated, and the people were suffering in silence.
"We need to reach the palace," Kin'emon said, his voice low.
"That's where Doflamingo is hiding, and we can't let him continue this reign of terror."
Zoro nodded, his expression unwavering.
"Let's make sure we're ready for whatever comes next."
Luffy grinned, his resolve stronger than ever.
"I don't care what it takes. We're taking him down. No one messes with my friends and gets away with it!"