One Piece : Brotherhood

The training grounds were alive with energy, the clash of mythical beasts shaking the very earth. On one side, Reiju stood transformed, her body a towering Gorgon. Her emerald-green scales glinted like polished gemstones, each movement sending ripples of light across her serpentine form.

Her lower half was a massive, coiled tail that effortlessly crushed the ground beneath her, while her upper body retained a humanoid shape, crowned by a mane of venomous serpents writhing and hissing atop her head. Her golden eyes glowed with a hypnotic brilliance, their power radiating in waves that distorted the air around her.

Across from her, Robin had fully embraced the form of the Kyubi no Kitsune. Her sleek, fox-like body moved with the fluidity of a shadow, each of her nine tails swaying with a life of their own, their golden tips leaving trails of ethereal light in the air.

Her snow-white fur glowed faintly, and her crimson eyes burned with determination as she bared razor-sharp fangs. Both women, now mythical incarnations, faced off in the center of the field, their breaths heavy but exhilarated as they tested the limits of their new powers.

The match resumed in a blur of motion.

The Gorgon lunged forward first, Reiju's tail uncoiling with devastating speed as she swung it toward the fox. The ground split where the tail struck, a shockwave rippling out and sending chunks of debris flying.

Robin's fox darted to the side, her movements graceful and precise, her tails flicking out to deflect smaller projectiles while her paws barely seemed to touch the ground.

Robin retaliated in an instant, her nine tails glowing brightly as they whipped forward, releasing searing arcs of golden fire toward the Gorgon. Reiju hissed, the serpents on her head snapping at the incoming flames, their venomous spit dissipating the fire with sizzling bursts.

The Gorgon reared back, opening her mouth wide to release a powerful hiss, and the air itself shimmered as a wave of paralyzing energy radiated outward.

The Kyubi no Kitsune froze for a moment, its crimson eyes narrowing as its body struggled against the Gorgon's petrifying aura. Robin gritted her teeth, pushing her power further. Her tails slammed into the ground in unison, creating a massive shockwave that shattered the aura's hold and sent dust and dirt swirling into the air. She leapt forward, her claws glowing faintly as she aimed for the Gorgon's hood.

Reiju anticipated the attack. With a flick of her serpentine tail, she spun her massive body in a whirlwind, deflecting the Kyubi's strike and forcing Robin to retreat. "You're quick, Robin!" Reiju called, her voice resonating with a hiss-like undertone. "But you'll need more than speed to bring me down!"

The fox growled low, its nine tails forming a glowing ring of fire behind it as Robin crouched low, ready to pounce again. "Let's see if you can handle this!" she shouted, her voice echoing with a haunting, ethereal tone as the Kyubi unleashed a barrage of energy bursts from its tails. The glowing orbs streaked toward the Gorgon like meteors, illuminating the battlefield.

Reiju's Gorgon body twisted and writhed, her movements fluid as she dodged the projectiles with surprising agility. One struck her shoulder, and the serpents on her head hissed in fury, snapping at the air as venom dripped from their fangs.

Reiju retaliated, slamming her coiled tail into the ground and propelling herself forward with terrifying speed. Her claws glinted as she swiped at the fox, their clash sending sparks flying.

Robin countered with a sharp twist of her body, her tails wrapping around the Gorgon's arm and pulling her off balance. The two mythical beings collided in a chaotic whirlwind of scales and fur, each pushing the other to their limits.

The onlookers from the family watched in awe, cheers and gasps filling the air. The sheer power of the sparring match was mesmerizing, but it was clear this was more than a fight—it was a dance of discovery. Both Reiju and Robin were feeling out the immense power of their Zoan forms, testing their instincts and learning the strengths and limitations of their newfound abilities.

Finally, the two separated, breathing heavily but grinning through their monstrous forms.

Robin's fox growled softly, the glow of her tails dimming slightly as she lowered her stance. "You're relentless, Reiju," she said, her voice tinged with exhaustion but also excitement.

"And you're a quick learner," Reiju replied, her serpentine form shifting as the venomous snakes atop her head settled. "I can see why young Master Ross chose you for this power."

Both girls began to shift back into their human forms, their bodies shrinking as their mythical features faded. As they returned to themselves, their expressions mirrored one another: exhilarated, determined, and closer as sisters than ever before.

"That was incredible," Robin admitted, brushing stray strands of hair from her face as she caught her breath. "I've got a long way to go before I can control it like you, though."

Reiju smirked, resting her hands on her hips. "Don't sell yourself short, sister. You've got the instincts. Now we just polish them. Together."

I stood at the edge of the training grounds, arms crossed, watching the two girls continue their sparring. Both Reiju and Robin were still fumbling with their newfound powers, their movements lacking the finesse that came with mastery.

They had potential, but they were far from unlocking the true might of the mythical Zoans they wielded. Beside me stood Lucci, his usually stoic demeanor masking what I knew was a storm of thoughts.

"Does it bother you, Lucci?" I asked without turning to him, my eyes still fixed on the training grounds. "That you can't openly use your Devil Fruit powers like them?"

The question hung in the air for a moment, and Lucci's sharp golden gaze flickered to the training field, then back to me. Despite his youth, there was a calm maturity in the boy that few adults could claim.

"No, Master," he replied evenly, his voice steady. "It's not as if I rely solely on the fruit. Besides, just because I can't transform fully doesn't mean I can't harness its power. For now, I'd rather focus on refining my Haki. That's where I've hit a real barrier—my progress in Emission has slowed."

I glanced at him then, noting the frustration etched subtly in his otherwise impassive features. Lucci wasn't one to complain lightly. Unlike most other children, his training discipline bordered on obsession.

He had already surpassed the basics of Armament Haki and was delving into Emission—a feat few adults could boast, let alone someone his age. Still, I could sense his dissatisfaction, his desire to push further, faster.

"You're impatient," I said, my tone neutral but carrying the weight of experience. "That's not necessarily a flaw, but you need to temper it. What you're trying to master isn't just any technique—it's an advanced form of Armament Haki. Your body has grown stronger, yes, but it's still young.

Physical growth itself becomes a barrier at this stage, one you can only overcome with time and persistence."

Lucci clenched his fists, his jaw tightening as he absorbed my words. He wasn't one to argue, but his silence spoke volumes.

"Do you think I haven't felt the same frustration?" I continued, stepping closer to him. "When I was your age, I hit the exact same wall. My strength and skill grew so fast that I thought I could force my way past any obstacle. But mastery isn't something you can rush, Lucci. You're not just honing a technique—you're reshaping your very will. That takes more than raw effort; it takes patience."

Lucci's gaze shifted, his eyes narrowing slightly as he mulled over my words. "I understand, Master," he said finally, his voice quieter but no less firm. "But it feels like I've stopped moving forward. I push myself harder, yet the progress doesn't match the effort."

I smirked, sensing the fire in his words. "You're not stopped—you're refining. There's a difference. Think of it like polishing a blade. When you first sharpen it, every stroke makes a visible change. But as the edge becomes finer, the progress becomes harder to see. That's where you are now, Lucci. You're honing yourself into something far sharper than you can imagine."

He exhaled sharply, his shoulders relaxing just slightly. "So, I keep pushing," he said, more to himself than to me.

"You keep pushing," I agreed, "but with focus. There's no need to break yourself in the process. Besides, there will come a time when your dragon form will be needed, and when that happens, I expect you to be ready—not just to transform, but to control it fully. That's what makes a true master of their power."

Lucci nodded, the determination in his eyes returning full force. "I'll make sure I'm ready. When the time comes, I'll show you and the family what I'm capable of."

I smiled, placing a hand briefly on his shoulder. "I have no doubt about that, Lucci. You're already miles ahead of where most ever dream of reaching. Trust in the process. The strength you seek will come."

For all his frustrations, I knew Lucci would overcome them. He was a prodigy, yes, but more than that, he was relentless. His resolve was the kind of steel that forged legends. And when the time came for him to unleash his full power, the world wouldn't know what hit it.

The midday sun bore down on the training grounds, casting long shadows from the towering stone walls as Reiju and Robin's sparring resumed in the background. Doffy appeared by my side, his signature grin splitting his face as he gestured toward the sparring arena.

"So, little brother," he began with a chuckle, his tone both playful and proud, "what do you think of my apprentice? Do you think Reiju has what it takes to match Lucci's talent?"

I turned to him with an equally wide grin, savoring the opportunity to needle him. "What do you think, Doffy?"

His grin faltered just slightly, and he narrowed his eyes in mock irritation. "Fine, fine. You're both monsters. Only a monster like you could groom a little monster like him."

"Flattery will get you everywhere," I quipped, earning a light laugh from him.

Doffy's tone shifted as he folded his arms, his gaze sharpening like the edge of a blade.

"Speaking of monsters, I've received word that Big Mom is making moves. She's consolidating her territories again—there's a high chance she might stretch her hands into areas we control, just out of spite."

"Charlotte Linlin," I mused, my grin fading as I mulled over the implications. "She's always been unpredictable. But if she comes looking for a fight, she'll find one. I'm not worried about her… yet."

Doffy gave a low chuckle, but his eyes gleamed with interest. "Cocky as ever."

"What about Whitebeard?" I asked, turning the conversation. Big Mom's antics were concerning, but my focus was elsewhere. "Any news on his movements?"

Doffy shook his head. "Nothing concrete, but rumors are swirling. Whatever happened to him, it was serious. If we can figure out just how badly Whitebeard was pushed, we might get an idea of the strength of the one who did it."

Before either of us could continue, the steady sound of polished shoes clicking against stone reached our ears. Turning, I saw Senor Pink approaching with his characteristic poise.

His pristine white suit caught the sunlight, gleaming as if he had just stepped out of a tailor's shop. His sunglasses hid his eyes, but the calm, almost nonchalant set of his face betrayed nothing of the reason for his presence.

He stopped a few feet from us, adjusting his tie with the grace of a man who seemed entirely unfazed by the chaos of the world around him.

"Master Doffy," he began, addressing Doffy before giving me a polite nod, "and young Master, we've received a… rather unexpected invitation."

Doffy raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Unexpected? Don't keep us in suspense, Senor."

Senor produced an envelope from inside his jacket, sealed with a thick, ornate wax crest bearing the emblem of the Big Mom Pirates. He held it out between two fingers, as if it were some delicate artifact. "It seems Charlotte Linlin has extended an invitation to one of her infamous tea parties."

For a moment, neither of us spoke. The air around us seemed to hum with unspoken confusion as Doffy plucked the envelope from Senor's hand. He flipped it over, studying the seal with a glimmer of amusement in his eyes.

"A tea party," Doffy said, his voice dripping with mock delight. "How quaint. I'm sure it's purely out of goodwill."

"Because Big Mom is the picture of benevolence," I added dryly, crossing my arms as I watched Doffy carefully open the envelope.

Senor's tone remained level, but there was an undercurrent of warning in his words. "The message was delivered by one of her messengers. They didn't linger, but the implied message was clear: it's an invitation, not a request. Linlin expects you to attend."

Doffy unfolded the letter, scanning its contents with an expression that remained unreadable, though the slight twitch of his grin suggested he found it more amusing than threatening. He handed it to me, and I skimmed the extravagant phrasing, the veiled threats hidden behind flowery words.

"She's moving faster than I anticipated," I muttered, handing the letter back. "Inviting us to her tea party is her way of gauging our position. She wants to see if we're willing to play by her rules."

Doffy's grin widened, his teeth glinting like a predator's. "Oh, I'll play along… for now. But you know how I like to break rules."

Senor adjusted his tie once more, his composure unshaken. "What are your orders, Boss? Shall we send a response?"

I exchanged a look with Doffy. "We'll accept," I said firmly. "It's better to meet her on her turf and see what she's plotting. Besides," I added with a smirk, "it might be fun to see what kind of chaos I can stir in her little kingdom."

Doffy threw his head back and laughed, the sound echoing across the training grounds.

"Fufufu… That's the spirit! A little chaos is just what we need at this time to stir things up."

Senor inclined his head, his expression giving away nothing as he slipped the now-empty envelope back into his jacket. "Very well. I'll ensure the message is sent promptly. The Big Mom Pirates will know we've accepted her invitation."

Doffy's grin widened into a cruel sneer, his voice dripping with malice. "I can't wait... I wonder if we should burn down Whole Cake Island again like the Golden Lion. The audacity of that bitch, sending me threats cloaked in sugar-coated words."

His tone sharpened as he gestured toward the crumpled letter in his hand, the so-called invitation from Big Mom. It was nothing more than a veiled assertion of dominance, an attempt to test the waters of her influence.

Perhaps Charlotte Linlin was still delusional enough to think we were the old Donquixote family—the one that had to tread carefully in her shadow. That time, however, was long gone.

I crossed my arms, my gaze steady as I decided to douse his brewing chaos with cold logic.

"You're not going anywhere, Doffy," I stated firmly. "I'll be the one attending the tea party."

"What… why?" Doffy's disbelief was immediate, his sharp tone carrying more than a hint of frustration. His expression betrayed how much he'd been looking forward to creating a scene in Totto Land, a firestorm of destruction to send a message to Big Mom.

"You're an Emperor of the Sea now, Doffy. Or at least, that's the title they've given you," I replied with a smirk, carefully pushing his buttons.

"Act like one. How would it look if an emperor moved at the mere invitation of a fellow emperor? If she were truly sincere, she would have come here personally to invite us. Don't you think?"

Doffy's grin faltered, veins beginning to pop on his forehead as the realization dawned on him. He leaned back, crossing his arms with a loud snort. "Tch. You're cruel, little brother. I'm stuck here, babysitting this territory, while you have all the fun."

"Well," I said with a sly grin, "you'll have your share of fun soon enough when the Elder arrives. At least one of us should be here to show them our sincerity, don't you think?. … As for the Big Mom Pirates, it's about time I remind Linlin how sincere I can be when provoked."

Doffy's irritation didn't fade entirely, but his sneer returned as he leaned forward, his amusement mixing with genuine interest. "So, you have decided to let the Elder enter Dressrosa after all? Let me guess—are you planning to venture into the Holy Land personally and attend the Reverie?"

I nodded, the faintest hint of a smirk curling my lips. "It's a foregone conclusion. I want to know what exactly they are planning, and despite our efforts, one of the Elders will undoubtedly come to Dressrosa, trying to lure us to their little summit; at least that's what Shyarly has divined. That means one of us needs to stay here and deal with the political drama. Who better than you?"

Doffy barked out a laugh, though his grin was still strained. "I see your angle. You get to cause chaos while I play host. You're really making me regret putting you in charge of this part of the plan."

"Consider it a balance of responsibilities, and it's also because I am stronger than you. You wouldn't have had to play host if you hadn't slacked in your training," I quipped. "In addition, you've always had a flair for dealing with the Elders, and honestly, their brand of scheming is better suited to your… particular style."

Doffy clicked his tongue, but I could see the flicker of understanding in his eyes. He hated being told what to do—even by me—but he wasn't blind to the larger picture.

I glanced back toward the horizon, where the thought of Totto Land loomed like an opportunity waiting to be seized. "Speaking of balance, maybe it's time we start thinking about expanding our territories, Doffy. Compared to the other Emperors, the territories we control are shabby at best."

Doffy's grin returned in full force, his teeth glinting in the midday sun. "Fufufu… I like the sound of that. You've been in the Four Blues long enough, little brother. Now with you here in the New World, maybe it's time we show the others that our ambitions don't end at Dressrosa and the New World."

****

Wano, New World

Kaido's thunderous roar echoed through the great hall of Onigashima, shaking its very foundations. The unfortunate Beast Pirate who had delivered the grim news was trembling so violently it seemed he might collapse on the spot.

Kaido's crimson eyes burned with a mixture of fury and frustration, and his hulking frame seemed to grow even larger, his presence suffocating the room.

"What do you mean you can't find her?" Kaido's voice was a guttural snarl, barely contained and brimming with menace. His words were punctuated by the crack of his sake jug shattering in his grip, shards scattering to the floor as liquid seeped into the cracks of the stone.

The trembling pirate gulped, stammering as he attempted to explain. "K-Kaido-sama, Hachinosu… it's gone. Gecko Moria… he—he attacked with his crew and burned everything down. The prisoners, the fortress—nothing was spared. Even the underground cells are in ruins. There's… there's no sign of Yamato-sama. We—we believe…"

Before he could finish, Kaido's massive hand shot forward, wrapping around the man's head like a vice. The sound of his skull creaking under the pressure filled the room, accompanied by the man's desperate, muffled cries of agony. Kaido's grip tightened as his other hand reached for his kanabo, the spiked club crackling faintly with his latent Conqueror's Haki.

"I don't care about your worthless beliefs!" Kaido bellowed, lifting the struggling pirate into the air.

"Find her! Dead or alive, I want to see proof! If she's dead, I want a corpse! If you fail me again—" His sentence ended abruptly as he hurled the pirate across the hall with a flick of his wrist. The man crashed into a far wall, crumpling into a heap, unconscious—or worse.

Kaido turned his fiery gaze on the rest of his subordinates, who were frozen in place, heads bowed low in fear.

"Search the wreckage. Scour the seas. Question every rat and insect who dares breathe near Hachinosu. If I hear another excuse, your heads will roll faster than the weaklings Moria slaughtered."

The room was heavy with the weight of Kaido's wrath, his rage palpable, swirling like a storm that threatened to consume everything in its path. The Beast Pirates scrambled to bow even lower, hastily murmuring their affirmations before bolting out of the hall to carry out his orders. None dared linger a second longer than necessary.

Kaido turned toward his throne, the ominous silhouette of the skull fortress looming behind him.

He sat heavily, the massive chair groaning under his weight, his thoughts clouded with frustration. His mind swirled, not just with the disappearance of Yamato, but with the bitter memory of Oden's final moments.

Despite Kaido's overwhelming strength, Oden had defied him in a way no one ever had before.

Even as he boiled alive, Oden had not screamed. Not once. His endurance had infuriated Kaido, gnawed at his pride, and left a bitter taste in his mouth that no amount of sake could drown.

That single moment—the look in Oden's eyes as Kaido dealt the final blow—haunted him like a specter. It wasn't fear. It wasn't even pain. It was triumph.

"Oden…" Kaido muttered under his breath, his fingers gripping the armrests of his throne so tightly they splintered. The audacity of that man, even in death, made Kaido's blood boil. No amount of victory could soothe the wound Oden had inflicted upon his pride. Worse still was Linlin's mocking laughter when she had left Onigashima after Oden's execution.

"What's wrong, Kaido? You let some lowly samurai embarrass you? Fufufu… maybe you're not ready to stand at my level just yet," Linlin had sneered, her words cutting deep despite his attempts to brush them off. He had roared at her to leave, but her laughter lingered long after her departure.

Now, the news of Hachinosu's destruction and Yamato's disappearance felt like fate twisting the knife. Moria was nothing more than a shadow of the man Kaido had crushed before, yet even he had dared to strike at Kaido's forces in his absence. To Kaido, it was unthinkable. His empire, his family, his very name—all of it was being tested.

His grip on his kanabo tightened, the faint crackle of Conqueror's Haki sparking along its spikes as he stared out toward the horizon. "Fate may conspire against me," he growled to no one in particular. "But I'll crush it. Just like I'll crush anyone who dares stand in my way."

Kaido's fury simmered, but beneath it burned an unyielding determination. Hachinosu could burn. The Beast Pirates' cannon fodder could die. Yamato, however, was another matter entirely.

Whether she had defied him or not, she was his daughter; even if she were to perish, then it should be by his own hands. And if Moria or anyone else thought they could take her from him, they were about to face the wrath of a dragon.