One Piece: The Arm of Fate

"A-choo!"

Sitting under the parasol, Shano sneezed suddenly, spilling the coffee in his hand all over the floor.

"Smoker!"

He turned around and shouted.

"Understood."

Smoker, who was steering, responded immediately.

Swish!

The smoke swept through, instantly cleaning the floor.

Focus on professionalism and efficiency.

Shano rubbed his nose and looked up in confusion. Under the scattered clouds of fire, the silhouette of Water City had already come into view.

Who's thinking of me again?

Last time he sneezed like this, Garp came knocking within two days.

Could it be... Kaido is coming this time?

...

An hour later.

The End finally sailed into Water City.

As night deepened, lights came on one by one, reflecting the winding waterways in shimmering waves.

This city with an intricate network of waterways had countless entrances, and ships could be docked almost anywhere around the island.

Shano deliberately chose a more remote area to dock to avoid attracting too much attention. When the ship dropped anchor, the four people and the wolf disembarked.

Of course, they didn't forget to bring the treasure chests.

In the past,

Yin had to drag the treasure chests.

He was never happy about it, thinking it undermined the dignity of a wolf king. He'd always lie on the ground in embarrassment until Shano gave him a kick, then he'd reluctantly become a sled dog with a wounded expression.

But now, things had changed. A much more professional porter had joined the crew.

Jack made full use of his physical strength, easily carrying a dozen treasure chests on his shoulders, stacking them high.

As he walked, the clanging sound he made resembled a mobile fortress, prompting residents to quickly step aside.

Some street thugs, initially tempted by the treasure, shrank back immediately after seeing Jack's intimidating physique and ferocious face.

Shano took note of all this and was quite amused.

There are benefits to looking scary. Even with a bounty of zero, it still carries the deterrence of someone worth a billion Baileys.

After renting a few Blues, the group headed for the Upper City.

The bank and the life card store were located there.

Going from the outer district to the Upper City would normally require navigating a winding waterway due to elevation changes.

But...

Water City had an elevator.

Formally known as the "sluice elevator," it used a sealed water gate system to raise boats or passengers vertically from low to high water levels in just over ten seconds.

It reminded Shano of the Panama Canal in his memory.

The group sat in the Blue, entered the elevator, and whooshed up to the Upper City.

"Huh, strange."

Shano looked around and didn't see Kuina or the others.

They had agreed over the phone to meet at the Upper City entrance in the evening.

"I'll call them again." Smoker took out the Den Den Mushi.

"Yeah."

Shano nodded. He wasn't too concerned.

It was dinner time—maybe Nami was being greedy again, and the others got delayed.

Bulu Bulu~

The Den Den Mushi rang for a long time but there was no response.

"What's going on?" Smoker frowned. He hung up and called Robin.

Still no answer.

Then Kuina. Same result.

Shano, who had been admiring the beautiful fountain, finally turned his head.

"Boss, something's off..." Smoker held his cigar and narrowed his eyes.

It wasn't surprising if Nami didn't pick up—she was careless and unreliable. She might've dropped the Den Den Mushi in the toilet.

But if even Kuina and Robin weren't answering, that clearly meant something was wrong.

"Big brother! Big brother!"

Just then, a little girl with pigtails came bouncing over.

Standing on tiptoe, she held up a crumpled note and handed it to Shano. "Here! Someone told me to give this to you!"

Shano opened it. His companions leaned over to read.

It read:

[Your sisters are tied up in the station warehouse. If you want them to live, let your subordinates go rescue them immediately.]

[Come alone to the Carrera headquarters and wait for me downstairs. I have a deal to discuss with you. Come alone. If you bring anyone else, I won't show up.]

"Hey! Wait, don't run!" Smoker reflexively reached out to stop the little girl as she turned to leave. His fierce appearance and cigar scared her—her eyes welled up.

"Sorry, sorry, little one."

Smoker quickly squatted down, softened his tone, and handed her some candy from his pocket.

"I didn't mean to scare you. I just want to ask—who gave you that note?"

"It's candy!"

The little girl's eyes lit up. Taking the sweets, she happily replied, "I don't know him. A weird guy wearing a mask gave me 100 Baileys to deliver it. He's really tall and thin... that's all I know!"

Then she added a final jab: "The big brother I meant was the handsome black-haired one. You're shameless for calling yourself a big brother, white-haired uncle!"

Uncle?!

Come on!!

Smoker's forehead twitched in frustration. Watching the little girl walk away, he stood up, exasperated. "What do you think of this note?"

"Obviously fake."

Zeff crossed his arms and scoffed.

"The guy who wrote this is clearly one of the CP9 leftovers. This old trick wouldn't fool a three-year-old."

"Huh?" Jack, previously furious, blinked. "So it's fake?"

He had been ready to charge in and save them at any moment!

"So there really is a three-year-old!" Smoker roared, smacking Jack's knee.

"Then why can't we get through to them?" Jack scratched his head.

"Fool. CP9 is a special intelligence unit. It's normal for them to jam communications."

Smoker sneered. "But they really underestimated us. Do they not know how terrifying the Observation Haki of a strong person is?"

Everyone instinctively turned to Shano.

Just as Smoker said, Shano now stood in front of the guardrail, arms open and eyes closed.

—His powerful Observation Haki was fully unleashed, sweeping across the entire island like a tidal wave!

Finding someone in a dense metropolis isn't easy.

But Shano was very familiar with Nami and Nokigo's auras. After scanning twice, he pinpointed their location.

He opened his eyes and turned.

"They're all in the east. That's the bank district, right?"

Shano shrugged. "I guess they received a fake message from a kid too, thinking the meeting place was changed."

"So I'm not the only one who got fooled." Jack chuckled foolishly.

"What are you laughing at? It's totally different, idiot!"

Smoker kicked him again. "Their note just redirected them—it didn't say they were kidnapped!"

In their original plan, the bank was supposed to be the first stop to exchange treasure for cash. So the fake message made sense.

"So they want to lure us away and meet Shano alone?" Smoker exhaled smoke and looked at Shano. "What now, boss?"

"You guys go to the bank and tell the girls what happened."

Shano stretched, looking toward Carrera HQ. "Since the person behind this wants to see me alone, I'll grant their wish."

"Understood."

"We'll head to the bank, boss."

No one objected. No one worried about Shano's safety.

Simple reason.

They had absolute trust in their captain.

Because in the face of overwhelming power...

all schemes, tricks, and calculations were just jokes.

Carrera Headquarters

Iceberg, the mayor of Water City and president of Carrera, paced in his office, frowning.

"Strange... where are Kalifa and Kaku?"

They were supposed to organize the dock reports tonight.

Kaku might've been dragged to a bar by Barry. That was fine.

But Kalifa? She never missed work. Even with a cold, she followed Iceberg everywhere.

This kind of disappearance was unprecedented.

"Ugh, what a headache..."

Iceberg flopped into his chair and picked his nose. "I'm all alone. How can I get anything done?"

He was a lazy mayor. Without subordinates to push him, he had zero motivation.

Creak~

The office door opened.

"Finally! Kalifa, what happened? I thought you forgot—"

Iceberg quickly wiped his finger under the table and looked up.

"Lucci?"

He blinked.

"Why are you here? Where's Kalifa? Weren't you inspecting Dock No. 1 tonight?"

Lucci didn't respond. He walked in, sat on the sofa, crossed his legs, and looked up—his once gentle eyes now cold as ice.

"What's wrong with you..." Iceberg took a half step back, unsettled.

This wasn't the Lucci he knew.

"Sorry, Mayor Iceberg."

Lucci patted dust off his pants. His voice was hoarse and low.

"Thanks for your care. But I'm not here as a boatman tonight."

"Hey, what do you mean by that?"

Iceberg chuckled awkwardly. "Lucci, are you joking? Where's Hadley?"

Hadley was Lucci's pigeon.

Lucci didn't answer. He raised his index finger.

Whoosh!

Two flying finger guns shot out, piercing Iceberg's knees. Blood gushed out.

Iceberg collapsed, clutching his leg in shock.

"Now you can't run. Let me reintroduce myself."

Lucci's gaze was cold.

"I am Rob Lucci, CP9 agent under the World Government. Captain of this Water City operation."

"What?!" Iceberg's face turned pale.

CP9?! The secret intelligence unit?

Lucci... had been undercover this whole time?

And if he was CP9, then... Kalifa and Kaku?!

"Yes," Lucci said flatly, reading his thoughts. "But they're busy right now. So I'll say goodbye for them."

It's true!

Damn... Kalifa... Kaku...

"What do you want?" Iceberg asked through clenched teeth.

Lucci walked to the window, watching the night-lit city.

In his view:

That little girl was handing the note to Shano's group.

It's starting.

Lucci exhaled, his eyes gleaming.

He was sick of hiding here for nearly a year. Spandam was a fool for telling them to delay.

They knew the blueprints were with Iceberg.

Why wait any longer?

Thankfully, Shano came.

It gave him an excuse to fight.

If he won, he'd kill Shano and take Iceberg—glorious.

If he lost... at least he'd get his shot.

"Kaku and Kalifa like this place too much."

"But I don't. I've no ties to this city."

"Iceberg," Lucci said, still facing the window. "You must know about the Pluto blueprints, right?"

Iceberg froze.

Of course...

That's what they were after.

"Pluto?"

Iceberg forced himself to remain calm and said in a deep voice, "I don't know what you're talking about. Pluto is a legendary weapon. How could an ordinary shipwright like me ever have contact with something like that—"

"Lie."

Lucci turned around and gave a cold sneer.

"Our superior, Spandam, already investigated it clearly. The reason we infiltrated Carrera... was because of you."

He approached step by step, his voice turning colder, "Tom's other disciple, Franky, is dead. You're the only one left. If the design isn't with you, then where is it?"

At the mention of Tom, Iceberg clenched his fists.

Spandam...

The same man who framed Tom, causing his execution—even after being acquitted.

Because of that same man, Franky's fate was still unknown, his whereabouts uncertain.

"I don't know! Master Tom never gave me anything!"

Cold sweat drenched Iceberg's forehead, but he gritted his teeth and insisted:

"I've never seen any so-called Pluto blueprints! Even if you're from CP9, you still need evidence. Accusing someone without proof is nonsense!"

"Normally, you're right."

Lucci's patience finally ran out. "But I don't have time to play games with you anymore."

Swish!

He disappeared from view—and in the next instant, reappeared in front of Iceberg.

Bang!

He kicked him hard in the chest.

Iceberg coughed up a mouthful of blood and crumpled to the ground, but to Lucci's surprise, he didn't lose consciousness.

Tom's disciple really was hard to take down.

Lucci looked at him coldly and gave the order:

"Knock him out, tie him up, and bag him. Bruno."

A tall, burly figure stepped out of the shadows. Bruno said nothing. He reached down to grab Iceberg.

"The tavern guy? Bruno, you too..." Iceberg looked stunned, then let out a bitter laugh. "So I was surrounded from the start."

"I didn't notice a thing... I really am slow..."

He lowered his head in self-mockery, then suddenly looked up and grinned:

"You're taking me to Enies Lobby? You think I'm afraid of dying?"

Lucci frowned slightly.

"My teacher would rather die than hand over the blueprint," Iceberg continued firmly.

"As his disciple, how could I disgrace his will?"

"Pluto is a world-destroying taboo. I won't let it reappear. Never!"

"As for killing me?"

He suddenly pulled out two pistols from his suit and pointed them straight at Lucci:

"Come try it, you government dog!"

Bang! Bang!

Two bullets shot toward Lucci.

Lucci didn't flinch.

He activated Tekkai (Iron Body). For ordinary bullets from a non-trained shooter, it would be a joke to think they could penetrate.

But then—

BOOM!!!

The office window exploded!

A slender sword flew in through the glass, intercepted the bullets mid-air, split them in half, shattered Lucci's Iron Body, and stabbed directly into his side—nailing him to the wall.

The scene was so sudden that even Bruno and Iceberg froze.

Lucci stared blankly at the blood pouring from his abdomen.

"Ah, sorry."

A lazy voice came from the windowsill.

Lucci looked up and saw a black-haired youth sitting casually on the ledge, legs dangling. He smiled lightly:

"I was in the garden downstairs, waiting for you to finish your act. But things got noisy up here, and I worried you'd kill Mr. Gin out of anger, so I had to intervene."

Gin?

Who's that?

Lucci was confused by the name.

But it didn't matter.

He looked at the sword in his waist and almost laughed.

Such power...

A casually thrown sword pierced his Iron Body?

So this is the swordsmanship of the famous swordsman, huh?

But pirates really are arrogant fools.

That letter was meant to be an obvious trap.

Whether the other side saw through it or not, Lucci was certain that a "great pirate" would come anyway—full of confidence in their own strength.

And as expected, the man came alone.

He even threw his sword first, as if afraid of hurting the hostage.

Perfect.

"Bruno!" Lucci shouted, yanking the sword from his body.

"Understood!"

Bruno acted instantly. Holding the bloodied blade, he slashed Lucci—

"Door Door: Open the Body!"

A bizarre scene unfolded.

Lucci's body opened up like a double-door cabinet, forming a rectangular gap that revealed a greenish-black space within.

Bruno didn't hesitate—he jumped in with the sword.

Swish!

The door closed. Both man and sword disappeared without a trace.

"...Huh?"

Shano was briefly puzzled by the strange act.

"What are they up to?"

"It worked."

Lucci licked the blood from his lips. Though his wound bled heavily, he seemed unaware.

Under the moonlight, his body expanded rapidly. Muscles bulged like steel cables, and his eyes gleamed with wild excitement.

He had entered his Hybrid Form—half-human, half-beast.

"That sword hurt me..."

"But now—"

He tore off his ruined shirt, revealing his muscular upper body.

"It's my turn."

"It's time for you, swordsman, to witness what it means to push physical combat to its peak!"