One Piece: The Template System

Dust blew across the barren wasteland, kicked up by the steady marching.

Leading the way along the cracked dirt path, Luffy walked with his hands shoved deep into his red kimono. Beside him, Zoro drank casually from a stolen clay jug, wiping sake from his chin with the back of his hand. Hovering a few feet above the ruined earth, the yellow nimbus cloud followed closely, carrying Bonney and Otama over the jagged rocks.

The towering peak of the mountain grew closer with every step.

A sharp whistling sound cut through the dry air.

Dropping the clay jug, Zoro drew Sandai Kitetsu in a single, fluid motion. The swordsman deflected three iron-tipped arrows aimed directly at the captain's head. Sparks flew as the arrows clattered harmlessly into the dust.

Looking up, the group spotted the attacker.

Gliding through the gray, polluted sky, a large man wearing a pair of dark wings circled above them. A strange pair of bat wings sprouted awkwardly from his lower back, a byproduct of a defective SMILE fruit.

"Intruders!" Batman shouted, nocking three more arrows to his bowstring. "This area belongs to the Beast Pirates!"

Before Batman could release the bowstring, a blur of motion darted out from behind a pile of boulders on the ground.

Moving with terrifying speed, a man with the lower body of a gazelle sprinted past the swordsman and the captain. Launching himself into the air, Gazelleman snatched Otama right off the hovering nimbus cloud.

"I have the tamer!" Gazelleman yelled, clutching the screaming girl under his arm. Landing gracefully on the dirt, the SMILE user pumped his muscular animal legs, preparing to sprint toward the distant factories of Bakura Town.

Bonney reached for the beastman, missing his collar by an inch.

Luffy lowered his head. The shadow of his straw hat covered his eyes. Releasing a sharp, focused burst of Conqueror's Haki, he directed the invisible wave of spiritual pressure directly at the fleeing kidnapper.

The air warped.

Taking exactly three steps, Gazelleman froze. The beastman's eyes rolled into the back of his head, showing only white. Foaming at the mouth, the kidnapper collapsed face-first into the dirt, dropping Otama safely onto the soft dust.

Running forward immediately, the little girl scrambled back to the floating yellow cloud, clinging tightly to Bonney's pink kimono.

Seeing his partner drop unconscious from a mere glare, Batman panicked in the air. Lowering his bow, the bat-man tried to flap his artificial wings to retreat toward the capital.

A shadow fell over the dirt path, blocking the sunlight.

Riding atop a massive, armored lizard, a tall man with long blonde hair blocked the road ahead. Basil Hawkins looked down at the pirates, shuffling a deck of tarot cards with practiced ease. Six armored beast pirates flanked the Headliner.

"Monkey D. Luffy," Hawkins noted, drawing a card from the deck. Staring at the drawn card, the magician frowned. "The probability of your survival today is zero percent."

Stepping forward, Zoro tied his dark green bandana around his head.

"I'll handle this," the swordsman declared, drawing Wado Ichimonji and placing the hilt between his teeth. Gripping Shusui in his right hand and Sandai Kitetsu in his left, he dropped into a low stance.

Pulling a long sword from his hip, Hawkins did not swing the blade. The Headliner tapped into the power of the Straw-Straw Fruit. Thick bundles of cursed straw erupted from the sword's hilt, wrapping around the metal and expanding outward.

The straw wove itself into a massive, terrifying voodoo entity towering over the dirt road. The giant straw monster wielded a club covered in sharp nails, letting out a hollow, raspy screech.

"Go," Hawkins commanded calmly.

Swinging the nailed club downward, the straw monster aimed to crush the swordsman flat.

Crossing his blades above his head, Zoro caught the heavy strike. The ground cratered beneath his boots. Pushing upward with immense physical strength, he deflected the giant club, throwing the monster off balance.

Three Sword Style: Pounding Phoenix.

Swinging all three blades in rapid succession, Zoro launched a compressed wave of flying slashes. The sharp air cut directly through the torso of the giant straw entity.

Instead of falling, the monster simply reformed. Sitting on his lizard, Hawkins did not flinch. A small straw voodoo doll dropped from the Headliner's sleeve, splitting in half and falling to the dirt.

Down the road, one of the armored beast pirates suddenly screamed, his chest slicing open from an invisible blade. The grunt collapsed, bleeding into the dust.

"Cowardly trick," Zoro grunted, shifting his grip on Shusui. "I'll just have to cut you until you run out of dolls."

Coating his swords in dense Armament Haki, the blades turned pitch black. Bounding forward, Zoro moved faster than the giant straw monster could track. Dodging a horizontal sweep of the nailed club, the swordsman leaped into the air, spinning like a dark tornado.

Three Sword Style: Black Rope Dragon Twister.

A massive whirlwind of razor-sharp air erupted on the road. The storm caught the giant straw monster, slicing the woven fibers into thousands of tiny pieces. The sheer cutting force bypassed the avatar entirely, striking Hawkins directly on his mount.

Multiple straw dolls dropped from the Headliner's sleeves, shredding into pieces instantly. The remaining beast pirates collapsed around him, taking the fatal damage meant for their captain.

Losing his final extra life, Hawkins took the brunt of the remaining attack. The sharp winds cut deep gashes across his chest and arms. Dropping his cards, the Headliner fell backward off his armored lizard, hitting the ground hard.

Landing gracefully, Zoro sheathed his swords one by one. Untying his bandana, he tied it back around his bicep.

"Path is clear," Zoro announced, walking back toward the captain.

High on a rocky ridge overlooking the battle, a lone scout wearing a horned helmet watched the entire exchange. Shaking with fear, the scout pulled a small Den Den Mushi from his pocket.

"Base, this is outpost three," the scout whispered frantically into the receiver. "Monkey D. Luffy and Roronoa Zoro are here in the Kuri wasteland. The Headliner has been defeated. They are heading toward the mountain."

Unaware of the scout, the small group resumed their trek. Bypassing the unconscious bodies, they left the ruined road behind and began the steep ascent up the mountain.

The ruins of Oden Castle sat quietly at the very peak.

Shattered stone walls and broken wooden beams marked the resting place of the former Shogun. Weeds grew through the cracked foundation. Overlooking the entire Kuri region, the vantage point offered a perfect view of the sprawling wasteland and the distant factories.

Reaching the summit, Luffy hopped off the dirt path and walked into the ruined courtyard.

The entire Straw Hat alliance waited among the broken stones. Nami, Vivi, Sanji, Chopper, Robin, Franky, Caroo, and Brook sat around a small campfire. The four Elbaf giants stood near the back walls, keeping a watchful eye on the perimeter.

Spotting the new arrivals, Sanji stood up and immediately glared at the swordsman.

"You got lost again, didn't you, moss-head?" the cook mocked, exhaling a cloud of smoke.

"I wasn't lost," Zoro shot back, resting a hand on his swords. "I was exploring the local wildlife. Stick to making snacks, curly brows."

Ignoring the usual bickering, Luffy looked around the ruins. "Where is everyone else? Where is Law?"

Stepping out from behind a collapsed stone pillar, Kin'emon walked into the center of the courtyard. Raizo and Kikunojo followed closely behind. The young lord, Momonosuke, stood at the front of the group, looking unusually solemn.

"Trafalgar-dono is gathering intelligence in the Flower Capital," Kin'emon reported. The samurai did not smile. A heavy, somber mood hung over the vassals.

Walking toward a small cluster of wooden grave markers set into the ground near the cliff edge, the samurai gestured for the pirates to follow.

Reading the names carved into the wood, Robin narrowed her eyes. The markers bore the names of Kin'emon, Kanjuro, Raizo, and Momonosuke.

"Why are your names on these graves?" Luffy asked, tilting his head.

"Because we died here," Kin'emon answered quietly.

A cold wind blew across the mountain peak. Chopper shivered, hiding behind Zoro's leg. Brook let out a soft gasp, holding his skeletal hands up to his face.

Turning to face the pirate crew, Kin'emon took a deep breath.

"We have kept a massive secret from you, Luffy-dono," the samurai confessed. "We are not from this current era. We are ghosts. Twenty years ago, when Kaido and Orochi burned this castle to the ground, Lord Oden's wife used her Devil Fruit powers. She sent us forward in time to escape the flames."

Staring blindly at the samurai, Luffy's jaw unhinged slightly.

"Time travelers," Robin murmured, processing the revelation quickly. "That explains why you knew so little about the current political state of the world."

"It is the truth," Raizo nodded, tears welling in his large eyes. "We leaped twenty years into the future. We arrived to find our country destroyed, reduced to the wasteland you see below."

Looking at the graves, the four Elbaf giants crossed their massive arms.

"We were also shocked when they told us this morning," Dorry rumbled, his deep voice vibrating through the stones. "To jump through time itself... it is a terrifying magic."

Snapping his jaw shut, Luffy punched his open palm.

"Yosh!" the captain cheered, completely ignoring the emotional weight of time travel. "Then let's go avenge your castle! Let's go fight Kaido right now!"

Before Luffy could take a single step toward the mountain trail, a hand clamped down firmly on his shoulder.

"Stop," Ben commanded, stepping out of the shadows near the campfire.

Looking back at the magician, Luffy frowned. "Why? The enemy is right there!"

"There is a plan," Ben explained calmly, releasing the captain's shoulder. Walking to the center of the group, the magician took control of the strategic briefing. "We do not attack randomly. The time for the raid is set for the night of the Fire Festival."

"Fire Festival?" Bonney asked, leaning against a ruined wall.

"It is an annual celebration," Kin'emon clarified. "On that night, Orochi and all of his high-ranking officials travel to Onigashima to celebrate with Kaido's crew. The island will be packed with our enemies."

"It also coincides with the full moon," Ben added, looking toward the sky. "The mink tribe requires a full moon to access their Sulong forms. We need their maximum combat output to break through Kaido's front lines."

Counting on his fingers, Luffy tried to calculate the timeline. Giving up after a few seconds, he looked at the samurai. "How many days until this festival?"

"Two weeks," Kin'emon answered.

A look of disgust washed over Luffy's face. His rubber features stretched into a bizarre, exaggerated pout. He hated waiting. Waiting meant sitting still, and sitting still was impossible for him.

Seeing the impending tantrum, Ben offered a distraction. "It is the perfect time to explore Wano. There are plenty of local delicacies hidden across the regions. Soba stalls, fresh fruit orchards, giant boars..."

The pout vanished instantly. A bright, shining smile returned to the captain's face. "Food! Okay, we wait for the festival!"

Shaking his head at the easy manipulation, Kin'emon turned his attention back to the magician.

"Ben-dono," the samurai asked, his tone turning serious. "What happened to Kanjuro you sent to Orochi's castle yesterday?"

Smiling faintly, Ben crossed his arms. "Kanjuro delivered his report to the Shogun. He relayed the news that the Straw Hat alliance has infiltrated Wano, and that the leadership is currently hiding right here in the ruins of Oden Castle."

Silence crashed over the courtyard.

Dropping his bottle of cola, Franky stared at the magician. Usopp fell backward, scrambling away in panic.

"Are you insane?!" Franky yelled, waving his robotic arms. "Why did you have him do that?!"

"Knowing Orochi's paranoid nature," Ben explained smoothly, "he will immediately pass that information to Kaido. He will demand that the Beast Pirates eliminate the threat before the festival even begins."

Tilting his skeletal head, Brook raised a bony finger. "Pardon me, Ben-san. Didn't you just say we are avoiding combat until the Fire Festival? If Kaido knows we are here, he will come to kill us."

"That is exactly what I want him to do," Ben stated, then he snapped his fingers.

A perfect, flawless duplicate of Zoro materialized next to the rock.

"I have prepared doppelgangers for all of us," Ben revealed. "When Kaido arrives to destroy this mountain, we will not be here. The decoys will take the hit. Kaido will obliterate the ruins, see the 'bodies' in the wreckage, and assume the alliance is dead."

"A false flag operation," Robin deduced, smiling in approval. "We fake our own deaths to buy ourselves two weeks of freedom. They will drop their guard entirely."

Nodding in agreement, the rest of the crew muttered their approval. It was a flawless tactical maneuver.

Only one person hated the idea.

Grinding his teeth together, Luffy glared at the magician. Faking his death meant running away. It meant Kaido would show up to fight, and he would not be allowed to punch the dragon in the face.

"I am not hiding," Luffy declared stubbornly, balling his hands into tight fists. "If he comes here, I will fight him."

Releasing a long, tired sigh, Ben did not bother arguing. Arguing with the captain about combat pride was a losing battle.

Raising his right hand, the magician snapped his fingers.

Pop.

Monkey D. Luffy vanished from the courtyard instantly.

Vivi looked at the empty space where the captain had just been standing. "Did you just send him into your pocket dimension?"

"I did," Ben confirmed, putting his wand away. "He was about to throw a tantrum and ruin the decoy plan."

"Won't he be furious that you stole his fight?" the princess worried, knowing the captain's temper when denied a brawl.

Smiling softly, Ben shook his head. "Don't worry. I foresaw this reaction. I stocked the spatial dimension with a literal mountain of premium Sea King meat and roasted pork. Right now, he is far too busy eating to care about Kaido."

Hearing the description of the food, Bonney bolted upright from her spot against the wall.

"A mountain of meat?!" the gluttonous pirate exclaimed, wiping drool from her chin. "Send me too! Put me in the dimension right now!"

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Ben sighed again. Raising his hand, he snapped his fingers a second time.

Pop.

Bonney vanished, sent to join the captain in the magical all-you-can-eat buffet.

"Alright," Ben instructed the remaining crew. "Deploy the decoys and grab your gear. We evacuate the mountain immediately. The Emperor will be here soon."

Far across the inland sea, resting on the isolated island of Onigashima, a massive skull dome dominated the landscape.

Inside the central cavern of the dome, the King of the Beasts sat cross-legged on the floor. Holding a giant, barrel-sized gourd of sake, Kaido drank deeply. Alcohol spilled down his thick beard, splashing onto his massive chest.

Footsteps echoed nervously across the stone floor.

A messenger from the Flower Capital approached the Yonko, bowing low to the ground. Sweating profusely, the beast pirate held up a printed report sent directly from Orochi's spies.

"Governor-General," the messenger stammered, fearing the drunken wrath of the Emperor. "We have received urgent news from the Shogun. The intruders... the ones who disrupted the underworld operations and defeated Joker in Dressrosa..."

Lowering the sake gourd, Kaido glared down at the trembling grunt.

"They have infiltrated Wano," the messenger finished quickly, keeping his head pressed against the floor. "The spy confirms that Monkey D. Luffy and his alliance are currently hiding in the ruins of Oden Castle in Kuri."

The heavy silence in the cavern felt suffocating.

Kaido did not yell. He did not throw his club.

A dark, terrifying rumble vibrated in his chest. The Emperor of the Sea thought about the lost SMILE fruits. He thought about the ruined artificial Zoan army. He thought about the arrogant rookie who dared to challenge his business empire.

Standing up slowly, Kaido dropped the massive gourd. The clay shattered, spilling gallons of sake across the floor.

Walking toward the open balcony overlooking the sea.

Stepping off the ledge, Kaido plummeted toward the water.

Before hitting the waves, dark storm clouds gathered instantly in the sky. Lightning flashed violently. The massive, muscular body of the Emperor shifted and expanded, transforming in a burst of terrifying power.

A colossal, azure dragon erupted from the clouds.

Roaring into the gray sky, the dragon twisted its massive, serpentine body. Generating flaming clouds to use as footholds in the air, Kaido flew away from Onigashima. He headed straight across the sea toward the Kuri region, intent on incinerating the ghosts of the past and the arrogant rookie who thought he could hide in a ruined castle.