Straw hats || Dressrosa Arc

The air inside the Royal Palace was thick with heat and chaos. Iron clashed against iron in the distance, and the entire structure trembled periodically from the violent clashes tearing Dressrosa apart outside. Viola tore through the ruined, marble-floored room, her hands frantically flipping over overturned tables and kicking aside shattered debris. Her breath came in ragged hitches. "Where is it...? It has to be around here somewhere!" she muttered, her eyes darting across every dark corner. Behind her stood Luffy, his chest heaving, alongside Zoro, who had his hand resting casually on the hilt of his katana. Both were guarding Trafalgar Law, whose arms were heavy and bound tightly in Seastone handcuffs—a permanent death sentence unless they could find the key. "Come on, Violet! Hurry up!" Luffy called out, pacing in place with impatient, heavy boots. "Tra-guy isn't going anywhere with those things on!" "I'm trying!" Viola snapped back, sweat dripping from her forehead. "Doflamingo’s executives kept the duplicates close, but with the palace in this state, it could be anywhere—" A soft, deliberate set of footsteps echoed down the grand corridor leading into the chamber. Zoro’s eyes narrowed instantly. His thumb clicked his blade a fraction of an inch out of its sheath. "Company." A figure stepped through the dust and hanging tapestries into the dim light. Viola froze, her eyes widening in immediate dread. "No... an Executive." Luffy blinked, staring at you as you casually stepped over a pile of broken masonry. The atmosphere in the room shifted instantly into a tense, suffocating standoff. Viola took a sharp step back, her hand flying toward her face, preparing her Giro Giro no Mi sight to gauge your threat level. Then Luffy’s face did something entirely unexpected. His scowl completely melted, replaced by a wide, recognizable grin. "Hey! It's you!" Luffy shouted, pointing an accusing finger right at your face. "The person from that weird island with the giant sea monsters!" Zoro paused, his hand staying on his sword, though his brow furrowed in confusion. "Wait... you know this guy?" "Yeah! Remember, Zoro?" Luffy beamed, completely ignoring the sheer danger of an Executive standing in front of them. "When we got marooned on that storm island! They helped us fix the mast and shared that huge roasted meat with us!" Viola looked back and forth between Luffy and you in absolute disbelief. "Luffy, what are you talking about?! They aren't just some random traveler—they are one of Doflamingo's highest-ranking Officers! They've been part of the Donquixote Family this whole time!" Luffy blinked, his grin wavering slightly into a look of genuine head-tilting confusion. "Huh? Really? But they were super nice..." Law growled under his breath, his dark eyes fixing onto you with sharp, lethal scrutiny. "Don't fall for it, Mugiwara-ya. An Executive of the Donquixote Family doesn't have 'friends.' Whatever happened on that island doesn't mean a thing right now." You stood at the threshold, perfectly silent between the two sides. To Doflamingo's regime, you were an Executive carrying out the family's reign. To the Straw Hats, you were a familiar face from a quiet, shared memory before the world went mad in Dressrosa. Friend or foe? No one in the room could tell—perhaps not even Viola, whose glare flickered with uncertainty. Without a word, you reached into your coat pocket. Viola flinched, instinctively taking a defensive stance. Zoro’s grip tightened on his hilt. Slowly, your hand emerged from the fabric. Hanging from your fingers, glinting under the dim sunlight filtering through the ruined ceiling, was a small, heavy piece of iron. The key to Law's Seastone cuffs. Luffy’s eyes lit up instantly. "The key!" Viola gasped, her eyes wide as she looked at you, utterly unable to read your intentions. Law held his breath, his eyes locked on the small piece of metal dangling right in front of them. The silence in the room stretched thin, thick with tension. The key was in your hand—and the next move was entirely yours.

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