Komatsu and the Doctor finally managed to find Will Turner, unconscious among the rubble of a collapsed old warehouse. Without wasting time, they dragged him back toward the TARDIS.
Upon entering, they were greeted by the rest of the group who had not been kidnapped. In the center of the room stood Endeavour, Shiryu, and others, gathered around an unconscious man lying face down, dressed in flamboyant clothing with messy blond hair.
—I've already stopped the one who was messing with the timeline —Endeavour announced firmly, casting a stern glance at the fallen man—. It took effort, but he won't cause trouble again.
Komatsu cautiously stepped closer.
—Who is he?
—His name is Bellamy, —the Doctor replied instantly, recognizing him—. He's a pirate from a different universe. His powers come from a Devil Fruit, a special kind of power in his world that grants superhuman abilities.
Komatsu blinked, confused.
—A fruit?
—Yes. Eating one of those fruits changes you forever. In his case, it turned him into a man made of springs, able to launch himself with tremendous force. But in return… he can never swim again.
Endeavour raised an eyebrow.
—I've never heard anything like that. It's… absurd, but fascinating.
In the middle of the conversation, the Doctor suddenly froze. A silent hum echoed through his mind like a ripple in time:
Template Synchronization: 30% Reached. New Ability Unlocked: "Stasis Time."
A chill ran down his spine. No one around him noticed, but the notification had not gone unnoticed by him. He lowered his gaze, processing the data quickly.
He still remembered how he had used this ability to stop others. First, against "The Blood Family," who, coveting his power to live forever, unleashed their fury, granting his wish, but in a way they would forever regret. On another occasion, he used it, this time not to punish, but to give hope. Saving Gallifrey was undoubtedly one of the craziest and most surprising things he had ever done. He had temporarily separated them in a painting. He had long lamented what had once happened to his planet, but he had found a solution, one he arguably invested his entire life in.
—This... —he murmured, recalling a technology he had once used—. Back when I was younger, I played with something similar... stasis cubes. Tiny splinters in time where nothing moves, nothing ages. How elegant.
Stasis Time: Allows the user to convert a living being or object into a three-dimensional oil painting suspended in space. The target becomes frozen in a vivid, immobile image—unconscious and entirely removed from time and reality—until further command.
The Doctor knelt beside Bellamy and raised a hand. He activated the ability without saying a word.
A slick, gleaming texture began spreading across the pirate's body, as if invisible hands were painting him in oil, layer by layer. Within seconds, Bellamy was immobilized: a perfect, three-dimensional portrait—colorful, striking—like a masterpiece captured mid-motion. A living painting… but devoid of life.
—This will keep him under control —the Doctor said, standing again—. He poses no threat now.
Then he turned to the others, his expression grave.
—How did they take Erina, Usagi, and Hauka?
The atmosphere grew tense. Silence reigned. No one dared to respond… until Shiryu stepped forward.
—What happened was...