Wind howled over Egghead Island. Dark clouds covered the sun.
St. Marcus Mars flew above the trees. Mars had taken the shape of a giant bird. His shadow covered the ground. His feathers resembled dark blades, and his beak curved into a sharp point.
Sanji stood in the sky using Sky Walk, kicking the air to remain in place. Fire burned around his right leg, with black lightning sparking through the flames. A cigarette rested in his mouth as he exhaled a cloud of gray smoke.
Carrot floated near Sanji, holding a vibranium gauntlet as electricity covered her fur. Bonney hovered beside her with a pole arm in hand. Merry and Sunny remained in the air using their back boosters, watching Mars.
"That bird looks tough," Sanji said, adjusting his black suit. "The bird interrupted lunch. Unforgivable."
Mars shrieked.
The sound hurt their ears. He flapped his wings, sending a gust toward the group. Carrot crossed her arms against the wind. Bonney braced herself with the pole arm.
Sanji did not move.
He stared at the bird.
Mars lunged forward, his beak aimed at Sanji.
Sanji waited. He stepped aside on the air, raised a knee, twisted his waist, and swung his burning leg in a wide arc.
His kick struck the side of Mars's beak.
Black lightning flared. The strength of Sanji's enhanced body combined with his Haki. The kick struck the hard feathers with enough force to produce a boom.
Mars tilted sideways.
Sanji followed.
He spun and delivered three kicks to the bird's neck. Black lightning ran through each strike. Mars stumbled in the air.
Carrot jumped forward.
She activated Electro, electricity covering her leg, and kicked Mars in the head. The current spread across his feathers.
Mars shook his head and swung a wing.
The blow sent Carrot flying backward.
Sanji caught her and set her down on the air.
"Stay behind me," Sanji told her. "The bird hits hard."
Merry watched the fight and analyzed the situation.
Mars recovered quickly, and his wings gave him control of the sky. The pirates needed another form of air support.
Merry tapped a bead on her wrist.
The Kimyo bead glowed as it connected to Ben.
"Papa," Merry said into the bead. "We need air support. Can you bring out Zords that can fly?"
On the ground, Ben stood across from Kizaru. He heard Merry through the bead and raised a hand.
"Timeout," Ben told Kizaru holding both hands in T symbol.
Kizaru stopped and lowered his light sword.
"A pause?" Kizaru asked.
"A small pause," Ben answered.
Ben stepped back, raised a hand, and snapped his fingers.
A tear opened in the air above the trees. Through the opening, another place could be seen. Light spilled from the spatial rift.
Four machines flew through.
They were Zords.
Ben had built them using an alloy made from Vibranium and Adamantium. The metal reflected the light from the sky.
The Red Falcon emerged first, red metal covering its wings.
The Blue Condor followed, blue metal forming its beak and body.
The Yellow Eagle flew out next, its yellow frame ending in reinforced talons.
The Hawk Zord came through last, covered in white and gray metal.
The Zords climbed toward the clouds.
Merry watched them arrive and turned to the others.
"Get inside!" Merry ordered. "Sunny, Bonney, Carrot! Take a Zord!"
Bonney also used Geppo, jumping toward the Hawk Zord.
Carrot moved toward the Yellow Eagle.
Sunny fired his back boosters and flew toward the Red Falcon.
Merry flew toward the Blue Condor.
The Zords opened their heads, revealing the cockpits.
Sunny flew into the Red Falcon.
Merry entered the Blue Condor.
Bonney jumped into the Hawk.
Carrot entered the Yellow Eagle.
The heads closed.
Light filled the cockpits.
The transformation happened quickly. Their old clothes vanished, replaced by suits resembling Power Ranger uniforms.
Sunny wore red armor and a red helmet with a falcon visor.
Merry wore blue armor and a blue helmet with a condor visor.
Bonney wore white armor and a white helmet with a hawk visor.
Carrot wore yellow armor and a yellow helmet with an eagle visor.
The Zords responded to thoughts rather than controls.
Sunny thought about flying upward.
The Red Falcon climbed.
Merry thought about diving.
The Blue Condor dropped toward the clouds.
"This is cool!" Carrot yelled as the Yellow Eagle performed a flip.
"Focus," Merry said through the radio. "Distract the bird. Help Sanji."
The Zords flew toward Mars.
The aerial battle began.
Mars opened his beak.
A beam of dark energy shot toward Sanji.
Sunny thought about a shield.
The Red Falcon moved in front of Sanji and crossed its metal wings. The beam struck the Vibranium-Adamantium alloy and bounced away.
The metal held.
"Thanks, Sunny," Sanji said.
"My turn," Bonney said through the radio.
Bonney thought about attacking.
The Hawk Zord dived from the clouds. Its metal beak opened, firing lasers that struck Mars across the back.
Sparks flew from the feathers.
Mars turned and tried to bite the Hawk Zord.
Carrot reacted.
He thought about grabbing.
The Yellow Eagle swooped down and extended its talons, catching Mars by the tail feathers. It pulled backward, stopping the bird's momentum.
Mars shrieked.
Merry moved next.
She thought about cutting.
The Blue Condor flew past Mars and extended its metal wingtips. The blades cut across the bird's side.
The Adamantium alloy pierced the hide.
Dark blood fell from the sky.
Mars thrashed and shook off the Yellow Eagle. He flapped his wings, sending a gust that pushed the Zords backward.
"Keep the pressure up!" Merry ordered.
The four Zords surrounded the bird.
The Red Falcon fired flames from its mouth.
The Hawk Zord fired lasers.
The Yellow Eagle attacked the wings.
The Blue Condor slashed the chest.
Mars spun and snapped at the machines, chasing them through the sky.
He ignored Sanji.
Sanji watched the distraction.
He smiled.
He dropped the cigarette.
It fell toward the ground.
Sanji prepared his next attack.
Both legs became covered in black lightning.
Sanji raised one leg.
Then he brought it down.
He kicked the air.
The kick created a vacuum that pulled Mars downward. The bird lost balance.
Sanji used Sky Walk and moved behind Mars.
He took a Renewal Taekwondo stance.
His left foot planted on the air.
He twisted his body and delivered a crescent kick to the back of Mars's head.
Black lightning exploded from the impact.
Mars fell forward.
Sanji chased him.
He delivered a series of kicks.
Left kick to the ribs.
Right kick to the spine.
Spin kick to the wing joint.
Axe kick to the neck.
Each strike carried Conqueror's Haki.
Mars's body shook under the attacks.
The Zords joined the assault.
The Red Falcon rammed Mars from the left.
The Blue Condor struck from the right.
The Yellow Eagle attacked from above.
The Hawk Zord fired lasers from below.
Mars roared.
The four machines kept him surrounded, leaving the bird little room to escape.
On the ground, the battlefield stopped for a moment.
Luffy stood in the dirt and looked toward the sky.
He saw the metal birds.
Red.
Blue.
Yellow.
White.
He saw the lasers.
Luffy's jaw dropped.
"Robots!" he yelled.
His voice carried across the camp.
Usopp stood near the trees. He dropped a tool and looked up.
His eyes widened.
"Robots!"
Usopp ran toward Luffy, grabbed his shoulders, and shook him.
"Real flying robots!"
Franky stopped fighting Saturn and looked toward the sky.
He saw the Zords.
He saw the alloy.
Tears filled his eyes and ran down his metal cheeks.
"Super robots!" Franky yelled.
He posed with both arms raised.
Saturn stood in the crater, watching the pirates ignore the battle.
His expression darkened.
The pirates were watching the sky.
Saturn lunged.
A sharp spider leg shot toward Luffy's chest.
Luffy stopped shaking and turned his head.
He looked at the incoming leg.
He grinned.
Luffy reached out and caught the spider leg.
It did not pierce his hand.
The limb turned to rubber under his grip.
Luffy pushed it aside.
Saturn stumbled.
Luffy glanced back toward the sky.
He saw the Zords.
An idea formed.
Luffy laughed.
He dropped to the ground and placed both hands on the dirt.
The ground turned white.
Then it turned to rubber.
The nearby trees became rubber.
The rocks became rubber.
Luffy grabbed the transformed earth and pulled it upward.
He shaped it with his hands.
A head formed.
Then a body.
Two arms.
Two legs.
The rubber mass grew taller than the trees.
Luffy created a giant Gorilla.
The creature resembled a machine.
Luffy added more details, shaping a cockpit into the head and forming a faceplate across the front.
He stretched the legs and jumped into the Gorilla's head.
"Gorilla Zord!" Luffy shouted.
Inside, Luffy grabbed two pieces of rubber that served as controls.
He pushed them forward.
The giant Gorilla moved.
It raised one fist and struck its own chest.
A deep thump echoed across the island.
Saturn stared at the rubber ape.
His eyes narrowed.
He lunged again, all six spider legs aimed at the Gorilla.
Luffy pushed the controls.
The Gorilla swung a right hook.
The fist hit Saturn.
The rubber arm stretched with the force of the blow, sending Saturn across the clearing.
He crashed into a mound of dirt.
Luffy laughed.
The Gorilla opened its mouth and laughed with him.
"My turn!" Luffy yelled.
He pushed the controls again.
The Gorilla charged.
It grabbed Saturn by the horns, lifted him into the air, and slammed him into the ground.
The ground bounced.
Saturn bounced upward.
The Gorilla punched him again.
Saturn fired a ball of venom.
The projectile struck the Gorilla's chest and began melting the rubber.
Luffy ignored it.
He pulled more rubber from the ground and patched the hole.
The Gorilla's chest repaired itself.
"Gorilla Kick!" Luffy shouted.
He pushed one control with his foot.
The Gorilla lifted a leg and kicked Saturn in the jaw.
The impact sent the Elder flying into the trees.
Branches snapped as the beast disappeared into the forest.
In the sky, Sanji finished his attack.
He kicked Mars back toward the ground.
The Zords formed a line.
The four machines fired together.
A combined beam struck Mars.
The bird fell from the sky.
Sanji looked down.
He saw the giant white Gorilla fighting a giant spider.
He sighed.
"Only Luffy," Sanji said.
Merry flew the Blue Condor down and hovered near him.
"Good fight," Merry said through the radio.
Sanji nodded.
"The birds helped. Thank you."
The sky belonged to the pirates.
The ground belonged to the Gorilla.
The battle for Egghead Island continued.