Water 7
Ever since a "No Entry" sign was put up at the approach to Scrap Island more than two weeks ago, the entire island had effectively become a forbidden zone within Water 7.
Anyone who stepped into Scrap Island's territory would be met with thunderbolts crashing down from the sky.
For ordinary citizens of Water 7, this caused little trouble beyond the occasional disruption to their sleep. After all, no one went anywhere near that place to begin with.
But for those pirate hunters who had learned that the Sky Pirates were hiding here and were itching to make a move, it was a completely different story…
That was a fortune starting at five billion Belly. Most people understood the danger involved, but the temptation of wealth was hard to resist. Greed clouded their judgment and blinded their eyes.
Not far from Scrap Island, inside one of Water 7's tall, tower-like buildings, a group of pirate hunters had temporarily formed an alliance for the sake of the Sky Pirates' heads. They kept watch on Scrap Island around the clock, never letting their guard down.
Over the past two weeks, nearly a hundred pirate hunters had tried to sneak onto Scrap Island. Every single one of them disappeared without a trace. With no one returning, the hunters were forced to change their approach.
Because of Scrap Island's unique terrain and its tangled, labyrinth-like environment, it was impossible for them to spot any movement from Sky Pirate members. Still, as long as the Sky Pirates' ship remained docked there, they believed they still had a chance.
And today, that chance finally arrived.
"Is the information you got really reliable?"
"Absolutely. I heard the Seven Great Shipyards have joined forces. They're planning to blow Scrap Island apart, force the Sky Pirates out, and then pick them off one by one."
"Damn it. Those shipbuilding bastards are even trying to steal our business. Still, isn't this an opportunity for us?"
"But how are they supposed to sink an island that big? We can't even get close, let alone plant explosives…"
"Don't worry about that. The moment there's any movement, we act. We can't let the Sky Pirates' heads fall into someone else's hands."
"Right…"
…
Far below the surface of Scrap Island, deep beneath the sea, something else was unfolding.
As bubbles rose through the water, five shark-shaped submarines made entirely of steel slowly emerged. At the position of each shark's open mouth were four dark, ominous cannon barrels.
The depths of the sea were pitch-black, but the bright light shining from the submarines' lantern-like shark eyes illuminated the surroundings. Dozens of massive wooden pillars came into view, each as thick as a towering column, crisscrossing together to form the very foundation supporting Scrap Island.
These pillars were not artificially constructed. They were the masts of enormous ships that had sunk by chance to the ocean floor long ago.
Inside the submarines' main control rooms, mercenaries dressed in black diving suits stared through wide observation windows, silently waiting for their leader's command.
Once the order was given, all five submarines and their twenty cannons would fire at once, destroying the pillars. Without that support, Scrap Island would rapidly sink into the sea.
Just then, a Den Den Mushi rang, and Barbarov's voice came through.
"Prepare to move."
"Understood."
With the command issued, the cannon barrels visibly tilted upward, locking onto the wooden supports.
"Fire!!!"
…
The thunderous explosion didn't just jolt the citizens of Water 7 awake. It also drew the pirate hunters' attention.
"B-boss… it's real. They've made their move…"
At the shout from the underling, the leaders of the pirate hunter alliance hurriedly snatched the binoculars from his hands.
In the distance, Scrap Island erupted in a violent blast. It looked like the explosion came from beneath the sea. The shockwave kicked up towering walls of water, and Scrap Island itself began to crack apart, splitting and collapsing.
"So that's how it is… so that's how it is…"
"Quit staring, you lot! Grab your weapons! Fifty billion Belly are ours! Don't let those shipwrights steal it from us! Charge!"
"Oh!!!"
With their leaders' rallying cry, a dark mass of bodies poured out from the surrounding buildings, swarming like ants as they rushed toward Scrap Island.
Right now, their eyes were locked on only one thing: that dazzling pirate ship, the Twin Goddesses.
As long as they could get aboard, gold, Devil Fruits, Belly, Meito, and bounties would all be waiting for them…
…
Not far away, the bosses of the seven major shipbuilding companies of Water 7 watched the scene and let out the same sigh.
"How pathetic…"
"Yeah… but if these idiots go in first, it'll save us a lot of trouble."
"Get the Seastone unit ready. When the time comes, I want indiscriminate fire. Fifty billion Belly… we'll split it among ourselves."
Just then, in everyone's line of sight, at the center of Scrap Island on the deck of the Sky Pirates' ship, the Sky Pirates made a flashy entrance that caught everyone completely off guard.
Only this time… there seemed to be four extra figures.
"What are those four things… dinosaurs… toys… pets…?"
...
One minute earlier…
On the deck of the Twin Goddesses.
Watching the pirate hunters flood toward Scrap Island like a swarm of ants, Yemu looked almost exhilarated.
This was the moment. Two weeks of work, and now he finally got to see the results.
"How does the battle suit feel?!"
Yemu turned around. Behind him stood the four Kuro brothers.
Only now, they looked nothing like they used to.
Under the sunlight, four dinosaur-shaped metal bodies gleamed with a harsh, dazzling shine.
This wasn't a complete replacement. The Baku Baku no Mi was powerful, but it couldn't do something that extreme. Instead, it was closer to a suit of armor worn over their bodies, like clothing. Their original bodies were still inside.
It still hadn't reached the level Yemu wanted, but he was already looking forward to what they could do next.
As for the design, Yemu had originally wanted something based on the Battle Greymon he loved from his favorite anime, Digimon. But Kuromi's Baku Baku no Mi wasn't refined enough for that kind of detail yet, and the available materials were limited. So he had to compromise, settling for a Greymon-like look instead.
Their height had increased too, now close to two meters.
Even so, the workmanship was still rough. Hard angles, patched seams, and none of the sleek beauty of a true machine.
To make it easier to tell the four apart, the bodies were the same shape, but the colors and weapons were different.
Kuromi's body was a silver-white Greymon. One arm ended in a dragon claw, while the other was a massive black dinosaur head. It could be used like an iron fist, or opened to activate the Baku Baku no Mi.
Kuromu's body was a sky-blue Greymon. His weapons were two blue metal dragon claws, brutally destructive. With a clap in midair, he could also trigger his fruit ability directly.
Kurota's body was a golden Greymon. In addition to his claws, three cannon barrels extended from his back, letting him use the Noko Noko no Mi to fire different spore rounds.
Kuroli's body had a deep-blue back and a golden abdomen. His weapons were a pair of hands shaped like shark-cleavers, able to activate the Kama Kama no Mi and cut through anything.
"Big brother's ability is incredible," Kuroli said, swinging his blade-like hands. "It doesn't feel awkward at all. It's like this is my own body."
"If that's the case," Yemu said, "then those pirate hunters are yours. I want to see what this first-generation Tonton Alloy can really do."
"No problem, boss! Leave it to us!"
As the words fell, the four Kuromi brothers, clad in their new battle suits, dropped from above…