Luffy and his companions marched through the snowy terrain and sought cover near the village with the ropeway.
The island wasn't particularly large, and the village lay close to the inlet, so the eight of them reached it quickly.
Before entering the village, Law reiterated their objective.
"Our goal is to seize the ropeway. No harming the villagers, and only incapacitate the soldiers."
While a peaceful approach was preferable, they weren't expecting things to go smoothly. Wapol was a tyrannical king who oppressed his people, but he still commanded a degree of loyalty, at least among his soldiers. Defections were unlikely.
"The ropeway is a little north of the village center. Go straight down the main street, and you'll see it. Pretend you're here to shop, but try to act natural."
"Right."
"Understood."
Luffy and Zoro, the most likely to cause a scene, nodded in agreement.
Sanji and Usopp exchanged glances and said, "We'll have to keep an eye on them."
Chopper in his reindeer form wouldn't attract much attention.
Pedro pulled his hood low to conceal his face.
Law and Lami also partially obscured their features, and together, they entered the village, heading for the ropeway.
The village bustled with activity, so they blended in easily. They moved swiftly through the streets, reaching the ropeway without incident.
"Perfect timing. The ropeway's descending."
They had anticipated a potential wait, but luck was on their side.
"Tra-guy, ready?"
"Yeah, let's begin."
At Law's signal, they sprang into action. Punches, kicks, rotten eggs, and the flat sides of swords rained down on the soldiers guarding the ropeway. Taken by surprise, the soldiers scrambled for their weapons, but they were no match for the seasoned fighters. They were quickly subdued, and the ropeway was theirs.
"So, we're taking this to the castle at the top of the mountain?"
"That's right. We pedal this contraption."
"Pedal?! Seriously?!"
Attached to the front and back of the ropeway were bicycle-like mechanisms. Apparently, pedaling these propelled the ropeway along its cable. The castle was a considerable distance up the mountain, making it a strenuous task.
"Who's doing it?"
Luffy, ever eager for a challenge, volunteered, and after a quick game of rock-paper-scissors, Sanji was assigned the other position. With Luffy and Sanji pedaling furiously, the ropeway began its ascent.
"We're making good time."
"Fewer people means less weight. This thing's designed for more passengers, so this is easy."
At this rate, they would reach the castle in no time. While the two pedaled, the others took the opportunity to discuss their strategy. Their objectives were twofold:
Rescue the doctor.
Overthrow the king.
While accomplishing the first was sufficient, Law, burdened by his past experiences, was determined to depose the tyrannical king, even if it meant taking some risks.
"Do we know where they're holding her?"
"No. A map of the castle would be helpful, but we didn't have time to acquire one."
"Chopper, do you know anything?"
"Nope."
Chopper shook his head at Usopp's question.
Judging by the lack of resistance at the ropeway station, Law suspected the soldiers guarding the castle wouldn't pose a significant threat. Complacency, however, was dangerous. While he didn't underestimate their opponents, he was confident their current strength was sufficient.
"We can search the castle after we secure it, but a large number of enemies would be troublesome. Ideally, we rescue the doctor quickly and escape, but…"
It was a king's castle. It was bound to be vast. Finding a single person, even in a relatively small castle, could take time. And they would have to defend the ropeway while they searched. It was a challenging operation for even seasoned pirates.
"We just have to defeat everyone."
"Leave it to me. I'll cut them all down."
"Don't kill them! I said incapacitate!"
"They're soldiers. It'll be hard to hold back."
"Brother, sometimes you have to be realistic."
While minimizing casualties was ideal, clinging to unrealistic ideals was pointless. Law's demands were excessive.
Lami, gently chiding Law, held up her fingers, outlining their strategy. Two teams. One to defend the ropeway. One to search for the doctor. Deposing the king would be a secondary objective, after accomplishing these two. The doctor's location was unknown, so they would have to search systematically.
"Lami, you stay on defense. It's the safest position."
"I can fight too, but… if that's what you want."
"I'll protect Lami-chan! Leave it to me!"
Sanji, still pedaling at the rear, yelled this declaration, earning a glare from Law.
"Don't even think about touching Lami…!"
"Calm down, that idiot cook's always like that."
"Who are you calling an idiot, Moss-head?! You're always getting lost and being useless!"
"What was that?! You wanna go?!"
Ignoring the bickering duo, Pedro quietly raised his hand, volunteering for the search team.
"Usopp, what about you?"
"I'll stay. Leave the support to me!"
"The defense team will likely face the brunt of the enemy forces. Are you sure?"
"Huh?!"
Having volunteered for what he thought was the safer option, Usopp's face paled as he realized the implications. Ignoring his distress, Pedro finalized the teams. Luffy, Pedro, Chopper, and Law would search for the doctor. Zoro, Sanji, Usopp, and Lami would defend the ropeway.
"Right, that settles it – we're almost at the summit. Good luck, everyone."
They all nodded at Pedro's words, and the ropeway reached the top of the mountain.
***
After they exited the ropeway station, they were met by a line of Drum Kingdom soldiers, weapons at the ready. Unsurprisingly, the surviving soldiers from the base had alerted the castle.
"Surrender, pirates! We admire your audacity, but we won't let you have your way!"
"Anyone who defies King Wapol will be executed!"
Chess and Kuromarimo, Wapol's close associates, yelled their threats. But Luffy and his crew were undeterred. They scanned the soldiers, searching for an opening.
"My, my, aren't we unpopular. Can't be helped, I suppose."
"What, are you scared?"
"Of course not! What about you, Moss-head?"
"A little challenge would be nice."
Judging by the soldiers they had encountered at the ropeway station, they weren't expecting much resistance. The soldiers all held rifles, ready to fire at a moment's notice. But that was the extent of their armament. Taking cover would render them relatively harmless. That said, stepping into their line of fire was still a risky proposition.
"So, what's the plan?"
"Charging in blindly is suicide. We need to create some confusion."
"Right, my 'Egg Star' will shake them up!"
"…Wait, where did Luffy and Law go?"
Pedro's question made everyone look around. Luffy and Law were gone. They hadn't descended the mountain, as the ropeway was still there, and there was only one exit. They must have gone out the front.
Rushing to the exit, they peered outside. Luffy and Law stood before the assembled soldiers.
"I'll handle this, Straw Hat. You can stay back."
"What are you talking about? I'll handle this. You stay back."
Their seemingly casual words betrayed their competitive spirit. The soldiers raised their rifles and fired. The bullets struck Luffy, but they bounced harmlessly off his rubber body, ricocheting and injuring some of the soldiers. The bullets aimed at Law passed through him, the holes in his body closing instantly.
"Gum-Gum Gatling!!!"
"Metal Coat."
Luffy unleashed a barrage of punches, while Law's sword, coated in a liquid that flowed from his body, sliced through the soldiers.
Having swiftly dispatched the soldiers, Luffy and Law ran towards the castle. This wasn't about fighting soldiers.
"Amazing… so Law's a Devil Fruit user too."
"Yeah. And so is Straw Hat."
Usopp commented, and Lami nodded.
Defending the ropeway seemed unnecessary at this point. Chopper and Pedro followed Luffy and Law, while Lami and Sanji intercepted Chess and Kuromarimo, who attempted to pursue them.
"You…!"
"We'll deal with you… first!"
"Sanji-san, I'll leave him to you."
"Leave it to me, Lami-chan!"
As the two pairs clashed, Usopp took cover while aiming his slingshot. Most of the soldiers had been defeated, but a few remained. Providing cover was a sniper's duty. He noticed Zoro's absence. Perhaps, he thought, Zoro had deemed the ropeway secure and had gone to search for the doctor. He could see Luffy and Law being confronted at the castle gate, but Zoro wasn't there.
Could he be lost? Usopp wondered about Zoro's whereabouts in this place with only one prominent structure.
***
"Out of the way, old man."
"I'm afraid I can't let you pass. There are civilians inside, castle staff."
"We're here for the old woman, the doctor you captured. We'll take Wapol too, if you hand him over."
"…No matter what you say, I am the captain of this kingdom's guard. I cannot let you pass."
With a bitter look on his face, Dalton raised his weapon.
Luffy and Law prepared to fight, but Law stopped Luffy. "Go ahead, Straw Hat. I have some business with this guy."
"Alright, I'll leave him to you! Thanks, Tra-guy!"
As Dalton and Law clashed, their weapons locking in a stalemate, Luffy slipped past them and entered the castle. Chopper and Pedro followed close behind. Law and Dalton separated slightly and their weapons created sparks as they parried each other's blows.
The sound of swords clashing rang out, and they stopped moving, looking at each other.
"You're not fighting seriously. Were you just pretending to stop me?"
"…I understand the Doctor Hunt is wrong. But if I abandon my post and let Wapol run wild, the citizens will suffer."
Dalton claimed to be mitigating Wapol's tyranny, but clearly, he hadn't been entirely successful. The burned houses and tools in the village were evidence of that. No matter how much he reasoned with Wapol, the king wouldn't listen.
"It frustrates me that I can do so little… but if the kingdom collapses, there will be chaos."
Could the exhausted citizens endure such chaos? Dalton didn't know, and that's why he hadn't acted. All he could do was minimize the damage to the citizens, unable to address the root cause. Overthrowing the king was beyond his capabilities. He wished pirates would destroy the kingdom, sparing the citizens, but that was an impossible scenario.
Dalton's face was one of resignation and despair.
"I don't want unnecessary chaos. I just want the people to live in peace…"
"How boring. I thought you had some backbone."
He wasn't serious about defeating Law. Despite knowing Law was a Devil Fruit user, he hadn't used his ability.
"Are you just going to stand there? Are you content being a slave, oppressed by a tyrant, offering no resistance?"
"A slave?! …I am not a slave…!"
Yet, Dalton was acting like one. Blindly obeying Wapol, lacking the courage to rebel, offering no true loyalty. He was simply clinging to the status quo, hiding behind the excuse of protecting the citizens.
"Wapol is strong. I had no choice but to obey…"
"Then I'll change that for you."
Law stated this matter-of-factly. A liquid flowed from his body, spreading across the ground.
"Move aside if you won't fight. If you will fight, then fight seriously. Someone as half-hearted as you can't change anything!"
Dalton closed his eyes, then, as if having reached a decision, he adjusted his grip on his weapon. The Ushi Ushi no Mi, Model: Bison. His Devil Fruit power manifested, transforming him into his hybrid form.
"—My apologies. I've made my decision. May I have your name?"
"Trafalgar Law. You don't need to remember it. You'll be the one changing this kingdom. I'm just providing the opportunity."
They raised their weapons, and the clash resumed.