The Embercloud hovered above Little Garden. What should have been a vibrant, untamed land of towering trees and roaming dinosaurs was now a grotesque scene—thick spiderwebs covered the island, strangling the once breathtaking terrain.
Jacob stood at the edge of the Embercloud's platform, his gaze sweeping across the unnatural sight. The webbing glistened under the sun, a vast grayish net stretching from one end of the jungle to another, ensnaring everything in its grasp. Even the legendary giants, Dorry and Broggy, were immobilized, their massive forms bound by the silk.
Without a word, Jacob pursed his lips and gently blew out a bubble—a translucent sphere swirling with unstable fire molecules. It shimmered in the air, pulsing with a faint glow.
"Once that pops, it'll break the webbing," he muttered. The explosion wouldn't be large enough to destroy the ecosystem but would burn away the webs without harming the creatures underneath.
The bubble floated downward, drifting toward the infested jungle below.
Beside him, Desire looked down from the platform. Her hands on the railing, she hunched forward, her eyes gleaming with curiosity.
"If I see strong dinosaurs, can I trap them in my cards?" she asked, tilting her head.
Jacob smirked. "Later. First, we deal with Hanafuda." Jacob looked behind them at the vast forested area above the Embercloud made by Nojiko. He actually kind of want to have prehistoric pets himself. He then looked toward Desire. "Can you please trap a sabertooth tiger and a bunch of dinosaurs here? That would be appreciated."
He turned to Raki, who was stretching her arms with excitement. "Want to help take down the thugs?"
Raki grinned, sparks crackling around her fingertips. "Do you even need to ask?"
Meanwhile, Yamato leaned on her kanabo, eyeing the island with an eager smile.
"Can I explore?" she asked, her voice carrying a playful edge.
Jacob glanced at her. "Fine. But don't interfere with my fight."
Porche, holding Suu, asked. She pouted, leaning close to Jacob. "If you find a cute Devil Fruit, can you please bring one to me."
Jacob sighed. "No promises." This girl and her obsession with cute things grated his nerves.
In the background, Carina and Nami were already scheming.
"You take the east side," Nami instructed, pointing at an opened that she held. "I'll cover the west. We grab whatever looks valuable. Do not leave a single berry."
Carina smirked, looking at the orange-haired girl beside her. "Stealing from an Ancient Zoan collector? He must have a lot of ancient zoan fruit we could cash on."
Jacob took one last look at his crew before stepping forward.
It was time to confront Hanafuda.
***
Little Garden was supposed to be a paradise of ancient beasts and untamed wilderness. But now, it was something else entirely, suffocated by endless strands of spider silk. The massive trees, the towering rock formations, and even the remains of dinosaurs were all wrapped in thick webs. No living thing stirred except for the crew of pirates under Hanafuda's command.
Hanafuda had asked them to search for an ancient zoan devil fruit, and one of his men found it clenched between the jaws of a long-dead T-Rex. Its unnatural spiral patterns glowed faintly under the web-covered canopy.
A single pirate, a wiry man with a scar across his nose, climbed onto the T-Rex's skull. He reached forward, fingers trembling with anticipation. "This is it," he whispered. "With this, Hanafuda-sama will give me some—"
Bubbles. Shimmering orbs of orange light drifted past his vision. He frowned.
Then, the world erupted in fire.
The webs below them—thousands of strands woven into a thick, suffocating fabric-like structure—vanished instantly. No, not vanished. They burned. Orange flames consumed the silk-like dry paper, unraveling the suffocating cage Hanafuda had spent days constructing. Panic set in.
"Fire—! Fire King is coming!" one pirate shouted.
The scar-nosed man didn't hesitate. He snatched the Devil Fruit from the T-Rex's jaws and leaped down, pushing past his stunned crewmates. "Run! We need to get out of here before he burns us!"
Then, he heard it.
A hum.
A crackle of energy, sharp and alive.
The air behind him shimmered, and lightning arced through his body before he could turn. His muscles locked. His vision blurred. The Devil Fruit slipped from his fingers as he collapsed, twitching, the scent of burnt flesh and fabric filling the air.
The other pirates could only watch in horror.
A flash of lightning appeared, and a dark-haired young girl emerged.
***
The pirates barely had time to react before Raki struck.
She stood over the fallen man, holding the Devil Fruit. It was heavier than expected, its dark surface marbled with golden spirals. She turned it over, inspecting it with mild curiosity. Then, she looked up. The remaining pirates flinched under her gaze.
"Hey, Boys," she greeted.
Lightning crackled around her fingertips. The air became thick with static, the scent of ozone sharp in the pirates' noses. A blinding flash of light came out of Raki's pointed fingers a second later.
Before the first pirate could even draw his weapon, a surge of electricity struck him in the chest. His body stiffened, convulsing as arcs of blue energy danced across his skin. His scream was cut short as he collapsed.
Another pirate spun around, sword in hand. He barely caught sight of a flash of silver and blue before his world turned white with pain. He hit the ground, smoke rising from his clothes.
One by one, they fell.
Raki moved too fast for them to follow. Every strike came like a bolt from the heavens—instant, merciless, final. The pirates never stood a chance.
The jungle fell silent once more when the last man hit the ground. Raki reappeared near the dead T-Rex, the Ancient Zoan safely tucked away inside her coat.
She glanced around. Jacob's heat bubbles had cleared the entire area of Hanafuda's webs, leaving behind scorched silk remnants. The once-ensnared landscape was now free.
"Hmm," Raki mused, placing a hand on her hip. "Looks like he did most of the work already."
She turned her gaze toward the deeper parts of the island, where she felt movements everywhere. A smirk tugged at her lips.
"Guess I'll clean all the grunts."
With a flash of lightning, she was gone.
***
Yamato dashed through the dense jungle, her keen eyes scanning the surroundings. Jacob's heat bubbles had burned away the spiderwebs blanketing the trees. The bubbles floated around, carefully incinerating the sticky strands without harming the ancient flora. The air was thick with the scent of scorched silk, and the distant roars of prehistoric creatures echoed through the vast expanse of Little Garden after they were freed.
As she ran on the now-cleared paths, Yamato's focus remained steady, she needed to reach the Giants. The two giants had been ensnared by Hanafuda's webs, their colossal forms rendered motionless amidst the silken traps. Upon arrival, she observed that one lay unconscious, his massive chest rising and falling in a steady rhythm, while the other struggled against the remaining strands that bound him.
"Hold on, Big Guy!" Yamato called out, her voice firm yet reassuring. With swift movements, she approached the conscious one, her hands deftly tearing away the weakened webs. Jacob's heat bubbles had done their part, reducing the once formidable bindings to brittle remnants. The Giant's eyes met hers as she worked, a look of gratitude flickering within him.
"We'll get you both free," Yamato assured, glancing toward the other giant's still form. The jungle around them seemed to hold its breath.
With the last of the webs removed, The round-bellied giant flexed his immense limbs, testing his regained freedom. He let out a deep, resonant laugh that echoed through the trees, a sound that spoke of resilience and the unyielding spirit of a warrior.
"Thank you, little one," the giant rumbled, his voice rolling like thunder. My name is Broggy. Now, let's see to my brother."