In One Piece, as Hashirama Senju

[121] The Heist (1)

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Chapter 121: The Heist (1)

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After his flashy debut, Hashirama was promptly led back to the waiting room. He stopped on the way right in front of the door and waited for minutes as he watched dozens of the fighters being led away to another path, while a larger number of fighters walked past him and into the waiting room.

Not everyone from the match was led away to the medic unit, only a few of the hundred that Hashirama had knocked out. A few people had fallen unconscious on top of weapons, receiving wounds that needed to be treated. Only they were being led to the infirmary.

Hashirama understood why, taking everyone away and making them toys would create too large of a gap in people's memories. It was too risky if everyone other than the winner from each block remained in their heads. The Toy-Toy Fruit did have a great stretch on mind control, but it couldn't be all omnipotent – Doflamingo had to keep some of the fighters normal.

The number was huge in the three earlier blocks, almost 50 percent. However, since this time only 9 people really fought, they were only taking the 7 of them who lost and the few other injured people. They were taking 7 of the 9 because one was Hashirama and the other was Charlotte Daifuku. That still unconscious middle-aged man was being led away by a few Big Mom participants who too had been knocked out by Hashirama in the arena but had regained their senses by now.

'So it's safe to assume Doflamingo isn't turning Daifuku into a Toy. A pity. If he did so, I could have turned the Big Mom pirates on this island against him, after making them realize their people had been turned into toys. Cautious bastard.' Hashirama thought in regret.

No matter how much Doflamingo trusted Sugar's Power, he didn't want to take a chance if it meant picking an Emperor's wrath. Moreover, when it meant he might lose his soul in return. Hashirama could see why inhabitants of this world would be scared of that woman, though he personally only felt an ick towards her.

Pushing these thoughts away, Hashirama looked at the scene ahead. It was a warrior wearing a helmet, arguing with the guards who wanted to take him to the infirmary. He didn't want to go and was arguing with the guards.

He called himself "Rickey" from what Hashirama picked up, and that name reminded him why this scene looked familiar to him. That was... the former King of Dressrosa, who had come to fight in this tournament to get his hands on a devil fruit to free his country.

Hashirama suddenly felt a little bad for not noticing him earlier and reassuring him that his country will be fine; he was Viola's father after all, and Rebecca's grandfather.

Speaking of Rebecca, she suddenly approached the old warrior, not recognizing him, and assured him to get treated, he had a few sword wounds. He was one of the few who wasn't knocked out, actually, that meant he was pretty strong-willed, even if his physical powers paled in comparison.

Hashirama didn't intervene in the scene as the King sighed and listened to Rebecca, whom he knew was his granddaughter, but couldn't reveal his own identity either. It was better for the King to go to the underground place and gather an army of followers, as happened in the cannon timeline.

After King Riku III was taken away though, and a guard approached Rebeca to take her away, Hashirama quickly approached a scene. It required his attention fast before it could spiral down.

"I said I don't need it. I am a local gladiator here!"

"Oh- ah! My bad, I am new here, I-I will be going then."