The Door Remembers You

"The door will remember you."

As Dan finished speaking, a ring of Red Mark appeared on the slender knife in the adjutant's hand.

Nami reached out to support Dan, her palm touching a hand covered in blood.

Are you crazy?!

Dan coughed and laughed.

"Old arms and legs, can't outrun a knife."

Luffy grabbed the blade, his rubber hand being cut and bleeding from the grooves.

"Let him go!"

The adjutant tried to abandon his sword and retreat, but the hilt was also entangled in Red Mark.

Robin spoke immediately.

"Sky Screen, zoom in on the Maintenance Well record."

[Maintenance Well Third Gate record initiated.]

[Recorded subject: Lieutenant of the main force of the Holy Knights; on-site sampling behavior.]

[Sampling object, witness Dan's old pattern, Straw Hat Luffy index carrier.]

Akainu slammed his fist on the table.

"Record archiving."

The Sengoku followed suit.

"Marine Headquarters has taken over."

The dragon opened its mouth.

"The Revolutionary Army has taken over."

Garling watched his adjutant from the outer perimeter of the Holy Land.

"Cut hands."

The adjutant's face turned grim.

"Commander."

Garling said.

"Cut."

Shanks spoke through the Sky Screen.

"You don't even want your adjutant anymore?"

Garling answered.

Those who are remembered by the gate have lost their value.

The adjutant's fingers gripped the hilt of his knife tightly, his breathing erratic.

Luffy roared.

Why are you listening to him?!

The lieutenant looked at Luffy.

What do you know?

Zoro blocked the knight beside him with his sword.

He understands human language, but you might not.

Sanji kicked the charging knight away.

"Save the elderly first."

Chopper ran up from behind, carrying a small first-aid kit.

"Let me through, let me through!"

Nami pressed Dan down to sit on the ground.

Chopper!

Chopper examined the wound, his ears practically standing up in his anxiety.

"The knife can't be pulled out now, or there will be severe bleeding."

Dan was panting.

"Then don't pull it out."

Chopper shouted.

"Don't speak."

Dan pointed to his adjutant.

Let him speak.

The Golden Light from the Sky Screen pressed down on the adjutant.

[Public Q&A]

[Question: What was the purpose of the Holy Knights in seizing the Old Pattern Sample?]

[A, Location Maintenance Well.]

[B, Extract the third gate's registered access.]

[C, Track the Straw Hat Index coordinates.]

[D, All of the above.]

The adjutant gritted his teeth.

I refuse to answer.

Sky Screen notice.

[The chain of evidence has been established; the refusal is invalid.]

Luffy held his Straw Hat.

"D."

Robin said.

"D."

Akainu.

"D."

The Sky Screen was revealed.

[Correct answer: D.]

[The adjutant's sampling constitutes a double attack on both the witness and the index carrier.]

[Lieutenant's weapons temporarily frozen.]

The adjutant's knife came to a complete stop.

Chopper shouted immediately.

"Luffy, stop pulling! I'll hold him steady."

Luffy.

"Good."

Nami looked at Usopp.

"Stretcher!"

Usopp rolled down the tower, carrying two planks on his shoulders.

"They're here! They're here!"

Seeing that he couldn't draw his knife, the adjutant reached for his pistol at his waist with his left hand.

Koby rushed forward and punched him in the wrist.

"You still want to shoot!"

Tashigi pressed the back of her blade against her adjutant's elbow.

"Disarm."

The lieutenant raised his knee to strike Koby, but Luffy kicked him away half a step.

Zoro held his sword to his neck.

"Don't move."

Sanji stood behind his adjutant, his heels still steaming.

"Move again, and I'll break your other hand."

Garling's voice came through.

"Lieutenant, mission failed."

The adjutant's forehead was beaded with sweat.

"Commander, please allow me to activate the Self-Cleansing Order."

Shanks's expression darkened.

"Self-Cleansing Order?"

Rayleigh opened the door at the exit of Sabaody.

"The Knights' order to cleanse themselves of their corruption."

Nami shouted angrily.

"They even bombed their own people?"

Red text flashes Sky Screen.

[The Self-Cleansing Order has been activated within the adjutant's body.]

[Range: 30 meters radius from the exit of Sabaody.]

[Objective: Eliminate the lieutenant and nearby evidence.]

Chopper yelled.

"Dan is still within range!"

Luffy turned his head.

"Bear!"

On the Scrap Platform, the bear heard the call and immediately raised its paw.

"I'll take it."

Bonney grabbed his arm.

"Dad, you used too much power just now."

"That's what the bear said."

"There's still time."

Sabo stopped the Silver-Helmed Knight was about to get up.

"Don't make things worse."

The Little Bear also raised its paw.

"I'll send one too."

Vegapunk shouted urgently.

"The Little Bear's paw pads are unreliable in terms of damage output!"

The Little Bear looked at the Sky Screen.

"Protect, Dan."

The bear nodded.

"Let's do it together."

Sky Screen notice.

[Remote transfer requires coordinate anchors.]

[Optional anchor points: Straw Hat Luffy, Witness Dan's old crest, Ka Mi Er's gatekeeper privileges.]

Ka Mi Er leaned against the wall outside the Old Archive to stand up.

"Use me."

Parker panicked.

Are you alright?

Ka Mi Er glared at him.

Don't ask that kind of question, it sounds awful.

Akainu asked.

"Risk."

The Sky Screen responds.

[The gatekeeper's authority, acting as an anchor point, will bear the brunt of the Self-Cleansing Order.]

Ka Mi Er looked at Dan in the Sky Screen.

"Old Dan, can you hear me?"

Dan looked up with difficulty.

"Hear."

Ka Mi Er said.

"I'll open the door, you can leave."

Dan smiled.

"I'm leaving. Will you watch the door for me?"

Ka Mi Er replied.

"I've seen enough today."

Dan said.

"Then it's your turn to live and curse them."

Ka Mi Er spoke.

"Make a deal."

The Golden Light in the Sky Screen connected the three battlefields.

The bear and the Little Bear raised their paws at the same time.

Ka Mi Er placed his hand on the Old Archive door frame.

Luffy grabbed onto Dan's stretcher.

"Chopper, get ready."

Chopper put the bandage in his mouth.

"Um."

The Red Mark on the adjutant's body extended to his chest.

Garling didn't look at him again from the outer perimeter of the Holy Land.

Shanks stared at Garling.

"You really want him to die?"

Garling said.

He lost.

Shanks grips his sword.

"Well, you've lost before too."

Garling's gaze fell on Shanks' face.

"That's why I'm still alive."

Countdown to the Sky Screen Curtain

[Three.]

White light unfolded from the bear's paw.

[Two.]

Ka Mi Er grunted, and the Red Mark on the Old Archive door frame moved to his arm.

Parker helped him up.

Don't force yourself.

Ka Mi Er gritted her teeth.

"Shut up, open the door."

[One.]

Luffy shouted.

"Walk!"

Dan's stretcher, along with Chopper, Nami, Usopp, was carried away from their original spot by the flesh-ball ability and landed outside the back gate of the coating factory.

The red light of the Self-Cleansing Order exploded into a blinding white at the exit of Sabaody.

Luffy used his body to shield the two laborers next to him.

Zoro and Sanji each stood in front of the retreat line.

Koby and Tashigi were pushed against the wall by the impact, but they still protected the children behind them.

Only a kneeling figure remained where the adjutant had been, the slender knife fixed in place by the Golden Light of the Sky Screen.

[The Self-Cleansing Order has been lifted.]

[The adjutant survived, but lost his combat ability.]

[Evidence preserved.]

Nami got up outside the back door of the coating factory.

"Chopper, how's Dan?"

Chopper lay beside Dan, his hands covered in blood.

"Still alive. The wound avoided vital organs, but the old markings have been tainted by the knife."

Dan opened his eyes.

Can I testify?

Chopper was so angry he cried.

"You live first!"

Dan looked up at the Sky Screen.

"Then I'll be your witness."

Nami wanted to yell at him, but she swallowed the words back.

Dan spoke slowly.

"The Maintenance Well Third Gate is registered; it only lights up when the user acknowledges their own name."

Robin took over on the other side.

"This proves that the Original Index never recognized numbering and sacrifice."

Dan nodded.

"Back then, we called out the number every day, but the door wouldn't open."

Shakky stood at the back door, lit a cigarette but didn't smoke it.

"That time you insulted the Celestial Dragons, you reported the pill, and the gate opened."

Dan said.

"Right."

Words fall from the Sky Screen.

[Key testimony is established.]

[The rules for Maintenance Well Third Gate are as follows: those whose names are acknowledged may pass; those with numbers are invalid, and sacrifices are invalid.]

Vegapunk was so excited that he spun around on Future Island.

"This is the original verification! The World Government changed it to bloodline and sacrifice, and it's all wrong!"

Akainu spoke in a deep voice.

"Archive."

Sengoku looked at him.

"The Holy Land will seize this evidence."

Akainu answered.

"Then we'll defend."

On the outer edge of the Holy Land, Garling finally sheathed his sword.

Shanks asked.

"You're not going to fight anymore?"

Garling said.

That's enough.

Shanks frowned.

"Enough of what?"

Garling looked up.

"Dan's testimony opened up the Maintenance Well records."

Suddenly, dazzling golden characters lit up the Sky Screen.

[Maintenance Well Third Gate response.]

[Gate of Old Days Original Rule Fragment have been awakened.]

[Old wing of the Holy Land Medical Department Old Wing, underground Maintenance Well, initiating automatic calibration.]

On the Scrap Platform, Lumi's cooling vent on her chest lit up again, but this time it was gold.

Dr. Eve hurriedly examined him.

"It's not a pain response."

Lumi's eyes widened.

There's a sound coming from below.

Mia's face turned pale.

"Below the Medical Department Old Wing is the Cold Storage Room we just escaped from."

The bear looked down at the ground.

"There are others?"

The golden characters on the Sky Screen scrolled in lines.

[Unregistered life signs detected Maintenance Well.]

[Quantity: 9.]

[Status: Refrigerated dormant.]

Bonney looked up.

Nine Children?

Garling opened the gate on the outer ring road.

"Red-Hair, can you still hold on now?"

The Sky Screen then presented a new task.

[Emergency rescue mission.]

[The underground Maintenance Well in the Medical Department Old Wing has been opened.]

[The nine unregistered survivors will be refrozen by the old system in six minutes.]

[Warning: Figarland Garling has obtained the coordinates of the Maintenance Well inlet.]

Shanks gripped the hilt of his sword tightly.

Luffy looked up from the exit of Sabaody.

Shanks.

Shanks looked at Garling, his voice carrying across the three battlefields.

He will go in person this time.