The wax dome loomed like a cathedral of death, its pale-white shell sealing the battlefield in suffocating silence. Inside, the air felt heavier by the second. Luffy stood at the center, muscles tense, shoulders rising and falling with shallow breaths. The walls shimmered faintly with light from the outside, but inside, everything was dim and humid—the scent of burnt wax lingering like rot.
His boots scraped across the slick floor as he stepped back. Behind him, hardened wax coils reached up from the ground, snaking toward his legs once more. He swatted them away, but they returned quickly, hungrily, as if the wax itself was alive.
[ALERT: Shadow Mobility Impaired – 52%]
[Combat Efficiency: Falling – 61%]
A red pulse blinked across his vision. His system was reacting, flaring warnings, but Luffy kept his breathing steady. No panic. No fear. His fists were clenched not out of desperation—but out of control. Rage.
Outside the dome, Sanji was in constant motion. His legs spun with precision, breaking wax formations before they could rise and strike. A sharp kick snapped one spear-like spike in two. He exhaled slowly, spinning again to avoid a wax arm reaching from the ground.
"Tch… this wax is like armor," he muttered, ducking a horizontal sweep. "But it's nothing a good cook's foot can't tenderize."
High above on his pedestal, Mr. 3 held a pose like a maestro conducting a symphony. "You dance well, Straw Hat pirates," he said, voice echoing through the clearing. "But this is my masterpiece. A tomb molded in elegance. You should be honored."
The Candle Champion stood motionless behind him—silent and gleaming.
Goldenweek sat cross-legged in the corner, her wooden palette resting on her knee. With slow, deliberate strokes, she painted symbols on small boards—each color swirling hypnotically. As she placed a deep violet symbol near her, the wax inside the dome shifted again.
Luffy felt the pressure in the air tighten.
The light dimmed.
His shadow flickered strangely—as if something was siphoning his energy.
[Shadow Core Stabilization Interfered – Unknown Source]
He gritted his teeth, glancing down. The wax was already climbing past his knees again.
He twisted violently and tore himself free. "Damn it…"
Back in the jungle clearing, the others had arrived.
Vivi gasped, eyes wide. "That dome… it's sealing him in."
Usopp's jaw dropped. "It's like some freakish cake made of bones!"
Nami stepped forward, grabbing his shoulder. "We have to help him. Fast."
Before they could move, a sound like wet clay twisting rose from the undergrowth. Dozens of wax figures emerged—beasts with crooked legs, malformed heads, and gaping mouths lined with jagged, wax-formed teeth. Their bodies cracked and pulsed as they moved.
Usopp shrieked. "Okay, never mind! Those things are not from this world!"
Vivi stood her ground. "They're constructs. Controlled by Mr. 3."
Nami readied her staff. "Then we break through them. For Luffy."
Inside the dome, the wax was winning.
His legs were nearly frozen again, and his shoulders ached with each twitch. Luffy's vision blurred for a second. The dome above was now near-complete—only a small hole remained, letting a shaft of light beam down onto his head like a spotlight.
His heartbeat slowed.
And then—
[LIMIT THRESHOLD APPROACHING – 82%]
[SHADOW CORE OVERRIDE ENABLED]
A hum built from deep within.
His shadow rippled, then surged outward like wings erupting from his back.
The air snapped.
Luffy raised his head.
Steam coiled off his shoulders, his eyes glowing faintly with black light. The wax touching his arms cracked slightly from the energy bleed.
"I've had enough…"
With a roar, he slammed both hands down.
"Shadow Breaker!"
He punched the floor, and his fist burst with raw shadow energy, fracturing the hardened wax beneath him. A deafening shockwave shot through the chamber, and the walls trembled.
Outside, Mr. 3 staggered on his perch.
"What was that?!"
A thin crack split the dome—starting from the base and crawling upward like lightning across glass.
"No, no, no!" he shouted. "Reinforce it! Reinforce now!"
Goldenweek remained seated, her next brush stroke frozen in the air. Her eyes widened as she looked at the crack.
Inside, Luffy's body heaved. His arms burned. His shadow flickered like a fire barely contained.
He looked up slowly, eyes locked on the ceiling.
"I'm not dying in a candle…"
Another surge of black tendrils erupted from his back, tearing into the walls.
"I'm breaking out…"
His voice dropped to a whisper, cold and final.
"…and then I'm breaking you."
[End of Chapter 115]
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