just as Near and Mello’s arguments over Kira’s next move reach their peak.
The fluorescent lights flickered once— and then everything broke.
A flash of light tore through the Task Force headquarters like lightning trapped in glass. Every computer screen went white, papers flew, and even Near’s puzzle pieces scattered to the floor like snow.
When the light dimmed… they weren’t alone.
“What the hell—?!” Matsuda yelped, tripping backward as a tall green-haired man with three swords blinked at him. Zoro squinted. “Where the hell are we? This ain’t Sunny…”
Behind him, the rest of the Straw Hat Pirates were sprawled across the meeting room floor like someone had dumped a treasure chest of chaos into a government office.
Luffy: (popping up, grinning) “Whoa! Cool place! Is this some kind of Marine base?” Nami: (snapping) “No, idiot! Look around! There’s no ocean!” Sanji: (lighting a cigarette, glaring at the glass wall separating them from Near’s group) “Huh… too clean. Feels like some fancy prison.” Robin: (calmly dusting off her coat) “Judging by the architecture and paper documents, I’d say… we’re not even in our world anymore.”
The Task Force could only stare.
L, sitting quietly with his knees pulled to his chest, tilted his head. “Fascinating… A group of intruders dressed as pirates, each with unique physicality and presence. None of them appear to be armed—except the swordsman and the blonde chef, who seems ready to strike.”
Near, who had already started reassembling his puzzle, added flatly, “They don’t fit any criminal databases. They’re… not from this world.”
Mello slammed his chocolate bar onto the table. “Oh great, more freaks. What’s next, gods falling from the sky?”
A voice behind him answered, low and smooth. “Close enough.”
The air turned cold as Doflamingo’s laughter echoed through the hall. Strings glinted faintly in the artificial light. “Fufufufu… this world’s energy feels dull. So this is where fate dropped us?”
Crocodile, flicking ash from his cigar, muttered, “No sea breeze. No sand. Hell on earth.”
Behind them, Kuma stood silently, scanning the area, while Mihawk’s eyes narrowed, locking onto L. “Your gaze… unnervingly calm for a man surrounded by monsters,” Mihawk murmured.
L blinked once. “I could say the same about you.”
Garp burst through a cracked wall with a laugh. “BAH-HA-HA! Seems we’ve crashed into some kind of justice base! Don’t worry—no harm done!”
Soichiro Yagami, looking like he aged another decade in seconds, shouted, “NO harm?! You just—broke our wall!”
Meanwhile, Kizaru shimmered lazily into existence near the ceiling light. “Oooh… scary pirates and government types all in one place. How troublesome~”
Aokiji yawned, lying down across three office chairs. “I’m taking a nap until someone figures this out.”
Sengoku smacked his forehead. “Unbelievable. Even across worlds, you’re all useless.”
In the corner, Misa Amane blinked up from her phone, completely ignoring the chaos until she spotted Sanji. “Ooh~! Blondie! You’re way cuter than Light!” Sanji’s eyes turned into hearts. “MISA-SWAAAN!!!”
Usopp was meanwhile trying to convince Matsuda that he was a hero from another world. “I swear, I’ve fought giants! And sea monsters! And the government!” Matsuda gasped, actually believing him. “Wait—seriously?! What kind of government?!” “ALL OF THEM!” Aizawa groaned. “We’re not paid enough for this.”
Shanks leaned casually against a shattered wall, grinning at L. “You look like the kind of man who’s always watching from the shadows. Mind telling us who’s running this show?”
L met his eyes. “That would be me.”
Shanks chuckled. “Heh… you’ve got guts, kid.”
And in the background, Buggy the Clown screamed, “WHERE’S MY CREW?! WHERE’S MY NOSE?! WAIT—OH THANK GOD IT’S STILL HERE!”
Near finally set down his toy robot and sighed. “This is going to take… a while.”
L nodded, fingers to his lips. “Yes. And I suspect… the world’s balance just shifted dramatically.”