One piece :I open the locks of the heart

We enter the third district, rested but on high alert. As soon as we cross the threshold, an eerie atmosphere envelops us. The light seems to be swallowed by the darkness, and the scenery itself appears to twist slightly, as though reality is wavering. An oppressive silence reigns, broken only by the sound of our footsteps.

I stop abruptly, frowning. "Something's not right…" I murmur to my companions.

At the far end of the plaza, a group awaits us. Not the massive Armures Gardiennes we've fought before, but five enigmatic figures. At the center stands a young woman with flowing, long hair, clad in a striking red gown adorned with intricate patterns. She exudes an aura that is both captivating and terrifying, her icy gaze piercing through us like blades. Flanking her are four knights in black armor, their designs resembling the Armures Gardiennes, but they are more compact and menacing. They remain still, like statues ready to spring to life.

The woman tilts her head slightly, scrutinizing us with evident disdain. "Intruders, prepare to perish," she says coldly, her voice as sharp as a knife. She raises her hand, and a tall, gray staff materializes in a burst of dark light. The weapon radiates a sinister energy that vibrates in the air.

Before I can react, Luffy charges headfirst, his usual enthusiasm getting the better of him. "We'll see who perishes!" he shouts as he barrels toward the group.

But one of the knights moves instantly. The armor to the right of the group raises its arm, which detaches with a mechanical smoothness, revealing a dark void within. The detached limb flies at high speed toward Luffy, forcing him to halt abruptly. The projectile slams into the ground right in front of him, causing a small explosion.

"Luffy, watch out!" I yell, heart pounding. "These are evolved Armures Gardiennes!"

Though startled, Luffy quickly raises his shield, just in time to block another attack from one of the knights. An energy blade shoots out from the detached arm, but the shield absorbs the blow with a resounding thud. The force of the impact pushes Luffy back slightly, but he stands firm.

"Hey, these things are tougher than the last ones!" he growls, gripping his shield tightly.

Nami steps back slightly, analyzing the situation. "They're faster… and probably better coordinated," she murmurs, a flicker of concern in her eyes.

Meanwhile, I observe the movements of the knights and the woman with the staff closely. "Don't underestimate their leader," I say, gesturing toward the woman in red. "If she's here, she's far more dangerous than those knights."

The woman smirks coldly, slowly raising her staff. A circle of dark energy forms around her, and the air grows heavier. "You will not leave this place alive," she declares calmly, but with a chilling determination.

I lift my Keyblade, preparing to act. "Luffy, focus on the knights! Nami, stay back and prepare your spells to support him! I'll handle her."

The looks exchanged between us leave no doubt: this will be the hardest battle we've faced so far.

I quickly summon two Rondouillards, placing them strategically in front of Nami to protect her. "Nami, stay behind them for now. These knights mean business!" I shout, sparing a quick glance at the young woman in red, whose icy smile hasn't faltered.

"Don't need to tell me twice!" Nami retorts, stepping back while raising her staff, ready to cast a spell. She glances at the Rondouillards and mutters teasingly, "Do your job, guys."

Without wasting time, I rush along the ground, gripping my Keyblade tightly as I aim directly for Aeris—or rather, her malevolent reflection. As I charge, one of the Armures Gardiennes intercepts me, brandishing an energy sword. I react swiftly, deflecting its attack with a vertical swing of my Keyblade. Sparks fly from the contact, briefly illuminating the shadowy area.

"You're not my problem!" I yell, spinning on my heel and unleashing a devastating combo of magic. A torrent of ice shoots from my Keyblade, temporarily encasing the armor, before a lightning strike erupts at the same spot, partially shattering its defenses. The armor staggers, but it doesn't recover before Nami, standing behind me, unleashes a massive bolt of lightning directly at its core. The knight collapses backward, leaving an opening.

"Nice shot, Nami!" I shout as I dash toward Aeris again.

"Don't get cocky, Jordan. Stay focused!" Nami snaps back with a hint of irritation, though her satisfied smile is unmistakable.

As I finally reach Aeris, I tighten my grip on my Keyblade, ready to deliver a decisive strike. But her smirk widens, and something in her expression makes my blood run cold. She begins spinning slowly, raising her staff above her head. A breeze stirs around her, gentle at first, but it quickly intensifies.

"You truly think you can defeat me so easily? Pathetic," she says mockingly, her tone dripping with disdain. "Let me show you the difference between us."

The air around her whirls violently, transforming into a raging tornado. Debris from the ground is sucked into the vortex, and before I can react, I'm swept up by the sheer force of her spell.

"Jordan!" Nami screamed, her voice filled with worry, but I had no time to respond.

I was hurled through the air, spinning like a leaf in a hurricane, before being violently slammed into the façade of a building. The impact knocked the wind out of me, and I crumpled to the ground, groaning in pain.

Luffy, who had been busy fighting another Armure Gardienne, turned toward me, his eyes wide with concern. "Jordan! You okay?"

I rose slowly, grimacing but still on my feet. "I've had better days," I said, rubbing my sore shoulder. My gaze locked onto Aeris, still at the center of her tornado. She watched me with a cruel smile, the wind howling around her.

"Is that all you've got, pathetic mortal?" she taunted. "I expected more from an insect like you."

"Don't worry, I'm just warming up," I shot back with a defiant smirk, though my body protested every movement. I cast a healing spell to restore my energy.

Luffy pounded his fist against his shield with fierce determination, the sound echoing like a gong of challenge. His bright eyes locked onto one of the advancing Armures Gardiennes. "Jordan, let me handle her! I'll show her you don't mess with our crew!" he declared, leaping forward with his trademark fiery energy, his shield glowing before him.

I nodded with a smile. "Alright, captain, she's all yours!" I said, quickly pivoting to block an attack from another armor attempting to ambush Luffy. My Keyblade erupted in a flash of energy, deflecting the strike, and before it could recover, I unleashed a rapid flurry of blows, each landing with a thunderous clang in the oppressive air. The impacts drove the armor back, its limbs beginning to collapse under the relentless force. With a final vertical strike, I finished it, its pieces dissolving into a swirl of darkness.

"Nami, you're with me!" I called out, glancing at her to see her focused and ready.

"Got it!" she replied, her voice steady despite the tension. She raised her staff, poised to support my moves with her spells.

As I prepared to take on another Armure Gardienne, a strange sensation surged through my body. It felt like a powerful and wild force, buried deep within me, was suddenly awakening. A familiar shadow emerged—the essence of the gorilla devil fruit I had absorbed—wrapping my body in a dark, pulsing energy. My appearance changed in an instant: my height increased, easily reaching four meters, and my Keyblade grew proportionally, transforming into a massive, almost regal weapon. My body was now covered in taut muscles, radiating an intimidating aura that fused raw strength and darkness.

Nami, stunned, stepped back slightly as she took in my transformation. "What… Jordan?!" she exclaimed, her eyes wide with a mixture of surprise and awe.

Luffy glanced over his shoulder, grinning from ear to ear. "Whoa! You're huge now, Jordan! That's awesome!" he shouted excitedly, even as he struggled to close the gap between himself and Aeris, who was surrounded by a barrier of wind.

I didn't have time to reply as an Armure Gardienne charged at me. I swung my massive Keyblade in a powerful horizontal arc. The impact was colossal, sending the armor hurtling across the plaza until it smashed into the opposite wall with a deafening crash. The wall trembled under the impact, and the armor exploded into shadows, obliterated in a single blow.

"Jordan…" Nami murmured, still shocked by what she had just witnessed. But she quickly snapped out of it, a determined smile forming on her face. "If you can do that, then I have no excuse to hold back either!"

"Well said, Nami!" I replied, my voice deeper and resonant in this new form. "Stay focused. We're not done here yet."

Nami concentrated intently, her eyes glowing with energy as she prepared a powerful spell, channeling a significant portion of her MP for a decisive strike. Meanwhile, I held off the remaining two Armures Gardiennes. These opponents were more agile than I had anticipated, dodging my attacks with almost irritating precision. They stayed just out of reach, harassing me with ranged attacks. My enhanced physical strength from the gorilla form gave me superhuman power, but at the cost of my ability to use magic, making this battle even more challenging.

Frustrated by their constant evasion, I made a risky decision. With a calculated move, I hurled my Keyblade directly at one of the armors. It dodged as expected, but I immediately leapt forward, catching the Keyblade mid-air and using it as leverage to slam into the armor. My massive hands grabbed it, crushing it with the brute force of my transformed strength. The armor shattered into a cloud of darkness, completely destroyed.

The second armor didn't give me time to follow up. Before I could act, a massive shard of ice shot across the room, striking the armor squarely and pinning it to a wall. The shard cracked under the impact, but the armor was obliterated, disappearing in a burst of shadows. I turned to see Nami wiping a bead of sweat from her forehead, a proud smile on her face. "Not bad, huh?" she said, a bit breathless but clearly pleased with herself.

As my gorilla form dissipated, I felt the raw power leave my body. My breathing steadied, and my magical abilities returned immediately. Though I was glad to regain my flexibility and skills, I couldn't help but feel a slight regret at losing that incredible strength.

My attention shifted to Luffy, who was now facing Dark Aeris. What I saw left me stunned. Luffy, surrounded by his own whirlwind, was battling against the tornado Aeris had conjured. His arms stretched with precision, his shield spinning around him like an additional weapon. The cyclone he generated merged with Aeris's, creating a chaotic clash of wind and blinding light. The two forces collided until, against all odds, Luffy managed to get close enough to wrap Aeris in his elastic arms, trapping her in a forced embrace.

She thrashed violently, her face contorted with pure rage, but Luffy held firm, a focused smile on his face.

An unexpected gust shattered the cyclone's balance, flinging the two Rondouillards protecting Nami into the storm. They were quickly overwhelmed by the accumulated damage, disappearing in a burst of dark sparks. I saw Nami lose her footing under the force of the winds. Without thinking, I plunged into the ground using my shadow ability, reemerging just in time to grab her ankles before she could be swept away.

"I've got you!" I shouted, fighting against the force of the cyclone to keep her anchored to the ground.

Finally, the tornado dispersed, leaving a heavy silence in its wake. At the center of the room, Luffy and Aeris were entangled in a posture as comical as it was uncomfortable, his elastic arms wrapped tightly around her. Aeris, unable to free herself, glared at me with pure hatred, her crimson eyes blazing with fury. I didn't waste any time.

I dashed toward her, taking advantage of the opening Luffy had created. My heart pounded as I raised my Keyblade, knowing this moment could decide the battle's outcome. "This time, you're not getting away," I murmured, my voice filled with determination. With a precise motion, I plunged my Keyblade directly into her dark heart.

Aeris froze, her body stiffening as if time itself had stopped around her. Dark particles began to pour from her form, swirling around her before vanishing in a soft burst of light. I stepped back slightly, my eyes widening as I watched her appearance change. The dark aura surrounding her dissipated entirely, revealing a radiant and luminous Aeris. She was different, exactly as I remembered her from depictions in other worlds. She stood there, freed, with a gentle and soothing smile on her face.

Luffy, still in an attack stance, staggered back in confusion. "Wait, what?! She's supposed to be the bad guy! Why's she smiling like that now?"

Aeris raised a hand, calming Luffy's concerns. "Thank you…" she said softly, her melodic voice resonating in the calm air after the battle. She turned her gaze toward me, her eyes filled with gratitude. "Thank you for freeing me."

I stood frozen, shocked. "Freed? But… who imprisoned you?"

She tilted her head slightly, her expression turning melancholic. "We were all defeated… and because of that, we were trapped in our worlds, our hearts corrupted and our bodies imprisoned by darkness. It took control, making us puppets… tools."

Nami, who had joined us after recovering from the battle, approached cautiously. "All of you? Who do you mean by 'all of you'?"

Aeris placed a hand on her chest, her expression darkening. "The guardians of the worlds. Those who were meant to protect the balance. The darkness overwhelmed us one by one. I don't know how many of us are still trapped, but… it's possible that many others are waiting to be freed."

I swallowed hard, trying to process her words. "So that means… we're going to face others like you? Allies turned into enemies by the darkness?"

She nodded, her smile sad but determined. "Yes. But just as you freed me today, you have the power to save them. Don't give up. They're worth saving."

Luffy, after taking in the revelations, crossed his arms with an enthusiastic smile. "So, we're gonna save a bunch of strong people? Awesome! That's even better than just beating them!"

I couldn't help but smile at his excitement. Nami, however, looked more worried. "This is going to get more and more dangerous. You realize that, don't you?"

I nodded with a sigh. "Yes, but this is our path. If we have to conquer these dungeons to grow stronger, then it's great if we can help these people along the way."

Aeris approached me, placing a light hand on my shoulder. "You've already proven that you're capable. Keep following the light, even when it seems faint."

With those final words, her body began to shimmer, transforming into a soft light before slowly fading away. "Thank you again…" she whispered as her presence vanished, leaving behind three glowing orbs that floated toward the three of us.

Nami's staff transformed into a replica of Aeris's, Luffy gained a wing-shaped tattoo on the hand holding his shield, and I received the ability to manipulate magic with greater finesse.

(Author's Note: I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Regarding the notes, I won't be adding a character with a different system. I allowed myself to add a bit of intrigue to the dungeons ^^ Thank you for continuing to read my inspirations.)