CANDLE CHAMPION

Sanji stands alone, smoking a cigarette with a thoughtful and slightly concerned expression. He mutters to himself, "I've been waiting here forever, but nobody's come back yet... Something's definitely strange. Really damn strange." The scene shifts to a view of the Going Merry, peacefully docked in the jungle river. Sanji reasons, "If that's the case, then now's not the time for me to prepare cooking this lizard. Don't tell me something happened to Nami and Vivi...!?" Deciding to take action, Sanji turns and walks away from the ship, heading into the dense jungle. "Alright, I'll go look for them," he says, his footsteps rustling the foliage with a "STEP!"

Deep in the jungle, a massive, bruised dinosaur roars loudly, its face swollen and battered. Sanji's voice calls out from off-panel, "Viviiiiiiii! <3 Namiiiiiiii! <3" Sanji pauses, hearing the rustling and the beast's grumbles. "Hm?" he wonders. In the next moment, Sanji is seen casually riding on the back of the crying, defeated dinosaur as it trots through the jungle. "I love you!" Sanji yells out, then adds, "Heeeey! Say something back if you can hear me!" The dinosaur lets out another loud "ROAR!" Suddenly, Sanji brings the dinosaur to a halt. He stands before a massive, bizarre structure made of white wax, shaped somewhat like a giant cake with a door. "What's this?" Sanji asks, staring up at the strange formation.

Luffy stands furiously before the giant wax structure, his fists clenched. At the top of the structure, Zoro, Nami, and Vivi are trapped, slowly being encased in wax. Mr. 3, Miss Goldenweek, and Mr. 5 stand triumphantly nearby. "So!? They're still alive!" Luffy yells. Mr. 3 laughs mockingly, "Hahaha! It doesn't matter how pissed off you are because as you can see, your friends have already been reduced to wax-figures." Mr. 5 smirks, adding, "You're far too late... so wallow in despair!" Mr. 3 agrees, "He's exactly right, you know...! You're too late, Strawhat." A close-up shows the agonizing expressions of Zoro, Nami, and Vivi as the wax hardens around them. "They'll sure to be excellent wax-dolls!" Mr. 3 boasts. Miss Goldenweek, holding her paintbrush, casually remarks, "Haha... oh, I wonder about that... once Miss Golden Week paints them,"

A massive, mechanical-looking suit of armor made entirely of wax stomps into view. It has a large "3" on its chest, spiked shoulders, and boxing glove-like hands. "Attack! Candle Champion!" Mr. 3's voice booms from inside. Miss Goldenweek looks up in awe, exclaiming, "It's Mr. 3's greatest work of art!" Mr. 5, looking confident, explains, "This is... the thing that was once used to take down a criminal whose bounty was worth 42 million Beli." Luffy stares up at the towering wax monstrosity in shock, asking, "What's that?" Behind him, Usopp and Karoo scream in terror, "Aghhhhh!"

Mr. 3, safely inside the Candle Champion suit, commands, "Now then, Miss Golden Week! Please apply a coat of paint on this! And do it artistically as possible! And then I'll easily crush that arrogant Strawhat, won't I!?" Miss Goldenweek, holding her palette, asks lazily, "Can I take a rest after that then?" Mr. 3's face is visible through a window in the suit as he boasts, "My Doru Doru wax that's as hard as iron is wrapped around me completely to form this armour with not even a single weak point! In fact, I ask you to refrain from doing anything more! With this, I am invincible!" Miss Goldenweek replies, "Yes, and I won't care!" Usopp and Karoo, still panicking, yell at Luffy, "Don't just stand there admiring it! Fight!" But Luffy is completely mesmerized by the giant robot suit, his eyes shining with excitement as he breathes, "So cool!"

Usopp looks on in shock, questioning, "Mist of wax...?" Luffy, snapping out of his awe, pulls his arm back, preparing an attack. "Got it...! Gomu Gomu..." he yells. Meanwhile, Miss Goldenweek finishes applying paint to the Candle Champion suit. "Now then... Painting complete," she announces. Luffy launches his fist forward with incredible speed, shouting, "Pistol!" His fist strikes the wax armor, but it bounces off harmlessly, leaving Luffy grunting in pain, "Agh-" as the suit remains completely undamaged.

The Candle Champion suit retaliates fiercely. Mr. 3 unleashes a rapid flurry of punches with the giant wax boxing gloves, pummeling Luffy. "Champ Fight! Oraga Hatake! (Plowing Fields!)" Mr. 3 shouts as the blows land. Luffy screams, "Aghhhh!" under the barrage. Suddenly, Mr. 3 looks surprised as Luffy recovers mid-air. "Gomu Gomu..." Luffy yells, launching himself backward to gain distance. Luffy lands and glares determinedly at the Candle Champion, ready to continue the fight.

Luffy leaps high into the air, stretching his leg far above his head. "Stamp!" he roars, bringing his foot down with tremendous force towards the Candle Champion. Inside the suit, Mr. 3 simply smirks, "Fufu..." Luffy's foot connects with the wax armor, but instead of crushing it, his attack is completely repelled. Luffy looks confused, muttering, "Mn..." as he is bounced away from the impenetrable wax suit.

Usopp suddenly has a realization. "That's it! Why didn't I realize sooner!?" he exclaims. "If it can turn into mist, then that means it can melt! Luffy! That guy's candlewax can be melted with fire! No matter how hard his wax is, wax is still wax!" Usopp gives a confident thumbs-up, while Karoo quacks in agreement. "And the same goes for them too! Master Brogy too! It hasn't been that long since they hardened up! We can still save them!" Mr. 3, realizing his weakness has been exposed, yells angrily, "Don't tell them!" Usopp smirks, "Yes, really." Luffy's face lights up with hope and surprise. "Really!?" he asks.

Mr. 3 quickly regains his composure and laughs menacingly. "Fufu...! Even if you know, you still won't be able to win nor have enough time to save your friends!" He points to the wax structure where Zoro, Nami, and Vivi are trapped. "Right now, they're painfully struggling inside their minds with the last bit of consciousness they have, all the while edging closer to death! You only have about 30 seconds before their hearts completely stop beating!" Usopp, undeterred, pulls back his slingshot, aiming a flaming pellet. "We won't even need 30 seconds! I'll save you now! Certain Kill Flame S..." Before Usopp can fire, Mr. 5 suddenly appears and blows into the chamber of his flintlock pistol. "Breeze Breath Bomb!" he shouts, unleashing a massive explosion that engulfs Usopp.

Karoo shrieks in terror, "Quack!" as the smoke clears to reveal Usopp badly injured and coughing. "Cough..." Usopp wheezes. Luffy screams his friend's name in horror, "Usopp!" Karoo continues to panic, "Quack quack!" Miss Valentine laughs sadistically, "Kyahahaha! Didn't you hear him say that you won't be able to win either?" Usopp collapses to the ground with a heavy thud. Luffy grits his teeth in frustration and anger, realizing the dire situation. "Damn it! I don't have much time left!" he curses.

The Candle Champion suit charges forward aggressively. "Stop right there!" Mr. 3 yells. Nearby, Miss Valentine hovers with her umbrella and asks Usopp and Karoo, "What are you secretly scheming over here? Mind letting me in on the secret?" Mr. 5 scoffs, "Hmph..." On the ground, a battered Usopp whispers to Karoo, who has a rope in his beak. "Listen up. Take this rope and..." Karoo nods and hops away, "Quack! Hop!"

Karoo sprints away with the rope trailing behind him. "I'm counting on you, Carue!" Usopp yells. "Quaaaack!" Karoo cries as he runs. Suddenly, Miss Valentine appears, floating above Usopp with her umbrella. "Crescendo Stone...! Let's see just how many kilograms your body can take..." she says with a cruel smile. Mr. 5 aims his gun, adding, "It's futile no matter what you do." Miss Valentine drops onto Usopp's back, steadily increasing her weight. "10kg... 100kg... 200kg..." she counts. Usopp groans in agony, "U... Ugh...!" under the crushing pressure.

Karoo continues his frantic sprint, dodging explosions as Mr. 5 fires at him. "Quack!" Karoo yells. "What a smart little bird you are...!" Mr. 5 taunts. Miss Valentine, still crushing Usopp, increases her weight further. "500kg...!" she announces. Usopp struggles to speak, urging Karoo, "Keep running!" Mr. 5 smirks, "Hmph! As if I'd let you! I'd never give away the lives of my friends..." The Candle Champion suit bounds after Karoo. "Fuhahahaha! Give it up already! Your friends are now my works of art!" Mr. 3 laughs maniacally.

Luffy suddenly stretches his arm and grabs the flaming "3" on top of Mr. 3's head. "To someone like you!" Luffy yells. "Grab!" "Ahh!?" Mr. 3 yelps in surprise. Luffy pulls the flaming hair, causing Mr. 3 immense pain. "Ow ow owww! Stop pulling my hair!" Mr. 3 cries out. Luffy grins fiercely, "If fire can melt your wax, then... I'll use this fire to melt it!" From the ground, Usopp yells out to Luffy, "Luffy! You won't be able to save them in time with that tiny flame! Light Carue's rope on fire instead!" Luffy looks confused, "The bird's rope!?"

Luffy holds the flaming piece of wax hair, looking down at the rope Karoo has wrapped around the giant wax structure. "It's a special rope... covered in oil..." Usopp explains. "Huh?" Luffy says, realizing the plan. He touches the flame to the rope. "Time to wake up, you guys! Got it!" Luffy shouts. Mr. 3 panics, screaming, "No wait! Stop!" Usopp and Karoo brace themselves. "It might get a bit hot, but hang in there!" Usopp yells. "St... Quack!" Karoo adds. The oil-soaked rope ignites instantly, creating a massive, swirling inferno that engulfs the entire wax structure. "Aghhhhh!" Mr. 3 screams as the flames roar.

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