Ben, Alvida, and Vivi rushed up the stairs. They could hear the explosion in the distance. There was the sound of gun fire and shouting.
Alvida smirked as she matched Ben's pace. "My love, you could have asked for more," she remarked.
Ben chuckled lightly. "I was considering being crowned king of this island," he joked.
"Ben," Vivi remarked as she looked at Ben. There was something about the idea. She thought about taking control of an island. She thought back to Crocodile.
"You should have, my love," Alvida responded as she laughed softly.
Ben turned to Vivi, catching the hint of disapproval in her face. "Vivi, I would never do something you oppose. I know it's not what you would want," he said.
"Ben… it might have been better under your rule, to protect it," Vivi responded. She thought Ratchet was clearly not a good ruler. Roba was getting old. She thought Ben was not Crocodile. She trusted him.
"Not now," Ben responded. "We need to get stronger before we take on the forces that are waiting for us," Ben added. He knew if he put the Love Pirate flag right now, it would spell doom for this island. It would be hunted down and there could be a worse conflict and Shimagame may be in trouble or endangered by it.
Alvida gripped Seraphina tightly. "We're preparing to take down the Yonko," Alvida said.
Ben exhaled. "And after them, the Gorosei and the Admirals are on my list," Ben added.
Vivi looked at him. "I'll be with you the entire way," she stated. She thought she would face anyone for her love, her husband.
At that moment a voice was heard. "Stop, I will not let you get to Ratchet Sir," it said. The group looked up and saw a man wearing a bulky mechanical suit. The suit had two massive cylindrical arms with circular openings at the ends. There were green hoses running along the arms. A prominent circular component sat on the chest. It had a glowing yellow symbol. He was wearing a mask. He was coming down the stairs. "Stop," he added.
Alvida ran forward as her grip tightened around Seraphina. Her kanabo whistled through the air, a deadly arc of steel and force. With a powerful leap, she swung her weapon and hit him. The impact was brutal, connecting directly with his face. The force sent him hurtling backward, his bulky suit crashing through the wall, shattering stone and debris in his wake.
His mask snapped loose, tumbling to the ground, revealing his bloodied face, streaked with fresh bruises.
He looked at Alvida. His face filled with confusion and pain. "You," Honki rasped.
Vivi looked at him. "That's the guy from the party," she said.
"Go ahead. I'll take care of him," Alvida stated.
"Alright," Ben said. He smiled as Vivi and Ben moved on.
Honki groaned, his body trembling as he forced himself back to his feet. He spat blood. "I… I will not let Sir Ratchet down," he said.
Alvida smiled. Her heels could be heard clicking on the ground.
Ben and Vivi got to the top of the staircase. They saw a mechanical dinosaur-like creature. Maji was wearing a dark green coat with yellow trim, a striped red and black shirt, and dark pants. His hair was pulled into a ponytail. The mechanical beast had a large skull at the front. It had a purple body adorned with fierce yellow flame decals. It had segmented limbs and a trumpet-shaped tail. The horns were shaped like tubas.
Ben thought this was different. "Ben, go ahead, I will stop him," Vivi stated as she walked towards him.
"Sir Ratchet, has an interest in you," Maji said.
Vivi did not respond. Her eyes went red.
"Okay Vivi," Ben said as he rushed up. He knew Vivi could beat him.
Ben entered the room. He saw a large window. There was a control centre in the middle with lots of buttons and flashing lights. Next to the control centre were various monitors and communication devices.
He then saw a dozen Dorothy robots lined up. They were looking out of the window. "You have made it up here," Ratchet said. "I thought Nipthal would have stopped you," Ratched added as he entered a large green battle suit with a drill. It had two two large claws as arms. The mech had large shoulders which were cylinders. It had two large legs with red feet which were circles.
Ratchet's eyes burned with defiance, his voice laced with arrogance. "But no matter what, I will defeat you," he said.
Ben stood firm, unshaken. "Ratchet, you've taken this too far," he said. "Your mother is upset, you've dragged all of us into this madness," he added.
"She will understand once it's all over," Ratchet scoffed, brushing off the concern with cold indifference. A smile crept onto his lips. "I will take over the world!" His laughter echoed through the room. Then, he raised his hand and issued an order. "Dorothy, go capture him!"
The Dorothy bots turned towards Ben. Their mechanical eyes flickered as they looked at his hybrid form, assessing his presence, his power. Then, unexpectedly, they shifted their gazes. They all turned to Ratchet. In perfect unison, they all said, "No."
"You disobey me?!" Ratchet shouted.
Ben smirked, the amusement clear in his expression. "Looks like they do," he said. He wondered why. He knew one of the Dorothy robots was acting strange around him before.
He looked at Ratchet. "You dared to insult my women. Vivi is mine," he said. "What you are doing is bad, but you have signed a death wish when you said that," he added. Ben thought he was not going to kill him. He promised Roba and Vivi would be upset.
A single bead of sweat formed on Ratchet's forehead. However, his smile returned. "I will defeat you all, everyone on your crew," he said.
His hand slammed against a control panel. "Behold my secret weapon!" he shouted.
A deep rumble shook the island as a massive door creaked open, revealing a mechanical titan, standing 60 meters tall. It was a monstrous creation, a scrapyard beast, its body stitched together from layers of worn metal, heavy weld lines barely holding its bulky torso intact.
Its legs crashed against the ground as it stepped forward, gears grinding in the process.
Ratchet spread his arms wide. "Behold—the ultimate mech," he said, pointing towards it.
The machine's core pulsed. "Tremble upon seeing it," he added, his arrogance reaching its peak.
Ben observed the creation before him. "It looks like scrap," he said.
Meanwhile a Marine on the ground spotted a large figure. "What is that?" he asked.
"It is Mech," another one shouted.
"It is big," a Neo-Marine said.
Nipthal looked and saw the BGB. "He has deployed it," Nipthal remarked.
At that moment, the mech broke the surface of the water, sending a wave of spray over its sleek metal body. The sun glinted off its hull, and the waves crashed against its legs. "Master, allow me to destroy that," HQ said as she moved the Mech towards the island. She arrived on land and saw the BGB.
"There are two of them," a Marine shouted.
"That will lose," Ratchet said.
Ben's wings flared as he launched forward, his red eyes burning. "We will see," he said as he clenched his fist. The energy around him coiled like serpents. The raw power was building within his grip. "Demon's Inferno Fist," Ben said as dark flames erupted from his hands, the black fire swirling, as he channeled the full force of his attack. The heat was unnatural, the air cracked around him as he closed the distance between himself and Ratchet.
Ben's flaming fist collided with Ratchet's battle suit, the reinforced glass cracking instantly beneath the sheer force. The mech whined, its circuits overloading, sparks flying as it was sent flying backward.
Ratchet's mech suit smashed through the massive window, the shards scattering into the open air. He plummeted, his suit spiraling as he descended toward the sandy beach.
Ratchet hit the ground hard, the remnants of his destroyed mech collapsing around him, broken pieces. There was smoke rising from the wreckage. He touched his head, his fingers trembling slightly as he tried to process what had just happened. "What… was that?" he asked.
Ben descended, his feet touching down. He looked at Ratchet. "A taste of what is to come," he said.