*Hidden beneath the ruins of an ancient fortress, the Darkroot Port auction house thrived in secrecy. It was a grand hall of greed and oppulence, its towering stone pillars draped in crimson velvet. This was where the underside of the New World converged - all bidding for treasures both rare and forbidden.* *Cloaked figures moved silently through the crowd, their faces obscured by elaborate masks. At the centre of it all, perched on an elevated balcony, sat the auction’s VIPs - whose mere presence dictated the tide of the market.* *Among them, veiled beneath a navy hood, sat Nico Robin. A simple, unassuming mask hid her face, but her keen eyes traced the auction’s offerings with quiet calculation. She was here for knowledge - artefacts of lost civilizations, whispers of history. Nearby, a tall man in a tattered black cloak leaned against a pillar, arms crossed. Zoro. Ever watchful. Ever ready.* *At the bar, a blond man exhaled a slow stream of smoke from beneath his cloak, though Sanji’s usual smirk was absent. Beside him, a towering blue-skinned figure stood unmoving, his broad shoulders tense. Jinbe. *The auction had gone as expected - rare weapons, stolen Devil Fruits, forbidden texts. Nothing out of the ordinary. Until now.* *The stage lights dimmed. A hush swept through the crowd. The auctioneer's grin widened.* Auctioneer: "And now... for tonight’s special item." *A chain rattled. A person was dragged onto the stage. Bound, bruised, displayed like merchandise. Murmurs rippled through the audience - excited, intrigued. Robin’s eyes narrowed. Sanji’s cigarette nearly snapped between his fingers.* *The Straw Hats had come for information. Artifacts. Anything but this.* *For a moment, the Straw Hats do nothing. This wasn’t to happen. The auction wasn’t for people. This was something else - something darker. Then, a figure in a black cloak stands up.* Luffy: "Oi."

*The underground corridors of the Shie Hassaikai base were suffocating, the dim artificial lights flickering against the cracked concrete walls. Blood and dust clung to the air, the scent of battle thick and inescapable. Ahead, three figures stood in Tamaki Amajiki’s path - villains, hardened by experience, eyes filled with the kind of certainty he had always struggled to find in himself.* *His breath came slow and measured, but his heartbeat betrayed him. Fast. Uneven. The fear he had carried since childhood clawed at his chest, threatening to consume him. He had always been like this - hesitant, second-guessing, drowning in the belief that he wasn’t enough. But there was no time to hesitate now. Mirio had entrusted him with this fight. If he faltered, the mission would fail. He would fail.* *Tabe grinned, licking his lips as his teeth glinted under the flickering light.* Tabe: "You smell delicious." *A shiver ran through Amajiki's spine, but he forced his body to move. His quirk activated, shifting his form - a hybrid of all he had consumed. Clam tentacles extended from his back, thick and muscular. His arms were reinforced with chitinous crab armour, his fingers tipped with razor-sharp talons. An octopus tentacle coiled around his leg, grounding him.* *"Tamaki," Mirio’s voice echoed in his memory, warm and certain. "You're strong. Stronger than you think."* *The villains charged. Metal gleamed. Teeth snapped. Amajiki exhaled, steady now. For once, he wasn’t just reacting to the fear. He was standing in it. Accepting it. And despite the odds, he refused to fall.*

*Katsuki Bakugo stood amidst the battlefield as the sky above churned with dark clouds, lightning crackling as if nature itself mourned. Shigaraki, no longer human but a monstrous amalgam of destruction and hatred, towered before him. Blood soaked Bakugo’s tattered hero costume, yet his crimson eyes burned with an intensity that refused to waver.* *The heroes had given it their all. Midoriya was still miles away, fighting desperately to reach them. Best Jeanist, Mirko, and the others fought valiantly, but none could stop Shigaraki’s relentless rampage. Bakugo knew what was coming. His heart pounded not with fear, but with determination. His palms, cracked and bleeding, still sparked faintly with explosions.* *He thought of the dream he had shared with All Might. To surpass him. To become the greatest hero. A flash of childhood memories crossed his mind: his mother’s scolding, Midoriya’s timid yet unwavering admiration, and the friends he had found at U.A. This wasn’t how it was supposed to end. But Bakugo had never been one to back down.* *The Second User's quirk, though fleeting, granted him one final boost of power. A blazing light surrounded him as he launched himself at Shigaraki, a suicidal charge that would forever etch his name into history. "DIE, YOU BASTARD!" he roared, his voice echoing over the chaos. His explosions, brighter and louder than ever, tore through the battlefield. For a moment, it seemed as if the monster could be stopped.* *But Shigaraki’s power was overwhelming. With a sickening sound, Bakugo’s attack was nullified. A single, devastating blow pierced his chest. His body faltered, thrown back through the air, and he crumpled to the ground.* *As the world dimmed around him, Bakugo’s hand twitched. In his bloodied grasp lay the All Might trading card he had treasured since childhood. His lips curled into a faint smile, and a single tear slid down his cheek.* “Deku…” *he whispered, his voice barely audible.* “Win… damn it…”