Sanji, waiting at the ship, begins to suspect that something isn’t right since his crewmates haven’t returned. He decides to venture into the forest to look for them and stumbles upon the candle hideout created by Mr. 3 in the heart of the jungle.
Meanwhile, Zoro, Nami, Vivi, and Brogy remain hardened into wax dolls, but Luffy remains determined to save them. He argues that they might still be alive.
However, their rescue plans are disrupted by the sudden appearance of Mr. 3, who is wearing a colossal candle doll that he calls “Candle Champion.” Mr. 5 recalls that Candle Champion was previously used to capture a criminal with a 42 million belli bounty, making it one of Mr. 3’s most formidable creations. Mr. 3 boasts that his wax is as hard as iron and that it covers Candle Champion entirely, leaving no weak points exposed. Miss Goldenweek proceeds to paint the Candle Champion.
A confrontation ensues between Luffy and Mr. 3. Luffy initiates the battle with a Gomu Gomu no Pistol attack, but it proves ineffective against the formidable Candle Champion. Mr. 3 counters with the “Champ Fight Oraga Hatake,” a rapid punching attack. Luffy manages to evade the punches by leaping into the air and retaliates with a Gomu Gomu no Stamp kick aimed at Mr. 3’s face. However, this attack is fully blocked by Candle Champion’s massive arms.
Ussop, looking at his petrified crewmates, realizes that wax can be melted, no matter how hard it is. He conveys this information to Luffy, stating that they can still save their friends as it hasn’t been too long since they were petrified. Ussop’s revelation is interrupted by Mr. 5, who uses his “Breeze Breath Bomb” attack to thwart Ussop’s efforts.
Mr. 3 insists that, even though they’ve learned the weakness of his Devil Fruit, they won’t be able to save their friends or win the battle. He adds that they have approximately 30 seconds before their friends’ hearts stop beating and they lose consciousness. Their comrades are on the brink of death, and the clock is ticking.
Hearing this, Ussop tries to aim an explosive bomb at the wax dolls to melt them, but Mr. 5 intervenes once again with a “Breeze Breath Bomb,” causing an explosion that incapacitates Ussop. Luffy also attempts to target the wax dolls but is halted by a powerful punch from Candle Champion that causes the ground to shatter.
Ussop, still conscious, instructs Carue to take the rope from his bag and run. Miss Valentine overhears this plan and sits on Ussop promptly increasing her weight to 500 kg, preventing Ussop from moving. Carue, holding the rope in his beak, is targeted by Mr. 5. In an attempt to evade Mr. 5’s attack, Carue wraps the rope around the wax dolls.
Meanwhile, Luffy, still grappling with Mr. 3, manages to grab Mr. 3’s burning hair. Luffy plans to use the tiny flame on Mr. 3’s head to melt the wax. Ussop encourages Luffy to set the rope on fire as it is a special type of rope covered in oil. Luffy agrees and ignites the rope and turning it into a massive fire. The fate of their petrified comrades hangs in the balance.
