The captain's quarters of the submarine were sparse and functional, a reflection of the woman who occupied them. The walls were bare metal, the furniture utilitarian, the only personal touches a worn leather jacket draped over the back of a chair and a small collection of books stacked neatly on a shelf. The air carried the faint metallic tang of the vessel's inner workings, mingled with the subtle scent of salt and the distant memory of sea spray.
Marya stood at the desk, her ringed golden eyes fixed on the drawer before her. Her raven hair cascaded down her back, and her leather jacket creaked softly as she reached forward, pulling the drawer open with a deliberate motion.
Her mother's notebook lay inside, its leather cover worn smooth by years of handling. She picked it up, her fingers tracing the faded embossing on the cover with the reverence of a woman who had held this object a thousand times before. She opened it, the pages rustling with the soft whisper of aged paper, and flipped through them until she found the page marked by a familiar slip of paper.
The Vivre card sat nestled between the pages, its surface bearing the name of her father. Dracule Mihawk. The paper was intact, whole, its edges crisp and unmarred.
Marya pulled it free, holding it in her palm. She watched as it inched across her skin, drawn by an invisible pull toward its origin. Her voice was flat, barely above a whisper, the words carrying the weight of a question she had been asking herself for hours. "Well. It looks like you are still alive."
She paused, her brow furrowing. "So what was the vision all about? What about Yuro?" Her jaw tightened. "Did she really shatter?"
The card continued its slow crawl across her palm, offering no answers.
Marya's head snapped up at the sound of a soft knock on the doorframe. Aurélie stood in the doorway, her silver hair loose, her steel-gray eyes fixed on the captain with flat assessment. Her voice was measured, carrying the warmth of a soldier. "Are you ready? They are waiting for us."
Marya's fingers closed around the Vivre card, tucking it back into the notebook. She slid the drawer closed, her movements deliberate and unhurried. "Yes."
---
The streets of Symphoria Harbor stretched before them, a tapestry of coral-stone buildings and ancient architecture that had been reshaped by the chaos of the world break. The crowd parted as the group made their way through the city, their footsteps echoing on the weathered stone. Minks and Sky People alike paused, their eyes fixed on the procession of strangers who had become the talk of the island.
Captain Acco Acheeth led the way, her golden-tawny cheetah form lean and coiled, her dark eyes scanning the crowd. Lieutenant Corin Rain walked beside her, his wild dog frame tense, his dark eyes fixed on the path ahead.
Atlas walked close to Acco, his rust-red fur gleaming, his blue eyes fixed on the cheetah Mink with an intensity that bordered on admiration. They were deep in conversation, their voices low and private, punctuated by Acco's occasional chuckles.
Bō-Zak blew out a plume of smoke from his long wooden pipe, his gold-flecked eyes gleaming with amusement. His voice was a low murmur, "Looks like someone might get lucky."
Jannali scoffed, her voice flat with dry humor, "Really, mate?"
Bō-Zak shrugged, his grin widening. "What? It's not like it isn't true."
Vesta cocked her head, her rainbow hair bouncing with the motion. Her bright violet eyes were wide with confusion, "Who is lucky?"
Aurélie lingered at the back of the group, her silver hair swaying, her steel-gray eyes tracking the crowd. Eliane walked beside her, her silver hair tied back, her bright blue eyes darting from vendor to vendor. Ember shuffled along beside them, her neon-pink space buns drooping slightly, her mismatched eyes fixed on the ground.
Eliane's voice was bright with the enthusiasm. She pointed at a spice stall, its shelves laden with colorful jars and exotic blends. "Eww! A spice stall!" She glanced at Aurélie, her expression hopeful. "Do you think we can stop and—"
Aurélie's voice was flat. "I am sure we can. After the banquet."
Ember's gaze fixed on a plushy stuffed animal boutique, its window filled with soft, colorful creatures. She paused, her head tilting with interest.
Aurélie gently touched her arm, her voice soft but firm. "We can shop after the banquet."
Ember's shoulders dropped, her expression shifting to a pout. "Okay."
Eliane took her hand, her voice bright. "We can go together."
Sanza walked beside Marya, his small frame dwarfed by the crowd, his red hair bristling with barely contained energy. Jelly bounced on his shoulder, his translucent blue body wobbling with each step. "Bloop! So many smells! Bloop, so many snacks!"
Jelly began to float away, riding the wave of a particularly enticing scent. Galit grabbed him by the collar, his emerald eyes flat with the weary authority. "Don't be a menace."
Jelly bounced. "Snack smells!"
Sanza glanced at the bouncy creature. "Where we are going has loads of snacks!" Then, his stomach made an audible growl.
Kaburo glanced at him, his dark hair falling across his face and Sanza blushed. "It's good to be hungry. You don't want to offend our hosts by not eating."
Galit scanned the mixed crowds of Sky People and Minks, his emerald eyes fixed on the wary stares that followed them. He walked beside Marya, his voice low and measured. "Do you think they hold you responsible?"
Marya glanced at him, her golden eyes sliding over the groups of Sky People and Minks who paused and stared. Her voice was flat. "There is nothing to be done about it if they do."
Lieutenant Corin Rain interrupted, his ears perking up as he looked over his shoulder. His voice was measured. "Tikibara. That was the name of their island." He gestured his head toward the east, where a sprawling tent city had been erected on the outskirts of the harbor. "We have erected a tent city for them for now. Until a more permanent solution can be figured out."
Jannali's voice was bright with the pragmatic. "That'll be pretty easy to nut out now the old ruins are out in the open and there's extra land."
Captain Acco Acheeth interrupted, with professional authority. "Except our historians would like to investigate those ruins first."
Charlie cleared his throat, his voice rising with the scholarly enthusiasm. "That is a valid point. The significance of such research cannot be measured. To allow anyone to simply move in and trample on ruins with this level of importance—"
Bianca flicked a wrist. "Like, they can always relocate or whatever, too."
Acco nodded. "There are several options that are being considered." She paused, her dark eyes fixed on the group. "In addition to the Royal Family, you will also be dining with Gaon Tote, the leader of the fallen sky people. They call him their Beretitenti."
Marya made an audible sigh.
Galit muttered, just loud enough for her to hear. "This is going to be a long night."
Marya nodded in agreement.
Atlas glanced at Acco, his blue eyes gleaming with warmth. "It looks like we are going to be here for a few days. Think I can take you up on your offer to show me your Sulong technique?"
Acco smiled, flirtatiously. "I would love to."
---
The crowd parted, and everyone stopped.
Prophet Amos Baboto's voice boomed across the square, his massive olive baboon frame draped in flowing robes of charcoal and crimson. His dark, almost black eyes blazed with righteous fury, and his gnarled staff was raised like a weapon of judgment. Disciple Boku Gems and Disciple Yalan Neeahl stood on either side of him, their cloaked forms rigid with cold authority.
"Behold and gaze upon the Harbinger!" Amos's voice rose with dramatic urgency. "The fall of a nation, as it was prophesied, has come to pass!"
He closed the gap, like a wraith gliding across the surface, his dark eyes fixed on Marya. She crossed her arms, cocking her hip, her expression bored and unimpressed.
Amos's voice rose with theatrical passion. "And what has our King done? He has invited the cause of such destruction and devastation to dinner!"
The crowd gasped, their faces a mixture of fear and fascination.
Lieutenant Corin Rain's jaw flexed, his hand dropping to the hilt of his sword. His voice was sharp. "That's enough out of you!"
Amos spun, a grin spreading across his face.
Corin took a step forward, his muscles tense—
Captain Acco Acheeth grabbed his arm, her grip firm and unyielding. Her voice was low. "No."
Corin's voice was sharp with protest. "But—"
Amos spun back, his face inches from Marya's. His dark eyes blazed with conviction and purpose. "What do you have to say for yourself?"
Marya raised a brow, unimpressed. She untucked her hand from under her arm and plucked Amos in the forehead.
The impact sent him flying backward, his massive frame crashing into a wall with a sound like thunder. He slid down into an unconscious heap.
Marya looked at his disciples, her voice cold. "Have anything else to add?"
Disciple Boku Gems and Disciple Yalan Neeahl exchanged a look. Then, without a word, they scooped up their fallen master and retreated into the crowd.
Captain Acco Acheeth smirked, her dark eyes gleaming with satisfaction.
Lieutenant Corin Rain stood blinking, his voice rising with the breathless disbelief of a man who had just witnessed something impossible. "That was incredible! How did you—"
Atlas chuckled, his blue eyes gleaming. "If she can cut through an island, then—"
Acco gestured to the group. "Come on. We are almost there."
The group continued their journey, the crowd parting before them like water around a stone. The banquet awaited, and with it, the weight of a world that had just been broken and remade.
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