The sea glittered under the morning sun — calm, almost deceptively so.
The sea shimmered under a pale morning sun as the Oro Jackson cut through the New World's turbulent waters. The wind was sharp, the air charged with that rare mix of danger and excitement that only the Roger Pirates seemed to thrive on.
"Land ahead!" cried Gaban from the mast, squinting through his spyglass.
Roger leaned over the rail, laughing as he breathed in the salt air. "A new island dead ahead!" he bellowed. "I can feel it! The adventure's calling!"
"Or the danger," muttered Rayleigh, checking the Log Pose. "Still — the needle's steady. Looks like this one's real."
Gaban groaned. "You said that last time, and it was just a sea king's back."
"Bah! A detour worth taking!" Roger shot back, grinning wide. "You never know where the Log Pose leads!"
From the quarterdeck, Rayleigh adjusted his glasses, glancing toward the horizon. "The needle's steady this time. No sea kings — just land."
The crew cheered.
In the midst of the excitement, a quiet set of footsteps echoed from the cabin below deck.
Then the sound of light footsteps drew their attention.
From below deck, Ada emerged.
The crew's chatter died instantly.
The crew froze.
Gone was the tattered cloak she'd worn since God Valley. In its place was a sleek crimson halter dress — elegant and striking, the kind of outfit that clung to confidence like a second skin. A black holster rested on her thigh, and her short gloves gleamed faintly under the sunlight. Her hair was loose, wind brushing through it as if the sea itself paused to admire her.
For a moment, silence blanketed the ship — broken only by the creak of the mast and the slap of waves.
Then Gaban dropped his cigar.
"Oi… are we under attack?!"
Rayleigh chuckled. "No, Gaban. We're just witnessing a transformation."
Roger blinked once — then burst into thunderous laughter. "BWAHAHAHA! Now that's an entrance! Didn't know assassins had such fashion sense!"
crewmates whispered. "She looks like she's going to a royal ball!"
Ada raised an eyebrow, clearly amused. "If I were, the royals wouldn't be leaving it alive."
That earned a round of laughter.
Roger blinked twice, then roared with laughter. "BWAHAHA! So that's your battle gear, eh? Can't say I've seen a pirate dressed like that before!"
That earned a round of laughter.
Rayleigh smiled faintly from the rail. "Not bad, Ada. The color suits you."
"Thanks," she replied coolly, adjusting the strap on her thigh holster. "It's a bit of an upgrade from my usual cloak. Figured I should stop looking like I'm hiding from the world."
Ada then smirked, brushing a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "It's practical enough. Besides…" She leaned one arm against the railing, her voice cool but amused. "You never know when style can be a weapon."
Someone from the crew blurted, "How old are you, anyway?"
Ada gave him a sidelong look. "Sixteen. Seventeen soon."
The man paled. "Sixteen? You fight like a damn demon!"
Roger's grin widened. "Age doesn't make a pirate great — will does! And she's got plenty of that!"
Another crewmate whistled. "Can't argue with the Captain there. Pretty and deadly — no wonder the Marines are terrified."
Ada's lips curved into a faint smirk. "Flattery won't save you if you step out of line."
The deck erupted with laughter again, the tension replaced by the easy chaos that defined the Oro Jackson. Even Rayleigh smiled, his eyes glinting with quiet understanding.
"Fits her," he murmured to himself. "The world's changing — and she looks like she's already seen it all."
By midday, the island came into view — a vast crescent of green and gold rising from the mist. Ancient pillars jutted out from cliffs, half-swallowed by vines. Birds circled above like white specks against the sun.
Roger's grin widened. "There it is! The Log Pose points straight here!"
They dropped anchor in a small bay, the ship creaking as ropes tightened. The crew fanned out — Gaban and the others securing the supplies, Rayleigh scanning the surroundings. Ada stepped ashore beside Roger, her boots crunching against the stone path that wound into the jungle.
It was quiet — unnaturally so.
Even the waves seemed to hush.
The deeper they went, the quieter it became. The trees gave way to broken stone pillars and half-buried archways. Carvings of spirals and ancient symbols covered the walls — faint, yet humming with an unseen energy.
Rayleigh whistled low. "Looks ancient. Older than even the Baterilla ruins."
As they entered the ruins, the air grew cooler, thicker. The stone walls were carved with spirals and sigils that shimmered faintly under the sunlight filtering through the canopy.
Ada brushed her gloved fingers against a wall, tracing the worn inscriptions. "It is. The markings — they're similar to the ones Rocks collected."
Ada then crouched near a pillar, brushing moss away with her glove. "Rocks had one of these stones at Hachinosu."
Roger turned, eyes gleaming with curiosity. "Rocks collected poneglyphs too?"
"Yes." Ada's tone softened, her gaze distant. "He said they were keys to something greater — something the world wanted to forget. The red ones especially. He wanted to read them all."
Rayleigh frowned. "And could he?"
"No." She shook her head. "He couldn't read them. None of us could."
Roger stepped closer to the massive slab of stone at the center of the ruins. It stood ten feet tall, its surface engraved with the deep, curling script of the Ancient Language.
His expression softened. His eyes closed.
The air shifted.
Roger's grin slowly faded into something quieter — something almost reverent.
He stepped closer, pressing his hand to the stone.
And the air seemed to hum.
It wasn't sound — it was something deeper, a resonance that made the hairs on everyone's arms stand. Roger's eyes flickered with light.
The crew felt it — a pulse, almost like a heartbeat buried in the earth. After Roger placed his palm on the stone.
He smiled.
"She's speaking," he whispered.
Ada tilted her head. "You can hear it?"
Roger nodded. "Not in words — more like a voice in the world. I can hear her, even if I don't understand."
Rayleigh glanced at Ada, who was watching Roger closely — not with disbelief, but recognition. She had seen men driven mad by power, but this was something different. Something alive.
The crew exchanged confused glances.
Rayleigh folded his arms. "So, you can hear the voice of all things again."
"Yeah," Roger said softly, the light catching in his eyes. "And she's lonely. This stone's been waiting a long time."
Ada stepped closer beside him. "What does it say?"
He hesitated, then shook his head. "I can't read it. But I can hear it, it's a record. A memory of a time before the world turned its back on truth."
Ada traced the edges of the stone with her fingertips. "Rocks would've killed to hear that."
"Maybe," Roger said, looking at her. "But I think you'll listen better."
Ada tilted her head slightly. "You sound too sure of that."
"I am," Roger said simply. "You've got that same fire — but your eyes see further."
The moment lingered, heavy with something unspoken — respect, perhaps even understanding.
For a moment, the two of them stood there — the pirate who would be king, and the assassin who had lost everything — both bound by a silent understanding.
"Rocks wanted power," Ada said quietly. "But he also wanted to know what the world was hiding."
Roger turned toward her, eyes steady. "And you?"
"I want to see what he never could."
Then he smiled.
As the sun began to set, the crew made camp at the base of the ruins. The air smelled of old stone and sea salt. Shanks slept soundly near Ada's side, his tiny hand gripping a corner of her cloak.
By nightfall, lanterns flickered under the trees. The smell of roasted fish filled the air.
Ada sat near the edge of the campfire's glow, polishing her pistols as she watched the stars appear one by one.
Rayleigh walked over, offering her a flask. "You handled yourself well today."
She accepted it, taking a small sip. "I didn't do much. Roger was the one who could hear it."
"Maybe." Rayleigh's voice was calm. "But sometimes it takes more strength to stand beside someone than in front of them."
Ada chuckled softly. "You sound like a teacher."
"Maybe I used to be." He smiled faintly, eyes reflecting the firelight. "You're fitting in well, Ada. The crew's warming up to you."
"I noticed," she said, her tone half-teasing. "I even got compliments this morning."
Rayleigh laughed. "You earned them."
Ada gazed at the glowing horizon. "The world feels so quiet sometimes," she murmured. "Like it's waiting for something."
Rayleigh sat nearby, sipping from a flask. "Or someone," he said. "Maybe the sea waits for people like you — the ones who stir it awake."
She didn't answer.
For a long time, neither spoke. The night wind whispered through the leaves, carrying the soft rhythm of the waves below.
And somewhere in the heart of the island, the ancient stone pulsed faintly — as if remembering every name, every dream, every echo of the D that had ever stood before it.
And above them all, the stars began to shine — silent witnesses to the dawn of a new era.