The sea stretched endlessly ahead — gold waves rolling beneath a morning sun.
The sea was calm that morning, unnaturally so.
After the chaos of the battle with Whitebeard, the stillness felt almost eerie—like the world itself was holding its breath.
The Oro Jackson cut through the waves, her golden prow glinting beneath the rising sun. Seagulls cried overhead, their echoes rolling over the horizon.
The wind filled the sails of the Oro Jackson, its white canvas glowing like wings against the horizon.
For the first time in weeks, there was no battle, no pursuit — just the hum of discovery.
"GAHAHAHA! What a fight!" Roger's booming laughter carried across the deck, breaking the silence. "Whitebeard's gotten stronger! I can still feel the tremors in my bones!"
"You're insane Captain," Shanks muttered, slumped against a barrel, one arm draped over his head. "You call that fun?"
Buggy groaned beside him. "I thought we were gonna die! The whole island split in half!"
Rayleigh chuckled, leaning against the railing. "That's what happens when legends clash. Even the sea trembles."
Below deck, the crew's laughter echoed through the corridors. Above, the masts creaked as gulls circled lazily overhead.
But amid the noise, Ada stood near the stern, her eyes fixed on the horizon.
The morning light framed her silhouette, the sea breeze stirring her red dress. She had fought too—her clash with Whitebeard had split the air itself, a remnant of the storms from God Valley echoing across time. Her muscles still hummed from the impact, but her mind was elsewhere.
She turned slightly, watching Oden standing near the bow, arms crossed, grinning wide as the wind whipped his robes.
"So this is the Oro Jackson!" Oden shouted. "Hah! It smells of adventure and madness!"
"Fits right in," Roger said, slapping him on the back hard enough to make the ship tilt. "You'll love it here!"
Oden laughed, and for the first time since the battle, the crew felt a spark of warmth again.
Ada's gaze softened. Oden was a storm of energy, the kind of man who could pull destiny along with his bare hands. She could see why Roger wanted him.
He's the key, she thought. The one who can read the stones.
A few hours later, the sun was higher. The crew was sorting through the spoils Roger had left with Whitebeard—half their treasure was gone, gifted as thanks and respect. Yet, in typical Roger fashion, he seemed lighter without it.
"Treasure comes and goes," he said, leaning against the mast. "But stories—stories last forever."
"Easy for you to say, Captain!" Buggy yelled. "That was a mountain of gold!"
"WHAHAHAHA! Then climb another mountain!"
Laughter broke out again.
It was then that Oden, inspecting his surroundings, frowned slightly. "Strange… I thought…"
Before he could finish, a soft rustling came from one of the supply crates.
Rustle… thud.
Shanks blinked. "Oi… did anyone hear that?"
Another thud. Then a muffled sneeze.
Roger squinted. "A stowaway?"
Rayleigh sighed. "You mean another one?"
Without warning, the lid of a crate burst open—
"GWOHHHH! TOO TIGHT IN THERE!"
"ARHHHH-CHOOO! My fur's full of flour!"
Everyone froze. Two massive shapes leapt out, tumbling onto the deck. It took a second for anyone to recognize them—one tall and lean with wild golden fur, the other short and round with floppy ears and a wide grin.
Cat Viper and Duke Dogstorm.
"Oden-sama!" they both shouted in unison. "We followed you!"
Oden's eyes nearly popped out. "You idiots! You actually did!?"
The deck exploded with chaos.
"WHAT THE HELL ARE THOSE THINGS!?" Buggy screamed, pointing.
"They're talking animals!!" Shanks yelped, ducking behind him.
"They're Minks," Ada said calmly, hand on her hip. "Warriors from Zou. I've heard about their kind before."
The two Minks puffed their chests proudly. "We are Oden's retainers!" Cat Viper declared. "We couldn't just let him go alone!"
Roger threw his head back and laughed. "Wahahahaha! I like them already! They've got spirit!"
Rayleigh rubbed his forehead. "You're just collecting strays at this point, Roger."
Oden sighed, but couldn't hide his grin. "You two… fine. You're here, might as well make yourselves useful."
Ada stepped forward, crouching slightly to meet their eyes. "Zou, huh?" she murmured. "A place deep in the New World. The world's old blood still flows there."
Dogstorm tilted his head. "You know of our homeland?"
"I know of many things," she said softly. "And back then Rocks also mentioned going to Zou."
Her words made both Minks fall silent.
That night, the Oro Jackson was alive with laughter and stories. The crew shared sake, trading tales of lands they'd seen and islands yet to come. The lanterns swayed gently in the wind, throwing long shadows across the deck.
And in the captain's quarters, the world's greatest pirates gathered around a table littered with Poneglyph rubbings.
Oden sat cross-legged beside Roger and Rayleigh, drawing a rough map on a piece of parchment.
Roger leaned back, and as he turned toward Oden. "And now that you're with us, maybe we can find the rest."
"The red stones," he said, tapping the paper. "You call them Road Poneglyphs, right?"
Roger nodded, eyes gleaming. "We've found one so far—on Elbaf. The giants guarded it like a relic."
"That means there are three left," Oden muttered, tracing his finger across the parchment. "One of them… is in Wano."
Ada looked up from the table, her eyes narrowing slightly. "In Wano? Where exactly?"
Oden nodded. "Hidden deep within the land, protected by the Kozuki family for generations. My family."
Roger's grin widened. "That makes two out of four."
As they pored over maps and markings, Cat Viper and Duke Dogstorm stood at Oden's side, tails flicking in excitement.
"Nya-ha! There's another red stone on Zou!" Cat Viper declared, thumping his chest. "Deep in the Whale Tree, guarded by our tribe."
Dogstorm nodded solemnly. "The Mink Tribe has protected it for centuries. Even we don't know who built it."
Roger's eyes widened. "Zou… the land that walks the sea. Hah! The world's full of wonders."
Rayleigh folded his arms. "So that's three we can track. Elbaf, Zou, Wano… and one still unknown."
Ada tilted her head. "That means one's still missing."
Silence fell.
The maps fluttered slightly in the breeze coming through the cabin window.
Roger's expression grew thoughtful. "A red stone… that even the world forgot. Somewhere not even history dares to remember."
He looked up at Oden. "You think Wano's records say anything about the fourth one?"
Oden frowned. "Perhaps. My father once said some stones were 'lost to the void.' Hidden in places beyond even our ancestors' reach."
"Then that's our next stop," Roger said, slapping his palm on the table with excitement.
The wood shuddered — THUD!
The crew erupted into cheers, but Ada didn't join them right away. She sat near the railing, eyes on the stars.
Ada could still feel the hum of destiny in the air — the way the red stones seemed to call to each other across the seas.
The rhythm of the ocean beneath them matched her heartbeat.
For the first time since God Valley, she felt they were moving toward something real.
Four stones to the truth of the world… she thought. And yet even the truth may demand a price.
Her hand brushed the hilt of her gun. The metal was cool, steady—unlike the storm brewing inside her.
Footsteps approached quietly behind her.
"Toki," Ada said without turning, already recognizing the soft, deliberate pace.
Toki smiled faintly, her pale hair fluttering in the sea wind. She looked fragile, yet her eyes carried centuries of calm.
"You always seem to find the horizon first," Toki said gently.
Ada's lips curved in a small smirk. "Habit of a woman who's always chasing it."
They stood together in silence for a while, watching sunlight shimmer across the water.
Then, softly, Ada asked, "So… what did you want to talk about?"
Toki didn't answer right away. Her gaze wandered over the horizon, where the light met the sea — her voice, when it came, was calm and faraway, as if she were retelling someone else's memory.
"I came from the past," she said at last. "I was sent… by someone."
Ada's eyes narrowed, the faintest spark flickering behind them. "Sent?"
Toki nodded, her hand brushing a strand of silver hair away from her face. "Her name was Nyx D. Aria. She told me that the world's tide would break in this era… and that I must guide those who would see its dawn."
The wind fell still. Even the waves seemed to hush.
The name hung in the air like a bell tolling from another age — deep, distant, undeniable.
Ada's hand slipped to the hilt of her gun, fingers tightening unconsciously.
"Nyx D. Aria…" she murmured. The syllables tasted strange — familiar, yet ancient. "Another D?"
Toki's eyes softened, catching the light of the setting sun. "She said that those who carry the Will of D are not bound by time… that their flame is passed, not born."
Ada's gaze lowered, shadows cutting across her face. "You believe her?"
Toki's lips curved into a faint, wistful smile. "I've already lived centuries because of her words. Belief stopped mattering a long time ago."
For a moment, Ada said nothing. The wind moved again, tugging at her hair, carrying the smell of salt and adventure. She studied Toki's face — no deceit, no madness, only truth softened by time.
Then Ada's voice came low, steady, but laced with something almost fragile.
"…Why tell me this?"
Toki looked at her — really looked — and for an instant, her smile carried both sorrow and warmth.
She didn't answer.
But her silence said everything.
—————
Days passed.
The Oro Jackson sailed east, the sky growing clearer, the air cooler as they neared the borders of Wano.
Excitement rippled through the crew — Oden pacing restlessly, Shanks and Buggy arguing about samurai, Roger laughing louder than the wind itself.
But amid the laughter, Ada noticed something.
Toki wasn't coming up on deck as often.
At first, she thought the woman was simply tired from the long voyage. But when she checked the cabin one night, she found Toki lying pale on her futon, sweat beading on her forehead.
"Toki!" Ada knelt beside her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "You're burning up."
Toki smiled weakly. "It's nothing. Just… the sea doesn't agree with me lately."
Ada frowned. "You've crossed half the world's seas and now you get sick?"
Toki chuckled softly, then coughed. "Perhaps… time is catching up."
Ada stayed by her side, dampening a cloth and resting it on Toki's brow. Outside, the ship rocked gently in the waves, lantern light flickering over their faces.
Roger entered quietly, his expression darkening when he saw her condition.
"How is she?"
Ada shook her head. "Fever's high. She needs rest."
Roger sighed, folding his arms. "We'll reach Wano soon. She'll be safe there."
Toki stirred, her voice faint. "Roger… Oden… will take us home. Don't worry."
Ada squeezed her hand gently. "You're stronger than you look. Just hang on until land."
Toki smiled again — soft, luminous, serene even in weakness.
————
By dawn, the fog thickened — heavy, white, and silent.
The Oro Jackson cut through it like a ghost ship.
And when the mist finally parted, mountains rose before them like blades piercing the sky.
Wano.
The land closed to the world.
The land of samurai, storms, and secrets.
Roger stood at the bow, eyes wide and alive with wonder. "So that's it… the closed nation of Wano!"
Oden's laughter boomed across the deck. "Welcome to my home!"
Ada exhaled, her gaze sweeping over the jagged cliffs and stormy clouds. "Feels like the sea's guarding it."
Roger smirked. "Then let's knock."
Toki, resting below deck, smiled faintly as the thunder rolled above her.
"Nyx D. Aria…" she whispered softly to herself. "The tide has turned."
And above her, on the deck, Ada gripped the railing, eyes glinting with purpose.
The end of the world's lies is nearing.