Sea Circle Calendar Year 1502
The Oro Jackson drifted across the calm New World sea, its sails heavy with salt and silence.
For the first time in weeks, there were no cannons, no thunder, no blood — only the gentle hum of the wind brushing against the mast.
Bullet leaned against the railing, polishing his gauntlet. Mihawk sat cross-legged beneath the mast, a book in hand. Enel lay sprawled across the yardarm above, the faint spark of electricity dancing at his fingertips. Fisher Tiger meditated near the bow, the faint ripples of the waves reflecting against his skin.
Peace — however brief — had found them.
Until the sky cried.
A sharp screech cut through the quiet as a News Coo swooped down, dropping a fresh newspaper onto the deck before fluttering away.
Enel groaned from above. "Tch. More boring human news…"
Bullet snatched it first, flipping through the pages — until his smirk vanished.
"Oi," he said, voice low. "You'll wanna see this."
He tossed the paper toward Mihawk. The swordsman caught it with one hand, his golden eyes scanning the front page. The headline was stamped in bold black ink:
"ISLAND OF SCHOLARS DESTROYED: GOVERNMENT STOPS ILLEGAL RESEARCH INTO ANCIENT WEAPONS."
Beneath it was a grainy photo — flames engulfing a vast library, shadows of people fleeing toward the sea.
The World Government's seal shone proudly in the corner.
Mihawk's voice came out flat but edged with disgust.
"A Buster Call. Again."
Bullet crossed his arms. "Ancient weapons, huh? That's the excuse this time?"
Fisher Tiger frowned deeply. "Ohara… that island was full of scholars. They studied history. They didn't build weapons."
Ada stepped out of her quarters just then, the paper fluttering toward her feet. She picked it up slowly, eyes narrowing at the headline.
The world seemed to still.
Her fingers trembled slightly, creasing the page. The propaganda burned her eyes — the lies, the shameless rewriting of truth.
She whispered under her breath,
"They burned knowledge."
Bullet shifted. "You know about that island?"
Ada's gaze didn't leave the photo. "Yes."
Her voice was quiet — too quiet. "Roger once said the people of Ohara were the closest to uncovering the truth."
The edges of the paper began to smoke — not from fire, but from the faint hum of her Haki, spilling out in quiet waves.
She turned away from the crew. "I need a moment."
—————-
Inside Ada's Quarters
The room was dim — lit only by the glow of a lantern swaying with the waves.
Ada sat at her desk, staring at the newspaper again. The image of burning trees reflected in her eyes.
Her jaw tightened. "Ancient weapons," she muttered. "So that's what they're calling history now."
The Denden Mushi on her desk began to ring.
She hesitated, then lifted the receiver.
A voice came through — calm, measured, and unmistakable.
"You've seen the news."
Ada's heart stopped for a moment. "Dragon."
"I was there," he said. "I saw the smoke from the sea."
Ada's hand clenched around the receiver. "You tried to stop it?"
"I couldn't, I was too late" Dragon replied, the words heavy. "The Government moved fast. They accused the scholars of trying to resurrect the Ancient Weapons — Pluton, Poseidon, Uranus. Lies to justify slaughter."
Ada's tone was cold. "They're not even hiding their fear anymore."
"No," Dragon said. "Now they destroy what they fear."
There was silence — the kind that carried shared fury.
Dragon spoke again, lower this time. "This… this is why I fight, Ada. Why I built what I did. The Revolution can't stay in the shadows forever."
Ada's voice hardened. "You're not the only one who saw the fire."
"Then come with me," Dragon said suddenly. "Join us. You've seen what they're capable of. You have power, influence, ships—"
She cut him off. "No."
A pause.
"Still the same answer?"
Ada's eyes lowered. "You know why. I'll never wear another flag — not even yours. I lead my own path."
"You'll lose everything walking alone."
Her lips curved faintly. "Then I'll lose it on my own terms."
There was silence on the line again — not cold, but understanding.
Dragon's voice softened. "Then we walk parallel, not apart. If the world must burn, we'll burn different sides of it."
Ada's gaze shifted to the window, where moonlight traced the edge of the sea. "Agreed."
She hesitated — then spoke quietly.
"Dragon… they didn't just burn a library. They burned hope. If the world forgets the past, we'll make them remember through us."
Dragon was silent for a moment. Then, in a tone that carried something deeper than command, he said,
"You've changed, Ada."
Her lips tilted into a faint smile. "No. The world just gave me a reason to keep moving."
"Then we move," Dragon murmured.
And the line went dead.
—————————
Later – The Deck
When Ada stepped back onto the deck, the crew turned. The air around her was different — heavy but calm, like the still before a storm.
Mihawk closed his book and studied her. "You spoke to him."
Ada nodded.
Bullet leaned forward, curious. "That mystery guy again?"
She didn't answer immediately. Instead, she looked out at the horizon, where the sky had turned blood-orange.
"They burned an island of scholars," she said softly. "Said they were researching weapons. Said they were dangerous."
Enel frowned. "And were they?"
"No," Ada replied. "They were searching for the truth. That's what the Government fears most — people who think."
Fisher Tiger crossed his arms. "Then they'll fear you."
Ada's eyes hardened. "They already do."
Mihawk's gaze sharpened. "You're planning something."
Ada gave a faint, distant smile. "Always."
Bullet cracked his knuckles. "So, Ada, what's next? We torch a few Marine fleets? Make them pay?"
Ada shook her head. "Not yet."
Enel tilted his head. "Then what?"
Ada looked at the paper again. "They control the world's narrative. Every lie, every 'justice,' every execution — it all begins with their version of truth."
She looked up, her eyes gleaming with quiet fury. "So we'll change the story."
Fisher Tiger frowned. "How?"
Ada's tone turned sharp. "By reminding them that history doesn't belong to kings or nobles — it belongs to those who live it."
The wind picked up, the sails billowing as if answering her resolve.
Mihawk smirked faintly. "You sound like Roger when he was about to be executed."
Ada turned to him. "No. I sound like myself."
——————
Night fell. The moon rose high above the Oro Jackson, painting silver trails across the sea.
Ada stood alone at the prow, the crumpled newspaper still in her hand.
The article's headline flickered in the moonlight.
"ISLAND OF SCHOLARS DESTROYED – JUSTICE SERVED."
She let out a slow breath and whispered,
"Justice, huh…?"
Then, with a flick of her wrist, she tossed the paper into the waves. The ink bled away instantly, dissolving into the dark sea.
Her eyes stayed fixed on the horizon.
"You can burn books. You can burn islands. But you can't burn the truth forever."
Behind her, the crew watched quietly — Bullet's grin subdued, Mihawk's eyes thoughtful, Enel's spark dimmed to a quiet hum, and Fisher Tiger standing solemnly.
The Oro Jackson sailed on, cutting through the moonlit sea, its flag fluttering — the sigil of Nyx, glowing faintly in the dark.
Somewhere far across the world, on a lone ship under the same sky, Dragon watched the horizon. The wind caught his cloak as he whispered into the night,
"It begins now."