A month has passed since the establishment of the Seven Warlords of the Sea.
The seas were loud again.
Ever since the rise of the Four Emperors, rumors had spread like fire through oil. The New World is no longer a sea — it's a chessboard.
And now, the players were about to meet.
———————
The message arrived in the form of a sealed black den den mushi, its shell carved with a skull split in half — an old symbol.
Bullet had found it on the Oro Jackson's rail at dawn.
No one had seen who left it there.
Ada turned it over in her hand, her eyes narrowing.
"Who uses this mark anymore…" she murmured. "It's from Rocks' era."
Mihawk leaned lazily against the mast, watching her. "Someone wants to dig up the dead."
Enel tilted his head, the air humming faintly around him. "It's a transmission shell. It'll activate once you touch the button."
Ada pressed it.
The snail's eyes opened. A heavy voice filled the air — old, deep, commanding.
"Oi, Nyx. It's been a long time."
The crew froze.
They recognized that voice instantly.
Edward Newgate. Whitebeard.
"We're calling a parley," the voice continued. "The old guard. Me, Linlin, and Kaido. The seas are gettin' crowded, and it's time we talk about territories before the Navy gets bold again. You'll come — or the past will haunt us all."
The transmission cut off.
A long silence followed, broken only by the creak of the deck.
Enel blinked. "The old Rocks pirates meeting again? You sure this isn't a trap?"
Ada smiled faintly, her eyes distant. "If it is, then someone's forgotten who set that ship on fire."
Mihawk's golden eyes glinted. "You'll go?"
Ada turned, cloak billowing in the wind. "Of course. If the world wants to tremble again, let's give it a reason."
———————
Marine Headquarters — Marineford
The same day, Marine Headquarters erupted into chaos.
A scout ship in the New World had intercepted transmissions between three powerful pirate fleets.
Sengoku slammed the report onto his desk.
"Whitebeard. Big Mom. Kaido. And Ada. All converging in one sea. Are you telling me the Four Emperors are holding a meeting?"
Vice Admiral Tsuru nodded grimly. "Our informants say it's neutral ground — the Skull Basin in the Calm Belt. No civilians. No Marines. Just them."
Garp whistled low. "Heh. The last time monsters like that shared a table, Rocks was still breathin'."
Sengoku rubbed his temples. "If they form an alliance, the Government will collapse overnight."
Tsuru's eyes hardened. "Then pray they don't."
But deep down, she already knew. Ada never bowed to anyone.
If she was going, it wasn't to serve — it was to remind them who they were dealing with.
———————-
The Skull Basin was a dead island — a hollow crater surrounded by sharp reefs, where no current flowed. The perfect graveyard for history.
Three ships had already arrived.
On the northern side, Whitebeard's Moby Dick loomed, its hull creaking under the weight of the old titan.
To the west, Totto Land's candy-colored galleon sparkled beneath the moonlight — Big Mom's monstrous laughter echoing faintly across the bay.
And from the east, a thunderous ship coated in metal plating — Kaido's Beast Pirates vessel, its crew drinking and roaring.
Then, as the wind shifted — lightning flashed on the horizon.
The Oro Jackson appeared, black sails bearing the crescent moon of the Nyx Pirates.
Silence rippled across the bay as it anchored.
Ada stepped onto the island first, cloak brushing against the ash-coated sand. Behind her walked Mihawk, Enel, Bullet, and Fisher Tiger — each radiating quiet power.
Whitebeard let out a booming laugh as she approached.
"Gurararara! You really came, Ada! Thought you'd send one of your boys instead."
Ada smiled slightly. "And miss the chance to see three relics arguing over scraps? Not a chance."
Big Mom's laughter cracked through the night like thunder. "Mama-mama! Still got that sharp tongue, I see! It's been years, Ada. You look almost the same. What's your secret, hm? Blood or arrogance?"
Kaido stood behind them, arms crossed, a heavy jug of sake in his hand. His voice rumbled low. "She doesn't age. She kills time before it kills her."
Ada's gaze flicked to him. "Still drinking like Rocks never died?"
Kaido grinned, teeth flashing. "Keeps the ghosts quiet."
The air grew heavier. The four stood in a rough circle — legends who had once served under the same flag, now rulers of seas that could barely contain them.
A moment of silence passed — reverent, dangerous.
Then Whitebeard planted his bisento into the ground. "Let's get this done. The world's callin' us monsters again. Might as well act like it."
——————-
They gathered around a rough stone table — the remains of Rocks D. Xebec's old war map, weathered by time.
Whitebeard began. "The seas are splittin'. The Government's got new dogs — those Shichibukai. If they keep spreadin' into our waters, there'll be war before the year ends."
Big Mom scoffed. "Let 'em come. I'll feed their bones to my children."
Kaido leaned forward, his grin dark. "You both sound like cowards. Why play defense? Let's strike first. Take the Grand Line — burn Mary Geoise to ash."
Whitebeard growled. "You're drunk."
Kaido slammed his jug down. "Drunk enough to see what you won't! They're weak! The Marines are stretched thin, the Warlords are still pups, and Ada's already made 'em bleed! If we join forces, the world's ours again!"
His eyes locked on Ada's. "What do you say, Ada? You and me — like the old days. Tear down heaven."
The others fell silent.
Even Big Mom tilted her head, intrigued.
Ada regarded him for a long moment, the wind whipping her hair across her face.
Then she smiled — slow, dangerous.
"Rocks said something like that once," she said softly. "And I watched his dream drown in blood."
She stepped closer, eyes gleaming like ice. "You want to burn the world, Kaido? Go ahead. But remember — fire doesn't choose what it destroys."
Kaido snarled, gripping his weapon. "You think you can stop me?"
Whitebeard's bisento moved before Ada even spoke, pressing Kaido back a step. "Easy, brat. She's not wrong. You pick fights without thinkin'. That's why Rocks used you as a weapon, not a man."
Kaido's growl echoed across the basin — but he didn't swing.
Not yet.
Big Mom's laughter rolled again, breaking the tension. "Mama-mama! The old crew, fighting just like the good ol' days! I almost miss it!"
Ada turned her gaze toward her, calm and steady. "Do you?"
Big Mom's grin faltered for half a heartbeat.
Ada's tone cooled further. "You remember what you did at God Valley."
Silence.
Even Kaido stopped breathing.
Big Mom's smile froze, then softened into something almost nostalgic. "Still holding grudges, hmm? It's been decades."
Ada's eyes didn't waver. "Some debts don't fade."
Whitebeard finally exhaled, breaking the spell. "Enough ghosts. We're not Rocks' crew anymore."
Ada nodded. "No. We're worse."
————————-
Hours passed. The parley devolved into uneasy discussion — dividing sea routes, trade lines, neutral islands.
Each Emperor carved their empires from memory and ambition.
In the end, only one truth stood clear. Ada's dominion was already vast.
Even Whitebeard's territories skirted hers.
Kaido's growing fleet avoided her borders.
Big Mom's ships rerouted trade routes to avoid conflict.
The unspoken truth was heavy in the air — she had surpassed them.
When the final map lay drawn in the sand, Ada stood.
"That's enough," she said. "Let the seas breathe for a while. But remember — if any of you cross into my waters, I won't treat it as diplomacy."
Whitebeard chuckled, shouldering his weapon. "Still the same as ever. Cold, but fair. You've earned your throne, Ada."
Kaido grunted, looking away. "You'll regret not joining me."
Big Mom smiled sweetly, her eyes sharp as knives. "Mama-mama~ maybe one day, I'll come visit your empire. For tea, of course."
Ada met her gaze evenly. "Bring your best cup."
———————-
At dawn, Marine Headquarters received the report.
"The Four Emperors have met. No battle occurred. Territories established. Global power equilibrium confirmed."
Sengoku stared at the parchment, expression unreadable. "So that's it. They've agreed to divide the world."
Tsuru crossed her arms. "No — she made them."
Garp let out a long, low whistle. "Heh. Just like Rocks… only smarter."
Sengoku exhaled. "Then this is the new reality. The Age of Balance… ruled by monsters who remember being one crew."
————————
Back aboard the Oro Jackson, the sea was calm again.
Ada stood at the bow, wind tugging at her dress.
Mihawk approached quietly. "You met them?"
Ada nodded. "They're still strong. Still proud. But they're chained by their memories."
"And you?"
She looked toward the horizon — where the first light of dawn kissed the sea.
"I broke mine."
Her reflection shimmered across the water — serene, regal, terrifying.
"Let them build their empires," she whispered. "The sea already chose its ruler."
The waves carried her words far and wide, and for a brief moment, the world seemed to shiver — as if even the ocean itself knew whom it obeyed.