The sea slept under a gray sky.
Not even the waves dared to whisper.
The Oro Jackson glided through the mist, silent except for the steady rhythm of the tide against its hull.
Ada stood at the prow, dress rippling in the morning wind. Her reflection shimmered faintly on the water — cold, composed, and untouchable.
Behind her, the rest of the Nyx Pirates watched quietly. They knew that stillness — it meant their captain was about to disappear again.
Behind her, Mihawk watched silently, one hand resting on Yoru's hilt.
"Another storm coming," he said evenly.
Ada didn't turn. "Not from the sky."
Mihawk's gaze sharpened. "You're leaving again."
Ada smiled faintly. "You always notice first."
Bullet crossed his arms, his tone sharp. "Another secret mission?"
Enel leaned lazily against the mast, lightning flickering at his fingertips. "You disappear for days, come back acting like nothing happened. You meeting that 'mystery friend' again?"
Ada's lips curved faintly, though her eyes stayed fixed on the sea. "Perhaps."
Fisher Tiger frowned slightly. "He must be important."
"He is," she said quietly. "And dangerous."
Mihawk's gaze sharpened. "You trust him."
Ada's tone was steady. "More than most."
She turned, the wind tugging at her hair as she looked at them one by one — her crew, her family. "I'll be gone for a while. Mihawk, you're in charge. Keep them alive."
Mihawk sighed softly. "Again?"
"Only for a few days."
She reached into her coat and handed him a small, folded strip of paper — his vivre card.
"In case you need to find me."
He took it without question, eyes never leaving hers. "You won't tell us where you're going."
Ada's smile was calm but distant. "If I did, you'd try to follow."
Enel clicked his tongue. "Tch. Secrets again."
Fisher Tiger's deep voice broke through. "Then we'll keep the ship safe 'til you come back."
Ada nodded once, gratitude flickering behind her composed expression. "Good. Stay sharp. The world's watching us more than ever."
Ada turned toward the lifeboat tethered to the side of the Oro Jackson. "Then I'll see you when the tides change."
As she stepped into the small vessel, Bullet called out, "If you don't come back soon, I'm goin' after you."
Ada's reply was soft, almost teasing. "Try."
And with that, she pushed off into the fog — a lone figure swallowed by the white horizon.
———————
The Hidden Island of Baltigo
The air here was cold, thin, and clean. Snow dusted the white stone cliffs, reflecting the moonlight like frozen glass.
At the heart of the island stood the Revolutionary Army's headquarters — a citadel of quiet defiance.
When Ada stepped through its gates, the entire base froze.
Guards stiffened. Messengers dropped what they were carrying. Whispers rippled like wildfire.
"Is that—?"
"The Emperor herself?"
"Nyx D. Ada… here?"
The mere sound of her heels against the marble floor drew every eye.
Inside the war room, the Revolutionary commanders were already gathered — their meeting mid-discussion. Maps of the world stretched across the walls, inked with red lines and coded marks.
At the head of the table stood Monkey D. Dragon, hands clasped behind his back.
Beside him were Ivankov, flamboyant and massive; Ginny, sharp-eyed with pink hair pulled tight in braids; and Bartholomew Kuma, quiet as a statue.
Ginny was the first to notice her.
"Uh… Commander Dragon?" she whispered, eyes wide. "You didn't tell us we were expecting a Yonko."
Every head turned as the doors opened.
Ada stepped in.
Her presence was heavy, almost regal — calm and commanding all at once.
She wore her red dress, the sigil of the crescent moon stitched into her at the side. Her eyes, like deep violet glass, swept across the room before settling on Dragon.
For a heartbeat, silence ruled.
Then Ivankov broke it with a booming laugh.
"Fwahahahaha~! Nyx D. Ada herself! The world's most wanted woman strolls into our little hideout like it's a tea party~! Ohh, darling, you haven't changed one bit!"
Ada gave a faint smirk. "Still loud, I see."
Ivankov placed a hand on his chest, pretending to swoon. "Ahh~ she remembers! You saved us back at God Valley, sugar! Without you, I'd still be a pretty corpse!"
Ginny blinked in shock. "Wait… she's the one who saved you, Kuma, and me back then?"
Ada nodded slightly. "You were barely out of the cages. I'm glad you made something of yourselves."
Kuma bowed deeply, his massive frame creaking with the motion. "We owe our freedom to you."
Ada waved a hand dismissively. "I didn't do it for gratitude. I just hate seeing people treated like property."
Dragon finally spoke, his calm voice cutting through the moment.
"She's here because I called her."
The others turned to him — Ginny visibly stunned, Ivankov tilting his head with a grin. "Oooh~ Dragon-honey, you called her? You sly revolutionary~!"
Dragon ignored him. "Sit down, Ada."
She did, crossing one leg over the other, her gaze steady.
"I assume this isn't a social call."
"No," Dragon said. "The world's balance has shifted again. We need to plan our next move."
He gestured to the maps on the table — red markers dotted across the seas.
"The Yonko now control half the world's trade routes. The World Government's response is to tighten their control through new weapons and propaganda. We're running out of time."
Ada's expression didn't change. "The Government always responds the same way — control, destruction, silence."
Ginny frowned. "You sound like you've seen it happen before."
Ada's voice softened, almost cold. "Ohara. Two years ago."
A silence fell across the table.
Dragon's jaw tightened. "Exactly. They called it 'justice'— said the scholars were researching ancient weapons."
He looked up at Ada. "But you know the truth, don't you?"
Ada reached into her coat. The faint sound of parchment filled the room as she placed something on the table.
A rolled blueprint, aged and carefully sealed.
The others leaned in as she unrolled it — and the moment they saw the markings, the air turned heavy.
Ginny's hand flew to her mouth. "That's—"
Ivankov's painted eyes went wide. "Pluton…?! The Ancient Weapon?!"
Even Dragon's composure flickered. "You had it all this time."
Ada's tone was calm, deliberate. "Not the weapon. The design. The heart of it."
She traced a finger over the ancient symbols, her voice steady.
"The World Government thinks they erased history. But they only buried it. Pluton is real. I've studied the blueprints for years — and I can build it."
The table went silent.
Then Ginny whispered, "You… you could destroy islands with that."
Ada's gaze was unflinching. "Or protect them."
Dragon studied her, his sharp eyes reading between every word.
"You're asking for help."
"I'm asking for cooperation," she corrected. "I have the knowledge, but not the resources. You have the people, the network, the silence. Together, we can create something the Government fears most — a weapon they don't control."
Ivankov leaned back dramatically, fanning himself. "My my~! The world's first Emperor and the head of the Revolution teaming up to build a doomsday machine~! History will faint!"
Ginny frowned, hesitant. "But… if this falls into the wrong hands—"
Ada cut her off. "It won't. I won't let it."
Her eyes glinted with conviction — the kind that made even seasoned revolutionaries fall silent.
Dragon looked at her for a long time, then spoke quietly. "Why tell us this now?"
Ada's answer came like a whisper of thunder.
"Because I've seen the future, Dragon. And the World Government isn't done burning knowledge. They're coming for everyone — scholars, sailors, kings, children. They'll choke this world until there's nothing left but obedience."
Her tone hardened. "I won't let that happen."
Dragon's expression softened — barely perceptible, but real.
"You haven't changed," he murmured.
Ada tilted her head slightly. "You have."
A flicker of something warm passed between them — unspoken recognition of old wounds and shared ideals.
Ivankov noticed immediately, of course. "Oooh~ my revolutionary instincts are tingling! There's tension here, honey~!"
Dragon sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Mind your own business, Ivankov."
Ivankov snickered. "Ohhh~ touchy~!"
Ada chuckled under her breath, a sound so rare it made Ginny blink in disbelief.
Finally, Dragon looked back at the blueprints and then at Ada.
"Very well. I'll help you. But the Pluton project remains between us — no one else. Not even the council."
Ada nodded. "Agreed."
Ginny swallowed nervously. "You're both playing with fire."
Ada's eyes turned sharp. "Then let's make it burn the right way."
The room fell silent again, the weight of their decision pressing on the air like thunder before a storm.
The meeting continued for hours — plans, intelligence, territories, whispers of Cipher Pol movements and islands under government control.
Ada listened more than she spoke, her mind distant — but her presence alone changed the air of the room.
Even among revolutionaries, she commanded a quiet gravity that none could ignore.
Finally, as dawn began to touch the horizon, Dragon called an end to the discussion.
"Good work, everyone," he said. "We'll reconvene next month."
As the others began to file out, Ivankov stopped by Ada, resting a jeweled hand on her shoulder.
"Still the same fierce glare, darling. Don't go vanishin' again for ten years, alright?"
Ada gave a small, genuine smile. "I'll try."
He winked and sauntered off, humming.
Ginny followed, whispering something to Kuma about "the sea's queen actually smiling.
Ivankov glanced back at Dragon and Ada, shaking his head with a grin.
"Two storms walk into a room… the world won't know what hit it~!"
When the doors finally closed behind them, the hall grew still.
Dragon turned to Ada, his voice softer now. "You've just declared war on the world."
Ada met his gaze. "I've been at war since God Valley."
He nodded slowly, then stepped closer, the faintest trace of admiration in his eyes. "Then let's make sure we win this time."
Ada smirked, just slightly. "I didn't come here to lose."
For a long moment, neither spoke. Only the wind moved, slipping through the cracks of the hall.
Ada stepped forward, stopping a few feet away. Her voice was calm, but quieter now — the kind of tone she only used with him.
"Dragon."
He turned slightly, his expression softening. "Ada."
"I think we should talk," she said. "Privately."
Dragon's gaze met hers, searching her face for a hint of intent — but found only that same quiet determination he remembered from years ago.
He nodded once. "Very well."
The light from the torches flickered between them — two silhouettes, one of rebellion and one of the sea, their shadows merging against the cold stone wall.
Outside, the wind howled across Baltigo's cliffs, carrying whispers of a storm that would one day change the world.