The flames of Wano had dimmed, but the smoke still lingered — curling through the sky like the ghosts of the fallen.
Kaido sat upon his throne in Onigashima, a massive jug of sake resting on one armrest. His shadow loomed over the hall, the air heavy with the scent of liquor and blood.
Dozens of Beast Pirates knelt below him — silent, tense, waiting.
King stood to his right, calm and imposing, wings half-spread.
Queen fiddled with a half-broken record snail, muttering curses under his breath.
"Say that again," Kaido growled, his voice rumbling like thunder. "Who did you say entered my sea?"
Queen swallowed hard. "Nyx D. Ada… Captain Ada, the Crimson Shadow. The first Yonko."
The jug shattered in Kaido's hand.
For a heartbeat, no one dared to breathe.
"She came here?" His voice was low — almost a growl. "To Wano?"
King nodded once. "Reports say her ship appeared along the western coast near Kuri. She and her crew fought some of our patrols — wiped them out — and left soon after."
Kaido's expression darkened. "And she didn't come for war?"
"No," King replied evenly. "Witnesses say she rescued two survivors — a samurai and a child. Then she vanished."
The silence that followed was sharp enough to cut steel.
Finally, Kaido leaned forward, his massive hand curling around the armrest.
"Ada…" he muttered. "Always doin' whatever she damn well pleases."
Queen scratched the back of his neck. "If you ask me, boss, that woman's crazy. Who walks into Wano, saves a couple brats, and leaves like it's nothin'? That's suicide!"
King's eyes narrowed. "Not for her."
Kaido's laughter exploded through the hall — deep, wild, half-drunken.
"WORORORORO! You're right, King! Not for her."
He slammed his fist down, cracking the floor beneath him.
"That woman was our vice-captain once. Back when the seas were ruled by Rocks! I remember that look in her eyes — the same one that said she'd tear the world apart if she felt like it."
Queen grimaced. "Yeah, but that was ages ago. You don't think she's… lookin' to take Wano from us, do ya?"
Kaido's laughter faded into a low rumble.
He looked out toward the open hall, where storm clouds were gathering over the sea.
"No," he said finally. "If Ada wanted Wano, she'd have taken it. She's waitin'… for somethin'. She always waits until the world's ready to break."
King's gaze flickered. "Do you fear her?"
Kaido grinned, sharp teeth glinting. "Fear her? Hah! No. But I respect her."
He lifted another jug, drinking deeply.
"Tell Orochi," Kaido said, voice rough. "If Ada shows her face again, he's to stay out of it. I'll handle her myself."
Queen blinked. "You mean—?"
Kaido's eyes glowed under the flickering torchlight.
"If Ada ever comes for Wano again," he said slowly, "the skies will split."
——————
Meanwhile — The Flower Capital
Orochi's palace reeked of perfume, sake, and fear.
The shogun of Wano sat on his cushioned throne, hands trembling as his attendants relayed the news.
"Th-the First Emperor of the Sea—?! She came here?!"
"Yes, Orochi-sama," said one attendant, bowing so low his forehead touched the floor. "She landed in Kuri, but did not approach the Capital. She is said to have taken Kozuki Hiyori with her."
Orochi's face twisted with rage. "That brat! She was supposed to be dead!"
He stood up, pacing. "And Kaido—what does that drunk oaf plan to do about it?!"
"Kaido-sama says it is his concern alone," the attendant replied carefully.
Orochi's eye twitched. "His concern alone? His?! This is my kingdom!"
He kicked over a tray of wine cups, the liquid staining the tatami mats crimson.
"She dares step foot in my land — my land! — after I secured it?!"
He turned toward his spy master, Fukurokuju, who stood in the shadows, unmoved.
"Fukurokuju," Orochi hissed. "Spread word through the Capital. If Ada's ship is sighted again, I want every beast, every guard, every assassin watching the coasts. She may think herself untouchable, but even gods bleed if cut right."
Fukurokuju bowed. "As you wish, Orochi-sama."
When the door closed behind him, Orochi slumped back onto his throne, sweat beading on his forehead.
"She's supposed to be a legend," he muttered to himself. "She should've stayed one."
Outside, thunder rolled.
And somewhere beyond Wano's shores, the Oro Jackson cut through the sea — unbothered by kings or fools.
———————-
Days Later — Navy Headquarters, Marineford
The air in the Fleet Admiral's office was thick with tension.
Fleet Admiral Sengoku stood over a large map spread across his desk, red pins marking pirate territories across the New World. Garp leaned against the wall, munching on a rice cracker, his expression unusually serious.
"Confirm it again," Sengoku said sharply. "Ada was seen in Wano?"
"Yes, sir," a Marine officer stammered. "Witnesses report the Oro Jackson docked near Kuri for several hours. Locals claim Ada rescued the Kozuki child before departing."
Sengoku rubbed his temple. "And Kaido's reaction?"
"He's consolidating control over Wano's ports. No direct conflict yet."
Sengoku frowned, deep lines creasing his face. "So she interferes with Kaido but doesn't challenge him. What is she planning?"
Garp grunted, setting down his rice cracker. "Tch. Maybe she just felt obligated. Oden sailed with Roger too, remember? She probably saw him as one of their own."
Sengoku shot him a sharp look. "You almost sound like you're defending her."
Garp snorted. "Don't mistake me. I've got no love for pirates — especially her. But Oden was no fool. If she risked setting foot in Wano, it wasn't sentiment — it was purpose."
"But purpose dosen't excuse chaos," Sengoku snapped. "The balance between the Yonko is fragile as it is. If Ada and Kaido clash, the whole New World could ignite."
Vice Admiral Tsuru, standing near the window, folded her arms. "Or worse," she said quietly. "What if they don't clash?"
Sengoku's eyes flickered toward her. "Meaning?"
"Meaning," Tsuru continued, "what if they come to an understanding? You said it yourself — she didn't attack. Perhaps she's playing a longer game."
The thought hung in the air.
Garp straightened, his grin fading. "You're saying she might be gatherin' allies."
Tsuru nodded. "She's already the most stable of the four. Whitebeard stays to his territories. Big Mom's obsessed with lineage. Kaido seeks war. But Ada… Ada thinks. If she's truly the 'Ruler of the New Era,' she might be planning to light the path for the others."
Sengoku's jaw tightened. "The World Government cannot allow that."
He turned toward the communications officer. "Alert the Cipher Pol. I want her movements tracked, her associates watched, and her ports under surveillance. No confrontation — not yet. Just information."
Garp chuckled again, though there was a trace of something heavier in his tone. "You make it sound like you're huntin' a ghost."
"Maybe I am," Sengoku replied. "But even ghosts cast shadows."
——————
Meanwhile — News Spreads Across the Seas
Within a week, every newspaper in the world carried the headline.
"THE CRIMSON SHADOW ENTERS WANO — THE FIRST EMPEROR ADA MOVES AGAIN"
Civilians whispered in taverns and ports, speculating what it meant.
Some said Ada went to challenge Kaido.
Others claimed she sought to form an alliance with Kaido.
A few whispered that perhaps… the Empress was preparing something far greater.
And in the Grand Line, bounty hunters began sharpening their blades, dreaming of glory.
But those who truly knew the sea — pirates, revolutionaries, even marines — read the signs differently.
The world was moving again.
And wherever the tides shifted, Ada's name followed — like a whisper before the storm.
———————
Back at Sea — Aboard the Oro Jackson
The crew sat around the main deck, reading the latest paper.
"Ha!" Bullet barked, slapping the paper down. "Look at this — they think you made an alliance with Kaido!"
Enel snorted. "Humans really are idiots. Who'd ally with a drunk lizard?"
Mihawk smirked faintly. "They fear what they don't understand. A woman who enters another Emperor's domain and leaves unscathed… that kind of thing terrifies men like Kaido and Sengoku."
Ada looked up from her seat near the helm. The paper fluttered in her hand, the headline bold above her calm expression.
"Let them talk," she said softly. "The louder the world speculates, the less it sees what's truly happening."
Fisher Tiger leaned on the railing. "And what is truly happening, Captain?"
Ada smiled faintly, folding the newspaper. "The sea is stirring. The balance will not last. When the world government fears pirates more than it fears its own decay — that's when the new dawn will come."
Enel tilted his head. "You sound like that dragon guy again."
Ada's eyes flickered briefly, unreadable. "Perhaps I've been listening too closely to the wind."
Bullet raised a brow but didn't press further.
Ada turned toward the horizon, where storm clouds were forming once more.
"Let Kaido rage," she murmured. "Let the Marines panic. The moon doesn't fear the tide — it pulls it."
——————
In Onigashima, Kaido sat once more upon his throne, staring into the storm.
A subordinate approached cautiously. "Kaido-sama, the reports from the mainland—"
"Forget them," Kaido grunted, lifting his jug. "Tell them all, if the Ada returns to Wano… I'll meet her myself."
He drank deeply, the sake spilling down his chin.
"Back then," he muttered, "on Rocks' ship… she was the only one who didn't flinch when I roared. Hah. Guess some things never change."
He grinned — wild, unrestrained.
"Let the world tremble. If she's moving again… then maybe this era ain't so dull after all."
Lightning cracked across the sky, and thunder rolled over the mountains — echoing like laughter from the age of monsters.