The wind screamed across a battered New World island — one of the many territories claimed under the flag of Nyx D. Ada.
The once-quiet port was now a ruin of glassed sand and broken stone.
Men ran, shouting, while the sea churned under the force of two monstrous powers colliding.
A tall man stood at the center of the chaos, a golden hook glinting in the harsh light. His smirk carried both pride and defiance.
Sir Crocodile, one of the recently appointed Seven Warlords of the Sea.
He brushed sand from his coat, voice dripping with arrogance.
"So this is one of the territories belonging to the so-called Emperor Ada, huh? Hmph… doesn't look like much. Let's see how long her name keeps the cowards loyal."
He raised a hand, palm flattening against the stormy air.
"Sables!"
A massive sand tornado erupted, tearing through the docks and lifting ships into the air like paper toys. The screams of Ada's stationed men echoed before being buried beneath dust and debris.
From above, a shadow dropped — landing hard enough to crack the earth.
The storm split open around a hulking figure with a cold grin.
Douglas Bullet.
The Demon Heir.
Ada's left hand.
He cracked his neck, eyes gleaming with challenge.
"You've got guts, Warlord. But you picked the wrong flag to spit on."
Crocodile sneered. "So the Empress sends a dog to bark for her?"
Bullet's grin widened. "Dog? You'll be lucky if I don't grind you into dust, sand-boy."
The air tightened between them — two monstrous Haki auras clashing, distorting the very air. The ocean foamed and hissed like it wanted to flee.
Crocodile thrust his hook forward.
"Desert Spada!"
A crescent blade of sand ripped through the ground, tearing toward Bullet.
Bullet didn't move until the last second — then his arm hardened into metallic plating, his Clank-Clank Fruit power surging with a metallic hum.
He slammed his fist into the sand blade.
"Iron Impact!"
The sand exploded outward, disintegrating into harmless dust. Crocodile barely blinked before reforming it.
"Hmph. Logia, remember? You can't punch what you can't hit."
Bullet grinned savagely. "I can hit anything I want."
He roared and his entire body transformed into a fortress of interlocking steel plates, an aura of raw might radiating from him. The ground shattered beneath his steps as he launched forward.
"Mechanical Buster!"
The island shook as Bullet's armored fist met Crocodile's sand form. For a moment, it looked like the sand would hold — but then Armament Haki wrapped Bullet's knuckles in obsidian black, piercing through the intangible.
Crocodile gasped, blood spilling from his lip as he was hurled backward, smashing through rock and ruin.
He staggered up, clutching his jaw, his composure fracturing for the first time.
"Impossible…!"
Bullet stalked toward him, smirking. "You should've stayed in Paradise. You're not ready for the New World."
Crocodile growled and slammed his hook into the ground.
"Ground Death!"
The sand beneath Bullet erupted, trying to drain him dry. But Bullet simply raised both arms, fusing his armor into a monstrous cannon.
"Destruction Cannon!"
The blast engulfed the landscape, a thunderous explosion of flame and steel. When the smoke cleared, Crocodile was on his knees, beaten and trembling, the desert around him turned into glass.
Bullet cracked his knuckles, looking down at the Warlord with disdain.
"Tell your Government this is what happens when you touch what's hers."
He turned and walked away as Crocodile's broken laugh echoed through the ruins.
"Damn… that woman's crew… monsters…"
—————————
Aboard the Oro Jackson
Later that day, under a calmer sky, Ada's flagship cut across the waves — her black sails carrying the mark of the crescent moon and the sea.
Ada stood at the helm, cloak fluttering, listening as Bullet's voice came through the Den Den Mushi.
"Mission's done. Crocodile's still breathing — barely. I left him to crawl back to whatever hole he came from."
Ada's tone was calm, measured. "You didn't kill him?"
"He wasn't worth the effort."
A faint smirk touched her lips. "Good. Let him live with the shame."
The line clicked off.
Around her, the crew exchanged glances.
Mihawk leaned against the rail, arms crossed.
Enel floated lazily nearby, sparking with mild amusement.
Fisher Tiger was sitting by the side, patching up a fishing net while Okiku watched, and Hiyori hummed quietly with a soft smile.
Mihawk finally broke the silence. "That makes three Warlords down who've tested your borders this year. How long before they realize fear?"
Ada looked over the horizon, eyes distant. "Fear doesn't stop ambition. It only makes it crawl deeper."
Before anyone could answer, the Den Den Mushi on the table began to ring.
Purururu… purururu… click.
The snail's eyes opened, blinking slowly.
Ada lifted the receiver.
"…Who is this?" Her tone was cold but even.
A calm, collected voice answered.
"Good. You picked up."
Ada frowned. "I don't recognize this voice."
"My name is Vegapunk."
The name alone made Mihawk glance over and Enel raise a brow. Even Fisher Tiger paused his work.
Ada's voice dropped a note lower. "The Government's scientist? How did you get this frequency?"
"From Dragon," Vegapunk replied smoothly. "He was rather reluctant to share it. I had to insist."
The deck went still.
Every eye turned toward Ada.
Enel blinked. "Wait— Dragon? You mean that Dragon? The revolutionary?"
Ada's gaze didn't waver. She set the receiver down on the table and rested a hand beside it. "Go on."
"I won't waste your time," Vegapunk continued. "I need to speak with you — directly. There are things I wish to understand. Your voyage, your knowledge of the world's history. I've been studying the fragments of that truth all my life. I think we can help each other."
Ada's brow furrowed faintly. "You're on Egghead Island, aren't you? That's Marine jurisdiction."
"Yes," Vegapunk admitted. "Which makes this all the more… interesting."
Mihawk stepped forward, his tone cautious. "You plan to walk into a Marine-guarded island on the word of a Government scientist?"
Ada didn't look at him. "Vegapunk doesn't work for them. Not entirely. If he wanted me dead, the call would've ended with an ambush."
There was a pause on the line, then Vegapunk's voice returned, edged with intrigue. "You're sharper than I expected, Empress. Dragon said as much."
Ada's tone turned glacial. "You speak his name easily."
A faint chuckle from the snail. "Ah, so it's true then. You and he share history."
Ada's eyes narrowed. "You talk too much, scientist."
"I'll take that as a yes."
The crew was silent. Even Bullet, who had returned during the conversation, looked at her with a flicker of curiosity.
Vegapunk continued, unbothered.
"You may distrust the Government — as do I. But there's value in knowledge, Ada. The world forgets that. I believe you and I seek the same thing. Understanding of what came before."
Ada crossed her arms, considering. "And if I refuse?"
"Then the world remains blind," Vegapunk said simply. "But I suspect you're not the type to ignore an invitation to uncover truth."
The wind howled through the sails.
Finally, Ada spoke.
"Fine. But if this is a trap…"
"You'll kill me," Vegapunk finished lightly. "Yes, yes, I've heard the stories."
Ada's lips twitched into a faint, dangerous smile. "Then you know I don't give second warnings."
The call ended with a click.
For a long moment, the crew said nothing.
Then Enel broke the silence with a smirk.
"So… the great Empress is cozy with the world's most wanted man and the Government's top brain. You really do like living on the edge, huh?"
Ada's expression didn't change. "Dragon and I share history. That's all."
Fisher Tiger frowned. "You saved him, didn't you? Back at God Valley?"
She glanced his way, eyes briefly softening. "Yes. He was Marine then — idealistic, but already disillusioned. I pulled him out before the slaughter swallowed him."
Okiku blinked in awe. "So the man who defies the world today was once your ally…"
Ada gave a faint nod. "The seas have a way of changing people."
Hiyori leaned on the rail, her voice quiet but curious. "Do you trust this Vegapunk?"
"No," Ada said simply. "But that doesn't mean I'll ignore him."
Mihawk's eyes gleamed. "You're walking into the lion's den."
Ada turned her gaze to the horizon, the sunset bleeding across the waves.
"I've faced worse."
The air grew still for a moment. The sound of the sea filled the space between them — steady, endless.
Then Ada lifted her hand.
"Set course for Egghead."
The crew moved at once — the great sails unfurling, ropes creaking, the ship groaning as it turned eastward.
As the sun dipped below the horizon, a storm brewed in the distance — a storm that would soon reach the heart of science itself.
Ada remained at the bow, wind whipping through her hair.
For a fleeting moment, her voice dropped to a whisper only the wind could hear.
"Dragon… even when you're not here, you still find ways to stir the sea."
Her eyes hardened again.
"Let's see what your scientist wants."
The Oro Jackson surged forward — toward Egghead Island, toward secrets buried beneath progress, and toward the next storm in Ada's long, relentless era.