The morning mist rolled across the New World, veiling the sea in a silver shroud. The Oro Jackson glided through it like a phantom, sails whispering against the dawn wind.
For hours, the crew had been silent — tension humming beneath the calm. Ahead lay Egghead Island, a fortress of science and progress said to belong to the genius of the age. Dr. Vegapunk.
Ada stood at the bow, her eyes fixed on the horizon. The sunlight glinted against the metal glimmers far ahead — towers of glass and steel rising from the sea like jagged fangs.
Enel floated above the deck, sparks crackling lazily around him.
"Strange place," he muttered. "Smells like thunder and metal."
Mihawk's gaze never left the growing shape of the island.
"Egghead. I've heard of it — the Government's 'island of the future.'"
Bullet leaned against the mast, arms crossed. "Doesn't look so tough."
Okiku and Hiyori stood near the rail, whispering in awe as the shimmering dome around the island reflected the light like a second sun.
"It's beautiful," Hiyori said softly.
Okiku nodded. "But I sense danger beneath that beauty."
Ada's dress fluttered behind her as she narrowed her eyes. "Keep alert. Vegapunk's island doesn't welcome visitors."
Before she could say more, a shadow passed over the ship.
Then the sea exploded upward.
A mechanical hand — enormous and shining — burst from beneath the waves, its metal fingers closing around the Oro Jackson with a deafening clang. The crew staggered as the ship lurched into the air, lifted high above the ocean's surface.
"What in the—?!" Enel shouted, lightning crackling across his arms.
Fisher Tiger grabbed the railing to steady himself. "It's some kind of machine!"
The crew looked up — and froze.
Descending from the arm of the colossal robot was a small figure with orange hair, sharp eyes, and a mischievous grin.
"Fufufu! Well, well… what do we have here?"
Her voice was playful, but the weapons attached to the giant's arms suggested anything but harmless intent.
"I'm Lilith — Vegapunk 02!" she announced proudly, spreading her arms. "And I think I'll be taking your ship apart for parts! The doctor could use some scrap!"
Bullet stepped forward, veins twitching on his temple. "You've got three seconds to put us down before I turn your toy into rubble."
Lilith smirked, snapping her fingers. Around the giant robot, Sea Beasts of metal and flesh surfaced — mechanical monsters with glowing eyes and steel jaws.
She grinned wider. "Oh, really? You think you can handle my Sea Beast Weapons?"
The air on deck grew heavy as Bullet, Mihawk, and Enel all turned toward her at once.
Three killing auras flooded the air — a wave so intense that even the Sea Beasts hesitated mid-snarl.
Lilith's grin faltered for the first time.
"What the—?"
Then a calm, measured voice echoed from a Den Den Mushi on her wrist.
"Lilith. Stand down."
Lilith stiffened. "Shaka?!"
"Yes," replied the voice — calm, deep, and commanding. "Do you even know who you're threatening?"
Lilith blinked. "A bunch of pirates! I thought we—"
"They are not just pirates," Shaka interrupted. "That ship carries Nyx D. Ada, the first of the Four Emperors of the Sea."
The line went silent.
Even through the metal interface, one could almost feel the tension drop.
Shaka continued, tone stern.
"If they wanted to, Lilith, they could sink you and your Sea Beasts before you could blink. I suggest you show them courtesy."
Lilith gulped, her earlier arrogance draining fast as she glanced down. On the deck below, none of Ada's crew had moved — not even under threat. Mihawk calmly cleaned his blade. Enel yawned, sparks dancing. Bullet leaned against the rail, smirking. Even Hiyori and Okiku looked unafraid.
They weren't intimidated.
They were bored.
Lilith sighed. "Okay, okay! I get it!" She tapped her wrist, and the giant robot began to lower the ship gently back onto the sea.
The Oro Jackson landed with a hiss of steam, the waves calming beneath it.
Lilith floated down on a hover pad, rubbing the back of her head nervously.
"Fufufu… sorry about that. Just testing your reactions. You know — for science."
Bullet cracked his knuckles. "Want me to test your reflexes next?"
Ada raised a hand slightly, stopping him. Her gaze never left Lilith.
"Take us to Vegapunk."
Lilith straightened, trying to recover her confidence. "R-right this way!"
———————
Inside Egghead Island
As the ship approached the barrier, it parted like water, allowing the Oro Jackson to glide through a tunnel of light.
Inside, the island was unlike anything the crew had ever seen — hovering buildings, robotic workers, and rivers of liquid energy pulsing beneath glass bridges.
Hiyori gasped, holding onto Okiku's arm. "It's like… another world."
Enel's eyes darted everywhere, electricity in his veins resonating with the island's energy. "Fascinating… this place hums with thunder."
Fisher Tiger frowned. "Or hums with control."
Ada said nothing as Lilith led them through the inner gate, past layers of machines and glass corridors until they reached a large chamber filled with humming reactors.
In the center stood Dr. Vegapunk himself — a tall, aged man with wild hair and a very big head, a long coat, and a mind too sharp for any single lifetime. His back was to them, facing a massive glowing orb suspended in a glass dome — radiant and pulsing like a miniature sun.
"Welcome," Vegapunk said, turning to face them, eyes bright with curiosity. "Nyx D. Ada. I must say, I never thought we'd meet."
Ada studied him silently for a moment. "You've gone to great lengths to bring me here."
Vegapunk smiled faintly. "Curiosity has no limits, my dear. And neither does science."
Enel crossed his arms, eyes narrowing. "So, what's this about, old man?"
Vegapunk turned toward the massive orb. "That," he said, "is my latest study — inspired by something I discovered in ancient ruins. The Mother Flame — a power source unlike any other."
The orb pulsed, filling the room with warmth and light.
Ada's eyes narrowed slightly. "Ancient ruins…?"
"Yes," Vegapunk replied. "Ruins that date back to the Void Century. I found fragments of technology — blueprints that spoke of limitless energy. The world called it heresy. I called it hope."
Ada stepped closer, boots echoing softly. "You're rebuilding it."
Vegapunk paused. "Rebuilding?"
Ada's tone sharpened. "The Mother Flame was used once before. To power something far greater — something the World Government has long sought to control."
She tilted her head slightly, her voice quiet but deadly.
"Tell me, Vegapunk… are you building Uranus?"
The air grew cold. Even Lilith flinched.
Vegapunk's expression didn't change. "You have a dangerous imagination, Ada."
"I have experience," she replied calmly. "And I know the scent of ambition when I see it."
The silence stretched between them. The hum of machinery was the only sound.
Finally, Ada said, "I want to see it. The core. The Mother Flame."
Vegapunk blinked. "What?"
"And I want a copy of it," Ada continued, voice steady.
Vegapunk frowned, shaking his head. "Impossible. The Mother Flame is unstable — experimental. Replicating it could destroy half the island!"
Ada's eyes hardened. "That's not my concern."
He took a cautious step back. "You misunderstand me. I cannot—"
Before he could finish, Ada's pistol was drawn — sleek and black, the barrel pressed against Vegapunk's forehead.
The sound of the safety clicking off filled the room.
The entire lab froze.
"This is not a negotiation, Vegapunk," Ada said coldly. "So choose your next words carefully."
Even Lilith's mouth fell open. "H-hey, wait—!"
Mihawk's eyes flickered with faint amusement; Bullet grinned like a devil.
Fisher Tiger sighed under his breath. "Always straight to the point…"
Vegapunk's expression tightened. He wasn't a man used to fear, but the look in Ada's eyes wasn't one of bluster. It was a predator's gaze — precise, patient, and absolute.
"Do you truly think," he said slowly, "you can threaten knowledge itself?"
"I don't threaten knowledge," Ada said softly. "I threaten those who use it to destroy."
For a moment, they stared at each other — two minds from different worlds, bound by the same hunger for truth but divided by what they'd do to obtain it.
Finally, Vegapunk exhaled. "…Follow me."
He turned sharply, walking toward a sealed chamber behind the glass wall. Lilith hesitated, then followed, motioning for the crew to stay close.
The massive doors slid open with a hiss, revealing a darkened chamber. At its center — suspended by energy fields — was the Mother Flame itself.
A sphere of pure light, radiating with a power that made the air hum.
Ada's gaze softened for the first time, eyes reflecting the glow. "So this is it…"
Vegapunk stood beside her, voice low. "The flame of an ancient civilization. They used it not to wage war, but to power their world. But humanity… doesn't change."
Ada studied it silently. Then, in a whisper, "If this falls into the wrong hands…"
Vegapunk met her gaze. "It already has, hasn't it?"
Ada's silence was answer enough.
Behind her, Enel tilted his head, awestruck. "It feels like thunder inside my bones… pure energy…"
Okiku and Hiyori stood close, clutching each other as light danced across their faces.
Fisher Tiger's jaw tightened. "This kind of power… it shouldn't exist."
Vegapunk turned back to Ada. "Now that you've seen it, tell me, Empress — what will you do?"
Ada holstered her pistol, her tone unreadable. "I'll decide that when I know what kind of world you intend to create with it."
Vegapunk gave a thin smile. "Then perhaps we are not so different after all."
But Ada didn't smile back.
Her eyes stayed fixed on the flame — bright, terrible, beautiful.
Outside, Egghead Island's skies began to darken as storm clouds gathered — a warning from the sea itself that something dangerous had just awakened.
The Mother Flame pulsed once, brighter than before, casting long shadows on the walls.