Open Waters – Aboard the Escape Vessel, 3 Days After the Fall of Mary Geoise
The sea was quiet.
Too quiet, given the chaos we'd left behind. The flames of Mary Geoise still smoldered in the minds of every soul aboard the stolen ship.
I stood at the prow, cloak torn and soot-stained, arms crossed as black feathers stirred faintly in the wind. My gaze was sharp, cast toward the horizon, watching.
Hancock sat nearby with Sandersonia and Marigold, all three sisters still bruised and bandaged. They hadn't spoken much since the escape. The silence between us was heavy. Shared. Understood.
Marigold broke it first.
"Raven… do you think we'll make it?"
I didn't turn. "I already made sure we will."
I raised one hand.
From above, a black-feathered raven spiraled downward, its wings glinting like onyx in the morning light. It landed gracefully on my shoulder.
"The message was received. They'll be here soon."
"Who?" asked Sandersonia cautiously.
I turned slightly, one eye visible beneath the fall of my silver hair. "Allies."
Before any of them could ask more, a sharp whistle came from the lookout.
"Ship off the port bow!"
Everyone scrambled to their feet.
A sleek, dark wood-hulled vessel cut across the waves toward them. Elegant. Fast. And unmistakably dangerous.
The Kuja sisters tensed, Haki instinctively rising beneath their skin.
Then they saw the figures standing at the helm.
Rayleigh. Shakuyaku. Gloriosa.
The three legends of the Grand Line, their silhouettes unmistakable against the sunlit spray.
I smirked. "That's our ride."
Hancock blinked, stunned. "You… called them?"
I nodded. "Three days ago. My ravens carried the message before we even escaped. I told them who I was and what I planned. Where to meet."
The girls stared at me, a mix of awe and confusion.
"But how did you know we'd even make it out?" Hancock asked.
My gaze returned to the sea. "I have my ways." It wasn't like I could say I have memories of a past of me watching an anime about this world.
Then, before the ships could fully close the gap, another vessel appeared.
A massive ship bristling with power, veering alongside them from the open sea—The Taiyou no Shippu.
Fisher Tiger stood at the rail, pistol in one hand, expression fierce. Jinbe and Arlong flanked him, bristling with tension.
The Fish-Man Pirates had arrived.
My voice rang out before anyone could act. "Stand down!"
Tiger's eyes narrowed. "You?"
I raised both arms, a gesture of calm but firm control. "I called for my ride."
He didn't lower the pistol, but his eyes flicked toward the incoming ship—Rayleigh's.
"…You've got guts, human."
"Mm," I said, eyes meeting his. "I suppose that's one way to think of my actions."
For a long moment, the sea held its breath. Then Tiger let out a low snort.
"You're lucky we already got what we came for. Ain't gonna fight your damn saviors today."
I bowed my head slightly. "And I won't forget what you did. Thank you."
The ships finally met—Rayleigh's crew tossing down ropes, helping the battered women aboard.
As Gloriosa helped Hancock into her arms, the former empress turned to me. "You… you really planned all of this."
I just nodded.
Rayleigh smiled at me as he handed over a freshly delivered newspaper. "Timing couldn't be better, kid. Thought you'd want to see this."
I unrolled it. There, printed in bold ink beneath the headline about Mary Geoise's destruction, was my face.
The photo showed me with wings spread, blood on my jaw, and eyes like frost and fire.
NICO RAVEN – "The Black Morrígan"
Bounty: 172,000,000 Berries
Behind me, the sisters leaned in. None of them said anything. But when I looked up, they weren't afraid. They were smiling.
----
We reached the island just past midday. The Calm Belt was as unnaturally still as ever, the only sound being the creak of wood and the occasional hiss of tension in the air. The Kuja longship slid silently through the mist-veiled waters until the trees of Amazon Lily broke through the haze, emerald and untouched.
The cliffside watchtowers had spotted us before we came into full view. Bows were raised. Spears glinted.
No one welcomed us.
When the ship docked at the lower pier, I was the last to disembark. Hancock went first, flanked by Marigold and Sandersonia. Gloriosa followed with steady grace, Shakuyaku lighting a cigarette before stepping onto the sand like she owned it. I trailed behind, wings hidden beneath a dark cloak, boots silent.
We were met by a wall of Kuja warriors.
Dozens stood in formation, eyes narrowed. Their posture was defensive, alert, uncertain. I saw the way some of them shifted when they spotted me—how their gazes fixated, how fingers twitched near blades.
"She doesn't belong here," one whispered.
"Who is she? Another World Noble creation?"
"A Devil Fruit user, maybe."
"Why is she walking so close to the Empress?"
The whispers were sharp. Predictable.
Hancock said nothing at first. She kept walking, chin lifted, expression unreadable. When we finally reached the edge of the jungle path, one of the younger guards stepped forward and demanded answers. Her voice trembled, but she stood tall.
"Who is the outsider?"
I didn't answer. Gloriosa did.
"She is a guest of the Empress," the elder said calmly. "And under my protection."
That quieted most of them. Not all.
I watched their eyes. Measured their stances. Took note of how they held their weapons, how they spaced their feet. Tactical gaps. Strengths. Weaknesses. The island spoke to me without words.
We moved through the jungle path. I could feel the tension behind us, like drawn wires.
The village was carved into the cliffside and upper canopy. Elegant bridges and rope-walkways spanned wide trees. Archways bore the serpent sigils of the Kuja tribe. Their homes were well-maintained, functional, lightly fortified.
Efficient.
Everything about Amazon Lily spoke of discipline, beauty, and danger.
I admired it in silence.
We were taken to a guest hall carved from rose-colored stone. Simple but well-defended. Hancock dismissed the guards with a glance and turned to me.
"You will stay here."
I nodded.
She hesitated. "Try not to provoke anyone."
I said nothing.
And then she left.
By evening, the whispers had grown.
I could hear them outside the walls. Warriors curious enough to gather, too cautious to speak. I heard my name murmured once or twice. Not loudly. Not yet.
I remained inside, seated cross-legged in the center of the room, reviewing the map I had memorized days prior. Amazon Lily's terrain was layered, with cliffs, hidden trails, and open arenas. The paths between training grounds and observation towers were predictable. Fortifications light. Their weakest spot was the southern cove.
I folded the mental map away.
Someone was outside the door.
I waited.
A single knock. Then a voice. It didn't sound familiar. Must be one of the Kuja warriors wanting a heads start on the juicy details about their unwanted guest.
"They say you don't sleep."
I didn't answer.
"They say you fought beside Fisher Tiger. That you helped free over two hundred slaves."
Still no response.
Eventually, she left.
---
The next day, I was summoned to the training fields. Not to spar. To observe.
Shakuyaku was there, seated under a shade tree, watching a group of younger warriors practice spear forms. She waved lazily as I approached.
"Took you long enough."
I stood beside her, arms folded.
"You're evaluating them, aren't you?" she asked.
I said nothing.
She chuckled. "Good. You should. Most of them are more interested in impressing each other than surviving an actual battle."
The Kuja warriors continued their drills. Precise. Coordinated. But rigid. Predictable.
"You're not like the others," Shakuyaku said after a while.
"No."
"You're quieter."
I didn't respond.
She lit another cigarette. "I can work with that."