An Omen in the Waves
The New World's skies were overcast, clouds low enough to brush the tops of Heaven's Embrace's rune-carved masts. The wind was sluggish, the sea calm — too calm.
Vegito sat cross-legged on the figurehead's dragon-woman shoulders, eyes closed, tail swaying lazily. Even with the ship's magical stabilizers keeping them perfectly level, he could feel something pressing at the edges of his senses.
Bell-mère's voice crackled from the helm. "Storm coming?"
"Not the weather," Vegito said without opening his eyes. "Something's moving toward us."
The Island That Shouldn't Exist
By mid-afternoon, the mist parted to reveal a jagged spire of rock and coral, rising from the sea like the ribs of a dead giant. Waterfalls spilled from holes in its sides into the ocean far below.
Robin leaned on the rail, curiosity alight in her eyes. "It's not on any chart. Not even Ohara's old records."
"That," Vegito said, opening his eyes at last, "is because it's not supposed to be here."
The ship's AI voice — a smooth, feminine tone woven into the runes — chimed in.[Warning: Dimensional anomaly detected. Probability of temporal instability – 64%.]
Making Landfall
The crew gathered on deck as Heaven's Embrace descended toward a narrow, moss-covered pier. Birds with shimmering, glass-like feathers wheeled overhead. The air smelled faintly of cinnamon and ozone.
"Why do I feel like we're about to walk into a fairy tale?" Mikita asked.
"Because," Robin murmured, "fairy tales often begin with something like this."
The First Encounter
As they stepped onto the island, the moss underfoot hummed faintly with each step. Paths wound through enormous, pale trees whose leaves glowed softly even in daylight.
Then, from between two trunks, a figure emerged.
The crew froze.
She was tall, with raven hair bound in a warrior's braid, clad in armor of deep green and gold — armor from a style no one in the crew recognized… except Vegito.
His smirk vanished. "…No way."
The Impossible Return
The woman stopped a few paces away, tilting her head. "So it is you. I wasn't sure until I saw the tail."
Bell-mère glanced between them. "Okay, gonna need some context here."
Vegito's voice was low, almost reverent. "Her name's Lysandra. She… shouldn't exist in this world. She's from my first life."
That got everyone's attention.
Lysandra's Story
Over a campfire of blue flame, Lysandra explained. "The island drifts between worlds. I've been here for… time works differently. Could be years, could be centuries. I woke up here after… after the battle we never finished."
She met Vegito's eyes. "And now I'm here, in your world. Permanently, it seems."
Robin's voice was soft but probing. "And you were… close?"
Vegito smirked faintly. "Let's just say we've traded more than a few blows."
Bell-mère muttered, "Not the kind of blows I think she means."
Tension on Deck
As they prepared to leave the island — Lysandra now a passenger — there was a subtle shift in the crew dynamic.
Kuina sized her up like a rival swordswoman.Reiju watched her with quiet calculation.Hancock… well, Hancock didn't even try to hide her glare.
Carrot whispered to Wanda, "Do you think she's gonna be a harem member?"
Wanda smirked. "She's already marked. Look at his tail."
The Marine Shadow
The AI's voice cut through the low banter.[Multiple ships detected at the island's perimeter. World Government signature confirmed.]
Robin stiffened. "They were tracking us."
Vegito stood, his smirk returning. "And now they've found something they shouldn't have."
An Admiral Appears
The Marine fleet encircled the island, but only one ship broke formation — a black-hulled vessel flying the personal standard of Admiral Fujitora.
The blind Admiral's voice carried easily over the water. "Captain Vegito… I've been sent to retrieve a dangerous asset. Step aside."
Lysandra's hand went to her sword. "He means me."
Vegito's grin widened. "Yeah, that's not gonna happen."
Gravity vs. God Ki
The air warped as Fujitora's gravity crashed down, trees bending and the shoreline cracking. Vegito didn't move. His aura flared golden, the ground beneath his feet restoring itself as fast as it broke.
"Gonna have to do better than that, old man," Vegito said, before vanishing and reappearing in front of the Admiral, their fists colliding with a shockwave that scattered the clouds for miles.
The Humiliation
Vegito let Fujitora press him for half a dozen exchanges, then simply caught the Admiral's blade mid-swing and snapped it in half.
"Tell Sakazuki," Vegito said, holding the broken blade out to him, "that if he wants someone from my past… he'll have to send more than a blind man with good manners."
Then he threw Fujitora — gently enough not to injure him permanently — into the waiting arms of his own Marines.
Departure
Back on Heaven's Embrace, Lysandra stood at the bow, watching the shrinking island. "You've changed," she said quietly to Vegito.
He smiled without looking at her. "So have you."
[World State Updated]
New Crew Member: Lysandra (Origin World – confirmed).
World Government Alert: "Foreign entity" now on capture list.
Marine Tension: Fujitora publicly humiliated, classified as "Vegito's moral equal" in unofficial reports.
Next Destination: A hidden island fortress where Vegito plans to host the first Embrace Alliance summit — and where the World Government will make their first major infiltration attempt.