The Oro Jackson cut smoothly across calm seas, the chaos of God Valley now a distant storm on the horizon. The air smelled of rain and smoke, and the crew's laughter filled the deck as they celebrated surviving the impossible.
Below deck, however, silence lingered.
In the cargo hold, surrounded by stacked barrels and crates of supplies, a woman sat quietly with a pistol by her side.
Nyx D. Ada sat quietly in the storage hold, her pistol resting beside her leg. Her crimson dress — now darkened by soot and seawater — fluttered slightly in the draft from a nearby hatch.
Nyx D. Ada, once the Vice Captain of the Rocks Pirates, now a ghost hidden beneath another crew's flag.
A small cry broke the silence. Ada turned, looking down at the baby with fiery red hair lying in a blanket near her boots. The infant whimpered softly, reaching out for warmth. Ada sighed and gently picked him up.
The child had fiery red hair, just like the woman Dragon had mentioned on God Valley. Ada sighed and lifted him gently. "Hush… you're safe now, little one."
The baby calmed in her arms, his small hand clutching her finger. For a moment, Ada allowed herself to smile. "You must have strong blood in you to have survived all that."
Then, heavy footsteps echoed down the stairs.
"Hey, Captain! I think there's someone down here!" called Scopper Gaban, holding a lantern as he peeked into the cargo hold.
Ada stood slowly, her pistol drawn in one hand, the baby in the other.
"What the— You're—"
Before he could finish, another voice filled the hold — loud, bold, and warm.
"GABAN! Who are you yelling at down there?"
Gol D. Roger himself descended the stairs, followed by Silvers Rayleigh, his first mate. The moment Roger's eyes adjusted to the dark, his grin widened.
When Gol D. Roger himself appeared behind Gaban, his expression shifted from curiosity to shock. "Well, I'll be damned… Nyx D. Ada."
Ada stood tall, unflinching, though exhaustion dulled her edges. "Gol D. Roger," she said evenly. "Didn't expect to see you again so soon."
The crew murmured — Rayleigh, Gaban, Seagull, and others staring in disbelief.
"We thought you died in the final battle against Rocks," Rayleigh said, his tone cautious, though his hand didn't move to his sword.
Rayleigh's eyes then narrowed. "Word is, God Valley burned everything down to the seabed."
Ada smirked faintly. "Maybe the world just doesn't know how stubborn I am."
Roger crossed his arms, his grin wide and disarming. "Hah! Fair enough! But sneaking onto my ship? That's gutsy — even for you, care to explain?"
"I didn't have a choice," Ada replied, her tone calm but honest. "Every other ship was destroyed. Your vessel was the only one left afloat."
Rayleigh tilted his head. "And the child?"
She looked down at the baby in her arms — his wide red eyes staring up at her innocently. "Someone found him in the ruins. His mother was… gone. Fate brought us together."
Roger stepped closer, crouching slightly to meet the child's gaze. The baby laughed and reached out to tug his mustache. Roger blinked — then burst into a hearty laugh that shook the room.
"HAH! He's got spirit already! A survivor, just like you." He turned to Rayleigh. "Well, we can't throw out a baby, can we?"
Rayleigh sighed. "Roger, we're pirates, not a daycare."
"Why not?" Roger barked, grinning. "He survived God Valley — that alone means he's destined for something great!"
Roger then waved him off. "A pirate ship's the best place for a kid to learn freedom!"
Ada raised an eyebrow. "You're serious about keeping him?"
Roger's grin softened into something genuine. "You saved him. But maybe fate brought him to us. Let him sail under our flag — at least until we find where he belongs."
Rayleigh muttered something about reckless captains, but Roger ignored him.
"So what's his name?" Roger asked, looking to Ada.
She hesitated, then shook her head. "He didn't have one."
Ada then stared at the baby again. "He'll need a name."
The red-haired infant giggled, chewing on his blanket.
Roger rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Hmm… he's got that fiery hair. Reminds me of the red cliffs near Dawn Island… How about Shanks?"
The name hung in the air — simple, strong, and full of life.
Ada smiled faintly. "Shanks… fits him."
Rayleigh sighed, but even he couldn't hide his small grin. "Fine. Shanks it is. Let's hope he doesn't grow up as reckless as the rest of you."
Rayleigh then exhaled in resignation. "Then I guess we're babysitters now."
Laughter broke out above deck as Roger shouted for food and drink, declaring they'd gained a new "crew member."
Ada leaned back against the crate, a strange warmth settling in her chest. For the first time since God Valley, she allowed herself to breathe.
Roger looked at her again. "So, Ada… what now? Planning to keep hiding on my ship forever?"
Ada looked out through the small porthole, the sun rising over the horizon. "For now, I'll stay. There's something I still need to learn. About the world… and about the D."
Roger's grin widened knowingly. "Then welcome aboard, Nyx D. Ada."
————-
The night was quiet aboard the Oro Jackson. The waves rocked the ship gently, and the crew above deck had finally gone to sleep after a long day of celebration.
Ada stood by the railing, the ocean breeze tugging at her torn red dress. The moon hung low over the sea, pale and distant — a mirror to her thoughts.
Footsteps approached behind her. She didn't turn; she already knew who it was.
"Didn't think you'd be awake," he said.
Ada stepped into the lantern's glow, her red dress swaying faintly in the wind. "Didn't think you'd be drinking."
Rayleigh smirked. "Then you don't know me well enough yet."
"Couldn't sleep either?" Rayleigh asked, standing beside her, a bottle in hand.
"Not yet," Ada replied softly. "There's too much to think about."
She leaned beside him, crossing her arms. Her crimson eyes fell on the paper. "So that's what all the noise was about."
Rayleigh nodded slowly. "The world's gone mad since this came out. Half the Marines think you're dead, the other half think you're recruiting a new Rocks crew."
Ada gave a low, dry laugh. "If I were, you'd know. The world's a little too obsessed with ghosts."
Rayleigh then handed her the folded newspaper. His face turned serious.
"See for yourself," he said, tossing it to her.
Ada caught it, unfolding the front page — the bold headline hit her like a bullet.
"THE FALL OF THE ROCKS PIRATES! GOD VALLEY ERASED!"
Marines and Vice Admiral Monkey D. Garp hailed as heroes! The Rocks Pirates have fallen — but survivors remain at large!
Nyx D. Ada ("The Crimson Shadow") — 3,542,000,000 Berries
The Crimson Shadow. Former Vice Captain of the Rocks Pirates. Believed dead — now confirmed alive.
The name Nyx D. Ada seemed to burn brighter than the ink around it, as if daring her to deny it.
She ran her gloved fingers across the paper, a faint smile curving her lips. "So… they finally dug up my real name."
Her reflection in the sea stared back — tired, scarred, but unmistakably alive.
"They think they understand what the 'D' means," she murmured. "But they don't. They never will."
She folded the paper neatly, setting it beside her gun. "Still… three billion, Not bad for a little old me."
He glanced sideways at her. "You don't seem too surprised they used your real name."
Ada's smile faded into something colder. "The demon we fought made sure of that. Once he said it out loud, there was no going back."
Rayleigh's expression hardened at that name. "So that part of the report was true. The 'D' in front of your name…"
She shrugged. "It's just a letter, isn't it?"
He chuckled. "Funny. Roger says the same thing — though the way he talks about it, I'm not sure he believes himself."
Ada's eyes flickered toward the sea. "Maybe it's better that way. People die chasing the meaning of a letter."
Rayleigh studied her in silence for a moment, then said quietly,
"You know, your bounty's just shy of Roger's."
Ada smirked. "Guess I'll have to work harder."
He laughed softly. "Or stop making the Marines cry."
"Where's the fun in that?"
They shared a brief silence, the kind that only two people who've seen too much can understand.
Rayleigh took a sip, glancing sideways at her. "You're wondering about your old crew, aren't you?"
Rayleigh then took another swig from his bottle and handed it to her.
Ada accepted it, the glass cool against her gloved fingers. She took a sip, winced slightly at the burn, and looked down at the horizon. "They'll be fine. Each one of them is a monster on their own."
Ada's eyes stayed on the horizon. "I saw her — Shakky. She was with you and Roger during the chaos. Then she was gone. What happened?"
Rayleigh's expression softened. "She made it off the island. Gloriosa found her after we split from the battlefield. She was injured but alive. The two of them… decided to return to Amazon Lily together."
Ada exhaled — a long, quiet breath she hadn't realized she was holding. "So she's safe."
Rayleigh nodded. "Aye. She said she's done chasing storms — that she'd had enough of pirate life. Gloriosa offered her a home, and she took it."
For a long moment, the two of them stood in silence, listening to the waves.
Ada's voice lowered. "She deserved peace. We all did."
Rayleigh chuckled softly. "Peace doesn't suit people like us. But maybe… for her, it will."
Ada gave a faint smile. "Tell her next time you see her — I'm glad she found her way back."
Rayleigh tilted his head, studying her face under the moonlight. "You've changed, Ada. The woman I heard about — the Crimson Shadow of Rocks — she wouldn't have cared."
Ada's gaze hardened for a moment, then softened again. "That woman died at God Valley."
Rayleigh took another sip and nodded slowly. "Maybe that's for the best."
The waves rolled on, and somewhere below deck, baby Shanks stirred in his sleep.
Ada looked out at the endless horizon — the world that still turned, even after everything had burned.
"Rest well, Shakky," she murmured. "You made it out."
The ship sailed on until the next morning, sunlight pouring over its deck.
In the captain's cabin, Roger laughed heartily with Rayleigh and Gaban, while Ada stood by the window, holding the red-haired child who would one day inherit a hat — and a dream.
For now, though, he only laughed and reached for her necklace, babbling happily as if the world had never known war.
"Shanks," she whispered softly. "Live free. For all of us who couldn't."
The Oro Jackson sailed toward its next adventure — carrying legends, secrets, and the quiet promise of a new age.