The Oro Jackson cut through the waves like a blade of light beneath the dawn. The air was crisp, salt-sweet, and heavy with the promise of another reckless adventure.
Ada stood at the bow, the sea breeze tugging at her crimson coat. Her short black hair danced in the wind, eyes reflecting the horizon as if searching for something that no longer existed.
For the first time in weeks, she could breathe.
For the first time in years, she wasn't running.
Behind her, laughter filled the deck — the sound of a crew that had already cheated death more times than fate should allow.
Below the deck — just a handful of familiar legends in their youth: Roger, Rayleigh, Gaban, Seagull, and the others, busy at work hoisting sails or bickering over maps.
"Hard to believe you're still here," a voice said from behind her.
Rayleigh leaned against the railing behind her, watching her. "You've been standing there for hours."
Ada didn't turn. "Habit."
He raised an eyebrow. "From killing or from thinking?"
She smirked faintly. "Both."
He chuckled
Ada turned to find Silvers Rayleigh, calm and unreadable as always, leaning on the railing. He had a cup of sake in one hand and a folded newspaper in the other — the same one that still bore her name and bounty.
"'Nyx D. Ada — the Crimson Shadow.'" He recited the headline with a faint smirk. "Quite the title. You'd think they'd make the print red for effect."
Ada gave a quiet, wry laugh. "Maybe they ran out of ink after writing Roger's bounty."
Rayleigh chuckled. "Fair point. You don't seem bothered."
"I'm not," she replied, her voice steady. "The world can talk all it wants. It changes nothing."
Rayleigh studied her a moment longer, then nodded. "You sound like someone who's had to survive too long."
Ada didn't answer. Her gaze drifted toward the small cradle resting near the captain's quarters — the child they'd found alongside her, now sound asleep.
Shanks.
Roger had named him. Ada hadn't told them the truth yet — not all of it. Only that she'd found the baby at God Valley, and she'd sworn to protect him.
Roger trusted her word without question.
That, in itself, unsettled her.
Later that morning, the crew gathered around a large table below deck, littered with maps, sake bottles, and crumbs of half-eaten food.
Roger slammed his fist onto the table, grinning like a madman. "The seas are ours for the taking again! Rocks is gone, the Marines are licking their wounds, and the New World is wide open!"
"Roger," Rayleigh said with an amused sigh, "you've said that every day for the past week."
"And every day, I've been right!" Roger bellowed.
The crew roared with laughter. Ada stood quietly near the wall, arms crossed, her sharp gaze following the madness.
She had sailed with monsters before — but this?
This was chaos born of joy, not hunger.
Gaban leaned forward, cigarette dangling from his lips. "So what's the plan, Roger? Another island raid? Or are we just gonna drink until the world forgets our faces?"
"Drink first, raid later," Seagull said, earning a round of laughter.
Ada stayed quiet, sitting slightly apart from the group. Her hands rested on her crossed legs, her expression calm but observant. She could see it — the chaos, the energy, the dream that bound this crew together.
They were nothing like Rocks' crew.
And yet… there was something familiar in their madness.
Roger suddenly turned to her. "Oi, Crimson Shadow!"
Ada blinked. "…What?"
Roger grinned. "That's what the papers are calling you. You mind if I use it?"
Ada sighed. "I'd prefer you didn't."
"Too bad," Roger laughed, slapping the table. "You've been on my ship for weeks, eating my food, drinking my sake, and terrifying my crew. I think it's time we make this official."
Rayleigh smirked. "Careful, Roger. She might shoot you."
Roger pointed dramatically. "Then I'll die with a smile!"
The table erupted with laughter again — even Ada cracked a small, reluctant smile.
He stood and extended his hand with that same reckless smile that had once challenged the world.
"Join my crew, Nyx D. Ada."
The room went silent.
Even Rayleigh looked up, surprise flickering across his face. "You're serious?"
Roger nodded. "Of course I'm serious! She's got more guts than half the seas combined. I've seen her fight. I've seen her protect. A woman like that belongs on the Oro Jackson."
Ada's crimson eyes locked on Roger's outstretched hand. "You realize what you're asking?"
Roger grinned. "Aye. I'm asking the most dangerous assassin alive to sail with the most dangerous man alive."
For a long moment, she said nothing.
The ship rocked gently underfoot, the sea whispering like fate waiting to be sealed.
Finally, Ada smiled — just barely. "You're insane."
"Glad you noticed!" Roger barked a laugh.
She stepped forward, clasping his hand firmly. "Fine. But if I don't like where this ship goes, I'll leave."
Roger's grin widened. "Deal!"
The room erupted in cheers. Gaban poured sake into mugs, Seagull beat on a barrel like a drum, and Rayleigh chuckled as he raised his cup.
"To the Crimson Shadow!" Gaban shouted.
"To our new crewmate!" Seagull added.
"To another insane decision!" Rayleigh muttered.
Ada just shook her head, hiding a small smile. "You people are unbelievable."
"Welcome aboard," Roger said warmly. "You're one of us now."
As the day went on, Ada found herself easing into the rhythm of life aboard the Oro Jackson.
Later, the Oro Jackson came alive again — sails unfurled, ropes tightened, and hearts set on the horizon.
Ada helped load supplies, her movements efficient and silent. Rayleigh passed by and nudged her shoulder.
"Not used to teamwork?"
"Not used to trusting people," she corrected.
He smiled faintly. "You will."
It was strange — almost peaceful.
No constant paranoia. No whispered betrayal around every corner. No hunger for power like with Rocks.
Here, even the strongest men respected each other — not out of fear, but loyalty.
Gaban tossed her a flask. "Here. You don't talk much, but you drink like one of us."
She caught it easily. "I drink to remember," she murmured.
He raised an eyebrow. "And here I thought people drank to forget."
"Not me."
They drank in silence, the ship creaking softly underfoot.
Later, Ada helped Rayleigh clean his blades, the two working side by side. She noticed how organized everything was — weapons polished, ropes coiled perfectly, even the deck spotless. It wasn't the chaos of the Rocks Pirates; it was discipline disguised as freedom.
"You all run a tighter ship than I expected," Ada commented.
Rayleigh chuckled. "Roger might be a lunatic, but he's no fool. A dream means nothing without order to reach it."
Ada nodded slightly. "Rocks said dreams only matter if you take them."
"Maybe that's why he fell," Rayleigh said simply.
For a long time, neither spoke.
Then Roger's voice bellowed from above deck: "SET SAIL, MEN! NEXT STOP — THE CRESCENT ABYSS!"
"Legend also says the last crew who went there vanished!" Gaban called.
Roger just laughed. "Then they didn't have me!"
Ada sighed. "He's going to get us all killed."
Rayleigh chuckled. "Welcome to the Roger Pirates."
The crew cheered, rushing to their stations. Ada followed, the wind catching her crimson cloak as she climbed the steps. The horizon ahead shimmered like molten fire — a sea painted in gold by the afternoon sun.
By dusk, the Oro Jackson sailed into uncharted waters — a place the maps called Crescent Abyss. The sea was unnaturally calm, and the air heavy with fog.
Roger's grin didn't waver. "A perfect place for treasure!"
Rayleigh groaned. "Or a perfect place to get lost."
Ada scanned the fog, her instincts prickling. "There's something here…"
Her hand hovered near her gun. She heard it before anyone else — a faint rumble beneath the waves.
Then the sea exploded.
A monstrous serpent, scales black as tar, rose from the depths. Its eyes glowed red, its mouth large enough to swallow the ship whole.
"SEA KING!" Gaban shouted.
Roger's grin widened. "Aha! I knew it!"
Ada cursed under her breath. "He knew it!?"
"Hold tight!" Rayleigh barked. The crew scattered into motion, securing lines and readying cannons.
The serpent lunged. The ship tilted dangerously — and Ada moved.
In a blur, she fired shot after shot, her bullets coated in Armament Haki. Each one struck between the creature's scales, driving it back a step. The serpent hissed, thrashing violently.
Roger drew his sword, Ace, and leapt onto the serpent's head with a roar of laughter. "You picked the wrong ship!"
The crew erupted into chaos — Gaban fired the cannons, Rayleigh guided the helm, and Ada covered their flanks with surgical precision.
When the beast finally fell, crashing back into the sea, the Oro Jackson was drenched but intact.
Roger landed back on deck, soaked but grinning. "See?! Easy!"
Ada stared at him incredulously. "You're insane."
"And you're still here," he said, grinning.
She didn't deny it — only rolled her eyes.
"Unfortunately," she muttered — but her faint smile betrayed her.
That night, the crew gathered around a bonfire on deck, cooking what remained of the serpent's meat. Music played, laughter echoed, and sake flowed like water.
Ada sat near the railing, watching the stars. She could almost hear echoes of the past — Rocks' booming laughter, Newgate's deep voice, Kaido's drunken bellowing. All ghosts now.
But here… she found something different.
Peace.
Roger walked over, two cups of sake in hand. He handed one to her and sat beside her. "You don't laugh much, do you?"
"Not since I was a kid."
He nodded thoughtfully. "You've seen hell. I can tell."
Ada looked at him. "And you?"
Roger smiled faintly. "I've seen enough to know heaven's overrated."
They drank quietly, the sea whispering beneath them.
Roger then handed her two more cups in hand. "You know," he said quietly, "you look more at peace here than when you first boarded."
"I'm not used to peace," she said. "It feels… temporary."
Roger nodded. "Maybe. But even storms need calm between them."
Ada turned to him. "You're different from Rocks."
He grinned. "I should hope so."
"No," she said softly. "He wanted to rule the world. You want to understand it."
Roger looked genuinely surprised — then smiled. "You see right through people, don't you?"
"It's what kept me alive."
After a while, Roger spoke again — softer this time. "The world's changing, Ada. Your crew fell, the Marines are in chaos… there's room now for a new age."
Ada tilted her head. "You think you'll build it?"
"No," he said with a grin. "We will."
Ada laughed quietly. "You're a madman."
Roger raised his cup. "Then may madness guide us."
She tapped her cup against his. "To madness, then."
Above them, the stars shimmered — like embers scattered across the dark.
By morning, the Oro Jackson was gone from the fog, sailing into a sun-drenched horizon.
A new era had begun.
And in the shadows of its first light, Nyx D. Ada — the Crimson Shadow — found herself part of a crew not bound by ambition, but by freedom.
She didn't know it yet, but this voyage would mark the beginning of her transformation — not as a weapon, not as a legend, but as something far rarer:
A believer in dreams.