The morning mist rolled over the jungle like breath from a sleeping giant. The Oro Jackson waited offshore, its sails half-raised, glimmering faintly under the first light of dawn.
Most of the crew were busy loading supplies and relics they'd gathered from the ruins — crates of strange stones, rare herbs, and a few mysterious artifacts Roger insisted were "important to history."
Ada stood at the rail, watching the island fade behind them. Her crimson dress fluttered in the sea breeze, her pistols holstered neatly at her sides.
Rayleigh came up beside her. "You seem quiet."
"Just thinking," she murmured. "About that stone. About what Roger heard."
He gave a small nod. "You're wondering what it means for you."
Ada didn't answer. Instead, she glanced toward Roger — who was laughing with Gaban near the helm — then back at the horizon. "I think… it means the world is bigger than I thought."
Rayleigh smirked. "Welcome to the Grand Line."
Before she could reply, a sharp voice cracked through the air.
"Captain! Ships on the horizon!"
Everyone turned.
Three Marine warships were cutting through the waves fast — sails billowing, cannons gleaming. The faint glint of justice coats flashed on their decks.
Roger's grin widened. "Bwahaha! They really don't know when to quit!"
Rayleigh cursed under his breath. "How did they find us so fast?"
Ada's eyes narrowed. "We've been tracked since we left the ruins. I felt eyes watching last night."
"You didn't mention that," Rayleigh said.
"Would you have stopped Roger from exploring?"
He sighed. "Fair point."
Roger raised his sword. "Alright, everyone! You know the drill — show the Marines why the Roger Pirates don't run from anyone!"
A roar erupted from the crew as they rushed to their stations. Cannons loaded. Sails dropped. The Oro Jackson turned into the wind like a living beast.
Ada moved fast, her voice cutting through the chaos. "Gaban! Port side! Aim low — cripple their rudder!"
He saluted her with a grin. "Aye aye, Ms. strategist!"
She shot him a look. "Don't call me that."
"Old habit," he said, loading powder into the cannon.
Roger laughed from the helm. "You might as well get used to it, Ada! You sound like one already!"
The first volley came screaming through the air — iron cannonballs splitting the mist.
Ada leapt onto the rail, her coat flaring. "Incoming!"
She drew both pistols in one smooth motion — Haki crackling faintly across the barrels. Her eyes sharpened, timing every shot.
Bang. Bang. Bang.
Each bullet struck midair — hitting cannonballs dead-on, detonating them before they reached the deck.
The crew gaped.
"Did she just shoot down cannon fire?!"
Roger's grin widened. "Bwahaha! That's my kind of marksmanship!"
Rayleigh called out orders, and the ship swung starboard to meet the Marine formation head-on.
From the enemy flagship, a booming voice rang out:
"Pirate Gol D. Roger! In the name of Justice, you will be sunk here and now!"
Roger laughed harder. "They're always so dramatic!"
Ada spun her pistols and reloaded in seconds. "Then let's give them a show worth remembering."
The first Marine ship drew close, grappling hooks latching onto the Oro Jackson's side. Marines began boarding, blades and rifles flashing.
Ada didn't hesitate.
She vaulted onto the railing and met them halfway, her heel slamming into the first soldier's face. She landed fluidly, twin pistols already firing.
Crack! Crack!
Two more dropped before their boots hit the deck.
Gaban whistled. "Hell of a way to start the morning!"
Rayleigh drew his saber, parrying an officer's strike. "Focus!"
Roger charged into the fray, his laughter echoing over the gunfire. "Let's see if they can handle a little fun!"
He swung his sword with such force that the deck shook — a single wave of Conqueror's Haki rippling out and sending half the Marines crashing unconscious to the floor.
Ada didn't stop moving. Her red dress flashed through smoke and chaos like a streak of flame. She ducked beneath a blade, swept a soldier's leg, and spun into a roundhouse that sent him flying.
Another Marine tried to grab her from behind.
Without even turning, she raised her gun and fired backward. The man dropped instantly.
Rayleigh caught sight of it and grinned. "You're getting too good at that."
"I was always good at this," she replied calmly.
The battle raged for nearly twenty minutes. The Roger Pirates fought like a storm — organized chaos, each member trusting the other completely.
But the Marines weren't backing down.
"Vice Admiral Tristan!" someone shouted from the enemy deck.
A tall man stepped forward — black coat whipping in the wind, his sword glowing faintly with Armament Haki. His gaze locked on Roger.
"So it's true," Tristan growled. "You joined the Roger Pirates." His eyes flicked to Ada. "Nyx D. Ada the assassin and Vice Caption of the Rocks Pirates who escaped God Valley."
Ada froze briefly, her finger tightening on the trigger.
Roger tilted his head. "Heh. You've got fans, Ada."
"I've got enemies," she corrected.
Tristan's voice carried across the waves. "You'll come back with us — both of you. Dead or alive."
Ada's eyes glinted. "I prefer the third option: you sink."
She jumped from the Oro Jackson to the Marine deck, landing amidst a dozen soldiers. The fight was instant.
She was faster — sharper — than most of them could follow. Her kicks cracked ribs, her bullets found joints and pressure points.
Tristan swung his blade, forcing her back, sparks flying as steel met steel.
"You're no ordinary girl," he hissed. "That bounty on your head isn't just for show."
Ada deflected another strike, sliding under his guard and pressing a pistol against his chest. "Neither is the rumors about you ."
She fired.
The shot tore through his coat, sending him stumbling back. Ada followed through with a knee strike that shattered his balance — then flipped backward onto a mast rope and swung back toward the Oro Jackson.
She landed neatly beside Roger, who was still laughing mid-battle.
"Nicely done!" he shouted. "You're earning your keep already!"
Ada brushed a strand of hair from her face. "I thought I already did."
Rayleigh blocked a musket shot near them. "You've more than earned it. The crew agrees — you belong here, Ada."
Ada blinked, almost caught off-guard by his tone.
Roger rested his sword on his shoulder, grinning wide. "You're not just a passenger or an assassin anymore. You're one of us."
She glanced at him, eyes narrowing slightly — not out of defiance, but something deeper. "One of you, huh?"
He nodded. "The seas are better when you're with us."
For the first time, Ada let a real smile touch her lips. "Then I'll make sure they stay that way."
With a final push, the Oro Jackson's cannons roared. Two Marine ships burst into flames. The third retreated, sails torn and deck half-destroyed.
The ocean fell quiet once more — smoke curling into the sky.
Gaban slumped against a railing, exhausted but grinning. "Hell of a fight. We should bring you along more often."
Ada holstered her pistols. "You'd all be dead if I wasn't."
Rayleigh chuckled. "She's not wrong."
Roger, still grinning ear to ear, looked at the horizon. "Another victory! Another adventure waiting! Let's sail before they bring reinforcements!"
As the crew cheered and got back to work, Ada lingered at the bow, the sea wind brushing her hair.
Behind her, Rayleigh approached quietly. "You fought well, Ada. You've found your place."
"Maybe," she said softly. "But I'm not done finding my purpose."
Rayleigh smiled faintly. "No one aboard this ship ever is."
She looked out toward the endless waves — the same waves she once thought would swallow her whole. Now, they felt like home.
The Oro Jackson sailed on, leaving smoke and broken Marine ships in its wake.
And in the midst of the crew's laughter and victory cries, Nyx D. Ada — smiled faintly, her crimson dress gleaming like blood under the morning sun.
For the first time in a long while, she wasn't running from her past.
She was chasing her future.