Marineford — Command Hall
The air inside Marine Headquarters was tense. Reports flooded in from Sabaody, the den-den mushi on every desk blaring with overlapping transmissions.
"This is Marineford Command, report your situation."
All that came through was static — then chaos.
"Emergency report from Sabaody Marine Station! Slave district at Sabaody Archipelago — destroyed!"
"Multiple explosions recorded — Marine response unit decimated!"
"Perpetrators sighted… identities uncertain—"
Static hissed through the receiver, followed by a terrified voice.
"—No! Don't—Aaaaah—!" Crrk. Silence.
All eyes turned to Fleet Admiral Kong who stood before the central operations table, jaw tight. "Replay the last confirmed transmission."
The snail echoed the terrified shouts again, its voice quivering in mimicry. When it ended, Sengoku exhaled slowly, folding his arms. "Sabaody… a direct attack in Paradise. That hasn't happened in years."
Vice Admiral Tsuru glanced over the map spread across the table. "Slave district," she murmured, her voice thoughtful. "Not a Marine stronghold. Whoever did this wasn't after us — they were after them."
Kong's voice deepened. "And what of the perpetrators?"
The den-den mushi crackled again, replaying a panicked officer's final message.
"They're cutting through everything — like ghosts! The woman… she's fast — too fast! The man with her controls the wind—"
Then static.
A heavy silence blanketed the room.
Vice Admiral Tsuru folded her arms, eyes narrowing. "A woman and a man… the destruction sounds surgical. This wasn't a random pirate raid."
"Cross-check the witness reports," Sengoku ordered sharply. "Find me the names."
A young officer rushed in, saluting. "Reports are still conflicting, sir. But… witnesses claim one of them was a woman — dressed in red, moving faster than the eye could follow."
Sengoku's brow furrowed. "A woman in red…?"
The officer swallowed. "They're saying it's Nyx D. Ada."
The room erupted into a wave of alarmed voices.
"Ada?! From Roger's crew?!"
"What's she doing in Paradise — and alone?"
"She's supposed to be in the New World!"
Kong's expression hardened. "And the other one?"
"No identification," the officer said shakily. "Tall, cloaked, male. Used some sort of… power. Wind pressure. It wiped out a squad in seconds."
Tsuru's eyes narrowed. "Not a Devil Fruit user on record?"
"None, ma'am. The reports are too fragmented."
For a long moment, no one spoke.
Kong's voice cut through the noise, calm but commanding. "So she returns to Paradise after years… and immediately annihilates a Marine detachment?" He clenched his fist. "What the hell was she after?"
Tsuru's gaze was cold, thoughtful. "Sabaody is a hunting ground for slavers and nobles. If that's where she struck… maybe it wasn't the Marines she was after."
Before Sengoku could respond, a deep laugh boomed across the room.
"BWAHAHAHAHA! So she blew up a slave shop, did she?" Garp slapped his knee, grinning wide. "Can't say I'm upset about that one!"
"Garp," Sengoku snapped, "this isn't a joke! The casualties are real — our men—"
"Oh, come on," Garp interrupted, waving a hand. "Slavery's been rotting that place for years. Maybe someone finally decided to clean it up the right way."
He then leaned back in his chair, arms crossed, grin fading into a knowing smirk. "But Ada… doing it alone? That's the part that's interesting."
Kong frowned. "You think Roger sent her?"
Garp shook his head. "No. That girl's got her own mind. If she's acting without her crew, it's not orders — it's purpose."
Kong's tone was grave. "Whatever those reasons are, she left an entire district in ruins. Dozens dead, more missing. Whoever that man was, he's just as dangerous."
Sengoku crossed his arms, his sharp eyes fixed on the map. "So Ada acts without Roger's crew, teams up with an unknown ally, and burns Sabaody's filth to ash. That's not coincidence — that's a message."
Tsuru nodded slightly. "But to whom?"
The silence that followed was heavy, charged.
Kong finally broke it. "Issue an alert to all Marine bases in Paradise and the Red Line. If Nyx D. Ada appears again, do not engage. She's not to be confronted without Admiral clearance."
The officers hesitated. "Sir, you mean—?"
"I mean," Kong said coldly, "one Marine base has already fallen in the New World years ago because of her. I won't lose another to pride. Until we understand what she's doing here, we're not losing another fleet."
Sengoku's tone softened, heavy with thought. "Eigh years since she joined Roger… and she shows up here, not to pillage or fight, but to destroy a slave den. That's not piracy."
Tsuru nodded. "That's intent."
Garp gave a quiet chuckle, though his gaze stayed distant. "Whatever it is… looks like the world's starting to stir again."
A faint tremor rippled through the room — not from the earth, but from unease.
Because if Nyx D. Ada had returned to Paradise.
Then something far greater was taking shape.
And the seas were beginning to whisper again.
—————
The sea was calm, but the wind carried a chill that spoke of the treacherous waters ahead.
Reverse Mountain loomed ahead, a jagged monolith rising from the churning seas like the spine of some ancient beast. The currents here were infamous, twisting and turning unpredictably, capable of swallowing even the most experienced sailors.
Ada stood at the prow of the ship, her crimson dress clinging slightly in the morning breeze, eyes fixed on the towering cliffs of Reverse Mountain.
Ada's eyes, sharp as ever, scanned the waters, noting the patterns of the waves and the shifting whirlpools. Every ripple could mean death if miscalculated.
"Not that I'd mind testing them," she muttered to herself, smirking faintly. "But today's not the day for fun."
The waters twisted violently as the ship neared the mountain's base. Swells rose like towering walls of liquid, crashing into one another with thunderous force. Ada gripped the railing, her eyes narrowing, calculating the currents.
She adjusted the sail with the practiced motions of a seasoned sailor. Even alone, she could handle the cutter with ease — the same hands that had wielded swords and guns with equal expertise. She leaned over the side of the boat, scanning for the best path forward, and felt a thrill she had learned to welcome only rarely. Adventure was her constant companion; danger, her most intimate friend.
The churning waters rose higher as she approached the mountain's base, swirling violently. She gritted her teeth, gripping the helm tightly. "All right, Reverse Mountain. Let's see who's boss."
With fluid precision, she navigated the first whirlpool, her cutter skimming the edge of the deadly vortex without tipping. Spray from the waves soaked her dress, but she barely noticed. Her mind was focused, every movement calculated, every motion infused with Haki and the Devil Fruit's piercing power. Nothing could touch her unless she allowed it.
As she ascended the narrow channel, a lighthouse appeared on the view. Then, a figure appeared on a rocky outcrop ahead, silhouetted against the fading sun. Young, tall, lean, wearing eyeglasses — a sailor or doctor of some sort, observing the currents as if he'd been expecting someone.
"Crocus," Ada said quietly, almost to herself.
Ada's hand rested on her sword, though her voice remained calm as she called out. "Crocus."
Crocus froze, head turning sharply. "Who's asking?" His tone carried both caution and curiosity.
"I am," Ada said evenly, stepping closer, adjusting the sail to glide nearer to the rocks. "I've been looking for you."
Crocus eyes twinkled as he spotted her. "You're a long way from the civilized seas, miss," he called down, voice carrying across the winds. "And not the first to brave these waters."
Ada tilted her head slightly, considering him. "I've heard stories. Thought I should see them for myself."
Crocus's lips twitched into a faint smile. "Stories rarely do justice. And you… you're not just any pirate." His gaze sharpened. "The Crimson Shadow. Nyx D. Ada. I've heard whispers from the Grand Line ."
Ada smirked faintly. "Whispers travel fast in certain circles. But I have no interest in notoriety. I move where I must."
He nodded slowly. "Wisely said. Reverse Mountain isn't forgiving. Currents will test you… and so will your choices. But you seem prepared. Most aren't."
Ada's eyes scanned the towering walls of rock and swirling waters. "Prepared is nothing. Anticipation is everything."
He then narrowed his eyes. "And why would someone like you know me?"
She let out a faint smile, then said. "I learned about you through brokers, through a network few even know exists. They spoke of your skill… your medical knowledge."
Crocus raised a brow. "And yet you're the one seeking me. Why?"
"For Roger," she said simply, eyes forward, wind tugging at her dress. "He's sick. No ordinary doctor can help him. And if anyone can… it's you."
Crocus studied her for a long, measured moment. "Roger… you mean your Captain? And why should I believe you're not leading me into a trap?" His tone was calm but laced with suspicion, every syllable testing her.
Ada's gaze didn't waver, eyes sharp against the spray of the crashing waves. "Roger is sick. I need someone who can help him — someone whose skill goes beyond what the normal world can provide."
"I don't need to convince you," Ada replied, voice cool and unshaken. "I only need you to understand the stakes. If Roger dies… the seas lose more than just one man. There are people depending on him."
The young man's shoulders relaxed slightly, though his gaze remained piercing. "So you want me to join a pirate crew… just like that?"
Ada's lips curved into a faint, knowing smile. "Yes. To save our captain. Roger is sick, and without someone like you, he won't make it. That's enough reason for someone of your skill to come aboard, isn't it?"
Crocus's eyes narrowed, weighing her words against the wind and waves. "You expect me to sail with pirates just to treat one man?"
"Not just any man," Ada said steadily, her tone carrying the weight of certainty. "Roger our captain — and if he falls, the balance of the seas could shift. I'm asking you to join us… to save him. That's the mission."
Crocus let out a low chuckle, shaking his head as the wind tugged at his cloak. "You're bold. I like that. I've been looking for a crew myself — one capable of surviving chaos, of weathering the impossible. And now… you appear, asking me to help one of the most notorious men on the seas."
Ada tilted her head, eyes narrowing. "Why are you looking for a crew so desperately?"
He let out a bitter laugh, staring at the waves as if reading secrets in their foam. "The Rumbar Pirates… I've been trying to find them. Lost somewhere in the endless sea. I can't leave until I know their fate."
Ada's expression softened, though her voice remained steady. "If they didn't return… maybe they're gone. Sometimes the sea keeps its secrets forever."
Crocus's jaw tightened, but before he could reply, Ada's gaze shifted to the horizon. A massive shape cut through the water, its head rising like a moving island. She blinked, stunned. "Is that… a whale?"
Crocus's hand tightened around the railing. "Yes… his name is Laboon." His voice was quiet, almost reverent. "Even after all these years… he's been waiting for the Rumbar Pirates to return."
Ada's eyes softened just slightly, a spark of resolve shining through. "Then it seems we have a common goal. You help Roger, and perhaps we can both find what we're looking for."
He studied her again, the waves pounding the cutter as if echoing the tension between them. "Fine. But if this goes sideways…" His voice hardened, a warning in every word. "I go my own way."
"Understood," Ada said, adjusting her stance, hands steady on the wheel. "And I'll do the same."
For a long moment, the sea's roar was the only sound, the Reverse Mountain cliffs looming like silent witnesses. Then Crocus nodded, stepping lightly from the rocks to her vessel, every movement precise, measured.
"Lead the way. Let's see if your confidence is deserved," he said.
Ada smirked faintly, gripping the helm with cold precision. "You'll see soon enough."