Months had passed since the stop at Lodestar — since the Roger Pirates left the last island behind and set out once more upon the Grand Line.
The winds carried salt and silence. The Oro Jackson sliced through the horizon like an arrow, its sails swollen with freedom.
Each island brought something new — laughter, chaos, adventure — but beneath the revelry there was a quiet rhythm of purpose. The crew was chasing something that none of them yet fully understood.
The Poneglyphs.
Ancient stones, unbreakable, scattered through the world like forgotten gods.
And they were beginning to whisper.
Aboard the Oro Jackson
The deck was alive with noise — Shanks and Buggy arguing, Gaban cleaning his blades, Crocus checking the compass while humming off-key. Ada sat by the railing, polishing her pistol, eyes fixed on the endless blue.
Roger approached, his shadow long against the deck. "You've been quiet, Ada. Usually you're the one telling the boys off before I do."
Ada smirked faintly. "They've been loud enough without me."
He leaned against the railing beside her, voice dropping low. "Tell me, Ada… those stones. The ones you can hear — do they ever speak to you unprovoked?"
Ada looked out over the sea. "Sometimes. Like echoes under the waves. They don't use words. More like… feelings."
Roger grinned, the light catching in his eyes. "Aye. That's how it is for me too.
Rayleigh joined them, arms folded. "You two and your ghost stories. I can't hear a damn thing from those stones. I just see big blocks of writing and headaches waiting to happen."
"Because your soul's too loud," Ada teased. "The stones only speak to those who listen."
Rayleigh chuckled. "Or maybe they just ignore people who talk too much."
Roger laughed, loud and unrestrained, before his face turned serious again. "We've found three of those blue stones."
Roger then grinned. "Heh… then that means we need to find the rest
Ada, sitting near the mast, glanced up. "You sound like you already know where they are."
Roger turned, grin still wide. "Maybe I do. Maybe I don't. But I was hoping you could fill in a few blanks."
Ada arched a brow. "Me?"
"You were with Rocks," he said simply. "You've seen more of the old world than any of us."
The deck quieted. Even Shanks and Buggy stopped arguing.
Ada's expression hardened for a moment — then softened into something thoughtful. "There are some things I'd rather forget. But… yes. I saw some poneglyphs before and a special one which was a red poneglyph."
Ada continued. "The red ones… they're different. They feel heavier, like they're holding back something the world isn't ready to remember."
Rayleigh's eyes narrowed. "Red? You mean—"
"They may be the key to the last island." Ada said. "The ones that point the way."
Rayleigh raised a brow. "You've seen one before?"
Ada's gaze drifted, her expression unreadable. "Yes. A long time ago. Back when I was still part of the Rocks Pirates."
Roger's eyes gleamed. "And where did you see it?"
Ada looked out to sea. "Elbaf. The land of giants."
The deck quieted. Even the waves seemed to hush.
Flashback
The wind of the New World howled like a beast, cutting through the white peaks of Elbaf, the island of the giants.
Snow drifted lazily over an enormous village — wooden halls larger than ships, spears taller than towers.
At the edge of the settlement stood Rocks D. Xebec, his black cloak billowing like smoke.
Beside him walked Ada, still younger, her expression cold and guarded. Around them, the Rocks Pirates roamed — Newgate, Shiki, Big Mom, Kaido, and the rest — each a monster in their own right.
But here, even they were small before the giants.
"Never thought you'd be welcome here," Newgate muttered, arms folded.
Rocks smirked. "Respect among monsters, Newgate. Harald and I go back years."
The doors of the largest hall opened, and Harald the Titan, King of Elbaf, emerged. His beard was like a waterfall of silver; his eyes, sharp as stormlight.
Behind him, other giants stood guard — their presence alone enough to make the earth tremble.
"Xebec," Harald rumbled, voice carrying through the snow. "You still breathe. The gods truly have poor taste."
Rocks laughed, stepping forward. "Harald, you giant bastard! Still alive and uglier than ever!"
The two men — pirate and giant — laughed, their laughter booming like thunder.
The tension broke, and evenNewgate's lips twitched in amusement.
"Come," Harald said. "Drink with me. But if you've come for trouble, know that Elbaf bows to none."
Rocks grinned. "Just for a talk. About your sacred stone."
The laughter died instantly.
———
Inside the grand hall, torches flickered against walls carved with ancient runes.
At the center stood a massive slab of red stone — a poneglyph, its markings pulsing faintly under the torchlight.
Ada's breath caught. Even she, who didn't yet hear their voices, felt its presence — heavy, ancient, alive.
Rocks approached it slowly, almost reverently. "So this is it."
Rocks took a step forward, grin wide and wild. "So it's true. A poneglyph. But why red? The others we've seen were blue."
Harald's gaze turned toward the stone, his massive arms folding. "Because that one does not speak of history… it speaks of destination."
Ada tilted her head slightly. "Destination?"
Harald nodded, voice low and resonant — the kind of voice that felt older than the island itself.
"There are four of these red stones in all the world. Road Poneglyphs. Each bears part of a great map. Together, they mark the path to the world's end."
Rocks' grin widened, eyes gleaming with obsession. "A map… to the world's end, you say?"
The giant's expression hardened. "Yes. But no man has ever gathered them all. The seas themselves rebel against those who try."
Shiki whistled. "So it's true."
Rocks' grin widened. "I knew it wasn't a myth."
Harald's tone hardened. "And I knew you'd come for it one day. But I can't let you take it."
"Can't?" Rocks said, amusement in his voice. "Or won't?"
The air thickened. Even Newgate's hand drifted toward his weapon.
Harald raised one enormous hand. "It's not mine to give, Xebec. The stone is bound to this land by a promise older than our race."
Rocks stepped closer, his Conqueror's Haki crackling faintly. "You're telling me a piece of rock has rights?"
Harald didn't flinch. "I'm telling you that those who try to move it… never leave this island."
The wind outside howled, almost in warning. Ada glanced toward the entrance — the sky had turned gray, dark clouds swirling unnaturally fast.
"Rocks," she said quietly. "Something's not right."
He ignored her, placing a hand on the stone.
For a split second, the room went silent. Then — a pulse.
A deep, resonant thrum echoed from the stone, shaking the hall.
Cracks spidered through the floor where Rocks stood. Lightning split the sky outside, striking the mountain beyond.
Harald's voice boomed. "It rejects you!"
Rocks gritted his teeth, withdrawing his hand, blood running down his palm. "Heh. So it can bite back."
The torches flickered violently, then snuffed out all at once.
Even the Rocks Pirates went still.
From the darkness, Harald's voice came, calm but heavy. "This stone remembers oaths sworn in the Void Century. It cannot be moved by those who seek power — only by those who seek truth."
Rocks laughed, though the sound was edged with frustration. "Truth, power — what's the damn difference?"
He turned sharply, striding toward the exit. "Fine. Keep your rock, Harald. I'll find another way to uncover what the world hides."
As they left, the storm raged harder — thunder rolling like the voice of gods.
Ada lingered at the doorway, glancing once more at the crimson slab. Something about it called to her — faint, unfamiliar — but the voice remained silent, like a secret not yet ready to speak.
Harald's gaze softened. "That stone watches those who gaze upon it. One day, it may answer you."
Ada frowned. "Answer me?"
Harald only smiled. "You carry something the world will one day remember."
Rocks then turned sharply, black coat sweeping behind him. "Come, Ada! We've wasted enough time with fairytales."
Before she could reply, Rocks barked for her to move, and she followed — leaving behind Elbaf, the storm, and the whisper she couldn't yet hear.
End of Flashback
The sea stretched endlessly under the afternoon sun.
The crew listened in silence as Ada finished her story.
Roger and Rayleigh exchanged a glance before Roger spoke again, softly.
"You've never talked much about that time."
Ada's voice was steady, but distant. "There are some things that shouldn't be remembered. But… yes. I saw a red stone once. It was in Elbaf, deep within a temple guarded by giants. Rocks wanted it."
Rayleigh was the first to speak. "So Rocks couldn't take the poneglyph."
Ada nodded. "He tried. But something stopped him — something ancient. The giants said it was the will of the world itself."
Roger raised a brow, curiosity flickering in his eyes. "So that red stone… that's what we've been missing all along?"
Ada met his gaze, the wind tugging at her dark hair as she spoke — calm, certain, and almost reverent. "Yes. There are four of them — four stones unlike any of the others we've found."
The crew stilled. Even the waves seemed to hush for a moment.
"Four?" Roger repeated, interest glinting in his eyes.
Ada nodded again. "They're different — bright red, etched with paths rather than messages. They don't tell stories… they point the way. Harald, the King of giants from Elbaf, called them the Road Poneglyphs."
Rayleigh leaned forward. "Road Poneglyphs…"
Buggy blinked. "Wait, roads? Like maps?"
Ada smiled faintly. "Exactly. Each one marks a single point on the sea. Four points that, when connected, lead to the ends of the sea — a place no one's ever reached."
Roger's expression sharpened, his hand clenching over the rail. "The end of the Grand Line…"
Shanks grinned wide. "You mean the last island? The one no Log Pose can find?"
Ada nodded. "Lodestar wasn't the end, Roger. It was just a dead end — a marker that tells you you've come as far as man can sail without hearing the voice of history."
The words hung in the air. The sea breeze carried a hush over the deck as if the ocean itself was listening.
Roger exhaled slowly, a rare seriousness in his tone. "Four stones that lead to the final island."
Roger's grin then widened, eyes gleaming with adventure. "Heh. Then it's still there."
Ada gave him a sidelong glance. "You're not planning to—"
"Oh, I am," Roger interrupted, laughing. "The giants can yell all they want — I'll just ask nicely."
Rayleigh groaned. "You don't even know how to ask nicely."
Crocus exhaled smoke, amused. "And what if the stone rejects you, too?"
Roger's grin didn't falter. "Then it'll have to shout louder."
Ada chuckled softly. "You really are a fool."
Roger turned to her, his smile gentler now. "Maybe. But fools are the ones who change the world."
Ada looked away, hiding a small smile. "Then maybe it's time the world started changing again."
Roger's eyes then lit up with curiosity. "Elbaf, huh…"
Ada turned toward him. "You've heard the stories, haven't you? The land of warriors who never die, where even children can crush ships with their bare hands."
He grinned. "Sounds like my kind of place."
Rayleigh sighed. "Don't tell me you're planning to pick a fight with giants now."
Roger laughed, eyes shining. "Not fight. Ask. If one of those red stones is there, we'll need to find it."
Ada frowned slightly. "You can't just walk into Elbaf and ask for their greatest secret, Roger."
He tilted his head. "And yet, you think they'd talk to you, don't you?"
She didn't answer right away. The wind tugged at her hair. "Maybe. Giants value strength — but also truth. If they still remember the old world, maybe they'll speak to those who carry the will to hear it."
Roger's grin widened. "Then we'll go there. We'll find it."
Ada gave him a long look. "You're getting ahead of yourself, Roger. There's another one I know of — not red, but blue. Hidden in Hachinosu."
Rayleigh stiffened. "Pirate Island."
"The hive of scum, crime, and backstabbing," Gaban muttered from the deck. "Even for us, that's dangerous."
Ada nodded. "That's why it's there. No Marine or government dog would dare set foot on that island. Too many blades, too much chaos. The perfect place to hide something that's meant to be forgotten."
Roger folded his arms. "Then that's where we'll go first."
Rayleigh sighed. "You realize that's Rocks' old territory, right? Half the bastards who served under him still haunt that place."
Roger grinned wider. "Then we'll say hello to some old ghosts."
Ada smirked faintly. "You always did have a death wish."
He chuckled. "Nah. Just an adventure wish."
As the night fell, the ship rocked gently beneath a blanket of stars. The crew had quieted, their laughter dimmed by exhaustion.
Ada sat cross-legged near the railing, her gaze distant. The sea shimmered darkly, reflecting constellations like ancient runes.
Roger joined her again, pipe smoke curling into the air. "You've been thinking about them again — the stones."
Ada nodded slightly. "They feel closer somehow. Like we're getting near something that doesn't want to be found."
Roger smiled faintly. "Maybe it's not that it doesn't want to be found. Maybe it's waiting for someone worthy."
Ada turned to him. "And you think that's you?"
He laughed softly. "Maybe it's us."
Ada looked down, the faintest curve on her lips. "Then let's hope it's worth what it costs."
Roger's gaze softened, the stars reflecting in his eyes. "You sound like you already know the answer."
She didn't reply. Her fingers brushed the deck, and for a brief moment, she heard it again — that low hum beneath the wood, deep and ancient.
We remember.
She looked toward the horizon, where the wind carried whispers older than the world.
The wind picked up again as the stars began to fade into the pale light of dawn.
Roger leaned on the helm, eyes forward. "Next stop — Hachinosu."
Ada stood beside him, her hair whipping in the wind. "And after that?"
He smiled, wide and fearless. "After that, Elbaf. And beyond that…" He trailed off, his voice softening with awe. "The end of the world."
Ada watched him for a moment. Then, quietly —
"Let's hope it's ready for us."
Rayleigh's voice called from the deck below. "Roger, you planning to greet every monster in the New World before breakfast?"
Roger threw his head back and laughed. "If that's what it takes!"
The crew erupted in cheers as the Oro Jackson's sails filled once more, cutting toward the horizon.
And somewhere deep beneath the sea, a voice whispered —
The world begins to remember.