The sea around Hachinosu boiled with thunder and mist. The island looked like a carcass of stone and rot — jagged cliffs, blackened fortresses, and a thousand ships docked in its jagged bays. Even from afar, the Oro Jackson's crew could hear the din of drunken brawls and gunfire.
Pirates laughed, screamed, and died every night here — a haven for the lawless, a graveyard for the weak.
Roger stood at the ship's prow, the wind slapping his red captain's coat. His grin was wide, bright as the stormlight flashing across the waves.
Roger stood at the bow, his grin wide. "It's been a long time since we paid this pit a visit."
Roger's grin stretched wide. "Just like I remember it! A paradise for scoundrels."
Rayleigh adjusted his glasses, calm as ever. "You're not seriously thinking of sneaking in, are you?"
"Sneak?" Roger threw his head back and laughed. "Nah! We're announcing ourselves!"
Shanks and Buggy exchanged panicked looks.
"Announce—?!" Buggy yelped. "That's suicide!"
"Suicide," Shanks said, sighing, "or a normal Tuesday with the captain."
Ada stood near the bow, her long coat whipping in the wind, her eyes fixed on the distant cliffs. The air around her seemed to hum — a low, ancient vibration that made the sea itself shiver.
Ada's cloak billowed beside them, her eyes sharp, scanning the coast. "The poneglyph is here — somewhere underground, beneath the old fortress. We'll need to move fast before the others notice us."
Shanks leaned on the railing. "Others?"
Rayleigh looked at her sidelong. "You mean the Rocks remnants?"
She nodded. "Some of them never left after God Valley. They rebuilt this pit for themselves. And if they recognize me…"
Roger's grin didn't fade. "Then they'll remember who beat them last time."
Ada shot him a look. "You didn't beat Rocks, Roger. You just survived him."
Roger barked a laugh. "Surviving's half the victory!"
—————-
"CANNONS — READY!" Gaban shouted.
The first volley hit the outer docks like thunder, tearing through ships and splintering masts. Fire erupted across the harbor as pirates screamed and scattered.
"THE ROGER PIRATES?!"
"THAT'S ROGER'S FLAG!"
"AND THAT WOMAN— ?!"
The name spread through the chaos like wildfire.
"ADA! THE CRIMSON SHADOW!"
Fear took hold of most — old men who had once sailed under Rocks' banner. Many dropped their weapons the instant they saw her, trembling as she stepped onto the burning shore.
The pirates of the island scattered — all except one.
At the highest terrace of the fortress stood a massive man, arms folded, watching the chaos below. His hair was streaked gold, his chest tattooed with the Rocks insignia. The air around him crackled with Hakk, warping the ground beneath his feet.
"Brannew the Iron Jaw," Ada murmured. "I should've guessed he'd be the one squatting here."
Rayleigh's brow furrowed. "One of Rocks' top enforcers. Thought he died at God Valley."
"Not dead," Ada said coldly. "Just too stubborn to accept he lost."
Roger leapt down beside her, his sword drawn, his laughter booming across the island. "BWAHAHAHA! Let's stretch our legs, boys!"
Rayleigh smirked as he followed, blades gleaming. "You always pick the loud way."
Buggy clung to the ship's rail, pale as a ghost. "We're doomed. Absolutely doomed."
Shanks grinned. "You say that every time."
"Let's get what we came for," he said finally, his tone all command now. "Rayleigh, Gaban, Ada — with me. The rest, hold and guard the ship."
The fortress was crumbling stone and shadow — torches flickered in the halls, and the air hummed with voices, too many to count.
They slipped through the corridors like ghosts. Roger's laughter echoed quietly, even as Ada glared at him to stay quiet.
As they reached the base of the fortress, Brannew jumped down, landing with a shockwave that cracked the stone. His eyes burned as he looked at her.
Then his voice cut through the air — deep, mocking, familiar.
"Well, I'll be damned. I didn't think I'd ever see you again."
Ada froze. The footsteps that followed were heavy, deliberate. From the darkness stepped a massive man — scarred, half his face burned, but unmistakable.
"Brannew," Ada muttered, her hand brushing the hilt of her blade. "You survived."
He grinned, teeth yellowed. "Survived? I thrived. Rocks might've fallen, but I didn't. And you—" he sneered, eyes narrowing "—you abandoned him. Ran off with that fool Roger."
Roger's laughter filled the chamber again, easy and wild. "You say that like it's a bad thing!"
Brannew ignored him, his gaze fixed on Ada. "You don't belong here, girl. This is my territory."
Ada's voice stayed cold. "I walk where I please."
"Not today."
The air crackled. The ground split as Brannew lunged forward, his arm coated in thick black Haki, the air whistling with the force of his punch.
Ada didn't flinch.
Ada didn't move — not until the last instant. Her palm rose, catching his fist mid-swing. The impact thundered through the room, sending dust and shards of stone flying.
Roger and the others staggered back from the shockwave.
Brannew's grin faltered. He tried to push forward, veins bulging in his arm — but Ada didn't move.
"You've gotten weaker," she said quietly.
"Don't—" he snarled, but the rest of his words were lost in the roar that followed.
"You haven't changed," she said coldly. "Still all noise."
Her other hand shimmered — Dark violet energy spiraled around Ada's arm, coiling up like fire drawn by her heartbeat. The air vibrated. For a brief second, the shadows seemed to bend toward her — pulled in by something ancient, hungry.
"Let me remind you," she whispered, her voice cold, "why Rocks chose me."
She drove her palm into his chest — the explosion of force shattered the floor beneath them. A shockwave rippled through the fortress, tearing through walls and sending debris into the air.
The blast was instant.
A wave of compressed energy erupted from the point of impact, splitting the floor, walls, and ceiling in a single motion. The fortress shuddered — and then collapsed inward. Dust, debris, and bodies fell in every direction as the air filled with fire and shockwaves.
When the smoke cleared, Brannew lay buried beneath half a wall, unmoving.
Gaban whistled low. "Well, that was quick."
Roger whistled low, brushing the dust from his coat. "Remind me never to make you angry."
Ada lowered her arm, smoke curling from her fingertips. "You already do that just by talking."
Rayleigh smirked. "She's not wrong."
They moved quickly after that — deeper into the ruins, through shattered halls and dark corridors that still bore the marks of Rocks' empire.
Ada traced the air near it, the faint hum echoing in her bones. "The voice is faint… but it's here."
The air grew colder as they descended. The smell of the sea mixed with something older — stone, time, memory.
At last, they entered a wide chamber illuminated only by Ada's lantern.
And there it was.
A massive blue monolith, standing silently in the center of the room. The walls around it were scorched, as if someone had tried — and failed — to destroy it.
Roger stepped closer, his grin faltering into quiet reverence. "So it's true…"
Ada approached slowly, the hum beneath her skin returning stronger than ever. The stone sang to her — not words, but echoes, like faint voices buried deep in the earth.
Her breath caught. "It's the same voice as the one in Alabasta… but quieter. Older."
Gaban crouched near the base, examining the surface. "The craftsmanship's identical to the other poneglyphs. Thousands of years old. Not a single crack."
Roger tilted his head. "Then it's time we make our copy."
Rayleigh nodded, already setting up the parchment and ink. "We'll make a rubbing and get out the island."
As Rayleigh worked, Roger looked over his shoulder. "So this was Rocks' secret, huh? A poneglyph right under his base?"
Ada's expression softened . "He never understood it. He only saw power, not purpose. He wanted to claim the stones, not hear them."
Roger smirked. "Then maybe that's what separates fools from legends."
She looked at him. "Or perhaps just one kind of fool from another."
He laughed, loud and unrestrained, echoing against the stone walls.
Then the roar came.
A tremor rolled through the floor — the unmistakable sound of dozens of pirates rushing toward the chamber.
Rayleigh cursed. "They're coming."
Roger's grin returned, fierce and eager. "Good! Let's give them a show!"
Ada sighed, flicking dust from her sleeve. "You're impossible."
He winked. "That's why you like me."
She said nothing — but her faint smirk said enough.
Ada turned back once, her gaze lingering on the fallen Brannew — and the shattered crest of Rocks carved into the stone behind him.
"The old age is gone," she murmured. "Time for a new one."
Roger's laughter answered her, wild and free. "Then let's make it a good one!"
————
By the time they reached the surface, the fortress was burning. Smoke and chaos filled the night as pirates swarmed the courtyard, shouting names and curses.
"IT'S ROGER!"
"ADA'S HERE TOO!"
"DON'T LET THEM ESCAPE!"
Cannon fire erupted, turning the docks into a battlefield.
Roger leaped from a crumbling wall, laughing as he cut through a dozen pirates in one swing. "BWAHAHAHA! It's been years since I've had this kind of fun!"
Rayleigh parried a strike beside him, smirking. "Your idea of fun always gets us nearly killed."
Gaban shouted from behind them, "The ship's ready! Move!"
Ada, her hair singed and eyes glowing faintly, raised her hand — a wave of black-violet energy crashing outward, scattering their attackers. The sea exploded as the Oro Jackson broke free from the docks, sails snapping in the wind.
The island burned behind them, fire licking the horizon as cannon shots faded into the distance.
Roger leaned against the rail, still grinning like a madman. "Hachinosu, huh? I almost missed it."
Ada gave him a flat look. "You're impossible to satisfy."
"True," he said cheerfully. "But admit it — you enjoyed that."
She turned away, hiding a faint smile. "Maybe."
And with that, the Oro Jackson set sail again — the storm over Hachinosu raging behind them, the path ahead brighter than ever.