Smoke and thunder cloaked Galzburg Island as the Oro Jackson grounded against its shore, its black sails billowing like wings of shadow.
All around, the sky burned orange — ten Marine warships encircling the island, cannons roaring in relentless rhythm.
Ada stood calmly, wind rippling her red dress.
Each explosion reflected in her crimson eyes — distant, unimpressed.
Mihawk stepped beside her, sword resting casually on his shoulder.
"They're firing without hesitation. Typical Marines."
The air itself trembled.
"Too Noisy"
Ada's dress fluttered behind her as she stepped onto the ashen sand. Her crimson eyes scanned the horizon — line after line of Marine ships, their decks lit by the flare of cannons.
Mihawk landed beside her, sword drawn, his expression calm but sharp.
"Ten ships. At least two thousand men. Quite the welcome."
Ada exhaled softly, brushing soot from her shoulder.
"They're a bother," she murmured. "Far too noisy."
Her fingers brushed the pistol holstered at her side crafted from a strong metal alloy and etched with the same markings as her Devil Fruit.
Mihawk tilted his head. "Planning to shoot them all down?"
Ada smiled faintly. "Something like that."
She stepped forward, planting one heel into the ground. A pulse of black lightning crackled around her — Conqueror's Haki bleeding into the air like a living thing.
The Marines froze. Even Sakazuki paused mid-step, magma dripping from his hand.
The Marines on the nearest ship saw the motion — and froze.
"She's— she's aiming this way!"
"That woman… her face— I've seen her wanted poster!"
"Are you blind!? That's Nyx D. Ada! A crew mate of the Pirate King!"
The Vice Admiral's face turned white. "All marine—! FOCUS FIRE! SHE MUST NOT—"
Ada's eyes gleamed red.
"Pierce cannon…"
She drew her pistol in one motion, Haki coating the barrels in shimmering black and violet.
"…Ecliptic Annihilation."
She fired.
The bullets didn't arc — they screamed through the sky, glowing lines of destruction that pierced the horizon itself.
The recoil shook the ship — not from force, but from the sheer pressure of her will.
A glowing projectile of pure violet energy streaked across the horizon.
SHOOOOOM—!!
The projectile didn't follow the cannonballs — they ignored gravity. They tore through the air like lightning given purpose, slicing through ship after ship.
Each impact erupted in light.
BOOOOOOM!
Explosions tore through the sea, columns of fire reaching toward the heavens.
Shockwaves rippled across the waves — massive walls of water surging out in every direction.
The surviving Marines were thrown to the deck, clutching whatever they could grab.
"What— what the hell is that power!?"
"She didn't even use a cannon!"
"She just— pointed her gun and the ship exploded!"
The Vice Admiral, his hat torn by the wind, stared in disbelief as one battleship after another vanished into flame.
"That's no pistol… that's Haki Manifestation!"
His words were lost to the roar of the sea as the final blast hit.
BOOOOOOOOOOOM—!
The flagship erupted into a storm of splintered wood and molten metal. The shockwave flattened the clouds, and the ocean itself seemed to fall silent.
In a single instant, every warship within sight erupted into pillars of flame.
Wood shattered, iron melted, and the sea boiled as ten Marine ships were erased — their remains raining down in molten fragments.
When the smoke cleared, the only sound left was the crackle of burning debris and the quiet rush of waves.
Mihawk lowered his sword slightly, unimpressed but clearly intrigued.
"Remind me never to stand in front of your line of fire."
Ada holstered the pistol, her expression unreadable.
"Now it's quiet enough to talk."
——————
Moments Later
Smoke rolled over the water like a living fog.
What remained of the Marine fleet drifted in pieces — burning planks, shattered masts, and stunned survivors clinging to debris.
The silence that followed was almost deafening.
Crackle… hiss…
Only the sound of fire and the gentle lap of the tide remained.
One Marine Ensign, face pale and covered in soot, stared at the dark silhouette of the Oro Jackson gliding through the wreckage.
"She— she destroyed everything… with just one shot."
Another soldier coughed beside him, voice trembling. "That's why the Navy never caught her… she's a monster."
"No," the Vice Admiral said hoarsely, hauling himself up on the wreck of his command post. "She's worse than that. She's the storm the Pirate King left behind."
They watched in silence as the Oro Jackson's sails caught the light of the fires.
Across the blackened sea, the words painted on the tattered canvas gleamed faintly — NYX D. ADA.
And beneath it, a new symbol — a skull with a crescent moon.
"She's… started her own flag…" the Ensign whispered.
The Vice Admiral clenched his jaw. "Get this report to Marineford immediately. Nyx D. Ada started her own crew"
His gaze lingered on the fading shape of the ship.
"God help us all."
—————-
From the ruined battlefield ahead, Douglas Bullet was laughing again — a deep, booming laugh that echoed through the ruins.
"HAHAHA! Damn! You really are something else, woman! No wonder the Marines look pale at your name!"
He slammed his fists together, veins bulging. The ground cracked beneath his feet.
"I was starting to get bored. Now this is getting fun!"
Sakazuki scowled, magma bubbling around his fists. "Both of you are criminals. This island will be your grave!"
Mihawk stepped forward, resting Yoru on his shoulder. His tone was casual, but his presence sliced through the tension.
"Leave him to me, Ada. I'll keep him busy."
Ada gave a small nod. "Don't kill him. He's still young — and we'll need a future to sharpen our blades on."
Mihawk smirked faintly. "Understood."
He stepped past her, meeting Sakazuki's glare with cool, golden eyes. The air between them shimmered — the promise of a duel that could split the sea itself.
Then, without a word, they vanished — a flash of magma and a streak of steel colliding across the shoreline.
The sound of their clash thundered through the island.
That left Ada and Bullet.
He was massive up close — a living mountain of muscle, sweat, and fury. Each breath he took steamed the air.
"So," he growled, cracking his knuckles, "you came all this way to recruit me? You're either the bravest woman alive or the dumbest."
"Neither," she said. "I'm just someone who doesn't waste potential."
Ada stopped a few paces away, eyes half-lidded, voice cool.
"I didn't expect to find you surrounded by Marines, Bullet. You've made quite the mess."
Bullet grinned, his metal plates shifting with a clang.
"Mess? I call it training. Who the hell are you to tell me otherwise?"
Mihawk's voice echoed from the battlefield, sword gleaming. "Show some respect. You're in the presence of your superior."
Bullet laughed — a deep, mocking sound. "Superior? Don't make me laugh, kid."
Ada's expression didn't change.
"Enough talk."
Ada tilted her head slightly.
Bullet grinned, showing teeth.
"Then let's see if I've got what you're looking for!"
Bullet launched forward, the ground shattering beneath his feet. His fist, wrapped in Armament Haki, roared through the air like a cannonball aimed straight for Ada's head.
But Ada didn't move.
Her right arm came up — and with a single effortless motion, she caught his punch.
CRACK!
The air imploded. The impact sent ripples through the smoke, dust spiraling outward in concentric rings.
Bullet's eyes widened. "What—!?"
Ada's expression remained unreadable, her golden eyes glowing faintly.
"Your Haki is strong… but it lacks discipline."
She tightened her grip — metal creaked under her fingers.
Bullet roared and tried to pull back, but she didn't let go. Her free hand rose slowly, her pistol already forming with faint violet energy.
"Pierce Style—"
SHOOM!
"Astral Break."
She fired point-blank.
A surge of light erupted between them — a massive column of violet energy that tore upward into the sky, piercing through the clouds and splitting them apart.
BAAAAAANG!
Bullet was sent hurtling back, smashing through the remains of a Marine fortress wall and leaving a crater dozens of meters wide.
BOOOOOOM!
The shockwave rolled through the island.
Mihawk shielded his eyes, his coat flapping violently in the wind.
"…I see now why the Marines fear her name so much."
——————-
The few surviving Marines could only stare in horror from the wreckage.
"She— she caught his punch…"
"With one hand…"
"And then— she just erased him from the battlefield!"
The Vice Admiral from earlier fell to his knees, voice trembling. "That's… that's not human. That's the will of the Pirate King's era itself!"
—————
Before Bullet could react — Ada vanished.
She reappeared beside him, twisting her body in a fluid, deadly motion.
Her right hand shimmered with violet energy.
"Pierce Strike!"
The impact slammed into his ribs, sending him flying through the wreckage of the battlefield.
He landed hard, coughing blood — but still laughing.
"HAHAHA! That's the spirit! No wonder you sailed with Roger!"
Ada approached slowly, her dress trailing smoke.
"Roger taught me to laugh," she said softly. "But Rocks taught me how to end wars."
Bullet's grin widened. "Then end me!"
He got back up and stomped the ground, and with a roar, his Haki flared — a crimson aura that cracked the earth like glass.
"Breaker Impact!"
His entire body launched forward in a blur, faster than his size should allow. Ada crossed her arms in an X, Haki coating her skin like armor.
The collision sent a shockwave through the sky.
Mountains shattered. The ocean split in two directions.
For a moment, neither moved. Then Ada exhaled slowly, and the air rippled around her hand.
"Pierce Flow: Celestial Divide."
A thin, blinding slash of violet light shot from her fingertips — not physical, but pure force. It cut through Bullet's momentum, carving a trench through the ground behind him.
He stumbled, panting, then straightened with a slow grin.
"…You're strong."
Ada didn't answer. She lowered her hands.
"You fight like the world's already your enemy."
"It is," Bullet spat. "Every man's his own war!"
Ada stepped closer, her voice dropping to a calm whisper.
"Then fight with that war. Not against it."
He frowned. "What the hell are you saying?"
"I'm saying the seas are changing," Ada said, looking up at the dark clouds forming above them. "Roger's words woke the world. The World Government will tighten its grip, and pirates will tear each other apart chasing a dream they don't understand."
She looked at him directly, eyes burning gold.
"I intend to make sure the ones who find that treasure — or what's beyond it — are strong enough to survive it."
Bullet was silent for a long moment. The wind howled.
Then he laughed again — quieter this time, but genuine.
"You really think you can change this world?"
Ada smiled faintly. "Not alone. That's why I'm offering you a place beside me."
—————
Across the Battlefield
While they spoke, Mihawk and Sakazuki's duel raged across the northern shore.
Magma and steel collided in showers of sparks. Each swing of Yoru sent waves slicing through molten rock. Each punch from Sakazuki made the sea boil.
"You pirates are a disease." Sakazuki shouted between blows. "spreading chaos wherever you go!"
Mihawk deflected another magma fist, his coat unburned.
"You talk too much for someone who bleeds every time he swings."
He twisted, blade flashing.
"Crescent Sever."
The slash split the ground, carving a molten scar into the sand. Sakazuki leapt back, breathing hard, magma dripping from his arm.
Then —
BOOM!
A single, deafening gunshot echoed across the chaos.
The entire Marine outpost behind Sakazuki erupted in a blinding violet explosion, shattering steel and stone in an instant.
Both men froze.
The Marines who had been shouting commands turned toward the coast — eyes wide, breath caught.
Through the smoke and dust, a figure approached, her coat whipping in the heated wind.
Ada.
She walked through the smoldering ruins, her rifle lowered at her side, faint wisps of violet Haki energy spiraling off the barrel like smoke.
Ada stopped a few paces away from the crater where Mihawk and Sakazuki stood. Her crimson eyes glinted coldly beneath the rising embers.
"All this destruction," she said flatly, "for what? A title? A name? You Marines really love making noise."
Sakazuki's expression twisted into a scowl. "You dare interfere, pirate? You think this world needs your kind again?"
Ada raised her rifle slightly, the barrel glowing brighter with a soft hum — vrmmm.
"I think," she said coolly, "you're in my way."
With a sharp motion, she pulled the trigger.
BANG!
A streak of violet light flashed across the field and the remains of the Marine fortress behind Sakazuki disintegrated, the shockwave flattening everything for miles. The sound hit a second later, a deafening roar that rattled even Mihawk's stance.
The island itself seemed to roar beneath the force.
The surviving Marines screamed, clutching their ears.
"She destroyed the base—again?!"
"One shot! Just one shot—!"
"Retreat! She's a monster!"
The surviving officers scrambled toward the coast, shouting orders that were drowned beneath the roar of collapsing stone.
Mihawk exhaled quietly, sheathing his sword. "Took you long enough," he said dryly.
Ada's gaze didn't leave Sakazuki. "You're too soft," she replied. "You were supposed to finish this before I had to get involved."
Sakazuki's magma hissed and cooled, his fury restrained only by disbelief. "You… you were with Roger."
Ada tilted her head slightly. "I was with two captains before I became my own."
The Vice Admiral clenched his fists, magma dripping between his fingers. "You pirates… will bring nothing but ruin."
Ada turned away, uninterested. "Maybe," she said softly. "But we'll change the world before we do."
She slung her rifle over her shoulder and walked toward Mihawk.
Behind them, the Marine flag burned, collapsing into ash.
——————-
When the smoke cleared, the Marines were gone — retreating in burning ships, their morale shattered.
Sakazuki stood on the last remaining stretch of blackened sand, magma simmering but fading, glaring at Ada and Mihawk across the distance.
"This isn't over," he hissed. "You'll regret crossing the Navy."
Ada's gaze was calm, cold. "If I ever regret anything, it won't be this."
Sakazuki turned, calling for evacuation. Within minutes, the remaining Marine ships disappeared into the horizon, leaving the island silent once more.
—————-
Bullet slumped against a shattered cannon, blood streaking his jaw as he looked up at Ada.
"You're insane," he said, a faint grin tugging at his lips. "But I like that."
He gritted his teeth, standing slowly. "You're not like the others…"
Ada's gaze flicked to him, cold and measured.
"No. I'm the one who survived them."
Bullet smirked despite the blood on his lip. "Heh… I like that."
Mihawk landed lightly beside Ada, crossing his arms. "So? Is this the man you were after?"
Ada holstered one pistol, her voice as calm as ever.
"Yes. Douglas Bullet. The Demon Heir."
She turned to him again, the faintest smirk touching her lips.
"You've got power… and rage. The question is whether you can control either."
Bullet tilted his head, his glare softening into interest.
"Control, huh? And what if I can't?"
Ada's crimson eyes gleamed.
"Then I'll break you until you can."
For a long moment, Bullet stared — then threw his head back and laughed.
"HAH! Fine! Let's see if the Pirate King's ghost can tame a demon!"
Ada raised a brow. "Does that mean you're in?"
He smirked. "I'll sail with you — until I find someone stronger."
Mihawk sheathed Yoru with a faint metallic click. "You might be waiting a while."
Bullet grinned wider. "Then I guess I'll get stronger."
Ada smiled softly — a rare, fleeting expression.
"Welcome aboard, Douglas Bullet. You'll fit right in."
She turned toward the sea. The setting sun painted the sky in blood-red hues, reflecting off the ruined island.
Her hand rested on the railing of the Oro Jackson.
"The world is watching," she said quietly. "Let them see what comes next."
Mihawk stepped beside her. "And what would that be?"
Ada's eyes gleamed crimson under the fading light.
"The dawn that follows night."
As the wind carried the scent of gunpowder and salt, the Nyx Pirates — now three strong — raised their new flag high.
From the wreckage of the old world, something new had begun to rise.
And somewhere beyond the horizon, the seas began to whisper a new name.
"The Nyx Pirates….."