High in the sky, a massive island cloud drifted through the open air at a speed no ordinary cloud could match. It cut across the heavens with purpose, its movements swift and deliberate. This wasn't a natural weather phenomenon—this was Zino's solid cloud, one of his elemental creations, crafted for long-distance aerial travel.
Atop the island cloud, the remaining members of the Orca Pirates—those who hadn't chosen to travel to Mermaid Island—stood or sat as the wind whipped past them. Beneath their feet, the soft surface of the cloud gave a surreal but stable footing.
They weren't heading toward the traditional route into the New World. Instead, their cloud was veering off-course, flying toward the Calm Belt.
"So… what exactly are we doing?" Stev asked as he glanced toward Zino.
Zino stood at the cloud's edge, his gaze focused on the horizon. "We are crossing the Red Line by the sky route," he stated.
"Then why start at the Calm Belt?" Stev asked.
"Because Zino's avoiding Mary Geoise, you idiot!" Nami snapped. "That area is heavily patrolled by the Marines. This route is unmonitored."
"Right," Stev realized. "We're using the mountain's blind spot."
Before long, Zino had guided the floating cloud island close to the towering wall of the Red Line. As the massive crimson cliffs stretched endlessly into the sky, a thought stirred in his mind. He turned to glance at Crocodile, who stood near the edge of the cloud, arms folded.
"Do you want to learn Haki?" Zino asked casually.
Crocodile raised an eyebrow. "Why do you ask?"
"I've found the perfect place for you to train," Zino replied with a slight grin.
Without waiting for a response, Zino steered the cloud lower, guiding it toward a jagged section of the cliff where there was a natural recess large enough to stand on. Once there, he anchored the cloud against the Red Line, allowing the crew to step onto the rocky ledge.
"Alright," Zino said, stepping off the cloud and onto the rough terrain. "This will be your training ground, Crocodile. I want you to awaken your Haki here."
Crocodile narrowed his eyes, glancing around. "Here? What do you mean?"
Zino pointed at the vast cliff face. "Your task is simple—start tunneling through this wall. Go as deep as you can."
Crocodile looked confused. "Dig a tunnel? That's it? You know I can turn stone into sand with ease. This hardly feels like a challenge."
Zino gave him a knowing look. "Oh really? You think it's that easy? Alright then. Let me see how you do it."
Crocodile stepped forward, placing his hand on the surface of the Red Line cliff.
"Ground Secco."
He activated his power, expecting the rock to dry and crumble into sand. But nothing happened.
His brow furrowed. "...What?"
Despite Crocodile's efforts, the rock remained stubbornly firm. His attack had left only a few small holes the size of his palms, barely a few centimeters deep in the colossal Red Line cliff face.
"Is this some kind of natural seastone?" he asked, suspicious.
"Nope," Zino replied, shaking his head. "You're not feeling weak, are you?"
Crocodile frowned and slowly nodded. He didn't feel the usual draining effect of seastone.
"This cliff isn't made of Seastone, but it's insanely dense and durable. Your standard powers won't work easily here." Zino said, eyeing the vast rock face. "That's why I brought you to this exact spot. I want you to push your sand abilities to the limit, and in the process, awaken your Haki."
Crocodile stared silently, then said, "So this is your idea of training?"
"Exactly," Zino nodded. "Let me show you what I mean."
Zino raised his hand and activated the same technique. "Ground Secco."
In contrast to Crocodile, his hand glowed faintly with Armament Haki, infused into the sand-based technique. As his palm touched the wall, a chunk of the Red Line cliff cracked and crumbled—far deeper than Crocodile's attempt.
Crocodile's eyes widened slightly. He glanced between the shallow mark he made and the deep gash created by Zino.
"My ability is the Nomu Nomu no Mi," Zino explained. "I can swallow and control elemental abilities. I've swallowed your sand, and I can replicate your techniques. Although my control over sand is not as strong as yours, my output is way better and enhanced thanks to Haki."
He paused and looked Crocodile directly in the eyes. "Haki is a force multiplier. Even if I mimic your signature sand abilities, you should be the one who executes them best. But right now, I have the edge because I've awakened my Haki. So awaken yours, and reclaim your superiority."
Crocodile clenched his jaw, turning back toward the cliff.
Wordlessly, he raised his hand again.
And with a deeper sense of focus, he began carving a hole into the unyielding wall of the Red Line—one handful of sand at a time.
...
Two days later.
Deep inside a tunnel carved into the unforgiving red cliff of the Red Line, Crocodile looked utterly worn out. His eyes were bloodshot, his clothes dirtied with fine dust, and his breath was heavy. For two full days, he hadn't rested, eaten, or even paused. His body ached, and his energy was all but drained—but his determination never wavered.
He stood at the edge of the tunnel he had painstakingly carved with his bare hands and elemental power. Every inch of progress had pushed him closer to the brink of exhaustion. But there was only one thing on his mind:
"Please… awaken…" he muttered through gritted teeth.
He placed his palm on the cliff wall one more time. His fingers trembled from fatigue. Yet, just as he was about to collapse, something strange happened—a different sensation spread through his hand. It wasn't just power, but clarity, as if his body suddenly understood something it had been missing.
Driven by instinct, he activated his ability again.
"Ground Secco!"
His hand pressed into the cliff.
Crack—!
To his shock, the dense red cliff crumbled away deeper than ever before. The rock seemed to yield before him like never before, as if responding to a new force within him.
Crocodile's eyes widened. A shaky smile formed on his face.
"…I did it…"
And with that, his body gave out. He collapsed to the ground, hungry, dizzy, and exhausted, yet strangely fulfilled. The sensation of success washed over him like cool rain.
But he didn't stop there.
Even while lying on the ground, he forced himself to repeat the process, again and again—memorizing the sensation, the inner shift, the subtle focus that allowed him to channel this new power. Through repetition, he learned to recall the exact moment when the power flowed through his hand. With each try, the connection grew stronger.
At the tunnel's entrance, Zino watched quietly, a small smile tugging at his lips. He then headed in, approaching the sand guy.
"Congratulations," Zino finally said. "You've awakened your Armament Haki. That was the breakthrough you needed."
Crocodile sat up, breathing heavily, but the fire in his eyes had returned. "So… it finally happened."
Zino reached out a hand to help him up. "Come on. We're done here."
The two of them began walking back through the tunnel, lit only by a small crackling ball of lightning dancing on Zino's fingertip, illuminating their path. As they walked, Crocodile noticed something strange.
"…The tunnel's clean. There's no sand."
Zino chuckled lightly. "I swallowed all of it."
Crocodile raised a skeptical eyebrow. After a moment of silence, a genuinely curious look crossed his face as he asked, "How does your Swallow-Swallow ability actually work, anyway?"
"It's simple," Zino replied. "I swallow elemental substances. Once I've fully mastered one, I can control it completely… even become it."
Crocodile clicked his tongue. "That's… really a broken ability."
Zino nodded. "It is. But it's also difficult. There's a Devil Fruit similar to mine—Baku Baku no Mi—the Munch Munch Fruit. It can also absorb and mix powers. But the user has to truly focus on mastering each element individually, or they'll never reach this level."
Crocodile was silent for a moment. Then he asked, "If that's the case, why did you say earlier that your control over sand is weaker than mine?"
Zino smiled. "Because I didn't dedicate enough time to train with sand. I focused more on other elements—Air, Lightning, and Ice. I can already transform into Air and Lightning. Ice will come soon."
Hearing that, Crocodile couldn't help but feel a twinge of jealousy. Zino's ability was unbelievably versatile. But he also understood—mastery like that didn't come for free. It required intense training, deep concentration, and unwavering resolve.
"…So even with your power," Crocodile muttered, "you still have to work your way up, one element at a time."
Zino gave a nod. "Exactly. It's not just about power—it's about how you use it."
Crocodile clenched his fists, his expression unreadable. Deep inside, a quiet resolve had taken root. He would keep training—refining his sand abilities and mastering Haki to its fullest. Zino had shown him a glimpse of what was possible. Now, it was up to him to chase it.
Before long, the two of them reached the edge of the cloud island, where the rest of the crew had been waiting for two full days. Some were lying around, bored; others were idly chatting, clearly restless from the delay.
"There you are!" Binko called out. "We were about to form a search party!"
Zino just smiled. Without saying much, he resumed control of the cloud, and the massive floating island slowly began to rise into the sky once again. This time, the destination was clear: over the Redline and into the New World.
The higher the cloud rose, the clearer the immense scale of the Redline became. It stretched out across the horizon like a blood-colored scar on the world, its mountainous ridges towering above everything. As they soared above it, a thought struck Zino.
Are there people living on this massive landmass?*
The Redline resembled the Grand Line in its endless stretch—but while the Grand Line was ocean and dotted with islands, the Redline was solid land. If islands could exist along the Grand Line, then surely the Redline must hold hidden civilizations or forgotten territories. The idea sparked a flicker of curiosity deep within him.
Maybe one day… I'll explore this place, he thought silently, his eyes scanning the unending cliffs.
But now wasn't the time. He brushed aside the intrigue and focused once again on guiding the cloud island. Thanks to its speed, it didn't take long for them to bypass the colossal landmass. Soon, the endless red cliffs gave way to the familiar view of the Calm Belt—and beyond that, the New World.
Zino's eyes narrowed as he spotted the vast ocean spreading out below them.
They had arrived.
"We're here," he said with a small grin.
With a shift of his control, he began lowering the cloud. They descended gradually until they hovered just above the calm waters. Then, Zino tilted the island, allowing their ship—the Silent Orca—to slide gently down into the sea of the New World.
Splash!
The ship landed smoothly. The crew quickly boarded, excitement buzzing in the air.
"Welcome to the New World," Zino declared.
There was a moment of silence, followed by cheers and eager smiles. For many of them, this was a milestone—uncharted territory filled with danger, opportunity, and legend.
Among the crew, Chloris and Moris stood near the railing, their expressions more emotional than the rest. Unlike others, the New World wasn't just a new destination for them—it was a return.
"Brother… we're getting close to home," Chloris said softly, glancing at her twin.
Moris nodded, his gaze distant as he looked out over the rolling sea. "Yeah. It's been a long time."
They stood side by side, silent, as the sea breeze blew past them.
Soon. We'll go back.