The Grand Line was never quiet. Even on a still morning, the ocean whispered of blood and ambition.
Darius D. Xebec stood at the helm of his black ship, eyes locked on the far-off horizon. Beneath him, the waves churned around the jagged hull like they feared him—as if the sea itself remembered his bloodline.
He hadn't slept. Not because of unrest, but because he couldn't afford to. Not until the world knew he existed. Not until the fire of Rocks D. Xebec returned in full force.
He stared at the horizon.
"Soon," he murmured. "They'll all remember."
---
East Blue – Dawn Island
The news hit like thunder.
"Rocks… had a son?!" Makino's voice trembled as she read the newspaper.
In Foosha Village, the local tavern fell silent as people gathered around the headline:
"Son of Rocks D. Xebec Appears—Cipher Pol Facility Destroyed"
Monkey D. Garp crushed a coffee cup in his hand when he read the article.
"That damn bloodline... just won't stay buried."
Luffy, far from there, likely hadn't seen it yet—but the whole world would soon.
---
Marine HQ – Emergency Summit
Fleet Admiral Sakazuki stood in front of a projection Den Den Mushi.
"The boy has declared himself," he said with fire bubbling in his voice. "Darius D. Xebec. Confirmed DNA match. Survived off-grid. Destroyed one of our facilities. Took something from Vault 66."
Tsuru looked grim. "It wasn't just destruction—it was surgical. He didn't just burn the place. He erased data, took Void Century records, and freed prisoners. He's not just powerful—he's smart."
Kizaru clicked his tongue lazily. "So... the son of the most dangerous pirate in history... and he's not even reckless?"
The room fell into a tense silence.
Sakazuki growled, "Issue a global bounty. Class-1 threat. Blacklist priority."
A young officer raised his hand nervously. "Sir... What name do we give him?"
Sakazuki's glare could melt steel.
"Call him what he is. The Second Coming of Xebec."
---
Meanwhile — South Blue, Island of Suen
Smoke spiraled into the sky as a Marine outpost burned.
Darius stood in the wreckage, the firelight dancing across his crimson and gold eyes. Bodies lay crumpled—unconscious, not dead. Not yet.
At his feet, a surviving Marine captain spat blood. "You... You're nothing like your father… He would've killed us all."
Darius knelt beside him, eyes steady. "And where did that get him?"
He stood and turned toward the vault. He wasn't here for slaughter—he was here for secrets.
Inside the wreckage, an ancient scroll encased in seastone sat untouched.
A log of the Void Century expeditions. Stolen from Ohara before the Buster Call.
He tucked it into his coat.
---
As he exited, he finally unfurled the black flag he'd carried since childhood—a cracked skull, surrounded by a spiral rift of space.
The Jolly Roger of the Abyss Pirates.
From the trees, figures watched.
Bounty hunters. Weak, but numerous.
Darius didn't even flinch. He reached into the air and sliced—shkk—a rift opened like glass tearing. He stepped forward and vanished, the space sealing behind him.
By the time the hunters moved, he was already gone—aboard his ship, silently drifting toward the Calm Belt.
---
Elsewhere — Amazon Lily
Boa Hancock sat atop her throne, legs crossed, the latest newspaper in her hand.
For the first time in years, her expression wasn't one of annoyance, pride, or flirtation.
It was curiosity.
"This Darius... he killed a World Noble?" she asked aloud.
Her sisters stiffened.
"Yes, Sister. He dragged one of the Celestial Dragon's envoys through a rift in front of a Marine admiral and disappeared."
She tapped her chin with a manicured nail.
> "Another man who dares to spit on the World Government... But he didn't just spit. He cut."
She folded the paper and stood, her flowing robes catching the breeze.
"Prepare Amazon Lily. The world is shifting."
---
Nightfall – Darius's Ship
Darius sat alone in his dimly lit cabin. The stars outside his small window shimmered—indifferent to the chaos growing beneath them.
He opened the scroll he'd stolen earlier. His eyes scanned the ancient writing, and among the names and ruins, one location was circled in faded ink:
Amazon Lily.
He didn't smile. But his eyes narrowed with focus.
> "So you have a piece of the puzzle."
He stood, his coat falling around him like a shadow.
"Then I'll take it."
---
Final Scene – New Bounty Reveal
At a tavern in the Grand Line, pirates screamed in shock as the latest bounty posters were nailed to the wall.
WANTED
DARIUS D. XEBEC
Bounty: 1,340,000,000 Berries
"The Abyss Walker"
"Son of the Devil King"
Underneath the poster, someone had scrawled a message in blood:
> "This isn't the rise of a pirate.
It's the return of a war."