The night burned.
Grey Terminal — the massive junkyard of Dawn Island — was engulfed in flame. What had once been a mountain of forgotten things now howled like a furnace. The fire stretched for miles, painting the sky a sickening orange-red. Smoke blotted out the moon, and sparks rained down like ash from heaven.
People screamed in the distance — scavengers, families, the poor — all caught in the inferno the nobles had ordered to erase "filth" from sight.
The fire didn't care who it swallowed.
And in the heart of it all, a small boy ran.
Luffy's legs ached as he stumbled through the burning wreckage, his tiny hands clutching his straw hat against the wind. His face was smeared with soot and blood. He didn't know where Ace or Sabo were. He didn't know why everything was burning. He only knew he had to keep moving.
"ACE! SABO!" he shouted, his voice cracking.
No one answered. Only the roar of the flames.
He tripped over a broken beam and fell to the ground, gasping, coughing from the smoke that burned his throat. His vision blurred as tears mixed with ash.
Then came the crunch of boots through the fire.
"Well, well…"
That voice — low, mocking, cruel.
Luffy froze as Bluejam, the pirate who ruled Grey Terminal's filth, stepped out of the smoke. His sword gleamed in the firelight, and his face twisted with fury.
"Thought you could run from me, brat?" he growled. "Because of you, my deal with the nobles is gone. My men are dead. My ship's gone. My life is ruined."
He raised his sword, the reflection of the flames dancing along its edge.
"I'll make you pay for every second of it."
Luffy backed away, trembling, until his back hit a wall of burning debris. He clenched his fists, but his small body shook with exhaustion. The heat was unbearable.
Bluejam's grin widened. "You're just a snot-nosed brat playing pirate."
He lifted the sword high above his head.
And then —
Bang.
The shot split the air like thunder.
Bluejam froze. His eyes went wide, his sword dropping to the ground with a dull clatter. He stumbled forward once, twice — and collapsed to his knees. A single hole smoked in his forehead.
The fire crackled around them, but for a moment, everything else was silent.
Luffy blinked in confusion, unable to process what had happened. Then, through the drifting smoke, a figure emerged.
She walked slowly — steady, deliberate — her long cloak tattered at the ends. The hood covered most of her face, and the firelight reflected faintly off her pistol.
Every step she took sounded measured, each one echoing like a heartbeat.
Bluejam's body twitched weakly. His eyes rolled up, still clinging to life by pure hatred.
He gurgled, "You— what the hell are you doing here…?"
The woman stopped just short of him. Her voice was quiet — so calm it chilled the air.
"Finishing what you started."
She stepped on his head, forcing his face into the mud and ash. Without hesitation, she raised the pistol again.
Bang. Bang. Bang.
Each shot echoed louder than the last. By the time the pistol clicked empty, Bluejam's body had gone still.
The woman exhaled softly, the smoke from her gun curling into the fire-lit sky.
"Stay dead," she whispered.
Luffy's heart pounded. He wanted to move, but his legs wouldn't respond. His vision blurred — a mix of heat, exhaustion, and disbelief. The last thing he saw before darkness claimed him was the woman lowering her weapon, her cloak glowing orange in the flames.
And just before he fainted, he thought he saw her glance back at him — eyes like blood and crimson— and for some reason, he felt… safe.
Then everything went black.
Not long after, the sound of running feet broke through the crackle of fire.
"Luffy!"
A raspy voice shouted, rough but desperate.
It was Dadan, bursting through the smoke with Ace behind her. Both were covered in ash and sweat. Dadan looked ready to punch through the world itself to find her boys.
"There you are, you idiot!" she screamed, grabbing Luffy's limp body from the ground. "What the hell were you thinking—"
Then she froze.
The woman stood a few feet away, her pistol lowered, the hood still concealing her face. Even through the chaos, her presence radiated authority — not loud, but absolute. The kind of presence that made soldiers stop breathing.
Dadan's instincts screamed danger.
"Who the hell are you!?" she demanded, shifting Luffy protectively in her arms. Ace took a step forward, fists clenched.
The woman didn't answer. She holstered her pistol slowly, then raised her hand to her hood.
And lowered it.
The firelight illuminated her face — pale, calm, framed by short black hair. Her eyes glowed faintly red in the reflection of the flames. She looked almost ethereal, untouchable, like someone who didn't belong in this world.
Dadan's breath caught in her throat. "No way… You're— you're her…"
Ace frowned. "Her who?"
Dadan swallowed, sweat dripping down her temple despite the fire already burning the air. "That's Nyx D. Ada…! A pirate — one of the most dangerous in the world!"
Ace's eyes went wide. "A pirate!? What's someone like you doing here!?"
Ada's gaze softened slightly, her tone calm. "I came for Luffy."
Dadan blinked, stunned. "For Luffy?"
Ada nodded once. "He's safe now. That's all that matters."
Ace stepped forward, defiant but cautious. "You… know him? How?"
Ada's eyes flickered to Luffy's unconscious face. The boy's hat had fallen to the ground beside him — the straw hat once worn by a man she'd known well. A faint smile touched her lips.
"I've known him since before he was born."
Dadan stiffened. "What's that supposed to mean?"
Ada turned her gaze toward the flames. "It means exactly what it sounds like."
She knelt down beside Dadan, brushing soot from Luffy's cheek with the back of her gloved hand. For a moment, her expression cracked — just a flicker of warmth that none of them could mistake.
She leaned down, pressed a soft kiss to his forehead, and whispered something only the fire could hear.
When she rose again, Dadan's eyes were wide with disbelief. "You're tellin' me… you're his mother?"
Ada's eyes met hers, unwavering. "Yes."
Ace took a step back, his mouth hanging open. "You're— you're Luffy's mom?"
Ada nodded silently.
For a long moment, no one spoke. The crackle of the flames was the only sound.
Then Dadan barked out a short, stunned laugh — half shock, half disbelief. "You're kiddin' me… You mean to tell me that you— the same woman who burned Marie Geiose to ash — had a kid with that revolutionary bastard, Dragon!?"
Ada's expression didn't change, but there was something wistful in her tone. "So you know Dragon."
"Know him?!" Dadan threw up her hands. "Everyone on this damn island knows that name! And you—" she gestured wildly "—you're even worse news! If Garp finds out—"
Ada's voice cut through hers, gentle but firm. "Garp doesn't know. And it's better that way."
Dadan froze. "You mean even he doesn't—?"
"No," Ada said quietly. "Not him. Not the Marines. No one."
She looked at Luffy again. "He deserves a childhood untouched by our shadows."
For the first time, Dadan saw something human in her — not the infamous pirate, not the woman who defied gods, but a mother standing in the ruins of a burning world, trying to protect what little light remained in it.
The fire grew worse as explosions echoed in the distance — Grey Terminal collapsing in on itself.
"We can't stay here," Ada said, her tone shifting back to command. "The fire's spreading faster than it looks."
Ace looked around frantically. "But Sabo—!"
Ada's eyes softened. "I don't know where he is," she admitted. "But if he's alive… he'll find you."
Ace gritted his teeth, torn between running back into the flames and staying. Dadan grabbed his arm. "She's right, you idiot! You'll die out there!"
"But—"
"No buts! We're movin'!"
Ada didn't wait for debate. She lifted Luffy effortlessly into her arms — he was still unconscious, his little hand gripping her cloak even in sleep. "This way," she said.
They followed her through the burning wreckage. She moved like she'd walked through war before — every step sure, precise, guided by instinct.
When they reached the edge of the woods, the firelight faded behind them, replaced by the cool, salty air of the sea breeze.
Dadan set Ace down and turned to Ada. "You saved them… both of them. But why?"
Ada looked down at Luffy, his hat now resting in her hand. "Because this world's already cruel enough. He doesn't need to learn that lesson tonight."
Ace stared at her — this terrifying woman who had appeared from fire, killed a pirate without blinking, and then carried his brother like she was born to. "You're not what I expected," he muttered.
Ada smiled faintly. "Neither was he."
She brushed her thumb across Luffy's cheek again, her expression distant. "He has your fire, Roger," she whispered under her breath. "But his heart… it's mine."
They found shelter in a small clearing near the edge of the forest. The smoke from Grey Terminal still rose in the distance, a reminder of everything that had burned.
Ada laid Luffy gently on the ground, removing her cloak to cover him. He stirred slightly, mumbling something about meat before drifting back into sleep.
Ace and Dadan sat nearby, both still watching her with a mix of fear and curiosity.
Dadan finally spoke, scratching her head. "You know, you could've just sent a letter."
Ada laughed quietly — a soft, almost human sound. "Letters can be intercepted. And besides…" She looked toward the flames, her eyes heavy with memory. "There are things a mother should see with her own eyes."
Ace tilted his head. "You don't look like a bad guy."
Ada smiled faintly. "Neither did Roger."
Ace's expression hardened instantly. "Don't talk about him."
Ada tilted her head. "Why not?"
"Because he's the reason I was born cursed," Ace spat. "Because of him, everyone looks at me like I shouldn't exist."
Ada didn't flinch. "Roger was many things — a pirate, a fool, a dreamer — but he wasn't evil."
Ace froze, staring at her.
"He was a good man," Ada said softly. "Flawed, yes. But his heart… it was kind."
Ace scoffed, looking away. "Yeah right. You sound like someone who didn't see what he did."
Ada's eyes dimmed with something that might've been grief. "Oh, I saw. More than you know."
Ace looked back at her, confusion and suspicion warring in his eyes. "You knew him?"
Ada didn't rise. She just looked up at him — calm, but not cold. "I knew him. Because I sailed with him."
Ace froze. "You… what?"
"I was part of his crew," Ada said. Her voice was distant, but full of something like reverence. "On the Oro Jackson."
Ace's breath caught in his throat. The firelight reflected in his eyes, making them burn brighter, sharper. "You— You're lying!"
Ada smiled faintly, though there was no joy in it. "No Ace. The world twisted his story. They turned a man's dream into a curse."
"Shut up," Ace muttered.
"He wasn't a monster, Ace." Ada's tone was gentle, but firm. "He was kind. Laughing, reckless, and stupid in all the best ways. The kind of man who'd risk everything for the sake of freedom."
Ace's teeth clenched. "Stop talking like you knew him!"
"I did."
Her voice was quiet — and that quiet hurt more than any shout could.
Ace glared at her, eyes shining with anger and something deeper — confusion, grief, disbelief. "You expect me to believe that? That the 'Pirate King' was just some… good man?!"
Ada met his glare. "Not just good. Great."
Ace took a shaky breath, fists trembling harder. "He's the reason I was born hated! The reason I can't even say my full name without someone wanting to kill me! Don't— don't stand there and tell me he was great!"
Ada's expression softened. The firelight flickered across her face, catching the faint sheen of emotion in her eyes. "I'm not telling you what to believe," she said softly. "But I knew the man before the title. And that man… would've loved to see you."
For a moment, Ace didn't know what to say. He clenched his fists tighter, staring at the ground — but something about her tone made his anger falter.
Ada turned her gaze to the horizon, where the first light of dawn was starting to push back the smoke. "He would've been proud of you, you know."
Ace's breath caught.
"He would've wanted you to live freely," Ada said softly. "Not in his shadow."
Ace didn't answer. But for the first time, he didn't argue either.
After a long silence, Ada added one last thing — her tone quiet, almost wistful.
"You may hate the name Roger, Ace. But you'll come to understand the man behind it… one day."
Ace didn't reply. He just stared into the flames, jaw tight, heart pounding — unsure whether to believe her or to hate her for saying it.
Before Ace could ask more, the fire's glow began to fade, replaced by the cool light of dawn. The night's screams quieted to embers and whispers.
——————
Dawn slowly crept over the forest.
The flames at Grey Terminal had dimmed to smoke, and the air was heavy with ash.
Ada stood, pulling her cloak tight around her shoulders. "He'll wake soon," she said quietly. "When he does, tell him to keep smiling. No matter what."
Dadan frowned. "You're leavin'? Just like that?"
Ada looked toward the horizon — the sea barely visible through the smoke. "If I stay, I'll bring more danger here than the fire ever could."
She turned back to Luffy one last time, brushing his hair gently from his eyes. "He doesn't need me now," she whispered. "He needs to grow."
She turned back to Luffy, kneeling beside him one last time. Gently, she adjusted his straw hat and brushed a stray lock of hair from his face.
"You're going to be something special, my son," she whispered. "Don't ever forget to laugh, even when the world burns."
She pressed a kiss to his forehead — soft and fleeting — then rose.
Dadan watched silently as Ada turned and began walking into the mist.
Ace finally found his voice. "Will we ever see you again?"
Ada paused but didn't turn. "Maybe," she said. "When the seas call his name."
And with that, she turned and walked away, her silhouette fading into the morning mist — a shadow of the past retreating from the child of the future.
When Luffy finally woke, he blinked against the sunlight. His hat was on his chest, his clothes still smelling of smoke.
He rubbed his eyes, looking around. "Ace? Dadan?"
Ace grinned weakly. "You scared us, idiot."
Ace then sat beside him, arms crossed. "About time you woke up."
"What… happened?" Luffy mumbled.
Ace hesitated. "You were saved. By someone."
Luffy frowned, rubbing his head. "Someone?"
He tried to remember — the smoke, the fire, Bluejam's sword — and then the faintest memory surfaced. A tall figure standing in the flames, red eyes glowing softly, a hand reaching toward him.
He smiled sleepily. "She was pretty."
Ace rolled his eyes. "You're hopeless."
But Dadan, watching from nearby, frowned. She didn't say a word — just stared at the horizon where Ada had disappeared, the image of her lowering her hood burned forever into her mind.
"Pirate or not… she's got a hell of a heart."
————————
Somewhere beyond the island, on the distant sea, Ada stood at the edge of a small cliff overlooking the smoke. Her cloak fluttered in the wind.
She could still see the faint outline of Grey Terminal's dying fire — a scar against the dawn sky.
"He'll survive," she whispered to herself. "He's his father's son… and mine."
She reached into her coat, pulling out a small, worn photograph — one of her and Dragon, long before the world called them enemies.
Then she looked eastward — toward the boy who would one day carry their will into a new era.
"Grow strong, Luffy," she murmured. "Stronger than all of us."
She holstered her pistol, turned, and vanished into the mist — leaving behind only the memory of fire, and the quiet echo of a mother's love.