The New World winds howled against the hull of the Oro Jackson as it drifted across calm seas—deceptively calm, as always in Ada's territory.
It was late afternoon when a gull landed on the railing, dropping off a freshly printed newspaper.
Perona snatched it up immediately.
"News time! Let's see which idiot blew up what today—"
She froze.
"…EHHHH?! ACE?!"
The crew whipped around.
Bullet stomped over. "What now?!"
Perona shoved the paper into his face. "LOOK!!"
Bullet stared.
Then barked out a laugh so loud the ship shook. "No way—NO DAMN WAY!"
Lilith zipped over, goggles bouncing. "What?! Show me!!"
Perona flipped the front page for all to see.
PORTGAS D. ACE OFFICIALLY JOINS THE WHITEBEARD PIRATES — APPOINTED 2ND DIVISION COMMANDER
Silence.
Then—
"BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!" Bullet doubled over, clutching his stomach. "THAT BRAT SAID HE'D BEAT WHITEBEARD!! HOW THE HELL DID HE END UP AS HIS COMMANDER?!"
Lilith shrieked, "HE WAS SO SET ON FIGHTING HIM!! HE CHANGED TEAMS!!"
Perona spun in confusion. "Did he lose and get adopted?!"
Okiku pressed a hand over her mouth, half laughing, half shocked. "That seems… very possible."
Hiyori giggled softly. "Whitebeard is known for calling his men his sons."
Mihawk simply exhaled through his nose—the closest he came to laughing publicly.
Ada, however, was still staring at the headline.
"…He chose a family," she whispered.
The crew quieted.
Bullet raised an eyebrow. "You sound… happy?"
Ada's eyes softened.
"I'm relieved," she said. "Whitebeard is a giant, but his heart is bigger. Ace found safety before he could destroy himself with that obsession."
Perona nodded. "He's not alone now."
Lilith elbowed Bullet. "You owe me ten thousand berries, dumbass. I told you Ace wouldn't beat an Emperor yet."
Bullet grunted. "Shut it."
Ada continued reading—
And her expression shifted.
"…There's more."
She lowered the paper.
"Kuma… has joined the Seven Warlords."
The crew froze.
Every head snapped toward her at once.
"…Kuma?" Okiku whispered. "Bartholomew Kuma? That kind man we helped back then?"
Perona choked. "Him?! A warlord?! HE CAN'T EVEN FAKE A MENACING SMILE—HOW?!"
Lilith's jaw dropped. "Kuma? Bowing to the government? No way."
Bullet's brows knitted. "That doesn't make sense. Kuma's not the type to take orders."
Mihawk's expression darkened the slightest bit.
"…He probably made a deal."
Ada's hands slowly folded the paper.
Her eyes—normally soft—dimmed with quiet worry.
"Bonney," she said. "She's probably reached the age where her sapphire scales worsened."
Perona's voice deflated into a whisper. "…So he really did it. He joined for her."
Lilith murmured, "Meaning… he's desperate."
Okiku nodded sadly. "A father's heart… is a fragile thing."
Hiyori clasped her hands. "Do you know where he is now, Ada?"
Ada shook her head. "But whatever he traded… it must have been steep."
Her voice wavered, barely noticeable.
"Kuma is not someone who bends easily."
Bullet exhaled, rubbing the back of his neck.
"Damn. The world's shifting fast. Too fast."
Mihawk crossed his arms. "Whitebeard gains a new son. The government gains a new warlord. And the seas grow more complicated."
Ada looked toward the horizon—toward the unseen storm she felt building across the world.
"Ace is finding his own path…" she whispered.
"And Kuma… is sacrificing pieces of himself for his child."
The newspaper fluttered in her hand.
Two stories.
Two men.
Two different paths.
But both shaped by family.
Ada's cloak fluttered in the wind.
"Prepare yourselves," she said softly. "The world is changing. And soon… we will have to move as well."
The crew straightened.
Because Ada never said those words lightly.
And as the sun dipped behind the waves, it felt like the world held its breath—
waiting for what these ripples would summon next.
————————
Weeks Later — New World, Ada's Territory
The Oro Jackson drifted lazily beneath a warm afternoon sun, the crew scattered across the deck as they tended to repairs, polishing, arguing, or simply lazing around.
Then—
perorororororo— perororororo—!!
A Den Den Mushi rang loudly.
Perona, floating upside-down, grabbed it.
"It's Tesoro!"
At once, the crew perked up.
Ada set down her cup of tea. "Put him through."
Perona clicked the receiver.
The Den Den Mushi morphed into Tesoro's face—sleek gold hair, sunglasses, and that signature too-smooth smile.
"Well, well, Captain," Tesoro purred. "You're speaking to the brand-new Seventh Underworld Emperor."
Bullet snorted. "Seventh emperor? What—did you bribe every criminal alive?"
Tesoro grinned wider. "Please. Don't insult me. I outspent them."
Lilith, bouncing with excitement, clapped her hands. "You did it! The Gold Emperor finally rises!"
The Den Den Mushi puffed its chest. "That's right—'The Gold Emperor' Tesoro. Has a nice ring, doesn't it?"
Ada's lips curved ever so slightly.
"Congratulations. Your work paid off."
"Oh, it did more than pay off," Tesoro said smugly.
"Gran Tesoro is now the biggest entertainment and gambling fortress in the New World. The underworld couldn't ignore it even if they tried."
Bullet cracked his knuckles. "So the plan worked. Good."
"It worked beautifully," Tesoro confirmed. "The influence, the money, the alliances—everything is falling into place."
But then his tone shifted.
A little lower.
A little colder.
"…Speaking of alliances—there's some… troubling movement on the Beast Pirates' side."
Ada's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Kaido?"
Tesoro nodded.
"Kaido has been ordering massive shipments from the underworld lately. Specifically—Zoan-type devil fruits."
Lilith's goggles bulged. "Zoans?! That's impossible, there aren't that many in circulation!"
Tesoro held up a finger.
"Not real."
Everyone froze.
Bullet's brow furrowed. "…Explain."
Tesoro leaned closer, lowering his voice.
"There's a scientist—Caesar Clown. Used to work under Vegapunk. Genius, in an… explosive sort of way."
Perona shrieked, floating backward.
"Caesar?! The same lunatic who BLEW UP Punk Hazard?!"
Lilith nearly choked on air. "Wait—that guy?! The one Vegapunk publicly accused in that report?! We JUST read that news—he melted half a government island!"
Bullet clicked his tongue hard. "Tch. Figures. Only a lunatic would work with Kaido."
Okiku covered her mouth, horrified. "He destroyed an entire research base… with children inside…"
Hiyori's hands tightened. "A man who would do such a thing… is now making weapons for Kaido…"
Even Mihawk's brow twitched—his version of a horrified gasp. "An unstable scientist supplying an unstable Emperor. Lovely."
Ada's eyes narrowed, sharp as daggers.
"Caesar Clown… The Government let him slip away after Punk Hazard."
Lilith pushed up her goggles. "Of course they did! They needed a scapegoat for Vegapunk's failure, and now he's free to manufacture weapons for Kaido?! That's a nightmare."
Tesoro nodded grimly from the Den Den Mushi. "Exactly. Kaido backed him. And Caesar's using children, prisoners—anyone—to perfect those weapons."
Bullet growled. "That bastard's playing god."
Perona made a face. "This doesn't sound good."
"It usually isn't," Tesoro said dryly. "But he's created something Kaido is investing heavily in."
Ada's expression went tight. "What? What did he create?"
Tesoro's voice darkened. "Artificial Zoan Devil Fruits. Kaido calls them SMILEs."
The crew recoiled.
Perona stared at the Den Den Mushi in horror. "Artificial?! You can't just— make devil fruits!!"
Lilith shook her head fiercely. "That's impossible. The fruit's lineage factor is too complicated unless—unless he modified a blueprint from Vegapunk."
"Exactly what I suspect," Tesoro replied.
Ada folded her arms, tone sharpening. "Artificial or not… do they work?"
Tesoro paused.
"…Mostly."
"Mostly?" Bullet growled.
Tesoro exhaled.
"I acquired one. For testing."
He glanced off screen. "Had one of my disposable idiots eat it."
Mihawk's eyes narrowed. "And?"
Tesoro's usual bravado slipped slightly.
"He transformed. Partial Zoan attributes. Strength increase. Same vulnerability to water and seastone."
"And the drawbacks?" Ada pressed.
Tesoro's jaw tightened. "…He hasn't stopped laughing since."
The crew froze.
Perona blinked. "…Laughing?"
Lilith asked, "Like—nervous laughter?"
Tesoro shook his head. "A constant, uncontrollable grin. He can't express sadness, fear, anger—nothing. Only laughs. Even when he's in pain."
A quiet, sharp chill ran through the deck.
Okiku covered her mouth. "How horrifying…"
Hiyori whispered, "It… robs them of their emotions."
Mihawk murmured lowly, "An army that cannot feel fear."
Bullet scowled. "An army of broken toys."
Ada didn't move for a moment.
Then—
"…Side effects," she said softly.
Tesoro nodded grimly. "Caesar's fruit is unstable. And yet Kaido is buying them by the hundreds. He wants—"
"—An army," Ada finished.
Tesoro took a slow breath, his gold rings clinking together as he tapped the Den Den Mushi's shell.
"…And that's not all."
Ada lifted her gaze.
Tesoro's tone dropped—lower, sharper, the way it did only when he had uncovered something dangerous.
"In the underworld," he continued, "Kaido has another partner. Someone with reach. Someone with influence."
Lilith frowned. "Another supplier?"
Perona muttered, "What, does Kaido have a whole shopping list?"
Tesoro shook his head. "No. This one is deeper. Someone who keeps the shipments hidden and keeps the world government's eyes turned the other way."
Ada's eyes narrowed.
"Who?"
Tesoro exhaled.
"They call him Joker in the underworld."
The entire crew leaned in.
Mihawk's gaze sharpened. "Joker…"
"Another underworld supplier?" Bullet asked.
Tesoro let out a humorless laugh.
"Oh no. Much worse."
He tapped the Den Den Mushi's microphone again. "After digging through layers of dead brokers, wiped ledgers, and disappearing witnesses… I finally found the name behind the mask."
A beat.
Then Tesoro said.
"Donquixote. Doflamingo."
The deck fell utterly silent.
Perona's jaw dropped. "That Doflamingo?! The Warlord?!"
Lilith threw her hands up. "Of COURSE it's a Warlord! Why is it always a Warlord?!"
Okiku's brows knitted. "He controls Dressrosa… and most of the trade routes around it…"
Mihawk's eyes narrowed with lethal clarity.
"So Doflamingo arms Kaido. Quietly."
Tesoro nodded. "He supplies Kaido with weapons. Ammunition. Smuggling routes. Human trafficking lines. Whatever Kaido needs, Joker makes it happen."
Hiyori stiffened in Okiku's arms.
"Doflamingo…" she whispered. "Another butcher profiting off other people's suffering."
Ada's expression darkened—not with anger, not yet, but something colder.
"…Doflamingo as Joker. Kaido with Caesar's artificial fruits. A production line of emotionless soldiers."
She folded her arms.
"And a global web to deliver them."
Tesoro cleared his throat.
"And now, with me becoming the seventh underworld emperor, I can listen in on the movements of the other six. Joker included."
The Den Den Mushi mimicked Tesoro's smirk. "You asked me to become your eye in the dark, Captain. I intend to live up to the title."
Ada nodded once, approving. "You've done well."
The Den Den Mushi quirked its mouth—Tesoro's smirk returning.
"Captain… the world is shifting. Whoever controls the artificial fruit supply controls the next generation of monsters."
Ada's eyes were unreadable.
"We will adapt," she said calmly.
Tesoro grinned again.
"I never doubted it."
He leaned back smugly.
"Anyway—I simply wished to update you. The Gold Emperor has officially risen. And the underworld has begun to move."
"Good work," Ada said quietly.
"Always a pleasure." Tesoro winked.
Click.
The line went dead.
Silence lingered over the deck.
Perona shivered. "That fruit… I don't like it."
Lilith hugged herself. "Making fake devil fruits is bad enough, but… losing your emotions? That's awful."
Bullet cracked his knuckles. "Kaido's planning something big. Again."
The crew stood in heavy silence as the implications of artifiial devil fruits sank in.
Then—
A soft breath broke the stillness.
Hiyori.
She stood near the rail, her eyes lowered, fingers tightening around the fabric of her kimono. The breeze carried her long blue green hair across her face, but it didn't hide the tremble in her expression.
Ada noticed instantly.
"Hiyori," she said gently.
But she didn't answer.
She only stared at the sea—her home somewhere far, far beyond it.
Okiku stepped forward, voice trembling.
"Hiyori…?"
Slowly, Hiyori lifted her gaze.
Her eyes glimmered—not with fear…
but with grief.
"If Kaido is ordering these artificial fruits…" she whispered, voice thin, "then he might be bringing them… to Wano."
She swallowed hard.
"To my people."
The crew stiffened, each of them remembering her quiet stories—of famine, poison, slavery—of a proud land strangled by tyranny.
Tears gathered along her lashes.
"Kaido already turned my country into a prison."
Her voice cracked.
"What will happen if he forces these… these devil fruits on the people? What if they… lose the ability to feel?"
She pressed a hand to her chest.
"Wano has suffered enough. My father died protecting it. And now…"
Her shoulders shook.
"…Kaido may turn them into monsters."
For a moment, no one spoke.
Then Okiku stepped behind her, gently pulling Hiyori into an embrace.
"Lady Hiyori," she whispered, "you carry too much of this alone."
Mihawk looked away, jaw tightening—not from indifference, but from a rare, quiet fury.
Bullet's hands clenched into fists.
"That bastard. So he's planning to use Wano as a testing ground."
Lilith wiped her eyes with her sleeve.
"That's… that's unforgivable…"
Perona floated closer, frowning. "If he makes your people suffer again… I'll—I'll haunt him forever!"
Ada stepped forward.
Silent.
Steady.
She laid a hand gently on Hiyori's shoulder.
"Hiyori," she said softly, "look at me."
Hiyori lifted her gaze again—eyes shining, desperate, frightened.
Ada's voice was calm.
But beneath that calmness was steel.
"You are not alone," Ada said. "Not anymore."
The wind stilled.
"We may not move against Kaido yet…"
Her dress fluttered behind her.
"But when the time comes—"
Ada placed a hand over Hiyori's trembling one.
"—we will not let Wano fall."
Hiyori's breath hitched.
Okiku held her tighter.
Ada leaned in slightly, her eyes softening as she brushed a strand of blue green hair from Hiyori's cheek.
"And Hiyori…" she continued, a small, proud smile forming,
"you are strong now. Do you realize that?"
Hiyori blinked, stunned.
Ada's voice warmed. "I watched you grow—from the little girl hiding behind Okiku…
to a young woman who can stand her ground against Vice Admirals."
Hiyori's lips trembled.
"You're beautiful. You're brave. And you fight with the heart of a true heir of Wano."
Hiyori lowered her head, tears spilling silently down her cheeks—
not of fear this time, but of being seen.
Okiku hugged her gently, whispering, "Lady Hiyori… she's right."
The rest of the crew stepped closer—each in their own way drawing near, forming a quiet ring of solidarity.
Bullet with a heavy hand on Ada's shoulder.
Lilith clutching her wrench like a vow.
Perona hovering protectively over Hiyori.
Mihawk standing behind Ada, silent and resolute.
Okiku holding her longtime friend close.
Hiyori wiped her tears, but they kept falling.
"Thank you…" she whispered.
"Thank you… all of you."
Ada then gave her a rare, gentle smile—one that softened the sharpness of her usual composure.
"You have a family now," she said quietly. "And you won't face any of this alone."
Hiyori's breath shuddered at the words, shoulders trembling beneath Okiku's steady hands.
Ada squeezed her hand once more, grounding her.
"And when Wano calls…" she continued, voice lowering into a promise,
"…we will answer."
The wind shifted, brushing across the deck, carrying tension and warmth alike.
Ada's gaze lifted—past Hiyori, past the Sun, toward the distant horizon.
Her expression changed. Not fear.
Not hesitation.
But calculation.
"Kaido is building something," she murmured. "And not just power. An empire."
The crew fell silent.
Ada's dress rustled as she turned back to them—eyes sharp but steady.
"If he's importing artificial Devil Fruits by the thousands… then he's preparing for a war far bigger than Wano."
Bullet crossed his arms, jaw tightening.
Mihawk's brows lowered in thought.
Perona hugged herself, unusually quiet.
Lilith frowned, gears already turning in her mind.
Even Hiyori, still wiping tears, felt a chill run down her spine.
Ada looked at each of them in turn.
"And if that empire threatens our own… or threatens the people under our protection—"
Her voice dropped into something colder.
"—then sooner or later, we'll have to shatter it."
No dramatics.
No shouting.
Just a simple, inevitable truth.
The crew straightened unconsciously.
Because deep down, they all felt it—
The world was shifting.
Lines were being drawn.
And Ada…
Ada was already standing at the center of the coming storm.
Hiyori exhaled slowly, steadier than before.
Because though the future was terrifying—
She wasn't facing it alone anymore.