The bridge of Enies Lobby had become a battlefield of desperation.
Smoke curled in thick, choking plumes from shattered stone and burning debris. The once-pristine white architecture of the island of justice was cracked, scorched, and stained with blood.
Far out at sea, thunder rolled—not from the sky, but from cannons. One by one, the silhouettes of Buster Call warships pushed through the mist, their massive hulls cutting through the water like executioners approaching the gallows.
Marines flooded the bridge in endless waves.
"DON'T LET THEM ESCAPE!"
"HOLD THE LINE—FOR JUSTICE!"
Their voices were loud, desperate—too loud. Fear bled through every shout. They knew what was happening. They knew what it meant that Enies Lobby had fallen this far.
The Straw Hats stood firm anyway.
Zoro drove the tips of his swords into the stone to keep himself upright, chest heaving. Blood trickled down his temple, but his eye was sharp, unwavering.
Sanji planted himself in front of Nami and Chopper, legs trembling from exhaustion, jaw clenched hard enough to crack teeth. His cigarette had long since burned out, forgotten.
Nami gripped her Clima-Tact with white knuckles, shoulders tight but eyes clear, calculating even now.
Chopper trembled openly, Monster Point long gone, body pushed far beyond its limits—yet he refused to fall.
Franky stood like a broken fortress at the front line, smoke rising from scorched plating, dents and cracks covering his metal arms. Still, he fired bursts downrange, laughing hoarsely.
"COME ON, YOU GOVERNMENT GOONS!" he roared. "IS THAT ALL YOU'VE GOT?!"
At the rear—
Robin and Usopp reached Luffy.
Usopp slid to his knees beside his captain, the world narrowing to that single battered body. Panic clawed up his throat.
"L–Luffy! Hey!" he shouted, hands hovering uselessly. "Wake up, you idiot! You can't sleep now! Not after all that!"
Robin knelt more slowly, carefully, as if afraid the moment would shatter if she moved too fast. She gently lifted Luffy's head into her lap, brushing hair from his face.
His breathing was shallow—but steady.
Blood streaked his cheek, his chest rising unevenly with each breath.
And yet—
There it was.
That faint, infuriating, impossible smile.
"…He did it," Robin whispered, disbelief and awe tangling in her voice. "He really did it."
For a heartbeat, she allowed herself to breathe.
Then reality crashed back in.
Her eyes hardened as she looked up at the chaos around them.
"We have to move," she said firmly. "Now."
Usopp swallowed hard, wiping his eyes roughly with his sleeve.
"Y–Yeah," he sniffed. "I'll cover you!"
He scrambled up the rubble of a broken pillar, hands shaking as he loaded his slingshot. He forced himself to breathe. Focus. Aim.
Then—
Everything changed.
The air grew heavy.
Not with sound. Not with light.
With pressure.
It was as if the world itself had taken a slow, deep breath—and refused to let it out.
Marines froze mid-charge.
Boots stopped scraping stone. Rifles wavered.
"…What is that?" someone whispered, voice barely audible over the distant cannons.
A shadow passed over the bridge.
Large.
Solid.
Something fell from the sky.
BOOM.
The impact detonated through the bridge, stone erupting outward as a shockwave ripped through the battlefield. Marines were thrown screaming into the air. Weapons skidded across the ground. Dust and debris exploded upward, blotting out vision.
When it cleared—
A crater yawned behind the Straw Hats.
At its center stood a man.
Tall. Broad. Immovable.
A dark cloak billowed around him in the wind, tattered edges snapping sharply. His boots were planted deep in the cracked stone, unmoved by the force that had shattered everything around him.
Silence fell.
A transponder snail crackled wildly somewhere among the marines.
"W–WHO IS THAT?!"
"IDENTIFY THE TARGET IMMEDIATELY!"
The man straightened slowly, unhurried.
Then he reached up—
And pulled back his cloak.
The reaction was instant.
"No way…"
"T–That face—"
"IT CAN'T BE—!"
One marine officer dropped to his knees, eyes wide with terror.
"D-DOUGLAS BULLET…?!"
The name spread like a scream.
"BULLET?!"
"A pirate of THAT caliber?!"
"What is he doing at Enies Lobby?!"
"THIS IS IMPOSSIBLE!"
Panic rippled through the ranks faster than any order.
The Straw Hats stared, utterly confused.
"…Bullet?" Sanji muttered, frowning. "Never heard of him."
Zoro narrowed his eye, hand tightening around his sword. "…But judging by their reaction, he's no small fry."
Robin's breath caught.
Her eyes widened—not with fear, but recognition.
"…No," she whispered. "It can't be…"
She gently lowered Luffy to the ground and stood.
"That man," she said quietly, voice tight, "is Bullet of the Nyx Pirates."
Every Straw Hat snapped toward her.
"The Nyx Pirates?!" Usopp yelped, nearly dropping his slingshot. "Again with the Nyx Pirates?! What is it with them?!"
"So he's one of those monsters," Franky muttered.
Bullet's gaze swept across them dispassionately—until it stopped.
On Luffy.
Unconscious. Bloodied. Alive.
His eyes lingered.
…So these are the Straw Hat Pirates, he thought.
And that must be him.
Something unreadable flickered across his expression.
Ada's son.
He crouched slightly, studying Luffy from where he stood.
He does look like her.
That stubborn face… the way he keeps smiling even half-dead.
A quiet exhale left him.
Pretty impressive.
Using Armament this early…
His eyes flicked briefly upward, remembering the pressure that had rolled across the island earlier.
And that presence…
That wasn't imagination.
The corner of his mouth twitched.
So you've awakened it already.
Conqueror's Haki…
He straightened and turned back to the Straw Hats.
"This is your lucky day," Bullet said calmly, his voice deep and steady, cutting through the noise of battle. "You should escape. Now."
The Straw Hats stared.
"…Huh?" Usopp managed brilliantly.
Nami stepped forward, suspicion clear in her eyes. "Why?"
Sanji shifted protectively, positioning himself between Bullet and the others. "And why should we trust you?"
Bullet didn't look at them.
He looked past them.
Toward the sea.
Toward the advancing warships, their cannons already rotating, black mouths opening wide.
"Because," he replied evenly, "what's about to happen here won't concern you."
Robin studied him closely, intellect racing.
"…Why help us?" she asked.
For a long moment—
Bullet said nothing.
The wind howled.
Cannons roared.
And the bridge of Enies Lobby trembled, caught between escape—
And annihilation.
—————————
Weeks Earlier.
The Oro Jackson cut through calm seas like a relic from another age, its massive hull groaning softly as waves parted beneath it. Sunlight washed over the deck, warm and almost deceptive, belying the gravity that hung in the air.
This was not a casual gathering.
Crew members who usually laughed, argued, or trained now stood in quiet clusters near the main mast. Even the sea seemed to listen.
At the center of it all stood Ada.
She didn't raise her voice. She didn't need to.
Mihawk leaned against the railing, black blade resting against his shoulder, golden eyes half-lidded but sharp.
Lilith stood beside a crate of supplies, arms folded, calculating.
Perona floated just above the deck, unusually subdued, her ghosts nowhere in sight.
Okiku stood tall and composed, hands resting lightly at her sides.
Hiyori sat near the steps to the quarterdeck, back straight despite the tension.
Pedro leaned forward, ears twitching as he listened.
Carrot bounced once—then stilled herself, sensing the seriousness of the moment.
And Bullet—
Bullet stood apart, arms crossed, expression unreadable. A mountain of muscle restrained only by patience.
Ada took a breath.
"I'm calling this meeting," she said calmly, "because we're running out of time."
The deck went silent.
"The World Government isn't just reacting anymore," she continued. "They're fortifying. Expanding. Preparing."
She turned slowly, meeting each gaze in turn.
"If we wait," she said, "we lose the initiative."
Mihawk's lips curved faintly. "…So we're finally doing it."
Pedro stiffened. "You mean—"
Ada nodded once.
"We weaken them at the foundation," she said. "Not with speeches. Not with symbols."
She placed her hand against the mast. "But by breaking what holds them up."
She raised three fingers.
"Enies Lobby."
"Impel Down."
"Marineford."
Carrot sucked in a sharp breath. "A–All three?!"
Lilith whistled low.
"That's not a war plan," she muttered. "That's a catastrophe."
Ada allowed herself a small smile. "Exactly."
She began to pace.
"Enies Lobby is their court," she said. "Their illusion of absolute justice. If it falls—even briefly—the world shakes."
Okiku's eyes narrowed. "And Impel Down is where they bury their mistakes."
"Yes," Ada replied. "And Marineford…"
Her voice hardened. "…is where they gather their strength."
Hiyori clasped her hands tighter. "You're talking about dismantling the Marines in one strike."
"No," Ada corrected gently. "I'm talking about forcing them to bleed everywhere at once."
She stopped pacing and faced them fully.
"I've been coordinating with Dragon for months," she said. "The Revolutionaries are already in motion."
Pedro's eyes widened. "You mean Ivankov—"
"Is already inside Impel Down," Ada confirmed. "He's been feeding us information—cell layouts, security rotations, response times."
Lilith raised an eyebrow. "So you're planning a breakout."
"A collapse," Ada replied. "If Impel Down goes down from the inside while the Marines are distracted—"
"They lose their deterrent," Mihawk finished. "And their fear weapon."
Ada nodded.
"But first," she said, "we need chaos."
Bullet finally spoke.
"…Someone needs to hit Enies Lobby," he said slowly.
Ada met his gaze. "Yes."
She gestured to a map spread across a crate—Enies Lobby circled in red.
"We send one person," she continued. "Not an army. Not a fleet."
"Someone strong enough," she said, "that the Marines can't ignore it."
Lilith frowned. "You're betting they'll send Admirals."
"They will," Ada said without hesitation. "If one pirate of the highest caliber attacks Enies Lobby—"
"Their pride won't allow anything less," Mihawk murmured.
Ada continued.
"They'll respond with overwhelming force," she said. "And when that person is defeated—"
Bullet's eyes glinted.
"…They'll imprison him," he said. "Not execute."
Ada nodded. "Too valuable. Too dangerous."
"Which means," Pedro said slowly, "they send him to Impel Down."
"Exactly," Ada replied.
She tapped the map again.
"Once inside, Ivankov frees him," she said.
"Relays final intel."
"Triggers the collapse."
Okiku exhaled slowly. "And while Impel Down burns…"
Ada's gaze lifted toward the horizon.
"We regroup at sea," she said. "And then—"
Silence fell.
"Marineford," Hiyori whispered.
Ada didn't smile this time.
"The Marines won't recover," she said. "Not if all three pillars fall within weeks of each other."
Bullet laughed quietly, a low sound filled with anticipation. "…Heh."
He stepped forward, boots thudding against the deck.
"Send me to Enies Lobby," he said. "I'll wreck it."
Mihawk glanced at him sideways. "You're volunteering to lose."
Bullet shrugged. "If that's the plan."
Ada searched his face.
"This won't be a duel," she warned. "They'll come at you with everything."
"Good," Bullet replied, grin spreading slowly. "I want to see how far they've come."
She hesitated—just for a moment.
"…If you do this," she said, "you may not come back quickly."
Bullet chuckled. "I've waited years for something worth breaking things over."
Ada finally nodded.
"Then it's decided," she said quietly.
Outside—
The sea rolled on, calm and indifferent.
Unaware that the world's balance had just been marked for destruction.
—————————
The bridge began to scream.
Not metaphorically—literally.
Cannon fire rained down from the approaching warships, iron shot tearing through stone, explosions ripping chunks from the ancient structure.
Smoke swallowed the sky. Marines shouted in panic as formations broke apart, bodies flung screaming into the abyss below.
"INCOMING—!"
"TAKE COVER!"
"DON'T LET THEM—!"
Another blast struck the bridge's edge.
The stone gave way.
A massive section collapsed entirely, vanishing into the endless waterfall beneath Enies Lobby.
Nami screamed. "There's—there's no path left!"
Zoro dug his swords into the stone to steady himself as the shockwave nearly hurled him over. "Tch—this whole place is coming down!"
Sanji glanced back at the others, smoke curling around him, teeth clenched. "We're boxed in!"
Franky fired one last burst, blasting marines away—but even he could see it.
They were surrounded.
Above—warships.
Ahead—marines.
Behind—nothing but falling stone and endless sea.
Usopp's breathing turned ragged as he stared over the edge.
"…There's nowhere left," he whispered.
Another explosion rocked the bridge.
Something inside him snapped.
"THEN—!" Usopp shouted, voice cracking but loud enough to cut through the chaos. "THEN WE JUMP INTO THE SEA!"
Everyone turned to him.
"…Jump?" Nami repeated, stunned.
Usopp pointed wildly over the edge, tears in his eyes but resolve burning through the fear.
"It's better than staying here and getting blown apart!"
"We'll die either way—so let's gamble!"
Sanji stared at him.
Then smirked. "…He's not wrong."
Zoro nodded once. "A pirate's choice."
Nami clenched her fists, heart racing. "…The currents here are insane."
Robin tightened her hold on Luffy, his unconscious weight heavy in her arms.
"…But staying means certain death," she said softly.
For a moment—
Silence.
Then a deep, amused chuckle rolled through the smoke.
Bullet.
He glanced back at them over his shoulder, cloak snapping violently in the wind.
"…How confident," he mused. "You sure know how to make a scene."
Usopp swallowed hard but stood his ground.
"H–Hey! We're pirates! This is what we do!"
Bullet's smirk widened slightly.
"Pirates don't survive by knowing," he said. "They survive by trusting their gut."
Another cannonball screamed overhead, detonating close enough to shower them in debris.
"That's our cue!" Sanji shouted.
Chopper yelped as Sanji grabbed him.
Zoro sheathed his swords.
Franky grinned, arms wide.
"SUPER plan, long nose!"
Nami took one last look back at the burning island of justice.
Robin adjusted Luffy's weight, holding him closer.
"…Hold on," she whispered to him.
They ran.
Marines screamed.
"STOP THEM!"
"FIRE—!"
Too late.
One by one—
They leapt.
Wind tore past them as the roar of the waterfall swallowed every sound. Enies Lobby shrank above them, a collapsing monument of fire and arrogance.
Usopp screamed the entire way down. "I TAKE IT BACK—THIS WAS A TERRIBLE IDEA—!"
Then—
Wood.
Hard.
Painful.
Real.
They slammed onto a shattered deck, bodies tumbling across splintered planks as something groaned beneath them.
Nami gasped. "…What?"
Franky froze.
Chopper blinked.
Robin lifted her head slowly.
They all saw it.
Burned.
Cracked.
Broken nearly in half—
But unmistakable.
"…The Merry," Usopp whispered.
The Going Merry floated beneath them, battered but alive.
Sanji stared. "…You've got to be kidding me."
Nami's eyes filled with tears. "She… she came…"
Franky laughed, voice breaking. "…That stubborn ship…"
Robin hugged Luffy tighter.
"We made it," she whispered.
Above them—
Bullet stood alone on the bridge.
The Straw Hats were gone.
"…Good," he muttered.
He cracked his knuckles as the warships closed in, cannons swiveling toward him.
"This place," he said calmly, "is about to become a battlefield meant for monsters."
He didn't look back. "You don't belong here."
The wind screamed.
Cannons roared.
"GO," Bullet called out. "And take him with you."
Robin looked up once more. "…Thank you."
Bullet stepped forward.
Stone cracked beneath his boots.
Behind him—
Hell arrived.
And Enies Lobby—
At last—
Was about to fall.
———————————
Author's Note
Hey guys! Here's another chapter! I had a lot of fun writing this one especially with Bullet finally making his appearance.
You also get another small glimpse into Ada's plan with Dragon, and things are only going to get bigger from here. Thank you so much for sticking with the story and for all the support!
As always, let me know what you think 🙏