Scene 1 — Rocks Returns
"So you decided to keep it, little bird."
The whisper brushed my ear like a knife. My instincts flared—wings snapping open as I launched upward—but there he was.
Rocks D. Xebec.
Standing casually on the rooftop behind me, arms folded, cloak stirring in the coastal wind. His presence didn't ripple the air, didn't shake the ground, didn't alert a single soul in the city.
No Haki.
No madness.
Just him.
No one below noticed. Only me.
He looked around the rebuilt capital with calm detachment. "Our clan came from this stretch of sea, you know. Took real effort to find it again." His eyes traced the horizon. "I destroyed every island capable of producing a Log Pose in this direction. Government destroyed the rest."
He looked at me—not at my body, but inside it.
"Shiki and Newgate say you aren't eating enough. But you…" he tapped my forehead lightly, "you don't follow patterns. You're a D. I won't spoil which branch yet. But I hope I'm alive when you remember."
A slight grin.
"I don't know what caused your memory loss, but it makes this whole drama more entertaining."
Then, as if stepping off a staircase only he could see, Rocks walked into the air itself. A smooth, effortless Geppo.
"Come. Back to the ship."
I transformed without shrinking, letting my large form follow behind him. Rocks glanced back.
"What do you want as reward for completing your mission? Gold? Ships?"
"I want training."
He chuckled. "Figures. Even bratty Kaido asked for gold and Linlin scammed him. But you… I'll train myself. Six Styles? Worthless for you. Swords? You'll break them. Haki? We'll get there."
The rest of the flight was silent.
Scene 2 — Returning to the Crew
"CAPTAIN'S BACK! PULL THE ANCHOR!"
Shakky shouted while finishing her cigarette. Newgate lifted a barrel in greeting, Shiki lounging beside him with a grin.
I shrank down to land on Shakky's shoulder.
"Auntie Shakky… help me later?"
"Maybe. Depends—what'd he give you?"
"The island. And his training."
Newgate choked mid-drink.
"He agreed?" the giant asked.
"Yeah… so, uh… is there food?"
"Kitchen's the only sacred place on the ship," Shakky said, flicking ash. "Poison anything and Rocks kills you personally."
Then she shoved a pill into my beak before I could dodge.
Energy rippled through me—heat contracting, stabilizing, not diminishing.
My feathers brightened.
"What was that?" I coughed.
"A cooling pill." She tossed me a metal box. "Your Devil Fruit produces life force like a miniature sun. Your Ki refines that into pure energy. It's self-sustaining—but your body can't regulate the heat yet. That pill absorbs excess thermal radiation. Otherwise you'd cook your organs."
Shiki and John paused mid-drink.
John scoffed. "So now he needs pills just to—"
BANG.
A bullet appeared in the railing beside his hand.
Shakky didn't even turn.
"John. If you think he's weak for needing thermal regulation… try holding even a fraction of the heat he keeps inside him. Let all that solar pressure build in your spine. See how long before your blood vaporizes."
John paled.
Shiki burst into laughter.
Newgate hid his smile.
John spit in the sea and stormed off. "You're lucky the captain kills anyone who touches you…"
Shakky exhaled softly. "Moron."
Newgate rumbled, "If he trained his Observation Haki half as much as his mouth, he'd know you weren't exaggerating."
Shakky smirked. "If he trained anything besides his mouth, he'd live longer."
Scene 3 — The Reality of Traitors
I tried to escape.
"Well, I'll just—"
Shakky grabbed my shoulder.
"No. You have a mission."
She pressed a log pose against my chest.
"Scout this island. Look for Marine ships. If you spot any, scan for a Celestial Dragon. Do NOT engage."
"…By myself?"
"It's scouting," she said bluntly. "We'll be two hours behind you. Do well, and I'll have Shira cook dinner for you."
I took off immediately.
Shiki watched me vanish. "Should he go alone?"
"Whether he should or not doesn't matter," Shakky said. "He needs experience. And the traitors in Rocks' crew are moving. My spies are being killed before they can get close to Government plans. Something big is coming."
John reappeared, calmer. "Rocks wouldn't give any of us an island near the base. But he gives the kid Solara?"
Shiki tossed his gourd at John. "Dig deeper and die faster."
Shakky exhaled smoke. "What Rocks is holding onto… only the Government dares discuss openly. If you value your life, don't question him."
Newgate grunted. "We're not loyal to Rocks. We just watch each other's backs. When everything explodes, we won't die with the ship."
Shakky nodded slowly. "His grip on sanity is slipping. Crow said he showed clarity about his homeland. That's rare."
Silence.
Scene 4 — Crow's Search Begins
Wind sliced against my feathers. The log pose tugged sharply. The cooling pill kept the heat stable—barely.
I compressed.
Ki tightened around my form, shrinking my size.
Feathers smoothed.
Heat dimmed.
Light folded inward.
A miniature sun turned into a burning needle.
I glided lower.
The island: simple harbor, quiet town, empty roads.
Too quiet.
Civilians moved with forced calm. Shoulders tense. Doors half-shut.
Fear.
I shrank again, compressing myself until my wings cut the wind silently.
Then I saw it.
White sails.
Seastone hulls.
Marine banners.
Three warships.
Three Vice Admiral flags.
Vice Admirals Garuda, Ironwall, Rakkon.
New World elites.
I pulled into a tight glide.
Their voices carried:
"Keep the harbor closed!"
"No civilians in or out!"
"Escort Unit, maintain formation!"
I followed the tension inland.
Then I saw the escort unit:
Twenty elite Marines.
Weapons drawn.
A bubble-coated palanquin.
A Celestial Dragon inside.
The guards were terrified.
The civilians frozen.
The air heavy.
I compressed further, becoming nearly invisible.
This wasn't routine.
This was fear.
This was political danger.
And Shakky's warning echoed:
"Scout first. Don't expose yourself."
So I did.
And I followed the escort deeper into the city…
Where the tension only grew.