Somewhere on the sea near Summer Island...
A Marine battleship cruised steadily through the calm waters. The sky above was partly cloudy, and the waves gently rocked the large vessel as it cut through the ocean. Tethered to the rear of the battleship was a colorful pirate ship—the deck cluttered, the sails tattered, and most notably, flying a Jolly Roger featuring a cartoonish clown face. It was unmistakably the ship of the Straw Clown Pirates.
Inside the ship's lower brig, a young man with a straw hat sat cross-legged in a makeshift iron cell, his hands locked tightly behind his back with seastone cuffs. It was Monkey D. Luffy, looking irritated yet surprisingly calm for someone imprisoned.
"Oi! Let us out already!" Luffy shouted, rattling his cuffs and slamming his shoulder into the bars.
"Stop shouting, you rubber fool. That won't get us out of here," grumbled a familiar voice from the corner of the cell.
It was Buggy the Clown, slumped on the floor in a very unflattering posture. His once flamboyant figure now resembled something closer to deflated jelly. His devil fruit powers had been completely nullified by the Kairoseki cuffs on his wrists, leaving him powerless and moody. Beside him were his crewmates, Mohji, Cabaji, and a couple of minor goons, all in similar conditions.
"I swear," Buggy muttered, "everything was going fine until you showed up."
"Eh?" Luffy blinked innocently. "What did I do?"
Buggy facepalmed.
Meanwhile, above deck, Smoker, the stern Marine captain, sat on a wooden crate near the helm. A black Den Den Mushi rested in his hand, its eyes closed as it mimicked the gruff voice of someone on the other end.
"Mr. 3, did you or did you not locate the Orca Pirates at Little Garden?"
The voice was cold and authoritative—undoubtedly that of Mr. 0, the elusive leader of Baroque Works.
Mr. 3's nervous voice crackled through. "Apologies, Mr. 0. We searched Little Garden thoroughly, but there was no sign of the Orca Pirates. No sightings from any nearby islands either. It's as if they've disappeared completely."
There was silence on the line.
Then: "...Return. We will regroup and reorganize. Our focus now is Alabasta. The window is closing."
"Understood."
Click.
The call ended.
Smoker exhaled a long cloud of smoke and placed the Den Den Mushi aside. His eyes turned to his subordinate, Tashigi, who stood nearby holding a notebook and map.
"What do you make of it?" Smoker asked calmly, puffing on his cigar.
Tashigi adjusted her glasses and responded, "It's becoming clearer, Captain. Whoever Mr. 0 is, he's orchestrating something major in Alabasta. This failed attempt to intercept the Orca Pirates confirms they're a threat to his plans."
She paused, flipping a few pages of her notes. "The Orca Pirates have had confirmed contact with Princess Vivi. If Mr. 0 is trying to stop them, it likely means they've learned something... something important."
Smoker nodded slowly, thoughtful. "This whole mess... Baroque Works, Alabasta, the Straw Clown Pirates, and now the Orca Pirates... What the heck is that guy doing?"
He stood, gazing out at the sea.
"Prepare to change course. We'll reach Alabasta as fast as we could," Smoker ordered, his eyes narrowing as smoke drifted from his cigar.
"Yes, sir!" Tashigi snapped a salute, already stepping toward the helm to relay the command.
Below deck, however, a different kind of storm was brewing.
Inside the dimly lit holding cell, Luffy was still fidgeting, twisting his wrists against the seastone cuffs as if sheer will could break them. Beside him, Buggy the Clown sat silently—but not idly. His brows were furrowed, and his eyes darted toward the guards pacing outside the bars.
Then, he leaned closer to Mohji, whispering, "Mohji. Give me your shirt."
"Huh? My shirt? What for, Captain?" Mohji whispered back, puzzled.
"Just do it, idiot. Don't ask."
Still confused, Mohji quickly peeled off his loose-fitting shirt and handed it over. Buggy grabbed it and wrapped it tightly around his wrists, covering the Kairoseki cuffs with several layers of cloth. It wasn't enough to completely block the seastone's nullifying effect, but it lessened the direct contact just enough.
With a focused expression, Buggy clenched his jaw and slowly tried to activate his Devil Fruit power. His fingers twitched. Then, bit by bit, he began to detach his hand—right at the point where the cuff encased his wrist.
Luffy's eyes widened as he saw it happening.
Plop. His left hand floated free inside the cuff, slipping out like a ghost leaving a shackle.
Buggy grinned with satisfaction and repeated the trick with his other wrist. Within seconds, both cuffs clattered to the floor with a dull clang, and Buggy flexed his freed hands triumphantly.
"Ohhh! Captain, you did it!" Mohji whispered excitedly, nearly clapping.
"Shhh! You moron!" Buggy hissed, slapping a hand over Mohji's mouth. "Do you want the Marines to walk in and shoot us?!"
Just then, Luffy opened his mouth to speak, clearly impressed.
"Eh? Buggy, you're—mmph!"
Buggy spun around and clamped his hand over Luffy's mouth next.
"Oi! Straw Hat! Not. A. Word," he growled. "If you make a peep and blow my cover, I'll leave you chained up while I sail away laughing. Got it?"
Luffy blinked… and nodded silently.
Buggy slowly let go and turned to the others. Cabaji raised an eyebrow. "So, what now, Captain?"
Buggy's eyes gleamed with mischief, and a wide grin split across his painted face. "We escape. Tonight. When the guards are switching shifts."
The crew exchanged glances. Normally, Buggy's ideas caused chaos and failure. But this time… something about the tension in the air, the danger around them, and the way he slipped the cuffs—it gave them a sense of real anticipation.
Even Cabaji smirked. "Been a while since we did something this thrilling."
Buggy crossed his arms. "Get ready. This time, we're not just running. We're going to take our ship back. And maybe grab a little something on the way out."
Luffy tilted his head. "Like meat?"
Buggy rolled his eyes. "Like freedom, you food-obsessed rubber brat."
Still, the faint smile on Luffy's face said he agreed.
...
Somewhere along the sea en route to Alabasta...
A gentle breeze swept across the deck of the Ardent Gale, the waves rocking the sleek vessel at a steady rhythm. Aboard were Zoro, Nami, Binko, and Kruz, all keeping watch as they continued their urgent journey.
Zoro leaned against the railing, arms crossed, the sea wind ruffling his green hair. "How much longer till we reach Alabasta?" he asked casually, though a sharpness lingered in his tone.
Nami, holding the compass and chart, furrowed her brows thoughtfully. "According to what Vivi told us before we got separated in that freak storm, there were only about nine to twelve days before the rebellion in Alabasta begins."
Binko, sitting on a barrel nearby with a notepad, began making quick calculations. "We lost two days in Spring Island... then spent another four days sailing since then. That means we've used up six days total."
"That leaves us with only three to six days left," Nami said, nodding grimly. "We'll barely make it in time—if we're lucky."
Zoro grunted. "Then we better not waste a second."
Just then, Kruz—who was manning the wheel—squinted toward the horizon. "Hey. What's that…?" He pointed to the far left, where the faint silhouette of a ship moved steadily along the same heading, though at a distance.
"A ship?" Binko echoed, standing to get a better view.
Kruz grabbed a pair of binoculars and peered through them. "Huh… it's strange. The ship's got no flag. Sleek-looking… dark hull... and the shape—kind of like a whale."
Zoro and Nami exchanged a glance.
"Give me that!" Nami said, snatching the binoculars from Kruz before he could protest.
"Hey—!"
Nami ignored him, adjusting the focus. Her eyes widened as a grin broke across her face. "It's the Silent Orca! That's them!"
"Them? Who's 'them'?" Kruz asked, puzzled.
"Our missing crew, of course!" Nami cried.
Zoro's expression immediately shifted from neutral to determined. Binko clapped his hands excitedly. "No way! What luck!"
"Let's go," Zoro said. "We're closing that distance."
With renewed energy, the trio rushed to the sides and grabbed extra paddles to help steer the Ardent Gale faster toward the familiar ship. Even Kruz, though confused, joined in, eager to assist.
Standing at the bow, Nami waved her arm high over her head, voice rising over the sea wind. "Heeey! Zinooo! We're here!!"
Meanwhile, aboard the Silent Orca, the calm was broken by a distant shout.
"Did you hear that?" Vivi asked, glancing toward the sound.
"I see something." Gin was already at the railing, narrowing his eyes at the approaching vessel.
Ussop pulled down his goggles like binoculars and focused. His mouth fell open. "It's them! It's Nami, Zoro, and the others!!"
"Seriously?!" Hibari leaned over the side excitedly.
"Finally!" Ussop grinned wide. "Our crew's coming back together!"
Without being told, Hibari turned the ship's rudder and changed course, steering the Silent Orca toward the oncoming vessel.
As the two ships drew closer, laughter and cheers filled the air, echoing across the open sea. The long-separated crew members waved their arms, shouting names and greetings, their faces lit with joy.
"I can't believe this is real!" Binko grinned wide, tears nearly forming in his eyes.
Just then, another voice rang out from behind them.
"Heeey! Nami! Zoro! Gin! Ussop! Binko! Hibari!"
Multiple voices followed, full of excitement and urgency.
"Huh?" Usopp turned around, squinting toward the sound. "Who's shouting now?"
As everyone turned, they noticed something odd. A long, sleek white path was stretching out over the surface of the sea, heading toward them at high speed.
"What the—what is that?" Zoro asked, stepping forward.
"A wave?" Binko blinked.
"No," Nami said slowly, eyes narrowing. "That's… ice."
From the horizon, a group of figures could be seen skating swiftly on the path. At the front was a large sled, gliding effortlessly along the frozen track, propelled by none other than Zino, who was ice-skating at high speed behind it, hands on the sled like a pro.
The others—Sanji, Alvida, Kaya, Nojiko, Mikita, Stev, and Karoo—were skating (or in Stev's case, stumbling) behind him.
"Zino's group!!" Nami shouted, a smile breaking across her face.
"Cousin!!" Hibari waved both arms in the air.
"Nami-chwaaan!!" Sanji spun on one leg, nearly falling off the ice path from sheer excitement.
Their paths converged as the ice trail connected seamlessly to the side of the ships. With a final push, the sled came to a graceful stop, and the separated groups were finally reunited in full.
While the cheers erupted again, Usopp eyes was on the ice path, feeling incredulous. "Wait. Wait, wait, wait. Someone explain—what is this? Who made this ice?"
"It's Zino," Kaya said proudly. "He's got an Ice ability now."
"What?!" Usopp looked back at Zino as if seeing him for the first time.
Everyone else turned toward him, equally stunned. Zino stood tall, arms crossed, a smug grin plastered across his face. The ice sparkled beneath his feet. He tilted his head, still grinning. "Heh. Impressed, aren't you?"
Zoro clicked his tongue. "Tch. We separate for a few days, and this guy goes off and eats another element."
"Are you amazed?" Zino raised an eyebrow, smirk deepening.
Zoro snorted. "Keep acting smug, and one day you'll get what's coming."
Suddenly, Zino's grin faltered, his shoulders stiffened, and he awkwardly retracted his neck, eyes darting away.
"Oh, he already got it," Sanji said with a sigh.
"What happened?" Zoro asked, arching an eyebrow. "I was joking."
"Nope, that really happened," Alvida said, also sighing. "He paused during a skate, got too cocky about his new power, and we got swallowed by a Sea King."
"WHAT?!" Zoro's eyes went wide.
"Yup," Nojiko sighed, and added. "That giant fish took us on a joyride underwater. Would've been our end if Zino hadn't frozen its insides from the stomach."
Zino scratched his cheek sheepishly. "I handled it."
The rest of the crew stared at the ice-skating group in silence.
Binko blinked. "That… sounds terrifying."
"But cool," said Kruz.
Karoo quacked and shivered from the back.
Laughter mixed with sigh broke out, the tension melting like ice in the sun. The Orca Pirates—now whole and reunited.