"Let's give them a surprise," Zino said, a sly smirk playing on his lips.
He casually strolled to the rear deck of the Silent Orca. The crew watched curiously.
Zino turned back to them and called out, "Everyone, hold on tight and manage the ship's direction! I'm about to launch us at full speed!"
"Huh?" Sanji blinked. "Launch?"
"What are you talking about?" Nami asked, already growing nervous.
Then—
FWOOSH!!!
A deafening gust erupted from the back of the ship as Zino released a focused burst of wind from his Air Element. The entire ship lurched, hesitated for a split second—then blasted forward with a sudden surge, rocketing across the water like a torpedo.
"AAAHHH!!"
"WHAT THE HELL?!"
The crew was thrown off balance, grabbing onto railings, ropes, and barrels as the deck trembled beneath their feet. Mikita rolled across the floor before catching a post. Usopp was almost flung out of the crow's nest. Hibari grabbed the helm, gritting his teeth as he forced the ship to stay on course.
"Steer straight!" Zoro yelled, gripping a mast. "We'll flip if we hit a wave wrong!"
Hibari didn't answer—his eyes narrowed in pure focus, guiding the Orca through the chaos.
In mere seconds, they closed in on the first Marine vessel in their path.
"Contact! They're coming in fast!" a Marine shouted from the ship's deck.
Commander Fullbody, who was leading the squadron, squinted through his binoculars. "They're not slowing down! All hands, prepare to—"
Suddenly, a handful of small metallic spheres landed on the deck of his ship with dull clinks.
His eyes widened. "Huh?!"
BOOM!!!
A series of explosions rocked the Marine ship, engulfing it in flames and black smoke. The blast sent waves rolling outward as the Silent Orca zoomed past it, completely unharmed.
Zino glanced toward the wrecked marine ship. "Oh, explosive?"
He turned back, and saw Stev giving a peace sign while holding a crate of more bombs.
"They should be grateful for my parting gift," Stev said with a satisfied grin.
Another Marine ship tried to intercept from the left—but it was too slow.
The Orca tore past the blockade, weaving through gunfire and cannon blasts. Cannonballs exploded harmlessly into the sea behind them or whizzed overhead.
Two… three… four ships… Five…
"They're everywhere!" Kaya shouted.
"Hold on! We're almost through!" Hibari barked, jerking the wheel hard to the right, dodging a net dropped from above.
Sanji deflected a chain cannonball with a powerful kick, while Creed formed a small shield of energy to block shrapnel from the deck.
Zino crouched down, channeling more energy into his wind boost. "Just a little more…"
Eight… nine…
Just as the Silent Orca was about to break past the final Marine vessel, a composed yet formidable figure stood tall at the bow of the ship.
Captain Hina of the Marines.
She stared intently, her eyes narrowing as she outstretched her hand.
"Awase Baori!" (*Kimono Sleeve Cage!*)
In an instant, thick iron bars sprouted and extended from her limbs like a massive steel net, growing into a wide, interlocking cage that spanned across the sea—blocking the pirate ship's path completely.
"Watch out!" Gin shouted, eyes wide.
At the prow, Zoro's eyes sharpened. With a calm breath, he stepped forward, drawing Wado Ichimonji.
"Ittoryu: Shishi Ran!" (*One Sword Style: Lion Storm!*)
A fierce arc of air slashed forward from his blade—sharp, fast, and precise. It collided with the wall of metal and sliced through it like paper. The bars groaned, snapped, and fell into the sea in a clatter of broken steel.
The ship shot through the cleared gap just in time.
As they passed, Zoro's gaze locked for a brief moment with Hina's. It was only an instant, but the tension crackled—two warriors measuring each other silently. Her sharp eyes then shifted to Zino, standing at the stern.
Zino turned slightly, one hand still outstretched, guiding the wind that propelled their ship. With the other, he gave her a casual wave and a knowing grin.
Swoosh!
The Silent Orca burst past the blockade in a blur of speed, wind trailing behind them like a white comet streaking across the ocean. Smoke, broken steel, and stunned Marine soldiers remained in their wake.
Standing motionless at the front of her ship, Captain Hina's coat fluttered in the wind as she narrowed her eyes at the shrinking silhouette on the horizon.
With calm, practiced steps, she turned and made her way toward the communications room. Her expression remained unreadable, but the faint furrow in her brow hinted at her irritation.
Reaching the desk, she picked up the den den mushi, its snail eyes slowly blinking open. She dialed a secure line. After a few rings, the other end clicked.
"Hello, Sister Elara." Hina spoke flatly.
A soft, composed voice replied through the snail. "Hina. I assume this is about the Orca Pirates? Have you encountered them already?"
"Hina saw them," she answered, using her usual third-person speech.
There was a brief pause, then the voice asked, "Did you manage to capture them?"
Hina's lips pressed into a thin line. "No. They escaped."
"Escaped?" The voice sounded surprised.
"Their swordsman—Hina believes it was Roronoa Zoro—cut through Hina's iron bars with a flying slash. It was a clean break, no resistance. Their ship was also propelled unnaturally fast, likely due to the captain's wind-based ability."
The line went quiet for a moment. Then the voice spoke again, more thoughtful now.
"So they're stronger than anticipated…" A soft sigh followed. "Alright. Continue tracking them. I'm still en route. It will take me more than a week to arrive in Alabasta. Until then, monitor their movements—but don't engage directly. Not unless you're certain you can stall them."
"Understood."
"Good. I'll contact you again once I reach the region."
The den den mushi blinked, then closed its eyes as the call ended.
Hina stood in silence for a few seconds, then turned to gaze out the window at the trail of smoke still hanging on the distant sea horizon.
"So... even the sea winds bend to their will," she muttered. "This crew... is going to be troublesome."
...
A few hours later, the Silent Orca cruised peacefully over calm waters. The sun hovered near the horizon, casting a golden glow across the sea, its reflection dancing like fire on the waves.
Breaking the quiet, Binko leaned against the rail and sighed, "It'd be nice if there was an island nearby. We could anchor for the night and get some proper rest."
"Too bad there's nothing in sight," Hibari replied from the ship's crow's nest, taking over the lookout shift from Usopp.
"Hey, Captain," Stev called out. "Why not just make one of your floating ice platforms again? We could camp on that."
"No," Nami cut in before Zino could answer. "We need to keep moving. If we stop now, the Marines might catch up." She glanced at her instruments with a frown. "Also... there's something weird going on with the Eternal Pose. It's not pointing ahead, it's pointing straight up."
"Up?" Robin looked over her shoulder. "That's unusual. Log Poses react to an island's magnetic field. If it's pointing toward the sky… then that means the next island is above us."
A moment of silence.
Then, almost in unison, everyone looked up.
"Wait... there's an island in the sky?" Usopp blinked, craning his neck.
"Maybe it's some kind of god's island," Binko said.
"You really believe that?" Mikita raised an eyebrow.
"I mean, do you have a better explanation?" Binko shrugged.
"Wait—" Nojiko pointed. "There's something falling from up there."
They all looked. A dark speck was dropping fast, growing larger by the second.
"Is that...?" Stev's eyes widened.
"A warship?!" Usopp screamed, eyes nearly popping out. "Why is a warship falling out of the sky?!"
"Relax," Zoro said calmly, arms crossed, though his eyes were already locked on the descending ship.
"Relax?! It's gonna crush us!" Usopp panicked, running around the deck.
As the massive warship got dangerously close, a blur shot upward—Zino.
He soared toward the falling vessel, touched it mid-air, and with a single motion—
Whoosh!
The warship vanished into thin air, sucked into a swirl of particles. Zino landed back on deck like it was nothing.
"Crisis averted," he said with a small smile.
Everyone stared.
"…Did he just catch a warship?" Usopp asked, still shaking.
"I think he… stored it?" Gin blinked.
"In his pocket?" Binko muttered.
Zino shrugged. "Something like that."
They all kept staring.
"…Okay," Usopp mumbled. "That's kinda terrifying. Why was a warship falling down suddenly?"
"That means there really is a Sky Island above us... just like Robin said," Zino muttered, still gazing upward with a mix of wonder and curiosity.
"Wait—something's falling again!" Hibari shouted from the crow's nest.
"Another warship?!" Usopp yelped, jumping back in panic.
"No, it's way smaller than that," Sanji said, squinting toward the sky. "Doesn't even look like a piece of debris."
Zino narrowed his eyes, then raised a hand. A small cyclone swirled into existence, gently guiding the falling object down toward the ship. In seconds, it hovered in front of him before softly landing in his palm.
"Huh?" he blinked. "Is this… a fruit?"
The rest of the crew gathered around him, each staring with puzzled expressions.
Robin stepped closer. "That's a Devil Fruit."
Everyone instantly tensed, the realization settling in like a drop of cold water.
"A Devil Fruit fell from the sky?" Nojiko asked, her tone incredulous.
Zino studied the fruit—its odd color, the swirling lines, the faint hum of energy. Then he looked up at the crew. "Well… who wants to eat it?"
There was silence as the group glanced at each other, weighing the question.
Zino, Robin, Galdino, Mikita, Nojiko, Kruz, and Chloris already had Devil Fruit powers. That left Zoro, Sanji, Hibari, Usopp, Gin, Stev, Binko, Kaya, and a few others.
"Count me out," Zoro said casually, arms crossed. "I don't need it."
"Same here," Hibari added. "I still want to swim."
Stev shook his head. "I don't need Devil Fruit powers to be a genius inventor."
Usopp raised a finger to say something... then dropped it. "Yeah, I'm good. I like the ocean."
"I already have mine," Mikita reminded. "No need to double-dip."
Zino nodded slowly. "Alright… then let's do this another way. I heard something a long time ago… some say Devil Fruits have a will of their own. That they choose their wielder."
"Sounds like superstition," Sanji muttered.
"Maybe," Zino replied. "But maybe not. So let's try something. One by one, you each hold the fruit. If one of you feels something—anything strange or powerful—that might mean it's meant for you."
The crew exchanged glances again, this time with more curiosity than hesitation.
"Letting fate decide, huh?" Sanji said. "Alright. That's fair."
Zino handed the fruit to Binko first. Binko held it in both hands, examining it carefully. "Feels… like a weird fruit," he said. "But nothing else." He passed it on.
Stev took it next. He stared at it for a full minute, then shrugged. "Nothing. No hum, no spark, not even a tingle."
One by one, the mysterious Devil Fruit made its way through the crew's hands.
Usopp held it like it was a ticking time bomb, nervously juggling it between his palms. "Okay, okay... feels weird... but nothing dangerous..." He quickly handed it off with a sigh of relief.
Gin took it next, holding it silently, his eyes narrowing as he concentrated. After a long pause, he exhaled through his nose and passed it on. "No reaction. Nothing."
Zoro barely glanced at it. He grabbed it with one hand, as casually as grabbing a rice ball, and passed it without a word.
The fruit landed in Kaya's hands next. The moment her fingers wrapped around it, something strange happened.
"Ah?" Kaya blinked, feeling a pulse from the fruit.
Thump. Thump.
The fruit gave a rhythmic pulse in her hands—subtle, but unmistakable. At the same time, her own heartbeat seemed to synchronize with it. Her chest tightened.
"What's wrong?" Usopp asked, stepping closer.
"It's… it's doing something," Kaya whispered, staring down at it, eyes wide.