As the Rocket Man thundered down the sea rails, a sharp gust of wind swept across its frame, followed closely by heavy mist and cold rain. The sky darkened overhead, storm clouds curling like angry beasts above the endless ocean.
GOOOOOOOOO!!!
A deep, thunderous roar echoed from ahead.
"Hey guys," Nojiko called from near the window, eyes narrowed. "We've got trouble up front."
"What is that?" Hibari asked, stepping beside her.
Kokoro's face turned grim. "That's no ordinary storm. It's the Aqua Laguna—the high tide of death. You'd better brace yourselves or risk getting swept right off the tracks!"
"What?! You mean that Aqua Laguna?!" Usopp's knees buckled as he stared at the monstrous wave rapidly building on the horizon. "We're gonna drown! I knew this was a bad idea!!"
Stev's face went pale as he took in the sight of the approaching wall of water. "I don't know if we can survive that... but wait—" he suddenly rummaged through his pouch, pulling out a small green marble and holding it up.
"Here!" he said quickly, turning to the crew. "If we get swept into the sea, this might save you."
Nami blinked. "What is it?"
"I call it Bubble Breath," Stev said. "Place it under your tongue. It'll let you breathe underwater for a few hours. Not perfect, but it's better than nothing!"
He handed out marbles one by one to the others.
"Where's Zoro, Sanji, and Gin?" he asked, glancing around when he realized they weren't in the cabin.
Alvida leaned against the wall and answered, "They're up front. Said they'd 'take care of it.'"
"In front?" Stev's eyes widened.
He moved to the window and spotted them—Zoro, Sanji, and Gin were all standing on the roof of the conductor's room, unfazed by the storm around them, their coats and hair whipping in the wind.
"This should be easy," Zoro said calmly, drawing one of his swords.
"Hmm. Good time to try out what I've been practicing," Gin replied, spinning his tonfa with a glint in his eye.
Sanji cracked his neck, then kicked the air to warm up. "New skill? I got one too."
The three stood side-by-side as the Aqua Laguna wave surged forward like a mountain of water crashing down from the heavens.
Seconds passed. The air was thick with pressure.
Then the wave came—massive, deafening, impossible.
But so were they.
"Phoenix's 360th Storm!" Zoro roared, spinning with unmatched speed, slicing arcs of wind through the air.
"Demon's Raging Smash!" Gin's arms lit up, striking the sky like twin comets, his tonfa leaving trails of energy.
"Hachis Tempest!" Sanji shot forward in mid-air, unleashing a barrage of high-speed kicks that seemed to explode against the wall of water.
BOOOOM!
The three techniques struck in perfect unison, slamming into the Aqua Laguna with earth-shaking force. The colossal wave shuddered, then *broke*, splitting clean down the middle and opening a narrow path just wide enough for the Rocket Man to pass through.
Silence.
Then—WHOOSH!
The Rocket Man sailed through the gap without resistance.
"WOAAAHHH!!" The entire car erupted in cheers, jaws dropping in disbelief.
"That was insane!" Usopp shouted, practically dancing in place. "Did you see that?!"
"Talk about overkill!" Mikita grinned, wind blowing her hat back.
In the Franky Family's cart, mouths were agape.
"I'm so glad I didn't tick them off the other day," Zambai muttered, sweat pouring down his face.
"That strength… I think we've got a real shot at saving Aniki now!" Mozu said, fists clenched.
"Yeah," Kiwi added, eyes shining. "With power like that on our side, nothing can stop us."
And with the tides left behind, Rocket Man continued charging forward—fast, fierce, and unstoppable.
...
A lone ship sailed steadily across the waves, bearing a black flag marked with a jolly roger—its skull grinning under a floppy hat, its features exaggerated in clownish style. It was unmistakably the flag of the Straw Clown Pirates.
"How long until we reach Water Seven?" Zino asked from the front of the deck, as he stared into the night horizon.
Everyone turned toward their flamboyant captain.
"Er… according to my navigational experience," Buggy said, puffing his chest out, "we should be getting close to the island any minute now."
"You've been there, Captain?" Mohji asked with curiosity.
"Of course I've been there!" Buggy grinned widely. "I've traveled the Grand Line more times than you've eaten bananas, you fool."
"So what's it like?" Luffy asked excitedly.
Buggy cleared his throat and launched into a dramatic explanation. "Water Seven... is one of the most dazzling cities in all of the Grand Line. Picture this—giant waterfalls and canals flowing through the city like veins, everything built atop the sea itself! The whole place looks like a massive, rising fountain."
"Woooahhh!" Chopper's eyes sparkled as he leaned in. "Tell us more, Captain! Tell us more!"
"Calm down, kid," Buggy said, holding up a hand, basking in the admiration. "Yeah, it's beautiful. But don't get fooled by its charm."
"What do you mean?" Cabaji asked, raising an eyebrow.
"That place hides danger too," Buggy said, turning serious. "If you go there at the wrong time... you risk facing Aqua Laguna."
Zino's eyes narrowed the moment he heard the name. He'd read about Aqua Laguna—an annual super tide that swallowed parts of Water Seven whole. But he had never seen it himself. The name alone sent a shiver of anticipation through him.
"Aqua Laguna?" Luffy repeated.
Buggy nodded sagely. "When Aqua Laguna strikes, it gives you signs. First, the sea starts to drop."
As if on cue, the crew glanced overboard. The water level had begun to recede, exposing patches of the seabed in the distance.
"Next," Buggy continued, "dark clouds roll in from the horizon."
Again, the timing was eerily perfect. Several of the crew turned and spotted a mass of black clouds gathering in the distance.
"Uh... guys?" Chopper pointed toward the sky.
Buggy ignored him, swept up in his own storytelling. "Then, you hear it—the low, terrible sound of the wave approaching. Like a giant sonar... a rumble that grows louder and louder."
GOOOOOOOOOOO!!!
The sound came—not from his imagination, but very real and very near.
"C-Captain?" Mohji stammered, face draining of color.
"That's the sound…" Buggy muttered, blinking. Then his expression froze.
"Wait… wait a second—WHY DO I HEAR THE ACTUAL SOUND?!"
He whipped around—and his jaw dropped.
"AaaAAAAGHHHH!!!" Buggy shrieked, eyes bulging.
Towering behind them was a monstrous wall of water, a colossal mountain of churning ocean that raced toward their ship like an unstoppable beast. The sky had darkened to a deep, bruised gray, and thunder cracked overhead like celestial gunfire.
"W-WHY IS AQUA LAGUNA HERE?!" Buggy screamed, flailing his arms in pure panic. "IT'S NOT SUPPOSED TO BE HERE YET!!"
"DO SOMETHING, CAPTAIN!!" Cabaji yelled, white-knuckling the railing as the wind howled past.
Buggy spun the helm with wild, jerky motions. "TURN THE SHIP! FULL SAIL, FULL SAIL!!"
But it was already far too late.
The sea beneath them trembled, pulled in by the tidal force. Waves began crashing prematurely against their hull, rocking the ship violently. Spray and mist blasted across the deck, soaking everyone in seconds.
"All hands, hold onto something!" shouted Mohji, wrapping his arms around a mast. Richie, his lion, roared and crouched low to the deck, whimpering.
The roaring from the Aqua Laguna grew louder—deafening. It was as if the ocean itself had decided to devour them whole.
Buggy's eyes widened in terror. "This is it! We're finished! We're gonna be scattered across the sea like confetti!"
But just then, a figure launched upward into the air from the ship—Zino.
He leapt with incredible speed and height, soaring toward the approaching tidal wave like a spear piercing the sky. The crew could barely follow his movement with their eyes.
Up above the crashing fury, Zino stretched out a single hand.
"Ice Age," he said calmly.
The moment his fingers touched the wave, an eerie stillness rippled outward. A thin layer of frost spread across the point of impact—and then, in a matter of seconds, the frost exploded outward into a full-on freeze.
A thunderous crack echoed across the sea as the towering wave solidified into solid ice. The monstrous Aqua Laguna, mere seconds from crashing down on them, became a jagged, gleaming wall of frozen ocean.
The temperature dropped instantly. Mist turned to fine snow. The furious roar of the sea was replaced by a deafening silence.
The Straw Clown Pirates stared in stunned silence for a moment.
Then—
"OOOOHHHHHH!!!"
An eruption of cheers exploded from the deck.
"DID YOU SEE THAT?!"
"HE FROZE THE WHOLE WAVE!!"
"AHAHAHA!! WE'RE ALIVE!!"
Buggy's jaw hung open. "Wh-What the hell... Zino?! Since when could you do that?!"
Zino landed lightly on the frozen sea, standing atop the solid ice sheet that stretched endlessly across the ocean. The glimmer of frost reflected the soft light around him as he turned back to the Straw Clown Pirates.
"This is where we part ways," he said calmly. "Thanks for the escort."
Before anyone could reply, his body crackled with electricity.
CRACKLE!
In a flash of light, he vanished—leaving behind only a faint trail of sparks in the air.
"…He's gone," Cabaji said, blinking in disbelief.
The crew stood silently, staring at the spot where Zino had just been.
Then, Mohji suddenly looked around, puzzled. "Wait a second… our ship can't move. The sea is frozen!"
Buggy blinked, realizing it too. "Right. The water's solid! But we've got a solution. Mohji—your Shrink-Shrink ability. Use it."
"Got it!" Mohji nodded.
"Everyone off the ship!" Buggy barked.
The crew quickly disembarked onto the icy surface. Mohji held up his hand, concentrating. A faint glow shimmered around the vessel—and with a puff of smoke, the entire ship compressed down to the size of a large suitcase. Mohji caught it easily.
"Let's head to that edge over there," Buggy pointed, leading them toward the distant horizon where the frozen sea gave way to open water.
It took some time, slipping and shuffling over the slick ice, but eventually they reached the edge. Mohji placed the miniaturized ship down and released the effect—POOF!
The ship returned to its full size, sitting neatly on the water's surface once more.
"Alright, let's move toward Water Seven," Buggy declared.
"What if the tide comes back?" Tensuro asked nervously, glancing at the towering frozen wall they'd left behind.
Buggy hesitated, looking up at the stormy skies. The night was dark, and Aqua Laguna had only just struck.
"…We wait. No sense risking it in the dark," Buggy said at last. "We'll camp here on the ice until the tides subside."
Everyone nodded in agreement. They set up makeshift shelters on the frozen surface, lighting small fires to keep warm beneath the cold night sky.
Meanwhile, far ahead, Zino was speeding across the sea in bursts of lightning. His Observation Haki spread in all directions, paired with his electromagnetic sensing to scan the area.
"If Aqua Laguna is here, that means I must be near Water Seven," he murmured.
Moments later, he sensed land nearby. With a burst of energy, he zipped toward it.
CRACK!
He landed on the shoreline, frost crackling under his feet.
"Water Seven," Zino said softly. "I finally made it."
He immediately reached out again with his Haki—searching for familiar presences. But something felt off.
"…Where's the crew?" he muttered. The only familiar presence nearby was Baral.
CRACKLE!
In the blink of an eye, he zipped toward it—and reached the Silent Orca a second later.
"Boss?!" Baral gasped.
'Captain!' the ship echoed with surprising clarity.
"Huh?" Zino narrowed his eyes. He turned toward the ship. "The ship… has emotions?"
"You can feel her too?" Baral asked in amazement.
"More like… I can detect her emotions," Zino replied, stunned.
'Captain, welcome back,' the Silent Orca said warmly in his mind.
"You're really alive…" Zino whispered, astonished.
'I think so,' the ship replied gently.
Zino stood there, stunned in silence for a long moment, trying to process it all.
Then Baral stepped forward. "Boss… there's trouble."
Zino turned to him. "What is it?"
"Robin's been kidnapped."