A sudden surge of powerful energy pressed down on Gloriosa and Hancock.
“Hey, old hag,” Hancock snapped, “do you have Conqueror’s Haki or something?”
“No, you brat—this isn’t me! Wait… this energy—it’s the same as the one sealed inside the stone!” Gloriosa’s face twisted in shock.
The energy sealed within the stone was the energy of war and evil—stronger even than Imu. Yet the power contained in the ancient stone tablet was even more terrifying, more potent, more dangerous.
As they moved deeper into the cave, the oppressive force weakened almost all of Gloriosa’s and Hancock’s strength. That stone had remained unbroken for centuries; even the Empress before Gloriosa failed to shatter it. When she tried, a leak of its energy birthed a curse on Amazon Lily. Only women could enter the island, and only those with pure hearts—or the chosen—could survive the cave’s presence.
The chaotic energy within the cave began to merge, forming a glowing orange orb. Power surged violently, space cracking around it as reality tore apart. The cave shook, and fractures began spreading across the stone tablet until finally—
It shattered.
When the dust settled, a strange box lay among the rubble. Slowly, it creaked open.
Inside was a chained blade, glowing brighter and brighter until—
**BOOM!**
The explosion released tremendous power, but inexplicably, the energy was absorbed entirely by Hancock. The light wrapped around her like a cocoon, reforming the Empress. Her clothes glowed brilliantly before the radiance engulfed her whole body.
When the light faded, a tall, slender warrior stood there—Hancock, transformed. She wore a flowing white dress, armored plates, a gleaming helmet, and a shield bearing a gorgon’s face.
“What… is this?” Hancock whispered.
Gloriosa staggered back. “Th-that’s the armor of Athena… and the Aegis. It was said to be—”
Before she could finish, Hancock screamed and clutched her head. Visions overwhelmed her—a man fighting by her side, an ally… a husband. The memories felt so real that Hancock began to doubt her own life.
Minutes later, the pain faded, and the divine armor vanished, dissolving into a yellow sphere of light. The sphere hovered, pulsing with divine energy. It was only a fragment—one piece of a greater key.
The chained blade glowed once more, shot up into the sky like a meteor, and streaked eastward—toward Cocoyashi Village.
---
### **Drum Island – The Frost Fragment**
On Drum Island, a small reindeer stood upright on two legs—a blue nose twitching. Chopper stared at a blue glowing orb he found half-buried in the snow. Frost spread everywhere from it; the entire Drum Kingdom was rapidly turning into a winter country.
Climbing the mountain, Chopper stumbled upon an ancient ruin—a stone tablet depicting a massive frost-covered giant with blue skin.
“What’s this…? A Frost Giant?” Chopper muttered. “The legends said Drum Kingdom became snowy because of a wandering giant… and this hole in the center is the same shape as this orb.”
Chopper hesitated, then inserted the orb.
The island trembled. The tablet froze solid and crumbled away, leaving behind only an axe and another orb.
The axe shot into the air and flew toward East Blue. Everywhere it passed, the sea froze—its power rivaling Aokiji’s Ice Age.
The remaining orb released its light into Chopper’s body.
“Huh? What happened?” Chopper blinked, confused. He shrugged and headed home—unaware his every step caused the snow to thicken until the ruins were completely buried.
---
### **East Blue – Cocoyashi Village**
“Brother Arlong! Wee-....we needs to leave East Blue now!” A fish-man ran in, panting and terrified.
“What? Did the Navy betray us?” Arlong demanded.
“No! There’s… a stone tablet here.”
The fish-men froze. Their eyes widened.
“A stone tablet… like the one in Fishman Island,” one whispered. That tablet once protected their home and transformed fish-men thousands of years ago.
The panicked fish-man continued, “Yes! But this one… it showed two men—a handsome one and a bald white-skinned one—facing off. And at the top, it said, ‘The new god has returned.’ Then the text glowed and exploded!”
Arlong’s expression darkened. He remembered well: anyone who harmed a land with a stone tablet would be punished a hundredfold.
At the port, Nami was carrying a young man on her back—effortlessly, thanks to her One Piece physique.
“Hey, Nami, who’s that?” a fish-man asked, eyeing the boy.
“My victim,” she lied smoothly. “Just borrowing him to squeeze some money from his family.”
“Fine. Usual rates—100,000 Beli for that guy.”
They let her pass.
One fish-man frowned. “I don’t know… that guy feels strange.”
“Why?” his comrade asked.
“When we were at Fishman Island… I felt the same energy from the tablet.”
“Maybe you’re just homesick.”
“Yeah… maybe.”
They shrugged it off.
Nami walked through Cocoyashi Village, villagers silently watching from their windows. She sighed, believing they hated her for working under Arlong. She never realized they all knew the truth—that she was fighting for them—but were too weak to resist the fish-men.
At home, Nojiko greeted her. The moment she saw the unconscious boy on Nami’s back, her eyes narrowed with curiosity.
“I found him while sailing. No idea why, but it looked like he fell from the sky.”
“He fell… from the sky?”
“What? Why?” Nami asked, noticing her sister’s hesitation.
“There’s a stone tablet here in Cocoyashi Village,” Nojiko said softly. “It showed an image of a star… falling. That’s what the ancient text said.”
Nami and Nojiko looked at the boy simultaneously.
“Sis, I finally got the 100 million Beli. I can buy the village soon,” Nami said with a hopeful smile.
Nojiko forced a smile back, though pity filled her eyes. She knew Arlong would never honor the deal.
Neither noticed the boy lying on the chair. His brows tightened as if in pain. Red tattoos slowly crept across his skin. His flesh began turning ashy, and a terrifying energy started building within him.
“Wait for me, sis. I’ll go to Arlong Park to remind him of our agreement.”
“Okay. I’ll start cooking.”
Nami left cheerfully. Nojiko shook her head helplessly and returned to preparing dinner.
**To be continued…**
-hey its me ultmamat sorry Im late it's just because I'm busy I study and im also sorry because the bookcover become black because I don't know how to change it it just all if you have any suggestions just said.......