The sky was already beginning to darken, painted with shades of orange and violet. Time had clearly passed in the Coliseum, even though outside, the world continued at its own pace. The sea reflected the last rays of the sun, casting a golden glow on our tired silhouettes.
Zoro sat heavily on a rock, resting the two blades he had won in the arena against his shoulder. He studied them with a mixture of interest and pragmatism, like a man evaluating a new extension of his arsenal. Beside him, Kuina stared at her own weapon — or rather, the Masamune. Its massive length glimmered faintly, though its glow seemed muted, as if restrained by an invisible barrier.
"Jordan, I think we're owed an explanation now," she said firmly, her eyes still locked on her blade.
I sighed softly and bowed slightly before them, one hand pressed to my chest."Yes. I truly owe you both an apology. I dragged you into that Coliseum without warning, without giving you a choice. That wasn't fair."
Zoro smirked faintly, his stern expression cracking just a little."No problem, Jordan. We're comrades, aren't we? If that god tried to bring your little sister in there, it only makes sense you chose us instead."
His words hit harder than I expected. Behind his gruff tone, there was genuine acknowledgment. Kuina nodded as well."It's been a long time since I fought seriously… and even though I've inherited strength, I'm still not used to this body. But I have to admit… I missed it." Her gaze softened before she added quietly, "And by the way… can I keep the gorilla?"
A small smile tugged at my lips. I raised my hand and summoned the shadow holding the Zoan Heartless. The massive gorilla appeared at her side, its glowing eyes fixed on Kuina with surprising loyalty. She extended her hand, and the towering creature leaned toward her like a docile animal, letting her brush its dark fur.
I frowned slightly and questioned the creature with a look."You want to stay with her?"
The gorilla gave a resounding nod, pounding its chest in a deep, echoing growl.
Kuina's smile widened, her eyes shining like a child before a treasure."Then I guess it's decided."
I nodded. "That's one of the advantages of Zoan Heartless: they act as a buffer between the power and the person. You don't have to fear losing your humanity when using its strength. On the contrary… if you grow stronger, you might even awaken its power one day."
She straightened, her hand resting on the gorilla's fur, her expression resolute. Zoro watched silently, a rare smile curving his lips, as though relieved Kuina had finally found a strength that truly belonged to her.
I gestured toward the torchlit path leading to the heart of the village."Come on, you've earned some rest. The banquet's already started… and I'm sure Luffy's eaten half the food by now."
Zoro chuckled."Then we'd better hurry, or nothing will be left."
Kuina nodded, gripping her new sword in one hand. The gorilla slipped back into her shadow, becoming part of her strength once more.
When we reached the banquet square, lit by torches and once filled with song — now fallen quiet — I immediately felt the weight of countless stares on us. The long table was covered in untouched food: roasted meats, colorful fruits, grilled fish… but no one had dared eat.
"Uh… hey. Sorry for being late," I said awkwardly, raising my hand.
No sooner had the words left my mouth than Nami ran straight at me, wrapping me in a tight embrace. Her head pressed against my chest, and I felt her shoulders tremble."We looked everywhere for you… all over the island!" she sobbed. "Charyzax was the last to see you, he said you went toward the training grounds… so we guessed you'd gone into a dungeon. But even the hardest ones — you've never taken this long! We thought something had happened to you…"
I froze for a moment, caught off guard by so much emotion, then gently rested a hand on her head and patted her back."I'm sorry… really sorry," I murmured, a lump in my throat. "I just wanted to test the easy mode of a new dungeon, but I ended up in… something completely different."
Nami pulled back, wiping her tears with the back of her hand, though she stayed close, her eyes still shining.
As I walked toward the table, I saw the others finally relax all at once, like a crushing weight had been lifted from their shoulders.
Koby, his eyes damp, gave me a sheepish smile."You have no idea how scared I was… I thought we'd lost our vice-captain. But… you came back."
Grandma Heartless, sitting near the fire, gave me a stern yet tender look as she cradled Léa."Don't you ever do that again, boy. I'm too old to handle that kind of scare," she said, before hiding a small smile behind her glass.
Usopp chimed in with a grin, "Good thing you made it back. If you'd been stuck in another dimension, we'd have had a hard time dragging you out."
Beside him, Kaya remained silent, composed, though her hands still trembled faintly. When her eyes met mine, she simply whispered:"Thank you for coming back." Her gentle gaze said far more than her words.
Charyzax, standing a little apart, gave a serious nod."I told them where you'd gone, but… even I started doubting. You were gone too long." His deep voice carried more concern than he wanted to admit.
As for Hector, he stood with arms crossed, leaning against a post. His eyes measured me, and he finally muttered in his gruff, awkward tone:"Four hours gone without a word… that's a record. But judging by the look of you, I guess you survived something far tougher than anything I could handle. Glad you're still in one piece."
Sanji beamed. "Good thing you're here. The food was about to get cold."
At last, my eyes met Luffy's. He stood tall, unusually serious, in front of the mountain of untouched food. His stomach growled loudly, but he hadn't taken a single bite without me. When he saw I was alright, a wide grin finally lit up his face."Explain," he said simply, inviting me to speak before everyone.
The silence was so heavy you could hear the fire crackle and the waves lap in the distance. Every gaze was locked on me, caught between relief and unease.
I took a deep breath, my tone turning grave."You're here, on this island. What I'm about to reveal… must never leave this place."
Faces hardened instantly, and everyone nodded — even Usopp, who would normally have made a joke.
"I can open dungeons to train… for myself, and for you as well. Normally, they're divided into different levels of difficulty. I choose, I enter, I leave. Simple. But the last one I unlocked… is different."
I paused, my eyes settling on Luffy and Nami, more serious than ever."Do you remember Aeris?"
Nami nodded almost immediately, her gaze hardening at the memory of the young woman. Luffy squinted, frowning, and asked slowly:"The one from Traverse Town?"
"Yes." I clenched my fists. "She told us that entire worlds had fallen to darkness. That even good people — heroes — had been swept away. Well… the world I unlocked is ruled by one of them. And there, he has nearly all the power."
A shiver ran through the group. Usopp swallowed hard."The Heartless there are locked on hard mode by default… and it's impossible to escape until you've cleared the trials. I asked to leave to gather teammates. He gave me four names."
My eyes slid to Zoro and Kuina."I chose Zoro and Kuina, of course. But the other two… were Hector… and Léa."
At the mention of that last name, a wave of outrage swept through the gathering. Luffy shot to his feet, fists clenched."WHAT?! How dare he?!"
Koby, equally furious, immediately added,"That's despicable!"
Usopp, who had looked lost up until then, timidly raised his hand."Wait… who's Léa again?"
Grandma Heartless slowly turned her head toward him and, with a finger, pointed at the little girl lying in her cradle, babbling innocently. Usopp's face drained of all color in an instant. His hands shook, and he went pale."He… he suggested taking… a baby?!" he stammered, incredulous. Then his eyes darkened, and — a rare sight — his voice trembled with restrained anger. "Can we take him down with our current strength?"
I shook my head slowly, weighing each word."No. Not right now. He's bound by the rules of the Coliseum: he can only punish the losers. He can't act freely outside of it. But…" I raised my hand, a small magical flame flickering in my palm before snuffing out. "…his mastery of fire is on another level. Nothing like what we've faced before. That's Hades. The god of the underworld. And I don't think he'll be easy to topple."
The name struck like thunder. Shoulders tensed, and even Zoro clenched his jaw."A god…" Koby whispered, fear still flickering in his eyes. His fingers gripped the edge of the table nervously, his breath unsteady.
I laid a reassuring hand on his shoulder."Not omnipotent, not all-powerful. He can be beaten, Koby. Anything can fall — even a god. But for that… we need to get stronger. A lot stronger. And most importantly, I now know that with each new world, I'll take two teammates by default. No one will face this alone."
I forced a smile, shifting the mood."But enough about him. Tonight is a banquet. And it's for our two comrades who really proved themselves out there." I gestured toward Zoro and Kuina, who exchanged a quiet look of pride.
Everyone applauded, even Usopp, who, already chewing, raised his glass with a laugh. Kuina, slightly red, gave a small, awkward bow, while Zoro simply nodded with his usual seriousness.
I sat down between Luffy and Nami. Luffy, already back in his own world, grabbed a massive drumstick and exclaimed, mouth full:"We'll try it tomorrow, right?!"
Nami rolled her eyes, but there was that faintly amused smile she reserved for Luffy whenever he got carried away. She pushed her plate of vegetables toward me, stealing a carrot in the process."I'm coming too. But I'm picking my dishes for the next banquet. No way am I ending up with bland potatoes again."
The whole table burst out laughing, and Sanji, shouting from the makeshift kitchen, cried out in indignation:"My potatoes are NEVER bland!"
I raised my hands to calm everyone down."Of course we'll go. But before that… I'd like to run one or two sessions in dungeons we already know. With Sanji, Koby, and Usopp. That way we can get some more accessories for everyone."
Sanji exhaled a puff of smoke, a grin tugging at his lips."Don't worry, co-captain, I'm in. If it keeps Luffy from emptying my pantry in a single day, I'm all for it."
Koby nodded with newfound determination."Yes! I want to… no, I need to improve. I don't want to be a burden in our fights anymore."
Usopp raised his hand timidly, looking serious despite the three empty plates already stacked in front of him."I'm fine with that… as long as we try something other than the jungle this time."