Author's Note:
I'M BACK!
Hey guys, Sky here,
Sorry for the delay! I actually uploaded this chapter a couple of days ago, but it seems it didn't load properly. I only noticed it was stuck in drafts when I checked today (oops).
Also, looks like my idiot friend already spoiled that this volume is almost done… and yeah, that's true. Just like he said before, after the next chapter, this volume will wrap up.
Anyway, I don't want to keep you waiting any longer — hope you all enjoy this chapter!
Don't forget to drop your thoughts in the comments and reviews; I really love reading them! ❤️
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[Note:
" * " : Indicates abilities that can be upgraded with practice, experience, or unique opportunities.]
> System inner voice ["speaking"] <
> Ash inner speech "speaking" <
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More than a week had passed since Uta had successfully eaten her second Devil Fruit.
Now, with Ace's sixteenth birthday just a day away, all of them were also finally starting to get a proper grip on their evolving powers.
Up in the sky, Ace zipped around in a fast-paced game of flying tag with Nojiko, both of them darting through clouds.
Not far behind—laughing as she clumsily swerved mid-air—was Nami, who had finally awakened the golden-white wings on her ankles from the Hermes Fruit. Her control was still rough, but her speed was catching up fast.
Surprisingly, even without using Soru, Nami was already starting to edge past the others both on land and in the air. Ash had a gut feeling, if this keeps up, she might even become the fastest among them.
Uta, on the other hand, was discovering that her new fruit was… something else entirely.
One quiet afternoon, she'd been humming to herself when birds, rabbits, and even a few smaller forest creatures began gathering around her like an enchanted audience.
At first, everyone thought it was just cute—until Lucy tried sneaking up on her. The screech Uta let out wasn't even meant to be an attack… yet it blasted Lucy more than halfway across the clearing.
Ash theorized that her Divine Siren Fruit must possess its own kind of sonic-based ability. When combined with her original Uta Uta Fruit's musical powers, the result was a force far stronger than before.
With Ash and the girls helping her train, Uta began working on controlling her voice. During that time, she discovered something even more surprising—when she sang with intention, her voice could influence minds.
Not full mind control, but enough to daze people into a dreamy, trance-like state.
It worked better on some than others. Lucy, for example, turned out to be weirdly susceptible. Uta also got her revenge by making her do a full monkey dance in front of everyone.
They came to know that those with stronger willpower could resist, but it still took effort—even Ash. Lucy might be strong-willed in a fight, but when it came to hypnosis? Yeah... she was toast.
Ash immediately turned this into another drill saying, "What if someone else out there has similar powers?" he reasoned. "Better we build resistance now than regret it later."
Everyone agreed with this, and the added bonus was that Uta's control slowly improved with each session.
Then came another moment no one expected.
One morning at Makino's bar, Uta reached out to catch a falling glass. The glass though shattered as she missed—but the water inside didn't fall right away. Surprisingly it hovered, suspended mid-air for a few seconds... then dropped.
Everyone froze when they saw this.
Selina, was the first to connect the dots. Uta had manipulated the water—just like she could manipulate wind with her devil fruit powers.
Since then, Uta for some amount of time had tried to recreate the moment… but with little success. It seemed like an accident for the first time but that didn't deter her.
Nojiko even floated another theory: "What if Uta doesn't drown in sea like a normal Devil Fruit user because she can control water itself?"
They decided to test this also. With a rope tied around her waist, Uta stepped into the sea—just far enough till reaching her neck.
She did feel the draining effect, yes….. but it wasn't immediate. And it wasn't as intense as it should've been.
She didn't sink. She didn't lose consciousness. Also, it is not a permanent she started feeling the effects after some time they had to pull the rope and drag her out from the sea.
It wasn't a perfect immunity, but it was something. Enough to leave them wondering just how deep the Divine Siren Fruit's power really ran.
Another thing her dream world ability from the Uta Uta no Mi no longer drained her like before. The Soul Elixir seemed to have strengthened her spirit/soul, body and mind—and with the Divine Siren fruit added into the mix, it was a massive bonus.
Her powers felt smoother, stronger. She could keep it active much longer now—what used to leave her drained in minutes now barely tired her. The exhaustion was becoming just a small side-effect. She could tell—with time, she'd maintain it for hours if needed.
Ace, as per plan, had taken a break from practicing her solar beam moves, shifting focus toward something more delicate—healing. Scrapes, cuts, bruises—she could now patch up minor injuries of others with ease.
Even more curious, her body didn't seem to have a cap on how much solar energy it could store. She never felt full, no matter how much sunlight she absorbed—just more energized.
Then something strange happened.
One clear night, standing under a full moon, Ace noticed a soft hum in her chest. It wasn't as strong as sunlight, but it was there. She could feel it—light trickling in.
Ash debated the logic. "Moonlights just reflected sunlight. It's weaker, but technically still real light. If your fruit responds to sun light itself, not just the sun directly, then... yeah, maybe it is possible."
The energy she drew in was faint, barely enough for anything meaningful—but it offered a glimmer of possibility. In time, maybe she'd learn to draw on that reflected light during emergencies or nighttime battles.
Ace also began noticing how her awareness sharpened whenever people stood under sunlight. She could sense their positions, even predict their subtle movements a. At first, she thought it was just her Haki sharpening.
But Ash, after watching her and listening to her explanation, he had a different theory.
"As I told for the first time, I had doubts that's reason I asked you to focus on this. I think you're not using Observation Haki, though what you're describing sounds similar," he said, narrowing his eyes thoughtfully.
"Somehow… you're fusing your Haki with your fruit's power—made it more intense. This more of yours more like... a solar-enhanced awareness, but only under sunlight. Try to separate not combine it with your haki for now. Once you gain better control of your fruit you can try it."
Following Ash's words, Ace practiced and overtime she could feel it now—though she couldn't fully recreate that fusion of Haki and fruit power like before.
The first time had been pure chance, it seemed. Her fruit alone let her sense people under direct sunlight, but the moment they stepped into shadow, it faded. And without her Haki syncing in, the ability wasn't nearly as intense.
And over time she is getting better control of her powers.
Meanwhile, Nojiko had been honing her weapon skills—and Ash noticed something. With her Valkyrie Fruit, she didn't need long practice sessions to grasp the basics. Just watching someone wield a weapon, or even holding it briefly, gave her a natural feel for how it worked.
It wasn't instant mastery, but it was instinctual—like her body knows things of the weapon faster like muscle memory. She still needed practice to truly master a weapon, but her learning curve was clearly faster than normal. For now, she kept her focus entirely on sharpening that edge.
Selena's powers were evolving too. She'd reached the point where she could partially transform—not just her hands or feet, but her entire arms and legs.
She'd even grown a sleek tail during combat, which seems to kind of improved her balance during the transformation though for now she can't maintain it longer. It wasn't permanent, and she could shift back and forth whenever she wanted.
Naturally, Lucy couldn't resist cracking monkey jokes. Selena threw back her usual about her fruit literally Monkey King, and their playful fights had just become normal by now.
Lucy, for her part, was focused on mastering Gear 3 and weaving her Haki into it. With each session, she edged closer. Ash had also pushed her to experiment—mix Gear 2 and 3 in unpredictable bursts, switching mid-combat. It was tricky, but Lucy was stubborn as ever.
She was also obsessed with replicating that move Joy Boy had once used to defeat her. She claimed to understand the mechanics, even explained it once vaguely in her own way though Ash got the gist of it.
But pulling it off? That was a different story. It seems she needed control, instinct, and ridiculous timing—all of which she was still sharpening.
Ash, meanwhile, had been trying to understand his own power better. One day, he disappeared alone into the nearby mountain range. He hunted beasts, fought until his body gave out, pushing himself to the edge—not just physically, but mentally.
He needed answers—about why he snapped sometimes in sparring, why he lost control of his emotions.
That's when it happened the answers for his question.
He seems to enter berserk kind of state.
When he does it, his strength doubled. Reflexes became inhuman. Even wild predators scattered. But the cost? He lost control of his mind—acting purely on instinct. When the frenzy ended, he blacked out for hours.
Worse, the memories came back in broken flashes what he did during that time.
Now he had a new goal: that is to control it. Even just a few seconds of clarity inside that state could mean the difference between victory and collapse.
He only let Lucy train with him during those sessions. The others weren't allowed. He knew—only she could handle him if something went wrong.
Still, despite the madness and mayhem, the group was in high spirits. Their powers were sharpening with each day and just like that—Ace's birthday was the very next day.
Just as Ace, Nojiko, and Nami landed after their mid-air practice run—wings flaring on their backs and ankles —
A booming voice cracked through the air. "You brats—WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO NOW?!"
Everyone froze.
Garp stood—jaw dropped, eyes wide, a runny nose trailing from one nostril, as if even his mind couldn't process what he was seeing.
Ash and Lucy were mid-spar, with Lucy towering in her Gear 3 form, slamming a fist the size of a huge cannonball toward Ash—who dodged it with ease.
Ace, Nami, and Nojiko still had their wings out. Selena stood off to the side, one hand morphed into a sleek monkey hand, tail lazily swaying behind her.
And Uta, in her new appearance after her second Devil Fruit, sat quietly nearby—just resting.
"Am I hallucinating?!" Garp muttered. "WHAT THE HELL DID YOU BRATS GET INTO AFTER I LEFT?!"
Before anyone could answer—
"Grandpa! You're back!" Lucy called out cheerfully, as if nothing at all was out of the ordinary. "Good to see you again!"
BAM!
Garp's Fist of Love slammed into her head.
"WHAT'S SO GOOD ABOUT THIS, YOU IDIOT?! WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU BRATS WHILE I WAS AWAY?!"
"Ow!" Lucy whined, rubbing her head. "Shishishi, Isn't it cool? Now everyone here's a Devil Fruit user!" Her eyes sparkled.
Garp twitched. "Everyone?!"
BAM!
But Lucy had already ducked and yanked Ash into her place who was beside her, grinning like a loon.
"GAHH! You old geezer, why did you punch me?!" Ash yelled, holding his head.
"You damn brat! Don't 'why' me!" Garp roared, vein throbbing lifted him up by his collar. "I don't know how, but I know this is all because of YOU somehow! AND WHO ARE YOU CALLING OLD GEEZER, YOU BRAT?!"
"Ahh, you crazy old geezer, don't punch me again—"
BAM!
That set the rest off as laughter echoed around the clearing.
Garp dropped Ash and turned slowly, arms cracking. "What the hell are you brats all laughing at?! Don't think you're exceptions! Now take my Fist of Love!"
WHAM! WHAM! WHAM!
In a blur, every one of them got their own Fist of Love, making them all clutch their heads in pain.
Finally, Garp folded his arms and sat down with a heavy grunt. "Now. I want a damn explanation. From the beginning. What the hell happened to you brats?!"
After the utterly unbelievable explanation — or rather, the strategically edited version of it — Garp sat frozen, blinking slowly.
They hadn't mentioned the elixirs, the trials, or how exactly they came across so many Devil Fruits. Instead, Ash spun a rough tale of "luck," and the others chimed in with just enough random details to keep it messy but convincing.
Garp's jaw literally dropped.
"Brats… do you think Devil Fruits grow on freakin' trees?! Tell me the truth!"
Selena raised her hand helpfully. "But it is true. We just got lucky, you know? We got two fruits for just 5,000 belis from a fruit shop."
"—That was with a discount!" Ash added proudly.
"And the others?" Garp growled.
"Different islands. One or two here and there," Ace shrugged casually.
Garp's eye twitched. He scanned the group — all wearing the fakest innocent smiles he'd ever seen.
"You damn kids just ate strange fruits without even checking what powers they might have?! Don't you care if the power's good or not?! Or that you might get cursed by the sea?! DID YOU EVEN THINK FOR A SECOND?!"
The entire group shrugged — in perfect sync.
Garp's fist trembled. "DON'T JUST SHRUG CASUALLY, DAMN IT!"
WHAM! WHAM! WHAM!
The Fist of Love struck again, bonking all their heads in one clean swing.
Rubbing his temples, Garp finally asked, "Alright, fine. What powers did you all get?"
They answered vaguely.
Ash explained his strength-based abilities, hinting at his uncontrollable berserk mode. Nami spoke about her speed and the ankle wings she'd gained.
Nojiko added she had wings on her back and enhanced physical strength, especially how she seems can handle any weapons — though she admitted she still needed practice.
Ace mentioned her wings and healing touch, adding she could shoot beams now. She very deliberately avoided mentioning anything about sunlight absorption or other things.
Selena talked about partial transformations and how her staff handling had gotten easier. But she too carefully left out her wind-based powers.
As for Lucy, they said her new moves were the result of her own training, which… technically wasn't a complete lie.
And Uta? They only said her Devil Fruit control had improved and its existing power got stronger. Not a single one of them breathed a word about her taking a second Devil Fruit or the true nature of her transformations.
Ash had already warned them to keep how they acquired their devil fruits or anything related to the lost island they found: it should be their own secret — their own trump card.
Even Lucy, who could barely keep a secret, tried her best to cover the truth.
Garp sat there for a long while, stroking his chin, eyes narrowed in simmering disbelief.
"…You brats are gonna give me grey hair."
"But Grandpa, you're already have it because you are old." Lucy grinned sweetly.
WHAM!
Garp's Fist of Love came down on her again.
He mock-gritted his teeth, a vein bulging on his forehead. "I didn't ask your opinion, brat."
After a long silence, he stood up with a heavy sigh — then gave them all a smirk.
"...Fine. After Ace's birthday, your new training begins."
A chill shot down their spines.
"You brats think you've gotten stronger and can do whatever you want without any consequence?" Garp cracked his knuckles, voice rising into a laugh that shook the trees. "Let me bring you all down a few pegs!"
Then he stomped off, still laughing his booming laugh, leaving them standing stiffly — sweat pouring down like rivers.
They glanced at each other, pale-faced. But none of them complained.
Because deep down…they knew Garp's training would push them further than anything they could've done alone.
Even if it hurt like HELL.
Ace's 16th birthday had gone just like every year—top-notch and full of laughs—but Ash couldn't help noticing something new. The way Ace's gaze lingered on him a bit longer, cheeks-tinged pink whenever he caught her looking… it didn't go unnoticed by him.
Not by Uta either, who gave a knowing look each time it happened. Ash, meanwhile, let it slide—for now.
But sentiment was short-lived.
Because true to his word, Garp's hellish training began the very next day.
Garp decided to help Ash to control that berserk state of his after listening to his explanation.
Ash found himself thrown into brutal sparring matches and relentless meditative control drills. Midway through one session, during a rage-triggered outburst, Ash let out a deafening roar — the kind that cracked nearby boulders and even forced Garp to skid back slightly.
Ash, later called this move as War Cry.
The power of that scream alone rattled the ground… and rattled something in Garp too. The old man didn't say much — he just smirked and doubled Ash's training from that day on.
Ash, once caught in the rhythm of his berserk control drills, unleashed a punch — no Haki, no fancy technique, just raw, unfiltered strength shattering a massive boulder clean in half.
Without a word, Garp grabbed Ash and dragged him toward one of the largest mountains near Mt. Colbo asked him to start punching it.
Ash blinked. "Wait— You mean this actual mountain?! Are you going senile, old man?!"
WHAM!
A Fist of Love landed square on his head, "Don't talk back, brat! Do as I say."
Grumbling, Ash had no choice but to obey.
Before Garp left again, Ash could partially control his berserk state, stay conscious longer, and even use that monstrous power without completely losing himself.
Also, by the time Garp's visit ended, Lucy could coat Gear 3 with Armament Haki without a hitch. Thanks to Ash's idea and her relentless effort, she had also learned to switch between her normal form, Gear 2, and Gear 3 mid-fight—still rough, but much faster than before.
Her biggest breakthrough came when she finally cracked Joyboy's mysterious move—the one that had once floored her. By letting her rubber body absorb a strike, she could store the kinetic energy and release it back at five times the force.
When she tested it during a spar with Garp, the old man was so surprised to be pushed back that he doubled her training too like he did to Ash on the spot.
By the end, Lucy had decent control of the move. Not perfect yet, but good enough for now.
Meanwhile, Uta spent hours in her dream world, refining her constructs with improved mental focus. Even Garp joined in, fighting her creations to help sharpen both her control and the stability of the dream world itself.
At night, she secretly trained her Divine Siren powers in the room she shared with the others, to practice her hypnotic voice. This not only improved her power but also served as mental resistance training for everyone else—a win-win situation.
Over time, she also discovered her singing could convey raw emotions from her songs, making listeners feel sadness, joy, or warmth with striking intensity. She also began experimenting with water manipulation.
Though she couldn't create water, she managed to move and shape it—forming small orbs or splashes. It was difficult, far tougher than she expected, but Uta's determination slowly brought her better control overtime.
Ace's training under Garp was relentless like rest of them. He made her carry boulders mid-flight until her wings trembled, pushing her speed and stability higher every day.
Her healing touch grew sharper too, able to close cuts, bruises, and small wounds in seconds. Then came the Solar Beams. The first time she fired them, they erupted from her whole body in every direction, slicing through trees like paper and sending everyone diving for cover.
With Garp's guidance, she learned to focus the beams through her palms and fingers. Ash even once caught Garp muttering how her attack reminded him of Kizaru's light beams—something that made Ash smirk privately, already imagining Ace surpassing him one day.
Ash even suggested the idea of firing beams from her eyes. Ace's eyes lit up at the thought, but for now, she focused on perfecting her current control. By the time of Garp's departure, her fruit mastery had grown better.
Selena too pushed to hold her partial transformations longer, her tail now fully controllable—able to act as a whip or third arm to hold objects or even her staff. Lucy learned the hard way when teasing her earned a clean slap with the said tail.
Garp sparred and trained her so hard that it helped sharpening her reflexes drastically; his brutal sessions forced her to adapt quickly, combining her agility with partial morphing mid-fight.
Also, during her secret night training with Uta, her wind control improved, and during one such night she suddenly summoned a solid cloud surprising everyone. Ash seeing this explained how Sun Wukong is said to use cloud to travel in myths and maybe she could too by looking at the cloud she summoned.
True enough, she can ride it—though only she can touch it unless she permits. And to avoid Garp's notice, she practices quietly in her room, holding the cloud longer each day.
Her Nimbus staff too seems responds more smoothly now, with much less mental strain, her overall control steadily improving by the time Garp left.
Garp's training for Nami wasn't just about going how fast she can go or fly—but also about how to utilize it faster in correct way.
"Speed's useless if you can't use where it counts!" he barked, while easily dodging her lightning-quick punches, which only made her more determined. He pushed her to turn momentum into force, weaving speed into footwork, feints, and sharp close-range strikes.
Ash noticed something: even without Soru, Nami's raw speed was starting to eclipse theirs—he had no doubt she'd surpass everyone soon even on air.
Like Ace, Garp made her fly with boulders strapped to her back, honing endurance and aerial control. Taking Ash's advice, she trained her perception until she could track even a fly mid-air at least for few seconds while holding her ground.
Also, her Messenger skill range expanded to much more than before it was, and before Garp left, he even gave her key tips to merge Hermes' speed with Soru—a goal she swore to master.
Garp trained Nojiko much like Ash, hammering her on strength control and endurance. Her flight grew steadier day by day as he made her practice aerial maneuvers with weighted boulders strapped to her back—just like Ace and Nami. With each drill, her speed and control sharpened along with them.
Weapon handling became her second nature. Beyond her kusarigama, she trained with Ash's Kashu, Ace's old flintlock, Nami and Selena's staffs, and even the daggers Ash gave her. Though she hadn't mastered them all, by the end of training she could wield each at a solid basic level, with her kusarigama as her main weapon.
What surprised Garp most was her instinct. During spars, Nojiko began reacting to openings before they appeared—almost like a precursor to Observation Haki. Ash believed it was her Valkyrie powers guiding her.
Impressed, Garp doubled her drills too, and by the time he left, Nojiko's control of her fruit, its powers and combat intuition had developed far beyond where she started.
Finally, the day came when Garp left, right after Lucy's birthday. By now, Ash and the girls had come a long way, their control over their Devil Fruit powers sharper than before.
Before leaving, Garp's booming voice roared, "Don't go looking for trouble—and don't give me more grey hairs, you brats!"
"No promises!" Lucy grinned.
"SHUT UP, BRAT!", Garp grits teeth and clenching his fists.
WHAM!
His Fist of Love landed on all of them.
Muttering about "monstrous kids" and "heart attacks waiting to happen," Garp stomped off, still grumbling as the group laughed behind him.
A week after Garp's departure, Ash, Lucy, Uta, Selena, and Ace as always dove back into bounty hunting—sharper and stronger than ever. Ash had equipped each of them with sea-stone bracelets, necklaces, and earrings he had purchased from the System's store long ago.
The ornaments weren't just for concealment—they also served as a training tool to get adjusted to sea-stone.
Lucy and Uta, who already developed resistance to sea-stone, handled them easily. For the others, it was harsh and draining at first. But through grit and persistence, they gradually built some resistance—not on Lucy and Uta's level yet, but enough to test themselves without collapsing.
Meanwhile, Nojiko returned to Cocoyashi Village to maintain appearances, while Nami resumed her cat-burglar persona, playing her part perfectly.
Over the next couple of months, the Phantom Vortex became a name whispered with awe and fear. They didn't just claim bounties—they dismantled pirate crews that even East Blue's Marines had failed to handle. The headlines praised them relentlessly:
"Phantom Vortex Crushes Another Notorious Pirate Crew—Who Are These Ghost Hunters?"
When the group finally returned to Dawn Island, Makino welcomed them with Nami and Nojiko sneaking in to celebrate their success. But then, the News Coo hit them with a bombshell headline in bombshell headline in bold ink:
"RED-HAIRED SHANKS CROWNED FOURTH EMPEROR OF THE SEAS!"
The news of Shanks becoming an Emperor had Uta and Lucy buzzing for hours. The moment they were alone, Uta turned to Ash, her eyes gleaming with excitement. "Ash… I want to talk to Dad."
Ash simply nodded. "Alright."
That night, after sharing their bounty-hunting tales with Makino, Nami, and Nojiko, everyone gathered in the room. Even Nami and Nojiko insisted on joining.
"We want to see what Shanks is like," Nami grinned. "Especially now that he's an Emperor."
Nojiko chuckled. "We even convinced Genzo-san to cover for us at the village tonight."
Once everyone settled, Uta pulled out the secure video transponder snail Ash had given her. The moment the line connected—
"YO, BRATS! HOW HAVE YOU BEEN?!" Shanks' voice boomed, before the screen was immediately swarmed by faces as his crew shoved him aside.
"UTA! LUCY! ASH! HOW'VE YOU KIDS BEEN?!"
"LOOK AT YOU GUYS, YOU'VE GROWN!"
"DON'T PUSH, IDIOTS, I'M TALKING TO THEM!"
"HEY, MOVE OVER, I WANNA SEE—"
The voices overlapped like a tidal wave of chaos.
Nami sweat dropped. "…Do they even respect their captain?"
Lucy and Ash snickered, while Uta giggled softly. "Don't worry," she said warmly. "They're like this. But they're family—loyal to the core."
"LOYAL MY ASS!" Shanks' voice roared from the background. He muscled his way into view, glaring at his crew. "I'm the captain here! Show some respect!"
Lucky Roo, mid-bite of meat, grinned. "We respect you, Captain, but you talk too slow. We can't wait forever."
"HOW DARE YOU—GO SCRUB THE DECK, ROO!" Shanks barked.
"Good one, Captain," Roo smirked, ignoring him and going back to eating. Shanks sulked in the corner, drawing sad little circles on the floor while Beckmann patted his shoulder, smirking.
Just then, Ace, Selena, Nami, and Nojiko stepped in front of the screen and bowed respectfully.
"Shanks-sama," Ace began, "thank you for saving Lucy and Ash, and for taking care of Uta. Because of them, we found family. Our lives… changed."
Shanks froze, then broke into a booming laugh with hands on his hips that made even his crew pause.
"I like you kids! See? That's how you show respect! Unlike my idiot crew here!" He shot his crew a death glare. "Ash, Lucy, and Uta are family to us. Since you're friends of them, and they are our friends. So, friends of theirs are also friends ours too!"
"Captain, you just said 'friends' like four times," Yasopp teased.
"Shut it, Yasopp! Don't ruin my cool moment!" Shanks barked, making both sides of the call burst into laughter.
The conversation rolled on for hours. Lucy, being Lucy, let slip details of their bounty-hunting spree. Shanks and his crew went dead silent before roaring with laughter, realizing the infamous "Phantom Vortex" sweeping through East Blue was none other than these kids.
Ash's eyes drifted to Shanks' regrown hand, and he smirked. "So… looks like that elixir worked after all."
Shanks shuddered. "Don't remind me. Took over a month to grow back—easily the worst month of my life."
Lucky Roo laughed. "You should've seen him hiding from green veggies and going dry without booze. He was miserable!"
"TRAITORS!" Shanks yelled, but his grin betrayed him.
It was past midnight, Uta suddenly grew quiet, fidgeting. "Dad… there's something I need to tell you."
Shanks' face turned serious. "What is it?"
"I want to debut my singing—make live performances, broadcast worldwide."
The room fell silent. Shanks frowned. "Uta, I'm not against it, but… your curse. If the Marines—"
"Dad, it's gone," Uta interrupted softly. "Tot Musica is no more. Ash found a way through help of Celeste and broke me free from the curse."
Shanks froze, stunned. "...Are you serious?" His crew's shocked voices echoed in the background.
Ash nodded saying. "She's telling the truth. We all witnessed it."
Shanks' face softened as he exhaled deeply. "…Alright. If you believe you're ready, I won't stop you. Just promise me you'll stay safe."
"Don't worry," Uta smiled. "I have a plan. I won't even show my face. I'm not ready for that."
Shanks smirked. "Then good luck, kid. I can't wait to hear your voice."
Tears shimmered in Uta's eyes as cheers erupted from both sides of the call. Ash and Shanks locked eyes through the screen—no words needed. Take care of her, Shanks' gaze said. Ash's silent nod was the answer. Both men smiled knowingly.
The call ended with laughter, goodbyes, and a warmth that lingered long after the snail went quiet.
As the group drifted into sleep, the dawn of the next day brought quiet, focused preparations for Uta's debut, with Ash and the others assisting her.
Meanwhile...
Far away on an unknown island, a dimly lit room reeked faintly of smoke. A man sat on a throne like chair in silence, the glowing tip of his cigar cutting through the gloom. Behind him, a woman leaned against the wall, her wide-brimmed cowboy hat shadowing her face, a faint smirk tugging at her lips.
The man's sharp gaze lingered on a newspaper—the front page plastered with the Phantom Vortex: Shadow, Ember, Siren, Crimson, and Silver, standing like phantoms at the gates of a Marine base, captured pirates at their feet. Their faces were cloaked in shadow of the dark, with only their glowing eyes like embers burning through the darkness, as if piercing straight into one's soul.
"Hmph…" The man exhaled a slow ring of smoke.
"Enter."
A man stepped inside the room immediately, bowed slightly to the sitting figure.
The man didn't look up as he tossed the paper toward him. "You know what to do."
The man who seems be a subordinate took the paper looking at image displayed of the Phantom Vortex, nodded once, and left.
The woman's smirk widened. "Looks like East Blue is becoming lively by the day... interesting."
The man said nothing, leaning back into the chair, smoke swirling upward like coiled snakes.
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To be continued...
Thanks for reading this chapter!
I'd love to hear your thoughts — not just on the plot, but the journey itself. Is the pacing feeling right to you so far? Too fast, too slow, or just, right? Are there any moments, themes, or dynamics you feel are missing or could be explored more — like deeper character bonds, world-building, emotional scenes, or even new twists? Anything.
Also, is there anything you'd love to see added that could make the story even more exciting or satisfying? Whether it's a kind of power, a dramatic reveal, or just a character moment — your feedback really helps shape this story into something better.
Let me know in the comments! I read every one. 💬
And as always, if you're enjoying the ride, feel free to drop a Power Stone — it means a lot. 😊