Chapter 25: Momoiro Island
Year 1516 - Momoiro Island, Revolutionary Army Base
Momoiro Island was... pink.
Not subtly pink. Aggressively, overwhelmingly, unapologetically pink. The trees were pink. The buildings were pink. Even the sky seemed to have a pink tint, though that might have been Aiko's eyes adjusting to the sheer saturation of color.
"Welcome to Kamabakka Kingdom!" A voice boomed across the harbor as the Hakusetsu docked. "The Revolutionary Army's Eastern Division Headquarters and the world's most FABULOUS hidden base!"
The speaker was unlike anyone Aiko had seen—tall, muscular, wearing a pink tutu and full makeup, with a presence that somehow commanded respect despite the unconventional appearance. Behind them, dozens of similarly dressed individuals performed what appeared to be synchronized ballet while manning defensive positions.
"That's Emporio Ivankov," Sadi explained quietly. "Queen of Kamabakka Kingdom and a Revolutionary Army Commander. Devil Fruit user—Horu Horu no Mi, the Hormone-Hormone Fruit. Can manipulate hormones to heal, enhance, or completely transform people. Also one of the most dangerous fighters in the Revolutionary Army."
"And FABULOUS!" Ivankov added, apparently having overheard despite the distance. Their Observation Haki was clearly exceptional. "Don't forget FABULOUS! Now come, come! Dragon told us to expect you, and we've prepared the GRANDEST welcome!"
What followed was simultaneously the strangest and most welcoming reception Aiko's crew had ever received. The Kamabakka Kingdom residents—called Okamas—treated them like honored guests, serving elaborate meals, providing comfortable quarters, and genuinely celebrating their arrival.
"You must understand," Ivankov explained over dinner, "we Okamas know what it's like to be rejected by society. To be called unnatural, criminal, threats to order. So when we hear about Marines who chose conscience over orders? Who protect the marginalized and fight corruption?" They raised a glass. "You're family. And family is EVERYTHING here!"
"Thank you," Aiko said, genuinely moved. "We need repairs, supplies, and time to recover. Dragon said you could help?"
"Help? Darling, we'll do more than help! We'll make you FABULOUS!" Ivankov snapped their fingers, and a dozen Okamas produced measuring tapes, surrounding the crew. "New clothes! Better weapons! Ship repairs! And most importantly—TRAINING!"
"Training?" Isra asked warily.
"You think you're strong now? Wait until you've experienced Newkama Kenpo!" Ivankov struck a pose. "The martial art of the Kamabakka Kingdom! Combining strength, grace, and FIERCE determination! We'll push you beyond your limits!"
Over the next week, that promise proved accurate.
Day 3 - Training Grounds
Aiko faced Ivankov in the training arena, his body already covered in bruises from previous sessions.
"Again!" Ivankov commanded. "Your Observation Haki is good, but you're too focused on combat applications! You need to feel EVERYTHING—emotions, intentions, the subtle energy of life itself!"
They moved with impossible speed, their Newkama Kenpo combining deadly efficiency with theatrical flair. Each strike taught a lesson, each dodge demonstrated a principle.
"Observation Haki isn't just about predicting attacks!" Ivankov's kick whistled past Aiko's head. "It's about understanding your opponent's heart! Their fears, dreams, hesitations!"
Aiko tried to counter, but Ivankov was always a step ahead, reading his intent before he'd fully committed to action.
"Your Conqueror's Haki is strong, but unfocused!" Another strike. "You use it as a hammer when it should be a scalpel! You can do more than knock people unconscious—you can inspire, intimidate, even communicate with pure will!"
Hours of brutal training later, Aiko collapsed, gasping for breath.
"Good!" Ivankov declared. "You're learning! In two weeks, you'll be TWICE as fabulous as before!"
"I don't... need to be... fabulous..." Aiko gasped.
"Everyone needs to be fabulous, darling. EVERYONE."
Day 5 - Medical Bay
Robin sat across from Ivankov in a private consultation room, her expression guarded.
"Dragon asked me to check on you," Ivankov said, their usual flamboyance tempered with genuine concern. "Twenty years of running, of betrayal, of suppressing emotions for survival—that leaves scars. Mental ones, not just physical."
"I'm fine."
"No, you're functional. There's a difference." Ivankov's Observation Haki was gentle but thorough. "You've built walls so high that you can't feel safe even when you are safe. Every kindness seems like a trap. Every offer of help feels like manipulation."
Robin was silent, because it was true.
"My Hormone-Hormone powers can't fix emotional trauma," Ivankov continued. "But I can help you sleep without nightmares. Can regulate the stress hormones that keep you in constant fight-or-flight. Can give you the physical foundation to start healing mentally."
"Why would you help me?"
"Because you're family now. And family takes care of each other." Ivankov's smile was genuine. "Also, Dragon specifically said if I didn't take care of you, he'd be very disappointed. And disappointing Dragon is NO fun."
For the first time in decades, Robin laughed—a real laugh, not the calculated social response she'd perfected.
"Okay," she said. "Help me."
Day 7 - The Brig
Lucci had been thawed three days ago. Now he sat in a reinforced cell, seastone chains suppressing his Devil Fruit, his expression one of calm contempt.
Aiko visited daily, bringing food, water, and conversation that Lucci refused to engage with.
"You're wasting your time," Lucci said finally. "I'm Cipher Pol. My loyalty to the World Government is absolute. No amount of propaganda will change that."
"I'm not trying to propagandize you," Aiko replied, setting down the meal tray. "I'm just treating you like a person instead of a weapon. Because that's what you are—a person who was trained to be a weapon, but a person nonetheless."
"Semantics."
"Is it? Tell me, Lucci—when you were a child, before CP training, what did you want to be?"
Silence.
"You had dreams once. Goals that weren't about assassination or loyalty to abstract authority. What were they?"
"Irrelevant. The child I was is dead. Only the agent remains."
"I don't believe that. Because if it were true, you wouldn't be so angry." Aiko met his eyes directly. "Every time we talk, every time I treat you with basic dignity, you get angrier. Because it reminds you that another way exists. That you could have chosen differently."
"I CHOSE loyalty! I CHOSE order! Because without the World Government's structure, civilization collapses!" Lucci's composure cracked slightly. "You think your idealistic revolution will create paradise? It'll create chaos! Millions will die in the power vacuum! That's why I serve—not because I'm brainwashed, but because I understand the mathematics of governance!"
"Then explain Ohara," Aiko said quietly. "Scholars researching history. No weapons, no army, no threat to anyone. The World Government killed them all—women, children, everyone. How does that mathematics work?"
"They were researching forbidden knowledge—"
"Why is knowledge forbidden? If the World Government's authority is legitimate, why does it need to hide truth? Why execute archaeologists and burn libraries?" Aiko leaned forward. "I'll tell you why—because the truth would expose that the World Government's founding was a crime. That everything it claims as divine right was stolen through genocide."
"Lies—"
"Is it? Then why do the Poneglyphs exist? Indestructible stones containing history that someone thought was important enough to preserve forever. Why would anyone do that unless they were trying to prevent the truth from being erased?"
Lucci was silent, his expression troubled.
"Think about it," Aiko said, standing to leave. "Really think about it. Because I'm going to keep visiting. Keep treating you with dignity. Keep showing you that another way exists. And eventually, you'll have to decide—are you loyal to principles or to power?"
After Aiko left, Lucci sat in his cell, his mind churning despite his efforts to suppress doubt.
Day 10 - Shipyard
Franky worked on the Hakusetsu with almost manic energy, Iceburg supervising with the patience of someone who'd dealt with his partner's enthusiasm for years.
"She's SUPER sturdy," Franky declared, "but she needs upgrades! Better armor plating! Improved engine! And—get this—I'm thinking COLA-POWERED emergency thrusters!"
"Will that work?" Akira asked, taking notes on the modifications.
"Probably! I mean, it worked that one time in Water 7! That's like a 100% success rate!"
"That's not how statistics work," Iceburg said dryly.
"Says you! SUPER statistics are different!"
Despite the chaos, real progress was being made. The Hakusetsu was being transformed from a captured Marine vessel into something unique—a ship built for speed, durability, and the specific needs of a crew that fought both Marines and pirates.
"We should name the upgrades," Kiara suggested. "The Wandering Marines deserve a ship that reflects what we've become."
"Keep the name Hakusetsu," Aiko said, observing the work. "White Snow. It represents what we stand for—pure intentions, clean slate, covering everything equally regardless of status. But add a designation—Hakusetsu Kai. The reformed White Snow."
"SUPER name!" Franky approved. "Now let's add SUPER cannons!"
Day 12 - Revolutionary Command Center
Dragon appeared via Den Den Mushi for a strategic briefing. His image filled the screen, as serious as ever.
"Snow Admiral. Your escape from Water 7 has created significant fallout. The World Government is furious—they lost a CP0 agent, failed to capture you, and Tom's apprentices are now allied with revolutionaries. They're escalating."
"How badly?" Aiko asked.
"Admiral Akainu has been dispatched specifically to hunt you. Not just patrol—dedicated hunting. He's been given authorization to use any force necessary, including Buster Call if you're located."
The room went silent.
"They're that serious about eliminating us?" Isra asked.
"You've become more than criminals. You're a symbol—proof that Marines can choose differently, that the system can be opposed successfully. Every day you survive diminishes the World Government's aura of invincibility." Dragon's expression was grave. "They need to make an example of you. Public, brutal, final."
"What do you recommend?" Aiko asked.
"Two options. One—go completely underground. Stop operations, hide, survive. Eventually, they'll redirect resources elsewhere."
"That's not an option," Aiko said immediately. "Hiding means abandoning everything we're trying to accomplish."
"I thought you'd say that. Option two—accelerate your operations. Read as many Poneglyphs as possible, gather evidence quickly, prepare for a confrontation you know is coming. Force the World Government to act before they're fully prepared."
"That's risky."
"Everything you do is risky. This is just choosing which risk to take." Dragon paused. "There's also option three, though it's dangerous in different ways."
"What's option three?"
"Alliance with a Yonko."
Silence.
"The Four Emperors have power that even the World Government hesitates to challenge directly. If you could secure an alliance with one of them—particularly Whitebeard or Red-Haired Shanks—you'd have protection from full-scale Marine assault."
"At what cost?" Robin asked. "Yonko don't give protection freely. They'd want something in return."
"Probably information about the Poneglyphs you've read. Maybe service, maybe territory. The cost would be high." Dragon's expression was serious. "But it might be the difference between survival and extermination."
Aiko considered. An alliance with a Yonko—one of the four most powerful pirates in the world. It went against everything he'd stood for as a Marine. But if it meant protecting his crew, continuing their mission...
"I'll think about it," he said finally. "But for now, we focus on option two. Accelerate operations. The next Poneglyph—where is it?"
"Skypiea," Robin answered. "An island in the sky, literally ten thousand meters above the ocean. The ancient city of Shandora has a Poneglyph that was there before the Void Century—it's one of the oldest, possibly containing crucial information about the ancient kingdom."
"Then that's our next destination. How do we get to an island ten thousand meters up?"
"Knock Up Stream," Iceburg said. "A natural phenomenon where ocean currents collide and create massive updrafts. Ride one correctly, and it'll launch a ship into the sky."
"And incorrectly?" Yuki asked.
"You die. Crushed by pressure, destroyed by turbulence, or just fall from ten thousand meters. It's extremely dangerous."
"Of course it is," Koji muttered. "Why would anything we do be safe?"
"I can navigate it," Franky declared. "With the Hakusetsu Kai's modifications, we'll have the structural integrity to survive the launch. Probably. Like 60% chance. That's SUPER high!"
"Again, not how statistics work," Iceburg sighed.
"We'll need preparation," Aiko decided. "Continue repairs and modifications. Train crew for high-altitude combat—the air is thinner up there. And someone research Skypiea's inhabitants. I don't want to arrive blind."
"Already on it," Sadi said, pulling out Revolutionary intelligence files. "Skypiea has a complicated political situation. There's an ongoing conflict between the native Skypieans and the Shandians—descendants of the people who built the ancient city. A self-proclaimed god named Enel rules through fear, and he has a Logia Devil Fruit—the Goro Goro no Mi. Lightning."
"Another Logia," Marcus groaned. "Why is it always Logias?"
"Because we're that unlucky," Aria replied.
"Enel is dangerous," Robin added. "Lightning is one of the most destructive elements. Fast as light, lethal on contact, and his Observation Haki is apparently augmented by his Devil Fruit—he can hear everything on the island simultaneously."
"Then we'll need a strategy beyond brute force," Aiko said. "But that's for later. For now, everyone continue your tasks. We launch for Skypiea in one week."
Day 14 - Evening, The Harbor
Aiko stood alone at the harbor, watching the pink sunset (of course it was pink) and thinking about everything they'd accomplished and everything still ahead.
"You're brooding again," Ivankov's voice came from behind. "That's not FABULOUS behavior."
"Just thinking."
"About the trap you're walking into?" Ivankov sat beside him. "Because you know that's what this is, right? The World Government is watching, waiting, letting you gather allies and information. When you've collected everything, they'll strike."
"I know."
"And you're doing it anyway?"
"I have to. Because if we don't expose the truth, if we don't challenge eight hundred years of lies, then what's the point? We'd just be surviving, not living. Not changing anything."
Ivankov was quiet for a moment. "You remind me of Dragon when he was younger. Same impossible idealism, same willingness to sacrifice everything for principle. It's either inspiring or suicidal, and I've never figured out which."
"Maybe both."
"Definitely both." Ivankov stood. "But you're not alone. The Revolutionary Army stands with you. These Okamas would die for you—not because you ordered it, but because you represent hope. Don't forget that when things get dark."
After Ivankov left, Aiko remained, watching stars appear in the pink sky. Somewhere out there, Admiral Akainu was hunting him. CP0 was planning revenge. Im-sama was preparing a trap eight hundred years in the making.
But here, on this absurdly pink island, he had allies. People who believed in what he was trying to do. A crew that trusted him enough to face impossible odds.
Maybe that was enough.
Maybe it had to be.
Because ready or not, the next phase of their journey was about to begin.
And there was no turning back.
END OF CHAPTER 25
Next Chapter: "Knock Up Stream - Journey to the Sky"