The sea stretched endlessly. Dark waves rose and fell beneath a silent sky, carrying a hidden tension no one could see. A broken piece of wood floated alone in the middle of the ocean. On it, he lay unconscious… or perhaps simply unaware.
A voice echoed inside his mind: "Mission: Find the Straw Hat crew and infiltrate them." "Mission: Find the Straw Hat crew and infiltrate them."
His eyes snapped open. He found himself surrounded by endless waves. He quickly stood up, then froze completely still. His empty eyes stared at the horizon, cold and devoid of any emotion.
The voice echoed again: "Mission…"
His fingers trembled slightly, but soon stopped when he noticed a ship cutting through the waves, its sail dancing with the wind.
The voice returned: "That is the ship of Monkey D. Luffy. You must attract their attention and board the ship."
He began to follow the orders. He couldn't resist them. It was as if he were nothing more than a machine, buttons being pressed and commands being executed. He had no control over himself. Every command he heard, he obeyed.
He started shouting and waving his arms. The ship was getting closer, and as it approached, its details became clearer. On its sail was a symbol—a skull wearing a straw hat.
His eyes locked onto it. His heartbeat accelerated. "The target."
He waved faster, shouting louder, until he saw the ship turning toward him. A smile appeared on his face. "Incredible… I didn't think it would be this easy." He laughed, a laugh filled with victory, as if the mission was already over.
But then something unexpected happened. The ship changed direction.
"What?! Why is it turning away?! I'm here! Save me!"
He shouted again and waved again, but nothing changed.
"This chance only comes once… I can't lose my target now that it's right in front of me. I have to finish it."
He thought about jumping into the sea and following the ship underwater, but fear crept in. What if he died? What if he disappeared forever?
Then the voice returned: "You do not die. You are the exception."
He remembered the words of the man from before, yet he still hesitated. Doubt lingered.
In the end, he made his decision. "I'll jump… even if it kills me. Maybe that would be better than this cursed mission."
He took a step forward and fell.
The sea swallowed him instantly, cold, silent, endless. He tried to resist, but it was useless. His body sank deeper into the darkness as his vital functions began to fade.
Would he really come back to life? Or was it all a lie?
At that moment, in a distant place beyond the maps, inside the dark hall, the mysterious man sat on his throne, watching everything, watching the body sink into the sea.
A faint voice echoed in the hall: "Noctis D. Veyron…"
As if someone was calling him… or delivering a message.