The main room of the HQ smelled of sweat, gunpowder, and old leather — a makeshift office carved out of a reinforced hold: pinned maps, locked chests, and a large scratched round table in the center where half-empty cups sat. On a massive chair, a broad-shouldered man waited, a thick brown beard framing a face weathered by years at sea and by conflict. Mirks, the commander, dominated the room by a head over most men, and a hard glint shone in his eyes as he looked at his lieutenants.
Around him stood five grim-faced figures, each as defined by their nickname as by the Devil Fruit they seemed to embody.Tornade Blanche, the only woman in the circle, stood as straight as a lance, her naturally white hair contrasting with her dark outfit; her voice was measured.Soleil Rouge, young and restless, fidgeted with the edge of his sleeve, his dyed bright-red hair accentuating his impatience.Abîme Bleu, older and composed, carried the restraint of a man who's seen too much; his blue-streaked locks evoked the depths of the sea.Tonnerre Jaune, the adolescent with a cruel smile, let little sparks crackle between his fingers as if to threaten the air itself.Finally Montagne Noire, massive, lined with wrinkles and taciturn, held his place like a rock; his deep voice naturally imposed silence when he spoke.
Mirks folded his arms and spoke in a slow, measured tone. "Eisah's back?" he asked, not out of polite curiosity but to probe the group's loyalty and mindset. You could feel that Eisah's name carried an old story in the room — victory, betrayal, or an unpaid debt.
"Yes, he should arrive within a day at most," answered Tornade Blanche, her clear voice cutting the heavy silence. She watched the others, gauging their reactions like the wind under the door.
Soleil Rouge frowned. "He hasn't been heard from in two weeks," he said, his voice vibrating with impatience. He jittered his leg as if to shake off his worry. "Maybe he's compromised."
Abîme Bleu shook his head calmly. "If he's stuck, we must help him flee. We trained him; his value hasn't been fully recovered. If worse comes to worst, I'll take it upon myself to eliminate him," he said evenly, aiming to prevent any rash decisions.
Tonnerre Jaune snickered, his eyes gleaming with youthful ferocity. "Let me handle it — it'll be quicker," he said, snapping his fingers; little sparks flared, lighting his youthful features with a dangerous glow. He had that unpredictable streak that both pleased and unnerved people.
Montagne Noire raised an eyebrow, heavy with reproach. "Don't be quick to judge," he rumbled like rock. "Wait to see him. Personal grudges mustn't dictate our orders."
Mirks slammed his hand on the table, making the cups chime. His voice, when it came, pulled everyone's attention taut. "Montagne Noire's right. Bleu, Jaune, you're not here to settle personal scores. If Eisah's in danger, we exfiltrate him cleanly. No stupid moves." His gaze swept the group, and the authority in his tone dropped the tension instantly.
The door suddenly flew open with a bang, and hurried footsteps sounded. "Mirks-sama, the Straw Hat pirates have been detected — they're coming straight for Kotzia!" the messenger spat, then shrank back by reflex, unable to say more before the imposing commander.
Mirks gave a rough laugh that echoed off the bulkheads. "Don't worry, Belette," he said rising slowly and revealing his colossus of a stature — 2.70 meters tall. "This is good news: 110 million berries delivering themselves to our doorstep."
He put a finger on the wanted poster where Jordan's face was listed. "But watch out for Jordan. I've heard he's got a Zoan fruit. Even a monster can fall under our numbers, but I don't want to lose too many men."
The faces around the table brightened for a moment—the lure of a bounty sparked greed—but Mirks raised a hand, cutting their enthusiasm short."Go on, do your jobs. But don't eliminate the targets with bounties. These guys are worth more alive than dead."The lieutenants nodded before leaving the room to organize the welcoming committee.
Aboard the Going MerryWe soon reached the outskirts of Kotzia; already, in the distance, the harbor's alarm bells rang in a nervous rhythm that made the Merry's deck tremble. The salty air was tainted with the scent of gunpowder and iron—a bad omen.
Usopp, pressed against the mast with his brand-new spyglass, raised an arm. "The port's moving, Captain—eight ships just set off westward. No flags, but look at their sides: way too many cannons. They're probably trying to flank us while we deal with the main force." His voice trembled slightly, half fear, half excitement. This was his first real big fight with the crew.
I turned to Luffy, who was already chewing on something with his ever-present grin. "You want me to handle the battle plan like usual?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.
He threw me a wide, confident smile. "You're the vice-captain and the strategist, Jordan. I'm just here to hit stuff. Pick the strategy."
Around us, the others nodded without hesitation—our routine falling into place naturally.
"Alright. These eight ships don't look like the main force. We take them out quickly so we can focus on the beach assault. Zoro, Usopp, and Nami—you're riding Meumeuh and sinking them. Meanwhile, I'll dive underwater to sabotage the ships still docked." I added that I'd already confirmed none of the departing ships had locks.
Zoro nodded, his katana gleaming in the sunlight. Nami narrowed her eyes, already visualizing trajectories. Usopp gave a dramatic salute. "Got it! We'll make them regret leaving the port!"
I turned directly to Luffy to let him make the final tactical call. "Captain, should we go full-force boarding with the rest of the crew, or prioritize protecting the Merry? A brutal charge scatters the enemy but puts the ship at risk; protecting it delays the assault but keeps our base safe."
Luffy crossed his arms and, without hesitation, said what fit us best. "Protection. The Merry's our home and our friend. I want it standing. But stay ready—if things go south, I want you by my side fast." He smiled, resolved.
"Got it. Protection it is." I gave a short signal and, without wasting a second, dove into the water beneath the Merry's shadow. The wave hit my face as, beneath the surface, I cut through the ocean's spine with controlled, silent strokes.
At the surface, the battle began to unfold. Meumeuh surged forward, carrying Zoro, Nami, and Usopp toward the first row of enemy vessels, while our cannons stayed ready to fire.
Below, I scanned the hulls of the approaching ships: where I sensed no lock, I pierced the wood discreetly with thin ice blades; water rushed in with a hiss, flooding the holds and sending the unsuspecting vessels listing to the side.
For the other ships, I switched tactics: I unleashed the full power of my glacier spell. Cannons, masts, and rigging were covered in a white frost, freezing the artillery in place like statues.
Back on the Merry, the echo of explosions tore through the air: the port's cannons had opened fire to try and hit us from a distance. The cannonballs splashed into the sea in plumes of foam or bounced off our maneuvers.
Luffy swung above the waves, his elastic arms stretching to intercept incoming shots. He grabbed a cannonball, compressed it between his hands, and hurled it away, making it explode safely out of range. His movements were both wild and precise—simple but effective.
I quickly escaped when a jagged rock spike rose underwater, almost impaling me. As I backed off, I saw an old man raise his hand—more rocks flew toward me. I slipped out of range and returned to the Merry after finishing the sabotage on the remaining docked ships.
Meanwhile, Meumeuh growled as it skimmed the waves, carrying Zoro, Nami, and Usopp toward the eight brigantines. The air still reeked of gunpowder and sea salt, and the silhouettes of the ships loomed under a gray sky. They didn't have much time to assess the situation: two men stepped forward from the opposing group—one with flaming red hair, the other with deep blue streaks—clearly bounty hunters ready for a fight.
"No bounty on them — we can kill them outright," said the red-haired man harshly, clicking his tongue as if sealing their fate.The other, colder and more composed, raised a hand in a cross and replied with a predator's calm, "Wait. At least take the time to introduce yourself to a fellow dead man."
Zoro didn't even smile. His three swords caught the light as he leapt forward, swift as a blade's gleam. "I know you — Red Sun and Blue Abyss, from the Elemental Squad. But the ones who'll die here… are you." His voice was dry, sharp as steel.
Red Sun reacted first, insulted. "Insolent!" he roared, condensing a blazing fireball in his palm. The red sphere burst toward Zoro, heating the air around them — but at that very instant, a strange arrow, sleek and glowing, streaked across from a corner of the deck and struck him square in the chest. The man collapsed, his muscles loosening as though all will had been drained from him; his eyes went blank.
Usopp, perched atop Meumeuh's head, whistled. "And that's one!" He loosed a second arrow for good measure, pinning Red Sun's arm to the deck, his fingers trembling with adrenaline yet precise. "Weak," he muttered, eyes scanning the other ships for threats.
Blue Abyss, furious, didn't bother retrieving his comrade. He focused his Devil Fruit power on the sea: the water rose around him in a spiraling column, coiling like a living tentacle. A violent vortex burst forth, sucking in foam and rocking the nearby ships.
Four vessels were hurled into each other, their hulls groaning under the force; then muffled explosions ripped the air as the poorly sealed holds gave way. Within moments, three of them were taking on water and sinking, leaving behind frothing waves and screaming sailors.
Meumeuh leapt back, obeying Nami's precise commands; she maneuvered the sea-beast skillfully, dodging the heart of the maelstrom while Usopp clung to a horn, searching for an opening. The four remaining ships, further away, escaped the worst and began to reposition — but Blue Abyss, confident in his advantage, tried to halt Zoro's advance by weaving heavy water tentacles that lashed out around the deck like whips.
Zoro parried and countered. The new strength he'd gained from Cloud made his frame more massive, his movements heavier yet faster — each strike carried crushing force and stunning speed. He sliced through two tentacles cleanly, severed rigging, and with a sweeping motion shattered the formation of bounty hunters who tried to encircle him. Accustomed to overwhelming opponents by numbers, they were completely thrown off by the swordsman's relentless rhythm and precision.
Meumeuh charged forward again like a living cannonball; Nami leapt from its back onto the enemy ships and unleashed a powerful ice spell that froze the four vessels solid.
The water hardened, Blue Abyss's tentacles stiffened and lost their flexibility, rendering his powers useless. Enemy cannons jammed, their crews slipping and cursing in panic.
Usopp seized the opportunity, launching himself onto one of the immobilized decks. He loaded Clayton's shotgun and, with a single precise shot to the back, took down Blue Abyss. The water-wielder fell, his scream drowned out by the crashing timbers around him.
Without hesitation, Usopp grabbed the still-weak Red Sun and, with a calculated motion, hurled him overboard. The torpilots that had followed Meumeuh earlier surged forward, transforming the two Devil Fruit users into Heartless. Their new forms resembled floating clusters of glowing orbs—one red, one blue.
Once the ships were sunk, Nami, Zoro, and Usopp returned atop Meumeuh, accompanied by the two new Heartless.
(Author's Note: That's it for today! Sorry for the delay — I tried to make the action more dynamic and give the rest of the crew some spotlight. In case you haven't noticed, the characters behave differently from the original story because, unlike Eiichiro Oda's shonen tone, I don't want the crew to rely on "plot armor." I've reworked quite a few points, so thank you all for following along this far! ^^)