Rain poured over the New World. Not from clouds—but from the rising pressure of a world out of balance.
The gods of the old age stirred in their tombs.
And the kings of the new world began to move their pieces.
Aboard the Thousand Sunny
The Straw Hats gathered on deck as the beam of light faded and Arkan landed gently atop the waves, walking forward as if the sea itself held him.
Luffy was the first to run.
"ARKAN!!"
Arkan nodded, expression calm. "You came for me."
Luffy grinned. "Of course I did. You're family."
Robin stepped forward, awe in her voice. "You were inside a fragment of the Void Century… weren't you?"
Arkan looked to her. "Yes. And it's worse than you imagined."
Nami blinked. "Wait… worse how?"
Arkan turned toward the ocean, where thunder rumbled across a clear sky.
"The serpent isn't just a threat to our world. It's a parasite from before the world as we know it was shaped."
Zoro crossed his arms. "And now it's coming back."
"Because I disturbed the seal," Arkan confirmed. "It knows I'm alive."
Elsewhere — Mary Geoise
The Five Elders stood in shadowed fury. Flames crackled behind them as encrypted reports arrived.
"He's unlocked the Trial of Memory."
"He spoke with Roger."
"He survived."
One of them crushed his wine glass. "Then Protocol Zero is obsolete. We move to Absolute Erasure."
From the darkness behind them, a giant steel door creaked open.
Chains rattled.
A monstrous figure stepped forward, draped in seals and bindings.
The Elders bowed their heads.
"It's time," one whispered. "Release Subject: Exodus."
Back on the Sunny
Arkan sat inside the map room with Robin and Jinbe, drawing ancient sigils on paper.
"This symbol," he explained, "appeared in the Hall of Echoes. It predates the Poneglyphs."
Robin leaned closer. "It's not a language—it's a frequency."
Jinbe frowned. "A frequency?"
"A song. A signal meant to be remembered by blood."
Brook's eyes widened. "You mean a voice only the descendants of D can hear?"
Arkan nodded. "Exactly."
Far across the sea — The Serpent's Domain
Veyron stood before a massive crystal monolith, hands pressed to its surface.
Inside it, visions danced: Arkan. Luffy. Ace. The Will of D.
"They've connected. The Flame has chosen its sparks."
He turned.
A new figure entered—clad in scaled armor, with serpentine eyes and pale skin.
"They've awakened the Prophecy," the figure said.
"And now we accelerate the End."
On the Sunny, that night
Arkan sat alone on the deck, gazing at the stars.
Luffy joined him, silently offering a piece of meat.
Arkan smirked, accepting it.
"You're not afraid?" Arkan asked.
"Nope." Luffy grinned. "You're here. I'm here. That's all that matters."
Arkan closed his eyes for a moment.
"Then let's burn the world's lies together."
And the stars above shimmered—as if listening.