The gate groaned as it opened.
Ancient stone shifted with unnatural grace, revealing a wide stairway descending into the heart of the mountain. Light pulsed from the depths—not warm, but intelligent, alive.
It called.
Serpent's Gate — Outer Edge
With the immediate wave of sentinels cleared, the Straw Hats regrouped beside Arkan.
He wiped blood from his chest, where Vira's cursed seal glowed faintly.
"Whatever she did… it's trying to read me," he muttered.
Robin examined it closely. "It's a tracking sigil. But deeper. It's not just location—it's memory binding."
Luffy looked toward the gate. "Then let's go see what they want us to remember."
Inside the Serpent's Core
The group descended in silence.
The deeper they went, the more the air felt thick with thought—like the stone itself was remembering every step.
At the bottom, they found the vast chamber they'd seen glimpses of before. In its center stood the sarcophagus—suspended in a ring of light and surrounded by floating fragments of Poneglyphs.
Brook stepped forward. "I hear… music. A rhythm I've never played."
Robin's hands trembled. "These writings… they're pre-Poneglyph. Proto-script. They're the first attempts to preserve truth after the fall."
"Fall of what?" Nami asked.
Arkan approached the sarcophagus. "Of the First Civilization. The one that created the world before the Void Century erased everything."
As he neared, the sarcophagus responded.
It opened.
Inside… a boy.
Barely older than Luffy. Floating. Breathing. Eyes closed.
Luffy blinked. "Who is that?"
Robin stepped back. "No… that's not a who. That's a what."
The air darkened.
From the walls, energy surged. Memories poured into the room—images of ancient cities, titanic wars, giant trees turned to flame, and a serpent devouring a golden sun.
The boy's eyes opened. Pale blue. Infinite.
He looked directly at Arkan.
"You carry the Will," he said, voice echoing. "Then you must remember."
Arkan staggered as the seal on his chest burned bright. His eyes rolled back.
Within Arkan's Mind
He stood in a shattered throne room.
Storms raged outside. The world was ending.
Before him, a woman in silver armor held a child wrapped in flame.
"His name… will be D," she whispered. "He will carry us forward."
A shadow loomed behind her.
A colossal serpent with wings of night.
The woman turned to Arkan. "You are not the first. But you may be the last."
The vision shattered.
Back in the Core
Arkan gasped, falling to his knees.
The boy stepped out of the sarcophagus. He looked at the crew.
"My name is Oras. I was created to remember. But now… I must act."
Robin whispered, "You're… from before the world."
Oras nodded. "And the serpent is almost awake."
The mountain trembled.
Above, black clouds began to gather unnaturally.
Veyron smiled from his throne.
"The Core is open. And with it… so is the End."