The wind changed.
Barely had Lyra's eyes opened when the light around Velmora dimmed—not from clouds, but from presence.
A ripple passed through the roots of the petrified forest. Even the air seemed to pause.
Something ancient was approaching.
At the Cocoon Site
Lyra stood barefoot on the glowing stone, her silver-lined skin still faintly pulsing.
Robin stepped beside her. "Do you feel that?"
Lyra nodded. "A Herald. They always come when one of us wakes."
Franky braced his arms. "Good. I was getting bored."
Arkan's eyes narrowed. "This one is not like anything we've faced."
Above Velmora
The sky cracked like glass.
A rift opened—spiraling, black, alive.
From it descended a figure shrouded in mirrored armor, reflecting every fear the crew ever felt. His face was hidden behind a silver mask etched with the symbols of a forgotten calendar.
The Herald landed without sound.
"My name is Caligo," he said calmly. "Bearer of Eclipse. Hunter of Flame."
Luffy stepped forward, arm stretching. "We're not giving her to you."
Caligo tilted his head. "You misunderstand. I don't want her."
He pointed at Arkan.
"I want you."
The Duel Begins
Without warning, Caligo moved.
Faster than sound.
Arkan barely blocked the blow—his Flame igniting into armor again.
Each strike from Caligo fractured the ground, summoning shadows that whispered secrets. He wielded a blade made of mirrored memory—every swing forced Arkan to relive his past.
He saw Roger's execution. Ace's birth. His own choice to disappear.
Arkan roared, breaking free of the illusion.
"You can't drown me in what I've embraced."
He counterattacked.
His strike was pure Flame—cutting not the body, but the lie.
Caligo staggered.
Then smiled.
"Good. You're becoming worthy."
Meanwhile — The Crew vs the Shadows
The rift above began raining down creatures—fragments of broken timelines given form. Each fought with logic that defied reality.
Zoro sliced through one, only to find himself aged. Nami electrocuted another, and it turned into her childhood self.
Usopp screamed, "THESE THINGS ARE EMOTIONAL TRAPS!"
Chopper activated rage mode.
Brook's music kept the crew anchored.
Lyra extended her hand. "Let me help."
She closed her eyes.
And sang.
A single note.
The roots of Velmora responded—crushing the shadow creatures with vines of memory.
Robin gasped. "She's harmonizing with the city."
Final Clash
Arkan and Caligo hovered midair, surrounded by burning fragments of time.
Caligo removed his mask.
Underneath… he looked exactly like Arkan.
"Every Flameborne has a Herald," he said. "I am your echo. Your failure. Your future."
Arkan raised his sword.
"Then let the future burn."
Their clash shattered the sky.
And Velmora vanished in light.