Light faded.
Where once stood Velmora—now only silence.
Ashes drifted in the air like forgotten snow. The city had not been destroyed. It had… retreated, as if Velmora itself decided to vanish rather than be defiled by war.
From the brightness, figures emerged—battered, breathing, alive.
The Straw Hats. Arkan. Lyra.
The Waking Grounds
They found themselves in a circular field surrounded by nothing but glowing dust and scorched sky. The Thousand Sunny lay partially buried nearby, intact but groaning.
Zoro sat against a rock, shirt torn.
"I hate time monsters," he muttered.
Chopper scurried from crewmate to crewmate, applying first aid.
Robin sat quietly, hands glowing faintly as she reviewed residual symbols that clung to her skin.
"It was a mirage," she whispered. "Velmora never existed in our present. It was always a city of remembrance."
Arkan and Lyra
Arkan knelt beside Lyra. Her breathing was slow but steady. The effort to awaken the roots and shield them had drained her.
"She needs time," Robin said.
"She gave us that," Arkan replied. "Now we give her the same."
He stood, eyes scanning the broken sky.
"Caligo…"
He still felt the echo of the final strike.
He had not destroyed him. Only delayed him.
Meanwhile — In the Temple of the Mirror
Veyron paced before the shattered viewing pool.
"Caligo failed."
One Herald knelt. "He is not dead. He is… learning."
Veyron turned. "Failure is a form of progress. Let the next trial begin."
He placed his hand on a wall of shifting glyphs.
A name surfaced.
"Orren — The Flameborne of Ice."
He smirked.
"Send Herald II. Let's see how they handle guilt made flesh."
Aboard the Thousand Sunny
Nami stood at the helm, checking newly formed constellations.
"These stars weren't here before."
Lyra, weak but upright, joined her. "They're not stars. They're anchors. Beacons created by the Seed's awakening."
Usopp frowned. "So… you're saying the next Flameborne is where that new 'constellation' points?"
Lyra nodded. "To the North Ice Verge. A place lost to frost. And to sorrow."
Arkan clenched his fists.
"One was awakened. Eleven remain."
He turned to the crew.
"We move at dawn."
Final Scene — Far North
A child walked barefoot through an endless blizzard. Around him, time refused to move. Snowflakes froze midair.
His eyes glowed faint blue.
And from his breath, words escaped into the void:
"They're coming for me."