Snow.
Endless, weightless snow.
The Thousand Sunny creaked through ice-laden winds, its sails reinforced by Franky's modifications. The ship groaned under the strain of unnatural cold as it sailed toward the North Ice Verge—an unmapped realm spoken of only in the whispers of sea myths.
Aboard the Sunny
Chopper shivered, wrapped in every scarf available.
"This isn't normal cold," he muttered. "It's... old."
Robin examined the frost forming geometric patterns on the deck. "It's infused with memory. This is a timeline frozen in grief."
Nami steered carefully, her compass spinning. "The weather here refuses direction."
Arkan stood at the bow, eyes scanning the blizzard.
"He's here. I can feel the silence."
Flashback — Orren's Memory
A lonely island. A child sitting in the snow, surrounded by frozen statues—people locked in ice mid-motion.
"Don't touch them," a woman's voice warned. "They remember pain."
The child turned. "Are you my mother?"
She smiled sadly. "No, Orren. I'm your echo."
Arrival at the Shattered Tundra
The ship finally reached land—an ice shelf split into colossal plates, drifting over a silent sea. Ancient towers of crystalized stone pierced the sky.
Sanji lit a flame on his finger. It instantly snuffed out.
Zoro drew his blade. Frost formed along its edge.
"This place hates heat," he growled.
Lyra stepped down from the ship, followed by Arkan. She held a shard of Velmora root.
"He'll sense this. It'll lead him to us."
Deeper Into the Ice
They trekked into a valley where sound vanished—no footsteps, no breath, only stillness.
In the center, a child stood. Eyes blue. Skin pale. Hair white as bone.
He looked up.
"You brought light with you," he said flatly.
Lyra nodded. "You're Orren. The Flameborne of Ice."
He tilted his head. "I don't want to wake."
Arkan stepped forward. "Why?"
"Because last time I woke up, the world cried."
He raised his hand.
And the valley turned to glass.
Herald II Appears
A shriek pierced the stillness.
From a rift in the glacier, a figure emerged—tall, wrapped in flowing frost, face hidden behind a mask of cracked porcelain.
"I am Penumbra," the Herald rasped. "Guilt made flesh."
He extended a finger.
And from behind the crew, the frozen statues from Orren's past began to move—each screaming silently, each targeting someone they once loved.
Usopp saw his father.
Sanji saw Zeff.
Nami saw her sister, trapped in chains of ice.
Arkan stepped between them and the specters.
"No more illusions," he shouted.
He released the Flame.
But the ice... did not melt.
Orren's Decision
As chaos erupted, Orren watched, unmoving.
Lyra knelt beside him.
"They're not here to hurt you. They're here to wake you."
Orren looked at her. "And what if I freeze again?"
She took his hand. "Then we'll thaw you again. As many times as it takes."
A tear formed.
He closed his eyes.
And when he opened them, the world shifted.
The ice shattered.
The frozen illusions vanished.
Penumbra staggered.
"You... accepted it."
Orren floated into the air.
"I am the frost. But I am not its prisoner."
He raised his hand.
And Penumbra was consumed by memory turned into snow.
Final Scene
Orren landed softly, blinking.
Luffy grinned. "You're pretty cool."
Usopp groaned. "Why the pun?"
Arkan smiled at Orren.
"Welcome back, Flameborne."