The air was thin.The Thousand Sunny floated in the updraft, suspended between the storm barrier below and the chained fortress above.Every sound felt sharper here, every heartbeat louder.
Aboard the Sunny
Luffy stretched his neck upward.
"Let's go get her!"
Nami grabbed his arm.
"We can't just jump—look at those chains."
The fortress was bound by colossal black links stretching into the void, each pulsing faintly like veins carrying dark light. The chains didn't just hold the island—they anchored it to something unseen.
Lyra's voice trembled.
"Those aren't just chains. They're seals. Whoever made them wanted her here forever."
The Guardian's Arrival
Aetheria remained kneeling, but her lips moved—whispering something no one could hear.The shadows behind her solidified into a monstrous shape: a giant winged being clad in fractured silver armor, its face hidden beneath a featureless helm.
The moment it spread its wings, the updraft faltered.The Sunny began to drop.
Franky slammed controls.
"We're losing lift! That thing's messing with the air currents!"
Arkan's eyes narrowed.
"It's not just the air. It's trying to erase the space we're in."
Battle in the Sky
The guardian dove, a blur of silver and black. Zoro's swords clashed with its talons midair, sparks scattering into the wind. Sanji kicked off a mast, striking upward, only for the creature to vanish into a rift and reappear behind him.
Orren raised his hands, releasing a burst of freezing wind that crystallized part of its wing, forcing it to spiral.
Luffy leapt high, stretching toward Aetheria.
"Hang on, we'll get you out!"
But the moment his hand was inches away, a shockwave flung him back.
Aetheria Speaks
Her voice finally reached them, calm yet heavy.
"You think I am a prisoner. But these chains… are mine."
Everyone froze.
"If they break before the song is ready… the Serpent will rise fully. I am the Thirteenth Flameborne… and my awakening is the end."
Lyra's face went pale.
"Thirteenth…? That's impossible."
Veyron's Herald Arrives
The sky tore open again, and from the rift stepped a new Herald—sleek black armor, wielding a long spear tipped with a burning star.
Caligo's voice echoed from the void:
"Our master wants her alive. Step aside."
Arkan stepped forward, flame wreathing his hands.
"Over my dead body."
Final Scene
The guardian roared, the Herald lunged, and the Sunny was caught between two forces—one trying to keep Aetheria chained, and one trying to claim her.
And in the center, Aetheria whispered a final warning:
"Choose wrong… and the world burns before the song is sung."
The sky cracked open in light and shadow.