Paus returned to his colossal orca form, hovering above the shore. His massive body cast a long shadow across the sand as he turned toward the Silent Orca.
"So," he said, his voice resonating directly into her mind, "let me ask you this—do you feel happy serving as a ship for these humans?"
The Silent Orca paused, taken aback by the question. A strange silence followed. Then, Zino felt a sudden shift—like the ship was literally turning her gaze toward him.
"…That guy left me stranded yesterday," she said flatly.
Zino's forehead broke into a cold sweat. "W-Wait, I said I was sorry!"
Paus turned slightly to glance at Zino. Though he said nothing, a heavy pressure began to build in the air around him—an unspoken warning.
"So?" Paus asked again, his tone calm but firm. "Do you still choose to stay with them?"
The Silent Orca remained quiet for a moment longer. Then, in a softer tone, she replied, "They're already family to me. So, yes. I'm happy with them."
"…I see." Paus's tone eased, and the tension in the air gradually dispersed. "In that case, continue sailing with them."
Zino exhaled in relief, wiping sweat from his forehead. For a moment there, he was genuinely worried. He could sense it—Paus wasn't just big. He was strong. Perhaps even stronger than himself.
Paus continued, "Had you answered differently… I would've wiped out these humans. And you—I would've taken you to my sky domain. There, you would've met your kin… other living ships."
The entire Orca crew froze.
He was serious.
That monstrous being had just casually admitted he was prepared to destroy them, just to rescue a ship.
Robin's mind raced. "I've heard rumors… that many ships disappear in the Florian Triangle. Could it be—?"
"Yes," Paus said, answering before she even finished. "I brought some of them to my sky domain. They were living ships—discontent with their human companions. So, I discarded the humans… and brought the ships with me."
The Orcas all went silent. For the first time, they truly understood—they weren't just traveling on a ship. They were traveling with someone. And that someone had feelings.
We better treat our ship well from now on, they all thought.
Paus gave one last look at the group. "Alright. You may stay here for a while. But do not damage my territory."
He slowly began to lift back into the air, preparing to leave.
"Wait," Zino called out, stepping forward. "There's something else. We've relocated a group of innocent people to this island. Can they stay here permanently?"
Paus paused mid-air. A few seconds passed.
"They can stay," he finally said. "But they must not damage this island's ecosystem. And… whether they survive the land beasts or not, that's up to them."
As Paus ascended into the sky, his massive orca form slowly disappeared into the thick, misty clouds. The air remained still, heavy with the lingering pressure of his overwhelming presence.
Zino stood there, gazing up at the sky, his thoughts swirling. So many questions lingered in his mind.
Then, without warning, a voice echoed directly inside his head.
*"You are the captain of the ship. I hope you take care of her."*
Zino blinked, surprised. It was Paus—his voice, calm and powerful, speaking directly to him alone.
He quickly responded, using a wind-based message technique.
"Don't worry. I'll take note of that. But… I have a question, if you don't mind."
There was a moment of silence. From the far-off sky, the presence of Paus seemed to pause.
*"...Ask away."*
Zino hesitated, then asked, "How did you manage to transform into a giant flying orca?"
Again, silence followed. Then, the answer came.
*"I ate a Devil Fruit. The Uo Uo no Mi, Model: Kun."*
Zino's eyes widened. "Wait… a *ship* can eat a Devil Fruit?"
*"Of course,"* Paus replied, casually. *"Haven't you seen non-living objects with Devil Fruit powers?"*
Zino was quiet. He had. Funkfreed—the elephant sword—was living proof. In fact, it was hanging on his own hip. Still, the idea of a massive ship eating a Devil Fruit felt… impossible.
"I mean… how exactly did you *eat* it?" he asked.
*"I'm alive. So of course I can eat."*
Zino blinked. "But… ships don't have mouths."
*"You'll understand one day,"* Paus replied. *"I've been alive for over 300 years. My existence is proof that ships can eat Devil Fruits."*
Zino stood still, stunned into silence as Paus's voice faded into the distance, the connection between them slowly vanishing.
He looked at the sky again, exhaling deeply. "This world… really is something else."
With Paus gone, the air seemed lighter again. The rest of the Orcas snapped out of their daze and resumed their work—teaching the scavengers, preparing them for their new life, and survive in this island.
...
Three days later.
It was early morning, and the Orcas were getting ready to sail once again. The sky was bright, the waves were calm, and the wind was just right. The scavengers—now with slightly better clothes, stronger eyes, and a sense of purpose—gathered near the shoreline. They stood in lines, waving their hands and trying to hold back their tears as the Orca Pirates boarded the Silent Orca.
"Goodbye, everyone!" Kaya called, waving with a warm smile.
"We'll come back again someday," Sanji added, throwing a hand up casually.
"In the meantime," Nami said with a serious tone, "you guys *must* survive. Learn, build, and protect your new home."
"We will do our best!" a scavenger shouted from the crowd.
"You've given us hope. That's something we'll never forget!"
"Please be safe! Come visit again!"
The scavengers waved with all their might, shouting their goodbyes while tears rolled down their cheeks. The Orcas, now fully aboard the ship, waved back. A few saluted, others smiled, and some—like Usopp—wiped their eyes secretly.
The Silent Orca slowly began to move, gliding away from the shore. Its black-and-white form faded further and further into the distance, eventually disappearing into the bright horizon.
"They're gone," Sabi murmured, watching the waves. His voice was soft, heavy with emotion.
He had been just a nobody scavenger before. Then those strangers arrived—calling themselves the Orcas. They'd not only helped him but saved his family, his people, and given them a future. The group that once came by chance… had become heroes.
"Will they really come back again?" Sabi muttered, staring at the sea.
"Of course they will," said a voice from behind.
Startled, Sabi turned sharply—only to find a glowing blue orb hovering beside him, radiating a soft light.
"Wha–what are you?" he stammered, taking a step back.
"I'm Creed," the orb replied. Its voice was calm but clearly intelligent. "Captain Zino asked me to stay behind and watch over you all."
"You're… one of the Orcas?" Sabi asked, eyes wide.
"I am," Creed confirmed. "Now then—Captain Zino left me with something for you. Come here. It's time."
As Creed spoke, a spatial rift opened in the air beside him. From within, two Devil Fruits floated out. One was the Ushi Ushi no Mi, Model: Giraffe, and the other was the Baku Baku no Mi—a fruit with fearsome power.
Sabi's jaw dropped. "Are… are those Devil Fruits?! You want me to eat that?!"
"Don't overthink it," Creed said. "Zino left them for you. One is yours. The other is for someone I'll choose later. So—hurry up. Pick one."
Sabi hesitated. "Can you at least tell me which is which?"
"Tch. You're too slow," Creed muttered.
Then, in a flash of blue light, Creed's orb form shifted and morphed—turning into a perfect copy of Kruz, one of the Orca Pirates.
With a mischievous grin, he suddenly shoved the Baku Baku no Mi straight into Sabi's mouth.
"Gah—! Pfft!" Sabi gagged as he bit into the fruit. "This… this tastes horrible!"
He bent over, coughing and trying not to throw up.
"Good," Creed said with a satisfied nod. "That's how you know it worked."
Then he smirked. "Now go ahead—eat some sand."
"What?!" Sabi's eyes widened. "You want me to eat what?"
"I said eat the sand."
Still confused and disturbed, Sabi reluctantly bent down, scooped a handful of sand, and brought it to his mouth. He expected it to be gritty, disgusting—but oddly enough, it wasn't. It didn't even feel strange.
Just then, his hand began to shimmer and morph—transforming into sand.
"Huh?! What's happening?!"
"Perfect," Creed said calmly. "Looks like the fruit is working just fine."
Sabi watched and tried to control his hand. Surprisingly, he can actually control them, floating the sands around. However, that just one part of his body.
"You should start learning how to control this power." Creed said. "Captain gave this to you, hoping that you can be stronger, and help the people here. So, don't disappoint him. Don't disappoint us."
Sabi listened and felt the heavy expectation.
He then said, "I will do my best."
With that, he started experimenting the new ability diligently.
...
Out on the calm sea, the Silent Orca was cutting through the waves with grace and quiet strength. After spending several days on the beast-filled island, the crew was back on the move. Their next destination loomed ahead on the Grand Line—the Sabaody Archipelago.
Standing at the bow, Zino watched the horizon in silence before turning to glance at Kruz. "Hey, Kruz," he asked, "are you sure it was alright to leave Creed behind?"
Before Kruz could answer, a red glow flickered beside them. It was Friday, the sentient red orb, Kruz's second split personality.
"Don't worry, Captain," Friday said calmly. "Creed should be just fine. For us, distance isn't a problem. It's just another layer of parallel space."
Zino raised an eyebrow. "So… does that mean you two can just travel through space and go back to the island whenever you want?"
"Technically, yes," Kruz said with a nod. "But in reality, I haven't completely mastered long-distance spatial travel."
"That's because you're too lazy to train properly," Friday said, throwing in a jab.
Zino chuckled. "But you did manage to open a portal back to Spring Island, didn't you?"
"That's an exception," Friday explained. "Creed and I were created on that island. It's like our birthplace. So we both naturally have a spatial marker that allows us to return there without fail."
"I see," Zino muttered thoughtfully. "That makes sense."
"Still," Friday continued, turning his glow toward Kruz, "you should really work harder. Our spatial ability has endless potential."
"I get it, I get it," Kruz groaned. "You're sounding more like a nagging mentor than an orb."
Despite the complaining, Kruz moved to the side of the deck and began training, practicing his Saku Saku ability under Friday's guidance. Spatial energy rippled faintly around him as he concentrated.
Not far from them, the rest of the crew had taken the time to focus on their own growth. A dedicated line of Orcas were seated cross-legged on the deck, trying to meditate and sense the subtle force of Haki.
The desire to grow stronger was contagious. Not to mention Zoro, even Alvida, Gin, Sanji, Galdino, Binko, Hibari, Usopp, and Stev had joined in. Each of them was meditating with determination, attempting to awaken their latent Haki.
At the highest point of the ship, perched on the lookout post, Nojiko sat in her assigned role as the ship's watcher. Her eyes had always been sharper than anyone else's on board—able to spot distant figures, islands, or threats long before others noticed.
From above, she looked down at the meditating crew members. A part of her felt inspired—driven even—to awaken Haki herself.
"If only I could awaken it too…" she whispered to herself.
But then—something shifted.
Her senses suddenly sharpened. A wave of emotions, subtle and powerful, washed over her. She gasped, eyes widening.
"What… what's happening to me?!"
She clutched her head as she collapsed to her knees, overwhelmed. It was as if she could feel everyone's emotions—Sanji's calmness, Usopp's anxiety, Galdino's stubborn focus, Gin's burning intent. Strangely though, she couldn't sense anything from Zino or Baral, as if both were shielded from her perception.
Below on the deck, Zino's head turned instantly. He could sense the surge in spiritual awareness.
"Nojiko… she's awakened Observation Haki?!"