"I follow the Goddess," Skolldir said, his voice low and predatory, vibrating through the frozen clearing like the growl of a hunting beast. He took a step forward, snow crunching under his massive paws. His glowing eyes never left me.
"And you…"
He bared his fangs slightly.
"You are not my Sun."
For a second, I just stood there.
"…Huh?"
Spruce leaned closer to my ear, cupping his tiny hands as if sharing a great secret. "Captain… he talks like an old man-resu."
I lowered my voice and replied seriously, "Because he is old."
We shared a completely straight-faced nod, like two scholars confirming an ancient truth.
Gaban ignored us entirely. He stepped forward, boots crunching against the frost, his eyes fixed on Skolldir with sharp curiosity.
"So the rumors were true," he said calmly. "You really do have that Devil Fruit."
Skolldir's ears twitched. His gaze snapped to Gaban, glowing brighter.
"So what if I do?"
I exhaled slowly and spoke before the tension snapped.
"I don't really know your Devil Fruit power," I admitted, my voice low but steady, "but would you help me travel through the Underworld?"
The response came instantly.
A roar exploded from Skolldir's throat, powerful enough to shake frost loose from the massive roots above us.
"I am here to reclaim my Goddess—whom you stole!" he snarled. "Not to be your mount!"
I opened my mouth to argue—but then something flickered in my vision.
Above Skolldir's head, just a few meters in the air, a small sphere of fire hovered silently. It pulsed with a slow, rhythmic glow, orange and gold, like a living heartbeat. A tiny sun floating calmly in the abyss.
My blood ran cold.
"…Prometheus," I whispered.
My gaze snapped to Gaban. "I was right. Big Mom is here. Look."
Gaban followed my line of sight. The moment he saw it, his expression hardened.
"…My fault, Ash," he said quietly. "If that thing is here, then that old hag isn't far behind."
Without hesitation, he raised both axes, muscles tightening as he prepared to unleash a flying slash.
Skolldir moved instantly.
His massive claw slammed down between us, blocking Gaban's path with terrifying speed.
"If you wish to approach our Goddess," he growled, "you will go through me first."
"What are you doing, you idiot?!" I shouted. "That's not your Goddess! That's a Yonko's homie!"
Skolldir snarled, fur bristling.
"You know nothing, lizard! She has watched over the Giants since the dawn of the World Tree! She is the fire that does not consume!"
Then—
A voice drifted through the air.
Sweet. Warm. Calm.
"Skolldir, my dear…"
The voice carried no urgency, yet it froze my spine solid.
"Don't hurt the child wrapped in bandages. Bring him to me. Your mother would like an offering."
The small sun glided closer, flames dancing gently, almost affectionately.
Spruce buried himself in my cape. "Creepy, Captain-resu…"
Gaban's brow furrowed deeply. His Observation Haki flared, sweeping the area again and again.
"I can see the sun," he muttered. "But I can't sense Big Mom's soul anywhere. What… is this thing?"
I stared at the floating fire, comparing it to every scene I had seen, every theory I'd ever heard in my world.
And then I saw it—
eye-lashes.
It clicked.
"…Pandora?" I whispered.
Spruce peeked out. "Captain… who-resu?"
I didn't look away.
"She's not Prometheus. Not Big Mom's creation," I said slowly. "She's like me."
Gaban blinked. "You're talking in riddles."
"But unlike me," I continued, "she's an original."
Gaban stared at me like I'd lost my mind.
"Why are you explaining something you barely understand yourself?"
"HOW DARE YOU SPEAK OUR GODDESS'S NAME!" Skolldir roared.
"Listen, Gaban!" I snapped. "It's like Ace and me—we look similar, right? Big Mom copied Pandora's idea to make Prometheus. Pandora came first."
I took a breath and added,
"She's the homie of the previous Soru Soru no Mi user. From before Big Mom was even born."
Gaban froze.
"…The Elbaf tale," he murmured. "The Holy Mother who summoned the sun to protect the village…"
"Exactly."
Spruce puffed his chest. "See-resu? Captain is super intelligent-resu!"
"Shut it, mercury rat!" Gaban barked, and the two immediately started bickering like children.
I ignored them.
Pandora's flames were beautiful—but hungry. Ancient. Watching.
Then—
The ground vibrated.
A deep, thunderous sound rolled through the roots.
"Hey," I said slowly, eyes narrowing. "You guys feel that?"
TRUUUUUMP—!
A massive trumpet echoed through the forest. The earth buckled violently.
From between the towering roots emerged ten colossal figures.
Woolly Mammoths.
Their massive bodies were covered in thick fur, their tusks long and curved like ancient weapons, eyes burning with wild momentum as they charged straight toward us.
Skolldir turned, claws digging into the ice.
Pandora's flames flickered.
And the Underworld roared.