The clearing had turned into a battlefield carved straight out of myth.
Snow was trampled into slush, scorched black in places, frozen red in others. The air screamed with clashing steel, crackling Haki, and the shrill whistle of cutting threads.
Scopper Gaban stood at the center of it all.
Blood streamed down from a gash on his forehead, blurring one eye—but it didn't slow him even a little. His twin axes moved like extensions of his will, wreathed in black lightning as each swing tore through the air with terrifying force.
Opposite him, Arachne had abandoned all pretense of humanity.
Her Ancient Zoan form towered over the clearing—a monstrous Jorōgumo, her upper body still vaguely humanoid while her lower half had transformed into a colossal, obsidian-black spider abdomen. Venomous spikes jutted from her carapace, and dozens of glowing, predatory eyes tracked every movement with cold precision. Iron threads spilled endlessly from her limbs, singing through the air like death itself.
The Iron Vanguard charged.
His Tekkai hardened his body into a dull, gunmetal sheen as he slammed straight toward Gaban, fists cocked back to pulverize anything in his path.
Gaban met him head-on.
Axes screeched against reinforced flesh, sparks and Haki erupting in a violent spray. The impact shook the clearing.
"Tch—" Gaban clicked his tongue, muscles flexing as he pushed back. "You're stiff, boy."
The Vanguard roared and threw a barrage of punches.
Gaban parried, spun, and laughed—an unrestrained, fearless sound.
"Steel breaks," he shouted, deflecting another blow, "but the sea flows!"
At the same time, Arachne struck.
Iron threads lashed out from every direction, whistling through the air like piano wire aimed straight for Gaban's throat. She skittered across frozen roots with terrifying speed, eight massive legs blurring as she lunged.
Gaban's grin widened.
He spun both axes at once, Haki roaring outward.
"Great Whirlwind!"
The storm of steel shredded through the webbing in an instant. Threads were torn apart, reduced to glittering silver fragments that scattered through the snow like confetti.
Arachne hissed in irritation—but then her many eyes shifted.
They locked onto the crater behind Gaban.
Trigger's body lay there, broken and smoldering, smoke curling weakly from his ruined form.
Something in Arachne snapped.
Her playful, taunting demeanor vanished, replaced by cold calculation.
"…Mission compromised," she hissed.
Before Gaban could react, a massive reinforced web-line shot from her maw. It wrapped around the Iron Vanguard's torso and yanked him off his feet, slamming him onto her bristling back.
With terrifying efficiency, she lunged toward the crater.
Two of her legs scooped up Trigger's unconscious body with practiced ease. Snow and debris exploded outward as she leapt into the canopy, vanishing upward in a blur of motion.
She paused—just for a heartbeat.
Her many eyes turned toward Ash.
A needle-toothed smile spread across her monstrous face.
"We will meet again, Ash," she said softly, voice echoing with promise.
"The World Government doesn't forget a stray like you."
Then she was gone.
The mist swallowed her completely.
Silence crashed down over the clearing.
Gaban exhaled slowly. The black lightning faded, his axes disappearing back into his belt. He looked around once, confirming the retreat, then turned toward where Ash lay broken in the snow.
My vision flickered like a dying flame.
Gaban approached, expression unreadable. Then—unexpectedly—his voice softened.
"…Poor kid."
He hoisted me onto his broad back as if I weighed nothing.
Pandora hovered weakly near my shoulder, no longer a blazing inferno—just a tiny, trembling spark.
"Don't you dare die, lizard," she whispered, her voice cracking despite herself.
"I just found a new host for me…"
Gaban began walking.
Through the falling snow, the massive silhouette of the Treasure Tree Adam loomed in the distance.
Then—
The wind shifted.
Snow swirled violently as something massive stepped out of the whiteout.
A wolf.
No—a giant of a wolf.
Its fur was silver-gray, eyes burning with ancient intelligence. A colossal battle-axe was strapped across its back, runes faintly glowing along the blade.
Gaban stopped.
His posture changed instantly.
"You finally catching up to us," he said calmly, eyes sharp, "Skolldir?"
The wolf growled low.
Its body began to warp and shrink, fur receding as muscle and skin replaced it. In moments, a towering man stood where the beast had been.
Skolldir.
A war god carved from stone and battle. His body was layered with muscle, marked by crimson runic tattoos that pulsed faintly. Long blonde hair fell over his shoulders, and his axe radiated a weight that felt capable of splitting the island itself.
Before anyone could speak—
A streak of light shot forward.
"SKOLL! WHERE WERE YOUUUU!"
Pandora slammed straight into his hair, tangling herself in it like a furious comet.
Skolldir immediately lowered his head.
"My Goddess," he said solemnly. "Forgive me for leaving you alone."
On his shoulder, a tiny figure suddenly began jumping up and down.
"CAPTAIN! CAPTAIN! WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU—RESUUU!"
Spruce's shriek echoed through the clearing as he leapt, landing near my face on Gaban's shoulder. His eyes were glossy with panic and relief.
I forced my eyes open just a fraction.
"I'm… fine, Spruce…"
He sniffed hard. "Captain… I found him-resu! I really found him-resu!"
"…Found who?"
Then—
A voice drifted in from behind Skolldir.
Lazy. Familiar. Infuriating.
"Ohii, idiot Captain," it drawled.
"So you're still alive, huh?"
My heart stuttered.
I looked up.
White hair, messy and whipped wild by the wind. Blue eyes burned with that same arrogant, unmistakable spark. A torn black cape snapped behind him like a battle flag— and above it, white ears, with a matching tail swaying calmly, as if the chaos meant nothing to him.
"…Gray?" I whispered.
Gray hopped down from a snowbank, landing effortlessly.
Gaban gently set me down. I staggered forward, each step leaving crimson stains in the snow. My glass-cracked skin screamed in protest.
I was about to collapse—
Strong arms caught me.
"Idiot," Gray muttered, steadying me. "I thought you'd shout or something."
My vision blurred with relief and fury.
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY THAT, YOU DEMONNNN!"
I turned sharply toward Spruce. "Spruce—how did you even find this guy?!"
Spruce puffed his cheeks. "Long story, Captain! But if it wasn't for Skolldir-resu, we never would've found this demon wolf-resu!"
Skolldir crossed his arms.
"You were with my Goddess. You protected her. In return, I protected your crewmate."
Gaban leaned against a tree, grinning. "How touching."
"Spruce," I wheezed, "tell me… where was he?"
Spruce huffed. "So, when we were scattered in that storm, I ended up with Skolldir-resu. We were lost, so Skolldir growled—really loudly-resu! He gathered a colossal pack of massive wolves. I was super scared-resu! But I gathered my strength and stood like a warrior, just like you, Captain! And on the back of one of those giant wolves... this demon wolf Gray was sleeping peacefully-resu! I hit him with my hammer to wake him up-resu!"
I stared at Gray with pure disappointment. "So... how did you end up sleeping through a war?"
Gray shrugged, looking totally unbothered. "When I was falling, I used the same concept of 'Alpha' as this Skolldir dude. I gathered the local wolves to help me. I've been with them, eating and sleeping. I was good. Except there was a CP0 guy following me... but my pack and I handled him. And then—"
I didn't let him finish.
I looked at Spruce.
"Spruce... can I borrow your hammer?"
"Yes-resu!"
I grabbed the hammer and chucked it straight at Gray's head. "YOU IDIOT! WE WERE WORRIED SICK! YOU WERE ENJOYING A NAP WITHOUT GIVING ANY INFO!".
I threw the hammer again, then managed to land one weak punch on his shoulder. "WE WERE SO TROUBLED FOR YOU!"
Gray didn't fight back.
He looked at me, his eyes softening into something serious.
He turned around, grabbed my arms, and hoisted me onto his back.
"Yeah. My fault, Ash," he muttered. "I've got you now."
I looked up at the broken sky, breath trembling.
"…Next is you, Ripple," I murmured.
And the Sol Pirates would be back in action.