Mary Geoise, Level 13
Flames danced like wild spirits across the once-sacred marble halls, licking the sky with gold and crimson. The celestial spires of Mary Geoise, once untouched by the outside world, burned—and the screams of its so-called nobility were drowned beneath the roar of vengeance long overdue.
Fisher Tiger stood at the center of it all, a towering figure backlit by infernos, fury carved into every line of his face. Blood streaked his temple, his harpoon gripped in one hand, a stolen pistol in the other. His bellow shook the stone foundations.
"No more chains!"
He fired into the ranks of fleeing guards—not to kill, but to drive them, scatter them, humiliate them as his people had been humiliated for centuries.
Behind him, Jinbe surged forward through a wave of fire, his water-coated fists shattering rifles and breastplates alike. Every movement was clean, controlled—rage hidden behind resolve. His voice rang out, calm but deadly:
"Tiger! The western towers are cleared! More slaves are breaking through the garden gates!"
Tiger didn't look back, but nodded once. "Good! Drive them down! Every one of these walls falls today!"
From the opposite side, Arlong emerged from the smoke with a snarl, his jagged teeth bared as he swung the broken remains of a gilded polearm. Human blood slicked his arm up to the elbow, but he didn't care. His fury was a wild fire in its own right.
"Where are the nobles!? Let me find one!" he roared. "I want them to feel it!"
"Arlong!" Jinbe barked. "Focus on the prisoners! We're here to free, not to slaughter!"
Arlong spat, kicking a Marine through a burning column. "They're lucky I'm in a charitable mood!"
Overhead, a Celestial Dragon's estate burst apart in a ball of flame—its priceless stained glass windows exploding outward like shattered delusion. Fire reflected off the golden chains still clutched in the hands of fleeing guards.
Below, the chained now rose.
Slaves—human, fish-man, mink, and otherwise—flooded the burning courtyards, emboldened by the sight of Tiger's fury and the chaos unraveling their masters.
~×~×~×
In the shadows of the broken southern balcony, I stood silent and composed, watching the inferno from above. My wings were partially unfurled, feathers flickering with embers, eyes glowing violet behind a veil of soot. Hancock and her sisters stood beside me, bloodied but unbowed.
I murmured to myself as I gazed upon the flames:
"History will say the world began to rot here. But I'll remember this for what it truly was... the night we set the bones of the old world on fire."
×~×~×~
The flames were rising too fast.
Even Fisher Tiger, broad-shouldered and born of the deep, could feel the heat clawing at his skin now. The opulence of the Celestial Dragon estates had turned to kindling, their silk banners becoming ash, their marble columns groaning under fire's wrath.
"We move!" Tiger roared, his harpoon crackling with the tension of another coming strike. "Slaves to the east gate! Jinbe—cover the rear! Arlong, clear the forward path. No one gets left behind."
"Understood!" Jinbe responded, already leaping into the fray with pinpoint strikes of Fish-Man Karate. Shockwaves blasted back Marines foolish enough to hold the line, sending bodies flying.
Arlong, bloodied and grinning, shoulder-rammed through a barricade. "Outta the way, trash! This is what you owe us!"
×~×~×~
I dropped from the balcony above, wings folding in a rush of black feathers and smoke. I landed with the grace of a shadow, my presence slamming into the ground like a prophecy fulfilled.
Behind me, Boa Hancock limped slightly, one arm wrapped around Marigold's waist, while Sandersonia helped drag two more exhausted girls from the kennels.
"There's a path through the eastern merchant tunnel," I said coolly to fish-men who seemed to be leading this rescue. "I've studied the routes. The guards don't bother with those quarters during fire drills, it'll be weakly defended. And it leads straight to the cliffside aqueduct."
The fish-man gave me a look full of grim respect. "Then you lead them. You know this hell better than I do."
I didn't hesitate.
"Kuja and children with me. Strongest fighters guard the flanks."
"Raven," Hancock called suddenly, her voice harsh with smoke and exhaustion. "The nobles will never forget this night."
I turned, my eyes burning. "Good. Let them remember it every time they try to sleep. May it bring endless nightmares and sleepless nights."
As they moved through the crumbling corridors, my Observation Haki flared—eyes flicking back and forth through smoke-filled hallways.
"Wait," I ordered, hand raised. "Ambush ahead. Two snipers on the archway."
The big shark-like fish-man didn't pause. He punched forward with a burst of water pressure from his palm—crack!—and the stone above the arch shattered. Two startled sharpshooters tumbled down with it, screaming all the way.
"Nice eyes," he muttered to me as we passed. "You'd make a fine leader."
"I already am," Raven said flatly, leading the march deeper into the escape route.
As they entered the dark, cracked aqueduct beneath Mary Geoise, they found what I had promised—cool tunnels echoing with distant chaos above, their only illumination coming from flickering torches looted off the walls.
Some of the younger slaves stumbled from exhaustion or fear, but they were carried. No one hesitated. Not anymore.
By the time we reached the cliffside dock, the sea breeze hit us like rebirth—cold, clean, free.
There, hidden beneath a veil of illusion created by one of the rescued minks, was a stolen transport ship, seaworthy and waiting.
The sea bream fisher-man turned to the gathered crowd—over 200 souls, some weeping, some too numb to feel yet.
"Board now! Get the wounded on first. We'll tow the others by raft if we have to."
As they climbed aboard, I lingered at the rear, scanning the burning city one last time.
Boa Hancock stepped beside me, silent.
"You're not going to say goodbye?" Hancock asked quietly.
My lips curled faintly. "To what? Ashes?"
I paused then I added, "This isn't the end, Hancock. It's the beginning. We'll build something better. But first—"
I turned toward the horizon.
"—we survive."
And with that, the stolen ship pushed off from the cliffs of Mary Geoise, slipping into the open sea as smoke and flame crowned the night sky behind them.
×~×~×~
Three Days Later – Somewhere in the Calm Belt
The sea was unnaturally still.
No wind. No current. Just the slow, quiet groan of wood as the stolen transport ship drifted beneath an oppressive sky. Thunderheads loomed in the distance, but they hadn't moved closer.
It was the kind of eerie silence most called cursed.
But to me, it was peace.
I stood at the bow, cloak rustling faintly in the breeze that shouldn't exist here, one boot resting on the chipped edge of the railing. My raven-black wings were folded tight against my back, my gaze fixed not on the horizon—but on the deck below, where life was slowly returning to those who had only known cages.
Dozens of freed slaves were scattered across the deck and lower levels—bandaged, sunburnt, bruised. Some wept softly in their sleep. Others clung to one another like they'd never touch freedom again.
But they were healing.
Jinbe, the whale shark fish-man, walked among them, quiet and respectful. Helping where he could. Whispering strength into the weak. He wasn't a loud leader—he didn't need to be.
Fisher Tiger, the sea bream fish-man, was on the stern, half-naked, arms crossed, watching for threats. Though exhaustion dulled his movements, his eyes never stopped scanning. His very presence kept fear at bay.
Arlong, the saw shark fish-man sulked farther from the others, sharpening a blade while shooting glares at every human onboard. Even now, his anger simmered too close to the surface. But he hadn't harmed anyone. Not yet.
I knew that would change. I noticed a strong sadistic behavior behind his actions.
But for now, I let him be.
"...You're always awake before sunrise."
I didn't look as Hancock approached, barefoot and quiet. Her long black hair was braided now, a few stubborn strands brushing her bruised cheek.
"I don't sleep much," I replied simply. "You know that."
There was silence between us for a moment.
Then Hancock asked, "Why do you always stand watch?"
My violet eyes narrowed slightly, fixed on the storm beyond.
"Because I wasn't watching the day they separated me from my sister."
Hancock's breath hitched—but she said nothing.
"I failed her. I failed my sister," Raven continued, voice low and even. "I won't do it again."
The silence that followed wasn't uncomfortable.
It was understanding.
Hancock slowly stepped beside her, their shoulders almost brushing.
"You didn't fail," she murmured. "You kept her alive. You helped us as well. You gave us hope. That's more than any of us ever thought we'd feel again."
Another pause.
Then—
"What now?"
I finally turned to her.
I kept my face calm. Focused. But there was a fire in my eyes I couldn't hide that Hancock hadn't seen before.
"Now we recover. Then we rebuild. And then…"
I looked up at the darkening clouds.
"…we make them regret ever thinking they could own us."
From below, Sandersonia and Marigold waved from the food line, coaxing Hancock to come eat. She hesitated for a breath longer, then turned to go, but not before placing a hand lightly on my arm.
"You're not alone anymore," she said.
I said nothing. Nor did I move. But the faintest twitch at the corner of my mouth hinted at something I hadn't shown in years:
A sliver of trust.
And for the first time in a long time, I let my eyes close. Just for a moment.
"Robin, I hope you're doing ok."
×~×~×~×
Sorbet Kingdom – Eastern Port Town, Six Days After the Escape
The sky was still pale with dawn when the newspaper birds began to descend.
Dozens of them—cawing, flapping, circling low like shadows cast by fate itself. Their wingbeats stirred the quiet streets as they dropped rolled-up newspapers onto balconies, stalls, and rooftops across the town.
One landed right outside the windowsill of the small inn where Robin and the others had taken refuge.
Robin sat curled on a low couch in the corner, a steaming cup of cinnamon milk untouched in her hands. She hadn't slept much—not in days. Not since that night. Not since Raven never returned.
But she still waited.
Still hoped.
"Looks like the papers are here," Nyx said from across the room, stretched out upside-down on the window ledge, her periwinkle hoodie half-falling off her shoulder. "Think we made the gossip column?"
Aria groaned from the bed. "If we did, I swear, it better not be about my hair. One fireball, one time—"
Nyx snagged the nearest paper, cracking it open with a dramatic flourish. Her usual sarcasm fell away the moment her eyes locked on the bolded headline.
"…Guys?"
Her voice lost its usual humor.
Robin sat up straighter. "What is it?"
Nyx didn't speak. She simply turned the page around.
At the center of the bounty section was a poster.
A new name.
A new face.
NICO RAVEN
"The Black Morrígan"
Bounty: 80,000,000 Berries
The image showed her in half-shadow, standing with wings unfurled—black feathers drifting around her like smoke. Her gaze was piercing. Cold. Alive.
Robin's breath caught in her throat.
Her fingers trembled as she took the paper, eyes glued to her sister's face. There were bruises still visible in the photo—cuts, soot smudges—but she was standing.
She was alive.
Mari, a new member of Nyx's crew, leaned over Robin's shoulder. "That's… her? That's your sister?"
Robin nodded slowly, a hand lifting to cover her mouth. "They gave her a title already…"
"The Black Morrígan," Nyx murmured. "That's badass. Dark and mysterious. I approve."
Robin didn't respond. Because she was already crying.
Soft tears spilled down her cheeks—relief, guilt, grief, joy—all tangled into something too heavy to name. Her sister… had survived. Had escaped the impossible. Had even earned a bounty higher than most seasoned pirates.
And more than anything, she looked free.
Aria passed her a handkerchief. "You okay?"
Robin nodded, wiping her eyes. "I'm fine. I just… I didn't think I'd ever see her again."
There was a long silence. Then, Robin looked up, eyes fierce through her tears.
"She's out there. Somewhere."
Nyx gave her a sideways smile. "You thinking what I'm thinking?"
Robin nodded. "She's alive. But that doesn't mean she's safe. I still need to get stronger… master my Devil Fruit, and my form of Haki. Then—" She looked down at the bounty again, her voice tightening with resolve. "Then I'll find her."
Outside, another wave of newspaper birds took to the skies, scattering headlines across the world.