Chapter Text
The sea did not want to kill them. It simply did not care whether they existed or not.
Thunder roared violently, shaking the very marrow of their bones. The pirate ship was like a dry leaf being crushed in the palm of a mad giant. Towering waves, black as molten lead, slammed relentlessly against the hull, sweeping away anything that had not been tightly secured.
“Cut the sails! Now!” Jack’s shout was swallowed whole by the screaming wind that tore at their eardrums. His hands, hardened by years of gripping swords and handling gunpowder, were now bleeding as they clung desperately to the wheel, as though it were the last fragment of hope left in the world.
Then the sea broke apart.
Ahead of the bow, a massive whirlpool appeared, deep and pitch black like the barrel of death itself. The monstrous vortex roared as it devoured air and light alike. The ship was lifted high into the air before being hurled back down again, tilting so violently that the side of the hull nearly scraped the foaming water. Yet by some miracle, the ancient black oak timbers groaned and creaked but still endured, resisting the crushing force of the current that sought to twist the vessel into splinters.
Everything blurred into a chaos of white sea foam and endless darkness. The captain’s vision flashed white, then black, and the last image burned into his memory was the horrifying sight of the ship’s bow sinking into the heart of the whirlpool.
When silence finally came, it was more terrifying than the storm itself.
The captain awoke with a sharp pain in his chest from swallowing seawater. He lifted his head, the bitter taste of salt clinging to his tongue. Pale morning sunlight pierced through the dense mist, revealing an impossible sight.
An endless stretch of brilliant blue spread before him, the ocean glittering as though countless jewels had been scattered across its surface.
Where are we...?
Jack quickly surveyed the area. Most of the crew had survived, though some had been swept into the sea. That was unavoidable after facing a storm of such catastrophic magnitude. Simply being alive already felt like a miracle.
The crew slowly regained consciousness at the sound of the captain’s voice. Jack looked into the distance and noticed a faint green silhouette on the horizon. He raised the telescope hanging from his chest and peered through it.
“There’s an island ahead. Change course and head toward it.”
They drew closer to the vast and untamed island. Ancient trees grew so densely that sunlight could barely penetrate the canopy, their branches woven tightly together overhead. From deep within the forest came the occasional low growl of unseen beasts, enough to send chills down the spines of even the most battle hardened pirates.
While clearing a path along the shore, they suddenly discovered a small hut hidden beneath the shadow of a giant tree. The group approached cautiously, weapons drawn. Inside were scraps of old cloth, a recently extinguished fire that still held traces of warmth, and several tools made from animal bones, proof that someone had been living there not long ago.
“Captain! Look at this!” one of the pirates shouted from a nearby thicket.
Jack pushed aside the leaves and froze in place. Before him stood a coffin crafted from a crystal so clear it resembled pure water, releasing a faint, icy mist into the air. Suspended within the transparent shell was a young man with golden hair shining like sunlight. His eyes were closed, as though he had fallen into an eternal sleep.
Jack studied the figure more carefully. The young man looked to be barely in his twenties, strikingly handsome, with strangely curled eyebrows that drew the eye again and again. Only when Jack reached out and touched the coffin, feeling its cold and rough surface beneath his fingertips, did he suddenly realize what material it was made from.
Jack’s eyes, dulled by years of salt and sea mist, suddenly gleamed with a strange light. As a man who had spent half his life hunting the treasures of the ocean, he instantly recognized the unimaginable value of this “Eternal Ice.” This was not merely a coffin. It was a fortune vast enough to buy an entire kingdom.
The coffin had been crafted entirely from Everfrost Glass, a crystalline substance formed from condensed frost energy in places where temperatures reached absolute zero, deep beneath the earth of frozen kingdoms and snow covered islands where winter reigned all year long.
This material had only been discovered a few decades ago, and when news of it first spread, it stirred both obsession and greed among countless powers across the world. Anything sealed within it would remain frozen in an eternal state, untouched by time itself. The material was incredibly durable, its resistance surpassing even that of Adam Wood. Jack still remembered witnessing a small fragment of it being auctioned years ago, its value reaching millions of berries. And now, standing before him, was an entire coffin crafted from this priceless substance.
It was absurdly extravagant.
Jack snapped out of his thoughts and glanced back toward the hut. There was a high chance this coffin belonged to whoever lived there, and that person was probably somewhere deep within the forest. Jack wanted to kill the owner and claim the coffin for himself, but he hesitated. Anyone capable of possessing such a treasure was likely monstrously powerful.
He acted quickly. Ordering his crew without hesitation, he had them lift the entire coffin and carry it back onto the ship.
Truthfully, it would have been better if they could drag the young man out of the coffin first, but there was no time. The owner of the hut could return at any moment. Once they had sailed far enough away, Jack could simply throw the sleeping youth into the sea.
As soon as the coffin was secured aboard, Jack immediately ordered the ship to depart. The sails were raised as the vessel sped away from the island as fast as possible.
Only when the island had faded into a distant blur did Jack finally let out a relieved breath.
Then his heart suddenly skipped a beat.
He looked up and saw the faint outline of the island engulfed in crimson lightning. The sea around them began to tremble violently, and something shot across the water toward the ship at terrifying speed. Before Jack could even react, the main mast was sliced clean through and crashed heavily onto the deck.
Jack’s face turned deathly pale. He immediately roared at the crew.
“Row! Row harder! Anyone slacking off gets thrown into the sea!”
The pirates, already horrified by what they had just witnessed, rowed frantically in panic. Jack’s heart pounded violently in his chest. Even from such an impossible distance, the person on that island had managed to strike their ship. Whoever it was possessed terrifying power. Thank God he had chosen to flee immediately. Had they delayed even a moment longer, they would all be dead by now.
Glancing down at the Log Pose, Jack decided to ignore the nearest island and sail even farther away instead, hoping to shake off whoever was pursuing them.
---------------------
Ring Ring Ring
“Yes, Straw Hat Pirates speaking.”
Nami pressed the Den Den Mushi to her ear as it rang. She had been finishing a map when an enraged roar exploded from the other end of the line.
“Damn it, witch! He’s gone! I lost him!”
The shout made her ears ring painfully. It had been a very long time since she had heard the world’s greatest swordsman sound so frightened.
“What... lost what?”
“Cook. They took him away. Someone came to this island, they...”
The pen slipped from Nami’s fingers, splattering ink across the map she had spent so long drawing. For a moment, she could no longer process the words coming from the other side.
“WHAT!?”
It took her several seconds to realize she had screamed.
“How did that happen? Since when? How could anyone even reach All Blue?”
“I don’t know how they got here. By the time I came out, their ship was already far away. I couldn’t chase them because there wasn’t another boat.”
“Damn it! Are you seriously telling me you let some random pirates take Sanji-kun away? Where the hell was your Observation Haki?”
“I-I went into the forest to look for some fruit. The day is getting closer, and I wanted to find something to celebrate with. Damn it! No one has come here for so long, and I... damn it!”
Nami closed her eyes tightly. Zoro had probably stopped using Observation Haki after living peacefully for such a long time, which allowed intruders to slip in unnoticed by pure coincidence. She refused to believe anyone had intentionally found All Blue. That sea was unique, easy to leave but almost impossible to enter. She was certain that aside from herself, no navigator in the world could guide a ship through the storm gate surrounding it.
Which meant those pirates had simply been unbelievably lucky to survive and stumble into All Blue by accident. And now they were escaping just as easily... with Sanji.
“That’s right... the time is almost here. There’s only one week left. If he wakes up before then... everything we’ve done will be for nothing.”
The line fell silent, but Nami already knew what kind of state Zoro must be in. He was the one who had stayed behind on the island, the one who had been waiting for this day more than anyone else, only to lose everything at the very last moment.
A shiver ran down her spine as she thought of Sanji, and of what would happen if this failed. It would suffocate her. Suffocate all of them.
Nami looked up and saw someone standing outside the doorway. The man’s face had grown more mature with time, and the carefree smile he once always wore had long since vanished, replaced only by a serious gaze. The Pirate King placed his hat back on his head and silently looked at his navigator.
“We’re coming to get you, Zoro. No matter what, we’ll bring Sanji-kun back.”
Nami ended the call, and at that exact moment, the legendary ship Thousand Sunny changed course. Nami closed her eyes and prayed quietly.
“Please... Sanji-kun... don’t wake up.”
Across different corners of the world, Den Den Mushis began to ring. Legendary figures reached out and answered the calls.
The ship sailed steadily onward. By the next day, they had finally reached a more crowded area. After resupplying and repairing the mast at a bustling port, they returned to the sea alongside countless other ships. Blending into the crowd made them far less noticeable.
“Whoa, that’s...”
Excited murmurs spread across the surrounding ships, drawing Jack’s curiosity. Then someone suddenly shouted in excitement.
“That’s the legendary Thousand Sunny!”
The words ignited the entire harbor. Sailors leaned over their rails, trying to get a better look at the ship speeding across the waves in the opposite direction. Jack glanced over as well, watching the Sunny cut through the sea like a golden arrow.
“Where’s the Pirate King heading this time?”
“No clue. Probably off to some new adventure.”
“I’d kill just to meet them once.”
“Seriously. Seeing legends like them would make dying worth it.”
Jack paid them no attention. His mind remained occupied by the coffin and the unimaginable value it held. He needed to sell it quickly. Keeping something so precious around was bound to invite trouble.
Jack stared at the coffin and let out a frustrated sigh, the impatience clear on his weathered face. He had already tried everything. Sword strikes hard enough to chip steel, massive hammer blows powerful enough to shatter stone, even axes swung directly at the surface. Yet the ice remained completely unmarked, as though mocking his brute strength.
The coffin would not open. It was a flawless, seamless structure without the slightest crack or weakness.
“Damn it!” Jack spat salty saliva onto the sand. “If I can’t drag this blond corpse out, how am I supposed to sell the coffin to those nobles? What, am I supposed to sell the body and the box together? Those rich bastards will think the corpse is cursed!”
To Jack, the young man inside was not some godlike figure, merely a useless pile of rotting flesh taking up space inside the most expensive crystal in the world.
He knelt down and pressed his face close to the freezing surface, searching desperately for some kind of locking mechanism or even the tiniest flaw.
But there was nothing. The coffin remained perfectly sealed.
Jack waved his hand dismissively. For now, he would leave it alone and think of another solution later.
“Captain, it’s time to eat!”
Jack glanced at the young man inside the coffin one last time before turning away. Tonight, they were holding a celebration banquet for obtaining such a priceless treasure. Losing the mast did not matter. This was still a victory.
To celebrate, they had even dragged the coffin beside the party so everyone could admire it while they drank and sang proudly around it.
One pirate suddenly stood up and shouted, “Next up is the famous song by Soul King! The legendary song of the Straw Hat crew!”
The entire crew burst into loud applause. Jack smirked as the cheerful melody began to play. Songs from the Pirate King’s crew had become so famous that they spread across pirate ships everywhere, turning into the most commonly sung tunes at sea banquets.
Jack casually glanced to the side, then suddenly froze, his pupils shrinking as he shouted.
“SHUT UP, ALL OF YOU!”
The entire room fell silent after Jack’s roar. He stared fixedly at the coffin. He was certain he had not imagined it. Just now, the person inside had moved.
Jack observed the coffin carefully for a few moments. After everything he had tried throughout the day had failed, he began recalling what exactly had triggered a reaction from the man inside.
Only after thinking it through did he suddenly realize something.
“Everyone stay quiet. You, play that song again.”
The violinist flinched before quickly starting the melody once more. The cheerful tune filled the air again. This time, without the noise of drunken pirates, the music spread clearly across the ship.
Jack and several others widened their eyes as the young man floating inside the coffin twitched slightly, his brows faintly furrowing.
“Keep playing. Louder.”
As the music continued, the blond young man’s eyelashes trembled softly. Jack stared downward and immediately met eyes the deep blue color of the ocean itself.
*Drip. Drip*
Curses echoed faintly in his ears. Sounds of impacts, grinding teeth, angry voices.
Different.
Something was different. The low, hoarse voice that had always whispered beside his ear was gone. Everything around him felt unfamiliar.
Yet something warm slowly seeped into every cell of his body.
Familiar melodies.
Warmth. Belonging.
The young man slowly opened his eyes. Reflected before him were ugly, vicious looking faces twisted by scars and sea wind. He realized he was surrounded by water, and his lungs instinctively tried to breathe again, pulling seawater into his throat.
He immediately struggled and shoved forward with both hands.
Bang.
The coffin lid burst open effortlessly. Water exploded across the deck, splashing everywhere and forcing several pirates to stumble backward.
“Ugh... cough, cough...”
When the coughing finally subsided, he slowly lifted his head and looked around. Eyes dark as the deep sea swept across the sunburnt, scarred faces of the pirates surrounding him.
Everything was unfamiliar.
He desperately searched his mind for a name, a face, even the faintest memory of someone’s warmth. But there was nothing. His mind felt like a burned library, reduced to pale ashes.
The slight swaying beneath his feet made him realize where he was.
He knew what the sea was. He knew what a ship was.
But he did not know who he was within this world.
“I...”
His voice came out hoarse and weak.
“Who... am I?”
He looked down at his own hands, long and pale fingers completely different from Jack’s rough, calloused ones. He tried to remember the feeling before falling asleep within the ice, but the only thing he found was an endless white void and the howling wind of some distant land.
Asking who you are the moment you wake up was strange, but Jack did not care. His eyes were fixed entirely on the coffin, still perfectly intact despite being opened.
Excellent.
Absolutely perfect.
He had never expected this man to awaken on his own. It saved him the trouble of continuing to force the coffin open.
“Grab him.” Jack flicked his hand dismissively, wanting the young man dragged out of the coffin.
A large pirate quickly stepped forward and reached for the slender figure. Suddenly, a powerful force slammed into the man’s jaw and launched him upward before he crashed headfirst into the ceiling. In an instant, he lost consciousness completely. Jack froze in shock and stared at the young man, who was also looking down at his own leg in surprise.
Huh? What was that?
The blond youth blinked blankly at the pirate hanging limply from the ceiling. He had not even realized what happened. His body had simply moved on instinct the moment someone got too close.
“Capture him!”
Dozens of pirates rushed toward him at once. Acting purely on instinct, the young man grabbed onto the edge of the coffin and twisted his body with incredible flexibility, sending a flaming kick sweeping in a circle around him. Jack frowned and stepped aside to avoid one of his men being hurled away, then stared at the blond youth, who was curiously looking down at his own leg engulfed in flames. He motioned for the others to stop.
“Young man, who are you?”
The blond youth looked at him, blinked once, then frowned deeply before shaking his head, confusion clouding his eyes.
“I don’t know. Do you know who I am?”
Jack stared blankly at him. How the hell would he know? Thinking about it, the person on that island probably knew, but that did not matter right now. What mattered was the coffin. Jack realized this young man truly had no memory of who he was and probably did not understand much about the situation around him, but one thing was undeniable. He was strong. Stronger than any of Jack’s subordinates.
Suddenly, the sound of a stomach growling echoed clearly through the tense silence. The young man blinked and looked down at his stomach before touching it lightly. Seeing that almost foolish expression, Jack raised an eyebrow.
“Hey kid, are you hungry? We’ve got food here.”
Jack picked up a plate of fried rice and held it out toward the handsome young man. Seeing the slight change in the boy’s eyes as he slowly approached, Jack quietly let out a breath of relief. As long as he could separate him from the coffin for now, things would be manageable. Fortunately, the guy did not seem to understand the true value of the treasure beneath his feet. Otherwise, Jack had no idea how he would deal with someone this strong.
The blond young man walked closer but suddenly stopped in front of him.
“Who am I?”
Something complicated flickered in Jack’s eyes.
“I don’t know. But I don’t mean you any harm. I just want us to stop here and not fight anymore.”
The young man frowned even harder and stared directly at him, making Jack feel strangely uneasy, unsure if he had said something wrong.
“You were the one who ordered them to attack me first.”
“You just woke up and were confused. We were trying to calm you down. Besides, you attacked first.”
The blond youth narrowed his eyes slightly but said nothing.
“Hey, stop staring already. You’re hungry, right? Come eat. Everyone here is good people, so there’s nothing to worry about.”
Jack reached out as if to pat his shoulder, but the young man avoided the touch. Left with no choice, Jack placed the plate down and gestured for him to help himself. The blond youth sat down, picked up a spoon, and took a bite of the fried rice.
Jack sighed in relief. At least he could feed himself. Maybe he was not completely brain damaged after all.
“Too salty,” the young man muttered.
“What?” Jack gestured for his men to carry the coffin away.
“The fried rice is mushy. The eggs weren’t mixed evenly, and you added too much seasoning.”
The young man complained about the food while continuing to eat every last bite, leaving Jack speechless.
“You talk like you’re some kind of chef. Around here, this is the best we can make.”
The blond youth suddenly paused for a moment before quietly continuing his meal.
Jack left him there, signaling for several men to keep watch over him before hurrying off to inspect his precious coffin once again.