In the New World, within Wano Country, along the coast of Kuri, Portgas D. Ace stood beside Yamato.
In the distant sky, a pirate ship soared across the horizon at incredible speed.
Yamato leaned slightly closer to Ace as she watched it disappear into the distance.
"Ace, we finally do not have to be separated anymore."
As the shogun of Wano, Yamato had once been bound to remain within the country's borders. Even though she longed to sail the seas with Ace after reading Oden's Logbook since childhood, duty had kept her anchored.
After the war, Wano could not be left without leadership she could trust.
So she chose responsibility over freedom, remaining as its guardian while Ace pursued the sea.
Now that decision had changed.
Wano itself was going to be relocated to Ion Tempest's domain.
Elsewhere, Kuro and Enel were already working on transporting something even more dangerous, the ancient weapon Pluton.
But Pluton lay buried beneath the original foundation of Wano, sealed long before the country's terrain had evolved over centuries.
Over time, mountains had shifted, cliffs had risen, and the outer ring of waterfalls had formed naturally around the island.
There was a hidden underwater passage, but it was far too small to allow something as massive as Pluton to pass through.
To bring it out, the outer waterfall structure would need to be destroyed.
And that carried a risk.
Such a change in terrain could cause the entire island to destabilize, putting the lives of its inhabitants in danger.
Even worse, a battleship of that scale surfacing would instantly attract global attention.
There were already too many forces hostile to Ion Tempest. If the World Government twisted the narrative, it could easily paint them as enemies of the entire world.
That would complicate the coming conflict with the World Government.
So a decision was made.
Instead of moving Pluton directly, they would relocate the entire island of Wano first.
Then Pluton would be extracted safely afterward.
High above, aboard a flying ship, Enel clicked his tongue in annoyance.
"I still do not get it. Why not just break the waterfall and drag Pluton out directly?"
Kuro adjusted his glasses calmly.
"Without fully understanding Wano's geological structure, destroying the outer barriers could collapse the entire island. That is not something Rolan wants."
He continued, voice steady.
"Besides, Pluton is too large. If it is exposed openly while being moved, the World Government will notice immediately. If we move the entire island instead, it will not raise suspicion. Wano can also serve as a secure holding ground for Pluton afterward."
Enel shrugged.
"You and Rolan really think the same way. Overly cautious."
Kuro turned toward the front of the ship, silent for a moment.
Cautious.
That word lingered in his mind.
He had not always been like this.
Once, he had been known as a calculated and ruthless schemer, always chasing control through intelligence and manipulation.
As a pirate, he had lived under constant pursuit from the World Government and bounty hunters. Eventually, he grew tired of running.
That was when he set his eyes on the wealthy Kaya family, planning to take their fortune and live quietly in peace.
But everything changed when he met Rolan.
Rolan had been young at the time, yet his insight and ambition far surpassed anything Kuro had ever encountered.
Even Kuro's pride in his intellect had felt insignificant in comparison.
To him, it was like watching a child realize the world was far bigger than he imagined.
And yet that child's vision had reignited something inside him.
When Rolan extended his invitation, Kuro accepted without hesitation.
Now he was no longer the "Hundred Plans Kuro" who lived for schemes alone.
He was a core member of Ion Tempest, a Mythical Zoan user, and one of the founding pillars of Peach Garden's order.
On the streets of Peach Garden, children called him uncle, and citizens greeted him without fear.
A life he never imagined had become reality.
It gave him something his old life never did, belonging.
Crocodile exhaled smoke slowly, glancing sideways.
"Heh, you talk about Kuro changing, but you are no different, lightning bastard."
Enel clicked his tongue.
"I have not changed. You are the one who has changed, sand crocodile."
Crocodile smirked faintly.
"You really think so?"
Enel continued, unbothered.
"I heard from Robin that you once tried to destroy Alabasta just to obtain a Poneglyph linked to Pluton. What happened to that ambition?"
Crocodile did not deny it.
"I did."
He exhaled smoke, looking up at the drifting sky.
"And I have changed."
He paused.
"It is not just us. Everyone in Ion Tempest has changed."
Kuro and Enel glanced at him.
Crocodile continued.
"Pursuits shift as people understand more. What once seemed like purpose can later look like ignorance. Humans rebuild themselves over and over again. That is just how we are."
Enel stared into the distance quietly.
Even he understood that change.
Once, he had ruled Skypiea as a self-proclaimed god, seeing all lives beneath him as meaningless. Everything had revolved around his goal of reaching the Endless Land.
But after meeting Rolan, that belief had shattered.
On the ship, even his power had not made him superior.
Yet instead of resentment, something else had formed.
Recognition.
A sense of belonging that fear from others had never given him.
Now, his ambition had shifted. He no longer wanted just the Endless Land.
He wanted to drag the so-called gods of this world down from their thrones.
Kuro, Enel, and Crocodile exchanged glances.
Then, almost at the same moment, they laughed.
"Hahaha."
"Yeah… we really have changed."
===
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