~Arc One, Chapter One~
Somewhere on the Grand Line
Two days later

Ace's dark gray eyes fluttered open... consciousness was slow to come. He found himself staring up at an unfamiliar ceiling, watching a fan as it spun around and around.

Where am I...? he thought deliriously as his fever raged. His memories were dim, all blurred together into something more like a nightmare. The horrible sounds, the screams that filled Impel Down night and day tolled distantly in his ears. He ruthlessly stamped them out.

In that feverish haze, Ace tried to gauge his surroundings. He seemed to be lying in a large bed, cushioned by softness. It was warm, too. Combined with the sound gentle sea, the scent of the breeze blowing in through a nearby open window, it nearly lulled him back to sleep. Impulse forced him up.

A strangely dulled sensation of pain spiked as he moved, shoving himself into a sitting position. It probably wasn't the best of ideas.

Dizzy.

His world was spinning.

He propped himself against the carved headboard and squeezed his eyes shut, catching an unhealthy rattle within his chest as he breathed out. More confirmation that moving was a very bad idea. Still, he ignored it and shoved the comforter aside, swinging his legs to hang over the side of the bed—

And he let out a long, weary groan at the sound of chains and the feel of the seastone cuff that had been locked loosely around his ankle.

So, wherever he was, he was still a prisoner?

"Shit...!" Ace rasped as he stabbed his fingers into his thick raven hair. His voice was hoarse and his throat felt raw.

He bent forward, taking the long chain in his hand and giving it a tug. Though not exactly what he wanted to wake up to, it was better than the alternative. That dank cell had been replaced by a somewhat luxurious room. His wounds had been tended to, cleaned and bandaged. He had also been redressed in pants made of red silk—the matching shirt had somehow ended up wadded behind one of the pillows.

Giving an estimate, the chain was certainly long enough for him to move about the room. As for leaving the room—

Up. On his feet, he rocked a little. He might not have been able to leave, but he could at least get a better idea of where he was. Though he could faintly hear the ocean, he couldn't feel whatever this place was rocking ever-so-gently. So, it couldn't have been a ship, right?

Balance pending, he gave one uneasy step after another, staggering towards the open window. It was no ship's porthole; glass panes had been set into large frames. There were even little decorative etchings of gold in the wood. Obviously a display of wealth. Ace rested his palms on the windowsill to steady himself. His legs felt shaky under him, about ready to give out. Just a look...

He looked out, having to strain his eyes with how bright the daylight was. Something he had thought he'd never see again with how long he'd been in the darkness. It almost made him smile as he watched the sunlight dance off the surface of a calm sea, creating dazzling reflections. The sky and the water took on vibrant shades of blue.

Yet there was no sign of land.

This made Ace's brows knit. He leaned out just a little, trying to see if there was anything he could have missed, soon gaping as he looked left, then right again. All he found was a wall of rivets and black iron. The wall stretched farther than he could see on both sides of his window. With one look down—way down—he saw where the water cut the wall off. There was a ripple, a wake forming beneath.

"What the...?" was what he tried to murmur to himself before he was cut off by a sudden blare of a horn. It came with a blast, echoing and even making the glass panes tremble. Ace's hands shot up to defend his poor ears as he stumbled back, catching the back of his foot on a rug and toppling over.

His backside hit the floor hard. "Fucking, damn it!"

Well, after that he was definitely wide awake. His heart thumped heavily in his chest—

Behind him. Someone was laughing.

…

The Florian Triangle
Two weeks later

"It's not that I'm suddenly having doubts about our navigator or anything—but...!" Usopp's words were lost as the water surged over him.

A hurricane was brewing, boiling the seas with a ferocious power. It had been lashed onto near-placid waters from seemingly nothing at all. Within minutes of lazily drifting into a dense patch of fog, the wind was tearing through the rigging. Rain fell in drenching torrents.

Bounding across the slick, shifting deck, Luffy lost his footing once—twice—before finally slipping back, landing hard on his rear. With a harsh breath, he blinked through the haze. Visibility was minimal, but he could still make out the dark shadows that loomed all around. He watched as mountains of water rose, towering over the Thousand Sunny to toss her about as if she were their plaything.

His heart hammered in his chest. He thought he could hear it thumping in his ears. Even though he and his shipmates had witnessed the raw fury of these storms before, something about this particular storm felt... off.

Not even Nami, with her ability to sense these sorts of things coming, caught any hints of a warning. Now, her shrieking commands were barely heard—

"Sanji-kun!"

Luffy heard that.

"Leave it to me, Nami-san!" Sanji stood at the helm, a soaked cigarette dangling from his lip. As bolts exploded, streaking across the sky, those blinding flashed highlighted the concentration in his face. He strained to get the wheel to turn.

Thud, thud, thud... Clusters of rock that loomed unseen within near pitch-black waters punched at the Thousand Sunny's side. She bumped along, the slightest impact causing her hull to shudder.

"Damn it, Cook!" Zoro snapped, teetering for balance as he fought to reef the mainsail. A strong gust had already left the canvas in tatters. "Steer the damned ship!"

"Shut it, Moss Head! I'm trying!" Sanji snapped back.

The ship groaned, protesting her rough handling as she dipped again. Steering wasn't doing heranygood.

Soon enough, Franky came busting onto the deck, the storm catching the door as it flew open. If the rocking of the ship seemed bad below, he was certainly in for a surprise outside.

"What the hell is going on out here?" he shouted, steeling his bulky body against the force of a strong gale.

"The current's too strong!" Sanji shouted back. "The helm won't budge!"

The Thousand Sunny plunged into a trough, waters high around her. Lines suddenly snapped, thrashing about in the fury of the wind. Ropes that had secured the sails came undone. The mainsail unfurled, capturing a powerful gust of wind. It was enough to make the ship lurch forward, the mast began to creak. The entire ship gave an agonizing moan.

"Not good! Not good! Not good! Not good!" Usopp wailed; he and Chopper had clung to the mast like drowning animals. It might have been the only thing they could do to keep from being bucked right off the ship. "This can't be happening!" The marksman's eyes were squeezed shut. "It's all just a dream! This is all just a very bad dream!"

"A dream? Really?" Chopper breathed a sigh of relief, though his grip never loosened. "Just a dream..."

Another thunderclap. It cracked like an explosion, lightning briefly chasing the darkness away. It made Franky hunch his head. "This is really bad!" His gaze slid to Nami. "Should we try to escape using the Coup de Burst?"

"We can do that?" Usopp's head snapped up, his expression hopeful. "Please tell me we can do that!"

"It won't work!" Nami gritted out.

Usopp then shrieked. "Tell me you're kidding!"

"I don't see an end to these currents!" Nami bit out the words, her frustration clear. "Even if we used the Coup de Burst, I don't think—"

Waves crashed over them, smashing into the deck. The pirates scrabbled for anything that could keep them anchored.

Luffy was knocked of his feet once again, and then swept to one side of the deck. His back smashed into the railing, hard enough to nearly knock the breath right out of him. If the impact were any harder, it felt as if he could have shattered right through, falling into the sea. That probably wouldn't have been a good thing even if he could swim.

He coughed, shivering in his wet clothes. His treasured straw hat had slid right off his head, soaked and dangling by a thin string around his neck. Even he was starting to feel exhaustion creeping in as the deck pitched crazily, forcing him to brace against the rail in a half-standing position.

And it showed no signs of stopping anytime soon.

The thunder rolled. The glare of lightning faded, sending the Thousand Sunny back into the gloom. At first, Luffy did not notice many sounds over the scream of the wind or the heavy drum of the rain, and then he heard a faint hiss, a buzzing sound.

There was another light, a muted bluish glow. It just seemed to flicker on, glowing brighter as the buzz grew louder. His brows drew together. Craning his neck, his curious gaze turned upwards.

There, topping both masts, Luffy saw... fire.

His pale blue eyes grew wide. He and his crew watched; their expressions aghast as their Jolly Roger thrashed wildly in the soft light.

Franky's jaw slackened. "Oh, come on!"

"Not a dream! Not a dream!" Usopp shrieked. "We're a whole new level of totally fucked!"

Had the air become colder? Gooseflesh rose on Luffy's arm as he felt a sudden chill. Like the flames of candles, those bluish sparks danced at the very tips of the yardarms. Yet they didn't seem to burn as any normal fire would. They didn't spread. The heavy rain did nothing to douse them. That eerie buzzing merged with the roar of the sea.

Nami stood, grinding her teeth. "It's nothing!" she finally said. "Ignore it!"

Luffy cast his navigator an uncertain look. "But, Nami—"

"I said ignore it!"

And then she was gone, bounding aft, vanishing into the haze. Luffy was left standing, lips pursed. His nostrils flared as he inhaled sharply. He was never one that appreciated being told what to do, no matter how dire the situation.

Brooke suddenly laughed. "Yohohohoho!"

It took Luffy by surprise. It wasn't something anyone was expecting, really. Brooke stood in the middle of the deck, his skull inclined. His stance was relaxed, as if the storm was no longer a bother to him.

"Nothing to fear," Brooke stated, quite matter-of-factly. His tone was lighthearted. "We'll be seeing the end of this soon."

"Really?" Chopper's voice trembled as he looked up.

Luffy tilted his head. "How do you know?"

"Because..." Brooke turned his head, facing his captain. He moved his hand, a skeletal finger pointing to the mast. To the fire? "We're in good hands."

"Good hands...?" Luffy felt his stomach churn. He didn't quite understand, but his musician's words left him feeling uneasy. As if a pair of unfamiliar eyes were watching him.

At first he simply turned his head. Out of the far corner of his eye, he thought he caught sight of something—or someone. On instinct, he twisted around, finding nothing there. The hairs on his arms and on the back of his neck stood straight.

"Don't just stand there!" he heard Nami screech. But he wasn't really paying attention.

Though his shipmates immediately sprang back to work, securing lines and bracing against the storm, everything seemed to move in slow motion to Luffy. It was almost surreal in a way, intensified by that eerie blue flame.

Something moved. Catching a glimpse of an unfamiliar shadow, Luffy whirled around. Nothing. Whatever it was, it moved. He spun around again, this time his eyes caught sight of the worn, tattered tails of a red coat.

Was the storm playing tricks on him?

The Thousand Sunny suddenly swung out from under his feet. He was weightless, falling, catching himself on the rail. All the while, he felt as if he were rising at the same time. His stomach knotted, roiling with the force of the ocean.

A massive wall of water had reared up, dragging the Sunny up by her tail. He snaked a rubbery arm tighter around the railing as the angle became steeper. Panic sank in. The ship creaked and groaned beneath him. And all around him, he could hear his shipmates' cries.

He was afraid. He was actually afraid.

It was then he felt a hand grasp his shoulder. It was cold, like ice, and rough. It sent a chill right up Luffy's back. He was shivering again.

He felt hot breath at his ear.

A gravelly rasp: "A merry life, even if it be but a short one."

What...? Luffy's lips parted, but the words just wouldn't come out. That voice held an eerie familiarity to it, almost comforting in away. Both in words and in tone. He couldn't comprehend why. Swallowing hard, he moved his head, trying to give a glance over his shoulder—

The wave began to break, crashing down on top of them.