The sea was restless that night.

From dawn until late afternoon, the skies had been clear, but as dusk approached, the horizon darkened. It wasn't the natural fall of night—the sky had been swallowed by thick, churning clouds. Thunder cracked above, lightning forked across the heavens, and the wind began to howl.

A storm was coming, and on the sea, storms were always far more terrifying than those on land. Many ships had found their graves beneath stormy waves.

"The weather's going wild again..." Gion muttered, arms crossed.

Just moments earlier, she had been playing a round of cards—with Esdeath and Kalifa. Now, with the wind picking up and the rain beginning to fall, their game had been cut short.

Kalifa was already in the galley, preparing dinner, while the others gathered on the main deck.

"This timing's awful," Esdeath said, annoyed. "A storm, and now these guys show up."

Sheets of rain began to fall, wind ripping across the deck and causing the sails of The King to flap violently. The hull rocked harder by the second.

Amid the crashing waves, Vane stood calmly at the bow, his coat fluttering behind him as his eyes focused on the sea ahead.

In the distance, a massive pirate ship emerged from the mist. Its figurehead was the snarling head of a mammoth, tusks protruding like jagged spears. The Jolly Roger flying high bore the skull-and-tusks emblem of the Beast Pirates.

"That's Drought Jack's ship," Gion said as she approached Vane, holding an umbrella over him.

Her expression turned cold.

Drought Jack, one of Kaido's infamous Three Disasters—an ancient Zoan user with the power of the Mammoth. Ruthless and brutal, Jack was known for reducing entire cities to rubble, his savagery unchecked.

The Beast Pirates were infamous for a reason. Their crew was made up almost entirely of Zoan-type Devil Fruit users, many of them wielding the power of ancient beasts. Primitive strength. Animalistic rage.

"You're going to destroy them, right?" Gion asked.

"Drought Jack isn't the type to let anyone go. Even if we don't provoke him, he'll come after us. They always do," she continued. "When the Navy encounters him, it's always a bloodbath."

She was right. Jack and his comrades weren't afraid of death. They reveled in destruction. Kaido himself had only ever been wounded once—in his battle with Kozuki Oden. The Three Disasters, like their captain, were terrifying physical monsters. Ancient Zoan users possessed incredible stamina and resilience.

"Let them come closer," Vane said, voice calm.

The Beast Pirates were approaching fast, and Vane could sense the bloodlust radiating from their ship.

Even if it were the Whitebeard Pirates on his deck, Jack would have made the same choice. Arrogance was bred into the Beast Pirates.

"I'll say this in advance," Gion added, "I'll fight pirates, but I won't raise my blade against the Navy."

"I never said you had to," Vane replied without looking at her. "I don't start fights with the Navy. They always come for me."

That silenced Gion.

She sighed quietly. "You know... it's a shame. If you weren't a pirate, Vane, you'd make a great Marine. You're not a bad man."

"I killed a Celestial Dragon. There's no place for me in the Navy now."

Gion didn't argue. She hated the Celestial Dragons too—but there were things even someone like her couldn't say aloud. The Navy, for all its flaws, was necessary. Good men and women served in its ranks, just as there were monsters hiding behind the uniform.

"There are good people in the Navy," she said, almost pleading. "Just as there are monsters among pirates."

"Spare me the speeches," Vane muttered.

Gion didn't press the issue. Deep down, she already knew. Vane wasn't like other pirates. But the world didn't care.

"He's looking at us," Vane said suddenly.

Across the crashing waves, the hulking figure of Drought Jack stood at the bow of his ship. An iron mask obscured most of his face, but his massive frame, the long white tusks protruding from his mask, and the thick cords of muscle across his body made him unmistakable.

His gaze was fixed directly on Vane.

"Boss Jack, that's him!" a trembling voice said beside him.

One of Jack's subordinates, holding a telescope, stared in awe and fear. "That's the fifth Pirate Emperor... Fire Sword Vane!"

Others on board reacted with mixed expressions. Some shared their comrade's fear—others showed bloodlust, eager to prove themselves.

After all, following Jack meant food and glory.

Jack remained silent for a moment.

Then he growled, "Attack them."

His voice was cold, final.

He didn't care if Vane was a Pirate Emperor. Fear wasn't part of his vocabulary. If Jack was the type to back down from strength, he wouldn't be one of Kaido's Three Disasters.

Vane was young, too young in Jack's eyes. No matter what they said—defeated a Marine Admiral, fought Big Mom—none of it mattered to him. Big Mom was insane half the time anyway, and anyone could get lucky against a crazy woman.

But this boy... he didn't look like someone worthy of that title.

"Open fire!" Jack barked.

The Beast Pirates responded instantly. Cannons swiveled, aimed at The King.

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