The sun sank behind a horizon swollen with purple clouds as the Abyss Walker cut through the restless sea. Darius D. Xebec stood on deck, his crimson and golden eyes scanning the dimming sky. The vast ocean stretched endlessly before him, but his mind was far from the tranquil waves.
In his cabin, the ancient scroll rested on a wooden table, faintly glowing with cryptic symbols that no scholar had yet fully deciphered. It was a map of secrets, of history erased by tyrants and hidden beneath layers of lies.
Beside the map lay a small, sealed envelope—inside, a letter written in a language older than any living memory. A message left for those bold enough to seek it. Darius broke the seal, feeling the weight of destiny in each word.
"The past is chained to the present by blood and fire. Only the unbroken can free the world."
---
On the quarterdeck, Selene approached quietly, her silver hair catching the last light. Her voice was steady but tinged with concern.
"Captain, the World Government's eyes grow sharper. Marine patrols have increased around the Calm Belt. They expect you."
Darius's smile was grim. "Good. Let them watch. The shadows are my ally."
He turned to the edge of the deck, where the sea mist curled like a living thing. "Amazon Lily isn't just an island. It's a keystone. The Empress holds secrets—secrets that could unravel the lies spun by the Celestial Dragons."
Selene's crimson gaze flickered. "And you trust her?"
"Not yet," Darius said. "But I'll learn. And if she stands in my way… I'll burn her world down."
---
Meanwhile, on the sacred grounds of Amazon Lily, Boa Hancock sat in her throne room, surrounded by the Kuja sisters. Her posture was regal, but her mind was restless.
Reports had arrived—fragments of news about a pirate unlike any other: the son of Rocks D. Xebec, wielding powers that tore through space and shattered Marine fortresses.
"I've faced tyrants," Hancock said softly, "but this… this is something else. He doesn't seek to conquer. He seeks to destroy."
Lady Tashigi, an envoy from the Marines recently stationed on the island, entered with urgency.
"Empress, the Marines have orders to capture or eliminate him," Tashigi reported. "He's a threat to the world order."
Hancock's eyes hardened. "Then we must decide if we stand with the world… or with the abyss."
---
Back aboard the Abyss Walker, the night deepened. Darius leaned over the rail, watching the stars shimmer through the veil of mist.
A soft voice broke the silence.
"Why chase the past, Captain?" Selene asked.
Darius's golden eye reflected the stars. "Because the past is the only truth left unbroken. The world has forgotten who built this cage. The Celestial Dragons, the Marines… they live in lies. And those lies are shackles."
Selene's gaze softened, a rare vulnerability crossing her features.
"And the Abyss Pirates? Are they your rebellion… or your salvation?"
Darius's smile was faint. "Both."
---
Days later, as the Abyss Walker neared Amazon Lily's hidden shores, tension coiled in the air.
A small boat approached from the island—a lone figure waiting under the shade of palm trees.
It was Reina Volt, Darius's emissary and strategist, sent ahead to assess the situation.
Her message was clear: Amazon Lily is no longer the paradise it once was.
---
The meeting between Darius and Reina was brief but revealing.
"The Empress is cautious," Reina said, folding her arms. "She fears the power you wield, and rightly so. But she also fears what the Marines might do if she doesn't act."
Darius nodded. "Then the question remains—do we fight each other, or the true enemy?"
Reina's eyes gleamed. "I believe you already know the answer."
---
That night, as the Abyss Walker anchored offshore, Darius stood alone, a single lantern swinging in the sea breeze.
He whispered to the stars, "The chains that bind the world… I will break them. Even if I must become the monster they fear."
A quiet ripple in the water drew his attention.
From the shadows, a figure emerged—tall, imposing, and draped in a dark kimono patterned with crimson webs.
Black Maria.
---
Her eyes shone with dangerous amusement.
"Captain Darius," she said, bowing slightly. "You play with fire, but the Abyss is deeper than you imagine."
Darius met her gaze steadily.
"And you are?"
"The spider in the shadows," she replied, voice dripping with seduction and threat. "The one who weaves the fate of those foolish enough to challenge the new order."
A slow smile curved Darius's lips.
"Then weave your web. I'll tear it apart if I must."
---
The winds carried a new promise across the sea—the promise of war, of secrets unveiled, and of a king reborn from the ashes of legend.
The abyss beckoned.
And Darius was ready.