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The smell of salt and blood still lingered in the air.
The waves crashed violently against the broken remains of Arlong Park, as if the sea itself was trying to erase what had happened here. Splintered wood floated on the surface, mixed with shattered stone and traces of the battle that had just ended.
Weiss stood at the edge of the ruins, his gaze fixed on the horizon.
The wind tugged at his coat, carrying with it the distant cries of seagulls and the faint echo of a world that refused to stop moving, no matter how much destruction had just taken place.
Behind him, the village was alive again.
Laughter. Tears. Relief.
For the first time in years, Cocoyasi Village could breathe.
"…It's really over," Nami said softly.
Her voice was quieter than usual, lacking the sharpness and confidence she often carried. There was something fragile in it—something that hadn't fully processed the reality yet.
Weiss didn't turn immediately.
"Yeah," he replied after a moment. "It is."
But his tone wasn't as certain as his words.
Because deep down… he knew this was only the beginning.
Nami stepped closer, stopping just a few feet away from him. Her eyes drifted over the ruins, lingering on the place where Arlong had fallen.
For years, that name had been a nightmare.
And now…
Gone.
Just like that.
"It feels strange," she admitted. "I thought I'd feel… happier."
Weiss glanced at her from the corner of his eye.
"You just spent years living for revenge," he said calmly. "Your body doesn't know what to do without it."
Nami let out a quiet laugh, though it carried no real amusement.
"Wow. That's… not comforting at all."
"It's not supposed to be."
She rolled her eyes slightly, but didn't argue.
For a moment, the two of them stood in silence, watching the sea.
Ding.
A cold, mechanical voice echoed in Weiss's mind.
[Battle Completed: Arlong Pirates Annihilated]
[Evaluating Performance…]
[Reward Pending…]
Weiss's expression didn't change, but his focus sharpened instantly.
There it was.
The system.
It had been quiet during the aftermath—but now it was back.
Waiting.
Calculating.
Judging.
"…You got that look again," Nami said suddenly.
Weiss raised an eyebrow. "What look?"
"The one where you're clearly thinking about something important," she replied, narrowing her eyes. "But pretending you're not."
"…You're imagining things."
"Am I?"
He didn't answer.
Because this time… she wasn't entirely wrong.
[Reward Generated]
[Chest Tier: Rare+]
A faint golden glow flickered in Weiss's vision—visible only to him.
A chest.
Floating silently in the void of his mind.
But something was different.
The glow wasn't as stable as before.
It flickered.
Distorted.
As if…
"…Glitching?" Weiss muttered under his breath.
"Hmm?" Nami tilted her head. "Did you say something?"
"Nothing."
But his eyes narrowed slightly.
This had never happened before.
Every reward, every chest—it had always been perfect. Smooth. Controlled.
This…
This felt unstable.
[Warning: System Irregularity Detected]
Weiss froze.
For the briefest moment, even the sound of the waves seemed to fade.
A warning?
That was new.
Very new.
[Opening Chest…]
The chest slowly unlocked.
Light burst out—
But instead of the usual clear, radiant glow…
It fractured.
Like shattered glass.
Weiss felt a sharp pulse in his chest.
"…What the hell is this?" he muttered.
"Oi."
Nami's voice snapped him back.
She was closer now, her expression serious.
"You're acting weird," she said. "Ever since the fight ended."
Weiss exhaled slowly, forcing himself to relax.
"Just tired."
"That's a lie."
"…You're getting good at this."
"I've always been good at reading people," she shot back.
For a moment, their eyes met.
There was no teasing in hers this time.
Only concern.
Weiss looked away first.
"…It's nothing you need to worry about," he said.
Nami frowned.
"I'll decide that."
"You don't get to."
Her expression hardened slightly—but then, surprisingly, she sighed.
"…Fine," she said. "But if it gets worse, you're telling me."
Weiss didn't respond.
But he didn't refuse either.
And that was enough—for now.
A distant sound broke the moment.
Footsteps.
Heavy.
Organized.
Weiss's head turned sharply toward the village.
"…Marines," he said quietly.
Nami stiffened. "Already?"
"Looks like it."
From the edge of the island, a fleet of Marine ships had arrived.
White sails. Blue insignias.
Authority.
Justice.
And trouble.
Villagers began to panic slightly, whispers spreading quickly as uniformed soldiers marched forward.
At their head was a tall officer, his coat fluttering behind him, eyes sharp as they scanned the destruction.
"…This is bad," Nami muttered.
Weiss watched silently.
His expression unreadable.
The Marine officer stopped near the ruins, crouching briefly to inspect the ground.
His fingers brushed against a deep crack in the stone—one of many left behind by the battle.
"…This wasn't normal," he said.
One of the soldiers beside him nodded nervously. "Sir, reports said Arlong was defeated by… a pirate."
"A pirate?" The officer stood slowly. "Or something else?"
His gaze shifted.
Locked.
Directly onto Weiss.
For a split second—
The world felt… still.
"…We've got a problem," Nami whispered.
"Yeah," Weiss replied calmly.
But his eyes had already changed.
Sharp.
Focused.
Dangerous.
The officer began walking toward them.
Step by step.
Measured.
Intentional.
"You there," he called out. "You're the one responsible for this?"
The question hung in the air.
Heavy.
Loaded.
Weiss didn't answer immediately.
Instead, he tilted his head slightly… as if listening to something only he could hear.
Because in his mind—
The system spoke again.
[System Irregularity Expanding…]
[Unknown Signal Detected]
Weiss's lips curved into the faintest hint of a smile.
"…Looks like things are about to get interesting."
The Marine officer stopped just a few steps away.
"…I asked you a question."
Silence.
The wind howled.
The sea roared.
And somewhere—
Far beyond the horizon—
Something unseen…
Was watching.
Weiss finally met the officer's gaze.
And this time—
He didn't hide anything.
"Yeah," he said calmly. "I did it."
A pause.
Then—
The atmosphere shifted.
Because in that moment—
Weiss wasn't just a survivor of the Arlong fight.
He wasn't just a pirate.
He had become…
A target.
And far away—
A pair of unseen eyes narrowed slightly.
"…So," a voice murmured in the darkness, calm and amused.
"We've finally found you."
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