Brook plays his violin on the deck.
The melody is soft—a gentle tune that carries across the water, that mixes with the shrieks of the Screecher Birds, that brings a moment of peace to a crew that has known nothing but chaos.
The door bursts open.
Brook jolts—his bow skidding across the strings, producing a sound that is decidedly not musical.
"Oh, Chopper! You scared me!"
Franky, Usopp, Yamato walk up the plank to the deck—followed by Mont Blanc Cricket, Masira, Shoujou, and their crews. They carry supplies. They carry timber. They carry hope.
Chopper announces—his voice carrying across the deck, bright and loud.
"Jinbe is awake!"
The reaction is immediate.
Usopp's face lights up. Franky strikes a pose. Yamato grins. Brook raises his violin bow in triumph.
"Oh, such good news! We should—"
Another door bursts open.
Nami's yell cuts across the deck, storm winds and thwarted bearings sharpened into every syllable.
"What is going on out here?! I am trying to—"
Chopper cuts her off.
"Jinbe is awake!"
Sanji steps up from behind—his visible eye brightening.
"That is great news!"
Chopper waves.
"Come on!"
---
Everyone files into the Aquarium Bar.
Jinbe sits on his cot—still weak, still bandaged, but awake. His eyes move across the crowd—the familiar faces of his crew, the unfamiliar faces of the Salvage Alliance.
"Hello, everyone."
Usopp rushes forward.
"Jinbe! You're awake!"
Jinbe chuckles.
"Sorry to cause you worry."
Sanji steps forward, purpose kindling in his visible eye like flame beneath a waiting pan.
"Are you hungry? I can make you something."
Jinbe's stomach growls—a sound that echoes across the room.
"Why yes, that would be great!"
His eyes land on the newcomers—Cricket, Masira, Shoujou.
"Who do we have..."
Franky gestures at the Salvage Alliance.
"They SUPER came and towed us into the dock so we could repair the ship."
Jinbe's face lights up.
"Oh! Well, hello, friends."
Cricket nods—a warm smile on his weathered face.
"Good to meet you. Any friend of Straw Hat's is a friend of mine."
Masira and Shoujou strike a pose—their voices swelling with the grand flourish of countless self-made legends.
"I am Masira, the Salvage King!"
"I am Shoujou, the Sonar King!"
They strike another pose—gesturing at Cricket.
"And this is Mont Blanc Cricket!"
Jinbe chuckles.
Nami adds, her voice softened by the far-off chime of memory.
"They helped us when we went to Skypiea."
Jinbe nods.
"Oh, I see..."
Chopper rushes to Jinbe—his small hands checking the fish-man's vitals.
"Are you still feeling okay?"
Jinbe nods.
"I am doing fine. It is good to see you all."
Zoro interrupts—his voice cutting through the reunion.
"Jinbe. You seem to know who attacked us."
Jinbe's shoulders drop. His expression becomes stern.
"Yes. I know who it was."
Chopper adds—his voice quiet.
"The Heart Pirates were with them."
Jinbe's brow furrows.
"That is curious. To think Law would team up with her."
Sanji steps forward—his visible eye narrowing.
"Her? You mean that silver-haired goddess?"
Jinbe looks confused.
"She may wield the power of a god, but I don't recall her having silver hair."
Zoro cuts off the banter.
"She. Who is she?"
Jinbe swallows hard.
Then—he drops the revelation.
"Dracule Marya Zaleska."
Zoro's eye locks onto Jinbe.
The room falls silent.
The only sound is the hum of the fish tank.
Brook breaks the silence—his voice quiet, uncertain.
"Jinbe... do you mean to say..."
Jinbe nods.
"Yes. She is the daughter of Dracule Mihawk."
The room gasps.
Nami screeches—her voice rising to a pitch that could shatter glass.
"HE HAS A DAUGHTER?!"
Jinbe nods.
"Yes. And she is very powerful."
Sanji turns to Zoro, opportunity flashing keen and bright beneath his sharpened voice.
"Hey, moss head. You didn't think to mention this?"
Zoro snaps.
"How would I know that he has a daughter?"
Sanji snaps back.
"You spent two years with him! You didn't think to—"
Zoro interrupts.
"I was training! Not talking about family!"
Jinbe cuts them off.
"He wouldn't know. Mihawk kept his family secret."
Brook replies, centuries seeming to murmur beneath the quiet certainty of his voice.
"That is understandable. For a man like Dracule Mihawk, having a family would make him vulnerable. And his family a target."
Nami asks—her voice sharp.
"But why attack us?"
Jinbe considers for a moment. His hand strokes his chin.
"Soon after you left Fishman Island, she came with two others and stole something valuable from the island. I never learned her motives. I asked the Whitebeard Pirates to try and retrieve the items she took, but they were unsuccessful."
Usopp adds, a fragile hope threading through his voice, reaching for answers.
"Well, maybe the guy they abandoned will be able to tell us when he wakes up."
Zoro glances at Kaburo Gusaki.
"He is already awake. He has just been playing dead."
Usopp snaps.
"And you didn't think to mention that earlier?!"
Sanji walks over—glaring down at Kaburo Gusaki, picking his knee up.
"Sounds like he just needs some motivation."
Sanji is about to stomp down when Kaburo Gusaki's eyes snap open.
"Oh look, he's awake."
Sanji takes him by the collar—jerking him up, slamming him against the wall.
"Hey, pal. Time to talk!"
Chopper hops—waving his hands and legs.
"Yeah! Tell us where Luffy is!"
Yamato punches a fist into an open palm.
"Yeah! Tell us where Luffy is!"
Usopp cowers.
"Scary..."
Kaburo Gusaki schools his expression to stay calm.
"The crimson has stained the snow, and my blade lies broken in the dust. Yet, though you hold the victor's iron, the deep amethyst vaults of my mind remain tightly sealed—and no gold or silver keys will ever pass my lips."
The entire crew tilts their head in unison, question marks appearing over their crowns.
"Huh?"
Zoro nods.
"See. That's why."
Sanji shakes him.
"Stop fooling around and just say what you mean."
Kaburo Gusaki narrows his eyes.
"The scarlet current bleeds into the surf, and my crest has broken against your shore. Yet, though you rule the sunlit shallows, the midnight zone of my mind remains under crushing pressure—and no light will ever force those deep-sea secrets to the surface."
Sanji snaps—shaking him more violently.
"What are you even saying?!"
Brook tries to intervene.
"Uh, Sanji..."
Sanji stops.
Hands begin to sprout from Kaburo Gusaki—wrapping around him, holding his chin as if about to snap his neck.
Kaburo Gusaki gasps. He swallows hard.
Everyone's head snaps to Robin.
She sits—one hand lifted to control her power, the other holding her head. Her eyes are open. Her expression is cold.
Chopper rushes to her.
"Robin!"
Sanji follows.
"Robin, dear! You are awake!"
Robin ignores both of them. She glares at Kaburo Gusaki.
"Where is Luffy?"
Kaburo Gusaki blinks. His Adam's apple bobs.
"The compass spins in a blind fog, refusing to bleed a single direction. Breaking the leaden hex to unlock the emerald seal."
Robin's eyes narrow.
Kaburo Gusaki begins to panic—the strain on his neck, the pressure of Robin's power straining bones and stretching his muscles.
"She needs him to open a door and lift the curse."
Chopper blinks.
"Oh, that makes sense."
Everyone looks at Chopper.
Chopper looks back.
"That is why Traffy is helping. He is a surgeon."
Sanji stands—blowing out a stream of smoke.
"Oh, that does make sense. She is a lady in need."
Usopp snaps.
"What are you talking about? She took Luffy!"
Franky adds.
"And she damaged the Sunny."
Nami walks up—leaning over Kaburo Gusaki.
"None of that matters. The only thing that matters is getting Luffy back!"
She jams a finger into Kaburo Gusaki's chest.
"And you are going to help us do that!"