Sun Pirates

Dawn Sky Island, Intelligence Center.

Dawn stood before the floor-to-ceiling window, holding a cup of coffee that had long gone cold. Outside lay an endless sea of clouds, the sunset staining them in intertwined shades of blood orange and dark purple, like the embers of some colossal war.

"Arata, the Sun Pirates have made a new move."

The door slid open, and Stussy walked in. She was as elegant as ever—long golden hair, delicate features, a tailored dark-purple skirt suit, and high heels tapping out a composed rhythm across the floor.

"Talk."

"The Sun Pirates are searching the entire sea for an Eternal Pose to Foolshout Island."

Dawn fell silent. Outside the window, the sun began to sink into the cloud sea, dyeing the sky in mingled blood orange and dark purple.

Sea Circle Calendar 1529, June 6.

Grand Line, Foolshout Island.

This was a summer island scorched by the sun all year round. The sky was a glaring azure blue, without a single cloud.

The sun hung high overhead, mercilessly pouring heat over the cracked earth and the hardy green cacti growing there. The air warped from the heat, and distant scenery wavered like a mirage.

The sand along the coast was scorching hot. A strangely shaped pirate ship slowly pulled ashore, its hull resembling a giant snapper, its figurehead an open fish mouth. The Sun Pirates' flag flew from its main mast: a burning red sun against a black background.

On the deck of the White Star Snapper, the fish-men gazed at the dry island before them with complicated expressions. Their disgust and vigilance toward human land mingled with the relief of having completed their mission.

Fisher Tiger was the first to disembark. He was tall and powerfully built, his dark-red skin gleaming healthily beneath the sunlight.