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. Beyond the glass stretched an endless sea of clouds, the setting sun dyeing them in intertwined shades of blood orange and dark purple, like the dying embers of some grand 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 deep-purple suit dress, her heels tapping out an unhurried rhythm across the floor.

"Go on."

"The Sun Pirates are searching all over the sea for an Eternal Pose to Folsat Island."

Dawn fell silent. Outside, the sun began to sink into the sea of clouds, staining the sky with mingled blood orange and dark purple.

Sea Circle Calendar 1529, June 6.

Grand Line, Folsat Island.

This was a summer island scorched by the sun year-round. The sky was a blinding blue, without a single cloud.

The blazing sun mercilessly poured heat onto the cracked earth and the hardy green cacti growing across it. The air warped in the heat, and distant scenery shimmered like a mirage.

The sand along the coast was scorching hot. A strangely shaped pirate ship slowly approached the shore. Its hull resembled a massive red snapper, its figurehead an open fish mouth, and the Sun Pirates' flag flew from the mainmast: a burning red sun against a black background.

On the deck of the White Star Red Snapper, the Fish-Men gazed at the dry island before them with complicated expressions. Their disgust and wariness toward human land mingled with the relief of completing their mission.

Fisher Tiger was the first to disembark. He was tall and powerfully built, his dark-red skin gleaming with healthy luster