Long Ring Long Land, Stealing Porche

Jacob finally stabilized his flames after struggling with the storm. Just as he regained control, Yamato shouted excitedly.

"Oi, Jacob! Look at those green islands on the left!"

Curious, Jacob changed his flight, flying toward the flower-shaped islands. As he got closer, he recognized them—the Boin Archipelago, a land filled with gigantic man-eating plants and monstrous insects.

Jacob's mind raced.

"This place… It's perfect for Nojiko."

He descended cautiously, ensuring that no giant insects were nearby. Then, he carefully tore off a piece of his vivre card and hid it in an inconspicuous spot.

After securing his marker, Jacob gathered some of the island's exotic plants and seeds, knowing they would be helpful. He also observed the plant life, imagining how Nojiko could cultivate them with her Lush Lush Fruit.

With his mission completed, he soared toward Jaya, with Yamato still grinning wildly on his back.

***

"Damn you, Jacob!" Nami cursed as she gritted her teeth, her hands grasping the cloud beneath her feet. She could still sense the lingering heat signature of Jacob's flames somewhere ahead, but she had more significant concerns.

They had finally passed the Calm Belt, but the moment they crossed into the Grand Line, her weather instincts flared.

Something was coming.

Above them, the once bright sky darkened instantly, with thick black clouds rolling like an unstoppable tide. A furious howling wind tore through the atmosphere, and the pressure dropped so fast that the temperature shifted from warm to chilling cold.

Nami's orange hair whipped wildly in the wind as she screamed:

"HOLD ON TO SOMETHING! A MASSIVE STORM IS COMING!"

She tried to control her cloud construct, but the sudden air pressure shifts made stabilizing it difficult. The girls behind her screamed as they clung together.

"WHY IS THE GRAND LINE SO SCARY?!" Kaya wailed, burying her face into Carina's shoulder.

Desire tightly clutched her deck of cards, her red hair soaked from the misting wind. She had heard rumors of the Grand Line's chaotic weather, but experiencing it firsthand was a different beast.

Meanwhile, Kuina stood tall, unfazed. Her hand was on her sword hilt, and she scanned the surroundings with sharp, focused eyes.

A sudden gust of wind slammed into the cloud platform, tilting it dangerously.

Kuina drew her sword in a flash—"TENCHIRO SETSUDAN!"—and unleashed a crescent-shaped flying slash to clear a path through the turbulence.

It was a mistake.

The sheer force of her attack sliced through the air, disrupting the already unstable wind currents.

The cloud platform lurched violently.

"KUINA, YOU IDIOT! I CAN'T CONTROL IT IF YOU DO THAT!" Nami screamed as she struggled to stabilize the ride.

Kuina turned back with a sheepish look, but before she could respond, a wall of water appeared ahead—a massive vertical wave, an anomaly only possible in the Grand Line.

"NAMI!" Carina shrieked. "DODGE IT!"

Nami gritted her teeth and twisted the cloud with no time to argue, barely managing to steer them out of the wave's direct path.

Just as she did—BOOM!

A lightning bolt crashed from the sky, striking the sea below them with a force that sent shockwaves.

Nami's heart pounded.

"This is insane…"

Even after all her training, this storm was unlike anything she had ever encountered.

But she wasn't about to let the Grand Line win.

With renewed determination, she focused all her energy on controlling the cloud, weaving through the storm with expert precision.

Kuina sheathed her sword and kept her balance, preparing for any physical threats.

Though terrified, the other girls forced themselves to stay calm.

***

Three days had passed since Jacob and the girls entered the Grand Line, yet Jaya was still nowhere in sight.

The chaotic weather shifts and unpredictable sea currents made navigation difficult, even when flying.

Jacob, flying high above the sea with Yamato on his back, scanned the horizon. Below them lay a peculiar island—an almost perfect ring of land encircling a shallow lagoon.

"We're stopping here," Jacob declared, his voice firm as he slowed his flight.

Yamato groaned. "But I wanna keep going!"

Jacob ignored her complaints and pulled out his Den-Den Mushi, quickly dialing Nami.

"Oi, Nami. We're landing on a ring-shaped island. You should stop and rest too."

The snail's expression morphed into an annoyed glare, mimicking Nami's voice.

"We're still far from your location, idiot! We don't even see the island you're talking about!" she snapped. "And I swear, if you leave me behind again, I'll rob you blind!"

Jacob sighed. "Fine, fine. Just don't push yourself too hard, Okay?"

Nami clicked her tongue before abruptly hanging up.

With that settled, Jacob descended toward the island, his blue flames dimming as he prepared to land. Yamato eagerly leaped off his back before they even touched the ground.

"WOOHOO! TIME TO EXPLORE!" she cheered, sprinting toward the nearest tree line.

Jacob shook his head, muttering, "She's worse than Luffy…" before following behind her.

Jacob's eyes darted around as he processed the oddly cartoonish landscape. The trees were unusually tall and wobbly, their leaves comically oversized.

Some animals that roamed the area looked outright ridiculous—long-legged rabbits, birds with stretched-out necks, and a horse with a neck that could easily belong to a giraffe.

"Wait a minute…" Jacob murmured, rubbing his temple as a memory from his past life surfaced.

Long Ring Long Land.

This was the island where Strawhat and Foxy had a Davy Back Fight.

Just as this realization sank in, the tingling in his Observation Haki grew stronger.

It was coming from the shore.

Jacob turned his head toward the coastline, where a vast galleon had docked.

It was a strange-looking ship with a fox-shaped figurehead, its sails marked with a symbol he recognized instantly.

"Foxy Pirates," Jacob muttered under his breath.

He wasn't particularly worried—Foxy was a joke. But the fact that he was here now meant that Porche was here as well.

From her perch in the tree, Yamato noticed Jacob's shift in expression. "Oi, Jacob! Something wrong?"

Jacob exhaled through his nose. "Yeah… looks like we have company."

Yamato cracked her knuckles, a grin spreading across her face. "Good. I was getting bored!"

Jacob smirked slightly. "Let's go greet our guests."

And with that, the two of them made their way toward the shore, where the Foxy Pirates unknowingly awaited their nightmare.

***

Foxy leaned back in his chair, a smug grin stretching across his face as his crew cheered and feasted around him. The sound of mugs clashing, the laughter of his newly acquired subordinates, and the sizzling of roasted meat filled the air.

He had just won another Davy Back Fight, adding more unfortunate souls to his ever-growing crew. "Kishishishi! I, the great Foxy, am unstoppable!"

His crewmates cheered, their voices echoing over the island's long, stretching plains.

But then, the atmosphere shifted.

A heavy pressure settled over the camp, making the weaker crew members gulp. The merriment died as Foxy's subordinates started looking toward the edge of their camp.

Two figures approached.

One was a man with curly hair and a long nose. His steps were slow but filled with absolute confidence. A faint heat distorted the air around him, and his hands cracked with embers.

The other was a towering warrior with long, wild white hair, horns jutting from her forehead, and a massive kanabo resting on her shoulder.

The stronger members of Foxy's crew instantly tensed up.

Jacob and Yamato strolled into the middle of the camp, utterly unfazed by the hundreds of pirates surrounding them.

Jacob's gaze lazily swept across the area before settling on Foxy, staring back in confusion.

On the other hand, Yamato grinned ear to ear, her excitement barely contained.

Jacob tilted his head slightly, his voice casual. "So, you're Foxy?"

Foxy blinked before breaking into a smug grin, standing up and dramatically flipping his cloak. "Kishishishi! Indeed! You have the honor of standing before the great Foxy, captain of the Foxy Pirates!"

Yamato laughed. "This guy's weird."

Jacob exhaled through his nose, glancing at the three hundred pirates surrounding them. His Observation Haki told him all he needed to know. Not a single one of them was a real threat.

***

Foxy's grin twitched as the flickering blue fire in Jacob's palm reflected in his eyes. His bravado wavered briefly before he put on his usual smug face.

"Kishishishi! No need to be so hasty, my fiery friend! Surely, we can settle this like gentlemen?"

Jacob ignored him. His eyes had already picked up something far more interesting—Porche.

The light-blue-haired woman stood beside Foxy, visibly tense from the sudden confrontation. Unlike the rest of Foxy's crew, Porche had potential.

She was far from the strongest on his team, but she had room to grow.

Yamato was cracking her knuckles and grinning like a battle-crazed maniac.

"Can we fight them now? These guyss look weak, but it'll be fun!"

Jacob raised a hand, stopping her. He turned his eyes toward Foxy. "I'll make this simple. Hand over the blue-haired girl, and I'll let you keep your crew and your ship."

Porche's eyes widened in surprise. "H-Huh?! What do you mean, 'hand me over'?!"

Foxy's face scrunched up. "Wait, wait, wait! Are you trying to steal my precious combatant?!"

Jacob's flames burned hotter. "I'm offering you a choice, Foxy. You don't want to see what happens if you refuse."

"You. You're wasted in this crew," Jacob said bluntly.

Porche's eye twitched. "Excuse me?! Who the hell do you think you are?"

Jacob sighed. "I'm saying you're too good for these clowns."

A vein popped on Foxy's forehead. His crew tensed.

"Kishishishi… you've got some nerve waltzing in here and talking like that," Foxy said, his usual grin twitching slightly. "But if you want someone from my crew, you gotta play by the rules. A proper Davy Back Fight!"

Jacob stared at him for a moment before sighing again. "Yamato, punch the biggest guy."

"Huh? Oh! Sure!"

BAM!

Before anyone could react, Yamato launched forward and decked the Groggy Monsters with a single punch, sending them flying across the beach. They crashed through crates, tents, and even a few unlucky crewmates, knocking over a rum barrel.

The entire Foxy crew went silent.

Porche stared in disbelief.

Foxy's jaw dropped so hard it almost hit the ground. "H-Hey! That's not how a Davy Back Fight works!!"

Jacob turned to Porche. "That's it. We win. Let's go."

Porche was still frozen, processing what had just happened. "W-Wait a minute! I never agreed to this!"

Jacob shrugged. "Your captain did."

Foxy staggered to his feet, waving his hands wildly. "I never—! That was just a—! You can't just—!!"

"Too bad." Jacob grabbed Porche by the wrist and started walking away.

"Oi! OI!!" Porche struggled. "I didn't say I was going!!"

Jacob glanced at her. "You wanna stay here? With a guy who cheats in every match and loses to anyone remotely strong?"

Porche gritted her teeth. She glanced back at Foxy, who was still flailing around like an idiot. Deep down, she knew Jacob had a point.

"…Tch. Fine. But I'm not just gonna follow orders like some brainwashed lackey!"

Jacob smirked. "Didn't expect you to."

Yamato threw Porche over her shoulder like a sack of potatoes. "Alright! Let's go!"

As Jacob and Yamato took off with their newest "recruit," Foxy's crew finally snapped out of their daze.

"C-Captain! Are we just gonna let them take Porche?!"

Foxy stood there, sweating bullets. He watched as Jacob and Yamato disappeared into the sky.

After a long pause, Foxy slowly shook his head. "Nope. Not dealing with that."

His crew faceplanted in unison.