"See? What did I tell you?"
In the tranquil depths of the ocean, Orrick, draped in a luxurious black robe trimmed with gold, held a piece of information and smiled faintly.
"Soryu (Azure Dragon) has indeed brought out the Pure Gold. The Gorōsei are beside themselves with excitement... Just wait. He's bound to make his next move soon."
"You actually guessed right!"
Sugar looked at him in disbelief. "Orrick Sama, how do you always predict what the other side will do?"
If she hadn't personally scouted Colkla and ensured Orrick left no clues for Soryu (Azure Dragon) to find, Sugar might have suspected the two were secretly in cahoots.
"Even if I explained it, you wouldn't understand. Let's just call it... the shared instinct of ambitious minds."
Orrick chuckled softly, his tone tinged with admiration. "Honestly, I admire him. That youngster has always been bold, but every time, he manages to surpass my expectations."
"Your courage... isn't exactly lacking either," Sugar muttered.
Given Orrick's current status, who would have thought he'd dare show up at Sabaody Archipelago— right under the government's nose?!
Not only did he show up, but he calmly sat in a tavern, drinking while waiting for his ship to finish its coating, completely unfazed.
A walking treasure chest with a bounty that promised any wish fulfilled if captured, Orrick lived as though he were on a carefree outing, utterly nonchalant.
Sugar had to admit: both their guts were immense.
Just then, a group of Fish-Man soldiers mounted on large sea horses approached from the sea ahead.
"Who goes there?! Fish-Man Island has closed its borders! Leave now unless you have business here!"
Watching as the soldiers surrounded their ship, Orrick shook his head. "Without Jinbe, Fish-Man Island has truly fallen."
"It's only been a few months, and they've already been reduced to isolationism."
"You bastard!!"
Orrick made no effort to lower his voice. The Fish-Man soldiers bristled, their faces flushing with anger. "Capture them and present them to Brother Jones!"
"Aye!!"
With a rush of water, the soldiers charged, brandishing their spears. They thrust at the thin membrane enclosing the ship, intending to break it and submerge the vessel into the sea.
In water, the combat strength of Fish-Men far outstripped that of humans.
But—
Swish! Swish!
The spears struck the membrane, yet it was as if they pierced air. No force was exerted, and the transparent bubble shimmered like an illusory dream—both present and absent.
"It's a Devil Fruit user! Use Seastone arrows!"
The squad leader shouted, quickly retrieving a crossbow from his back. He loaded a bolt tipped with a diamond-shaped Seastone head and aimed it at Orrick, who stood unflinchingly on the deck.
Orrick remained serene.
"Brother Jones? Hody Jones?"
A smirk spread across his face. "He's making his move, too? As expected, this world is never short of ambitious men. No matter how many are killed, more will rise... What's the point of our struggle?"
Bang!
As his words fell, an oppressive aura spread like an invisible tide.
Orrick raised his head. Through his mask, his crimson eyes glared at the soldiers ahead. In a hoarse voice, he asked, "Tell me, what's the point, huh?!"
Creak, creak…
A twisted sound filled the air. The limbs of the Fish-Man soldiers nearest the ship contorted unnaturally as if kneaded by an invisible hand.
Their bones snapped, white shards stained with crimson marrow piercing through their skin in a grisly display.
"No… impossible!"
"My arm—!"
The squad leader stared in horror as his arm moved against his will, raising the crossbow. It rotated unnaturally, a full 180 degrees, the arrow now pointing straight at his own chest.
Pain wracked his body, but it was drowned out by the sheer terror of impending death.
"It seems you can't answer my question either."
Abruptly, Orrick closed his eyes, weariness evident in his demeanor. The suffocating aura dissipated.
The squad leader, believing he'd narrowly escaped, trembled with relief—only for his finger to twitch involuntarily, pulling the trigger.
Swish!
Pop!
His head exploded like a melon under pressure, blood and fragments drifting through the sea.
The ship sailed on, unbothered, as the crimson droplets passed through the membrane, brushing against the crew like ghostly whispers before fading into the walls of the deep.
"Full speed ahead. With so many deaths, if Fish-Man Island becomes suspicious... it'll be troublesome," Orrick said calmly, turning to walk back to the ship's cabin. The crew members nodded respectfully and began accelerating the ship.
"No matter how many times I see it, that ability is just so unreasonable..."
Sugar chewed her bubble gum as she watched a severed arm drift past her. "Well, it makes sense. After all, he 'is' Orrick Sama."
With a slight smile, Sugar hopped along, humming a cheerful tune as she followed him into the cabin, leaving behind her playful melody.
…
Grand Line, "Gourmet City" Pucci
"Hey, have you heard? The government's found a treasure!"
In a dim corner of the tavern, two pirate-like men huddled together in quiet conversation.
"What kind of treasure?"
One of them sipped his drink, then sighed wryly. "Even if I knew, what difference does it make? Are you bold enough to steal it?"
It was the World Government they were talking about. Given the current strength of Marine Headquarters, who could possibly snatch something from them? And even if someone did manage to steal it, how would they survive afterward?
"That may be true, but this time the treasure is said to be extraordinary. I'm sure someone will be tempted— even the great figures of the New World might get involved."
"Oh?"
The other man's interest was piqued. "What's so valuable about it? Tell me more."
"Well... my throat's a little dry. Haven't had a drink in a while..."
"Tch, you scumbag!"
Grumbling, the listener still waved over the barkeep. "Boss, another round!"
"Coming up!"
Soon, a glass of rum was delivered. The man took a contented sip, exhaled deeply, and then spoke. "I'm telling you, this isn't just any treasure!"
"Have you heard of the legendary island, Alchemi?"
"I wouldn't have known before, but now? Of course."
The listener nodded. "Last time, Alchemi Island's Death Race prize included 100 Million Berries and an antique from the island. I even asked around about it."
"Could it be...?"
"Exactly!"
Glancing around cautiously, the man lowered his voice. "Word is, the treasure the government found this time is none other than the ancient relic, 'Pure Gold'!"
"Pure Gold?"
"It's said to be a metal of unparalleled value— it looks so luminous that it glows even in darkness! Rumor has it that it's worth enough to buy the entire world."
"Worth enough to buy the world?!"
The listener's startled shout drew the attention of nearby patrons. Breaking into a cold sweat, he grabbed the storyteller. "Let's go— this isn't the place to talk."
"Hey, wait! I haven't finished my drink!"
Grumbling, the storyteller was reluctantly dragged out, leaving behind a room full of calculating gazes from the pirates in the tavern.
…
"A treasure worth buying the world, Pure Gold?"
Nico Robin slowly set down her coffee cup, resting her chin on her hand. "I think I've read about that in a book."
"But according to legend, every owner of Pure Gold faced unavoidable calamity. The 'Island of Steel,' Alchemi, vanished 200 years ago because of it."
"To think the government has it now... how intriguing."
Intriguing?
Of course, Robin hoped the legend was true— that every possessor of Pure Gold would meet with disaster.
This wasn't just Robin's sentiment but the shared wish of every pirate in this underground tavern.
Once proud and free-spirited, these pirates now lived hidden lives in the shadows, cautiously navigating a world dominated by the government's strength.
The once-mighty "Age of Piracy," with its hundreds of ships, had become nothing more than a joke. The government's overwhelming power had crushed it utterly.
"Good thing the Captain isn't here. Otherwise..."
Sanji extinguished his cigarette with a sigh, steering the conversation elsewhere. "The New World is too far from us. Our priority now is finding Zoro."
"That idiot... where did he even run off to?!"
---
The commotion surrounding Pure Gold wasn't limited to Pucci— it spread across the Grand Line and the Four Seas. In no time, the entire sea was in an uproar.
Meanwhile, CP-0's Zero and Rowen, tasked with overseeing the treasure's transport, were left dumbfounded.
After receiving a saliva-filled scolding from the Gorōsei (Five Elder Stars), they couldn't understand how the news had spread so quickly.
This wasn't just a case of a leak— it was a trap!
(End Of Chapter)
You can read ahead up to 90 chapters on my patreon, and I've also activated a (date-to-date) subscription model on my patreon: https://www.patreon.com/darkshadow6395