Seastone Armaments

Half a month later.

East Blue, the bustling commercial island known as the "Capital of Free Trade"—Roana Port.

At dusk, a medium-sized fast ship, as striking as a black blade, slowly sailed into the port's top-tier private berth.

The streamlined, teardrop-shaped hull and the understated, luxurious craftsmanship of the Eclipse drew many hidden gazes from the docks the moment it entered the harbor.

On the deck, Buggy lay sprawled in a star shape on the expensive Iron Pine flooring, gasping for air.

"I can't take it anymore, my fingers are about to cramp up."

Buggy looked at his hands, encased in special gloves, too exhausted to lift even a single finger.

For the past half-month, Ace and Sabo hadn't beaten him out of boredom.

But that systematic, targeted training was, for Buggy, even more lethal than a beating.

Sabo crouched beside Buggy, holding a set of intricately crafted finger guards and wrist braces, making final adjustments.

"Stop complaining, Buggy."

Sabo tossed the adjusted finger guards onto Buggy's stomach, his tone serious.

"The immunity to slashing attacks from your Chop-Chop Fruit is indeed powerful, but your offensive methods are too singular."

"These are Seastone Knuckles we had black-market craftsmen urgently polish using the Seastone scraps from Bluejam's treasure chest."

This was the development path Ace had customized for Buggy.

The interior of the Seastone Knuckles was lined with thick, insulating leather and iron plating; as long as it didn't directly touch Buggy's skin, it wouldn't drain his strength.

The outer striking surfaces, however, were inlaid with high-purity Seastone.

Combined with Buggy's ability to detach his hands, feet, or even individual fingers to fly through the air at will, this equipment was a nightmare for any Devil Fruit user.

Just imagine: in the heat of battle, a severed hand wearing Seastone Knuckles suddenly flies in from a blind spot.

The moment it touches the enemy's body, it can instantly strip them of their abilities.

"That's all well and good, but if I wear these things and the leather inside wears out, what happens if it touches my skin?"

Buggy pulled a long face, carefully putting the knuckles away.

"I'll end up falling into the sea and drowning myself!"

"That's exactly why I've been making you practice micro-control and precision while splitting every day."

Accompanied by steady footsteps, Ace pushed open the cabin door and walked out.

He was wearing a slim-fit black shirt today, draped with his signature dark red sleeveless trench coat.

"Sabo and I are heading off the ship."

Ace walked to the ship's rail, looking out at the bustling streets of Roana Port.

"We're going to the black market to trade the miscellaneous jewelry we scavenged from Terminal and Orange Town for cash, and to pick up supplies needed for the Grand Line."

"You stay on the ship and keep watch."

"Leave it to me!"

Hearing that he didn't have to continue training, Buggy immediately sprang up like a spring, patting his chest in assurance.

"I guarantee not even a fly will be able to get on board!"

Ace glanced at him without saying more.

He turned and jumped onto the dock with Sabo, quickly disappearing into the crowded streets of the port.

Watching the two walk away, Buggy let out a long sigh of relief.

"Finally gone."

"Keep watch, my foot. I haven't had a decent night's sleep in half a month."

Buggy let out a massive yawn, walked over to the leather sofa outside the living quarters, and flopped down, limbs splayed.

Less than two minutes later, thunderous snoring began to drift across the deck.

Nightfall soon shrouded Roana Port.

The port district was brightly lit.

Meanwhile, the Eclipse, docked in its private berth, remained quietly hidden in the shadows of the sea.

Just then, a slender figure appeared out of nowhere on a lamppost beside the dock.

A purple-haired girl crouched on the crossbar of the lamp, her black stealth suit nearly blending into the night.

She didn't rush to act, instead narrowing her eyes as she scanned the Eclipse—from the hull material and berth grade to the deck patrol routes.

"Iron Pine deck, anti-corrosion steel plating, private berth..."

Carina tapped the lamppost lightly, a spark of interest in her eyes.

"This is no ordinary pirate ship."

The phantom thief, Carina.

She was somewhat well-known in the East Blue underworld, specializing in targeting the wealthy, nobles, and pirates.

She did not take the main deck, instead circling to the shadows at the stern and tossing up a padded grappling hook.

The hook bit into the ship's rail without making a single sound of metal striking metal.

Carina vaulted onto the deck along the rope, landing on her toes with knees slightly bent, barely disturbing a speck of dust.

"Hrr-shhh..."

A thunderous snoring sound drifted over from the open-air bar.

Carina approached and saw that the red-nosed guard was sprawled out on the sofa, snoring louder than the crashing waves.

"Security is this lax?"

Carina raised an eyebrow.

"Still, better safe than sorry."

She pulled an exquisite spray canister from her waist, leaned it under Buggy's nose, and pressed the nozzle.

A colorless, odorless hypnotic gas billowed out.

Buggy's red nose twitched as if he had sensed something.

But the next second, he smacked his lips and fell into an even deeper sleep.

"Done."

Carina tucked away the spray canister and nimbly stepped over Buggy.

"Now, it's treasure-hunting time."

She pushed open the doors to the living quarters.

Even for a well-traveled phantom thief, seeing the expensive silk carpets covering the floor and the entire wall of wine cellar, she couldn't help but gasp.

Relying on her keen professional intuition, she quickly found a heavy steel vault embedded in the wall behind a hidden door in the wine cellar.

"A complex six-digit mechanical combination lock?"

Carina took out a stethoscope, put it on, and pressed the probe against the cold steel door.

Her fingers turned the dial with steady precision.

"In front of this lady, you're nothing but a decoration."

"Click... click..."

The faint sound of gears engaging was clearly audible in the silent cabin.

Less than three minutes later.

With a crisp "snap."

The steel door, sturdy enough to withstand cannon fire, was pulled open by her with ease.

"Clatter—"

The moment the vault door opened, a blinding golden light illuminated nearly half the living room.

Piles of gold bars, rubies, sapphires, and thick stacks of Beli notes were heaped inside like a small mountain.

"This is at least fifty or sixty million Beli..."

Carina's heart rate spiked instantly.

"Just whose guard is that red-nose, anyway?"

She didn't grab blindly.

Instead, she prioritized gems and gold bars—items small in volume, high in value, and easiest to offload.

She only stuffed a few stacks of cash into her bag.

"Nothing too heavy, nothing too conspicuous; prioritize what can be turned into cash quickly."

Carina muttered to herself while packing her bag at lightning speed.

Just as she struggled to zip up the overstuffed backpack, hoisted it onto her back with effort, and prepared to turn and make her escape—

"Clap."

"Clap."

Two slow, deliberate claps echoed from the corner of the living room.

The smile on Carina's face froze instantly.

With the heavy bag on her back, she slowly turned her head.

In the dim light, Ace was sitting on a single-seat sofa.

He held a half-peeled orange in his hand, looking as if he had been waiting for a long time.

"Nice lock-picking skills, and your infiltration was clean, too."

Ace glanced at the large bag on her back.

"And you've got a good eye for picking things, knowing to go for the small, high-value items that are easy to offload first."

Carina did not speak.

However, her fingers had already quietly crept toward her waist.

"Don't move."

Ace set down the orange.

"Now, I'll give you a chance to introduce yourself."

"If what you say has value, these things can serve as your greeting gift."

"If you can't, I'll sink you and that bag to the bottom of the sea."