Unexpected Fortune from Heaven

East Blue, Loguetown.

This island, known as the Town of Beginnings and Endings, is a year-round gathering place for merchants, marines, and pirates preparing to head toward the Grand Line.

When the sleek, black hull of the Eclipse slowly pulled into the harbor, it immediately stirred up quite a commotion.

"Look at that Jolly Roger."

On the docks, several sharp-eyed bounty hunters looked up, their faces turning pale instantly as they instinctively took a few steps back.

The high-flying main sail bore a visually striking emblem: in the center of a black field sat a ghastly, traditional white skull. Yet, behind the skull, a pair of crimson-gold wings spread wide like those of a divine bird, while a ring of dark red flames—resembling the corona of a solar eclipse—perfectly encircled the skull and wings.

Death, divinity, and a fire that consumes all.

This was the flag of the Eclipse Pirates, the Worst Generation crew that had just shattered the East Blue record with a bounty of fifty million!

"Carina, Sabo. You two go browse the shops in town."

Ace stepped off the gangplank, casually tightening the dark red trench coat draped over his shoulders as he instructed the pair: "Go buy a few of the highest-quality Log Poses. The magnetic fields in the Grand Line are chaotic; without those, no matter how fast our ship is, we won't be able to sail in."

"Leave it to me, Captain." Carina patted the exquisite little leather bag in her hand, her purple eyes sparkling with the thrill of shopping. With Sabo, a vice-captain with a thirty-million bounty, tagging along, she could absolutely walk through this town with her head held high.

Ace turned his head to look at Buggy, who was preparing to sneak back to his quarters for a nap.

"Buggy, go to the back-street market and restock the ship with a hundred barrels of rum and fruit juice, plus enough meat and premium spices to last half a month. We'll meet at the central plaza in the evening." Ace assigned the tasks in his usual tone.

"A hundred barrels?! And half a month's worth of meat?!" Upon hearing this, Buggy's eyes widened as he began to shout, "I'm not a pack mule! Why is it always me doing this kind of grunt work!"

"You're the chief steward of the Eclipse; if you don't do it, who will?" Ace replied offhandedly, waving a hand, "Move quickly, don't delay the evening banquet."

"Tch, all you know is how to boss me around, you bastard captain who doesn't know the first thing about respecting his elders." Buggy grumbled under his breath, yet he still obediently dragged a large flatbed cart off the deck, cursing as he headed toward the market.

Watching the three of them head off in different directions, Ace stretched, then strode off alone on his long legs toward a certain old district in the deepest part of Loguetown.

Half an hour later, in a secluded back alley.

A dilapidated tavern, its sign nearly falling off, stood quietly in the shadows.

Ace hunched slightly, pushed open the low wooden door, and squeezed into the dim room.

There were no other customers in the tavern. Behind the bar, an old man with graying hair was slowly wiping a glass. Directly behind him hung a massive skull pierced by a sword.

Gold Roger Bar.

"Boss, give me the strongest drink you've got."

Ace walked up to the counter, pulled out a high stool, and sat down.

The tavern owner, Rale, stopped wiping the glass and lifted his eyelids to glance at the black-haired youth with the imposing physique and calm aura. He silently turned, poured a large glass of pungent, cheap liquor, and pushed it toward Ace.

"Judging by your build and temperament, you're no mediocrity from the East Blue."

Rale's aged voice echoed in the quiet tavern, "These days, Loguetown is crawling with idiot pirates who scream and shout the moment they see the execution platform. It's been a long time since a real monster visited this tavern."

"Is that so."

Ace picked up the glass and downed it in one gulp. The spicy alcohol rolled down his throat, bringing a rough, burning sensation.

He set the glass down, his deep black eyes looking calmly at the giant skull behind the bar.

"I heard that over twenty years ago, the man known as the Pirate King was a regular here before he set sail."

"Roger, huh..."

A complex look of nostalgia flickered in Rale's cloudy eyes. He sighed: "That bastard who laughed without a care in the world really did drink countless barrels of booze here. It's a pity; he used his death to open a great era, but he also invited a bunch of cowards who only know how to stir up trouble."

Rale looked up, studying Ace intently: "Young man, you have the same terrifying ambition in your eyes as that man did back then."

Ace sat there quietly, not pressing for details about Roger's past as others might have.

To him, that man was merely a pioneer of an old era. He had no need to imitate him, nor any reason to resent him.

"Good drink."

A moment later, Ace stood up composedly and flicked a gold coin from his pocket, which landed in the wooden bowl on the counter with a "clink."

"But old man, eras change."

Ace looked at Rale, a confident and calm smile tugging at the corner of his mouth: "The king of the old era is dead; someone has to sit on the throne of the new era."

He turned and pushed open the tavern door, walking out into the sunlight, leaving Rale staring at the gold coin on the counter, lost in a long silence.

Meanwhile, in a back alley behind a black-market warehouse in Loguetown.

"I'm exhausted! Those liquor-selling bastards didn't even offer delivery! A hundred barrels of booze plus all that meat—do they really think I'm a superhero?!"

Buggy, wearing a pair of sunglasses, struggled to drag a flatbed cart piled high like a mountain, grumbling as he navigated the secluded alley.

Suddenly, his footsteps faltered.

Relying on his years of pirate experience, Buggy keenly sensed something unusual ahead. He quietly poked his head out to look at the clearing at the end of the alley.

Two groups of local gangsters, looking fierce and menacing, were in the middle of a clandestine deal.

"Did you bring enough money? We lost over a dozen brothers just to snatch this from a group of smugglers from the Grand Line."

A scarred gang leader cautiously opened a wooden box lined with black velvet.

Inside the box lay a Devil Fruit with a bizarre shape, resting in silence. The fruit was translucent and pale green, its surface covered in strange, spiral patterns.

"Of course I brought enough. I don't know exactly what power it has, but as long as it's a Devil Fruit, it's priceless on the black market!" Another gang leader swallowed greedily and patted the two large black crates at his feet. "One hundred million Beli, not a cent less!"

Hiding in the shadows, Buggy covered his mouth, his small eyes widening into perfect circles.

"A Devil Fruit?! And one hundred million Beli in cash?!"

Buggy's heart hammered against his ribs. He had only been passing by; he never expected to stumble upon such a windfall from the heavens!

If this were the past, encountering a gang war over a transaction involving hundreds of men would have sent the cowardly Buggy running without a second thought. But things were different now.

For the last half-month, he had been forced into special training on the Eclipse by those two monsters every single day. Furthermore, his hands were now equipped with Seastone weapons custom-made for him by Ace.

Dealing with two underground gangs in the East Blue was as simple as crushing two ants.

"This luck of mine—I truly am the child of destiny! Hahahaha!"

Buggy stopped hiding and swaggered out from the corner, letting out an incredibly arrogant burst of laughter.

"Who's there?!"

The gang members in the middle of the deal were struck with panic, dozens of flintlocks and machetes instantly leveling at the red-nosed man who had emerged.

"That's the clown Buggy, the one with a fifteen-million Beli bounty! What is he doing in Loguetown?!" The scarred leader recognized Buggy's identity, his face draining of color. "Damn it, forget that! He's trying to steal our goods—shoot him!"

"Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!"

A dense hail of lead bullets fired frantically toward Buggy.

"A bunch of ignorant frogs at the bottom of a well, let me show you the true power of a pirate from the Grand Line!"

Facing the rain of gunfire, Buggy didn't dodge or weave; he instantly activated his Chop-Chop ability. His torso split into dozens of pieces, weaving flexibly through the air as every single bullet missed its mark.

"A monster! Bullets don't work on him!" The gang underlings turned pale with terror.

"Chop-Chop Flying Blade!"

Buggy sneered, his hands—clad in Seastone Knuckles—flying through the air like two cannonballs, tracing a sharp, lethal arc.

"Thud! Thud!"

The two gang leaders didn't even have time to react before Buggy's knuckles, reinforced with hard metal and Seastone, slammed heavily into their faces. Their nasal bones shattered instantly, and they rolled their eyes back before collapsing into unconsciousness.

With their leaders down, the remaining underlings were left leaderless. Watching the body parts dancing in the air like demons, they dropped their weapons and scrambled out of the alleyway in a panic.

In less than a minute, the battle was over.

Buggy's body reassembled itself. He dusted off his hands, walked over to the wooden crates, and happily stuffed the green Devil Fruit into his coat.

"One hundred million Beli in cash, plus a whole Devil Fruit! That woman Carina won't have anything to say now!"

Buggy triumphantly hoisted the two heavy money crates, tossed them onto a cart loaded with rum, and hummed a discordant pirate tune as he swaggered out of the back alley.

Two hours later, Loguetown Central Square.

When Ace, Sabo, and Carina met at the edge of the square, Buggy arrived pulling his cart.

"Captain! Sabo! Carina! Look at the fine treasure I managed to get today!"

Buggy approached them, looking for praise, and shoved the wooden box and the two money crates directly in front of the trio.

"Oh?"

Ace opened the wooden box and took a look, a flicker of realization passing through his deep, dark eyes.

Paramecia: Barrier-Barrier Fruit!

Even if the others didn't recognize it, Ace, possessing memories of his past life, identified this top-tier Paramecia fruit—known for its "absolute defense"—at a single glance.

"Where did you get this?" Carina opened the money crates and gasped, her eyes widening in shock at the full one hundred million in cash.

Buggy puffed out his chest and vividly described how he had walked right in and single-handedly snatched the gang deal from a hundred men.

Listening to Buggy's tale, Sabo and Carina couldn't help but look astonished. Who could have guessed that sending him to buy wine would result in him casually robbing a Devil Fruit and one hundred million in cash?

Ace closed the box and handed the fruit to Sabo for safekeeping.

He looked at Buggy, a satisfied smile curling his lips. This was exactly why he insisted on keeping Buggy on the ship; this Conqueror's Haki-level luck that brought windfalls wherever he went was truly irreplaceable.

"Well done, Buggy."

Ace offered a word of praise, then slowly turned, casting his gaze toward the center of the square.

There, a towering steel execution platform stood, silently looking down upon the bustling town.

"We're finally here."

Ace looked at the platform, a deep, cold glint flashing in his eyes.

"Let's go. We'll take a look at that execution stand. It's time to put a final period on this boring journey through the East Blue."