Heavenly Tribute and the Madman

"Just a mechanic who can't stand trash, that's all."

Jeno spat out a screw he'd been holding in his mouth and wiped his cheek casually with the back of a grease-stained hand. He slammed his heavy Hydraulic Power Hammer onto the ground with a loud thud, the impact making the surrounding scrap metal tremble.

Ace watched this man, who smelled of engine oil and perfectly integrated a rugged mechanical exoskeleton with his own flesh, a hint of appreciation flashing in his eyes.

"We need top-tier black steel to reinforce our ship." Ace got straight to the point, his tone steady. "Since you're a mechanic, you should know where to find some. Name your price."

Jeno looked Ace up and down, his gaze drifting past him toward the harbor in the distance.

"Top-tier black steel isn't just scrap metal; it doesn't come cheap."

Jeno hoisted his oversized power hammer onto his shoulder and strode forward. "Let's go. Let's take a look at your ship first. If it's just a piece of junk raft that'll fall apart at any moment, it doesn't deserve materials of that caliber."

Half an hour later, at a private berth in the harbor.

When Jeno stood before the black, medium-sized fast ship, his eyes—hidden behind goggles—lit up instantly. The reckless, roguish air he'd carried vanished, replaced by the excitement of someone who had found a rare treasure.

He shoved Buggy aside quite rudely, stepped onto the deck, and reached out to stroke the pitch-black hull.

"Iron Pine keel wrapped in anti-corrosive steel plating, a perfect hydrodynamic shape... this is a top-class warship born for speed and pressure resistance!"

Jeno tapped the deck excitedly, but soon, his gaze fell upon the ram at the bow and the waterline at the base, and his brows furrowed slightly.

"It's a fine ship, but it has one fatal weakness."

Jeno turned to look at Ace, who had just stepped aboard. "The currents in the Grand Line are incredibly violent; you might even encounter reefs or giant Sea Kings. Your bow and the front of the main keel are made of ordinary alloy. If you suffer a severe head-on collision, they will definitely crack. If you could recast the ram and the central keel axis with Starfall Black Steel, this ship could tear a warship in half even if you rammed it directly."

"Then use Starfall Black Steel." Ace's tone was decisive.

"You can't buy it."

Jeno irritably tugged at his messy, silver-gray hair and kicked the hull. "All the high-grade black steel on the market has been forcibly requisitioned by the warlords fighting the civil war."

Carina stepped forward, keenly spotting the loophole in his words: "They're fighting a civil war; they need weapons and funds more than anything. As long as we can afford the price, how could we not be able to buy it?"

"Because these supplies aren't for fighting a war—they're for saving their own skins."

Jeno sneered, his eyes filled with deep mockery. "The World Government doesn't care if this country falls into civil war or dies out completely. The deadline for this year's Heavenly Tribute is almost here. If they can't pay this massive tribute, the Iron Kingdom will be stripped of its status as a member nation, and the Navy's grand fleet will come and wipe this place clean."

"To hold onto their status, the warlords reached a temporary ceasefire. They've frantically scoured the entire country for the finest Starfall Black Steel, jewelry, and even managed to get their hands on an unknown Devil Fruit from the underground black market, all to offer as Heavenly Tribute to those bastards in Mary Geoise."

At this point, Jeno gripped the handle of his power hammer, grinding his teeth. "I've had my eye on that steel fortress where they store the Heavenly Tribute for a long time. I've always wanted to steal that batch of premium black steel. Unfortunately, it's guarded by thousands of heavily armed soldiers and dense artillery positions. On my own, I can't even get through that damn gate."

Upon hearing the words "Heavenly Tribute," Carina's face turned deathly pale.

"You want to steal the Heavenly Tribute?!" Carina felt a chill run down her spine. "That's a tribute for the Celestial Dragons! Once discovered, it's equivalent to declaring war directly on the World Government and the Celestial Dragons! The Navy Headquarters will send Admirals to hunt us down across the world!"

Buggy's legs went weak, and he nearly collapsed onto the deck. "We're done for, we're done for! This lunatic is going to get us killed."

Unlike the terror shown by the other two, Sabo simply adjusted the brim of his hat, a cold, disgusted glint flashing in his eyes.

After hearing Jeno's plan, Ace showed not a shred of hesitation; instead, a highly aggressive edge appeared on his face.

"Then let's do it together."

Ace looked at Jeno and issued his invitation to join the crew with extreme nonchalance. "You lead the way, and we'll work together to smash that fortress to pieces. The black steel inside is yours to upgrade this ship and yourself; the remaining treasure and that Devil Fruit belong to the Eclipse Pirates. Once it's done, you become my exclusive mechanic and set sail with us."

Jeno froze.

He looked at the black-haired youth before him, as if staring at a madman even crazier than himself.

"Do you have any idea what forcibly seizing the Heavenly Tribute means?"

Jeno couldn't help but let out a scoff, his eyes fixed sharply on Ace. "Once we make a move, there will be no place left for us on this sea. Aren't you afraid?"

"Afraid?"

Ace acted as if he had heard a boring joke. He took a step forward, his tall, sturdy frame exuding a heart-stopping sense of oppression.

"A mere Heavenly Tribute—so what if we take it?"

Ace's voice was steady and overbearing, each word striking the deck like a hammer. "My personality dictates that I will eventually clash with those Celestial Dragons who fancy themselves creators, and the Five Elders as well."

"I set sail simply for the thrill of it, to climb step by step to the highest and strongest position, so that no so-called 'god' can sit high above and ride on my head."

Ace's deep, dark eyes burned with wild ambition as he stared straight into Jeno's eyes.

"Since they think they are superior, I will drag them down from their altars and trample them under my feet. The person I intend to be is the strongest, governed by no rules whatsoever."

"Anyone who stands in my way, no matter who they are, will be crushed."

A brief, dead silence fell over the deck.

Jeno stared blankly at Ace.

No hypocritical justice, no empty slogans. Only the purest arrogance and absolute defiance. This man wanted to tear the sky apart, simply because he refused to look up and bow to anyone!

This kind of madness—treating the World Government as a mere stepping stone—was exactly to his taste!

"Hahahahaha!"

After the brief silence, Jeno threw his head back and let out a rough, metallic-sounding laugh.

He grabbed his heavy hydraulic war hammer and hoisted it onto his broad shoulder, the mechanical exoskeleton roaring with the sound of high-pressure steam.

"Robbing the Celestial Dragons' tribute? This death-defying job—I'm in!"

Jeno's eyes ignited with a frenzied fighting spirit. "Bring your men, Captain! Let's go and turn that damn fortress upside down!"

Watching the two of them hit it off instantly, Carina clutched her forehead in agony.

Reason told her she should set sail and flee immediately, but when she thought of the fortress full of treasures and Devil Fruits that Jeno had described, her greed as a top-tier money-lover ultimately triumphed over her fear of the World Government.

"Since the captain has already decided,"

Carina gritted her teeth and took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down. She looked at Ace, her gaze becoming incredibly sharp, "We can rob it! But let's get this straight: every single cent in that fortress must be counted and managed by me! Even if we're being hunted by an Admiral, I'm going to be running with the money in my arms!"

"No problem." Ace laughed heartily as he agreed to her terms, then turned and walked toward the gangplank.

"Sabo, Leona, get ready to work."

"Let's go see exactly how generous a welcome gift those so-called warlords have prepared for us."