East Blue, an unnamed stretch of sea.
The moon shone bright among sparse stars, and a cool breeze swept across the ocean. The Poker Pirates' crude base had been built along the shore.
Several hundred meters overhead, a massive shadow hovered silently—a strange island wrapped in countless yellow flame clouds. A huge clockwork mechanism could be seen at its core.
In front of the base gates, all was silent. Lucci stood alone, expressionless, his cold gaze fixed on the buildings ahead.
"Hey! Kid, who are you? What are you sneaking around here for in the middle of the night?"
A rough voice shattered the silence. A pirate patrolman carrying a long saber emerged from the shadows, aggressively demanding an answer.
Lucci acted as if he had not heard him. He simply muttered to himself, his voice quiet but clear enough for the other man to hear:
"I hope you're worth killing. Otherwise, this is just a waste of time."
The patrolman froze for a moment, then burst into wild laughter as though he had heard the greatest joke in the world.
"Brat? Do you even know what insane nonsense you're spouting? This is the territory of Lord Big Bear King, who has a bounty of 9 million Beli! He's one of the foremost great pirates in East Blue! This isn't a place for some little brat like you to run wild!"
He deliberately raised his voice, intending to draw his companions' attention. Soon, chaotic footsteps sounded from within the base. Clearly, the other patrolmen were approaching.
Lucci paid no attention to the encirclement about to form. He could not even be bothered to waste words. With a thought, his body underwent a drastic transformation. His frame swelled to three meters tall as if inflated, two horns sprouted from his head,