After resting for a while and feeling his body had mostly recovered, Jacob Bovan slung the greatblade Blazing Warblade over his back and made his way toward the island's port.
The battle with Big Mom hadn't impacted the port area. It was still bustling with activity; several merchant ships were docked, loading goods to be transported and sold elsewhere.
Jacob selected a large, well-built vessel and leapt effortlessly onto its deck.
"Move faster, dammit! You lazy scum still want to eat tonight? At this rate, you can forget about dinner!"
A burly man with a thick beard cracked a whip in his hand. Anyone moving too slowly was struck without mercy.
The man's strength was no joke his lash tore through skin with each strike, drawing blood.
It was obvious: the people on board were slaves. They had no freedom and were treated with cruelty and contempt. Watching this unfold, Jacob suddenly felt a sharp clarity. This was the brutal world of pirates a world where only the strong survived.
The bearded man noticed Jacob standing at the ship's rail. He raised his whip and snarled, "Who the hell are you? Don't you know this is a merchant ship under Big Mom, one of the Four Emperors? Are you looking to die?"
His tone was revolting.
Jacob frowned slightly and rested his hand on the hilt of Blazing Warblade. In an instant, a wave of sword energy erupted skyward, then faded as he slowly let his arm fall back to his side.
"That's your punishment for being disrespectful," he said calmly. "Set sail now. I want to leave this place before nightfall. Understood?"
"You little—" The man raised his whip again, only to realize with horror that his hand was gone. Blood sprayed across the deck, and the searing pain caught up a heartbeat later.
Everyone who had been hauling cargo froze in shock.
"Ding. Slave A is stunned by the host's overwhelming power. Evaluation: E. Reward: One bottle of Coca-Cola."
"Ding. Slave B is stunned by the host's overwhelming power. Evaluation: E. Reward: One skewer of grilled gluten."
"Ding. Slave C is stunned by the host's overwhelming power. Evaluation: E. Reward: One Polaroid photo of Kalifa posing provocatively."
System, cut it out! Jacob growled mentally, shutting off the notification feed in his head. Who knew what kind of junk would come next? If another Kalifa photo dropped, he might just start coughing blood.
By the time Jacob reached his cabin, the burly man was finally coming to his senses.
"Hurry, hurry up! Get this wrapped up!" he screamed, clutching his bleeding stump.
At the Cake Island port, a flamboyant merchant vessel slowly sailed out. The once-proud man, now missing his left arm, stayed close to Jacob with a pale face and a forced smile.
"Sir, we've got plenty of fine food on board. Just say the word, and the chef will prepare whatever you want."
"Food, huh?" Jacob touched his stomach. Since arriving in this world, he hadn't tasted anything remotely satisfying. He couldn't deny he was craving something like the massive meat skewers Luffy devoured in the original story.
"Meat. The biggest, juiciest kind you've got. I want something that really hits the spot. Got it?"
"Understood, sir. Understood!"
The man bowed repeatedly, ignoring the blood seeping through his bandages, then hurried off toward the galley.
But as soon as he turned, his fake smile vanished, replaced by a venomous glare.
"Damn you. Ordering me around like a dog. I'll poison your arrogant ass."
He pulled a small porcelain bottle from his coat, filled with lethal poison extracted from a flower known as Gravebloom. He was certain it could kill even a monster like Jacob.
Still not satisfied, he opened a hidden compartment and pulled out a Den Den Mushi, dialing a number known to most merchants under Big Mom's rule. It connected to one of her lieutenants, the one responsible for merchant ship protection.
"Sir, this is Jakob from the Bofan merchant fleet. There's a situation on board…"
Twisting the truth with dramatic flair, Jakob ended the call and replaced the Den Den Mushi. A sinister smile crept across his face, growing darker by the second.