Chapter 16: So, What's the Plan?
The entire Spade Pirates crew was huddled in the now-broken cell, forming a rough circle. Ace and Roy were squatting at the center.
"What's the plan?" Roy asked, looking at his captain.
"A meeting, of course!" Ace declared, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "Whenever you find treasure, you have to have a meeting to decide the next move. It's standard pirate procedure."
Roy blinked. "Right. So, what's the information? Let's analyze it."
All eyes turned to Ace, waiting for their captain to lead the briefing.
Five minutes passed.
Snnnnrk... snnnnrk...
Ace was asleep, a peaceful bubble of snot expanding and contracting at his nostril.
The crew collectively sighed.
"Alright, forget the 'reliable' captain for a minute," Roy said, taking charge. "Here's what we know. The enemy has a Devil Fruit user who can create powerful illusions. You all saw the butterfly woman."
Nods all around.
"Right. Well, first piece of crucial intel: she is actually a he."
A stunned silence fell over the group, followed by a chorus of disgusted groans. "Eww!" "What?!" "No way!"
"I know, it's disturbing," Roy continued, suppressing a grin. "I saw him after I pretended to be unconscious. The good news is, his illusions seem to rely on some kind of hypnotic powder. If we can stay alert, Ace's fire should be able to burn it away or at least disrupt it. The other good news is... there really is a treasure here."
The word "treasure" acted like a splash of cold water. Ace jolted awake, his eyes snapping open and gleaming with a predatory light. "Treasure? Where?"
Roy shook his head in disbelief. "This is what I overheard. They're using a fake treasure map to lure pirates here, capture them, and force them to dig. The real treasure is buried deep in this mountain, and they're almost through to it."
Ace leaped to his feet, all traces of sleep gone, replaced by pure, unadulterated avarice. "A real treasure! Little ones, you heard him! Let's go! Plunder mode!"
In the blink of an eye, Ace was already creeping down the corridor, leaving the rest of them to scramble after him. Roy noted the sophisticated construction of the underground complex—the multiple cells, the strategic use of Seastone. This wasn't some makeshift pirate hideout. This had once been a Marine base.
They moved stealthily until the corridor opened up, revealing a staggering sight. It was a massive, man-made pit, spiraling down hundreds of meters into the earth's belly. Along the spiral path, dozens of emaciated figures swung pickaxes in a monotonous rhythm, driven by the crack of whips wielded by brutish overseers.
"Those poor souls are the other pirates who fell for the trap," Roy whispered, pointing at the laborers. "But who are the ones with the whips?"
"I don't know," Joseph murmured, squinting. "But they have a Jolly Roger on their arms. They're from a specific crew."
"Roy, the treasure is down there?" Ace asked, his voice hushed with excitement.
"According to them, it's at the very bottom," Roy confirmed. "My suggestion is we wait. They said they're almost done. Let them do the hard work. When the treasure is out in the open... it becomes ours."
Ace looked at Roy, a slow, approving grin spreading across his face. "Roy... I'm starting to see it. You've got a real devious streak. I like it."
Roy stared back, deadpan. "Please don't say it like that. It sounds weird."
Unbeknownst to them, their escape had been discovered. With the treasure so close, their captors had decided the Spade Pirates were expendable.
"What do you mean, they're gone?!" the butterfly-winged man—Pendulum—hissed, his delicate facade gone, revealing the sharp, angry man beneath.
"They must have escaped. It seems one of them had a trick up their sleeve," replied a lanky man with spectacles, the crew's Chief of Staff. "No matter. The treasure is what's important."
"Colonel Roddy's hoard... the wealth he plundered from this entire sector two centuries ago... it's finally within our grasp!" Pendulum's eyes glittered. "Billions of Beri! We cannot allow any interference."
Just then, a pirate came running up, breathless with excitement. "Deputy Captain! Chief of Staff! We've broken through! We've reached the treasure chamber!"
A vicious smile spread across Pendulum's face. "Excellent. Signal the ship. Prepare for departure. And once the treasure is secured... eliminate everyone. No witnesses."
The Chief of Staff adjusted his glasses, his expression cold. "First, we deal with the Spade Pirates. Their captain is a Logia. We'll need these." He hefted a heavy club, its tip gleaming with the dull grey of embedded Seastone.
"Good," Pendulum nodded, his body already beginning to shimmer and distort. "Let's hunt them down. Hypno-Chrysalis!"
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Which StrawHat is Your Fav? Mine is Goku jk it's Robin.
Gimme your stones or Goku will Touch You.