Recently—
A piece of news had shaken the entire East Blue.
The Krieg Pirates, known as the overlords of East Blue—with five thousand men and fifty ships—had been annihilated in the waters of Sabaos.
Only a handful survived.
According to rumor, a massive whirlpool had appeared without warning, swallowing the entire fleet whole. Not a single ship escaped.
Krieg's corpse was later recovered by a passing merchant vessel.
His body had swollen grotesquely from seawater; if not for the unmistakable golden armor he wore, identification would have been impossible.
The merchant crew handed the body to the Marines and casually claimed the 17 million Beli bounty.
Countless people in East Blue beat their chests in envy.
Of course—
A few suspected there was more to the story.
But their attention was soon stolen by something else.
It was said—
Someone had found the Krieg Pirates' treasure map.
—
Baratie — The Floating Restaurant at Sea
Yuuki sat by a window-side table, basking in warm sunlight and the deep blue of the ocean while leisurely enjoying the meal before him.
The ingredients in this world were abundant—especially when handled by skilled chefs.
"Excellent steak," Yuuki commented after swallowing a perfectly cooked bite.
In truth—
Though he had spent years in the Clover world, he had rarely taken time to savor food.
Constant danger had sharpened his focus solely on strength.
Now—
He allowed himself to enjoy something as simple as flavor.
"Thank you for the compliment," came a flat voice.
"If you would kindly finish and leave immediately afterward, that would be even better."
Sanji stood beside the table, arms crossed, expression cold.
Sixteen-year-old Yuuki looked like nothing more than a boy to him.
Though—
There was something about him.
That calm aura.
The black-robed man standing rigidly behind him.
Sanji's instincts screamed noble lineage.
In the past few days alone, countless greedy pirates had stormed the Baratie because of the so-called treasure map.
Every single one had been dealt with by the silent black-robed figure.
No one required a second strike.
Precise. Efficient. Overwhelming.
Sanji knew—
That man was dangerous.
"Driving away customers isn't good practice for a restaurant," Yuuki replied without looking up.
The destruction of the Krieg Pirates had indeed been his doing.
Krieg had foolishly fired cannons in his direction.
Yuuki had simply erased the inconvenience.
As for the treasure map—
He did not possess it.
He merely spread the rumor.
The target?
Buggy the Clown.
The user of the Luck-Luck Fruit, Baccarat, was currently in the New World under the Golden Emperor.
To reach her—
Yuuki needed to enter the Grand Line.
He could build a ship easily.
That was trivial.
What he required was:
A Log Pose.Someone familiar with the Grand Line.And perhaps… a lucky guide.
Buggy fit all three criteria beautifully.
Rather than waste time searching the entire East Blue—
Yuuki simply dangled bait.
Buggy valued treasure maps above life itself.
He would come.
Finishing the last bite of steak, Yuuki wiped his mouth calmly and gave Sanji a dismissive glance.
Sanji was not yet a member of the Straw Hat crew.
Luffy would not set sail for another month.
Once—
Meeting characters from anime would have thrilled Yuuki.
Now—
After surviving gods and devils, such encounters stirred little emotion.
In fact—
In Yuuki's current priorities:
Usopp ranked higher than Sanji or Zoro.
Luck.
Probability.
Destiny distortion.
And Luffy—
Specifically, Luffy's awakened Gear Fifth.
The so-called "Sun God" Nika.
That power…
It carried divine undertones.
If it truly connected to godhood—
That would be interesting indeed.
"You realize what you're doing will bring disaster to this restaurant, right?!" Sanji snapped.
With every rumor spreading, more pirates would flood here.
Baratie could be destroyed.
Were it not for the black-robed guardian behind Yuuki—
Sanji would already have kicked him across the deck.
"Sanji!"
A stern voice interrupted.
A muscular old man with braided golden mustache strode forward carrying a tray.
Red-Leg Zeff.
Sanji clicked his tongue and stormed off toward the kitchen.
Zeff placed a cup gently before Yuuki.
"I brewed this myself. Care to try?"
He cast a cautious glance at the silent black-robed figure.
Seeing no movement, he relaxed slightly.
"Much appreciated," Yuuki replied lightly.
Zeff pulled out a chair and sat across from him.
"Would your companion like some as well?"
Yuuki lifted the teacup.
"He doesn't require it."
The red tea reflected in Yuuki's eyes—
Calm.
Unhurried.
Waiting.
Somewhere out there—
A clown was chasing a rumor.
And fate—
Was tightening its thread.
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