The sky was clear and cloudless, the dazzling sun hanging high above the endless sea.
Across the vast blue ocean, the Thousand Sunny sailed steadily with the wind and waves, heading straight toward the Sabaody Archipelago. Laughter, shouting, and chaos filled the deck, making the ship livelier than ever.
On the deck, Roronoa Zoro, shirtless and drenched in sweat, was chasing Monkey D. Luffy with a terrifying expression.
Zoro had been training seriously, but Luffy, overflowing with energy as always, had decided to chase butterflies together with Chopper. The result was disastrous. Several tons of training equipment came crashing down, nearly flattening Zoro in the process.
"Help!"
Luffy ran wildly across the deck with his tongue sticking out, while Chopper screamed in panic as he clung to Luffy's neck.
"Yohohoho…"
On the second floor, inside the flower garden, three stunning women sat gracefully beneath a sun umbrella. The gentle sea breeze brushed past them, carrying the scent of flowers and salt.
Unfortunately, a skeleton sat among them, completely ruining the elegant atmosphere.
The Straw Hat Pirates had already passed through the Florian Triangle and defeated Gekko Moriah. Just like in the original timeline, Brook had officially joined the crew.
"Miss Nami, may I admire your underwear?"
Brook held his coffee cup politely and adjusted the sunglasses on his skull, speaking with refined enthusiasm.
"Do you want to die?"
Nami, who had been in a decent mood, immediately put on a devilish smile and glared at him coldly.
"I am deeply sorry for my rudeness."
Brook trembled violently, then slowly turned his attention toward Nico Robin, who was quietly reading a book beside them.
"Miss Robin, could you perhaps…"
"You can."
Robin smiled mysteriously. Her long hair fluttered gently in the sea breeze, and for a brief moment, Brook swore he saw sacred wings spreading behind her.
"I have seen an angel…"
Reality, however, was far less kind.
Nami punched Brook squarely on the head, sending him rolling across the ground while clutching his skull.
"I'm dying, I'm dying…"
His pitiful screams echoed through the flower garden.
"Robin, you absolutely must not indulge him."
Nami blew on her fist, a wisp of white steam rising as she snorted in dissatisfaction.
"Oh?"
Robin glanced at Brook with a knowing look, as if to say he deserved it, then calmly returned to her book.
Brook, however, was nothing if not persistent.
He shifted his gaze toward Ann, who sat quietly with a cup of coffee in hand, her eyes fixed on the distant horizon. She wore a rose red dress, her posture calm and elegant.
"Ah… Miss Ann, may I see your underwear?"
Brook lay on the ground, staring pitifully at the long, fair legs beneath her dress.
"Yes."
Ann turned around with a gentle smile, one that bloomed like a snow lotus atop an iceberg.
In Brook's mind, the scene transformed instantly. Ann stood up gracefully, slowly removing her dress. The image before him was intoxicating, beautiful beyond words.
But that was only in his imagination.
From Nami and Robin's perspective, Brook suddenly stood upright with a foolish grin on his face. His eyes sparkled with heart shapes as his hands grasped at empty air, completely immersed in his own delusions.
Ann remained seated, calmly sipping her coffee, utterly unaffected.
In Brook's illusion, those fair legs slowly parted. Just a little more, just a little closer, and he would finally see everything.
Then, without warning, a hideous ghost appeared.
Its eyes bulged and oozed pus, its face twisted with malice and hatred. The sudden horror shattered Brook's fantasy instantly.
"Help!"
A hysterical scream tore through the air. Smoke burst from Brook's eye sockets, and his soul nearly fled his body as he collapsed onto the ground.
When he regained his senses, there were no fair legs, no gentle smile. Everything had been an illusion.
Especially that ghost. It had terrified him to the core.
"Brook, what on earth did you see to scare you like that?"
Nami crossed her arms, genuinely curious. Brook's reaction made it seem like he had been traumatized beyond reason.
She already knew this was Ann's ability, illusions and mental interference.
Brook was clearly shaken.
At that moment, a news bird landed on the table with a newspaper hanging from its neck.
"Huh? The Magician, the Big Eater, the Mad Monk… they're all dead on the Sabaody Archipelago!"
"Of the Eleven Supernovas, only Straw Hat Monkey D. Luffy and Roronoa Zoro remain."
Nami paid the bird in Berries, complaining as usual about the ridiculous price. However, the moment she read the news, her face drained of color.
Ann also picked up a newspaper, her brows knitting slightly.
The situation was worse than expected. Not a single Supernova had survived. Only Luffy and Zoro remained.
This clearly meant someone on Sabaody was deliberately hunting Supernovas, possibly waiting for the Straw Hat Pirates to arrive.
Who could it be?
In the original events, Admiral Kizaru only appeared after Luffy struck a Celestial Dragon. But now, they had not even landed on the island yet.
"Someone is targeting the Supernovas. Luffy and Zoro could be next."
Robin spoke calmly, though the tension was obvious.
"The Marines are listed as the most likely suspects, but Sabaody is unavoidable. We need the ship coated to reach Fish Man Island and enter the New World."
Nami looked visibly worried.
"The Sabaody Archipelago is a necessary stop."
Ann took another sip of coffee, her expression cold and composed.
"What are you all talking about?"
A head suddenly leaned in from the deck. Luffy grabbed the newspaper from Robin's hands with his mouth and pulled it back.
"Supernova…"
"Luffy, aren't Supernovas famous people like you?"
Chopper's eyes sparkled with excitement, but as he continued reading, his expression slowly collapsed into panic.
"Lu… Luffy, maybe we shouldn't go to Sabaody…"
Chopper looked close to tears. After all, Luffy and Zoro were both Supernovas.
"No, I want to go."
Luffy answered instantly, without the slightest hesitation.
Nami covered her forehead, already feeling a headache coming on.
...
"Master, the auction will begin in one hour."
On a hotel rooftop in Area One of the Sabaody Archipelago, Lucien sat beneath a sun umbrella, calmly sipping his coffee. The sharp sound of high heels echoed behind him as Stussy approached.
It had already been a full day since Lucien killed Kid and the others. Each Supernova had granted him one chance to roll the Dice, bringing his total to five opportunities.
Five more, and he could synthesize another luck bonus.
"Let's go."
Lucien set his cup down. His body rapidly shrank, soon becoming that of a five or six year old child. Stussy lifted him effortlessly and carried him out of the hotel.
Lucien relaxed against her, enjoying the familiar warmth without restraint.
Law would also attend the auction, but they would arrive separately.
At the same time, Stussy's appearance subtly shifted, every detail refined to perfection.
The massive auction house in Area One was already crowded. Pirates, Marines, merchants, and people of all races gathered together, drawn by the annual event.
Even the Celestial Dragons were rumored to be attending.
Lucien was carried inside and seated near the back.
Soon, panic erupted near the entrance. People knelt instinctively as three figures entered.
An elderly Celestial Dragon wearing sunglasses and leaning on a cane walked in, dressed in a luxurious spacesuit with a bubble helmet. Beside him was another Celestial Dragon, snot dripping from his nose, his expression arrogant and disgusting.
The third was a young female Celestial Dragon, her face partially concealed by a silk scarf and sunglasses. Even so, her delicate features were impossible to hide.
Saint Rosward.
Saint Charloss.
Saint Shalria.
A perfectly intact Celestial Dragon family.
____
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