West Blue.
Entrance to Reverse Mountain.
Rasgap Town.
"It's starting. The captain of the Bed Pirates, with a bounty of 14 million Beli, is going to be publicly executed."
"This happens every month. What's there to get excited about?"
"But this time it's a 14-million-bounty pirate!"
...
The tavern buzzed with noise. Before long, some people paid their tabs and rushed toward the execution platform.
As the gateway from West Blue into the Grand Line, the execution platform of Rasgap Town served as a deterrent to all pirates in the West Blue.
As long as they were neither Devil Fruit users nor pirates specifically needed by the World Government, once captured, they would be sent here for public execution.
Once a month.
The number executed varied, but almost every time pirates would attempt a rescue—only to be ambushed and captured in even greater numbers.
On the execution platform, the colonel of Marine Branch 80 had finished reading out the crimes of the Bed Pirates.
The number of lives lost at their hands already exceeded several hundred.
Plunder was one of a pirate's main sources of income.
This era was not filled with people like Roger—pirates were forbidden from harming civilians, not even allowed to rob them.
(As mentioned in Oden's flashback.)
Ninety-nine percent of pirates didn't go out to sea for dreams.
They went out to plunder wealth.
"Execute."
With Colonel Lomi's order, Kevin—standing behind Bed—raised the long spear in his hand.
At the same moment, unrest erupted around the execution plaza.
"Kill them! Save the captain! For the treasure!"
"Slaughter the Marines!"
"Move! Now's the chance!"
"Boss Sorf! We're here!"
...
Before the shouting could fully erupt, it was met with prepared gunfire.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
Amid the barrage, the first criminal—Bed—let out a furious roar as the spear pierced straight through his heart.
Execution by impalement.
Colonel Lomi calmly began reading the crimes of the second mafia boss.
On the platform, Kevin looked down coldly, spear in hand.
Amid the hail of bullets, one man still managed to rush forward.
He used a long blade to guard his vitals, but three bullets had already torn into his body.
As he drew closer, his gaze locked onto Kevin—eyes filled with fear.
In the next instant, he swung his blade.
A flying slash surged toward the platform.
"Bang."
With a casual sweep of his spear, Kevin shattered it.
"Whoosh!"
The spear whistled through the air and pierced straight into the man's abdomen, the remaining half embedding deep into the stone plaza.
"Boom!"
The thunderous impact left all the pirates frozen.
How… was this possible?
Sir Adin—who could launch flying slashes—was killed so easily?
They hadn't even seen that spear clearly!
"Colonel Lomi, could you read faster?" Kevin complained casually, then looked at the kneeling mafia boss with shattered knees.
"You're pretty calm."
Sorf, dressed in prison clothes, kept his head lowered.
"People's lives aren't equal. I gave them what they wanted. Kevin—if you let me go, I can give you what you want."
He raised his head, eyes gleaming.
"Wealth and women. In West Blue, the Five Mafia Families can do anything. No one here can stop you—not even this Marine colonel who was a nobody two years ago."
Colonel Lomi nearly choked, glaring at Sorf like a dead man before continuing the reading.
When the sentence ended, Kevin drove a fresh spear straight through Sorf's body.
"You can't give me what I want."
Half an hour later, the execution concluded.
...
Marine Branch Dormitory
Kevin lay on his bed, sinking his consciousness into the prison within his body.
This was his cheat—his golden finger—after arriving in the world of pirates.
A prison that detained souls.
All criminals executed by his hand had their souls dragged here.
At the center stood a high platform.
Eight corridors extended outward, lined with countless cells.
Bed—executed by impalement—now occupied a cell in Corridor Six.
Upon awakening, he stared at Kevin in terror.
"Tsk tsk… Just over 1,000 sin points. Enough for a Bronze Treasure Chest."
"I'm already dead! Why am I still here?! Kevin?!"
"Death isn't the end for people like you. After all—far too many ordinary people died at your hands."
Kevin tapped his temple.
"Think carefully. The prison rules should've already told you everything."
"As the soul with the best quality this time… you'll experience pain first."
Black flames erupted within the cell, engulfing Bed's soul instantly.
"AAAAH!!"
"Bastard!!"
"Kill me!!"
"It hurts—Aaaah!!"
Kevin dug in his ears.
"Such familiar screams… Let's begin."
In the next moment, every imprisoned soul began screaming in agony.
No fainting.
No loss of consciousness.
The black flames burned away sin—one point per minute—until nothing remained.
Only then would the soul vanish.
The absorbed sin became Kevin's power.
100 sin points → Wooden Chest
1,000 → Bronze
10,000 → Silver
And so on.
Two years ago, Kuma sent him here.
Since then, using the execution platform of Marine Branch 80, Kevin had opened many chests.
Wooden chests gave kunai, shuriken, flintlock guns…
Bronze chests gave Shadow Clone skill cards, modern pistols…
As for Silver—
A year ago, he'd wasted sin opening low-tier chests and regretted it deeply.
Still, attribute cards had vastly boosted his physical abilities.
Shattering flying slashes.
Driving a spear halfway into stone.
All proof.
And Shadow Clone no longer consumed chakra—
It consumed stamina, like a Devil Fruit ability.
"This time: four executed, one bonus kill. That one only had 300 sin points. Total: 3,200. With savings—36,000."
Kevin stared at his hand.
Three Silvers?
Or wait for Gold?
He'd never opened a Silver before…
His heart itched.
His hands itched.
Just one?
The sin counter dropped to 22,400.
A Silver Treasure Chest appeared.
Kevin rubbed his hands and opened it.
The shifting light froze.
A yellow… cloud?