At that mont, hidden in a shadowy corner piled with construction materials, a pair of eyes quietly watched everything unfold.
"Incredible... Who the hell is that guy?!"
"He actually dared to kill a Celestial Dragon!!"
Barney Joe, a Revolutionary Army operative who had been cautiously hiding in the shadows, finally couldn't help but mutter to himself after watching the group of freed slaves slowly disappear into the distance.
"And that guy... he ended up freeing all the slaves of the Bridge Nation, too."
"Then what was the point of sneaking in and hiding here for so long?!"
He blinked in disbelief, unsure whether to laugh or cry.
Originally, as a Revolutionary Army mber, his mission was to lie low and wait for the right opportunity to liberate the enslaved people here.
But in the end, the job he was supposed to do had been completely taken over—and done flawlessly—by so mysterious powerhouse who showed up out of nowhere.
And honestly? That guy had done it way more efficiently and directly than any plan Barney Joe had co up with.
That very fact made all of Barney's painstaking efforts to infiltrate this place feel... more than a little pointless.
"Sigh... well, whatever. As long as the slaves are freed, that's what really matters."
"Whether it was or not... I guess it doesn't matter that much."
He let out a quiet sigh and tried to comfort himself with those words.
"But still, this whole unexpected situation definitely needs to be reported ASAP."
After all, even the Revolutionary Army usually avoided provoking the Celestial Dragons unless absolutely necessary.
And now? A mysterious individual had strolled into the Bridge Nation and straight-up beat a Celestial Dragon to death.
Then strung the corpse up on a streetlamp for everyone to see.
Sure, watching that Celestial Dragon get his couppance had been incredibly satisfying—Barney Joe felt that surge of justice like never before.
But the fallout from such an act...? Who could predict what would co next?
With that thought, Barney Joe pulled up his hood and quickly slipped away without hesitation.
Once he was gone—
In another shadowy corner stacked with materials nearby, soone else erged.
A scrawny, unremarkable man, short in stature with a scruffy beard and a cara clutched in his hands.
He stared in the direction where Will had disappeared, his eyes wide with both terror and excitent. He whispered in a trembling voice:
"To think I accidentally snapped so many jaw-dropping photos... This is amazing! FIRE!"
"But this place is way too dangerous! I've gotta get out of here—FIRE!"
He cautiously glanced around.
Once he was sure no one else was nearby, he jumped out from his hiding spot and dashed off, protectively cradling his cara as he fled.
...
Elsewhere—
Karina and Nami were still on the ship docked a fair distance away from the bridge.
Snowflakes drifted gently through the air as the two of them sat on deck, sipping steaming hot tea around a small table.
They were patiently waiting for their captain to return.
So far, luck had been on their side—no Marine ships or other strange vessels had co near.
As ti passed, they occasionally picked up their binoculars, scanning the sky over the Bridge Nation in search of that familiar silhouette.
But no matter how long they looked, there was no sign of him.
"Karina... do you think sothing might've gone wrong?" Nami asked, her voice tinged with worry. Will had been gone for quite so ti now.
Karina, while also a little anxious, gave her a reassuring smile.
"Don't worry, Nami. In all of East Blue, there's probably no one out there who can actually threaten our captain."
"You're right, Karina..."
Just then, a familiar voice rang out from behind them.
"Sorry to keep you waiting."
"Will?!"
Both Karina and Nami whipped their heads around in surprise.
Will approached with a smile, flopping lazily into his large deck chair.
Then, with an almost playful air, he placed the small treasure chest he'd been holding onto the table and said mysteriously:
"Guess what I brought back this ti?"
"Huh?" Nami and Karina exchanged puzzled glances.
Then in perfect sync, they blurted out, "Don't tell us... super valuable treasure?!"
Will's expression turned smug, as if to say I knew you'd guess that, and he replied vaguely:
"Well, you're not wrong. What's inside this chest is indeed extrely valuable."
"Even the most common kind could sell for at least 100 million Berries."
"WHAT?!"
Nami's eyes practically turned into stars as she lunged toward the chest, exclaiming in disbelief:
"You're saying whatever's in here is worth at least 100 million Berries?!"
She'd spent years working her butt off trying to scrape together that much money—and now Will claid the contents of this tiny box were worth that at a minimum?
That was downright insane!
Karina, on the other hand, narrowed her eyes thoughtfully.
A guess was starting to form in her mind.
Her expression shifted to one of shock as she murmured, almost to herself:
"Don't tell this is...?!"
Seeing her reaction, Will didn't bother dragging things out any longer. He reached forward and flipped open the chest.
No glittering gold. No sparkling jewels. Not even the faint scent of Berries.
Both Nami and Karina felt an involuntary wave of disappointnt.
But when their eyes landed on the strange fruit inside—
They both froze.
"It really is... a Devil Fruit!!" Karina was the first to snap out of it, exclaiming in shock.
Nami, still trying to process what she was seeing, followed up quickly with wide eyes:
"Wait... you an this is one of those legendary Devil Fruits?!"
"The kind that gives you so kind of special power when you eat it?!"
Her voice was so full of disbelief that she couldn't help but ask again, just to make sure.
"That's right!"
Karina nodded firmly, eyes glued to the fruit as she examined it with fascination.
"This is the source of power for all Devil Fruit users—the infamous fruits of the sea."
"Whoever eats one gains a unique ability, which can instantly skyrocket their strength."
"Though the cost is being cursed by the sea—you'll never be able to swim again."
"But honestly, becoming a landlubber is a small price to pay for that kind of power."
Will chuckled softly and interjected, shaking his head.
"Not quite, Karina."
"Not every Devil Fruit automatically boosts your strength."
"To figure out whether a particular fruit is actually useful to you—what kind of ability it grants, and what drawbacks it might have—"
"You usually need this."
He reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a book—the one he'd picked up along with the Devil Fruit—and casually handed it to the two won beside him.
--
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