Rumble
The long-slumbering beast opened its jaws.
Sabo lowered his cap and stayed at the back of the transport team, every muscle in his body tensed to the limit.
His Observation Haki was pushed to its maximum, ready for whatever horror lay beyond the door, Bioweapons, ancient monsters, world-ending machines…
As the Revolutionary Army's Chief of Staff, he was prepared to face hell.
However, when the door fully opened… there was no cold wind.
No stench of blood.
No monstrous roar.
There was only light.
A blinding, extravagant, almost physically painful, golden radiance.
"Ugh!"
Sabo raised his arm to shield his eyes. Even through his sunglasses, the brilliance stabbed into his vision, forcing tears out.
"What… what kind of weapon is this?! A beam attack?!"
But the worker in front merely sighed, used to it.
"Man… gotta wear shades again. Every time I come here, I feel like I go blind."
As his eyes adjusted, Sabo slowly looked up and froze.
His breathing stopped.
His thoughts halted.
Even his unwavering revolutionary heart skipped a beat.
Before him was not hell.
But, a golden ocean.
The underground chamber was enormous, at least fifty meters high, spanning what felt like the entire base.
And inside, there was only one thing.
Gold.
Mountains of gold.
To the left: a massive wall of gold bars and bricks, stretching endlessly.
To the right: piles of golden artifacts, fragments of a giant golden bell, chunks of golden ship plating, coins, statues,
All dumped together like trash, forming golden mountains.
"This… this…"
Sabo's mouth hung open.
Even knowing about Celestial Dragon wealth, this sheer, brute-force accumulation shattered his understanding.
This level of wealth could buy multiple nations or destabilize the entire world economy.
And here… it was just lying around, like decoration.
"Hurry up!"
Ain waved impatiently.
"Dump the newly minted coins over there. Don't block the path. Rehn said this batch will be used to lay the foundation for Lord Renzo's 'sleep-enhancing magnetic field.' Purity must meet standards."
"Yes!"
Workers carried crates, walking across literal gold dust.
Sabo followed mechanically.
Each step made his heart tremble.
"This is insane…"
He roared inwardly.
"How much did they extort to gather this?! This is worse than the Celestial Dragons!"
But then, he saw something even more shocking.
In the center, an empty area.
With crystal display cases.
Inside them, not jewels.
Not antiques.
But, Devil Fruits.
Dozens of them.
Zoan. Paramecia. Even Ancient Zoans.
Neatly arranged like fruit in a market.
"…Is this a wholesale market?!"
Sabo felt his worldview collapse.
Outside, each fruit sparked bloodshed.
Here, they were inventory.
Then, his gaze locked onto the center display.
A black velvet cushion.
And upon it, a fruit.
Pineapple-shaped, dark purple, swirling patterns, emitting faint black smoke.
His heart slammed.
The Dark-Dark Fruit.
The most fearsome ability.
The nemesis of all Devil Fruit users.
His ultimate target.
It just lay there.
No traps.
No guards.
As if inviting him: "Come take me."
He swallowed.
Less than twenty meters away.
One burst of speed, and it would be his.
"Hey! You!"
Ain's voice suddenly rang out.
"!!!"
Sabo froze.
Cold sweat poured down.
'Had I been discovered?!'
He forced a dull smile.
"Y-Yes, Vice Admiral?"
Ain didn't even look at him.
"That crate's crooked. Move it properly. This is a restricted zone; no one lingers."
"Yes!"
He bent down quickly.
But his eyes remained locked on the fruit.
So close, yet so far.
His Haki warned him that beneath the platform was a terrifying detection system.
Any disturbance, and the entire area would lock down instantly.
Plus, Ain was here.
If he was delayed even a second, Rehn. Mihawk. Renzo, they would all arrive.
'Can't force it…'
He steadied himself.
He set down a crate with a loud bang.
The sound snapped him out of the trance.
He straightened and scanned the room again.
Gold blinded his eyes.
Devil Fruits tempted his mind.
'What is Renzo planning?'
'Is all this really… just for sleeping?'
'No… this is something bigger.'
His resolve hardened.
'This power… in his hands… is dangerous.'
'I have to take it.'
'For the mission, and for balance.'
He stepped back slowly, blending with the workers.
With each step, his mind raced.
'Force is out.'
'Swap?'
'No, its aura is unique.'
'Then…'
He remembered.
The finals.
'The prize… is this fruit.'
'So in one month… it will leave here.'
T'hat's the only chance.'
'My only chance.'
He exited.
The massive door closed.
The golden world vanished.
Click.
Locked.
Sabo stood in the corridor, staring at the door.
Then, he smiled.
Confident. Cunning.
'Wait for me… Dark-Dark Fruit.'
'You're mine.'
'I'll take you…'
"In the most G-5 way possible'
"Efficient.'
'Silent.'
'Right under everyone's nose.'
He lowered his cap and walked off.
Hands empty, but in his mind, a bold, insane, perfectly calculated heist plan had already begun to take shape.
At that moment, Sabo was no longer the Revolutionary Army's Chief of Staff.
He was the Phantom Thief.
...
30 Chapters in [email protected]/DaoistJinzu