The sky was clear, an endless blue stretching without a single cloud in sight. Below it, the turbulent sea reflected scattered light as Ghost Mask Harley streaked across the waves, leaving behind faint trails of fire and sparks before vanishing into the distance.
Lucien Graves held a locally made Pirate World cigarette between the fingers of his left hand. His amethyst eyes briefly shifted to the navigation compass embedded in the device strapped to his right wrist. After fixing his direction, he leaned forward and sped away.
After turning Charlotte Katakuri into a demon, Lucien had spent an entire day familiarizing himself with the use of a navigator's compass before finally setting off. His destination this time was Trafalgar Law, and the reason was simple. The Immortality Operation.
According to the known explanation of the Op Op Fruit, it could grant eternal life to another person, but the price was the user's own life. A cruel exchange, yet one that tempted countless powerful figures.
This time, Lucien did not use Big Mom's appearance, nor his original face. Instead, he subtly altered his features, shaping himself into a handsome, mature man with an imposing but restrained presence.
Prometheus, Zeus, and Napoleon were left behind. They had been entrusted to Smoothie and the others, who were tasked with expanding territory and asserting influence. Lucien had no intention of bringing them along.
Aside from seeking the Immortality Operation, he also planned to secretly control a few powerful individuals or, if the opportunity arose, eliminate Luffy and several other people from his original world. After careful thought, Lucien still believed that direct combat was the fastest path to growth.
Judging by the timeline, the Straw Hat Pirates had likely already defeated Gecko Moria and would soon arrive at the Sabaody Archipelago. From there, they would encounter Admiral Kizaru, followed by the outbreak of the Marineford War.
During that chaotic period, Lucien could easily fish in troubled waters and quietly remove a few key figures.
What annoyed him most was the fact that Big Mom was treated as only a secondary antagonist. A Yonko of her stature, reduced to such a role, did she truly have no pride left? It was infuriating.
On the restless waters of the Grand Line, a yellow submarine broke the surface and cruised steadily toward Sabaody Archipelago. This vessel belonged to the Heart Pirates, Trafalgar Law's crew.
As one of the Supernovas of the Worst Generation, Law was already a notorious name. With a bounty of 200,000,000 Berries, he ranked fifth among the eleven Supernovas and was widely known as the Surgeon of Death.
Law was not the only one heading for Sabaody. Nearly all the Supernovas were making their way there, since the archipelago was a mandatory stop before entering the New World.
As the sun dipped below the horizon, the sky was dyed red with layered clouds.
Lucien exhaled a stream of smoke as he stepped onto Sabaody Archipelago, heading straight for the mangrove zones numbered 70 through 79.
There was no mystery behind his choice. That area was known as the hotel district. Whether those hotels were respectable or not was something Lucien intended to determine personally.
Compared to when Lucien had first crossed into this world, Sabaody was noticeably more lively. Pirates, underground brokers, and maritime bosses gathered openly, filling the air with restless energy.
He rented a bubble car and drove slowly toward his destination. Along the way, he occasionally caught fragments of extortion, muffled screams, and crude laughter drifting out from shadowed alleys, accompanied by desperate pleas of refusal.
Though it was only dusk, the nightlife had already reached its peak.
The buildings between zones 70 and 79 were all hotels, each decorated with deliberately suggestive designs. Pink-toned signs depicted bold and unmistakable imagery, while working girls lined the streets, their expressions ranging from practiced allure to quiet despair.
What bothered Lucien the most was the sight of young girls trembling in the cold sea breeze.
He wandered through several streets before finally selecting a place. He told himself that he was lending a helping hand. After all, he was still a kind person at heart.
Since Law and the other Supernovas would not arrive for several more days, Lucien decided to explore the entire district thoroughly.
He was not particularly interested in anything else. He simply appreciated the atmosphere of such establishments.
In Lucien's view, no matter how beautiful or noble the heroines of various worlds appeared, they lacked the raw, lived-in humanity of these women. That difference mattered to him more than elegance ever could.
Upon entering the hotel, even the lighting glowed pink.
"Welcome."
The soft, melodic voice sent a faint itch through Lucien's chest.
After a brief introduction from the staff, he was escorted to Room 101. A quick inspection showed that everything expected was present, and several things that probably should not have been. He took a shower, wrapped a towel around his waist, lay back on the bed, and casually read the newspaper while waiting.
Lucien had wanted to help many people, but in the end, he chose only five.
A knock sounded at the door.
Five working girls entered quietly.
Youthful, seductive, charming, cute, and shy, the combination was carefully curated.
"It's a pleasure to serve you," one of them said.
"Bring me the most expensive one," Lucien replied.
He snapped his fingers, rolled onto his stomach, and closed his eyes.
Then, without warning, the atmosphere changed.
Three cold gun barrels pressed against the back of his head, while two daggers gleamed at his sides.
The five girls sneered, their earlier personas vanishing completely.
Lucien opened his eyes slowly, a strange expression crossing his face.
A scam hotel? A honey trap?
Were there eighteen burly men waiting outside?
"Don't move!"
Lucien rolled onto his back and leaned against the headboard as the gun barrels pressed against his forehead. The women with the daggers began searching his clothes.
"Please don't poke me," Lucien said calmly as he lit another cigarette, irritation flickering in his eyes.
His good mood had been thoroughly ruined. Of all places for a trap, this one offended him the most.
"He's broke," one of the women scoffed after checking his belongings.
"Knock him out and sell him to the slave market," the woman holding the flintlock pistol ordered smoothly.
Their movements were efficient and practiced. Clearly, Lucien was not their first victim.
"You plan to sell me?" Lucien's eyes narrowed.
He had intended to save them, but their hearts were darker than his own.
"Boss, he's just an ordinary man, maybe worth twenty to thirty thousand Berries."
"Money is money."
"What the boss says is right."
"Let's finish this quickly and move on."
They ignored him completely.
"Kneel," Lucien said coldly.
His will surged outward.
The five women turned pale and collapsed to their knees, their bodies slamming into the floor uncontrollably.
"What did you do to us?" the youngest cried, panic filling her eyes.
"Stop breathing," Lucien said flatly.
She clutched her throat, face flushing as she collapsed, struggling briefly before going still.
The remaining four froze in terror. They finally understood that they had provoked a monster.
"You should let us go, or you'll bring disaster upon yourself," the leader forced out.
Lucien exhaled smoke slowly. His mood was at its lowest.
Compared to the service he had experienced in other worlds, this was nothing short of heartbreaking.
A loud crash interrupted the room.
The door to Room 101 was kicked open, and more than a dozen burly men rushed in, machetes raised. Their faces were twisted with greed and cruelty.
So it really was a complete honey trap.
For an ordinary person, resistance would have been impossible. Kneeling, being sold, and vanishing forever would have been the only outcome.
Their corruption ran deep, rotten to the core.
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