As the sun rose over the horizon, three pirate ships quietly docked at Sabaody Archipelago in the early morning light.
In Mangrove Area 14, inside a tavern, a white polar bear wearing an orange long-sleeved jumpsuit sat stiffly at a table. His round body, small dot-like eyes, and soft appearance made him look harmless and even cute.
Right now, however, Bepo was panicking.
Over the past two days, terrifying news had spread throughout Sabaody Archipelago, and he had heard every word of it. The deaths of the Mad Monk Urouge and Red Flag X Drake weighed heavily on his mind.
"Captain, we should leave as soon as possible," Bepo said anxiously.
As a Mink Tribe polar bear, Bepo had a timid personality and was prone to anxiety. His stress tolerance was extremely low, and his mental endurance was weak. Despite that, he was far from useless. He was very strong and highly skilled in martial arts.
"Our submarine still needs to be coated," Trafalgar Law replied, frowning slightly. "The water pressure below ten thousand meters is too strong."
Law was clearly troubled by the same issue.
Since they arrived on the island, rumors about the deaths of Urouge and Drake, both Supernovas, had spread everywhere. Worse still, the stories continued to change with every retelling.
Some claimed it was a Marine trap.
Others whispered that a powerful figure believed the Worst Generation had grown too arrogant.
After all, the Worst Generation were said to be the ones most likely to challenge the Four Emperors and claim the title of Pirate King.
For reasons Law could not explain, his eyelids kept twitching. A sense of unease lingered in his chest.
Although their ship was a submarine, diving ten thousand meters to reach Fish-Man Island was still extremely difficult. The safest option was coating.
But coating took time.
At minimum, three to four days. At maximum, ten days to half a month.
The longer the coating process, the safer the descent would be.
Elsewhere in Sabaody Archipelago, two other pirate crews were also keeping a close watch on the situation.
One was the On Air Pirates, led by the Supernova Scratchmen Apoo, with a bounty of 198,000,000 Berries.
The other was the Fire Tank Pirates, led by the Supernova Capone Bege, with a bounty of 138,000,000 Berries.
The deaths of Urouge and Drake had drawn their attention.
Still, it was only attention.
Unless an Admiral appeared, they had no reason to be afraid.
This was the confidence of the Worst Generation.
They had fought their way from the Four Seas to the Grand Line, surviving countless battles. If Urouge and Drake had fallen, it only meant they were not strong enough.
If it were them, they believed they could even clash with an Admiral.
The Supernovas of this era were exceptionally arrogant.
Mangrove Area 14 was an illegal zone.
Even in broad daylight, murder and robbery happened openly. Only those with strong fists could survive here.
A teenager who looked about sixteen strolled down the street. A cigarette rested between the fingers of his left hand, while his right hand remained tucked casually into his pocket.
Lucien Graves moved unhurriedly, as if simply searching for a tavern.
Stussy's intelligence network was extremely efficient. The moment Law, Capone Bege, and Scratchmen Apoo landed on the island, she received the news. Naturally, the first person Lucien wanted to find was Law.
Eternal life was within reach.
This time, Lucien intended to confirm whether the so-called miracle of the Op-Op Fruit was truly real, or if fate was mocking him.
Following the location Stussy provided, Lucien entered a tavern after only a short search.
As expected, the Heart Pirates were inside, eating.
Lucien's gaze immediately locked onto Law.
Perhaps it was instinct, or an unexplained sense of danger, but Law happened to look up at that very moment and met Lucien's amethyst-colored eyes.
The next instant, Law's vision blurred.
The teenager who had been six meters away appeared directly in front of him.
Not good.
Law's body tensed. A sharp chill ran up his spine, and every instinct screamed danger.
"Room."
Law reacted quickly, but Lucien already knew his abilities far too well.
Lucien's fist slammed into Law's abdomen.
Law doubled over instantly as a violent shockwave erupted from his back, smashing through the tavern wall and tearing through several adjacent buildings.
Eight black thorns erupted.
Five of them wrapped around Law's body, bending him into a shrimp-like shape. Veins bulged across Law's face as he gasped for breath, unable to scream from the pain.
Two more thorns sliced cleanly through his arms at the shoulders.
Any chance of using the Op-Op Fruit was eliminated.
The final thorn pierced into Law's body, injecting demon blood directly into him.
"Captain."
The Heart Pirates reacted at last, drawing their weapons and charging toward Lucien.
"Infighting."
Lucien turned his head slightly, his expression cold and indifferent.
The moment their eyes met his, the Heart Pirates lost control.
They turned on one another.
Even Bepo was not spared.
Whoosh, whoosh.
Lucien did not simply stand by and watch. He flicked his fingers repeatedly. Bloody holes appeared in foreheads, throats, and hearts, every strike fatal.
These people were nothing more than insignificant fodder to him.
Seven of the thorns retracted into his body. The last thorn held onto Law, whose body was already beginning to change under the influence of demon blood.
Lucien vanished.
The violent commotion had already drawn the attention of countless onlookers.
"That was the Heart Pirates."
"Someone is really hunting Supernovas."
"First the Mad Monk, then Red Flag, now even the Surgeon of Death."
"Who could do this? They're killing the Worst Generation."
"The Heart Pirates have been wiped out, and their captain is missing."
The news spread like wildfire across Sabaody Archipelago.
Less than a day after arriving, the Heart Pirates were completely destroyed.
Half an hour later, in Mangrove Area 13.
Capone Bege arrived with his subordinates to meet Scratchmen Apoo.
He could not ignore what had happened to Urouge, Drake, and Law.
"Isn't this Capone Bege, the Gangster with a bounty of 138 million Berries?" Apoo said, sounding amused.
"Scratchmen Apoo," Bege replied, cigar clenched between his teeth, his expression heavy. "You've heard about what happened to the Mad Monk, Red Flag, and the Surgeon of Death, haven't you?"
"Ah bah bah bah, of course," Apoo laughed loudly, showing no trace of fear.
Even if someone was targeting Supernovas, Apoo believed he could handle it. He was confident in his strength.
The conversation lasted no more than ten minutes.
They parted on bad terms.
What was discussed remained unknown.
Bang.
Lucien casually tossed Law onto the floor of the hotel room.
Law's severed arms were already regenerating, a clear sign that the demonic transformation was complete.
"Can you perform the Immortality Operation now?" Lucien asked bluntly.
"No," Law answered, struggling helplessly.
Lucien frowned.
He was certain Law was telling the truth.
That meant only one thing.
Law was still too weak.
The Op-Op Fruit's ultimate technique, the Immortality Operation, required a level of mastery Law had not yet reached.
Lucien still had a little over four years.
Within those four years, Law had to become strong enough.
Lucien's mood darkened instantly.
He lit another cigarette and exhaled slowly, his brows knitted in thought.
Should Law be left free range, or kept under control?
After a minute of consideration, Lucien made his decision.
Law would be kept.
Not sheltered, but thrown into storms.
From the moment Law became a demon, his fate was bound to Lucien's.
If Lucien died, Law would die with him.
But if Law died, Lucien would live on.
---