The final of the Okta Gladiator Tournament was held just as the sky darkened—not because of nightfall, but from heavy clouds hanging like a grim omen. The arena trembled with cheers. At its center, two figures stood facing each other: Bastien and his opponent, Captain Fergo "The Steel Wolf," a pirate who had returned from the Grand Line, infamous for his 67-million Berry bounty and his spinning saw-blade metal arm.
"I heard some little kid from West Blue kept winning. Let me send you back to the diaper-washing room," Fergo taunted as he revved up his saw-hand.
"Funny," Bastien replied flatly. "What are you going to say when your dentures go flying?"
---
The fight exploded like a bomb.
Fergo attacked wildly, swinging his saw and snapping at the air like a rabid wolf. Bastien danced between the strikes, leaping onto the arena poles, bouncing behind Fergo, and firing a shot at the hinge of the pirate's saw.
TING!
The sound of breaking metal rang out. Fergo roared and charged forward like a raging bull, forcing Bastien into close combat.
Blood, sweat, and sand flew as they clashed brutally. The audience winced as Bastien held his ground, even after taking a cut to his shoulder from the saw. But he kept fighting, and finally, with a powerful kick to Fergo's chin followed by a pistol whip to the temple, the pirate collapsed.
BOOM.
The arena fell silent.
Then the cheers exploded.
"CHAMPION!!" the announcer screamed, setting off cheap fireworks that immediately misfired into the organizers, sending several of them running around slightly on fire.
---
A few days later, Bastien returned to the harbor, bandaged up and walking like someone crushed under two weeks of unpaid rent.
But at the docks, a giant sheet of paper caught everyone's attention. Bold and clear:
WANTED – BASTIEN DEVIL – 58,000,000 BERRY
Captain of the Freebone Crew
WANTED – ARTHUR THE MAD DOG – 23,000,000 BERRY
Vice-captain of the Freebone Crew
WANTED – RAVY THE TITAN – 10,000,000 BERRY
Arthur, who spotted it first, screamed like he'd found a treasure chest.
"WHOA! Bastien! Look at this! Your face... you look like some folk hero! But... why do you look taller on this poster?!"
Bastien approached and snorted. "Marines love to exaggerate. Makes us look more terrifying."
"Look... they even changed my name from de Vill to Devil," Bastien added with a chuckle.
Nara narrowed her eyes sharply, snatched the poster, and read it carefully.
"Fifty-eight million?! That's crazy. From now on, even buying bread could turn into a fight to the death."
Ravi, who had to duck every time he exited the ship due to his 2.8-meter height, glanced at the poster and muttered,
"At this point, they'll probably mistake me for a walking house..."
Arthur's eyes sparkled as he looked at Ravi. "If you want, I'll stick a sign on your back that says 'Free Inn'."
Ravi stared flatly at Arthur. "If you do, you'll be sleeping under the deck. With the rats."
Juno arrived carrying a pot of hot tea, glanced over the bounty list, and gave a small nod.
"Good. That means it's official. We're no longer small fry."
---
But their attention was quickly drawn to something even grander:
Their ship had been fully renovated.
At the end of the dock stood a magnificent new vessel, with gleaming black hulls, huge sails bearing the emblem of a golden clover and a lucky star, and a cannon tower that made it look more like a floating fortress than an ordinary pirate ship.
La Fortuna had been reborn—GRAND FORTUNA.
Bastien slowly walked up the gangplank, running his hand along the rail, and gazed at the clearing sky.
"Our new home," he murmured. "And the home of even bigger troubles."
Arthur clapped Bastien on the shoulder.
"With a bounty and a ship this big, we're not going to be lonely. Everyone's gonna come looking for us."
Juno glanced at the list of missing supplies from the ship's storeroom.
"Everyone already came last night... stole two cooking pots, a couple of jugs, and some binding rope."
Bastien shrugged casually. "That's normal. They know we're starting to become legends."
Ravi dropped a heavy crate onto the deck with a DUM! and grunted,
"Legend or not, if the beds are cramped again, I'm sleeping outside. This time, I'm getting a bed fit for an elephant."
Arthur roared with laughter. "I'll help sew a blanket the size of a football field!"
They all laughed. And as the sun broke through the clouds, the small crew of the Grand Fortuna stood on deck, facing the vast open sea.
The world now knew Bastien's name.
And that name would continue to echo.
---
Meanwhile, on Ovelia Island – West Blue...
An old man with a massive scar across his face sipped tea while reading the newspaper.
"Bastien de Vill... heh. About time that boy stirred up some trouble," Gerald Lazhar muttered, smiling meaningfully.