At the alley entrance, Robin stood with arms crossed, watching as Jin returned with his Berries.
She shook her head slightly. "You're disturbingly adaptable…"
The Black Port had no laws, no rules. Chaos was the only order. The strong devoured the weak.
Survival meant adaptation.
…
In a nearby inn…
A tall, slender man with flowing golden hair stared at his tarot cards.
They called him the "Nightmare Magician," a man obsessed with fortune-telling.
Just moments ago, his eyelid had twitched—hard.
He didn't know why.
But something terrible was coming.
He immediately reached for his deck.
To divine his fate.
The man quickly pulled out his tarot deck.
He laid out the cards in practiced silence.
The reading was ominous.
Disaster. Large-scale.
Without hesitation, he sprang to his feet and shouted to his crew, "Pack up. We're leaving—right now!"
…
By the time twilight settled over Lvneel's southern port, the auction was already underway.
Jin and Robin entered quietly. Their tickets only granted access to the free seating area, which meant they could observe but not participate in bidding.
Which was fine. It was mostly boring anyway.
Until the Devil Fruit appeared. Then, suddenly, everything lit up.The tension surged, and the room vibrated with anticipation.
A loud voice announced its name.
Paramecia-type: Spring-Spring Fruit.
The bidding war exploded.
Price soared quickly.
350 million Berries.
Bellamy was obviously planted in the crowd to stir the pot and inflate the numbers.
Ironically, his New World bounty wasn't even worth 200 million.
Technically, the man owed the fruit 150 million just to break even.
Jin didn't spend a single coin. But the spectacle was worth the seat.
After wandering from island to island since his journey began, this was the first time he got to enjoy something like a proper night out. And with Robin beside him under the soft auction lighting… he began to wonder if now might be a good time for something a little less appropriate.
He was just turning that thought over when Robin gently elbowed him.
Oh?
Had she sensed the same thing? Was this chemistry?
Apparently not.
Robin leaned in and whispered, "Let's go. Something's off."
Jin raised an eyebrow. "How so?"
But even as he asked, he was already on his feet. He trusted her instincts—and his own Observation Haki had picked up some irregular tremors too.
"There are Marines here," Robin murmured.
Jin shrugged. "South Port has a Marine base nearby. It's not exactly shocking they'd show up at the black market."
Robin's gaze sharpened. "I used my ability to eavesdrop backstage. This whole auction—it's a trap."
Her voice dropped even lower. "The port's commander is trying to get promoted to Rear Admiral. He was one step short… so he arranged a mass pirate arrest."
Jin exhaled.
Ah. Of course. Time to clear house before the new year.
Not even a minute after they stepped outside…
BOOM.
Cannonfire roared from Black Port. On the far side of the black market, a massive Marine force breached the walls.
"Kill them all!"
"Capture every pirate, every criminal! Don't let a single one escape!"
Gunshots. Explosions. Screams.
Chaos unfolded in every direction.
The pirates and traders scattered like startled cockroaches, crashing into stalls, overturning carts. Cannonballs blasted through rooftops. There was nowhere safe.
Fires lit up the night sky.
Smoke blanketed the streets.
Jin and Robin had left before the worst hit, and now moved quickly toward the port. They didn't have to fight the panicking mob behind them.
By the time they reached Black Port, dozens of pirate ships were already ablaze.
The sea glowed with flame.
Three Marine warships blocked the only exit.
Spotlights cut across the waves.
Cannons boomed, lighting up the darkness.
Over a hundred Marines were storming ashore, torching ships and capturing any crew foolish enough to remain.
"Amazing," Jin clapped. "They're going for a clean sweep."
The Marines weren't just aiming to boost one officer's career—this operation reeked of political maneuvering within Lvneel's royal court. Someone had decided it was time to reset the balance of power.
Probably someone with too much ambition and not enough patience.
Damn it.
Jin had intended to track a few of the Devil Fruit bidders after the auction and harvest their soul crystals.
Now the entire board had flipped.
"Forget it," he muttered. "Too messy. Let's just get out for now."
They fought their way through a few scattered stragglers and made it back to their ship.
BOOM.
"Pink Poison Arrows!"
A battle was underway near the docks—a young woman with short, cotton-candy-pink hair fought fiercely against a Marine officer. Her slim figure flashed through the chaos.
Jin narrowed his eyes.
That girl—
Wasn't that Vinsmoke Reiju of Germa 66?