One Piece: Infinite Treasure Chest System.

The moment Ben drew Senbonzakura, Buggy froze.

"Ahahaha… my mistake! That's not mine after all!"

Despite his overwhelming greed, even Buggy knew when to back down.

He wasn't stupid—he'd read up on Ben. The Marine reports described him as someone who could take lives without a single drop of blood being spilled.

The Navy even gave him the title "Bloodless Sword Asura."

"Oh? Is that so?" Ben smiled, but Senbonzakura remained unsheathed.

Buggy wiped the sweat from his brow. "The great Captain Buggy never lies!"

"Hmph. Buggy, I know exactly what kind of person you are." Ben smirked. "So how about a trade?"

"A trade?"

"Yeah. I need this."

Ben placed a sea chart in front of Buggy.

Buggy's eyes twitched. "The Grand Line navigation chart? No way—"

"I'll trade you this Diamond Greatsword for it. And I'll even let you copy the map before I take it."

Buggy's eyes flickered between the gleaming sword and the map.

"Nope! No deal!" His hands clenched into fists, but his gaze remained glued to the sword.

"Come on, Buggy. If you don't trade with me, I'll just take it. Besides, how about this—if I ever find more valuable treasures in the future, you get the first chance to trade for them."

"...Deal."

Before Ben could even finish his sentence, Buggy snatched the sword from his hand.

His eyes practically sparkled like diamonds as he admired its radiant gleam.

"...Huh."

And just like that, Ben obtained a map of the Grand Line.

Returning to the Merchant Ship

Back on the merchant ship, Ben casually waved at the crew.

"All done. The pirates won't be attacking us anymore." He extended a hand toward Ericus, the ship's captain.

Ericus nodded and handed over a pouch filled with Berries. "This is your reward."

Ben accepted the payment and returned to his quarters.

After a full day of rest, he resumed training his Observation Haki.

Even at its weakest level, it was an invaluable skill.

A Warning from Pomux

BANG BANG BANG.

A series of urgent knocks echoed from the door.

"Come in," Ben called, already aware of who it was thanks to his Haki.

The door swung open, revealing Neil Pomux.

"Ben, you need to leave. Now."

"Leave?" Ben raised an eyebrow.

"The captain—he reported you to the Marines!" Pomux said, voice tense. "They're sending someone high-ranked to capture you. If you don't get off this ship soon, you'll be facing a Vice Admiral-level threat!"

Ben frowned.

So I got sold out, huh?

It wasn't surprising—he had exposed his identity when he flew to Buggy's ship. But it still annoyed him.

"You're part of this ship's security. Why are you warning me?" Ben asked.

Pomux exhaled sharply. "Because I know what kind of people the Celestial Dragons are. I refuse to stand by while the Marines act as their personal enforcers!"

A smile spread across Ben's face.

"You know how to steer a ship?"

"...Huh?" Pomux blinked in confusion.

"If you do, then be my helmsman," Ben said, extending a hand.

Pomux stared. "Are you asking me to join you? To become a pirate?"

Ben chuckled. "Oh? So you have something against pirates?"

Pomux crossed his arms. "Pirates are thieves. No matter what excuses they use, a thief is still a thief."

"Thieves, huh? And who gets to define what a pirate is?" Ben's tone remained calm.

"The Marines and the World Government would have you believe that pirates are all the same—pillagers, murderers, criminals. But the truth is, not all pirates are alike.

"Yes, some are ruthless criminals. But there are also people like me—labeled as pirates not because we chose to be, but because the system we live in forces us into that role.

"Justice? True justice isn't determined by the World Government—it's dictated by those who hold power. The Marines don't fight for morality; they fight to maintain control."

Pomux fell silent.

He knew that the Marines had become nothing more than enforcers for the Celestial Dragons. He knew that the system was corrupt.

But still…

"Even so, I can't accept your offer," Pomux said firmly. "Pirates are still pirates, no matter how noble they claim to be."

Ben sighed.

"Shame. Guess that means I'll have to kill everyone on this ship and force the helmsman to take me to Orange Town, then."

He unsheathed Senbonzakura.

Pomux burst out laughing.

"...What's so funny?" Ben frowned.

Pomux smirked. "You don't have killing intent."

Ben blinked.

"You might be a swordsman, but you're not a murderer. The moment you drew your blade, I could feel that there was no bloodlust behind it."

Ben chuckled. "Guess I'm too soft, huh?"

Pomux exhaled, staring at him for a long moment.

"...Fine. I'll join you."

Ben raised an eyebrow. "Thought you didn't like pirates?"

"I don't. But I hate the World Government more."

Ben grinned. "Then welcome aboard, helmsman."

"...Uh…"

Ben found himself at a loss for words.

This was like threatening to blow up a bomb, only to realize—he didn't even have a match to light the fuse.

"I'll go with you," Pomux suddenly declared. "Because you're not a killer."

Setting Sail

"Hahahaha!"

Hearing Pomux's words, Ben burst into laughter.

And just like that, the two of them hijacked a small boat and set sail.

Out at sea, Ben removed the eerie mask from his face, revealing his true appearance.

"So this is how you avoided the Navy's pursuit for so long?" Pomux asked, eyeing the mask in Ben's hand.

"Yeah," Ben nodded, stashing it away in his storage space.

Pomux saw the mask disappear but didn't press for details. Everyone has their secrets.

"So, what's our next destination?" Pomux asked.

"Anywhere works." Ben waved dismissively. "Oh, but we're not going to the Goa Kingdom again. Been there, done that. Let's pick somewhere new."

Originally, he had planned to head for Orange Town to meet little Nami.

But now that they had no navigator, they had no clue where they were going.

"...Uh…"

Hearing Ben's casual attitude, Pomux suddenly felt like he had chosen the wrong captain.

One Month Later

"Here, food's ready."

Ben handed Pomux a hamburger.

"Thanks."

By now, Pomux had stopped asking where Ben got all this weird food from.

At first, he had questioned every little thing—Where did you find this? How did you cook this? But after a month of seeing Ben pull random stuff out of nowhere, he had accepted his fate.

"...Hey, Pomux, where are we right now?"

Ben stared at the endless ocean—asking for the ninety-ninth time.

"...No idea."

This time, Pomux didn't even bother getting angry.

At the beginning, he had shouted at Ben for expecting a non-navigator to magically know where they were.

Now? He just gave a flat "I don't know."

"...Ugh. I'm gonna sleep. If you see an island, wake me up. If you're hungry, wake me up. If you're thirsty, wake me up."

With that, Ben flopped down and started snoring.

Pomux sighed and continued steering.

Three Days Later

"Captain Ben! There's an island ahead! Looks like a big one!"

Half-asleep, Ben catapulted to his feet.

An island?

That meant…

TREASURE CHESTS!

To Ben, an island wasn't just an island.

It was a gigantic treasure chest.

Pomux sighed. Here we go again…

"As long as you don't pull out any smelly socks this time, we'll be fine…" Pomux muttered.

Soon, they docked at the island's port.

The moment Ben stepped off the boat—he spotted a treasure chest.

Jackpot.

"Open!"

[Congratulations! You have obtained:]

Elucidator (Origin: Sword Art Online)Kirito's jet-black longsword. Unbreakable and incredibly sharp.

"...Holy crap!"

Ben jumped in excitement.

This was what you call a god-tier drop!

"Captain, what did you find this time?" Pomux asked eagerly.

The last time Ben had this reaction, they ended up feasting on an entire banquet's worth of food.

If he was this excited again, it had to be something amazing.

Ben turned to Pomux with a serious expression.

"Pomux… I've been meaning to give you something. You know, I'm not the best at expressing myself, and after traveling together for so long, I've never properly given you a gift. But today, that changes. I—"

"WAIT, WAIT, WAIT!" Pomux cut him off, clutching his shirt defensively. "Captain, don't tell me you're… into men?! I'm straight! I'm a normal guy—don't try anything funny!"

If Ben really wanted to force him, what could he even do?

"PUHAHAHAHAHA!"

Ben nearly choked on laughter. "You idiot! Catch!"

Pomux instinctively caught the object Ben threw—

A jet-black longsword.

"Whoa! This is… heavy!" Pomux grunted, feeling the weight of Elucidator. His eyes widened in shock.