One Piece: Infinite Treasure Chest System.

The next morning, Ben set out early, but not before being spotted by Luffy.

"Ben, are you really going to find treasure?" Luffy asked, trailing behind him like an excited puppy.

"Of course. But you three need to stay hidden. If my plan fails, it'll be your fault," Ben said, glancing at Luffy, Ace, and Sabo.

Originally, Ben had planned to go alone, but Luffy had caught him sneaking out. Once the word "treasure" was mentioned, there was no stopping the trio from tagging along.

Their destination was the hideout of Higuma, the self-proclaimed "Bandit King." While Higuma was infamous for once attacking Shanks, Ben saw him as nothing more than an arrogant fool.

Thanks to his recent training in Armament Haki, Ben's physical abilities had improved significantly. He was eager to test his newfound strength.

Soon, they reached the bandits' hideout. According to the map, there were three chests here: one Iron and two Bronze.

"Stay hidden. Once I lure them out, you three sneak in and take all their treasure. If you leave even a single berry behind, don't expect me to take you on any more adventures," Ben said.

"We won't let you down!" Even Ace, usually the most composed, looked excited. Raiding Higuma's hideout was the kind of thrill they lived for.

Inside the hideout, Higuma was holding court with his men.

"Boss, we captured this woman earlier. What do you think?"

"Not bad. Lock her up with the others. When the slave ship arrives, we'll sell them all," Higuma said, downing a mug of rum with a satisfied grin.

"But Boss, she's so pretty. Don't you want to—"

"Idiot! She's merchandise. If we damage the goods, the buyers will make us pay dearly. Remember, if you want women, go to the brothel. If anyone touches the merchandise, I'll sell them too!" Higuma barked, silencing his men.

The woman was dragged into a cage, where another prisoner, a girl named Amy, tried to comfort her.

"Don't be afraid. These beasts won't hurt us. My name's Amy. What's your—wait, why do you look like a man now?"

The "woman" smiled. "Hi, Amy. I'm Ben. I'm not really a prisoner—I'm here on a mission."

Earlier that morning, Ben had used the Mask of Deception to transform into Tashigi's appearance and the Harem Jutsu to alter his physique. His plan had worked perfectly—he'd been "captured" by the bandits without a fight.

"You're here to save us?" Amy asked, her eyes widening.

"Yes. Are you all from Windmill Village?" Ben asked.

"I am. The others are from Flower Village and Rice Cracker Village. We were all kidnapped by these bandits. Are you with the Marines? Have they come to rescue us?" Amy asked hopefully.

"I'm not a Marine, but don't worry. Someone will come to unlock your cages soon," Ben said. With a firm grip, he snapped the lock off the cage door.

The women watched in awe as Ben slipped away. They didn't dare move, fearing the bandits' wrath if his plan failed.

Ben understood their fear. In a world where strength ruled, women like them were treated as mere commodities. The sight stirred something deep within him—a resolve to change this world.

This beautiful world shouldn't be tainted by such evil, Ben thought, recalling his own tragic past. His mother had been kidnapped by human traffickers, leading to his father's despair and eventual death. Ben's life had been a struggle ever since, relying on part-time jobs and government aid just to get by.

I won't tolerate human traffickers. Not here, not ever.

After leaving the prisoners, Ben used Water Dragon's Affinity to silently eliminate a bandit. He then used the Mask of Deception to assume the bandit's appearance and donned his clothes.

Thanks to his improved mental stamina, Ben could now use Water Dragon's Affinity without passing out. However, the toll it took on his body and mind was still significant.

"Hahaha, more rum!"

Ben soon found himself in the main hall, where Higuma and his men were drinking and feasting.

As the bandits continued their raucous drinking, two exhausted men were forced to entertain them by fighting each other with swords. The scene was both grim and absurd.

"Bifa, what are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be guarding the dungeon?" one of the bandits asked, slapping Ben on the shoulder.

"Ran out of booze. Thought I'd come up and grab some," Ben replied casually, making up an excuse on the spot.

"Oh, in that case, let's go talk to Boss Higuma. You've been guarding the dungeon every day—he won't say no to such a small request!" The bandit dragged Ben toward Higuma.

Ben couldn't refuse without raising suspicion, so he reluctantly followed.

"Boss Higuma, Bifa here wants to— Wait, this guy isn't Bifa! He's an imposter! He said he came up for a drink, but Bifa's the only one here who doesn't drink!" The bandit shouted as soon as they reached Higuma.

Ben sighed inwardly. Of all the bad luck. The guy I killed just had to be the only teetotaler in the group.

"Hahaha, guess I messed up big time," Ben said, reverting to his original form while keeping the Mask of Deception active. His face still bore the eerie, half-crying, half-smiling mask.

"Who are you, and what are you doing in the territory of Higuma, the Bandit King?" Higuma demanded, gripping his sword tightly. Despite his angry tone, he made no move to attack. Higuma might have been arrogant, but he wasn't stupid. He knew better than to provoke someone who could infiltrate his hideout so easily.

"I'm Jie Lu, and I'm here to deliver a gift," Ben said, pulling a large crate out of his inventory.

Higuma's suspicion deepened. He hadn't seen where the crate came from, which meant this intruder was likely a Devil Fruit user.

"Open it," Higuma ordered one of his men.

The bandit stepped forward, pried open the crate with his knife, and peered inside.

"Boss, it's… fish cans," the bandit reported.

Another bandit whispered something into Higuma's ear, and his expression darkened.

"Fish cans? Are you mocking me? You kill my man, wreck my dungeon, and think you can make up for it with this?" Higuma growled, now aware that Bifa was dead and one of the prisoners was missing.

"Yep, that's the plan! Water Dragon Vortex!"

Ben activated his Water Dragon's Affinity, summoning a swirling vortex of water. While the attack itself wasn't strong enough to harm anyone, that wasn't its purpose.

The vortex surged toward the crate of fish cans, and as the bandits stared in confusion, Ben turned and bolted.

"Boom!"

The vortex struck the crate, causing it to explode. A pungent, nauseating smell instantly filled the room. The bandits, who had been feasting and drinking moments earlier, dropped to their knees, vomiting uncontrollably.

It was the infamous surströmming—the fermented fish that had traumatized Garp and Dragon. One can had been bad enough, but an entire crate was pure chaos.

"Find that guy… vomit… and kill him!" Higuma managed to shout between retches.

The bandits stumbled out of the hideout in pursuit, but every few steps, someone would collapse, overcome by the stench. Those at the front fared slightly better, thanks to the fresh air, but Higuma, determined to catch Ben, pushed through the nausea and took the lead.

Meanwhile, three small figures slipped into the now-empty hideout.

Ben, having successfully retrieved the two Bronze chests from Higuma's lair, opened all three chests he'd collected.

"Congratulations! You have obtained a pair of stinky bandit boots. Useless."

"Congratulations! You have obtained a Progress Boost Card. This item can increase your proficiency in a selected skill."

"Congratulations! You have obtained a large money pouch containing 1,000,000 berries."

"Recycle the boots and use the Progress Boost Card on Armament Haki," Ben instructed the system.

"Progress Boost Card used successfully. Armament Haki proficiency increased to 15%."

With this boost, Ben could now concentrate Armament Haki into his fists. With this level of Haki, these bandits are no match for me, he thought confidently.