Chapter 27: Secret Treasure Hunt
Ace and Yamato were locked in a circular argument. Yamato, carefree as ever, insisted she was Kozuki Oden reborn, while Ace—blissfully oblivious—nearly believed her.
"Come on, Ace," Ayaan finally cut in, unable to watch the nonsense anymore. "Whether it's Kaido or Kozuki Oden, they're both obviously men."
"Huh? Ah!" Ace blinked, dumbfounded. "So… she's not?!"
Yamato, entirely unfazed, declared seriously, "Although I'm Kaido's son, I'm spiritually Oden!"
Ace squinted at her chest plate, looking as if he had a thousand questions but no idea where to begin.
"…Why? You're clearly—" he hesitated, then stopped himself.
"I may be a woman," Yamato said firmly, "but in my heart, I'm a man!"
Ayaan sighed. As long as you're happy…
"I see," Ace nodded solemnly, somehow managing to sync with Yamato's bizarre logic. "Sorry about that."
I really don't get the people in this world, Ayaan thought. Maybe I'm the weird one.
While he rolled his eyes at the sheer absurdity of it all, Ace and Yamato had reignited their battle. This time, Ace had a slight advantage—something that wasn't the case in the original timeline.
And that wasn't a surprise. With Ayaan constantly pushing him, acting as both rival and sparring partner, Ace had grown far stronger than before. Thanks to Ayaan's Baku Baku no Mi and medical ninjutsu, any injuries Ace sustained were instantly healed—making their battles intense but never crippling.
Still, at their level, a true victory would take time. Days, even.
Ayaan, uninterested in watching a multi-day grudge match, glanced around. Let them fight for a few hours. At least they'll be tired.
He turned his attention toward the Skull Palace, Kaido's former lair. Now's a good time to search for treasure.
Ever since his exploits in the Drum Kingdom, Ayaan had developed a habit: pillaging hidden loot. Especially weapons—he'd fused four high-grade swords into his body already. Though he wasn't a proper swordsman, those weapons dramatically boosted his combat power.
Still, he didn't plan to rely on them forever. In One Piece's world, bodies trained to their peak could surpass even legendary weapons. Steel wore down. Only flesh and blood grew stronger.
But until he reached that level, temporary power boosts were fine. You take every edge you can get in this world.
The Skull Palace was unsettling—a literal building crafted from a monstrous skeleton, unlike anything from the orderly blueprints of the ninja world. Ayaan wandered, unable to make heads or tails of the layout.
"Forget it," he muttered. "I'll just explore randomly."
Minions of the Beasts Pirates littered the halls, unconscious from the intense Conqueror's Haki clash earlier. Ayaan ignored them, moving deeper.
Then his Observation Haki flared—danger!
Spider silk snapped toward him from above. Ayaan barely dodged, eyes narrowing as a massive, silent figure emerged from the shadows.
A giant blonde woman, the lower half of her body a monstrous spider. Her silent approach had nearly fooled even Ayaan's enhanced senses.
Kumo Kumo no Mi—Ancient Zoan type? Ayaan realized. "Black Maria?"
She smiled coldly, stepping fully into view.
"Hey, little brother," she purred. "This isn't a place for tourists."
Then, from the shadows behind her, came a wave of grotesque figures—masked demons, yokai-like warriors, and eerie monsters. A scene straight from the Night Parade of One Hundred Demons.
Seriously, are these people pirates or actual monsters? Ayaan thought grimly.
Black Maria tilted her head with a mocking smile. "You're with that flame brat outside, right? Thought you'd challenge Lord Kaido?"
"But your captain's already losing to his own son. You think you can walk in here alone?"
Her tone was confident—but Ayaan smirked.
"You talk too much," he said calmly. "If even one other officer was here, you'd have attacked me by now."
The smile froze on Black Maria's face for a split second. Ayaan pressed.
"So it's just you, huh?"
She didn't answer—but the flicker of tension in her expression was enough.
Ayaan shifted into a fighting stance. "That's good to know. I don't like being interrupted during a treasure hunt."
From behind him, the wind carried faint shockwaves and bursts of flame—Ace and Yamato were still going at it.
I'll wrap this up quick, Ayaan thought. Then clean out the vault before they stop fighting.
Black Maria licked her lips and raised her claws. "Then I hope you're worth the effort, treasure boy."
As her demons charged, Ayaan's chakra surged, eyes glowing cold and sharp.
"Let's find out."