The New World. A bustling trade island.
The marketplace thronged with a motley crew of people, a chaotic mix of civilians and pirates, all coming and going. Minor scuffles between pirates were a common sight, so much so that the locals barely batted an eye anymore.
Just then, a man with pineapple-blond hair and perpetually sleepy-looking eyes emerged from a tavern, laden with various packages.
Instantly, several pirates nearby took notice.
"Isn't that Marco, the First Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates?"
"What? You mean Marco the Phoenix?!"
"Quick, steer clear! We can't afford to mess with a Yonko crew!"
One by one, even the most hardened-looking pirates recognized Marco and quickly gave him a wide berth.
Marco, observing the rather sensible pirates, allowed a faint smirk to play on his lips and continued on his way.
Suddenly, his attention was drawn to a large crowd gathered around a small stall up ahead. Marco, initially planning to bypass them, paused. He'd caught snippets of a surprisingly young voice talking about "instant injury recovery" and "full stamina restoration."
As the Whitebeard Pirates' de facto doctor, this immediately piqued Marco's interest. He navigated his way through the throng.
"Kid, aren't you just trying to pull a fast one?" a scar-faced pirate snarled.
Marco's gaze fell upon a surprisingly young, rather handsome man hawking his wares. A crudely painted wooden board in front of the stall boldly proclaimed: "Miracle Cure! Any Injury Healed Instantly! Divine Elixir!" and other such promotional slogans.
The young vendor unfurled a cloth bundle, revealing its contents.
"What the hell? Aren't those just peas?" the scar-faced pirate bellowed. "I'm desperate here! My brother's life is on the line! You tryin' to cheat me? I'll teach you a lesson!" The pirate, now furious, reached for his weapon.
"Hold on now," Marco said calmly, extending a hand to stop the pirate who was already drawing his long sword. "Buying and selling is a matter of choice. If you don't want it, don't buy it. No need for blades, yoi."
He's just a kid, Marco thought, probably a small-time charlatan. No need for him to get cut down by this ruffian. That's why he'd stepped in.
"What's it to you, damn it?" the pirate started, then his eyes widened. "Y-You're… Marco?" His aggressive demeanor vanished. "My apologies, Lord Marco! I was blind not to recognize you!" The pirate, who had been overflowing with bravado moments before, instantly deflated at the sight of the Phoenix.
Alex, still seated behind his stall, looked up at the man who'd intervened and recognized him immediately. This was the first honest-to-goodness famous character he'd encountered since arriving in this world!
That's right. Alex was a transmigrator, plucked from a planet called Earth—or 'Blue Star' as it was sometimes known in these parts—and dropped, rather conveniently, into the world of his all-time favorite series: One Piece!
"Lord Marco, it's not me picking a fight!" the scar-faced pirate hastily explained, his voice laced with desperation. "It's this kid! He's outrageous! Trying to sell me two little beans for a million Beri! Claims they can cure anything! My brother's lying half-dead at the port right now!"
Hearing this, Marco felt a pang of regret for stepping in. The man was clearly desperate, and this young vendor was trying to fleece him for an exorbitant sum!
"The true value of this medicine? I could sell it for over a hundred million Beri and it wouldn't be an overcharge," Alex retorted, looking rather put out. "I'm only asking for a million because I'm in a tight spot for cash myself!"
This isn't some common herb from this world, you know! Alex thought. These were Senzu Beans, from the world of Dragon Ball, a reward from the system that had brought him here! That's right – the legendary beans that could heal any injury and restore one's stamina completely with a single bite! What's more, the system had gifted him the method to produce them, even allowing for variations in quality depending on the ingredients used. The three beans in his cloth pouch were made from the cheapest materials Alex could find; after all, he was new to this world and flat broke.
"Alright, lad," Marco said, thinking for a moment. "If this medicine of yours is as potent as you claim, then let's go test it on his friend. If it truly heals him, I'll see to it he pays you the million Beri. But if it doesn't work… well, I won't interfere with whatever he decides to do to you then. How does that sound, yoi?"
The pirate wouldn't dare refuse Marco. Alex, on the other hand, was delighted. He'd been trying to sell these things for half a day with no takers!
Marco had his own calculations. Most likely, this kid was bluffing. When the 'medicine' inevitably failed, he'd step in and help the injured pirate himself.
And so, the group made their way to a pirate ship docked at the harbor. A man, covered in gruesome wounds and groaning in agony, was carefully carried out onto the deck. Some of his injuries were still seeping blood.
Alex took one look at the injured pirate's condition and a confident smirk touched his lips. Without a word, under the watchful eyes of everyone present, he popped one of the Senzu Beans into the wounded pirate's mouth.
Just as the onlookers were preparing to scoff at Alex's audacity, a soft green glow emanated from the injured pirate's body.
Marco immediately sensed a familiar kind of energy! It was akin to the aura of his own flames when he healed Pops—his Phoenix Flames! His own power could heal most injuries effectively. This kid's medicine... it's actually doing something incredible!
Suddenly, someone gasped, and all eyes focused intently on the wounded man. The bleeding from his wounds stopped, and then, before their very eyes, the gashes began to close up at a visible rate! The injured pirate's pained expression slowly softened, eventually replaced by a groan of what sounded like pure relief.
Marco's pupils contracted sharply. The healing effect of this bean was far faster than his own Phoenix Flames! Even with injuries like these, Marco could, at best, staunch the bleeding and offer some minor pain relief in the short term. But this... this was on another level entirely!
The pirate who'd been so aggressive moments before, seeing his friend completely healed, was overcome with gratitude. Without waiting for a word from Marco, he eagerly handed over the one million Beri to Alex.
Alex pocketed the cash, seemingly unfazed by the stunned and amazed expressions around him, and turned to leave.
"Hold on a minute! Come with me, yoi," Marco called out, stopping Alex in his tracks, a note of urgency in his voice.
"Go with you where?" Alex asked, frowning slightly. "I've still got more of these to sell." He had no idea what Marco wanted.
"Join the Whitebeard Pirates!" Marco declared, his invitation utterly astonishing.