Setting Sail from Rogue Town
The ship drifted steadily across the open sea near Rogue Town.
Suddenly, something unusual caught Kairos Flint's eye—floating amidst the gentle waves was a wooden box, bobbing along with the current. Curious, Kairos leaned over the side of the ship, squinting toward it.
From time to time, various objects drift along the sea—scraps of wood, torn sails, discarded clothing. But this was the first time he'd come across something like this.
A sealed wooden box, adrift and alone.
It was like one of those mystery blind boxes—nobody ever knew what might be inside. Sailors and pirates alike often fished barrels or boxes out of the sea on the off chance they held something valuable. Sure, sometimes they contained nothing but garbage, but other times… treasure.
That tantalizing what if was enough for most people to never pass one up.
After all, who didn't dream of a little dumb luck?
Maybe… just maybe… today would be Kairos's lucky day.
As he hauled the box onto the deck, he smirked.
"Looks like fate wants me to strike it rich today," he said with a chuckle.
Standing beside him, Nami frowned, arms crossed.
"Don't get ahead of yourself. There might be nothing in there."
She spoke from experience. She'd fished out her share of crates in the past, each time filled with disappointment—rotten fruit, waterlogged papers, moldy rags. The emotional whiplash was hard to forget.
But Kairos just ignored her skepticism.
She was a non-lucky type, a non-chief as the sailors joked. He, however, was what you'd call an Emperor of Luck.
And honestly, she was hardly in a position to question him.
"Who nailed this thing shut like it was Fort Knox?" Kairos muttered, examining the box more closely.
The wooden crate had been nailed shut from every angle. Dozens of iron nails lined each edge. Whoever sealed this thing wanted to make absolutely sure it wouldn't open by accident.
Kairos raised an eyebrow.
"It's barely thirty centimeters across, but it's nailed up like it holds a national secret."
He sighed. Cracking it open with brute force, like slicing it with his sword, the Third Generation Ghost, would almost certainly destroy whatever was inside. And judging by how tightly it was sealed… it probably wasn't junk.
He retrieved a pry bar and other tools from the ship's storage, then patiently began removing each nail one by one. They hit the deck with a soft clink, bouncing away as he worked.
After several minutes of careful effort, he finally pulled out the last nail.
Time to see what all the fuss was about.
He slowly opened the lid…
And froze.
Inside the box lay a strange fruit, spiraled and vividly colored—instantly recognizable to anyone familiar with the sea's legends.
"A Devil Fruit?" Kairos whispered, eyes wide.
As someone deeply familiar with the pirate world, he recognized it immediately. No doubt about it—this was the infamous fruit of the sea, granting powers beyond imagination… at a terrible cost.
"Who the hell throws a Devil Fruit into the sea like this?" he muttered.
It was tightly packed and sealed, almost like someone knew what it was and wanted to protect it from water. Maybe they couldn't sell it. Maybe they were hiding it. Either way, it was strange.
Unless you had a Devil Fruit Encyclopedia, it was nearly impossible to identify one just by looking. The abilities they granted were random unless you'd done your homework.
"That's worth 100 million beli!!" Nami gasped, her jaw nearly hitting the floor.
Her eyes bugged out like she'd seen a ghost. Her whole body shook with disbelief and envy.
She had opened dozens of barrels and boxes over the years—never once had she pulled anything worthwhile. But now Kairos opens a single box, and boom… a Devil Fruit.
The universe was cruel.
Nami's gaze shifted toward him, dark and full of murderous intent. Not just envy—the kind of look that made Kairos genuinely consider whether she might try to push him overboard in his sleep.
But he didn't care.
This was just another chapter in the saga of the Emperor of Luck.
The words of his golden finger ability shimmered in front of his eyes:
[Dragon Fruit – Ancient Zoan Type: Tyrannosaurus Rex Form]
A rare Zoan-type Devil Fruit from the Ancient series. Grants the ability to transform into a Tyrannosaurus Rex, a mighty beast from ancient times. After consumption, the user becomes incapable of swimming and is repelled by the sea.
Kairos's brow furrowed as he read.
Black text.
That meant only one thing—this Devil Fruit was legendary tier.
"No wonder it was so well protected… this isn't your average Zoan fruit."
If trained properly, this kind of power could push someone into admiral-level strength. The transformation into a Tyrannosaurus Rex would grant terrifying physical strength, durability, and primal force.
Kairos's mind raced… but then he stopped himself.
No. He wasn't going to eat it.
He already had no weaknesses. Why would he voluntarily take on the infamous Devil Fruit curse—total vulnerability to water? Seas, rivers, bathtubs, even heavy rain could weaken or drown a Devil Fruit user.
It wasn't worth it.
Besides, he had his golden finger. That alone could take him further than most people would ever dream.
"This is the Dragon Fruit, Ancient Zoan Type: Tyrannosaurus Rex. It'll let you transform into one of the most powerful predators in prehistoric history," he explained to Nami, who still hadn't closed her mouth.
"Ancient Zoan?" she asked, blinking in confusion.
She only knew the basics—that Devil Fruits were rare and valuable, usually worth around 100 million beli.
Kairos nodded.
"There are three main types of Devil Fruits: Logia, Paramecia, and Zoan. Zoans let you transform into animals, but the rarest kinds are Ancient and Mythical. Ancient Zoans let you become creatures from prehistoric times. Mythicals are even rarer and can grant abilities from legends."
"So that means… this Ancient Zoan is even more valuable than 100 million beli?" Nami asked, her eyes glimmering like gold coins.
Kairos sighed.
Money lovers see the world in numbers, he thought.
"Let's sell it! I'll split the profit with you, 50-50!" Nami offered quickly.
Kairos didn't hesitate.
"Absolutely not."
"Fine! Then 40-60! You can take the bigger share!"
"Still no. I'm not selling it. If anything, I'll keep it in my collection. Or give it to someone worthy."
"That's such a waste! Do you know how much stuff we could buy with that money? We could upgrade the ship, hire a crew, buy better gear!"
Kairos ignored her rant entirely.
He had no intention of selling it.
Let her yell all she wanted—children eventually get tired when ignored.
And when she realized he wasn't listening, she'd quiet down on her own.