Inside the kitchen, the bearded brute worked feverishly over sizzling pans. His twisted grin deepened as he sprinkled a fine, nearly invisible powder into the dishes deadly poison, masked beneath rich aromas and glistening sauces. Satisfied with his handiwork, he loaded the tainted feast onto a serving cart and wheeled it to the deck.
A table had already been set, positioned perfectly to catch the ocean breeze. The sea stretched endlessly on all sides. The setting was serene. Almost sacred.
"Sir, your meal is ready. Would you like to eat now?" the man asked nervously. His fingers twitched, sweat beading along his brow.
Jacob Bovan glanced up at him, noting the unease, but mistook it for the heat of the kitchen. Without suspicion, he sat down and began to eat.
From the first bite, his senses lit up. The meat was unbelievably tender, its flavor explosive saturated with fat and spice, rich enough to blur reality for a moment. Each chew flooded his brain with satisfaction. It was the best thing he'd eaten since arriving in this cursed world.
"This is... incredible," Jacob muttered to himself, momentarily forgetting the world around him as he continued eating.
From the shadows, the cook watched him with a twisted smirk. "Yes... eat it all up. Once the poison kicks in, you'll regret ever stepping foot on my ship. And if it doesn't kill you, Big Mom's crew will make sure you beg for death."
With that, he slipped below deck, leaving Jacob to his poisoned feast.
But the moment the food settled in Jacob's gut, he felt it something wrong. A creeping sensation crawled through his limbs, spreading like venom. His body grew heavier by the second, his energy drained by an invisible force.
"He poisoned me?" Jacob whispered, narrowing his eyes.
He focused inward, tracing the invasive energy. It was subtle but relentless, like being pulled into quicksand. He clenched his jaw. He had underestimated these people. Losing the cook's arm should've been warning enough, but he had shown too much mercy.
"I've been too soft," Jacob muttered. Then, calmly, he took another bite. "Still, even if it's poisoned... it tastes damn good."
Just as he polished off the last morsel, he spotted a fleet of pirate ships approaching. The sails bore Big Mom's sigil. So, the betrayal went even deeper.
The cabin door burst open with a crash. The cowardly cook stepped forward, grinning wickedly.
"How're you feeling now? Not much strength left, huh?" he sneered.
Jacob remained reclined in his chair, eyes half-lidded. "Could you not get so close?"
"What? Scared?" the cook mocked.
"No," Jacob said coldly. "You're just ugly. From far away, your beard hides most of it. Up close, your face looks like a battlefield. Ever consider planting something in those craters and growing a garden?"
The insult hit hard. Rage flashed across the man's face.
"You bastard! That mouth is the only thing still working, huh? You can't even lift a sword!"
"If you call me Grandpa," he added mockingly, "maybe I'll let you crawl away like a dog. Otherwise…"
"Otherwise what?" Jacob asked, unimpressed.
"You know who's captaining that ship?" the man grinned. "One of Big Mom's top enforcers. A master of torture. No one survives him without begging for death."
Jacob raised an eyebrow. "So... not one of Big Mom's children? That's disappointing."
"What?" The man blinked.
Jacob slowly stood and brushed off his coat. "If it's not someone important, then I'm wasting time."
The man laughed. "In your state? You can't even lift a finger!"
Jacob lifted his hand and extended a single middle finger. At the same time, his body ignited with golden and crimson flame.
Prometheus Form: Ignited.
Heat radiated in waves, incinerating every trace of poison inside him. In this form, no toxin could touch him. Fire, eternal and divine, purged all impurity.
He now stood tall on the deck, engulfed in roaring flames a fusion of the Eternal Flame and the Phoenix Flame. Jacob Bovan, reborn in fire, turned his gaze on the traitor.
The sheer pressure of his presence pressed down like a mountain. The coward's knees buckled. He dropped to the floor, trembling.
"M-monster…" he whispered in horror.
Ding!
System Notification: Jacob Bovan shocked the traitor. Evaluation: C. Reward: One ton of lethal poison powder.
Jacob ignored the system prompt. Being called a monster was nothing new. What puzzled him was the absurd reward. A literal ton of poison powder?
Good thing the system had its own storage. Otherwise, where would he even keep that?
The traitor? Not worth another word.
Jacob soared into the sky, flames trailing behind him like a comet. Against the bright sunlight, his form outshone the heavens themselves. Crimson mixed with gold a symbol of his power nearing its peak.
On one of the approaching ships, a sailor pointed in terror. "Captain! Look! It's... it's Lord Prometheus!"
"Shut your damn mouth!" the scar-faced captain barked. "I can still see. And don't call him 'Lord' he betrayed Mama!"
Even so, his face was pale. His fists trembled.
This wasn't some no-name pirate. This was Prometheus, the fire of the gods, reborn into the body of Jacob Bovan. The one who dared defy Big Mom and lived.
"What should we do now—?"
Before the sailor could finish, the captain kicked him overboard.
"No more rookies on my ship. I don't care if they're from Totto Land. If they can't hold their nerve, they don't belong here!"
"Yes, Captain!"
Unlike that panicked fool, the rest of the crew quickly snapped to attention.
"Patch!" the captain barked. "Turn us around full retreat! Don't warn the other ships. Let them slow him down!"
"Aye, Captain!"
Jacob Bovan, blazing with godlike fire, hovered in the air like judgment incarnate.
One coward had poisoned him.
Now, the world would burn.