*Three days later - Shell Town Harbor*
The small fishing boat limped into Shell Town's harbor as the sun reached its zenith, its hull bearing scorch marks from the Marine pursuit that had dogged Vex for the past seventy-two hours. He'd managed to shake Captain Steelheart's forces using his newfound Devil Fruit abilities, but not without cost—his stolen vessel was barely seaworthy, and his supplies had run dangerously low.
*[QUEST COMPLETE: ESCAPE MARINE PURSUIT]*
*[REWARD: SYSTEM INTERFACE UPGRADE]*
*[NEW FEATURES UNLOCKED: DETAILED COMBAT ANALYSIS, BOND TRACKING]*
*[CURRENT BONDS: ROSA BLACKHEART (DECEASED) - BARA BARA NO MI]*
*[BOND STRENGTH: 91% - INCREASING]*
Vex tied off the boat at an empty pier, grateful that Shell Town seemed quieter than most Marine strongholds. The few people moving about the docks were mostly merchants and fishers—and all women, as expected. A few curious glances came his way, but nothing like the shocked stares he'd grown accustomed to.
"New in town, stranger?"
The voice belonged to a young woman around his age, with striking blue hair tied in a practical ponytail and intelligent dark eyes that seemed to catalog every detail about him. She wore navigator's tools on her belt and carried herself with the confidence of someone comfortable at sea.
"You could say that," Vex replied carefully, studying her in return. Something about her seemed familiar, though he was certain they'd never met.
*[DEVIL FRUIT USER DETECTED]*
*[TARGET: UNKNOWN FEMALE]*
*[ABILITY: KONPASU KONPASU NO MI - COMPASS-COMPASS FRUIT]*
*[BOND COMPATIBILITY: 78%]*
*[RECOMMENDATION: INITIATE CONTACT]*
The system's assessment sent a thrill through him. A compatibility rating nearly as high as Rosa's, and this woman was very much alive.
"I'm Yuki," she said, extending a hand. "Yuki Shirase. Best navigator in the East Blue, if I do say so myself."
"Dracul D. Vex," he replied, taking her hand. The moment their skin touched, he felt a subtle electric sensation—not quite the overwhelming power surge from Rosa's bond, but something gentler. More natural.
Yuki's eyes widened slightly, as if she'd felt it too. "That's... unusual. Are you by any chance—"
"A Devil Fruit user?" Vex finished. "Recently, yes. And you?"
She smiled, an expression that transformed her serious features into something radiant. "The Compass Fruit. I can always find true direction, no matter how lost I might seem." Her voice dropped to a conspiratorial whisper. "I can also sense when someone has an interesting destiny ahead of them."
*[BOND FORMATION DETECTED]*
*[COMPATIBILITY INCREASING: 78% → 82%]*
*[WARNING: SUBJECT POSSESSES UNIQUE NAVIGATIONAL ABILITIES]*
*[RECOMMENDATION: RECRUIT AS CREW MEMBER]*
"Destiny, huh?" Vex grinned. "And what does your fruit tell you about mine?"
"That you're going to need a navigator," Yuki said matter-of-factly. "And soon. There's a Marine patrol heading this way—three ships, flying Captain Steelheart's colors. They'll be here within the hour."
Vex's expression darkened. "How can you tell?"
"Part of my abilities. I can sense the direction and approximate distance of anything I've encountered before." She gestured toward the harbor mouth. "I met Captain Steelheart two weeks ago when she was recruiting navigators for some special assignment. She offered me a position, but something about her felt... wrong."
"She's hunting me," Vex admitted. "I'm apparently valuable to the World Government."
Yuki studied his face for a long moment. "Because you're male, or because you're a Devil Fruit user?"
"Probably both." He looked at his damaged boat, then back at her. "I don't suppose you happen to have a ship?"
"As a matter of fact, I do." Yuki pointed to a sleek sloop moored at the far end of the harbor. "The *Wind's Promise*. Built her myself from salvaged materials and dreams. She's not much to look at, but she's fast and seaworthy."
"And you'd be willing to sail with a wanted man?"
"Depends," Yuki said, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "Are you planning to be a pirate, or just running from the Marines?"
Vex considered the question. Three days ago, piracy had been a distant dream. Now, with Rosa's memories whispering in his mind and the system promising powers beyond imagination, it felt like destiny.
"Both," he said honestly. "I want to find the One Piece, become Pirate King, and prove that being different doesn't make you weak."
*[BOND COMPATIBILITY INCREASING: 82% → 87%]*
*[EMOTIONAL RESONANCE DETECTED]*
*[SUBJECT RESPONDS TO HONEST AMBITION]*
Yuki's smile widened. "In that case, Captain, you've just found your navigator."
The formal acceptance of his leadership role sent another pulse through the system, and Vex felt the bond between them strengthen. Unlike Rosa's posthumous connection, this one was warm, alive, and growing stronger by the moment.
"We should move," Yuki said, shouldering a packed duffel bag that suggested she'd been preparing to leave Shell Town anyway. "Steelheart's ships will block the harbor entrance once they arrive. There's a back channel that leads to open water, but it's tricky to navigate without proper charts."
"Lucky for me I just recruited the best navigator in the East Blue," Vex said, following her toward the *Wind's Promise*.
As they hurried across the harbor, Yuki glanced at him sideways. "So, what's your Devil Fruit ability? I felt something when we shook hands, but I couldn't identify it."
"Bara Bara no Mi," Vex replied, demonstrating by detaching his left hand and making it wave at her from several feet away. "Chop-Chop Fruit. I can separate my body into pieces and control them independently."
"Impressive," Yuki said, though her navigator's eye was already calculating possibilities. "That could be incredibly useful for ship maintenance and boarding actions. How did you acquire it?"
Vex hesitated. Rosa's memories suggested that most pirates were secretive about their abilities, but something about Yuki invited honesty.
"It's complicated," he said finally. "The previous user died, and somehow her power transferred to me."
*[WARNING: PARTIAL TRUTH DETECTED]*
*[RECOMMENDATION: FULL DISCLOSURE WILL STRENGTHEN BOND]*
"There's more to it than that," Yuki observed. "But you don't trust me enough to tell me yet. That's fine—trust is earned at sea."
They reached the *Wind's Promise*, and Vex had to admit he was impressed. The sloop was indeed built from salvaged materials, but every line spoke of expert craftsmanship and careful design. Her sails were patched but well-maintained, her hull bore the scars of hard use but no structural damage.
"She's beautiful," he said sincerely.
"She's home," Yuki replied, beginning to cast off lines with practiced efficiency. "And she's about to become yours too, if you're serious about this pirate thing."
As they worked to prepare the ship for departure, Vex found himself watching Yuki with growing appreciation. She moved with the fluid grace of someone born to the sea, and her Devil Fruit abilities manifested in subtle ways—a slight adjustment to their heading here, a correction to the sail trim there, always guided by her supernatural sense of direction.
*[BOND STRENGTH: 89%]*
*[NEW ABILITIES UNLOCKED]*
*[SHARED NAVIGATION: HOST CAN ACCESS BASIC DIRECTIONAL INSTINCTS]*
*[COMBO TECHNIQUE AVAILABLE: SCATTERED COMPASS]*
"There," Yuki said as the last line came free. "We're ready to—oh, damn."
Vex followed her gaze toward the harbor entrance, where three Marine warships were sliding into view. Even at this distance, he could see the distinctive figurehead of the *Iron Rose*.
"The back channel?" he asked.
"This way." Yuki spun the wheel, and the *Wind's Promise* responded like a living thing. "Hold tight, Captain. This is going to be interesting."