Ray observed the entire "force-feeding" battle from the window of Shakky's bar.
He'd released the berserk Chouchou near the Straw Hats specifically to test their growth over the past few months.
'Not bad.'
Though Nami's Observation Haki remained undeveloped, her Devil Fruit abilities showed great promise.
Franky and Brook couldn't be helped yet—they hadn't undergone Ray's "gentle" training regimen.
But both had solid foundations.
With their learning speed, they'd catch up quickly.
Moreover, Ray had brought a special gift from the New World: the Soul-Soul Fruit (Soru Soru no Mi), harvested from Big Mom.
Usopp likely wouldn't eat it—he was always prattling about becoming a "brave warrior of the sea" who relied on his own skills (and he'd refuse to lose his swimming ability).
Thus, Franky became the prime candidate.
The cyborg's compatibility with the fruit was perfect.
Soul-infused mechanical parts would enable incredible transformations and autonomous weapons.
Side effects like losing swimming ability?
Irrelevant—a cyborg could swim using jet engines or propellers.
Plus, Homies created by the fruit could rescue Devil Fruit users from water.
Essentially, each Straw Hat Devil Fruit user could have a dedicated Homie lifeguard.
(Somewhere in the distance, Jinbe felt like he was suddenly unemployed!)
...
Minutes later.
Chouchou led the noisy Straw Hats to "Shakky's Rip-Off Bar."
There they finally met Rayleigh.
"WOW! You're really the Pirate King's Vice-Captain?!"
Luffy, Usopp, and Chopper stared starry-eyed, bursting with curiosity.
Luffy also learned of Shanks' deep connection to Rayleigh.
Rayleigh and Shakky's interest in the Straw Hats stemmed partly from Shanks' glowing recommendation years ago.
When Usopp excitedly asked about the location of One Piece, Luffy cut him off sharply.
"USOPP! Don't ask!"
"I don't want an adventure with answers handed to me! If I know now, I'll quit being a pirate!"
Exploring the world themselves—that was the Straw Hats' creed.
Franky and Brook greeted Ray nervously—this was their first meeting since joining the crew.
Franky recalled their shopping trip via Sea Train to the World Tree, but Ray had been in disguise back then.
But Brook—meeting a top-tier legend like Ray for the first time—couldn't hide his awe.
As an old-generation pirate, reverence for the strong was ingrained in his bones.
Brook fawned over Ray, hoping to stay on the big shot's good side.
He also begged Ray to stop Chouchou's obsession with his bones—it was genuinely unnerving.
Ray warned Chouchou: "Be gentle when gnawing on crewmates."
Brook despaired while the others laughed.
...
Finally, serious discussions began.
First: Assigning the Soul-Soul Fruit.
Ray had Chouchou ceremoniously offer the swirl-patterned fruit to Zoro, Sanji, and Usopp.
Predictably, the first two refused instantly (Zoro wanted to swim/train, Sanji only wanted the Clear-Clear Fruit).
Usopp hesitated but ultimately declined to keep his swimming ability.
Only Franky remained.
The SUPER pervert couldn't resist a fruit that brought objects to life—devouring it without hesitation.
GULP.
"Yuck! That tastes SUPER bad!"
Another reason he ate it: among the crew, only he and Brook lacked major power-ups recently.
As the second oldest on the ship, he needed to contribute more.
After eating the fruit, Franky tested it immediately.
He infused a nearby mop with soul energy.
POOF.
It transformed into a tiny, underwear-clad humanoid mop.
"Au! I am Mop-Man!"
Perfection in perversion.
Ray had Chouchou share Big Mom's Soul-Soul techniques via telepathy—development was up to Franky now.
Next, Ray gave Franky "Vegapunk's Technology Encyclopedia" and Brook a "Revival-Revival Fruit Development Manual".
Both were instructed to train daily in Haki.
"On these seas, those without Haki are insects."
They vowed not to disappoint.
...
As the Straw Hats explored Sabaody, the archipelago of giant roots welcomed its most glorious moment.
Here gathered the most notorious rookie pirates—those with bounties exceeding 100 million: the Supernovas (Worst Generation).
And thanks to Ray's influence on the timeline, this year's lineup differed significantly.
Most congregated near shopping and entertainment areas, causing quite a stir.
...
In a western restaurant...
A spiky-haired redhead (Eustass "Captain" Kid) faced off against a cigar-chomping mafia boss (Capone "Gang" Bege).
Tension mounted until their crews intervened.
Kid's first mate—Killer the Massacre Soldier—restrained his magnetically charged captain.
"Not here. You'll attract Celestial Dragons—and Admirals."
Bege's underlings echoed similar warnings.
Thus, three Supernovas dispersed without a fight.
Nearby, another Supernova—Jewelry Bonney the "Glutton"—devoured food obliviously.
Though appearing as a voluptuous woman, she was actually hiding her true age with her manipulation powers.
...
At a fountain...
A blond man reading tarot cards frowned at his spread.
"Ominous portents."
"Death rate: 0%."
"What does this mean?"
Basil Hawkins the Magician, possessesor of the Straw-Straw Fruit.
His crew dared not interrupt his reading.
Elsewhere on Sabaody, other Supernovas made their presence known.
...
Back at the bar, Shakky briefed the Straw Hats on the competition.
"Beyond those mentioned, other notable rookies include:"
Scratchmen Apoo, with sound-based powers.
Urouge the Mad Monk, who grows enormous.
X Drake, a rare Dinosaur Zoan.
Trafalgar Law, the Surgeon of Death—his abilities are particularly dangerous.
"Besides them, two other Supernova crews who seem to have connections with your pirate crew have also appeared on Sabaody."
1. Mikita (Miss Valentine), captain of the "Floating Artist" Pirates. Bounty: 150 Million.
She commands nearly a thousand pirates.
All five of her top officers have bounties exceeding 50 million.
Formerly under Crocodile, now independent.
They've sunk at least 10 Marine warships on their journey.
2. Bartolomeo the Cannibal, captain of the "Barto Club". Bounty: 110 Million.
His Devil Fruit provides absolute defense (Barrier-Barrier Fruit).
A Marine Vice Admiral who once tried to capture him was easily defeated.
"According to rumors, these two pirate crews joined you in defeating Golden Lion Shiki."
Franky immediately recalled and proactively gave Luffy and the others a reminder.
"Haha! It's them! I wanted to thank them originally, but the Marines were chasing us too fiercely back then, so we had to retreat."
Sanji, leaning on the bar counter, had a lovesick expression.
"Ah... I really miss Mikita. I never thought she'd become so powerful too. Especially her perky..."
"Lecherous cook."
Zoro habitually threw out a sarcastic remark, making Sanji fume with anger.
Shakky watched everyone's reactions with a meaningful smile.
"The final Supernovas... are you."
"All 12 crew members, with 8 having bounties over 100 million."
"Among them, Ray's bounty is a full 3 Billion, exceeding the combined bounties of all other Supernovas besides your crew."
"And your pirate crew's total bounty has reached heights that make others unable to even catch up."
Shakky exhaled a puff of smoke.
"I'm quite curious... what the Marines' reaction will be when they discover you have appeared on Sabaody Archipelago."
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