Everyone's eyes turned toward the door.
Standing there were several young men in their early twenties, dusty from travel. They looked no different from the young sailors commonly seen around the docks.
Their arrival only paused the tavern's noise for a brief moment before the roaring chatter resumed even louder.
No one paid the newcomers any attention.
"Gentlemen, what would you like to eat?"
The tavern owner greeted them warmly from behind the bar, wearing the enthusiastic smile of a businessman.
"Our specialty roasted meat is the best among all the taverns around here! Pair it with a jug of our newly arrived top-quality rum, and the taste is pure enjoyment! Guaranteed to make you forget all the hardships of the sea!"
"Sounds good," the leading young man said with a nod. "I'll take one."
"Me too!" his four companions echoed behind him.
"Right away! Five specialty roasts and five jugs of rum!"
The bartender brought each of them a large jug of rum, then returned to polishing the same endless glass with his usual blank expression.
The young man in front took a long gulp of rum.
"Ha! That hits the spot! Boss, we could hear all the laughter from far away. What's the excitement about? Tell us so we can enjoy it too."
No sooner had he spoken than a drunken man with a flushed face staggered over, reeking of alcohol and belching loudly.
"Hic… y-you asked the right person, kid! Hic… The Marines just released a new batch of wanted posters. Look over there!"
He raised a trembling finger and pointed toward the bounty board.
Sami and his officers looked in that direction.
"Boss!" One sharp-eyed officer beside him suddenly widened his eyes and whispered urgently. "Y-you've been put on a wanted poster!"
"CLANG—"
"CLICK!"
At least seven or eight drunken bounty hunters in the tavern suddenly became sharp-eyed. Hands instinctively moved to sword hilts or the pistols tucked into their coats.
The atmosphere instantly tightened.
"Which one is he…?" People exchanged wary glances as their minds raced, comparing the young man's face with the posters on the board.
Scarred face? No.
One-eyed man? Not him.
Ferocious-looking brute? Doesn't match.
Only one remained.
The wanted poster showing a bizarre figure with a pink jellyfish-like head.
Sami's eyes locked onto the poster.
Especially the strange jellyfish-headed image—and the glaring 7,000,000 Beli printed beside it.
He felt the blood rush straight to his head.
What the hell?! Why am I wanted already? And why is it a photo of my transformed state?!
A wave of pure social humiliation nearly shattered his composure.
Being wanted didn't surprise him.
In fact, part of him had been waiting for it.
In the world of pirates, a bounty was practically a badge of honor. The higher the bounty, the more prestige it carried. Without one, it was almost embarrassing to call yourself a pirate.
Seven million Beli wasn't even low for a rookie in the West Blue.
But this…
This appearance! This nickname! Jellyfish Head!!!
In Sami's mind, he could already imagine future battles.
Two fleets facing each other.
The enemy captain pointing at him and laughing hysterically.
"So you're that Jellyfish Head Riberra Sami?! Hahaha! The idiot who ate the Human-Human Fruit!"
No! Absolutely not!
I refuse to let my pirate career begin as a joke!
I'd rather be seen as a monster than a laughingstock!
Embarrassment and a surge of middle-school-level dramatic spirit exploded together inside him.
In a flash, an idea formed—one that could both preserve his dignity and intimidate everyone.
At that moment—
BANG!
Sami slammed his mug onto the table and suddenly stood up, the chair scraping loudly across the floor.
His expression darkened dangerously.
"B-boss…" his officers were startled. They had never seen their captain look this terrifying.
Sami ignored them.
He took a deep breath, turned to face the entire tavern, and burst into what he believed was an extremely heroic laugh.
"HAHAHA… That's right! I am Riberra Sami, the man with a bounty of seven million Beli! And my true identity—"
He deliberately paused.
His gaze swept across the tavern, taking in the greed, caution, and—what he imagined to be—imminent ridicule on everyone's faces.
Then he declared with a mixture of pride and reluctant dignity:
"I am a jellyfish that ate the Zoan-type Human-Human Fruit!"
"If you want my seven-million-Beli head, come and take it! Let me see if you've got the ability!"
"…W-What?!"
The entire tavern instantly fell silent.
It was as if someone had pressed a mute button.
Human-Human Fruit?
The answer struck everyone like lightning.
The bounty hunters who had been eager to act, the curious drinkers watching for entertainment, and even Sami's own officers all stood with their mouths hanging open.
"…Human-Human Fruit?" One nearby bounty hunter muttered, his pistol lowering unconsciously.
His face was filled with confusion.
"B-boss… y-you're… a jellyfish???" Officer Eugene stammered in disbelief, his worldview collapsing as if he had just met his captain for the first time.
Sami forced his face to remain stiff, pouring all the acting skill he possessed into his voice.
"Hahaha… That's right. That's also why I can think, speak, and walk upright like a human."
Out of the corner of his eye, Sami scanned the stunned expressions throughout the tavern.
Inside, he wiped imaginary sweat from his forehead.
It worked… They bought it! Thank God!
After the brief silence—
The tavern exploded.
"HAHAHAHA!! The Human-Human Fruit? A jellyfish turning into a human?!"
"HAHAHA! What kind of garbage ability is that?!"
"Hey! Jellyfish Head!"
The bounty hunter with the four-million-Beli bounty suddenly stood up.
"I thought you might actually be strong, but turns out you're just a freak who ate a trash fruit! Seven million? I say your head's worth seventy thousand at most!"
His companions jeered along with him.
The tavern filled with laughter and undisguised contempt.
In their understanding, the Human-Human Fruit—especially when eaten by an animal to become human—was one of the most useless abilities imaginable.
Sami stood there silently.
The forced expression on his face gradually turned cold.
He slowly turned to face the scarred bounty hunter.
The last trace of embarrassment vanished from his eyes.
"Boss…" Eugene whispered uneasily.
Sami raised a hand, stopping him.
The unusual calmness caused several perceptive people to sense danger.
The tavern noise began to fade again.
Sami looked directly at the scarred man.
"You're saying… my ability is garbage?"
The scarred man felt a chill under Sami's gaze, but with alcohol courage and his companions nearby, he barked back.
"Of course! The Human-Human Fruit? Even dogs wouldn't eat that! It's trash! If you know what's good for you, surrender now. I'll make it quick and take your head to buy drinks!"
"Oh."
Sami nodded calmly, as if accepting the judgment.
Then he asked an unrelated question.
"Do you have a bounty?"
The scarred man blinked, then puffed out his chest proudly.
"I'm Shark the Scar Tide, worth four million Beli! What, scared?"
"Not scared."
Sami shook his head, a faint smile appearing on his lips.
"I was just thinking… you're worth four million, yet you're laughing at someone worth seven million for eating a garbage fruit."
He took a step forward.
Just that single step caused an indescribable pressure to spread through the room.
"So here's the question," Sami's voice suddenly turned icy. "If you're weaker than someone with a garbage fruit… what does that make you?"
"You're asking to die!"
Shark exploded with rage.
Especially when Sami casually pointed out that he was inferior—it made blood rush straight to his head.
He could no longer hold back.
With a roar, he drew the sharp dagger at his waist and lunged at Sami.
"Die!"
His companions drew their weapons and rushed forward as well.
Gasps filled the tavern as people scrambled back, clearing space.
Sami didn't move.
Only when the daggers were about to stab into his chest did his body slide half a step backward.
The blades brushed past his clothes.
Shark's attack missed, his momentum carrying him forward.
At that instant—
Sami moved.
His speed was so fast it almost left an afterimage.
His left hand clamped down on Shark's wrist like an iron vice and twisted downward.
CRACK!
The sickening sound of bone breaking rang clearly.
"AAAH—!"
Before Shark could finish screaming, Sami's right fist shot forward like a cannonball and slammed into his stomach.
"GHH—!"
Shark's eyes bulged as saliva and stomach acid sprayed from his mouth. His body curled like a boiled shrimp.
But Sami wasn't finished.
Still gripping his wrist, Sami lifted him upward while hooking Shark's ankle with his foot and pulling sharply.
The large man instantly lost balance.
Like a sack of trash, Shark was hurled backward—straight into his charging companions.
BANG! CRASH—!
The human projectile smashed into them perfectly.
Screams mixed with the sound of tables and chairs breaking as four or five men tumbled to the floor, unable to get back up.
From the moment Shark attacked to the moment they all lay groaning—
Less than ten seconds had passed.
Silence filled the tavern.
Only the pained groans of Shark's group and the crackling of firewood in the hearth could be heard.
The bounty hunters who had been hoping for an easy reward now had cold sweat running down their palms.
Too fast.
Too clean.
He hadn't even used any Devil Fruit ability.
Just basic combat skills and instinct—and he had instantly dismantled an entire group.
That strength absolutely justified a seven-million-Beli bounty.
Sami slowly relaxed his stance and brushed nonexistent dust from his hands.
He walked over to the curled-up Shark and crouched beside him.
"Looks like even the garbage fruit you mentioned… is more than enough to kill you."
He stood up again and stopped looking at the man lying on the floor like a dead dog.
His gaze slowly swept across every frightened face in the tavern.
"So."
"Does anyone else have an opinion about my jellyfish head… or my garbage fruit?"
No one answered.
Even breathing seemed deliberately quieter.
Satisfied, Sami nodded.
As if he had merely swatted away a few flies.
Jellyfish Head? Human-Human Fruit?
Heh. Believe whatever you want.
As long as my fists are strong enough, all of it will become legend.
As for the truth?
Who cared?
Out on the sea, weren't most legends half truth and half exaggeration anyway?
After all—
A pirate's reputation is built half by fighting, and half by bragging.