[POV: MARC]
The Waters of Jaya
The Going Merry was sailing peacefully through the waters near Jaya.The sun was shining. The sea was calm.And the crew was… excited.
"NAMI!" Luffy shouted from the bow. "ARE WE CLOSE?!""Yes! Just a few more hours!" she replied from her navigator's post."I CAN'T WAIT TO EAT!""You always say that," Zoro muttered.
That was when a news seagull flew over the ship.QUACK!
It dropped a newspaper and held out its leg.
"One hundred berries for a newspaper?!" Nami protested. "That's robbery!""Just pay," Sanji sighed, pulling out a coin.
The seagull took the money and flew away.
Nami grabbed the newspaper and started flipping through it.Then she froze.
"Everyone… come look at this."
The First Bounties
The whole crew gathered around Nami.She unfolded the paper, revealing the front page.
HEROES OF ALABASTA: THE MARINES FOIL CROCODILE'S PLOTCAPTAIN HINA CAPTURES THE FALLEN WARLORD
Below it, three photos.Three wanted posters.
"WOOOOAH!" Luffy exclaimed, eyes sparkling. "WE HAVE BOUNTIES?!"
The first photo showed Luffy, grinning widely with his straw hat.
MONKEY D. LUFFY"STR A W H A T"BOUNTY: 100,000,000 BERRIESDEAD OR ALIVE
"ONE HUNDRED MILLION?!" Usopp screamed. "LUFFY HAS A HUNDRED MILLION BOUNTY?!""I'M SO STRONG!" Luffy laughed loudly. "ONE HUNDRED MILLION! GYAHAHAHA!"
The second photo showed Zoro with his three swords drawn.
RORONOA ZORO"PIRATE HUNTER"BOUNTY: 60,000,000 BERRIESDEAD OR ALIVE
Zoro smiled with satisfaction. "Not bad."
"SIXTY MILLION?!" Sanji stared at him in jealousy."HOW DO YOU HAVE SIXTY MILLION AND I HAVE NOTHING?!""Because I'm stronger than you.""WHAT DID YOU SAY?!""Apparently you heard me."
The third photo showed me, standing with a neutral expression.
MARC"THE JAILER"BOUNTY: 90,000,000 BERRIESCAPTURE ALIVE ONLY
Silence fell.
"NINETY MILLION?!" Nami exclaimed. "AND ALIVE ONLY?!"
I stared at the poster with a mix of satisfaction and concern."The Government must have seen that I survived Abel," I murmured."They want answers."
"What's that nickname?" Usopp asked. "The Jailer?""They figured out I imprison people."
Chopper trembled. "That means the Marines will hunt you down…""Probably."
Crew Reactions
The deck exploded with reactions.
THE TIMID TRIO (Nami, Usopp, Chopper) huddled together."We don't have bounties!" Usopp said with relief."We're too weak to be noticed!" Chopper added."GOOD!" Nami declared. "Less attention, fewer problems!"They danced happily.
LUFFY AND ZORO were proud."One hundred million!" Luffy puffed out his chest. "I'm SUPER strong now!""Sixty million," Zoro repeated with a smirk. "Not bad for a start."
SANJI was furious."WHY DON'T I HAVE A BOUNTY?!" he yelled, grabbing Zoro by the collar."I'M JUST AS STRONG AS YOU!""Apparently not.""WHAT?!""You heard me."
SMACK!Nami hit them both. "STOP FIGHTING!"
Mr. Fish watched with amusement. "Is it always like this?""Yes," I replied. "Every day."Walter, perched on my shoulder, squeaked in agreement.
Ghost Ship
Suddenly, a massive shadow passed over us.
"WHAT?!" Luffy looked up. "WHAT IS THAT?!"
In the sky… a ship.No— a WRECK.
Gigantic. Bigger than the Going Merry. Falling from the sky like a meteor.
"NAMI! MOVE THE SHIP!" I shouted."I KNOW!"
She spun the helm hard.
WHOOOOSH!
The Merry slid across the water, narrowly avoiding the wreck.
SPLASH!
The wreck crashed into the sea just meters away, creating a huge wave that rocked the ship.
"WE ALMOST DIED!" Usopp screamed."What the hell was that?!" Sanji added.
The wreck now floated beside us. Ancient. Dilapidated. Covered in moss and shells.
Nami stared at it with sparkling eyes."A ship this old… it must have TREASURE onboard!"
"T R E A S U R E ?!" Luffy's eyes lit up.
"We should check it out!" Usopp suggested, already less scared.
"I'll go," Zoro said, standing up."Me too," Sanji added.
"Wait," Usopp said, rummaging through his stuff. "You'll need this."
He pulled out… a diving suit.Improvised. Waterproof fabric. Breathing tubes. Goggles.Crude.But functional.
"I only made one so far," Usopp explained. "Give it to Luffy. He can't swim."
"Good idea," Nami agreed.
I raised my hand. "Give it to Luffy. I don't need one."
Everyone turned to me, confused.
"Huh?" Luffy tilted his head. "But you ate a Devil Fruit, right?""Yes. But seawater doesn't affect me.""WHAT?!" several crewmates exclaimed.
"Everyone's different," I explained calmly."My Fruit… works differently."
To prove it, I stepped to the edge of the ship.
"MARC, WAIT—" Nami began, worried.
Too late.
SPLASH!
I jumped into the cold sea.
And…
I floated.Calmly. Without sinking. Without losing strength.I even swam a few strokes for good measure.
"HE'S SWIMMING?!" Chopper screamed."HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE?!" Usopp added.
I climbed back aboard, soaked but perfectly fine.
"Like I said. I'm different."
Nami frowned."Wait… you swam against SCP-054-FR too… the ghost shark…""Exactly.""So you're really immune to seawater?""Yes."
Sanji eyed me suspiciously."That's not normal for a Devil Fruit user…""I know. But that's how it is."
[LIE MAINTAINED][IMMORTALITY NOT REVEALED]
Usopp adjusted the suit."Alright, then Luffy gets it. Let's go!"
Exploring the Wreck
We all dove—Luffy (with the suit), Zoro, Sanji, and me.
The wreck was massive. Dark corridors. Collapsed cabins. Algae everywhere.
BEEP. BEEP. BEEP.[ANOMALY DETECTED][DISTANCE: 30 METERS][SCP PROBABILITY: 87%]
I discreetly split from the group, following the system's guidance.
Through corridors. Ruined rooms. Until an isolated cabin.
A chest.Locked. Rusted. But intact.
I grabbed the lid and pulled.
CRACK!
The metal gave way easily under my strength.
Inside…
Collars.Metallic. With strange mechanisms. And a remote.
BEEP.[SCP IDENTIFIED: SCP-010][CLASS: SAFE][DESIGNATION: OBEDIENCE COLLARS][ABILITY: MIND CONTROL, CAN FORCE OBEDIENCE][USE: RESEARCH ON DEVIL FRUIT USERS]
I grinned.
Priceless.
For science, this was worth more than any gold treasure.
I carefully placed the collars into a waterproof bag.
Then—
BEEP. BEEP. BEEP.[ANOMALY DETECTED][DISTANCE: 200 METERS][DIRECTION: SEABED][SCP PROBABILITY: 94%][STATUS: IMMOBILE]
Another wreck?Or something much bigger…
Back on the Merry
We all climbed back onto the deck with our finds.
Luffy proudly held up a full plate knight's armor."LOOK! A KNIGHT'S ARMOR!""SO COOL!" Chopper exclaimed.
Zoro and Sanji had found gold—coins, jewels, tens of thousands of berries.
And a map. Old. Showing unknown islands."That could be useful," Nami said, taking it.
Me?I pulled out a cardboard box containing SCP-010.
I discreetly summoned the Foundation door.A guard stepped out. I handed him the box.
"Immediate containment. Secure storage."
He nodded and returned.
"Marc?" Luffy asked. "What was that?""Nothing important. Just objects to study.""Cool!"
I looked at the crew."There's another SCP underwater. Farther away. I need to go back."
"I'M COMING!" Luffy shouted."Me too," Zoro added."It might be dangerous—""EVEN BETTER!" Luffy replied with his usual grin.
I sighed. "Alright. But this time, we bring reinforcements."
Underwater Intervention Unit
I summoned the Foundation door.
The Underwater Intervention Unit emerged.
Arlong. Kuroobi. Chew. Hatchan.Followed by the Manatee Squad.
High-tech diving suits. Harpoons. Communication gear.
Arlong breathed in deeply, smiling."Finally… the real sea… the real sun…"
"How long has it been?" Kuroobi asked."Too long," Chew replied.
They compared stats like addicted gamers.
"My simulation score was 87% yesterday," Hatchan bragged."Mine was 92%," Kuroobi said."I hit 95%," Chew added.
Arlong smiled competitively."I was at 98%."
"Showoff," Kuroobi muttered.
Usopp had made a second suit for Zoro from leftover materials.
"There! Finished!""Not bad," Zoro said, putting it on.
"I don't need to breathe," I explained. "Immortality has its perks.""Convenient," Sanji commented.
We dove together.
The Sunken City
We descended.Deeper. Deeper.The sunlight faded.
Then we saw it.
[DISTANCE: 50 METERS]
A city.Sunken.Stretching for nearly three kilometers.
Ancient buildings. Collapsed towers. Algae-covered streets.
"WOOOOAH!" Luffy's eyes sparkled through his helmet."AN UNDERWATER CITY!"
Zoro frowned. "This is strange…"
[DISTANCE: 30 METERS]
Then it began.
Hallucinations
DONG. DONG. DONG.
A bell toll.Impossible. But real.
"You hear that?" Luffy asked."Yeah…" Zoro replied, on guard.
[ALERT: COGNITIVE EFFECT DETECTED][AUDITORY AND VISUAL HALLUCINATIONS][SOURCE: THE CITY]
Shadows appeared.Human silhouettes walking through the submerged streets.
"Boss," Arlong said through the comms. "Do you see them?"
I shook my head firmly."No. There's nothing. You're hallucinating."
Zoro noticed quickly."They have no presence…"
But Luffy—
"HEY SHADOWS! WANNA PLAY?!"
He swam toward them.
"LUFFY, NO!" I shouted.
Too late.
I quickly tied a rope around his waist. Then Zoro's.
At least they wouldn't get lost.
The Royal Building
We entered the main structure.A palace, once.
And there…
A person.
Seated on a stone throne.Alive.
A demon.Elegant horns. Strange eyes like Loki's. Ancient attire.
She opened her eyes.And smiled.
"Welcome," she said, her voice echoing through the water."It has been a long time since I've had visitors."
"Join me for a meal."
Silence.
Except—
"A MEAL?! YES!" Luffy shouted.
"LUFFY, NO!" I yanked the rope. "You can't eat with that suit!"
Zoro was gone.
"Tch…" I muttered. I forgot his sense of direction…
The Revelation
"Who are you?" I asked.
"A guardian. A survivor. An anomaly— as you would say."
"You know the Foundation?""Of course. You're not the first to seek a pact."
My blood ran cold."The World Government?"
She shook her head.
"Leave. You're not ready for what I guard."
Suddenly—
A massive current.
WHOOOOSH!
We were expelled hundreds of meters away.
The city vanished.
As if it had never existed.
Only Zoro remained.Swimming in circles.
"ZORO, YOU IDIOT!""Huh? Where are you?!""FOLLOW THE ROPE!""Oh. That one."
Idiot.
Chaotic Return
Back on the Merry, exhausted.
We were greeted by another pirate crew.
Their captain… a monkey-man.
"THIS SHIP IS OURS!""No," Nami said calmly.
WHAM!
Sanji kicked him straight into the sea.
"No one threatens Nami-swan."
The fish-men stepped forward.
The pirates fled.
Debrief
"So?" Nami asked. "Anything valuable?""No.""WHAT?!""Nothing."
"But I saw ghosts!" Luffy said happily.
Zoro crossed his arms. "We got lost."
"HOW DO YOU GET LOST TIED TO A ROPE?!""It's… complicated."
I dismissed the intervention unit.
Jaya was close now.
Bellamy. Cricket. Blackbeard.And above all… Sky Island.
More anomalies awaited.
The hunt continued.
[END OF CHAPTER 43]