The Moby Dick swayed gently under the night sky, stars reflecting like scattered jewels across the calm ocean. Most of the Whitebeard Pirates had retreated below deck, leaving the world above to the whispers of the wind and the lull of the waves. But one figure remained — Lupin.
He leaned against the ship's rail, a half-empty bottle of rum at his side, his head foggy with drink and thought. The brotherhood ritual was done. His hand still bore the shallow cut of the blood bond he'd made with Marshall D. Teach.
And the system had reacted the moment the blood dried.
**[System Notification]
Quest Complete: Brotherhood Ritual with Marshall D. Teach
Rewards:
3 Mystery Chests
1 Creation Point
+100 Edit Points
1 Title Card
A series of shimmering lights appeared before him as three ornate chests materialized one by one. Each was more extravagant than the last — one dark polished wood with golden trims, one deep black with glowing runes, and one gleaming white box that oddly vibrated.
Lupin exhaled a long breath. Alright… let's see what Lady Luck spat up this time.
He approached the first chest — the polished wooden one — and lifted its lid. A gleam of cold metal greeted him. His eyes widened as he carefully pulled it out.
A revolver.
A beast of a firearm: Magnum Research BFR. Longer, heavier, and nastier-looking than his own Smith & Wesson XVR 460 Magnum. The custom grip was engraved with the emblem of a snarling wolf, and the barrel shimmered with a dark chrome finish.
[You have received: Customized Magnum Research BFR
Type: Weapon.]
Lupin let out a low whistle, turning it over in his hands. It was a thing of brutal beauty.
But then a smirk tugged at the corner of his lips. "Tch… I already got my partner," he muttered, patting the holster on his hip where his XVR rested.
A thought struck him, and his grin widened. This would be a hell of a brotherhood gift…
He set the revolver aside, mentally labeling it for Teach. There were few gifts better between brothers than a weapon that could take a man's head clean off.
"Yeah… this one's yours, brother," he whispered to the night.
Next, Lupin turned to the second chest — the one with the dark runes. Its surface pulsed faintly as though it were alive, responding to his touch. He pried it open, bracing for some cursed artifact or monstrous prize. Instead, a neatly folded item sat within.
A mask.
It was incredibly lifelike — a hyper-realistic human face crafted with eerie perfection. The skin tone, the slight wrinkles around the eyes, even the stubble along the jawline looked real. When Lupin picked it up, it was light as a feather but somehow cold to the touch.
[You have received: Hyper-Realistic Disguise Mask
Type: Equipment
Effect: When worn, perfectly disguises the user's identity and facial features. Immune to recognition.]
Lupin took off his half mask, the one he had used for so long to conceal his identity as Rosinante. The new Hyper-Realistic Disguise Mask felt strange at first as he applied it to his face. It molded seamlessly to his features, but Lupin made a small change, altering the shape of his nose and jawline just enough that no one would recognize him as the man who had once been presumed dead. The transformation was startling. He looked completely different.
For the first time, Lupin felt a weight lift off his shoulders. He wasn't just hiding behind a mask anymore; he had the power to be anyone, and with that, he could disappear into any crowd, leaving his past behind.
Then came the final chest — the gleaming white one, large enough to store a weapon rack, vibrating faintly under his fingertips. He hesitated for a moment before flipping the heavy lid open.
And what he saw made his jaw hang open.
Inside was… a ship.
Or rather, a scaled-down model of a massive ocean liner. Lupin's brain struggled to process it at first, until a system prompt popped up.
[You have received: RMS Titanic (Full Scale)]
Type: Legendary Ship
Description: The largest passenger ship of the old world, now recreated and fully operational within the One Piece world. Contains multiple decks, luxury cabins, ballrooms, and reinforced hull. Capable of carrying up to 10,000 passengers. Note: Due to its size, it has been stored within a dimensional capsule inside this chest. Can be summoned at will.]
"A… freaking Titanic?" Lupin muttered, dumbfounded.
He reached down and felt a strange, metallic capsule about the size of a pistol grip. The capsule shimmered with the label "Titanic" in bold cursive across its side.
"I'm not even sure where I'd park this damn thing," he chuckled, pocketing the capsule. Guess I'll save that surprise for later.
Footsteps approached, heavy and familiar. Teach.
"Yo, brother! What you got there?" the gruff voice came.
Lupin glanced at the revolver on the crate beside him and grinned. "It my family heirloom"
Teach's eyes gleamed when he spotted the BFR. "Damn… that's a beauty."
"Yeah," Lupin agreed. Then, without a second thought, he picked up the gun and handed it to Teach, grip first.
"Here. Brotherhood gift. You're my brother now, and a man like you deserves a gun like this."
Teach stared, surprised. He wasn't used to generosity — especially from pirates. Then his grin stretched wide, eyes shining.
"You serious?"
"Dead serious," Lupin nodded. "I already got my partner," he patted his holster again. "But I figure this one's for you."
Teach laughed, a booming sound that shook the night air. He took the revolver, spinning it in his hand like a gunslinger, testing its weight.
"Ohhh, you're a good man, Lupin. A real brother. Next drink's on me."
He holstered the weapon at his side and clapped Lupin's shoulder hard enough to nearly knock him over. The moment felt real, solid, the kind of bond forged in blood and battle.
As the night deepened, they sat on the deck, drinking and laughing, the world momentarily simple and good.
And though Lupin's mind whispered of the future — of betrayals and tragedies yet to come — for this night, under this sky, they were brothers.
And that was enough.