[New Entry]
[Sun-attuned Constitution: a crude imitation of Iron Body, provides no direct combat enhancement, only marginal cellular reinforcement] (Recorded)
Pini had finally obtained superhuman power, and sleep completely abandoned him.
At first, everyone eagerly watched him test his newfound abilities. Thunder cracked across the sky again and again, the explosive booms echoing so violently that the group eventually chased him off to a nearby deserted island so he could continue without deafening the entire village.
Once the excitement faded, the remaining fruit wine was finished, laughter dwindled, and everyone returned to their homes to rest.
Near noon the following day, Ash slowly opened his eyes.
The fruit wine from the night before had gone down smoothly, almost deceptively so, but the aftermath hit him hard. His head throbbed with a dull, persistent ache.
"Still," he muttered to himself, sitting up, "Benbona Kingdom's fruit wine really isn't bad."
He sat on the edge of the bed and pictured the small waterfall on the island. In the next instant, his body dissolved into radiant flames as he activated the Golden Crow Rainbow Transformation Technique and vanished.
Moments later, Ash stood beneath the waterfall. Flames surged briefly across his body, evaporating the lingering alcohol and heat before he stepped into the cool rushing water. After a quick wash, he disappeared again and reappeared in his cabin, refreshed and clear-headed.
"Superpowers really are something else," he muttered. "Every lazy man's dream."
With that thought, he stepped outside, only to freeze.
Sali and the others were marching toward his cabin, expressions grim and tightly controlled.
"Ash," Sali said the moment he spotted him awake, "you're wanted."
Ash blinked. "What? Wanted? For what?"
"It's Big Brother Pini!" Little Tail Saci chirped from behind the group.
"This morning he still couldn't sleep and wanted a drink. When he found all the booze gone, he borrowed some Berries from Grandpa and flew to the capital to buy more. On the way back, he brought this."
Saci's voice dropped dramatically.
"A bounty poster."
Ash turned slowly toward Pini. "You went to the capital?"
Pini nodded. "When I arrived, the tavern owner was buying a newspaper from a News Coo. A bounty sheet slipped out. I saw your face on it, so I bought the paper and rushed back."
Ash sighed. "So… no fruit wine?"
"Brat, this is not the time for wine!" several voices snapped at once.
"Alright, alright," Ash said, raising a hand calmly.
In truth, he had no idea why the Marines would suddenly issue a bounty. All he had done was participate in the chaos at Marine Base 175 the day before.
But he wasn't worried.
Power erased fear. With strength came confidence.
He had done nothing wrong. Even if it was a misunderstanding, it could be cleared up later. And realistically speaking, the Marines were not going to dispatch an Admiral over something like this.
As long as someone like Sengoku, Kizaru, or one of those ancient monsters did not appear, the rest of the Marines meant very little to him now.
Even without setting sail, his current strength already brushed against the level he had once imagined for a Shichibukai.
Outwardly calm, he accepted the bounty poster from Sali.
The first thing he saw was the photograph.
It was him, holding the explosive treasure chest, captured from above.
"Huh?" Ash frowned. "There was a News Coo at Base 175?"
Everyone had been busy fighting pirates. Even Pini, with his enhanced senses, had not noticed anything unusual.
Ash continued reading.
Name: Unknown
Bounty: 800 Berries
The air went still.
"Forget the name," Ash snapped. "Eight hundred Berries?"
His aura flared.
"Marines. World Government. Who exactly are you looking down on? I would rather be dead than insulted!"
The others rushed to calm him, though several of them were clearly biting back laughter. A bounty itself did not scare Ash, but a low bounty was an entirely different matter.
Had Ash known their thoughts, he would have argued every point.
Being wanted could be a mistake. That was fine.
But eight hundred Berries? That was barely worth sixteen starter Choppers.
"That's not even worth one Wano-era Chopper!" he fumed internally. "Who do they think they're humiliating?"
Once he cooled down slightly, he kept reading.
Reason: During the pirate suppression operation at Marine Base 175 in the North Blue, the individual is suspected of stealing a valuable explosive treasure chest. Believed to be affiliated with the Wolf-Guzzling Pirate Group.
Ash crumpled the poster in his hand.
"Suppression?" he scoffed. "They nearly got wiped out, and they don't even mention it."
Then, with a hint of guilt, he added, "And those News Coo are asking to die. They clearly saw that blond pirate hand me the chest. I only picked it up briefly before tossing it into the tavern."
Pini nodded vigorously. "Right, right, right, right! When I went back and saw the chest outside, I thought it was dangerous, so I moved it into the tavern's storage room, the same place where Ash passed out!"
Everyone slowly turned to stare at him.
Because maybe, just maybe, that "helpful" decision was exactly why the Marines believed Ash had stolen it.
Ash shared the same thought, though what annoyed him more was Pini's repeated "right, right, right, right."
"Even if moving the chest confused them," Ash said sharply, "don't they know I'm not with the Wolf-Guzzling Pirates?"
His eyes hardened.
"I'm going to Marine Base 175. I won't swallow this injustice."
Before anyone could stop him, his figure dissolved into blazing light and vanished.
"So that's Big Brother Ash's Golden Crow Rainbow Transformation Technique," Saci shouted excitedly. "One flash and he's gone. Amazing!"
A loud thud followed.
Sali's fist landed squarely on Saci's head, raising a visible bump.
"This is not the time," Sali said coldly. "Go find Grandpa and gather the villagers. I have something to say. Move."
Seeing the seriousness in his brother's eyes, Saci immediately sprinted off.
Soon, every villager in Diwen Village had gathered.
Sali explained everything in detail.
The elders exchanged looks before the village chief stepped forward.
"Since we know Ash is innocent," the chief said, "we stand with him. He'll be alright, won't he?"
Sali shook his head.
"Even if we can prove where the chest is, too much is involved. A Devil Fruit's value, the interests of nobles who want it, the pride of the Marines and the World Government. They will not retract that bounty easily."
"In their eyes," he continued grimly, "their pride is worth far more than any ordinary life."
"But Big Brother Ash isn't ordinary," Saci muttered.
"They don't know that," Sali replied. "And letting them find out could make things worse."
The chief fell silent before nodding slowly.
"Ash is a good boy. No matter what happens, Diwen Village supports him. You gathered us for a reason, Sali. Tell us your plan."