Chapter 9: The Hidden Treasure
Monster?
Eiger didn't think so.
He wasn't even close to what people called a Great Swordsman.
A real Great Swordsman could slice a ship clean in half with a casual swing.
His "Dust Splitter," even after building up power, had only punched a hole through the hull. Impressive, yes—but nowhere near that level.
At best, he was just a moderately strong fighter in the West Blue. Nothing more.
He had merely given the villagers—and those backwater pirates—a good scare.
Eiger sighed, brushing the dirt from his axe and clapping his hands free of dust.
By now, the villagers had realized what had happened. The pirates weren't "driven off"—they'd been utterly annihilated.
Cheering erupted like a wave.
"Eiger! Eiger!"
"We're safe! He saved us all!"
Their gratitude washed over him, though he only offered a brief nod in return.
Marin, clutching his granddaughter, hurried up to him with trembling steps, guilt and relief written across his face. "Eiger…"
But before he could continue, Eiger interrupted.
"I'll leave the rest to you."
"Ah—ha ha, right, right! Leave it to me!" Marin chuckled, quickly catching on. Gratitude softened his features, but his tone carried its usual mischievous glint. "Don't you worry, I'll handle everything here. You just head home with Nico. I saw that big wooden bath you bought—it looks roomy enough for two, eh?"
"..."
Eiger's eyes narrowed slightly.
He hadn't tried it yet—but he could already picture the old man's grin.
Before leaving, he gave a brief warning:
"There'll be wreckage washing ashore soon. Be careful—and don't just rescue anyone who floats up, got it?"
Marin thumped his chest in mock assurance. "Relax! I know what I'm doing!"
Eiger sighed, ruffling Della's hair before turning back toward Nico—who was standing still, strangely dazed.
"Let's go," he said gently. "We're going home."
Nico blinked, then smiled—though something flickered in her eyes, as if she wanted to say something but thought better of it. She looped her arm through his and, with a teasing glint, said,
"Going home so quickly, darling? Don't tell me you're eager to test that new bath already."
Her voice was soft, but her tone carried a sultry edge that hadn't been there before.
Eiger frowned slightly. Yesterday she'd been graceful, reserved—today, there was a playful, almost dangerous charm in her words.
Noticing his look, Nico tilted her head. "What's wrong, darling?"
"...Nothing."
He shook his head and said no more, simply keeping her hand in his as they walked home.
By the time they returned, the house was already filled with the sound of activity. Their newly purchased goods had been delivered—apparently the merchants had waited for them to arrive before dropping everything off.
Eiger smirked. Guess I scared Rick into efficiency.
He leaned against the doorway, watching Nico hum a little tune as she unpacked supplies and began preparing dinner.
The tension from earlier seemed to have vanished. Wearing an apron, she set to work on the beast meat he'd hunted that morning—moving with focus and grace. She was back to being the calm, affectionate fiancée once more.
He found himself relaxing as the scent of cooking filled the air—until a loud voice shouted from outside:
"Eiger! Eiger!"
Marin's voice. Again.
Eiger and Nico exchanged a glance before turning to the door. Marin burst in, breathing heavily, clutching a large, damp wooden chest to his chest.
He darted a look outside, peering up and down the road suspiciously before slamming the door shut behind him.
"...???"
Both Eiger and Nico blinked at him, utterly confused.
The way the old man was sneaking around—he looked more like a thief than a chief.
Before Eiger could even ask, Marin plopped down in front of him, setting the chest carefully on the floor like it was made of glass. His eyes shone with excitement.
"Eiger! You won't believe what I've found! A treasure! A real treasure!"
Eiger raised an eyebrow. "Treasure? Don't tell me you stumbled across the Giant Bear crew's loot already."
He sounded utterly calm as he sipped the hot tea Nico handed him. "So, how much did you find? A few million Beli?"
"Money? No, no, not money!" Marin waved both hands, practically vibrating with excitement.
"Then what—gold? Pearls? Gems?"
"None of that either!" Marin's grin stretched wider. "This is something special! I can't even describe it—wait, no, I'll show you!"
He slapped his thigh with a loud smack, eyes gleaming.
"That greedy merchant Rick called it a 'Grand Sea Relic!' He even offered me ten million Beli for it!"
"Ten million?" Eiger's eyes narrowed.
"Exactly!" Marin puffed out his chest proudly. "But I didn't sell it! I brought it straight to you. Rick's probably still grinding his teeth in fury right now!"
Eiger and Nico exchanged another look.
"...What?" Eiger said flatly.
Marin grinned even wider. "Come on, take a look! You'll understand once you see it!"
He carefully unlatched the damp box—its hinges creaking—and slowly lifted the lid.
A faint, strange light spilled out into the room.
Eiger froze for a moment, his sharp instincts already hinting at what it might be. His eyes narrowed slightly.
"Don't tell me… a Devil Fruit?"
Marin's eyes lit up. "Exactly! I knew you'd recognize it!"
He eagerly opened the still-damp chest, revealing the strange fruit within. Its spiraling patterns glistened faintly under the lamplight. Marin puffed up proudly, practically beaming.
"Hmph! That greedy merchant tried to scam me! This thing's worth way more than ten million Beli—he must've thought I was some backwater fool!"
Eiger's tone was calm, almost indifferent. "You're right. Even the weakest Devil Fruit sells for at least a hundred million Beli."
"What?!" Marin's jaw dropped. His eyes bulged as he stared at the fruit, his voice trembling. "A hundred… a hundred million?! For this weird-looking fruit?!"
He slammed a fist onto the table, veins popping on his neck. "That conniving merchant tried to lowball me with ten million—called it worthless! Hah! Lucky I didn't sell it!"
Eiger exhaled quietly, rubbing his forehead as the old man ranted. He picked up the fruit from the chest—it was roughly the size of a melon, its skin a shimmering shade of green, with curling patterns that almost pulsed faintly.
Even a useless ability could fetch a fortune. But this one…
Green, huh? Could it be a Nature-type? Or maybe a Paramecia, or a Zoan?
He remembered, back before he'd retired, when a devil fruit had caused chaos at the Sabaody Auction House. He'd even taken a few days off to sneak there himself, hoping to grab a Devil Fruit while everyone was distracted.
He had found chaos, yes—but no Devil Fruit. Just disappointment.
And now, years later, one had practically washed up on his doorstep.
Eiger sighed softly, brushing a thumb along the fruit's ridged surface.
"What kind of Devil Fruit are you, I wonder?"
Unfortunately, he'd never studied the Devil Fruit Compendium in depth—he could only recognize a few famous ones by sight.
He glanced sideways at Nico. She had looked briefly surprised when she'd first seen it, but after a moment, she'd simply returned to preparing dinner, calm as ever.
Eiger gave a helpless smile, then set the fruit back into the chest and slid it toward Marin.
But—
"Eh? That's strange," Marin muttered, blinking. "Why isn't it glowing anymore? When I took it out before, it was shining!"
"...What?"
Eiger's expression stiffened.
Glowing?
No way... A Logia-type?
But that can't be—the Glint-Glint Fruit's already taken.
He opened his mouth to ask for details, but Marin pushed the chest back toward him.
"This is yours, Eiger. Keep it safe!" the old man said firmly. "You're the one who wiped out those pirates. We'd all be dead if not for you. I just found it—I didn't earn it."
Eiger frowned slightly. "You sure?"
"Of course! Something this valuable can't be left lying around. Don't worry—I'll make sure no one in the village blabs about it." Marin's tone grew serious for once. "Word about a Devil Fruit spreads, and before you know it, pirates, bounty hunters, even Marines will come sniffing around."
Then his grin returned. "Besides, everyone got their share of good luck today. That merchant Rick saw your strength—he upped the grape price by ten percent! The bastard looked like he'd swallowed a lemon!"
Eiger couldn't help but chuckle.
"Also," Marin continued, narrowing his eyes mischievously, "you little liar! You told us you got kicked out of the Navy for being too weak! But I ran into one of your old comrades—they said you were the one who chose to retire! What kind of story were you trying to sell us, huh?"
Eiger rubbed the back of his neck, smiling awkwardly.
"Right, speaking of that—" Marin suddenly slapped his thigh hard enough to make Nico jump. "Ah! I almost forgot! There's a Marine looking for you! A colonel, I think! Hurry, he's waiting outside!"
Eiger raised an eyebrow. "A Marine…?"
Before he could even stand—
"Ha ha ha! No need to hurry, I'm already here!"
A deep, booming voice filled the doorway, followed by hearty laughter.
"Eiger! You bastard!"
A tall, broad-shouldered man stepped inside, his Marine coat swaying dramatically behind him. A huge grin split his bearded face.
"I heard you got married, you brat! And you didn't even invite us to the wedding? What kind of comrade does that? Come on, set the table! We're drinking tonight!"
The familiar voice and the playful tone made Eiger's eye twitch.
"...Captain Enchi," he muttered.
"Colonel Enchi now!" the man corrected with a laugh, clapping him on the shoulder hard enough to make the floorboards creak. "Come on, you old dog—let's celebrate!"
Eiger sighed deeply.
From slaying pirates to uninvited guests—
Peace, it seemed, was not in his near future.