After putting on a jacket, I returned to Russia, wandering randomly in search of thugs. I entered an alleyway—and found some.
I know this region is dangerous because I accidentally took the wrong train the last time I came here.
As Alex wandered the streets, the smell of burning trash and the faint stench of alcohol hung in the air. The crunch of snow underfoot was the only sound in the otherwise desolate alleyway.
After wandering for a while through the familiar backstreets, Alex entered an alleyway. He saw a group of men huddled around a barrel fire. One of them noticed him.
"What are you looking at?" a thug snarled, stomping toward Alex with a pistol clutched tightly in his hand. His breath steamed in the frigid night air.
"Give me everything you've got." the thug growled, the metallic click of his gun cocking breaking the silence.
Alex's eyes slowly rose, face unreadable. "Classic thug. What if I say no, you fucking moron?"
Before the thug could react, Alex's shoes slammed into his jaw with a bone-jarring crack. The thug flew backward like a rag doll, crashing into the icy brick wall. Blood splattered across the snow-dusted pavement.
"Take me to your leader. I'm here for business." Alex said coldly to the two remaining men, whose faces had gone pale with shock.
They hesitated, eyes darting between the crumpled body and Alex, before nodding in silence and turning on trembling legs.
The streets were slick with frost, the cold biting through Alex's jacket like needles. The wind howled between the crumbling buildings as the thugs led him to a heavily guarded mansion cloaked in shadows. A wrought iron gate creaked open as they approached.
Inside, the warmth hit Alex like a wave—lavish carpets muffled footsteps, and the scent of cigars and expensive cologne lingered in the air.
"Wait here, I'll inform the boss," one of the thugs muttered, disappearing into a corridor.
Alex sat on a leather sofa that hissed as it sank under his weight. The room was dimly lit, a flickering fireplace casting shadows across the gold-trimmed furniture.
Five minutes later, three men entered. Two carried AK-47s; the third wore a tailored suit and a Rolex that glinted under the chandelier.
"You've got guts showing up after beating one of my men—now you want to talk business?" the boss said, voice sharp and low.
"Are you the boss of these worthless shits?" Alex asked, unfazed. "I'm here strictly for business. If you want revenge or to waste my time, you'll regret it."
"I have desire for revenge," the boss replied, settling into a seat opposite Alex, "but the desire for money is stronger. So—what business do you have with me?"
"I want to buy some things that I can't legally buy. I need someone who can get them without hassle," Alex said.
The boss raised an eyebrow. "I admire that you don't waste time. But first, tell me what you want. I'll introduce you to the proper individual."
"First, I want a ship. One with military-grade weapons." Alex said
"Ohh… my guess was totally off," the boss smirked. "Fine. I'll introduce you to the perfect guy."
"When can I meet him?" Alex said
"It is not easy to get contact him but this is an exception because your ambition is big. But you have to set big price for that to happen." He said
"Name your price. I'll deliver it tonight." Alex said
The boss whispered the number. Alex didn't flinch. "Done."
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Later that night…
Snow crunched under Alex's boots as he stepped off the bus. After a quick meal, he slipped into a deserted alley. He found a spot with no cameras or people.
Streetlights flickered. A single breath, a flick of his wrist—and the void shimmered open.
In an instant, he was inside the boss mansion.
The interior was quiet, save for the faint hum of electricity and distant jazz playing on a speaker. He moved like a shadow, checking rooms one by one.
Behind a locked office door, he found it—stacks of bundled cash, bars of gold, velvet pouches filled with glittering diamonds. He slipped one pouch into his coat and made his way back to meet the boss.
He rang the doorbell.
A tall man in a suit opened it. "Sir, I will take you to the boss."
The hallway smelled faintly of wood polish and cigars. The soft thud of their footsteps echoed down the corridor.
Alex followed him down a corridor.
The man opened a door and gestured for Alex to enter. He enter the room, but he remains behind.
"I hope you didn't come empty-handed," the boss said, sitting behind a polished mahogany desk.
"Here." Alex tossed the pouch.
The boss caught it and inspected the diamonds. He began examining the diamond to determine whether it was genuine or not. A smile spread across his face. He seemed quite pleased with the diamond.
"I expected cash, but diamonds work too. Take this phone. You'll get a message with the time and place to meet." he said
"Then I'll be waiting," Alex replied.
After the meeting, Alex went somewhere quite place where no one can se him and teleported back to his room.
The bed creaked as Alex collapsed onto it. A soft glow from his laptop lit up his face as he began researching everything he might need to bring to the One Piece world—tools, weapons, gadgets. His fingers flew across the keyboard.
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Four hours later, he got a message.
He took a bus to the meeting location. When he rang the bell, someone answered and asked for his name. After hearing it, they guided him to a room.
The door clicked open.
A table stood in the center. On one side sat a man with glasses, typing on a laptop. When he saw Alex, he smiled. Just then, the previous boss walked in.
Another man walked in his way is the boss Alex had made the deal with.
"That's your guy. He can get you anything. I'm out" the boss said, leaving.
Alex entered. The seated man stood up.
"My name is Ivan. I handle illegal trading. With the right price, you get the right product." He offered a handshake.
"I'm Alex. For the right price, I expect the good product," Alex replied, shaking his hand.
Ivan smile and both sit-down .
"Tell me what kind of ship you want—details," Ivan said.
"I want a ship that looks like it's from the pirate era, but only the appearance I want old. It must have all modern capabilities and military-grade weapons," Alex said.
"I am not gonna ask why you need that. But it's first time hearing such peculiar request." Ivan said
"So can you do it?" Alex said
"I can get you what you need," Ivan said. "I know a guy who customizes retired navy vessels. We disguise them to look old era, but inside, they're a beast. Guns, armor, satellite systems, whatever you need."
He opened his laptop and displayed images of ships.
"You can see and find what kind of ship of your liking. Afterwards I can give make over that ship."
Ivan said
Alex started looking through them all.
There were a lot option to choose.
There was a five hundred room big ship. But I don't want that much big. Some of them had fifteen deck. Some of them weren't my liking. After looking for all I selected this sheep not to big not to small.
"I like this one. Not too big, not too small." Alex said
"That's a five-floor ship. Includes rooms, gym, storage, entertainment—it's got everything." Ivan said
"Yes! I like this one" Alex said.
Ivan nodded. "That's a good choice. Gym, entertainment, storage, a few dozen rooms. Everything you need."
"Alright, let's talk payment," Ivan said.
"Sure, so how much it gonna cost" Alex said
"One billion dollars." He said
Alex blinked.
"That's the cost—for military-grade weapons and tech so classified, most governments can't get their hands on it. Still interested?" Ivan said
"Off course I don't have 1 billon dollar but I do some good item. I want to sell. I want you check and name the price. " Alex said
"sure, Let me see first," Ivan said.
"I kept my items outside the house. I'll be back in a few minutes," Alex said.
He went outside, teleported to his room, grabbed two modern-looking suitcases, and returned.
He came back to Ivan's house and entered the room carrying two briefcases.
"These are the items I want you to look at," Alex said.
Alex unlatched the briefcase with a soft click and slowly lifted the lid. A golden glow spilled out, illuminating the room in a warm, flickering light. Inside, stacks of old gold coins lay piled atop one another, their surfaces worn with age but still gleaming. Some had intricate engravings—faded monarch profiles, strange symbols, foreign scripts—each coin whispering of forgotten empires and buried treasure. A faint metallic scent, like damp iron and dust, rose from the case.
Ivan's eyes widened slightly. He reached in and scooped a handful, letting them jingle softly as they clinked together, the sound crisp and rich. He rubbed one coin between his fingers, testing its weight and texture. Cool to the touch, it felt authentic. After a few minutes of silent appraisal, he set them aside and turned to the rolled paintings beside them. The stiff parchment crackled as he unrolled each one, studying the faded brushstrokes under the soft hum of his desk lamp.
"These look ancient. They could be worth a lot, but I'll need experts to confirm. Still, I doubt it's a billion." Ivan said
"Don't worry. I can get you more—if the price is right," Alex said.
"I'll contact you later," Ivan replied.
Alex said goodbye and returned to the One Piece world.
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