Hunting The Mad Treasure

TMaximumhs, after mastering his flight, Jacob made his move.

Carina had tried to convince him otherwise, but he insisted he do this alone.

Now, hidden in the shadows of a quiet alley in Raven Village, he watched as Kuina wiped the blood off her blade. The man at her feet had a 14 tattooed on his neck, his body ther skepticism evidencedl moments.

'Is that a Baroque Works agent?' Jacob thought, narrowing his eyes.

After killing him, Kuina walked away.

For days, Jacob had followed her. She barely had money to eat; she couldn't exchange bounty anymore, so her source of income was hunting animals in the forests and selling them to villagers for some meager amounts of Berries.

She vanished into the dimly lit streets, and Jacob made his move.

He trailed her through the alleys, his steps silent. She was good—her senses were sharp, her movements deliberate. But Jacob had spent months having his Observation Haki to its maximum potential.

He followed her to a rundown inn near the village's outskirts. She entered her room and closed the door behind her. Jacob exhaled and then made his decision.

He looked around quietly; his feet produced fires, propelling him onto the wooden balcony outside her window. With a flick of his wrist, he knocked.

Silence.

Then—the flash of steel.

A sword blade pierced through the window frame, missing Jacob's face by an inch.

"You have five seconds to explain yourself before I take your head."

Kuina's voice was cold, controlled.

Jacob grinned. "That's not a very warm welcome."

"Three seconds."

He raised his hands. "Relax, woman, I'm not here to fight."

The blade withdrew. A moment later, the window creaked open.

Kuina stood before him—taller than he expected, dressed in a simple dark gi, her sword resting easily in her grip. Her expression was unreadable, but her eyes were sharp.

Jacob leaned onto the balcony railing. "Nice sword you have there. Do you always greet people with this warm welcome?"

"You were following me."

"So you did notice."

She frowned. "I don't like stalkers."

Jacob leaned against the railing, unbothered. "Then you'll hate what I have to say next."

She tensed. Raising her sword.

"I know about your bounty."

Kuina's grip tightened on her sword. "You should choose your next words very carefully."

Jacob met her gaze. "I'm not here to turn you in. I'm here to make you an offer."

Silence.

For a moment, Jacob thought she might attack. But then, Kuina sighed, sheathing her blade.

"I'll listen," she said. "But if I don't like what I hear—"

Jacob smirked. "Yeah, yeah. You'll kill me."

She didn't deny it.

Jacob choose his words carefully: "I propose an alliance. We share common enemies. You can achieve more than when you're on your own."

She studied him, her skepticism evidenced. "And why should I trust a renowned thief like you?"

He met her gaze steadily. "Because sometimes, the line between hunter and hunted blurs. We both live in those shadows. Face it, Kuina. You barely struggled to live; your bounty hunter friend hunted you down, and The Marines chased you; what to enjoy in that life?"

Kuina's eyes narrowed, but she didn't dismiss him outright. "I'll consider your proposal. But betray me, and you'll regret it."

Jacob inclined his head. "Understood."

Kuina turned into the room, packing what little belongings she had.

Jacob allowed himself a faint smile. It was a small step on the right track.

***

The three sat in a dimly lit tavern in Goa's Town Center. The air smelled of sea salt and cheap rum, and the murmur of drunken sailors filled the background. Jacob leaned back in his chair, enjoying the company of two pretty ladies. Across from him, Carina casually sipped from a mug while Kuina looked around quietly.

A rolled-up bounty poster lay on the wooden table between them.

"Alright," Jacob said, eyes scanning the room before leaning in. "We need to talk about our name."

Kuina didn't even look at him. "Our name?"

Carina raised an eyebrow. "We're already infamous, flame boy. Why do we need a name?"

"Because," Jacob said, tapping the poster, "people are already calling us something. We should control the narrative before someone slaps another dumb name on us."

Carina smirked. "I don't know. Flame Boy and His Women sound funny."

Jacob groaned. "Carina—"

Kuina finally chimed in. "Something simple. Something Dark."

Jacob nodded. "Noted. Simple and Dark." He glanced at Carina. "Something that doesn't make us sound like a joke."

Carina leaned forward, resting her chin on her palm. "Okay, fine. What do you have in mind?"

Jacob thought momentarily, then said, "The Revenants."

Kuina finally looked up. "Revenants?"

"Yeah," Jacob said. "It means something that comes back from the dead. Your father thinks you're dead, Kuina. I came back from the dead. Carina's been running from her past her whole life. We don't just steal—we take from people who deserve it. We're ghosts of their mistakes. So, we are their Revenants. "

Silence.

Carina swirled her drink, contemplating. Kuina was unreadable, as always.

Then Kuina nodded. "That works. But please add dark at the front."

Carina let out a dramatic sigh. "Fine. It's corny and Edgy tough. I prefer a flame boy and his women better."

Jacob smirked.

But before they could celebrate their new name, Carina sat up straight. "Speaking of stealing from bad people," she said, pushing a bounty poster toward them.

Jacob picked it up and frowned.

WANTED

Mad Treasure

Bounty: 80,000,000 Berries

Kuina whistled slowly. "That's…higher than anyone in East Blue."

Carina nodded. "Yeah, because he's not originally from here. He's a treasure-obsessed maniac working under some big shots from the Grand Line. But for some reason, he's here, and he's been hoarding a ridiculous amount of wealth and Devil fruits. We steal from him, and we will have a lot of devil fruits for future members."

Jacob's eyes narrowed. "So, what's the catch?"

Carina leaned back. "He's paranoid. Travels with a crew from the Grandline. And rumor has it, he's after something big."

Kuina crossed her arms. "Meaning we're walking into a hornet's nest."

Jacob set the poster down. "Wouldn't be the first time."

Kuina studied him, then smirked. "You're getting cocky."

Jacob grinned. "I've been training."

Carina rolled her eyes. "Alright, tough guy. If we're doing this, we need a plan. No running in with fire blazing and hoping for the best."

Jacob tapped his fingers against the table, already forming a plan.

***

Jacob stood before a towering stone mountain, his knuckles bruised and bloodied.

He exhaled slowly, raising his fists. Then he struck.

Boom!

A fiery explosion erupted from his fist as he slammed it into the rock face. The force sent cracks spider webbing through the stone, but the mountain remained unmoved.

Another punch. Another crack in the stone. His punches were precise and controlled. He had been doing this for hours.

He was training his strength and mastering his fire. Whenever he used the Mera Mera no Mi, it burned everything around him. When he flew, the heat made it impossible for anyone to come near. He needed control to fly with Kuina and Carina without burning them.

But deep down, training was also a distraction. A way to push away the thoughts that haunted him.

As he punched again, flashes of his old life surfaced.

His mom's gentle smile. The warmth of her embrace. The way she used to hum while cooking dinner after a long day at work. She had worked so hard to raise him alone, sacrificing everything so he could have a decent life. He could still remember holding her hand in the house, her grip weak, her voice softer than he had ever heard.

"Live your life, Jacob. Find your own path."

Then there was Ayla.

His Ayla was his first love, the girl who had seen him when no one else had. She was smart, kind, and had the kind of laugh that could make any bad day better. They had talked about the future—about traveling the world together.

And now? Now he was here, in a world that wasn't his own.

Why?

His fists clenched as another fiery punch obliterated a chunk of rock.

He was here to get stronger.

More potent than he had ever been. Strong enough that no one could take anything from him ever again. Including his life.

He took a deep breath and focused.

This time, instead of an explosion, he let the flames in his hands flow like water. He imagined the fire wrapping around his fingers without burning them. A warm glow spread through his palms, but the heat didn't scorch.

His eyes widened.

It was working.

He slowly, carefully pushed the flames outward, letting them flicker harmlessly around his body. He flexed his fingers, feeling the warmth without the destruction.

If he could control this…

Then maybe, just maybe…

He could carry his girls with him when he flew.

***

Jacob wiped the sweat from his forehead as he made his way up the narrow mountain path. The rocky terrain was rough, but he knew it like the back of his hand. This place—hidden deep within the cliffs—was their hideout, a secure spot away from the eyes of bounty hunters and marines.

As he reached the plateau, the rhythmic sound of a sword cutting through the air greeted him.

Shhhk!

Kuina stood a few meters away, her blade flashing under the evening sun. She moved with absolute precision, every strike clean and controlled. The wind carried the faint whoosh of her blade as she executed a perfect flying slash.

Jacob leaned against a nearby rock, watching.

"That's a clean cut," he said.

Kuina didn't stop. "It should be. I've been practicing it for months now."

Jacob smirked. "Glad to see my advice isn't going to waste."

She finally lowered her sword and turned to him. "'Breath of All Things' and 'Flying Slashes.' I'd heard of them before but didn't know if they were real or just swordsman legends." She tilted her head. "Where exactly did you learn about them?"

Jacob hesitated for a fraction of a second.

"I… heard stories," he lied smoothly. "Swordsmen in the Grand Line have all sorts of ridiculous techniques. Figured if they could do it, so could you."

Kuina studied him for a moment, then sheathed her sword. "Hmph. Well, I'll master it soon enough. Just don't slack off on your own training."

Jacob grinned. "Wouldn't dream of it."

He walked past her and headed toward the wooden shack they had built at the heart of their hideout. Inside, Carina was hunched over a large map, her expression serious. She glanced up when Jacob entered.

"About time you showed up," she said, pushing a strand of purple hair behind her ear. "I was starting to think you got lost punching rocks."

Jacob rolled his eyes and dropped onto a crate beside her, stealing a kiss on her lip. "Training's important. What do you get?"

Carina tapped the map. "Mad Treasure's current location. I've been tracking his movements for a week and finally got something solid."

Jacob leaned in. The map was marked with various notes and symbols detailing Mad Treasure's routes.

"He's hiding in a fortified shipwreck near the Coast of the Lost," Carina continued. "It's an old warship that ran aground years ago, but Mad Treasure and his crew turned it into a fortress. He's hoarding stolen goods, treasure, and artifacts there."

Jacob whistled. "That's a lot of security."

Kuina entered the shack, arms crossed. "If it's that difficult, why are we after him?"

Carina smirked. "Because he has a lot of devil fruits, sword girl."

Jacob tapped the map thoughtfully. "Alright. When we do this?"

Carina grinned.