One Piece: The Matter-Human

Orion had finally made it to his destination after several more minutes of walking. In front him stood a bar with it's metal sign so polished that it seemed to radiate sunlight. "The 'Iron Heart' bar..." Orion murmured excitedly. Taking a deep breath, he put on his mask and entered the building.

Inside, his first impression was unassuming. The bar appeared unremarkably ordinary, anyone who didn't know beforehand would have almost no chance of knowing that it was harboring deep secrets. Soon, a beautiful blonde hostess made her way to the front. "Welcome, dear customer! What can I do for you?" She asked with a gentle smile.

Orion smiled back from under his mask. "A table for one, please."

The hostess nodded and promptly brought him to a secluded table near the back, before handing him a menu.

"Dear customer, let me give you a few minutes to decide on your meal. Do you want a drink?" Orion simply got a water and looked at the menu after she left.

A few minutes passed and she returned. "Alright, dear customer. Did you decide on any appetizers or entrees?" She asked with a smile.

Orion handed her the menu. "I checked it out, and nothing caught my eye. How about something off of your.....secret menu?" He asked slyly.

The hostess' smile quickly faded. "Of course, Young master. Please follow me." Orion stood and they began walking. He trailed her through the kitchen and into a room with 'V.I.P' plastered on the door. The room was surprisingly empty with only a spiral staircase in the center, leading downward.

As they walked down the staircase Orion found the 'real' reason he was in this pub. The Oykot Kingdom had a notorious Black Market, some of the rarest and most dangerous things would end up here traded in secret.

At the base of the stairs, the hostess offered Orion a hand. "Young master. Let me show you to our auditorium. I'll also fetch you the catalogue for today's auction." She guided him through a Grand Corridor and finally into a dimly lit auditorium.

"Wait here young master. I'll return momentarily." She bowed and quickly departed.

Orion began looking around and his eyes locked in on a group of nine across the auditorium. All nine of them wore the same white mask and marine uniform except for one- a figure donning a coat emblazoned with the Kanji for 'Justice'.

"Marine's in a black market?" Orion muttered. "Somethings up, and I don't want to know what it is." He mentally marked them.

When the hostess returned, she silently handed him a sleek black magazine. "Young master. Your black market catalogue." She spoke.

Orion quickly flipped through its pages until he stopped on one.

[Gold Roger's Chart of the Grand Line:

This chart was once used by the King of Pirates himself. Seized from the East Blue and carried through the New World, it details every island explored. Decades of searching were required to reclaim it.

Starting Bid: 500,000 Belly]

A smirk tugged at Orions lips as he closed the catalogue. He could smell the scam from a mile away.

Suddenly, a booming voice echoed through the auditorium, drawing every eye to the stage. There, a man in a crisp black suit with a red tie stood under a spotlight. His face was obscured by a jester's mask, its grotesque grin unnervingly fixed in place.

"Riyoyoyo!! Welcome to the Black Heart underground market! I am your host, Midnight!" he bellowed, arms flung wide as maniacal laughter erupted. "Today, we present our grandest auction in years, treasures gathered in over decades!" His theatrics sparked a thunderous applause. After basking in the chaos for a moment, he raised a hand for silence. "Up first is…!"

The auction was running smoothly, or at least Orion assumed so, because he was back inside the Grand Corridor. His true objective to rob this place blind.

Guards patrolled the halls in pairs constantly, none could just sneak through unnoticed...if they were normal. But, Orion ate a Devil Fruit and he was seamlessly able to liquefy himself and sneak through the Grand Corridor unnoticed.

After methodically checking behind every door, he finally found the treasury. Orion's mouth opened wide as he looked around. All around him were barrels with "[Gold]" stamped to their lids along with various crates lined across shelves. "So much treasure...." He whispered to himself and strapped a barrel to his back.

He continued checking all the crates, until he found one. "[Today's Auction]" was printed on it. He pulled it out and found various items inside.

Just as he lifted the crate, a voice thundered. "STOP RIGHT THERE!" Orion froze, then quickly turned to the doorway.

Orion sighed. "I knew you guys were up to something...." Standing in the doorway were the marines he saw earlier.

---Luffy, A Few Minutes Earlier---

Luffy reclined in his stool as he absently rubbed his bloated belly. "Delicious..." He groaned. Soma smiled gently as he watched Luffy enjoy his cooking. He then noticed a slip of paper fall from Luffy's pocket.

Soma picked it up, his eyes narrowing as he read what was written on it. "....I see." He sighed. "I believe you dropped this." He said, handing the note back to Luffy.

Luffy slowly turned to Soma, and sluggishly grabbed the paper. But, as soon as he read it his eyes widened. "I TOTALLY FORGOT!" He shot up to his feet. He'd spent nearly all of his money and still had no ingredients.

Soma rubbed his temples, he could only assume what situation Luffy was in, and he was probably right. "Jihihihi! You must be pretty unreliable." Soma laughed.

Luffy turned and shot him a frown. "You're pretty rude, old man." He said, causing Soma to laugh even more.

When Soma finally stopped laughing, he walked into his stall and started packing his kitchen utensils. "I'm gonna help you fill out that list, young man. Don't fall behind." With that, he snatched the list from Luffy's hands and together they set off.

To Be Continued....