The Dice continued to tumble, and in a flash the model airplane leapt forward three squares.
VIP Luck Bonus
"Dragon Ball Saiyan Near‑Death Ability"
"Description: This ability awakens the potential that surges after reaching the brink of death in combat, dramatically increasing ki and combat strength. Note, near‑death recovery unlocks only a portion of potential. Steady training is required to surpass one's own limits. Activation is possible only through genuine near‑death experience, and cannot be triggered intentionally by other means. Additionally, if a user's potential and combat power exceed a certain threshold, this effect will no longer occur. Use with caution."
Lucien read and reread the description, breathing quickening, his cheeks flushing with excitement.
He reached a peak of exhilaration.
My goodness, it's this ability.
This was a BUG.
The Saiyan's exclusive near‑death potential BUG ability from Dragon Ball itself.
But just as thrill surged, a wave of anticlimax washed over him, because the restrictions were severe.
The notion of testing one's death in combat was terrifying — it could genuinely lead to real death.
The near‑death ability meant experiencing actual death and then reviving with a massive power boost. It was not something one could treat lightly, nor a toy for some ordinary trickster.
Lucien exhaled a slow breath. Even so, this ability was incredibly powerful.
VIP luck truly was VIP — robust and explosive.
With both VIP luck bonuses consumed, the next step was synthesizing basic luck.
In the Zero World, Lucien had saved seven Dice rolls. Upon arriving in the Pirate World, he gained eight draws by defeating eight Supernovas. He used one to synthesize luck, then received one from Big Mom's defeat, and twelve more from Ace, Emma, and Ethan combined.
After spending three VIP draws, he had nine left. Now, adding everything together, Lucien had a total of fifteen Dice rolls remaining.
Familiar with the process, Lucien began synthesizing and continued rolling the Dice. The final five he resolved to save.
"One Tsar Bomba"
"Description: Also known as Da Ivan, this bomb's destructive yield is 3,864 times that of a standard atomic bomb. It stands as the most powerful bomb ever detonated by humanity in terms of size, weight, and destructive force."
"Note: After activation, a ten‑second countdown begins. Use with extreme caution!"
Looking at what he'd drawn with ordinary luck, Lucien couldn't help but twitch his mouth.
It was the legendary Tsar Bomba.
Although it was only one, its value dwarfed Gatling guns, rocket launchers, gas tanks, and grenades.
This was the boss‑level weapon among explosive ordnance.
My goodness, 3,864 times the power of a regular atomic bomb. The crucial trigger button sat on the device itself, meaning Lucien would have only ten seconds to escape after pressing it. One mistake, and death was guaranteed.
At his current top speed, ten seconds might not be enough to outrun the blast radius of Tsar Bomba.
Especially considering the extreme heat generated instantly by the detonation — he absolutely could not survive that.
This was a huge killer weapon, one that could cause mutual destruction if not used wisely.
In short, this ordinary luck roll was totally worth it.
Law Following Speech Lv. 2, Saiyan Near‑Death Ability, and one Tsar Bomba
Perfect!
Now, only the strongest Marine Admiral remained. Once that kid was dealt with, Lucien could start harvesting leeks just like Luffy, Zoro, Nami, the Four Emperors, the Marines, and the Revolutionary Army.
Compared to previous worlds, the Pirate World truly was rich with opportunity.
Closing the light screen, Lucien shut his eyes and began refining and absorbing Ethan's soul, along with fragmented memories left behind.
Originally, he wanted to glean information about the Main God Space from those memories, but he failed.
That left him deeply dissatisfied.
Lucien had been growing bolder lately — even contemplating siphoning the Main God Space dry. If possible, he wanted to infiltrate it.
But how did one become a Reincarnator?
He wasn't entirely sure whether it was real or wishful thinking, but Lucien always felt that the Main God Space was targeting him. Also, was he the only Darkness?
If so, that was extremely troublesome.
Now, Reincarnators were getting stronger and stronger, and resurrection coins had begun to appear. Who knew what kinds of monsters might surface next?
The Main God Space was a structured, powerful crossover collective, filled with talented individuals and ferocious competition.
And Darkness was a lone proprietor, an unregistered resident — currently the only one.
If there truly was hostility between him and that group, he would inevitably face a horde of cheaters capable of obliterating nearly everything. Lucien couldn't rely on luck forever — one misstep and it could be the end.
Then there were Transmigrators. Those might also be an organized group of powerful stowaways, given how many there were. Their purpose, however, remained unknown.
Darkness (unregistered), Reincarnators (cross‑world group), Transmigrators (stowaways). As of now, no Reborns had been encountered.
In the end, he stood alone.
He could only travel the path of an Emperor, an enemy to the entire world.
Shaking off those thoughts, Lucien began repairing Napoleon and healing his own wounds.
Unfortunately, Ethan's wolf‑tooth club was gone, and there was no information about the Main God Space in his memories. Lucien didn't know whether his Soul Fruit development was still too immature, or if the so‑called main god had placed restrictions on Reincarnators.
Lucien wanted to maximize his gains, not just be a simple VIP. When shearing wool, he wanted every single fiber — that was what made someone a truly excellent villain.
To be honest, Lucien was feeling quite inflated now.
Not long after, Blackbeard arrived at the castle.
Lucien opened his eyes. Napoleon was already fully restored; it only needed some soul replenishment, which was simple.
"Master."
Blackbeard's tone and demeanor were surprisingly respectful.
"Tell me about your original plan," Lucien said, food disappearing visibly as he ate.
High‑calorie food accelerated cell regeneration and recovery, meaning Lucien could speed up his stamina and wound restoration by eating.
"Yes!"
Blackbeard knelt and began to lay out his strategy.
Acquire the Dark‑Dark Fruit, become a Shichibukai, infiltrate Impel Down to recruit subordinates, then seize the Tremor‑Tremor Fruit at Marineford, and ultimately become a Four Emperors.
Lucien already knew all of this, but he wanted to hear the plan in Blackbeard's own voice.
"So you're not even sure you can eat two Devil Fruits? You're basically gambling?" Lucien asked as he chewed thoughtfully.
Hearing such a gamble‑like plan, Lucien truly admired Blackbeard.
It was an astounding gamble, yet somehow Blackbeard knew he would ultimately succeed.
"Yes," Blackbeard nodded calmly, utterly unshaken.
Lucien, eating with both hands, watched him closely. Thoughts swirled in his mind.
The reason Blackbeard could eat two Devil Fruits was entirely due to the Dark‑Dark Fruit. Its unique power could strip a Devil Fruit user of their ability and then allow the user to wield it themselves.
The Dark‑Dark Fruit was the key.
Blackbeard's obsession with it was understandable.
It was a gamble without certainty.
Win, and a bicycle became a motorcycle. Lose, and one went straight to hell.
In other words, Lucien's own idea of eating two Devil Fruits had hit a dead end.
Only someone who first consumed the Dark‑Dark Fruit could become a dual‑ability user.
Lucien had already eaten the Soul Fruit, so even if he killed Blackbeard and took the Dark‑Dark Fruit after the fact, it would be useless.
Wait a moment…
Would eating two Devil Fruits cause the body to explode?
Yet Lucien was not afraid.
As long as one shred of flesh remained, he could regenerate and continue living — though it would drain him and leave him weak for a time.
The real question was whether the explosion was only physical.
Also, if the body exploded, would both Devil Fruit powers disappear?
Clearly, this was something worth researching thoroughly after the current incident.
"Next, continue with your plan."
After a moment of thought, Lucien decided to let Blackbeard seize Whitebeard's Tremor‑Tremor Fruit, just as in the original timeline, and then rise to Four Emperors.
Currently, the final bosses of the Pirate King journey were confirmed to be Blackbeard and Imu of the World Government.
Whether either of them was the destined villain, or if it was someone else entirely, Lucien would not let them escape judgment.
If the true final foe was Imu — that would be significantly more troublesome. Someone who could rule the world for eight centuries would certainly have countless hidden cards.
So Lucien decided to play it safe for now, aiming first to control eighty percent of the world's top powers.