One Piece: Signing In as a Pirate Begins with Roger's Execution

West Blue.

In an unremarkable town stood the largest church in all of the West Blue. Once, this church was a façade, the headquarters of the most powerful mafia family in the region. But for several years now, it had been occupied by a slightly portly man.

The man, dressed in a black suit adorned with a red pentacle badge on his chest, stood with hands clasped together, silently praying before an enormous stained-glass window glowing in hues of crimson. Behind him knelt hundreds of men, women, and children, all clad in red suits, mirroring his silent devotion.

After a moment, the man ceased his prayer. Picking up a finely bound book titled The Political Manifesto, he pressed it to his chest.

"Praise democracy!"

"Praise equality!"

"Praise freedom!"

As the man chanted, the crowd responded in unison, their synchronized voices reverberating throughout the grand hall in a scene of awe-inspiring grandeur.

When he had finished extolling a series of 24 ideals, the collective prayer came to an end. After a brief pause, the man turned his gaze to a shadowy alleyway beyond the reach of sunlight.

"Bring him forward," he commanded.

"Yes, Father," several men answered, promptly dragging forth a bound captive with a gag stuffed in his mouth.

"Untie him," the Father ordered calmly after a cursory glance at the prisoner.

The captors exchanged hesitant looks before loosening the bindings. As soon as they were undone, the captive erupted with a burst of power, pushing everyone around him aside. One man, losing his balance, teetered on the edge of the platform, about to fall.

But in the next instant, the air itself seemed to tear open. A door materialized midair, and simultaneously, another door appeared at an empty seat nearby. The falling man stumbled through the first and reemerged, safely seated, from the second.

"Thank you, Father!" the man exclaimed, still trembling, though clearly relieved.

The black-suited Father gave a slight nod before directing his attention to the unshackled prisoner. "Your name is Jack, an infamous pirate with a bounty of 88 million berries, and the wielder of the Claw-Claw Fruit, allowing you to freely manipulate the growth of your fingernails. Am I correct?"

"Heh! That's right!" Jack sneered, his eyes narrowing. "Father Bege, even if you're the most powerful crime boss in the West Blue, I don't fear you! I'm destined to be the Pirate King, and there's no way I'll bow to the likes of you!"

Jack's nails began to grow, sharpening into metallic claws nearly half a meter long. They glinted ominously in the light as he slashed the ground, carving deep grooves into the stone floor.

After showing off his power, Jack spit disdainfully and charged straight at Bege. "If I hadn't been drunk, your men never would've caught me! I'll kill you first, then slaughter everyone here! I'll show you just how wide the gap between us is!"

"Prepare to die, Capone Bege!"

"Your attacks are meaningless. Surrender," Bege said indifferently, waving his hand.

A door suddenly appeared beneath Jack's feet, and he fell through it. At the same time, another door opened in the air above, causing him to fall back through in a looping cycle.

"Save—"

"Me—"

"Ahhhh!"

Jack's voice grew more panicked with each drop, unable to stop his continuous plummet. With just two doors, Capone Bege had rendered him powerless.

The congregation, unfazed by the display, watched with expressions ranging from indifference to mild sympathy. Many of them had been subdued in the same way and silently prayed for Jack, hoping he wouldn't lose his will entirely.

Bege, observing Jack's repeated falls, calculated how long he could endure. With a meticulous eye for detail, he adjusted the height and positioning of the doors to ensure Jack wouldn't sustain fatal injuries.

After half an hour, Bege closed the ground-level door, causing Jack to tumble out of the air and faceplant onto the platform.

"Damn you, bastard—" Jack retched mid-sentence, clutching his stomach as he struggled to keep himself composed.

Bege regarded him with disdain and clasped his hands together. "Jack, will you now accept the teachings of our church?"

"Never!" Jack barked hoarsely. "I'm going to be the Pirate King! I'll never give in to you! You just wait—I'll come back and kill you all!"

With that, Jack turned and bolted toward the exit. However, he quickly found himself standing right back in front of Bege.

"What the—?!" Jack's face twisted in disbelief.

Bege offered a slight smile. "I ask again: will you now join us?"

"Damn it! I'm not giving up! You're a demon!" Jack screamed and charged once more, only to fall through another set of doors that appeared beneath him.

The congregation sighed collectively, their sympathetic gazes saying, We've all been there. Just accept it.

"Stop fighting. My Door-Door Fruit powers have awakened," Bege explained, his tone calm but firm. "In this town, every corner is within my reach. You cannot escape unless you defeat me."

Jack's face crumpled as despair began to take hold. He rushed at Bege with bloodshot eyes, only to fall into another endless loop of doors.

Bege pressed his hands together once more, his expression solemn. "Jack, violence will never solve your problems. Our church preaches love and peace. Only by embracing truth, kindness, and beauty can we create a better world."

"Praise civility!"

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