The early morning sun cast long shadows over Jace's modest home. Birds chirped outside as he pushed open the door, a burlap sack slung over his shoulder. It landed on the table with a heavy clink.
His wife blinked at the sound. "Jace? Is that what I think it is?"
From the sack, he pulled three shining gold bars, placing them gently on the table. Their bright glow reflected in his children's wide eyes.
His wife gasped. "Where... where did all this come from? What did you do?!"
Jace laughed softly, holding up his hands, a playful glint in his eye. "Nothing illegal. Nothing shady. Just... smart trade."
He turned and crouched beside his children, pulling one of the golden coins from his pocket and placing it gently into his daughter's tiny hands. Her eyes widened as she held it up, the sunlight making it shimmer like magic.
"Is this real gold, Papa?" she asked, awestruck.
"Real as it gets," Jace said with a smile. "That's the reward for honest work—and a bit of smart thinking."
His son tugged on his tunic. "Can we use it to buy sweets?"
"If your mother agrees," he chuckled, winking at his wife.
She folded her arms, trying to look stern but failing to hide her amusement. "You better not spoil them too much."
Jace shrugged. "Can't help it. It's not every day we find a new future."
His cousin leaned against the doorway, watching the family scene with quiet warmth. "You sure this isn't some kind of dream, Jace?"
Jace stood and clapped a hand on his cousin's shoulder. "Feels like one, but it's real. Come see for yourself."
"All right, all right—convince me," his cousin said, smirking. "But this better not be some magic bean story."
He explained SeaTrade—how it connected him to buyers all across the seas, how the Door-Door magic let his goods travel instantly, how Net-Coin from the World Bank could be converted into real gold. As he spoke, the wonder in his wife's eyes turned from fear to awe.
"You traded carrots and herbs for gold?!" his cousin said, eyebrows raised.
"Watch this," Jace said. He walked over to the corner, activated his SeaTrade tablet, and opened a small portal. From his Net Wallet, he selected 'Convert to Gold.' A moment later, a gold coin dropped into his hand with a metallic clink.
Everyone went silent.
His daughter whispered, "Papa... can we buy more toys now?"
His wife's hand trembled as she reached for the coin. "This... changes everything."
His cousin stepped closer. "Can anyone use this? Even someone like me?"
Jace nodded. "Anyone with something to offer. You just need a SeaTrade panel, and Tera does the rest."
The Next Morning - The Village Buzzes
By sunrise, the whole village was awake. The sleepy town square had turned into a marketplace of miracles.
Word had spread fast. Jace's family told their neighbors, who told their friends, and by mid-morning, a crowd had gathered near Jace's warehouse.
A baker brought fresh loaves. A farmer lugged in sacks of tomatoes. Kids carried jars of honey and bundles of herbs.
Dozens of shimmering SeaTrade doors floated open across the village, each linked to a terminal glowing with Tera's calm interface.
Juno and Tera watched it all from Vita, high above in their floating control room.
Tera tilted her head. "We're hitting viral expansion phase."
Juno sipped his tea calmly. "Let them taste a new world."
People tossed goods into portals, watched the lights blink with confirmation, then stared in awe as Net-Coin flowed into their accounts.
A fruit seller held up her tablet, breathless. "I just made three sales in an hour... to buyers in the New World?!"
An old merchant stumbled backward. "What the hell is this sorcery?!"
A blacksmith wiped sweat from his brow. "I've been trying to get my tools out of this village for twenty years. One morning with SeaTrade, and I'm sold out."
The laughter and awe blended into a chaotic harmony. The town square became a trading floor of dreams. Vendors shouted their goods, and doors flashed with activity.
"Sea sponges! Straight from the reef!"
"Who wants jam from West Blue berries?!"
Nearby, a child carefully guided her grandmother's trembling hands, showing her how to tap through the SeaTrade interface on the tablet. The grandmother's eyes widened as she placed her first order—a warm loaf of bread from the bakery. The child smiled, watching as the order was confirmed and a portal opened with the delivery moments later.
"See, grandma?" the child said, laughing. "It's that easy."
The elderly woman gasped in amazement, clutching the loaf. "It's... It's like magic, child."
The child winked. "Just a bit of new world magic, grandma."
Across the World - A Global Awakening
In Alabasta, desert traders loaded cactus juice and rare spices into SeaTrade crates while laughing under the scorching sun.
In Water 7, a team of shipwrights offered unique timber and hull reinforcements, amazed to see orders come in from faraway places.
In a cold North Blue village, a struggling blacksmith forged daggers and tools. His SeaTrade store blinked with new orders before the metal had even cooled.
On an East Blue farm, a girl carefully bartered her family's rice harvest. When she saw her Net Wallet light up, she screamed with joy and hugged her father, tears welling up.
In a remote village, a mother held a trembling child in her arms. She tapped through SeaTrade on a tablet, searching desperately.
"Please… medicine… anything," she muttered. Moments later, a glowing door shimmered open. A neatly wrapped medicine box slid through. She broke down in tears, hugging her child tightly.
Even in Wano, hidden in shadows, a masked figure watched a shimmering door open in the forest. His eyes narrowed in silent intrigue as he whispered, "A door to another world..."
From island to island, the same pattern emerged:
Someone saw gold. They asked questions. They tried it. Then their neighbors tried it. And their village changed overnight.
The morning market was unrecognizable. Where once people haggled and bartered under the sun, now they stood holding sleek panels—Tera's interface evolved into portable tablets.
Shoppers scrolled through products from across the globe: exotic spices, custom weapons, rare seeds, and art from faraway lands.
With a tap, a fisherman bought a reinforced harpoon from Water 7. A door shimmered open beside him, and the harpoon slid out, wrapped and ready.
A child bought a handmade toy from Skypiea, her eyes wide as the door opened and delivered it into her arms.
Transactions were instant. No waiting, no shipping. Just decision and reward.
Nearby, a civilian scanned a QR sigil on a crate of fish.
"That'll be 0.3 Net-Coin," the fisherman said casually.
The civilian smiled, tapped his Net Wallet, and the payment was done. The wallet glowed briefly, confirming the transfer.
An elderly woman chuckled. "Back in my day, we haggled for hours. Now my pies are going to the Grand Line."
This was no longer just trade—it was transformation.
The people didn't just buy and sell. They connected. They upgraded. They believed.
In a Restaurant
Tera brought up a massive holographic globe, thousands of dots blinking across it.
"SeaTrade usage has surged 800% overnight," she said. "Over fifty islands have initiated World Bank conversions."
Juno stood with his hands behind his back, watching the data flow like a river, each flicker of light on the floating screen reflecting the rise of a new era. The interface glowed softly, pulsing with life as new regions lit up across the world.
Tera tapped a few keys and raised an eyebrow. "Huh. You might want to see this."
Juno stepped forward, intrigued. "What is it?"
"Activity spike from the Florian Triangle," she said, enlarging the region. "Trade routes lighting up in one of the foggiest, least explored areas. And... here, Drum Island is also showing some surprising movement."
He nodded thoughtfully, lips curling into a grin. "Interesting. Unexpected pockets of potential. Let's bookmark both. We might have to drop in."
Tera smiled. "Where to first, boss?"
Juno chuckled. "Let's let the waves decide. But first... breakfast."
"A single spark in a tavern... now a fire across the whole island," he mused.
Tera smirked. "You sure you didn't want to name it FlameTrade instead?"
Juno chuckled. "Tempting. But SeaTrade has a nicer ring."
He turned to Tera. "And not just this island. The whole world is lighting up. Let's go to the next one."
He sat back down, picked up a spoon, and began to eat his steaming bowl of seafood stew. The rich aroma of herbs and spices filled the air as he ate slowly, eyes still fixed on the display.
"Tera, pull up the top-performing regions. Let's chart a course."
Tera nodded, her interface dancing with light.
After finishing his meal, Juno walked over to the counter and tapped his Net Wallet. The waiter gave a polite nod as the payment was processed.
He stepped outside, the ocean breeze brushing his coat. The distant sound of waves and seagulls accompanied his walk to the port, where several cruise ships lined the dock.
He approached a lounging passenger and asked, "Where's that one headed?"
"Vodka Kingdom," the passenger replied.
Juno smiled. "Perfect."
He boarded, choosing to ride like any traveler, blending with the flow of the new world he was helping shape.