A drizzle of rain fell over the overcast sea, and the End sailed on as usual.
"3.2 billion berries?"
Shano, reclining in a rattan chair, glanced with some surprise at the newspaper Nami had just delivered.
The bounty had gone up quite a bit again.
Breaking through 3 billion berries in one fell swoop meant that in the eyes of the World Government, he had finally officially crossed the threshold of a Four Emperor.
Speaking of which...
he hadn't intended to fight on this trip to Cake Island; he had only planned to enjoy a cup of tea, chat, and admire the scenery of the Ten Thousand Kingdoms.
Kaido's arrival, following the scent, was purely accidental; he hadn't expected it to garner so much attention.
It was just a sparring match, no life or death involved.
The World Government, witnessing everything through Stussy's eyes, must have been very disappointed.
Speaking of Stussy,
Shano looked at the information stream appearing on the system panel.
\[You sacrificed Stussy's lipstick and earned 1200 points.]
At the tea party, he'd casually plucked the woman's handbag clean, discarding the rest of the mess except for this particular lipstick.
Made of seastone, it looked like cosmetics, but it was actually a weapon.
He remembered that during the Eggman Island arc, when Stussy, in order to protect Vegapunk, fell out with CP-0, she'd used this very thing to temporarily subdue a worthy leopard man.
And the result was as expected.
This tiny item was worth over a thousand points, far exceeding the average value of the other underground emperors.
Of course, compared to Bigmom himself, it was nothing—
\[You sacrificed Charlotte Linlin's Homies Zeus and earned 4000 points.]
The two of them had 5200 points, and the other tea party guests, with their odds and ends, had a combined total of 2100 points.
This caused the original 64,200 points to suddenly surge by 7,300, reaching 71,500.
With all that money flowing in, it's only natural to spend it.
It's been three days since the End left Cake Island, officially entering February.
Well, if I remember correctly, the trading market should have refreshed last night.
Shano pretended to continue reading the newspaper, but in reality, he had opened the market page.
Crossing his legs, he casually pulled a can of diet cola from his backpack, sipping it while leisurely browsing.
...
\[Ship Strength Upgrade Scroll]
\[Type: Consumable]
\[Price: 5,000 Points]
\[Description: A magical item from the world of Assassin's Creed Odyssey. Upon use, it comprehensively upgrades your ship, especially its defense and durability.]
\[Seller's Note: This world is so boring, clearing strongholds all day, I'm going to vomit.]
Oh?
Shano's eyes lit up.
Is the first item something like this that suits my taste?
The End has been their vessel since they sailed from the East China Sea. Built primarily from the precious tree Adam, Mayor Iceberg provided a free comprehensive overhaul and upgrade during their stay in the Seven Waters City.
Therefore, even in the perilous waters of the New World, its performance remains adequate.
But...
just like a homebody wouldn't mind adding ten to the numbers on their graphics card, who wouldn't want a better ship on the seas?
Must-buy, grab it!
Next one!
...
\[Upgraded Marauder's Map]
\[Type: Special Item]
\[Price: 8,000 Points]
\[Description: A magical item from the world of Hogwarts. When unfolded, it displays the real-time location and movements of all living creatures in a small area, complete with their names.]
\[Upgraded Version Exclusive Feature - Requires 2,000 points per item. Enter the name of a living creature to find its approximate location worldwide.]
As long as you know the name, you can find the approximate location of the other party?
Shano's mind moved.
If it was just an ordinary version of the Marauder's Map, it would definitely not be worth buying. To find people in a small area, this summary thing is not as useful as his observation Haki.
But the upgraded version can actually use points to search all over the world. It is simply a magic tool for finding people.
It just so happened that he was about to start his journey back home, and there was an old thing he had to find. Originally, he only knew that the other party was in the East China Sea, and it would take some effort to find the specific location.
Now it is much easier.
Add to cart, next item!
...
\[Bulma's Motorcycle Capsule]
\[Type: Vehicle]
\[Price: 700 Points]
\[Description: A technological product from the Dragon Ball world, developed by the brilliant scientist Bulma. This capsule contains a high-performance hoverbike that releases instantly at the push of a button. Equipped with an anti-gravity engine, it can reach a top speed of 300 kilometers per hour and is adaptable to a variety of terrains, including deserts, mountains, and water.]
\[Up to 48 hours of battery life. Once the capsule is retrieved, it automatically recharges.]
So what?
Shano snorted.
He sells high-quality items. This guy's been blessed to farm so many. What's there to complain about?
I always farm yours, too. It's fair!
As for this motorcycle...
"Can it be ridden on the sea? It's surprisingly practical." Shano pinched his chin in confusion.
Never mind. He's a man of few faults.
Just buy it. After all, the price of 700 points is just a drop in the bucket for him now, no different from giving it away for free.
Besides, I can still use it this time when I return to the East China Sea.
By the time I get back to the ship, it will probably be next month, which will coincide with Smoker's birthday.
I can give this to him as a gift then.
As a biker, he should be very happy.
...
\[APTX4869]
\[Type: Medicine]
\[Price: 3000 points]
\[Description: A mysterious medicine from the world of Detective Conan. Haibara Ai, codenamed "Sherry" in the Black Organization, developed it based on the achievements of her parents]
\[The medicine was originally a deadly poison, but there is a very small chance that it will shrink the user's body to that of a child, while retaining their original memory and intelligence level]
What use is this thing?
Shano was speechless. It's poison to ordinary people in the city, but what does it mean to the strong in the world of pirates?
It's also very expensive, and sneaky tricks like poisoning are not his style.
No, next one!
...
\[Infinite American Cockroaches]
\[Type: Consumable]
\[Price: 2000 Points]
\[Description: After purchase, you will receive 1000 flying American cockroaches. Regardless of whether you've consumed them all, the total will be replenished to 1000 the next day.]
Shano: "?"
If he could travel through dimensions via the internet, he'd really like to give this fellow a Galaxy Shock.
Is this a human?
Is this something a human is selling?
So what if it's infinite? Forget starvation! Who would buy this stuff besides the pharmaceutical company that makes Kangfuxin Liquid?
Next!
...
It seems there's no next one.
He flipped through several pages, but the items that appeared were neither fun nor exciting.
After all, he'd been eating too well for the past two months.
Shano felt that his luck this time had probably been drained by the previous two attempts. It was probably going to be like this, nothing good would come of it.
As a result, when it came to the tenth and final prop...
hiss, it felt like I was slapped in the face.
\[Amazing Skill Manual]
\[Type: Training Manual]
\[Price: 6500 Points]
\[Description: Originating from the world of League of Legends, this ultimate fighting technique was created by Sett. Upon mastering it, one can grab a target, carry them high into the air, and then slam them into the ground, dealing massive area damage to nearby enemies.]
\[Large enemies take increased damage, as does the damage dealt to the landing area.]
Wonderful stuff!
Shano was overjoyed. This fighting technique, strictly speaking, could be considered a boxing technique, and there was no barrier to mastering it.
And the pirate world was full of big men. This was practically tailor-made for him!
Speaking of which,
upon entering the New World, the Flowing Water Rock-Smashing Fist he'd practiced had taken his close-quarters combat abilities to a new level, but it was still more defensive in nature.
As for the ultimate offensive punch technique, if only Galaxy Impact was available, it would be a bit too monotonous. The spawn of this secret manual was quite timely, filling the gap.
A must-buy!
A perfect ending!
...
Entering the checkout stage.
Overall, this time's gains weren't as high as the previous ones, but they were still considered substantial.
Four items were purchased, totaling 20,200 points, leaving 51,300 points.
Shano hummed a tune as he casually closed the system panel. He found a quiet spot and used the Hull Upgrade Scroll on the End.
A faint light flashed.
The End appeared unchanged from before.
But Shano applied a little force against the wall, and a smile broke out. Its sturdiness had indeed increased significantly.
In the event of a naval battle in the future, even without a guard, ordinary artillery without armament-colored armor would be unlikely to cause any damage to the hull.
Shano nodded with satisfaction and took out the Marauder's Map and unfolded it.
The map immediately displayed the positions of all the crew members aboard the End, each clearly labeled.
From their locations, it was easy to tell what the crew members were doing.
Kuina was practicing in the open-air kendo arena on the second floor, Zeff was preparing dinner in the kitchen, and Smoker was smoking in the observation deck.
The other girls were in the orange orchard, probably helping that lazy Nami tend to the trees...
"Try the upgraded features again,"
Shano said, typing "Golden Lion Shiki" into the search bar.
After spending 2,000 points, a faint red marker appeared on the map, located somewhere in the East China Sea, with the thoughtful annotation "Floating Status" next to it.
"So it's in the East China Sea?"
Shano narrowed his eyes. It seemed that this hadn't changed. The Golden Lion's initial target was still the East China Sea towns.
There was no time to lose. He had already informed everyone about the trip to the East China Sea at breakfast this morning, so there were no worries. They could set off today.
As for how to get to the East China Sea...
"Huh?"
Bear, who was sitting at the bow, reading a picture book to Bonnie, turned around with a look of surprise. "Captain, are you sure you want me to use my powers to send you back to the East China Sea?"
"Yeah, if we take the End of the Curtain, we'll have to go under the Red Earth Continent, which is too slow and troublesome."
Shano nodded slightly.
Of the four seas, the North and West Seas are connected to the New World and can be reached by simply crossing the Calm Belt.
The East and South Seas, on the other hand, are connected to the first half of Paradise. To get there from the New World, we must cross the Red Earth Continent. The Golden Lion could launch an operation at any time, and spending too much time on the road would easily lead to unexpected events.
By comparison,
taking a Big Bear plane would be much faster.
Seeing that Shano had made up his mind, Bear said no more.
"I've been to several islands in the East China Sea and can accurately transport you to any one of them," Bear scratched his head. "Captain, which one do you want to choose?"
"Any one will do,"
Shano said nonchalantly. The Golden Lion's floating islands were constantly moving, which meant there was a certain lag in the information retrieved from the Marauder's Map.
So, once they arrived, they'd have to use the Marauder's Map again to track their real-time location.
So, let's go to the East China Sea first, and we'll figure out the rest later.
"Can I come with you?" Bonnie listened, her hand raised excitedly. "I haven't been to the East China Sea yet! I want to see what your hometown, Brother Shano, is like!"
"There'll be a chance later,"
Shano said, crouching down and rubbing her head. "It's really inconvenient right now. You see, Nami and Gin also want to go back home, but they know the situation and haven't told me."
Gin, lying in the sun nearby, wanted to say something, but after glancing at the sea, she wisely kept her mouth shut.
"Bonnie, don't be willful." Bear said in a deep voice, seeing that Bonnie was still a little unwilling.
Bonnie curled her lips and gave up the idea.
"Well, let's get started."
Shano stood at the bow of the ship and said cheerfully, "Bonnie, can you tell me, if you want to travel, where are you going?"
Otherwise, I always feel like something is missing.
Why is that?
Bear's eyes were full of confusion, but since it was the captain's wish, he didn't hesitate and chose to do it.
"If you want to travel, where are you going?"
With a gentle voice, Bear raised his palm, and a meatball-shaped shock wave appeared in his palm. With a little force, he swung it towards the captain in front of him.
Bang!
Shano's figure instantly turned into a stream of light and disappeared into the sky.
...
A few days later.
At noon, in the outer shopping street of the Kingdom of Goa.
A commotion suddenly came from the street.
"Stop! You little bastard, don't run!"
"It's okay to eat for free, but you left a note saying that you will pay with treasure later. What do you mean? Do you think I'm an idiot, bastard!"
"That's right! I thought that pockmarked guy would leave and no one would come to dine for free, but it turns out you're still here!"
"Stop right there!"
"Hehehe! No way!"
Luffy, holding a large piece of bone in his mouth, ran away, looking back and making faces.
Behind him, the angry restaurant owner, although out of breath, still chased after him with a few waiters.
Not long.
The group chased down an alleyway, their path blocked by a high wall. The restaurant owner paused, hands on hips, and burst into laughter.
"You've taken the wrong road, you little brat! Now let's see where you can run!"
"What a headache..."
Luffy scratched his head, turned around, and grinned at the smug owner. "But, uncle, you're really naive to think you can catch me like this!"
"Rubber rubber—rocket!"
He stretched out his arms, grasped the branches of a large tree in the distance, and with a whoosh, he was launched into the air. In the blink of an eye, he reached the top of a tree more than ten meters high.
Damn!
What kind of power is this!
The restaurant owner's eyes widened at first, and after trying for a long time to climb the tree without success, he stamped his feet in anger.
"Don't worry, uncle."
The straw-hatted boy sat on a tree branch, swinging his legs as he continued to gnaw on the bone with a grin.
"I won't owe you any money! When I go out to sea as a pirate and find treasure, I'll definitely pay you back. As for today, let's just leave it at that."
"Leave it at that?"
The restaurant owner gritted his teeth, but there was nothing he could do about the brat. After glaring at Luffy fiercely, he called out to his staff and prepared to leave.
However, at that moment, a sharp sound of air piercing was heard from the sky.
Huh?
The restaurant owner and his staff instinctively turned around.
Luffy also looked up in confusion and saw a black shadow falling from the sky at an astonishing speed, rapidly expanding in his field of vision—
BANG!!!
The tremendous impact broke the tree in half, creating a huge crater in the ground. Luffy didn't even have time to scream, as he was like a piece of squashed plasticine, stuck to the ground.
(End of this chapter)