"No matter how rare it is, it's only valuable if it's actually useful," the bookstore owner scoffed. "This is stolen property. Holding onto it is no different from clutching a bomb. I'm offering this much. Take it or leave it."
"Wait... Devil Fruit Encyclopedia?"
Ethan Chen paused mid-step, taking the book from the man's hands. He flipped through a few pages and saw illustrations of bizarre, intricately patterned fruits, each with a brief description beside it.
"Is this the real deal?" he asked.
"Of course it is! I picked it up on a Navy warship," the man said, quickly snatching it back. "If you want it, at least one hundred thousand Berries!"
"Deal," Ethan said without hesitation. He pulled out his wallet and handed over ten crisp bills.
"Hold on! I'll offer one hundred twenty thousand!" the bookstore owner shouted in a panic.
"Too late," Ethan replied, yanking the book from the man's hands and stuffing the money into his pocket before he could back out.
The man's expression twisted when he realized the book might be worth even more. Greed got the better of him.
"Wait! Give it back. I changed my mind, I'm not selling it."
"Get lost, unless you want me to hand you over to the Navy."
Ethan's cold stare made the man falter and step back. He didn't dare press the matter any further.
The bookstore owner wasn't feeling much better. Sure, the book was like a bomb in his hands, but he had connections. If he'd sold it through the black market, he could have easily made several hundred thousand more. In the end, he had only himself to blame for being too greedy and trying to lowball the seller.
...
After purchasing the cookbooks, Ethan and Tifa exited the store. Mona noticed the book in Ethan's hand, took it curiously, and flipped through a few pages.
"A Devil Fruit encyclopedia? These fruits look so weird. And just by eating one, you gain superpowers?"
"Yeah. But once you eat one, you become a sinker. You lose the ability to swim. And you only get one power. If you eat more than one, your body explodes on the spot. Why? See one you like? I can find one for you in the future if you want to try it."
"No way," Mona said, tossing the book onto the cart. "Losing the ability to swim is way too big of a weakness. What if you fall overboard? That's a death sentence on the sea. I'd rather keep my Vision. I can swim just fine and even glide across the sea if I have to. That's way better than any Devil Fruit."
Ethan nodded. That was true. The biggest advantage was that Mona didn't fear seawater or Seastone. If someone mistook her for a Devil Fruit user, it would give her the perfect edge.
Back on the ship, Ethan fed the Devil Fruit encyclopedia to the auxiliary bot to study and record. Then he spread out the black flag across the deck, dipped a brush in white paint, and boldly painted the character "災" in thick, powerful strokes.
The script was strong and heavy, the brushwork filled with energy and presence.
After hanging the flag on the mast and watching the character flap in the wind, Ethan felt a sense of satisfaction. It finally looked official.
Everything was ready. With the wind now in their favor, they raised anchor, billowed the sails, and left the harbor behind.
The Fourth Calamity Bounty Hunter Guild had officially embarked on its maiden voyage.
...
"The wind's a bit light, but as long as we catch the ocean current, we can ride it just fine," Mona said proudly as she steered the helm. "We don't even need wind if we ride the current. Saves us the trouble of adjusting the sails."
"Nice. You're really looking the part of a navigator now," Ethan complimented.
"Don't underestimate me," Mona tilted her chin up. "I've already finished the theory. I just need real experience."
"Impressive. Keep it up and I'll give you a raise when you're officially onboarded."
Mona rolled her eyes. "Forget a raise how about paying the bonuses you already owe me?"
"Don't worry, I've kept track of every single Berry. If there's something you want, just let me know."
She narrowed her eyes, hearing the unspoken message clearly. He had no intention of letting the money pass through her hands. Just empty promises.
She gave him a playful punch. "Once I officially become the navigator, let's see if you can still weasel out of paying for my hobbies."
Ethan just smiled. In fact, the system had already acknowledged Mona as a qualified navigator and rewarded him accordingly.
It was clear that Mona had passed the threshold. All she lacked was the confidence that came with hands-on experience. Once she brought it up herself, he'd make her official.
He immediately spent the mastery point gained from recruiting her to upgrade his Recovery Boost to Level 4.
At the same time, the system issued a new quest another main storyline task, this one also mandatory.
Main Storyline Quest: Enter the Grand Line
Status: In Progress
Reward: 3 Mastery Points (freely assignable; cannot be changed once selected)
Time Limit: 2 months
Failure Penalty: Erectile dysfunction until the quest is completed
...
Just as Ethan expected, going to the Grand Line was inevitable.
But a two-month timeframe? That was more than enough.
"Let's head back to the cabin. No point roasting under the sun. Let the auxiliary bot handle the helm. It'll alert us if we drift off-course or need to respond to anything."
"Mm," Mona agreed, stepping aside so the bot could take over. "This thing is too convenient. It can steer, navigate, and even stand guard. I can't imagine how we'd manage without it."
"Without it, we'd have to take shifts. There's no way around it."
The auxiliary bot responded cheerfully, "It is my honor to serve humanity."
That's what artificial intelligence should be doing not writing poems, drawing pictures, or generating videos like some rebellious spirit.
Ethan stroked the bot's smooth, polished head, then wrapped an arm around Mona's waist and led her toward the navigation room.
Realizing his intentions, Mona started to squirm.
"Hey! Don't get handsy in broad daylight!"
"What do you mean 'handsy'? This is your reward," Ethan said with mock sincerity. "You've taken the first big step to becoming a full-fledged navigator. Isn't that worth celebrating?"
Mona glared at the shameless captain who never missed a chance to mess with his crew.
"You just love finding excuses. If you had your way, I bet you could come up with a new reward every single day."
"If you're going to be this ungrateful, I should let you starve a while watching but not tasting. Eventually you'll come crawling over on your own."
"Not! Gonna! Happen!"
Ethan couldn't be bothered to argue. He simply slung her over his shoulder like a sack of rice.
Mona kicked her legs in protest, but after a few smacks to her soft, plump backside, she quieted down considerably.
Like a maiden captured by a fearsome pirate captain, she accepted her fate grumbling, but not resisting.
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