Chapter 277: The Sacrifice Market Refreshes
That kind of absurd reasoning was something only Sanji could come up with. But he was surprisingly firm in his decision.
Shane watched with an amused smile, respecting Sanji's choice without any intention of interfering. After all, this kid already had immense potential. And if his Lineage Factor were to awaken someday…
Zoro hesitated for a moment before also declining to choose. After seeing Tashigi's example, he was actually a little tempted by the Devil Fruits, but he was just too stubborn… If Kuina can become a world-renowned powerhouse through pure swordsmanship, then so can I!
"I want this one, my lord," Noah, the captain of the Combat Corps' Fifth Division, said in a deep voice, pointing to the Pea-Pea Fruit.
"Oh?" Shane turned to Noah, slightly surprised. "The Pea-Pea Fruit?"
The Combat Corps currently had over ten divisions, and each division captain was a force to be reckoned with. For example, the current captain of the Second Division was Law, the Third was X Drake, and the Fourth was Bartolomeo… As the young chief of his tribe, Noah had been able to defeat pirates with bounties over 100 million Berries right after coming of age. With his outstanding strength, he was naturally qualified to be a division captain. The two hundred warriors under his command, all drawn from his tribe and proficient in Haki, had performed exceptionally well in the War of Whole Cake Island. Noah himself had defeated several of the Charlotte Family's officers and currently had a bounty of 323 million Berries.
"Yes, my lord. This fruit is perfect for me," Noah grinned, revealing pearly white teeth that contrasted sharply with his dark skin. "As you know, my specialties are archery, slingshots, and all kinds of throwing weapons, but I'm always running short on ammunition. The Pea-Pea Fruit will let me create pea bullets anytime, anywhere. Combined with my throwing skills, it's a match made in heaven!"
"Now that you mention it, it does seem like a good fit. It's yours," Shane nodded, and then it hit him. Wait a minute. Peas as bullets? Is that how you use it? Hiss, if you develop it that way, doesn't that make you…
"Thank you, my lord!" Noah, oblivious to Shane's strange look, happily got up and took the Pea-Pea Fruit. Being a straightforward person, he didn't wait, immediately taking a bite. His entire face contorted, and he doubled over, dry-heaving. "Ugh, what is this stuff?! It tastes even worse than the rumors say!" It's like eating crap!
Can it really be that disgusting? Bepo and Tashigi watched, their eyes twitching. They exchanged a look and silently agreed to ask Zeff to process their fruits after the meeting. Eating it raw was out of the question, but if Zeff coated it in egg and breadcrumbs and deep-fried it, it should be fine, right?
Just then, the Cotton Candy-Cotton Candy Fruit was claimed by a middle-aged man from the Garrison Corps named Ren. Ren was a former Marine Captain from the Sabaody base who had been so moved by the Curtain Call's worldwide broadcast that he had defected on the spot, bringing his entire family to the New World. He was a chubby, kind-hearted man who, after retiring to a non-combat role in the Garrison, had been in charge of children's welfare, education, and settlement within their territory. According to him, if he could conjure cotton candy at will, he would be a big hit with the kids, which would help with his work and allow him to better cheer up the orphans in the welfare homes.
"That's a very gentle reason," Shane smiled and nodded. "Mr. Ren, the Cotton Candy-Cotton Candy Fruit is yours."
"Thank you, my lord!" Ren bowed gratefully, his round face beaming with joy. He could already picture himself surrounded by a flock of chirping children, all of them with sparkling eyes, yelling, "Uncle Ren, make another one!"
Of course, Shane glanced over at Chopper, who was drooling with a love-struck look on his face, and knew that in the future, it wouldn't just be human children pestering the man…
As the fruits were claimed one by one, the atmosphere in the conference room grew more lively. The officers from the Garrison and Infrastructure Corps, though invited, had initially been somewhat reserved, feeling they should be mindful and not speak out of turn. After all, Devil Fruits should be prioritized for the main crew or the front-line combatants of the Combat Corps. But after seeing Shane give a fruit to Ren without hesitation, they gradually grew bolder—in Lord Shane's eyes, it seemed that the people's livelihood was just as important as military strength.
"My lord, I would like the Butter-Butter Fruit," a young engineer from the Infrastructure Corps said, nervously raising his hand. "With it, our construction teams can save a lot on lubricants and sealing materials, and it can also improve mechanical efficiency."
"If no one else wants it, my lord, the Honey-Honey Fruit should go to our agriculture department!" another officer said cheerfully. "With an infinite supply of honey, we can not only provide a food source for everyone in the territory, but also use it to attract insects, promote pollination, and develop our confectionery industry. It's a win-win-win!"
Shane approved each request. Watching the increasingly enthusiastic discussion and seeing his officers rack their brains for the good of the territory, he couldn't help but smile. It was the right call to have Bepo summon representatives from the other corps. Some fruits that seemed "useless" and were looked down upon by powerful fighters could often have unexpected value in the hands of these professionals.
The Cigarette-Cigarette Fruit and the Elephant-Elephant Fruit were also claimed by officers from the Infrastructure Corps. The former, after some development, could be used to start a tobacco trade, providing a stable source of income for the crew. As for the latter… a burly man from the construction department stood up and explained excitedly, "My lord, just think! If someone in our corps could turn into an elephant, how much more efficient would our material transport be? Especially for large stones and steel beams, which we currently have to move slowly with cranes. And an elephant's trunk is so flexible! It can be used not only as a crane but also as a mixer!" The man became more animated as he spoke. "When we build houses, we can just have the elephant's trunk mix the cement and mortar. We wouldn't even need a cement mixer!" He mimicked the motions, and the room burst into laughter.
Shane was amused as well and allowed the man to take the Elephant-Elephant Fruit. With the last few fruits claimed, the meeting concluded successfully. The officers bid Shane farewell and left in small groups, discussing how to best utilize their new abilities.
These wonderful, dedicated people…
Shane stood at the second-floor railing, smiling as he sipped his coffee, his gaze sweeping over his departing subordinates and the vast territory that belonged to him. After this distribution, the strength of the Curtain Call's core officers would rise another level, and the development of their territory would undoubtedly proceed even more smoothly.
"As for you…" Shane took the unassigned Rumble-Rumble Fruit from his coat. The spiral patterns on its skin shimmered under the setting sun, and his eyes narrowed slightly. He already had a candidate in mind.
He took a sip of coffee and looked towards the tangerine grove. A lovely little white cat was humming a tune while helping Nami water the tangerine trees. Nami had been so busy mapping Whole Cake Island lately that she hadn't had time to tend to her grove, so Mochi had volunteered to help. Speaking of which, Mochi had evolved into a Gatomon last year when they first entered the New World. It had been a while since then, so she should be close to her next stage, Angewomon. A divine, soaring angel who can also command the power of lightning… she won't disappoint, will she? Shane smiled. He was looking forward to that day.
Another week passed in a flash. The integration of the various territories was finally complete, and Shane gradually stepped back from administrative duties to focus on his training. He first spent some time fully mastering the Flight Technique, allowing him to soar through the skies at will, even taking comfortable afternoon naps at an altitude of ten thousand meters, using his arm as a pillow.
Then, he began using the Poneglyphs for physical training. He had more than one now. Big Mom's treasury had contained seven of them—five rubbings and two originals, one of which was a red Road Poneglyph. They had a nice feel to them. After the war, Robin had become a recluse, spending all her time translating and studying them. Once she was done, Shane would, to her reluctant gaze, carry them off to use as workout equipment.
With his vast territory, it was easy to find a large, empty space in the mountains to train freely. As for the historical truths written on them… Shane had no interest. It was all just old news from 800 years ago. Instead of asking stones, it was better to ask people. Weren't there still some old relics from 800 years ago still alive? It was better to train his fists to the absolute peak. Then, he could beat the truth out of that 800-year-old geezer with his own hands! Wouldn't that be more satisfying?!
Time flew, and soon it was early June. The sun was high in the sky over a valley on Nuts Island.
"Three hundredth set…" Shane, bare-chested and his muscles well-defined, caught two Poneglyphs, each weighing dozens of tons, one in each hand. The veins on his arms bulged like dragons.
"Hah!" With a low grunt, the two stone tablets shot up into the sky like intercontinental ballistic missiles, becoming two blurry black dots in the clouds in a matter of seconds. Shane squinted up at them, the sweat on his brow glistening in the sun. He suddenly grinned, and the muscles in his legs tensed.
SWOOSH!
In the next instant, he pushed off the ground with explosive force, shattering the earth beneath him. He shot up at an even more terrifying speed, and in a few leaps, he had caught up to and surpassed the Poneglyphs.
BOOM!
While the two stone tablets were still ascending, he let out a savage grin and slammed his elbows down on top of them. "Get… down!"
The Poneglyphs plummeted at a speed even faster than their ascent. But just a hundred meters from the ground, they were caught securely, one in each arm, by Shane, who had already landed. The Poneglyphs were repeatedly thrown into the sky and slammed back down. Shane's figure moved back and forth between the earth and the heavens, a ten-thousand-meter difference, in an endless cycle. Occasionally, a ship belonging to the crew would pass by the coast, and the crew members would stare at the scene in stunned silence. Is this how an Emperor of the Sea trains? It's terrifyingly over the top…
As dawn broke after another day and night of training, "One thousandth set!" With a roar, Shane caught the two stone tablets and casually planted them in the ground, causing an earthquake-like tremor.
"Hoo—" He exhaled a white mist that shot out more than ten meters. He casually rolled his neck, producing a series of cracks like popping beans. "That felt great!"
He was drenched in sweat, completely exhilarated! He looked back at the two Poneglyphs and noticed that their surfaces were now covered in a network of fine, visible cracks. It was far from "destroyed," but it was a start. He had finally managed to leave a mark on them.
Shane grinned and stepped into the hot spring in the northern part of the valley. He had chosen this spot on Nuts Island as his training ground not only because it was spacious but also because of this natural hot spring. The water was about sixty degrees Celsius. For a normal person, it was unbearably hot, but for someone with Shane's constitution, it was just right.
He scooped up some water and splashed it on his face, then submerged his entire body, letting the hot water soothe his tired muscles with a comfortable sigh.
After a long time, steam rose from the water. Shane leaned against a large rock at the edge of the spring, looking up at the whitening sky.
"So, it has refreshed," Shane grinned. He had been looking at the sky, but he had also opened his system panel to check the June trade market. Soaking in a hot spring after a grueling workout and starting this month's shopping spree… there was nothing better.
After last month's purchases, he had only 10,600 points left. He had already fleeced the Charlotte Family once, so he should have been broke. But as luck would have it… another big prize had fallen into his lap. Shane glanced at the text log.
[You have sacrificed Jinbe's kimono. You have received 2,500 points.]
[You have sacrificed Greenbull Aramaki's severed arm. You have received 5,300 points.]
Those were the big ones. The newly joined officers like Bartolomeo and X Drake had also contributed a miscellaneous 4,500 points, bringing the total to 12,300. His remaining points had jumped to 22,900. That should be enough. Let's start shopping!
Shane opened the trade market and looked at the first item.
[Neo Armstrong Cyclone Jet Armstrong Cannon]
[Type: Weapon]
[Price: 1,500 points]
[Description: An ice sculpture from the world of Gintama. The original was used by the Amanto to destroy the Tenshukaku and break through the gates of Edo. Its shape resembles a d***.]
[Seller's Note: Hey, can you really resist buying this? Can you?]
Hmm? In the hot spring, Shane tilted his head in confusion. What's this? Why is the description censored? He couldn't remember what it was, so he clicked on the details page to see the picture. He immediately slapped his forehead, making a face like an old man looking at a smartphone. What does he mean, 'can I resist'… Who the hell would buy this thing?! It's way too inappropriate for children! Next!
…
[Flying Nimbus]
[Type: Vehicle]
[Price: 2,000 points]
[Description: From the world of Dragon Ball. Created by Korin. Can only be ridden by those with a pure heart. The cloud is golden yellow, can fly freely without regard for terrain, and comes and goes with a call.]
[Note: Goku died, and I went through the trouble of gathering the Dragon Balls to revive him, but he didn't even want to come back. I figured no one wants this thing, but it's a shame not to sell it.]
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