Raion naturally did not agree to the suggestion of marrying Jenny, but in order not to hurt her feelings, he only replied evasively, saying he needed time to think about it.
Raion had greater ambitions in life—how could he be content to indulge in the comfort of a quiet, domestic life here?
Once the villagers heard him say this, they didn't push the matter any further.
That evening, Raion and Farmer returned home. As soon as they stepped into the yard, they heard the faint sound of sobbing.
Farmer gestured for Raion to follow him quietly. They peeked into Wei Erdan's room and saw her lying on the bed, crying so hard her tears soaked the pillow.
Even as she cried, she muttered to herself. Though her voice wasn't loud, both Raion and Farmer could hear her clearly from the doorway.
"Now you're the big hero of the village. Are you happy? Are you proud of yourself? Go ahead and marry Jenny, marry Jenny… fine, I'll wish you a long and happy life… You arrogant, stubborn idiot, I would never marry you! Even if you begged me, I wouldn't! Absolutely not! Waaaah…"
At that moment, the fifteen-year-old girl cried even harder than a child.
It turned out Wei Erdan believed that, under the villagers' urging, Raion's marriage to Jenny had already been decided.
By now, even a fool could see what was in Wei Erdan's heart.
Raion simply shook his head helplessly. Just as he was about to walk away, Farmer stepped forward.
"Mr. Raion," Farmer said, "you must realize how Wei Erdan feels about you, right? This girl… she already likes you. Besides, I think very highly of you, and I truly hope you will become part of my family."
Farmer's meaning couldn't be clearer—he wanted Raion to marry Wei Erdan and become his son-in-law.
Raion scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "Uh, Mr. Farmer, let me think about it…"
Farmer smiled. "Alright, I'll wait for your decision."
For a moment, Raion felt like his head would explode—on one side was Wei Erdan, on the other was Jenny. No matter which one he chose, the other would be hurt.
But Raion's real thought was…
I don't want to choose either.
He was determined to become the strongest and freest man in this world. How could he settle down in a small village like this?
He understood that if he stayed, he would be respected, honored even. Both Wei Erdan and Jenny—especially Wei Erdan—were stunning beauties, admired by everyone. If he remained here, he could live like a king, worshipped as a hero, enjoying a life of peace and luxury with a beautiful partner by his side.
For many men, this would be a dream come true.
But it wasn't Raion's dream.
How can a bird with great wings stay trapped in a tiny cage?
How can a golden-scaled fish remain in a shallow pond? One day, it must soar like a dragon in the storm.
That night.
Not wanting to dwell on such matters of love and marriage, Raion opened his system's personal status screen. The information displayed had changed a lot compared to before…
RaionSex: MaleAge: 16Ninja Level: Genin (High Level)Kekkei Genkai or Jinchūriki: NoneNinjutsu: Lightning Style – Chidoryu (Grade A), White Blade (Grade D, self-created jutsu), Rasengan (Grade A), Great Rasengan (Grade A)Inventory (ninja tools and weapons): Sealing Scroll ×2, Kunai ×10Summoning Beast: NoneSage Mode: LockedChakra Amount: 1200 / 1200
As he stared at the screen, he was amazed at how quickly his strength had grown. He couldn't help but admire the convenience of the system—its inventory worked like a space ring, allowing him to store weapons and tools without carrying them. Whenever he needed something, he could retrieve it instantly.
His level had now reached "High-Level Genin," which meant he was only one step away from becoming a Chūnin.
Moreover, once he reached the Chūnin level, he could unlock the ability to draw a Kekkei Genkai or Jinchūriki power from the system.
Thinking of this, Raion felt a rush of impatience. What kind of bloodline ability would he get?
But that wasn't all. He had just taken down the infamous "Wolf Pirate Group," killing both brothers, Andrin and Anderson, and sealing their bodies in scrolls. That meant he now held a combined bounty of 15 million Baileys.
With 15 million, he could draw one B-level ninjutsu and five C-level ninjutsu. That would significantly boost his chakra and combat power.
The only problem now was that, unless he turned in the corpses for the bounty, they were useless.
So, Raion had no choice but to head to the Navy to exchange the bounty.
Although he was very popular in the village now, respected as a hero, his true dream was to roam the vast seas—not to live out his life in this comfortable nest.
The next day, he went to say goodbye to Farmer and the others.
Naturally, Farmer and the villagers didn't want him to leave, but they couldn't stop his determination. Seeing Raion so resolute, they gave up trying to persuade him.
Farmer gave Raion a chart of the East Blue and the Grand Line. He also gave him a Log Pose and taught him how to use it.
In addition, because Raion's original boat had been destroyed by a young Sea King, the villagers pooled their efforts to give him a new ship.
When it was time for him to depart, the port was crowded with villagers seeing him off. Among them, two girls cried so hard their tears wouldn't stop.
Of course, those two were Jenny and Wei Erdan.
As the ship set sail, Wei Erdan could no longer control her emotions. She shouted toward the departing vessel:
"Raion, you idiot! I won't let you go!"
"What?"
Raion sighed softly. "I understand how you feel, Wei Erdan… but I'm sorry."
He didn't fully grasp what she meant by "I won't let you go." By the time he did, it would already be too late.
Out on the sea at last, the fresh breeze brushed against Raion's face, filling him with excitement.
Suddenly, he saw a bird flying low near the waves. Raion whistled sharply, and the bird immediately veered toward him.
It was a seagull—larger than usual, wearing a tiny navy cap with a small backpack around its neck.
This was a news-delivery seagull.
The number "80" was printed on its backpack, indicating that each newspaper cost 80 Baileys.
"I remember it used to be 50 Baileys… did the price go up?" Raion muttered, half amused.
The seagull gave a cute nod.
"Fine, 80 it is. Here you go—give me a copy."
The seagull took the money, pulled a newspaper from its pack, and flew off.
Raion opened it, and the headline read:
"Vice Admiral Garp Arrives in the East Blue to Inspect Naval Branches…"