Suppressing the fluctuations in his mood, over the past nine years, Sean had accumulated a six-figure "Reader Feedback Value".
He had also basically collected all the various ninjutsu from the Naruto world. At the same time, of the seven characteristics of Yin, Yang, and the Five Elements—aside from [Wind], [Fire], and [Earth] which were already fully unlocked—Sean had dabbled in [Water], [Metal], [Yin], and [Yang] to varying degrees.
He was currently in the process of unlocking the [Water] characteristic by redeeming the "Aokiji Template".
His thoughts raced. After accepting this week's "Reader Feedback Value", Sean habitually pulled out his phone. As expected, a call came in from Editor Nanako... no, it should be Editor-in-Chief Nanako now.
Thanks to discovering a "super-thigh" like Sean, Ms. Nanako had been gloriously promoted a few days ago, and even her voice had become much sweeter. "Moshi moshi. Is this Mr. Ben An?"
"I was wondering what you thought about the matter I mentioned to you the other day?"
"The president, myself, and all our colleagues in the editorial department really hope you can participate in the Guokage Ninja third-anniversary celebration event next Sunday."
"As fans attending the event, I think if they could see you in person at the celebration, they would faint from happiness..."
"Hehe, I can't have them fainting." 'Has it already been three years? Maybe it really is time to show my face.' Sean was in a daze for a moment. He hadn't expected that he would spend so many years just staying home and drawing manga. He glanced at the mountain scenery outside the window. 'It really is time to go down the mountain and get active.'
So, he simply agreed to Nanako's invitation to attend the finale celebration next Sunday.
"That's wonderful, Mr. Ben An!" In the Bones Studio editorial office, Nanako, sporting a stylish short haircut, leaped up in excitement. After hanging up, she immediately reported the good news to the president.
The president of Bones Studio was also very supportive. He immediately gave the green light, mobilizing the entire company to start building hype for next Sunday's finale celebration.
Soon, riding on the huge fame of Guokage Ninja and the currently serialized Pirate King that Sean was working on, news about—
"Mr. Ben An will be attending the Guokage Ninja third-anniversary celebration event next Sunday at the capital library of the Batochia Republic"—spread like wildfire.
From the entire Batochia Republic down to the small neighborhood streets, everyone was in an uproar.
There were even many manga fans from other continents clamoring to attend. As a result, this week's issue of Pirate King sold out, which indirectly led to—when Uvogin and Nobunaga walked into a comic shop with Shizuku, the latest issue of Pirate King had already been scalped to a "sky-high price," completely exceeding their expectations.
"Dammit! Why is it more expensive again?"
"That bastard Ben An must be crazy for money! And here I was, admiring him so much. Now it looks like... he's even greedier than Machi!"
Uvogin picked up a copy of Pirate King, flipped to the end, and was blinded by the price tag on the bottom right corner of the cover.
'50,000 Jenny! That's almost enough for me to eat a hundred bowls of pork cutlet rice!'
However. "What damn good is money?" Nobunaga, with a samurai sword hanging loosely at his side, said indifferently, "Learn from Shizuku. If you can't afford it, just take it."
As expected of a kid from Meteor City. The girl who had entered the bookstore with Uvogin and Nobunaga didn't say a word. She headed straight for the shelf displaying Pirate King, deftly pulled a sack from her pocket, and started stuffing the latest issues into it. When she was done, still without a word, she turned to leave as if she'd never been there... unfortunately...
Did she really think the comic shop owner was blind?
The bald owner, wearing a pair of thick, black-framed glasses, peeked out from behind the cash register and craned his neck, shouting, "Hey, Miss, you haven't paid yet!"
The girl stopped and tilted her head to look at Uvogin. "Do you have to pay for manga? I didn't know."
Uvogin laughed heartily, blocked Shizuku behind him with his arm, and faced the shop owner, saying "kindly," "Boss, your prices are too high. Why don't you just make it cheaper?"
'Hmph. Thought I'd run into an idiot.' The shop owner secretly breathed a sigh of relief and said with an embarrassed smile, "Look, you can't find the latest issue anywhere. This is all from my private stock. You think it's expensive? I think it's expensive, too."
"Is that so?" Uvogin beckoned, pulled a copy of Pirate King from the sack Shizuku was holding, and flipped through it. "But why do I get the feeling this is a pirated copy, boss?"
'Bullshit! I've been running this bookstore for years, and this is the first time someone's pointed at my nose and called my stuff pirated.' The bald owner's face instantly darkened. He said unhappily, "What are you talking about? This is a legitimate comic shop. Would I really sell you a counterfeit?"
'What's this about real or fake?'
"I'm asking you, is this Pirate King an official copy or a pirated one?" Uvogin slammed the Pirate King down hard on the counter.
The glass on the counter trembled with a crack, startling the owner.
Even if the bald owner was an idiot, he understood now. He glared dangerously at Uvogin and said, "You're just trying to pick a fight, aren't you?"
"Just tell me if you're buying or not!"
Uvogin snorted with a laugh. "If this is an official copy, of course we'll buy it."
'Heh. I've got a damn business license that big hanging right there. Are you blind or stupid? Can't you read it yourself?'
The bald owner couldn't take it anymore. He also slammed the counter and roared, "Just say if you're buying or not! If not, put the book down and get out!"
'Tsk. How scary.' Uvogin gave a cold smile. With a RRRIP! sound, he tore the Pirate King in his hands in half, right in front of the bald owner.
The bald owner's eyes instantly turned bloodshot. He pointed at Uvogin's nose and cursed, "You fucking tore my book, didn't you?"
"Yeah, I tore it. What about it?" Uvogin flicked his hand, throwing the two halves of the Pirate King at the shop owner's face. The owner cried out in pain. Before he could react, a massive fist suddenly appeared in his vision. One punch... and his head was smashed into a bloody pulp, like a watermelon.
"Murder! Murder!" Screams exploded in the comic shop. The surrounding shops heard the commotion, poked their heads out to look, and instantly descended into chaos.
"Hahaha!" After killing the man, Uvogin didn't care at all. He laughed wildly and shook the blood spatters from the back of his hand. He turned his head to look at Shizuku. "Shizuku, no need to grab any more Pirate King issues. From now on, we'll just watch it being made!"
Shizuku, looking naturally air-headed, adjusted the glasses on her nose and asked, "How do we watch it being made?"
"By kidnapping Ben An, of course! We'll make him draw for us every day!" Nobunaga said, bending down to pick up the piece of Pirate King lying in the pool of blood. He opened it to the last page and saw a line of large black text printed on the colorful final page—
"Big News—On December 7th, Mr. Ben An will be a guest at the Batochia Republic Capital Library. He will be signing autographs for fans at the event and will randomly select ten lucky fans for a photo opportunity!"
'See? Hasn't an opportunity just presented itself?'