After watching the King of the Near Sea depart, Shano continued climbing the rope ladder.
Reaching the top, he grabbed the railing, but before he could jump, a dozen arms suddenly reached out.
Some put their arms around his armpits, others lifted him by the knees, and the boy froze, like a freshly caught fish, being carried firmly through the cheering and whistling crowd.
"Huh? Wait! What's going on?" he shouted in a panic.
Unfortunately, no one answered him. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Gart grinning, take out his pipe again, tap it, light it, and the aroma of tobacco enveloped him.
The next instant, Shano felt his body lighten and he was thrown into the air.
"Hey!"
"Don't do this, put me down!"
"Hey!"
"I'm afraid of heights... uh, no, I just ate, I'm going to throw up if this keeps up!"
"Hey!"
"That's enough! You repay kindness with enmity, huh? I should have let the sea kings devour you all!"
"Hey!"
"Eat me too!"
...
After what seemed like an eternity, Shano was finally lowered. He felt dizzy and almost tripped and fell to the ground.
Old sailors, who performed heavy physical labor year-round, had incredible arm strength. Being tossed around in the air was like riding a roller coaster all day.
Although he could quickly overcome the dizziness, he now felt like he was going to vomit violently against the railing.
"Impressive, Shano!"
Gart gave a thumbs-up, exhaling a puff of smoke, his face full of admiration.
You're a true hidden talent. I used to doubt you, treating you like a child. I was so senile and blind! Now I don't even know whether to apologize or thank you first.
The despair and oppression he felt before had led even him, a seasoned captain with decades of experience at sea, to resign himself to his fate.
In contrast, this young man, despite his young age, remained calm, accurately assessing the situation and acting decisively and bravely when the time came.
He genuinely admired the young man before him, even unconsciously changing his address from "child" to "brother."
"Apologize, thank you isn't necessary."
Shano rubbed his forehead, still a little dizzy. "You make me look like a complete spectator. I was on this ship too, trying to save myself."
"How can you say that! Young man!"
"Yes, you saved our entire ship!"
We'll never forget you!
The crowd erupted in chatter again, and someone murmured, "Shouldn't we continue the feast?" Then came arguments like, "Idiot! Weren't we having a feast?", "That was too small, not enough to celebrate a narrow escape," and "Yes, we need a much bigger and more extravagant one."
Then the voices joined together, becoming a single resounding cry that echoed throughout the deck:
"Let's have a feast! Let's have a feast! Let's have a feast!"
"Okay!" Gart, equally excited, burst into laughter and made the decision: "Then everyone help out! Let the feast begin again right now! No one gets away tonight!" "We'll drink until we drop!"
"We'll drink until we drop!" The sailors dispersed, each busy with their own tasks: some cleaning the banquet area, others carrying drinks, others preparing the food and carving the meat, others rearranging the tables... They seemed determined to get the banquet started in half an hour, leaving Shano bewildered.
Wait a minute, is something wrong?
After having taken dozens of hits from the King of the Coast, shouldn't the most important thing be checking for leaks in the hull and whether the keel is broken?
...
The next day.
When Shano woke up, his head ached. Was it a hangover? Blinding sunlight streamed through the porthole; it was already midday.
He patted his head, vaguely remembering at last that he had been the star of a party the night before, receiving countless drinks from the enthusiastic sailors.
At first, he was quite reserved, but then he let loose, with Her face flushed, she was hugging the sailors, dancing and singing hysterically around the campfire.
What's wrong with these people?
he still underage! How could she have drunk alcohol?
As he hurriedly pulled on his wrinkled coat, Shano froze in shock: the cabin, with its velvet curtains, was ridiculously large; his old bed fit easily underneath as a footstool. The private bathroom even smelled of lemons.
Wow, an upgrade! This has to be the best room on the ship!
Compared to the cramped cabin he'd been staying in before, this was practically a discounted single room: a direct upgrade to a presidential suite.
He opened the refrigerator, took out a can of cola, and the sound of the escaping carbon dioxide as he popped the can, along with the refreshing sensation of the ice-cold soda going down his throat, finally perked him up.
"Hey, Shano, are you awake yet?"
It was a passing sailor who heard the noise. His enthusiastic voice boomed from outside the door: "How are you? Are you hungry? What would you like to eat? Shall I get it for you?"
"No need, thanks," Shano replied quickly. "Go ahead and do your thing. I'll go to the dining room if I get hungry."
"Okay, whatever you say! Just let us know if you need anything!"
As soon as the sailor's footsteps faded, Shano leaned back on the sofa and eagerly opened the system.
Eating? He had just received a large sum of money yesterday, and the market was supposed to change in the coming days. What was the point of eating now? Shopping was much more important!
A deep blue panel appeared before his eyes. Shano's gaze skipped the first few lines and fixed directly on the last two.
[Points Remaining: 10025]
He finally understood those people who laughed foolishly at his wealth.
Once you have a lot of savings, sometimes, even if you do nothing more than repeatedly check your bank account balance, a feeling of satisfaction and security washes over you, making you feel like you're on cloud nine.
After a while, he finally looked away from the clearance section.
Looking to the right, a new page immediately appeared, with product images at the top and detailed descriptions and prices below.
If he found something interesting, he could add it to his cart; if he didn't want to buy anything, he could simply use his mind to scroll down and find the next item.
This was the exchange market.
Every month, ten new items were randomly added. If you had enough points, you could buy them for free before the next update.
At first, Shano thought they were all direct sales from the system, but he quickly realized what was happening.
It was more like a Taobao connecting countless worlds. Aside from a few items provided by the system, the vast majority seemed to come from individual sellers in other worlds.
The items for sale were incredibly diverse, all sorts of random things, as if each world had a transmigrator assigned to search for treasure.
Scrolling down each time was like opening a jack-in-the-box.
He quite liked this aspect.
Every month, when the update period arrived, he would immediately flip through it.
Unfortunately, he had been very poor before and couldn't afford anything, so he could only look longingly.
Occasionally, there were inexpensive items, but he had to weigh the pros and cons, and most of the time he had to reluctantly forgo them. After three years, he only bought Breathing Fist Technique and Basic Fencing.
Now that he was rich, he was determined to buy as much as he pleased! Anything he liked, he added to his basket immediately!
Adults are indecisive and need to make decisions; he was still a child—of course he wanted everything!
He quickly focused and examined the first item.
[Statue of Hercules]
[Type: Blessing Item]
[Price: 2000 Points]
[Description: The greatest hero of ancient Greek mythology, who ascended to Olympus after his death, has since become synonymous with power. This exquisitely crafted statue is approximately 20 centimeters tall. Placing it within a ten-meter radius during physical training will grant a triple efficiency boost. This boost can be combined with other items.]
[Seller's Note: There is precedent; beware of losses! It seems some people have automatic pickup enabled and are stealing all sorts of junk.]
"A triple efficiency boost during physical training?"
Shano paused briefly, a flash of joy in his eyes, and added it to his shopping cart without hesitation.
No need to think twice.
Less than a year after Arlong's attack, this item practically extends his training time to three years!
And it's permanent, meaning that for the rest of his life, his efficiency during physical training will always be three times greater than before! Yes, he was quite talented in martial arts physical training, but who would complain about having too much talent?
"Great!"
Shano was excited by its potential effects.
He swiped down and examined the next item.
———
[Shadowheart's Camp Uniform]
[Type: Equipment]
[Price: 200 Points]
[Description: Casual black outfit, form-fitting, no attribute bonuses, more suitable for leisure time. When you go to sleep in it, you might even hear the movement of darkness in your ears: it's Lady Shar whispering to you.]
[Seller's Note: I really want to lick White Shadowheart's toes]
"..." Shano remained expressionless.
He swiped again, next!
If a Transmigration Management Bureau really existed, I wish there was a rule prohibiting the transmigration of perverted, fat, and lewd otaku! ————
[Sulawesi III Steering Engine]
[Type: Marvel]
[Price: 10,000 Points]
[Description: Located in the equatorial region, one of the largest steering engines built under Project Wandering Earth. It stands over 15 kilometers tall, with a base diameter exceeding 60 kilometers. With sufficient fuel, a single engine can generate 200 trillion tons of thrust.]
[Seller's Note: Freshly unearthed, still hot]
Hold on, buddy.
Who are you?
Even disguised as Ultraman, you couldn't unearth this thing, could you?
The price is even more exorbitant, basically the highest he's seen in three years. But wonders, anywhere in the world, are always like this; they're not something to consider at the beginning or middle of the game.
It's truly tempting. If I had a million saved up, I'd definitely buy it.
"If I die before spending all my points, I'll have to summon this thing and let everyone see it."
———
[Amamiya Ren's Black Canvas Bag]
[Type: Miscellaneous Items]
[Price: 600 Points]
[Description: An ideal school backpack for middle school students, filled with textbooks for the second year of high school at Shujin Academy. Occasionally, a cat can be heard meowing inside, but it's impossible to tell if it's alive or dead until the zipper is unzipped.]
[Seller's Note: Found near a subway turnstile]
"Hmm..."
After thinking for a moment, Shano shook his head and gave up.
He searched through his memories of his past life, but unfortunately, his knowledge of anime and manga was limited, and he couldn't remember which universe he came from.
But, in his experience, items classified as miscellaneous aren't usually very useful; things like the hair clips and headbands he sacrificed tend to fall into this category.
Unless I'm particularly interested, I wouldn't buy it for collecting; otherwise, spending 600 points here would be a complete waste.
————
[Six Styles Manual *2]
[Type: Cultivation Manual]
[Price: 800 Points]
[Description: A manual detailing the cultivation methods for six physical techniques. Shaving, Paper Drawing, Moonwalk, Storm Kick, Iron Block, and Finger Gun are the six styles. Opening each manual will grant one of them at random.]
[Seller Notes: None, System Direct Sale]
"Six Styles?"
Shano perked up.
While system direct sale items are less numerous, they tend to be quite practical, unlike individual vendors who always try to generate hype.
This was no exception.
It's a set of physical techniques that are trained from childhood in the CP department. Within the Navy, only members of the elite headquarters are typically qualified to practice it.
Those who master these physical techniques will be able to operate with complete freedom outside the Grand Line.
A couple of years ago, I felt an enormous envy for this set of physical techniques, always hoping to find it on the market. Now, my wish has finally come true.
"Can I choose two out of six at random...?"
Shano, determined, added it to his shopping cart.
These are two secret manuals, equivalent to one-on-one instruction from a master, guaranteed to teach and master, and they only cost 400 points each. Whichever two techniques I choose at random, they will undoubtedly be worth it!
————
[Sephiroth's Masamune]
[Type: Weapon]
[Price: 500 points]
[Description: From the world of Final Fantasy VII, the katana-like sword of the ultimate villain Sephiroth, called "Masamune."] [Over two meters long, with a hilt of about fifty centimeters, a blade only three centimeters wide, and a thickness of just a few millimeters.]
[Seller's Note: "What you see now is reality; what you remember is an illusion."]
This made him hesitate.
Shano pondered, stroking his chin. His swordsmanship wasn't very good, and he had no plans to practice anytime soon.
But in the world of One Piece, swords and blades are inseparable, with swords being the most important weapons. Having a suitable weapon seemed the most logical thing to do.
The blade forged by Shinra Technology for the First Warrior was of absolutely reliable quality. In the world of One Piece, it was at least on par with a good quality sword, and might even have reached the level of a great one.
"Buy!"
Shano made a decision, and another item appeared in his cart.
If the price had been higher, he might have given up.
Scrolling down, Shano found several items that didn't interest him or were simply too expensive, quickly reaching the end of his search.
Finally, he paid, spending 3300 points on three different items.
[Points Remaining: 6725]
Cultivation-accelerating items were among his most urgent needs. He was lucky to have found them this time. Next month, he planned to acquire some cultivation manuals, which would coincide with his return to the village, allowing him to begin his intensive cultivation.
Satisfied, Shano opened another can of cola, closed the market, and excitedly opened his inventory while taking a sip of soda.
(End of chapter)