Outskirts of Upper Yard.
The Phantom Troupe, along with Cricket, Wyper, and three elite Shandian warriors, looked up at the dense, ancient jungle towering before them.
All except for Chrollo, who was staring blankly at a large tree, completely zoning out.
Just moments ago, the [Thief's Point Shop] had finally refreshed. But what appeared in the shop had Chrollo practically choking on air.
---
[Cosmetic: Monkey D. Dragon's Mystic Hood]
Quality: Excellent
Cost: 6,000 Reputation Points
Description: A deep green cloak with an oversized hood. When worn, your face remains permanently shrouded in mysterious shadow, only visible during dramatic lightning flashes.
Trait: Massively increases your aura of mystery and "cool factor." Makes it difficult for generic grunts to identify you. The signature fashion item of the Revolutionary Army's leader.
[Book: The Shipwright's Legacy of Water 7]
Quality: Excellent
Cost: 25,000 Reputation Points
Description: A compendium of lost shipbuilding techniques and weapon blueprints from the legendary shipwrights of Water 7.
Trait: Do you want to upgrade your ship into the perfect vessel? Do you dream of sailing the ultimate ship? This is the manual for you.
[Miscellaneous: Corazon's Feather of Silence]
Quality: Rare
Cost: 2,000 Reputation Points
Description: A single, soft, jet-black crow feather. When held, all ambient noise around you fades into a distant, muffled quiet.
Trait: A memento of Donquixote Rosinante, who sacrificed himself for Law. Symbolizes the silent yet deafening love born from the Calm-Calm Fruit.
[Treasure: One of the 26 Road Poneglyphs (Fragment)]
Quality: Legendary
Cost: 50,000 Reputation Points
Description: A Historical Poneglyph once housed in the basement of the Tree of Knowledge in Ohara, West Blue.
Trait: While not one of the 9 Rio Poneglyphs that hold the key to the One Piece, it contains a crucial piece of the Void Century's history.
[Special Item: A Favor from Red-Haired Shanks]
Quality: SUPREME
Cost: 250,000 Reputation Points
Description: Chrollo once saved Shanks' adopted daughter, Uta, from falling off a cliff in Elegia. In return, he earned a favor from the Red-Haired Emperor.
Trait: A promise made by one of the Four Emperors himself. When you are in desperate straits on the Grand Line, tear this Vivre Card, and Shanks will sail the Red Force through wind and storm to aid you. Note: Single use only.
---
???
Excuse me?
Almost everything on this list was incredibly useful!
Setting aside the Dragon cosplay and Corazon's sentimental feather for a moment...
The Shipwright's Legacy of Water 7!
The Black Whale desperately needed a shipwright. Ships require constant maintenance, and right now, the Black Whale was under-armed. When they eventually reached the New World and faced naval warfare, they couldn't just float there and watch.
If they could install high-caliber cannons and bombard enemies from the sky, the Black Whale would become a literal flying fortress—an aerial aircraft carrier!
Chrollo needed this book.
Then, The Historical Poneglyph.
Even though it wasn't one of the critical Rio Poneglyphs, a stone from Ohara was priceless. It contained secrets of the Void Century—secrets that the World Government had burned an entire island to hide.
Chrollo wanted to know what Ohara had discovered that warranted a Buster Call. Plus, who knew when a Poneglyph would appear in the shop again? He had to grab it.
And finally... the last item.
Chrollo stared at the description, the flames of desire burning in his eyes.
The shop can even sell something like this?!
Chrollo was certain that the event described in the backstory—saving Uta in Elegia—had never actually happened.
Did the system force a rewrite of history? Did it insert a memory into the timeline to benefit me?
Is that even possible?!
Regardless of the "how"...
"The Supreme Treasure..."
Chrollo looked at it with intense hunger.
In the world of One Piece, this was a "Get Out of Jail Free" card.
A favor from Shanks? The man who stopped the Paramount War just by showing up? The "Face-Face Fruit" user himself?
With the amount of trouble the Phantom Troupe caused, having Shanks on speed dial wasn't just useful—it was a lifeline.
"I need it! I absolutely have to have it!"
"I need all three of these things!"
"25,000 + 50,000 + 250,000 equals..."
"...325,000 Reputation Points."
Chrollo looked pitifully at his current balance.
[Current Reputation Points: 141,350]
"..."
"I don't even have half!!" Chrollo facepalmed.
The system clearly thought his life was too peaceful. It was practically forcing him to go out and cause chaos.
Even stealing the Heavenly Tribute only netted him 100,000 points!
Where the hell was he supposed to scrape together another 200,000?!
After a moment of staring into the void, Chrollo's face hardened into a look of ruthless determination.
If I don't have enough points...
Then I'll just have to farm them. Hard.
He remembered this arc well. Enel had four priests who set up four "Ordeals." Defeating them should yield a decent amount of reputation.
Then there was the 400-year war between the Skypieans and the Shandians. Resolving the Alabasta civil war gave him a massive payout, so ending the war in Skypiea should do the same!
Farm! I'm going to farm every last point on this island!
He would empty that shop.
To maximize efficiency, Chrollo turned to his crew, his expression serious. "We're splitting up."
"Uvogin, Nobunaga, Phinks, Feitan. You four head to the Ordeals. Eliminate the four priests. Don't hold back."
The four combat fanatics grinned, cracking their knuckles in anticipation.
"Cricket, Robin, Shizuku, Machi, Bonolenov. You are the Archaeology Team. Your priority is locating the City of Gold. Ignore everything else."
"Understood."
Chrollo turned to Pakunoda, Shalnark, Kortopi, and Franklin. "The rest of you are the Diplomacy Team. Work with the Shandian warriors to neutralize the Divine Guards. But remember—defeat them, don't kill them. We need the moral high ground."
"Pakunoda, Shalnark—you handle the negotiations with the Skypieans."
"Got it." The two nodded.
Chrollo looked at Wyper. "Jaya is whole again. There is more than enough land now for both Skypieans and Shandians to live together. There is no longer any need to fight over territory."
Wyper nodded firmly. "You brought my people hope and soil. You allowed me and Cricket to fulfill our ancestors' wish after 400 years. I will follow your lead."
Dealing with straightforward people is so easy, Chrollo thought with a sigh of relief.
"Wyper," Chrollo continued, "You will guide me, Bonney, and Nami directly to Enel's shrine. We are going straight for the head. We hunt the God."
"No problem!" Wyper shouted.
"Can we win?" Nami looked worried. At the banquet last night, the Shandians had told horror stories about the God of Skypiea.
Divine punishment striking from miles away...
Hearing the voices of everyone in the country...
Teleportation... thunder that destroys islands...
It sounded terrifying. To Nami, if someone could actually do all that, they really were no different from a "God."
Could they really defeat a monster like that?
Bonney also looked concerned.
She hadn't heard of Enel, but she knew about the fruit.
In the place she used to live, the Rumble-Rumble Fruit was classified as one of the "Invincible" Logias. A disaster-class ability.
Unbeatable Observation Haki combined with the speed of lightning.
Chrollo was a freak, sure, but the rest of the Troupe? They would be wiped out instantly if they fought Enel.
"That fruit lets him teleport, and his range is massive," Bonney pointed out. "What if he spots our plan and attacks the other groups first?"
Chrollo smiled and shook his head gently. "It doesn't matter."
"With the Door-Door Fruit, as long as I can sense their location, I can open a door and be there instantly. We won't have a repeat of the Drum Island incident."
"But you are right about one thing..."
Chrollo turned his head, looking deep into the jungle with a knowing glint in his eye.
"It's not 'what if.' He has definitely already seen us."
---
What Chrollo didn't know was that the jungle of Upper Yard was already getting crowded.
Aside from Enel and his priests...
The Blackbeard Pirates...
The Donquixote Family executives, Buffalo and Giolla...
Ace, the 2nd Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates...
And Marine Captain "Black Cage" Hina...
Everyone had gathered on this floating stage. The prelude was over. The main event was about to begin.