15,000 Points!
A five-digit sum, reaching legendary tier.
Xiano stretched contentedly. All that effort hadn't been in vain.
From what he recalled, among the items he'd previously offered, only Luffy's genuine straw hat and Roger's execution platform had reached legendary tier.
This was the third.
As expected, the best wool came from the New World!
Xiano clicked open the details of another item, giving it another glance.
[Photo of Yasopp's Deceased Wife]
[Quality: Fine]
[Value: 1,900 Points]
[Appraisal Note: A cherished photo kept close by Yasopp, the veteran sniper of the Red Hair Pirates, carrying deep longing for his late wife and unfulfilled promises. The edges of the yellowed photo are heavily worn, but the woman's gentle smile remains clearly visible. The back is inscribed with the words, "To my beloved Banchina." Its emotional value far surpasses its material worth.]
Emotional value?
Xiano shook his head.
He'd offered up plenty of photos before. Some, after learning the meaning behind them, had left him feeling guilty enough to try and compensate—like the one Tashigi had given him back in Loguetown.
But this one…
He genuinely felt nothing.
Dragon, as the leader of the Revolutionary Army, had still managed to see Luffy off when he set sail. But what about Yasopp?
Too abstract.
Abandoning his wife and child for so many years—forget the distant past. Just a few years ago, Yasopp had returned to the East Blue with Red Hair and spent an entire year in Foosha Village with Luffy, yet he hadn't gone back to his hometown even once.
Xiano couldn't understand it. In the half a year since he'd set sail, despite fighting battle after battle, he'd still managed to keep in touch with Bellemere at least once a month!
Closing the details page, Xiano did a quick calculation.
The Red Hair Pirates had collectively contributed 26,000 Points, skyrocketing Xiano's current remaining Points to a staggering 77,600.
Unprecedented wealth!
With such a fortune in hand, Xiano's urge to splurge became almost unbearable.
Soon—within a week at most—the trading market would refresh, and by then, they'd likely have reached the next island.
For now, he'd continue focusing on mastering the Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist. Once he fully mastered it, reaching perfection…
He'd have enough confidence to hold his own in a one-on-one against any of the Four Emperors!
Well, except maybe Whitebeard.
Until they met, he couldn't be sure just how strong the legendary "World's Strongest Man" of the old era still was.
Closing the system panel, Xiano pulled out a can of sugar-free cola from his bag. Sipping it and humming a tune, he headed back to his room.
Today had been fulfilling. He could look forward to a good night's sleep.
The only thing nagging at him was wondering whose Vivrecard it was that the Red Hair Pirates' underling had accidentally stolen.
Whatever.
A fake prop used by a Fish-man peddler to swindle people…
What kind of big shot could its owner possibly be?
...
Agatha Archipelago.
Morning mist drifted across the sea as a comically designed, circus-themed Pirate ship slowly approached from the distance.
"Men! Do you see it? We're finally here!"
Buggy stood at the bow, grinning from ear to ear, hands on his hips as he laughed triumphantly. "According to the treasure map's markings, this island holds a super treasure worth over 500 million Berries! Once we dig it up, I'll buy the finest ship in the world and expand our Pirate Crew like never before!"
The New World was tough!
Thinking back on how the Marines had chased him into the New World, where he couldn't afford to provoke anyone or win any fights, forced to scurry around like a sewer rat just to survive day by day...
Buggy nearly shed tears.
Why did it have to come to this?!
Originally, he'd just wanted to quietly hunt for treasure in the East Blue—he hadn't even planned to return to the first half of the Grand Line.
So how had his bounty kept rising inexplicably, landing him in this mess?
The New World...
His crew was a bunch of misfits—not a single one who could use Haki. Were they really cut out for the New World?
But that was all about to change!
Once he got his hands on this fortune, he'd upgrade everything and expand his influence. Heh...
"Captain Buggy is brilliant!"
"Long live Captain Buggy!"
"ROAR!!"
Mochi and Lion Riki finally snapped out of it, raising their arms to lead the sycophantic cheers. The underlings roared in response, eagerly grabbing shovels, ready to land and dig.
First Mate Cabaji's cheer was half-hearted, clearly distracted as he sat on his unicycle, rummaging through his pockets.
Strange.
Where was Captain Buggy's Vivrecard?
He remembered having his wallet stolen by a pickpocket back on Fish-Man Island. Had the Vivrecard been lost then too?
Captain Buggy only had two fragments of his Vivrecard—one entrusted to him, the other to Mochi—as a sign of his trust and favor.
If Captain Buggy found out he'd lost his Vivrecard...
Cabaji gulped, cold sweat dripping down his temple.
"Captain Buggy, look over there!"
Just then, the lookout on the crow's nest suddenly widened his eyes in terror, pointing toward the island's peak. "That flag on the tallest red tree up there... It looks like... like..."
"Huh?"
Buggy flew into a rage, his upper body detaching as he soared up and grabbed the lookout by the collar. "Who are you calling red-nosed?!"
"You misheard, Captain Buggy!" The lookout gasped, nearly passing out from the chokehold. "I... I said red tree..."
"You're still saying it! What's your problem with red noses?!"
Buggy completely lost it, punching the lookout hard. The man screamed as he went flying, splashing into the sea below.
Only then did Buggy dust off his hands and turn to look toward the mountain.
There, atop the peak, a stark white flag fluttered in the morning mist—two crossed swords piercing a seagull...
"The... the Curtain Closer?!"
Buggy's eyes bulged, snot dripping down his face as his limbs split apart and flailed wildly in the air. "This godforsaken nowhere island is the territory of that Xiano, the World's Greatest Swordsman?!"
"Turn the ship around! Now!"
"Eh? But Captain Buggy, the treasure is right there..." Mochi hesitated, still reluctant.
"So you're an idiot, Mochi! Which is more important, treasure or my life? How can we mess with someone with a bounty over two billion Berries? Maybe he's on the island right now—go die by yourself if you want to!"
Buggy slapped Mochi hard across the face, then roared at the helmsman, "Full speed retreat! Now! Immediately!"
Wuwuwu... Mochi covered his swollen cheek in grievance. He'd only recently arrived in the New World and wasn't very familiar with these big shots.
Meanwhile, the helmsman put all his strength into steering as the Big Top fled at full speed.
Soon.
The sea returned to calm.
Only after a long while did a pirate struggle to surface from the water, gaping in shock at the Big Top disappearing over the horizon.
Captain Buggy!
I'm still not on board!
...
Five days later, at dawn.
The Sunset anchored before an island.
Though calling it an island might be generous—it was more like a massive, artificially carved reef, about the size of a few football fields.
But though small, it had all the essentials. Five large warehouses stood on the island, labeled "Alcohol," "Fresh Water," "Staples," "Cold Weapons," and "Miscellaneous."
Head chef Zeff was leading the crew in transporting supplies from the first few warehouses back to the Sunset.
On the wooden pier, a portly old man with white hair leaned against the railing, carefully counting the Berries in his hand.
Dressed in an elegant black suit with gold-rimmed glasses, his round belly made him resemble a well-fed seal.
"My, my, what generous guests..."
The old man chuckled, stroking his beard as his eyes narrowed into slits. "Buying so much at once—seems you left the last island in quite a hurry without stocking up properly."
Xiano stood beside him, hands in his pockets, his gaze sweeping over the busy crew as he replied indifferently:
"Something like that."
The old man was named Henry, and both he and this tiny island seemed to have appeared out of nowhere, standing alone in the vast sea, catering to passing ships.
"Hey, mister."
Nami walked by carrying two oranges, unable to contain her curiosity. "Are you really the only one on this island? No guards or anything? Aren't you afraid pirates will just steal all these supplies?"
"Pirates?"
Old Henry remained cheerful, leisurely finishing his count before looking up at Nami. A glint flashed in his slit-like eyes.
"Guess why, little girl—why has no one ever dared to touch the supplies on this island all these years in the New World?"
Nami blinked in surprise. "Isn't it because... a lot of islands around here are Whitebeard's territory?"
"Whitebeard?"
Henry burst into laughter, his large belly shaking.
"That old man doesn't have time to police such a small place. Besides, do you think pirates in the New World are all well-behaved? Even in a Four Emperor's territory, there are always fools who think they can test their luck."
"There's only one reason I can run these warehouses safely here all these years."
He patted his round belly. "More than a decade ago, the pirates in these waters all called me the strongest bounty hunter—Henry 'The Current Breaker.'"
"The Current Breaker?"
Nami tilted her head, completely unfamiliar with the title.
"It's because I was naturally skilled in underwater combat!" he said proudly. "I'd ambush from beneath the sea, suddenly bursting out to split pirate ships in half, forcing them into naval battles with me. Even pirates with bounties of four or five hundred million Berry fell into my hands."
Fat Henry glanced at Xiano and chuckled, "Of course, none of this would impress Lord Xiano, but it's still enough to intimidate low-level pirates."
"As for the big shots I can't handle, like you, they're on a whole different level. They'd rather do proper business with me than resort to sneaky, forceful tactics."
Xiano silently looked up at the sky.
"So you were such an impressive figure..." Nami exclaimed in awe, grinning. "I never would've guessed! Then, mister, why did you stop being a bounty hunter and switch to business?"
"Getting older means risking your life for money isn't sustainable," Fat Henry sighed, his expression turning gloomy. "But the main reason is... I accidentally ate a Devil Fruit back then."
"A Devil Fruit?"
"Yep. To be precise, the most hateful, most useless kind of Devil Fruit..." He groaned miserably. "Well, out of respect for Lord Xiano, I'll show you."
Snap!
His figure blurred, rapidly expanding until—in the blink of an eye—he transformed into a massive ship. The ship's prow bore the scowling face of a fat old man, gritting his teeth as it spoke:
"See? The Paramecia-type Ship-Ship Fruit... I just don't get it! What kind of twisted sense of humor did the gods who created Devil Fruits have to come up with something so cursed?!"
A fruit that lets you turn into a ship...
Yet Devil Fruit users can't even enter the sea...
"Pfft—HAHAHAHA!" Nami clutched her stomach, rolling on the ground in laughter, tears streaming down her face. As tragic as it was, she just couldn't hold it in!
This poor old man!
How could there be such a useless fruit?!
Unlike her Flame-Flame Fruit—so versatile, so rare!
Snap!
"Anyway, thinking about this damn fruit still pisses me off!" The old man reverted to human form, slapping his round belly with lingering frustration. He vented by throwing a punch toward the nearby sea.
BOOM!
Blazing flames erupted from his fist, sending a towering water column dozens of meters high into the sky. A massive vacuum zone instantly formed, evaporating the seawater.
Scalding steam spread across the surface, the intense heat boiling the surrounding ocean for a brief moment.
"Huh—?!"
Nami's laughter cut off abruptly, as if someone had grabbed her by the neck.
...
By the time they finished moving the supplies, dawn had fully broken.
Just as Xiano was about to return to the training room, the small Den Den Mushi on him began ringing—"Blue Blue!"
He pulled it out for a look.
The tiny Den Den Mushi suddenly sprouted a fluffy bear-eared hat on its head—oddly adorable—and its face morphed into a bespectacled, gentle and friendly expression.
"Woah!"
Xiano burst into laughter, "So it's Kuma! How is it? Has Bonney's illness been cured?"
"Yes, Lord Xiano."
The Den Den Mushi chuckled warmly, clearly in good spirits. "Though it took some time, we've finally completely eradicated it. I've already left our hometown with Bonney and we're on the road now. Barring any unexpected delays, we should reach you in four or five days."
"That's great!"
Xiano had been slightly worried. If even Mansherry couldn't do anything about the Jade Scale Disease, he would have had to resort to desperate measures, spending 5,000 Points to see if he could help Bonney.
But now it seemed the power of the Cure-Cure Fruit was far more reliable than he'd imagined.
"What about Mansherry?" he asked with a smile. "That little one must be riding on your shoulder too, right? Does she want to board my ship?"
After all, the ship was still missing a doctor!
"She and Bonney are both asleep now," the small Den Den Mushi replied gently. "From what I observed earlier, she seemed hesitant—torn between joining your adventures and missing her father and people. Anyway, I plan to take her to Dressrosa first to reunite with her family. If she can make a decision then, I'll contact you again."
"Alright, we'll discuss it then," Xiano nodded. "Stay safe on your journey."
After hanging up, the Sunset happened to depart from shore just then. As old Henry waved them off, the ship continued toward the next "proper" island.
Xiano changed into his fitted training outfit and headed for the training room. Along the way, he suddenly remembered something and checked the system's trading market.
Just as he expected.
With the new month came a refreshed item shop.
His 70,000+ Points could finally be splurged!
Xiano immediately clicked in, eager to browse.
However...
The first item made his face darken instantly—
[Teemo's Cotton Underwear]
[Type: Equipment]
[Price: 600 Points]
[Description: From the lands of Runeterra, Yordle technology. Excellent breathability. Wearing grants +50% resistance to mushroom-based toxins.]
[Seller's Note: Hehehe, furry...]
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