+50% resistance to mushroom toxins?
What the hell is the use of that? He wasn't from some place where people ate mushrooms every day.
And Teemo's size… Forget him, even Chopper wouldn't be able to wear its clothes, right?
Xiano shook his head.
What kind of junk was this fellow traveler selling?!
No interest at all.
Next!
…
[Return Scroll]
[Type: Special Item]
[Price: 8,000 Points]
[Description: A magical artifact from the Azeroth Continent. With this scroll, you can spend 2,000 Points to instantly teleport back to your territory after a brief chant. Each additional person transported will cost an extra 2,000 Points.]
[No usage limit, no distance limit, no cooldown.]
[Seller's Note: So I transmigrated as Terenas, fine. But what do you mean Arthas is already at the gates?! And what's with that sword?!]
Huh?
Xiano, who had been disappointed just a second ago, suddenly perked up.
A Return Scroll?
Now that's a good find!
A permanent item with almost no usage restrictions—aside from being a bit pricey, it's flawless.
Though he only had one territory under his name for now, it was always good to plan for the future. This thing would be a godsend for emergency reinforcements or tactical retreats.
Bruno's Door-Door Fruit could only teleport within line of sight over short distances—how could it compare to this?
Definitely buying it.
After silently mourning for the seller for a second, Xiano decisively added it to his cart.
Next!
…
[One-Time Devil Fruit Extraction Technique]
[Type: Consumable]
[Price: 2,000 Points]
[Description: Within a short time after a Devil Fruit user's death, extract a "Devil Core" from their corpse. Insert it into any plant-based fruit to transform it into a Devil Fruit with the same ability.]
[Seller's Note: Directly from the system. N/A.]
What is this…
A one-time Dark-Dark Fruit?
Xiano raised an eyebrow.
Thanks to the Devil Fruit detector, most of his crew were already ability users, and he even had two spare Devil Fruits on hand.
But… given his current focus on expanding his forces, who would say no to more strategic resources?
Two thousand Points for a Devil Fruit of his choice.
No need to think twice—sold!
…
[Eve's Machine Core]
[Type: Special Item]
[Price: 5,000 Points]
[Description: The core of the final experimental unit "Eve" from the Eve Project in the Sword Star World. Implanting it into a body can significantly enhance physical strength.]
[Note: This core only works on female bodies.]
[Seller's Note: What kind of crappy game is this? My 5090 can't even handle climbing a ladder without lagging.]
Xiano vaguely remembered this game—he transmigrated too early to play it.
Even a 5090 lags?
The optimization must be terrible. Good thing he didn't pre-order.
Still, the item itself was definitely valuable. He couldn't use it, but it could directly boost the physical strength of his subordinates.
Xiano quickly ruled out Nami in his mind and swiftly went through the remaining female crew members on the ship.
There was only one core unit.
Who should get it?
Well, it didn't seem like he needed to think too hard about it...
His eyes flickered slightly as he added it to the shopping cart and moved on to the next item.
...
[Trading Market Item Random Replicator]
[Type: Consumable]
[Price: 3,000 Points]
[Description: Upon use, it will randomly select and replicate one item you have previously purchased in the Trading Market.]
[Seller's Note: System direct sale, no further comments.]
Xiano paused for a moment.
After stroking his chin in thought, he realized this was essentially a blind box—completely luck-based.
If he ended up drawing some beginner-tier item he'd bought for a few hundred Points back in the day, he'd be taking a huge loss.
But then again...
His current Points balance was so absurdly high that even tossing 3,000 Points into the ocean wouldn't hurt—at least he'd hear a splash.
Worth the gamble.
Buy it!
After all, Xiano had always been pretty confident in his luck.
Next!
...
[One-Time Saiyan Bloodline Factor]
[Type: Consumable]
[Price: 16,000 Points]
[Description: After injecting it into your bloodstream, you will gain the following Saiyan trait—if you survive a near-fatal injury, your physical abilities will undergo a comprehensive enhancement. This effect can only trigger once.]
[Seller's Note: I just wanna know who the hell is selling all this junk in the Pirate world.]
Enough already!
Xiano gritted his teeth. If he recalled correctly, the same seller from the Dragon Ball world had mocked him last time too. He'd been holding back for a while now!
But the stuff this guy sold just kept getting better and better...
From Mystical Beans to Energy Discs, and now this...
Fine, he'd take it. Buy it!
No helping it. In the face of such overpowered items, all insults were meaningless—even the 16,000-Point price tag didn't seem that steep.
Spending roughly the same amount of Points as one of Red Hair's ships to gain Saiyan Bloodline traits? Absolute steal!
And to top it off, he just happened to have one last Mystical Bean left... The two practically exploited each other's loopholes, forming a perfect match.
With a thought, Xiano cheerfully added it to the cart, already forgetting the seller's snide remarks.
...
As they say, gains come with losses.
The earlier items—aside from the Teemo underwear that popped up at the start—were all incredibly tempting.
But the later ones? Total letdown.
Xiano scrolled all the way to the last page, unimpressed. After confirming there was nothing else worth buying, he proceeded straight to checkout.
This shopping spree in the Trading Market totaled five items, costing 34,000 Points in all.
It was the most Xiano had ever spent in one go—but also the most satisfying.
A fruitful haul!
His remaining Points dropped from 77,600 to 43,600, leaving him with a still-considerable savings.
...
After exiting the Trading Market, Xiano opened his inventory.
First, he took out the [One-Time Saiyan Bloodline Factor], which came in the form of an injector—quite similar to the [Piccolo's Regeneration Art Serum] he'd bought years ago.
Without hesitation, he injected it into himself and tossed the empty syringe into the sea.
"Nothing feels different."
Xiano clenched his fists, his gaze clear and focused.
It seemed just as the description said—after injecting the serum, the inherited Saiyan trait was only the ability to grow stronger after surviving near-death battles.
Very considerate.
Otherwise...
If he had also inherited the Saiyan race's inherently violent and battle-obsessed nature, that would have been troublesome.
"Next up, the Trading Market Item Random Replicator."
Xiano opened it in his inventory, and a twenty-six-sided dice popped out, spinning rapidly.
He stared at the dice, waiting patiently.
Before long, the spinning stopped.
Two lines of text appeared before Xiano:
[Random selection complete. Item distribution in progress.]
[You have obtained 「Skill Stealing Technique」X1]
Huh?
Xiano froze, his expression turning odd.
His luck really was good.
The Skill Stealing Technique had just been used up, and now he immediately got another chance. He remembered this thing was worth 6,000 Points—no matter how you looked at it, this was a huge win.
But...
The timing wasn't great. If only it had come a few days earlier, he could've taken advantage of the opportunity. Now, he was already far separated from Red Hair, and who knew when they'd meet again?
So then...
Who should be the next target?
He pinched his chin, lost in thought.
...
Before he could reach a conclusion on that question, two days passed in the blink of an eye. The outline of the next island had already appeared on the horizon from the Sunset's vantage point. Just as Xiano stepped out of the cabin, he received another call.
"It's Kuma."
Picking up the Den Den Mushi, now sporting a fluffy Bear-Eared Hat, Xiano chuckled:
"You're calling faster than I expected—it's only been two days. What, have you already arrived at Dressrosa?"
"Sir."
The Den Den Mushi mimicked Kuma's furrowed brow. "We have, but... the situation here has changed. As soon as I reached the waters near Dressrosa, I saw a large fleet of over ten Marine warships surrounding the country's port."
"The Marines?"
Xiano was stunned. "What are they doing there?"
The mess in Dressrosa had long been resolved by Kuma, restoring peace and stability. What business did the Marines have there?
"It seems they're here to deliver an ultimatum."
Kuma said gravely, "From my hiding spot in the mountains, I heard their demands. They're giving King Riku five days to re-sign the World Government's affiliation agreement. Otherwise, they'll label him as an enemy force colluding with Pirates, bombard the port, and officially land to take over the country."
"That's so unfair!"
A young girl's indignant voice chimed in:
"That Doflamingo stole this country and did all kinds of terrible things. King Riku begged for help everywhere but was ignored. Now that the bad guy's been driven out by Daddy and that Mingo was killed by Uncle Xiano, they suddenly show up to collect... collect, uh, what's that word again?"
"The spoils of victory," Mansherry's voice followed.
"Yeah, the spoils of victory!"
"Bonney, don't interrupt," Kuma said quietly.
"But, Bear Bear, I'm not wrong! Uncle Xiano! You're listening too, right? Tell me, am I right or not?"
"Exactly right." Xiano nodded, then sighed helplessly, "But little Bonney, you should really fix that way of addressing me."
"Uncle Xiano?"
"It's big brother!" Mansherry punched Bonney's arm, "You dummy!"
"Oww! That hurt!"
As the two girls bickered noisily, Kuma seemed to deliberately move the Den Den Mushi away, the static immediately fading until only his deep voice remained:
"Anyway, sir, King Riku cannot accept the Marines' coercion and has decided to resist to the end. And I... sir, I still can't forget how King Riku, her daughter, and all those citizens who'd been turned into toys wept and knelt before me when we finally eliminated the Donquixote Family..."
"No need to say more."
Xiano grinned, "You and Bonney have been my crew members for a long time now. As your Captain, how could I possibly stand by and do nothing at a time like this?!"
Even without Kuma's involvement...
He'd still go lend a hand in this matter!
Dressrosa...
The Riku family had ruled here for generations, always enjoying the people's support. But when it came to the current King Riku, Doflamingo had used despicable means to frame them and seize the throne.
The Riku family was nearly wiped out. Though burning with hatred for Doflamingo, King Riku found all doors closed to her pleas for help.
The Marine Headquarters, the World Government... after collecting Celestial Tribute from Dressrosa for so many years, now maintained complete silence.
Allowing the Donquixote Family to retake control of this nation.
What a laughable concept of "justice."
In contrast, when the tyrant king of the South Blue's Sorbet Kingdom was overthrown single-handedly by Kuma...
The Marine Headquarters had displayed astonishing efficiency, dispatching multiple warships in a show of force to help the king reclaim his throne.
The reason wasn't hard to guess.
The Marines had been trying to expand their control in the New World, and Dressrosa occupied a crucial strategic position for advancing deeper.
Direct Marine occupation and establishing a base here would provoke the Four Emperors' wariness, making it difficult to maintain a foothold.
But letting the shady Doflamingo control it created a buffer zone acceptable to both sides.
Moreover, through this former Celestial Dragon, they could leverage his intelligence network and money-making abilities to funnel massive profits to both Marine Headquarters and the World Government.
Of course...
No one had anticipated Doflamingo's later ambitions growing so large that he'd secretly begin deep cooperation with Kaido.
"Who's leading the Marine forces?" Xiano asked.
"Currently commanding the fleet is Marine Admiral candidate 'Peach Rabbit' Gion," Kuma's deep voice responded. "This renowned female Master Swordsman is quite troublesome, though I'm confident I can handle her. But according to current intelligence, Admiral Kizaru appears to be on standby at Punk Hazard nearby, ready to provide reinforcements at any moment."
Kizaru, huh?
That made it absolutely necessary to go!
Xiano snorted coldly, a glint of icy light flashing in his eyes.
That old monkey, who had ambushed him during his fierce battle with Kaido, nearly cost him his life at Enies Lobby. Just kicking him once at Sabaody was far from enough to settle the score!
Now that his strength had improved again, he was itching for a rematch with that old bastard!
Hanging up the phone, Xiano raised his head to see his crew gathered around him.
They had heard every word of the conversation, and now their eyes gleamed with eager anticipation for battle.
It had been nearly a month since their last fight!
During this time, everyone had grown stronger thanks to the Dream Mirage Grass. Now was the perfect opportunity to test their progress!
However, there was one thing worth noting.
"Only five days until the ultimatum deadline?"
Kuina frowned slightly. "Sir, Dressrosa is very far from us. Even with Kuma's Vivrecard allowing us to travel in a straight line at full speed... I'm afraid we still might not make it in time."
"Relax, have you forgotten about that device on our ship?"
Xiano grinned and looked up at the orange-haired girl leaning over the second-floor railing. "You might have a tough few days ahead, Nami."
"Huh?"
Nami pointed at herself in surprise. "Me?"
(End of Chapter)