Thump!
Lawrence stabbed his sword into the ground, but it did nothing.
"What?!"
He stared in disbelief as his opponent rose smoothly out of the earth again.
"What ability is that!?"
Most fighters wouldn't give an answer, but Señor Pink was a man of style — he openly revealed his secret.
"I'm a free swimmer who ate Swim-Swim Fruit. I can move freely through the ground and walls."
That confidence — the kind that says 'I can tell you and you still can't beat me' — was overwhelming.
At that moment, Lawrence regretted partnering with Black Bear Miles.
This Donquixote Family was ridiculous. Any random member turned out to have absurd strength, and on top of that, was a Devil Fruit user?
Was he just unlucky, or were all Donquixote members truly this terrifying, enough to rule the entire North Sea?
Lawrence refused to accept it. He was determined to kill this man — consequences be damned!
In this vast ocean, he refused to believe the Donquixote Family could do anything to him.
By now, Miles had caught his breath and rejoined the fight with bloodshot eyes.
The two pirate crews clashed again, but with Señor Pink on the field, the battle began tilting heavily in the Donquixote Family's favor.
…
A nearby tavern was struck by a cannonball and immediately went up in flames.
Abel, hiding at the edge of the chaos, sighed at the waste, then moved on to seek his real target.
It didn't take long to find a tavern that had been abandoned, but still mostly intact.
He rushed inside without hesitation, scanning and transferring every bottle on the shelves and every barrel he could see.
Within minutes, the entire stock of alcohol had vanished into his system inventory.
[Submit your order now?]
Abel chose "No."
If all he wanted was the basic reward, this much wine would suffice.
But if he wanted a four or five-star rating, the quantity and quality clearly weren't enough.
"Time's still running. If I don't take advantage of this chance, who knows when I'll get another shot."
He failed to find a cellar in that tavern, so he ran to the next.
This time luck was with him. The tavern was large, the stock much better — and most importantly, he found the underground cellar.
Hundreds of barrels filled the space from wall to wall.
Abel was ecstatic and immediately got to work.
He genuinely had to thank the Giant Bear Pirates and the Hundred Swords Pirates. If they hadn't stirred up chaos against the Donquixote smuggling ship, he wouldn't have had a chance to "buy" all this for free.
After raiding two taverns, Abel still wasn't satisfied. He searched for more targets, but his luck had run out.
Everywhere he went, either there were people inside, or the drinks had already been destroyed.
But the real reason he had to stop came soon after: the national army arrived.
Whole squads of soldiers surrounded the port with loaded weapons. Anyone trying to loot or cause trouble was either arrested on the spot or executed.
Shops and houses were suddenly safe again.
Under those circumstances, Abel didn't dare push his luck.
If he got caught red-handed, there would be no explaining it away.
So he submitted the order.
With dozens of varieties and hundreds of barrels of alcohol, there was no way this rating would be another two-star mess.
Ding!
[The prayer order is complete. The customer gave a four-star rating (pleasant surprise)!]
[Comment: There are so many kinds of alcohol, and some of them are my favorites~ I'm going to have a good drink today!]
[Four-star rating: base trading points +50%. Reward issued automatically.]
Bonus reward obtained — Skill: Magic Card Modification.
…
Success!
Not only a four-star rating, but a skill as well.
If the situation weren't so dangerous, Abel would have burst into laughter.
Fake gamer logic: honestly, patiently fulfill orders, get one and two-star ratings, lose rewards.
Real gamer logic: steal, rob, scam — get three, four, five-star ratings and extra loot.
This time, he finally understood how to use the system properly!
He immediately checked his rewards.
First, trading points: the base 150 plus 50% bonus gave him 225 points!
He earned back almost everything he had spent!
His balance was now 1,040 points — breaking the thousand mark again.
After a moment's thought, he bought all seven remaining [Banana Grenades] for 35 points.
At this stage, banana grenades were incredibly practical: lethal, deceptive, and compact — perfect for hiding in his inventory in case of emergencies.
Who knew if the shop would restock something this convenient again? And since he had enough points, he might as well secure them.
Then he examined the magic card: The Fool's Temperance.
[Spell Card: The Fool's Temperance]
Type: Disposable
Effect: When thrown, releases a large amount of smoke. Enemies who inhale the smoke will fall asleep.
PS: Wear a mask before use.
Clearly, this magic card was indiscriminate — if he wasn't careful, it could knock him out too.
Still, Abel was satisfied. Used at the right moment, it could be devastating.
However, the description of his bonus skill, Magic Card Modification, left him puzzled.
[Skill: Magic Card Modification (Special)]
Level: LV1
Cost: Spiritual energy, card materials of suitable size
Effect: Creates a blank magic card.
…
And that was it.
Abel stared, bewildered.
The first skill I get is a side job?
Just like crafting professions in games: alchemy, smithing, making potions… now he was apparently a card-maker.
So what am I supposed to be?
A magic card artisan in the world of One Piece?
Damn it, even the book title changed!