"What's going on here?"
Xiano noticed this and was somewhat puzzled.
Nami weakly raised her head.
Her face wore a pitiful expression, but before she could speak, two Ryugu Castle maids happened to pass by with Princess Shirahoshi's plump shark, Megalodon.
When they saw Nami, the two merfolk girls nearly jumped out of their skins in fright, raising their arms high and screaming:
"Waaah! It's the Pet-Eating Demon!"
"Run for your lives! Megalodon, what are you standing around for? You're the one who should be running the most!"
"If you get eaten, Her Highness will cry her eyes out!"
The two maids and the shark fled desperately, vanishing in the blink of an eye.
"..."
Xiano turned to look at the now numb Nami, suddenly understanding yet also speechless.
This poor kid—why did Marine Headquarters' intelligence division always have it out for her? Just when her bounty had finally reached an acceptable level, they had to go and mess things up with her epithet.
He could only gently pat Nami's head in consolation.
"Bro."
Nami looked at Mochi, on the verge of tears. "Do you think this little guy might evolve again in the future?"
Xiano gave her a sympathetic glance but didn't answer.
That look was answer enough.
Oh no!
Nami was really about to cry now.
It was going to evolve again? Would Marine Headquarters next assume she'd eaten a dog too?
Wouldn't the "Pet-Eating Demon" label stuck to her be impossible to shake off?
Remembering how the cute little newspaper boy had looked at her like she was a ghost when she bought a paper, too scared to even take her money...
Nami felt both embarrassed and furious. How could those idiots in Marine intelligence come up with such an outrageous story?
Damn it!
In that wanted poster photo, she'd clearly been eating cotton candy! Cotton candy!
...
Once everyone had gathered, the banquet began quickly.
The grand hall was brightly lit as Ryugu Castle's chefs brought out one exquisite dish after another, each unique and fragrant.
Everyone was already starving, and following Xiano's lead, they dug in without hesitation, eating and drinking heartily.
Glasses clinked, and both guests and hosts enjoyed themselves.
Princess Shirahoshi had initially sat timidly beside Neptune, too shy to speak, but gradually opened up after Nami and Nojiko struck up a conversation with her, occasionally covering her mouth to laugh.
Neptune watched this scene unfold, sipping his wine with deep satisfaction in his eyes.
"Speaking of which, Shirahoshi, now that Van der Decken has been captured, you're completely free," Nami said, her mood much improved as she rested her chin on her hand, smiling. "Where do you most want to go?"
"Hmm, let me think..."
Shirahoshi tilted her head, then suddenly smiled sheepishly. "There are so many places I want to visit, but the first should be the Sea Forest. Mother is buried there, but because I was too scared, I've never been able to pay my respects..."
"That's not your fault, Shirahoshi!"
"We're the ones who wouldn't let you leave the Hard Shell Tower. If anyone's to blame, it's us!"
Crown Prince Fukaboshi and Prince Ryuboshi quickly interjected.
"Sea Forest..." Robin murmured softly, "What a coincidence, I just came from there myself."
"Found a Poneglyph?" Xiano interjected.
Robin was slightly taken aback. She turned to look at him and smiled, "Nothing escapes the Captain, does it?"
"Just a wild guess."
Xiano shrugged. He had actually forgotten about the existence of a Poneglyph on Fish-Man Island until Robin's barely concealed excitement during the banquet reminded him.
However, they already had one Poneglyph on board.
The one on Fish-Man Island seemed much larger and inconvenient to carry, so there was no need to extract it—a rubbing would suffice.
"Rather than a Poneglyph, it was more like a written apology from someone named Joy Boy, who failed to fulfill his promise to the Mermaid Princess," Robin said, glancing at Neptune.
"..."
Neptune was stunned.
How did this girl know? He studied Robin's features, finding them increasingly familiar, until something clicked. "I remember now. You're the last survivor of Ohara, aren't you?"
Robin nodded. Under Xiano's protection, she no longer needed to hide her identity from outsiders.
No wonder.
Neptune sighed wistfully.
Joy Boy... it had been so long since he'd heard that name.
Eight hundred years had passed in the blink of an eye, yet the merfolk and Fish-men remained trapped in the depths of the ocean, their hope of returning to the surface nearly extinguished. When would the next Joy Boy appear?
Could it be him?
Neptune's gaze settled on Xiano.
The young man was happily eating while staring at the distant Hard Shell Tower, lost in thought.
This youth had already made a name for himself across the seas at such a young age. Even Silvers Rayleigh had fallen to him, and Marine Admirals couldn't touch him. He was on the verge of becoming the strongest beneath the Four Emperors.
And judging by his selfless assistance to Fish-Man Island, his character was trustworthy.
Could someone like him become the next Joy Boy?
Who could say?
Neptune wasn't sure, but one thing was clear: once this man left Fish-Man Island and entered the New World,
the entire ocean would likely witness the most violent upheaval since the dawn of the Great Pirate Era...
"King Neptune?"
Robin's voice snapped him back to reality.
"Ah, my apologies. I was lost in thought."
Neptune chuckled and raised his glass. "Come, let's toast to celebrate today's flawless victory and express our gratitude to Lord Xiano and young Jack!"
"Cheers!"
Everyone laughed and raised their glasses in response.
Clink!
...
As the night deepened, the banquet at Ryugu Castle drew to a close.
They had already obtained a Log Pose for the New World, and Xiano had initially planned to set sail that very night. However, Neptune's insistence and hospitality forced them to stay another night.
The group settled in the left wing of the castle, while the right wing had been converted into Princess Shirahoshi's bedroom.
Free from Van der Decken's threats and spending her first night outside the Hard Shell Tower in years, Princess Shirahoshi slept soundly.
So soundly, in fact, that she didn't hear the rumbling noise of something massive rising from the ground just behind her wing...
The next morning, Neptune and his three sons personally escorted Xiano and his crew to the exit gate.
Princess Shirahoshi followed behind, her long pink hair gently swaying in the night breeze, her eyes filled with reluctance.
"Are you really... leaving now?" she asked softly, addressing her two new friends.
"Yep."
Nami stood on tiptoe with a cheerful grin and patted Shirahoshi's... tail. "Don't be sad! We'll come visit you again when we get the chance!"
"That's right!" Nojiko nodded with a smile. "It won't be too long. Next time we meet, we'll bring you gifts!"
Shirahoshi's eyes brightened, and she nodded vigorously. "Then... then it's a promise! Don't go back on your word!"
The three girls gathered together, linking their fingers in a pinky promise. Kuina watched from the bow of the ship, arms crossed, as Smoker quietly approached from behind and whispered in a low voice:
"Hey, you were chatting happily with Shirahoshi last night too, weren't you? Why not join in the fun now? Sometimes you just gotta take the initiative—don't let that vice-captain pride weigh you down so much!"
"Shut it!"
Without even glancing back, Kuina threw a punch. Smoker let out a pained yelp as he was sent flying over a dozen meters, crashing into the railing. His cheek swelled up instantly, and he grimaced in agony.
Damn it.
Back when he first joined the crew, he could still hold his own against her in sparring matches. But now, the gap between them was only widening!
Was there any timeline where he was the superior, and the sword-obsessed girl was the timid subordinate cowering before him?
...
...
Boom!
Thick, rolling storm clouds churned across the sky, lightning snakes flickering between them, casting the dark sea into alternating flashes of light and shadow.
The howling wind whipped up towering waves dozens of meters high, slamming against the ship's hull like furious beasts, causing the entire Sunset to pitch and roll violently.
"A big storm's coming."
Xiano sat beneath a parasol on the second-floor Sword Training Field, sipping orange soda as he observed the ominous weather.
He and his crew had left Fish-Man Island five days ago, after bidding farewell to Neptune and the others.
They had spent the first two days continuing their deep-sea voyage before finally resurfacing three days ago, shedding the Coating and entering the waters of the New World.
Before even reaching their first island, they had already gotten a full taste of what the "New World" was all about in these past three days.
It was hard to believe...
Just an hour ago, this stretch of sea had been cloudless and blazing under the sun. Four or five hours before that, it had been freezing cold, with thick snowflakes drifting down.
And last night?
Last night, it had hailed nonstop, the relentless clatter making it impossible for anyone to get a good night's sleep.
Such was the climate of the New World.
Influenced by the chaotic magnetic fields between islands, it was utterly unpredictable and ever-changing.
In other words,
Unless they neared an island of substantial size, where the magnetic fields stabilized, experiences like this would become the norm from now on.
By comparison,
No wonder the first half of the Grand Line was only deemed "Paradise."
Still,
He had a sturdy ship made from the Adam Treasure Tree, the most talented navigator in the world, and a helmsman with inexhaustible muscle strength—
Yes, Jack had now taken over as helmsman, replacing Smoker's part-time role.
In short,
No matter how you looked at it, it was hard to imagine them capsizing in the "weather" department!
Downing the last of his orange soda, Xiano opened the system panel. By his calculations, the system's trading market should have refreshed by now.
A quick glance confirmed it.
However, before making any purchases, it was necessary to tally up the gains and confirm exactly how many Points were available.
The Points harvested from the Whitebeard Pirates were quite substantial, totaling 9,700, pushing the remaining Points past the 50,000 mark to reach 50,900.
And if the wool secretly gathered during the night at Ryugu Castle was added to that...
[You sacrificed Princess Shirahoshi's Hard Shell Tower, gaining 1,500 Points]
[You sacrificed Neptune's crown, gaining 500 Points]
That made 2,000 Points. The other three princes, the left and right ministers of Ryugu Castle, and the worthless rabble of the New Fish-Man Pirates contributed another 3,000 Points.
In total, 5,000 Points were added, bringing the remaining balance to 55,900—nearly the highest number Xiano could recall in his memory.
Never had he been so flush with Points. It was time to splurge!
Opening the trading market, Xiano skimmed through the listings.
The first item didn't interest him, so he skipped it immediately.
But the second item, the moment it refreshed, seized his attention—
[Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist]
[Type: Training Manual]
[Price: 7,000 Points]
[Description: A supreme martial art from the world of One Punch Man. It dissolves immense force with the fluidity of water and shatters steel defenses with the power to crush rock. This fist technique emphasizes the harmony of softness and hardness, requiring exceptional physical prowess and martial arts talent from its practitioner.]
[When executed, it can enhance one's defensive capabilities while imbuing each strike with terrifying destructive force capable of splitting mountains and cracking boulders.]
[Seller's Note: I just want to know who the hell the guy sent to the Pirate world is. Why is everything he sells trash?]
Xiano: "?"
Had his reputation among his peers already become so… illustrious?
What could he do about it?!
He didn't want to sell trash either, but his system only allowed him to sacrifice these things. It seemed completely different from the systems of other world travelers, sharing only the common trading market.
Tch, that note… Annoying as it was, the purchase was still necessary.
Xiano quickly sorted through his thoughts.
In terms of offensive techniques, he wasn't lacking in ultimate moves—he had Elbaf's Spear and the modified Energy Disc, "God Split."
But his conventional combat methods were indeed somewhat lacking.
The few fist techniques he had trained in before, even when combined with the Six Styles Martial Arts and continuously developed into new moves, had begun to fall behind his current level of strength.
The Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist would perfectly fill that gap.
Moreover, if he remembered correctly, mastering this fist technique would allow for the development of several upgraded derivative skills. In the hands of Garou, its power was even capable of destroying planets…
The power ceiling of the One Punch Man world was considerably higher than that of the Pirate world.
Straight into the shopping cart. Next item!
...
[Digi-Gem]
[Type: Consumable]
[Price: 700 Points]
[Description: A special gem found in the Digital World. When fed to a Digimon, it significantly accelerates their growth, allowing them to evolve to the next stage more quickly.]
[Seller's Note: I just want to know who the hell the guy sent to the Pirate world is. Why is everything he sells trash?]
Enough already!
A vein throbbed at Xiano's temple.
So they're all ganging up to slander me, huh? You look down on me too, huh? Well, then this trash of yours, I'll—
...still have to buy it.
Xiano gloomily added it to his shopping cart.
There was no helping it—after all, among his pets, there really was a Digimon. The price of a mere few hundred Points was simply too cheap to pass up.
Come to think of it…
He remembered that Mochi had stayed in its first two evolutionary stages for a little over a month and a little over two months, respectively. It seemed the further along it evolved, the longer the process took.
He wasn't sure just how much this "greatly increased growth speed" would actually speed things up.
But surely it wouldn't make him wait several more months, right?
Next!
…
[Skill Stealing Technique]
[Type: Consumable]
[Price: 6,000 Points]
[Description: A one-time-use item. Upon activation, it will randomly copy one of the target's signature skills, allowing the user to instantly master it. Applicable skills include, but are not limited to, Martial Arts, swordsmanship, Haki techniques, etc.]
[Warning: If the target is a Devil Fruit Ability User, the technique will attempt to replicate the skill through the user's physical body. If replication proves difficult, there is a risk of successfully stealing the skill but being unable to activate it due to the lack of the corresponding Devil Fruit ability.]
[Seller's Note: Directly sold by the system. No refunds.]
Xiano's eyes instantly lit up.
You could even steal skills?
And master them instantly?
This was practically god-tier!
Sure, it was random, but the description clearly stated "signature skills."
In other words, there was no trash in the prize pool!
For example, if he used it on Magellan, he'd definitely steal one of his lethal signature moves—not his constant farting and diarrhea abilities…
If he used it on Aokiji, he wouldn't end up stealing some useless skill like "pedaling a tricycle with long legs."
As for the risk of stealing a Devil Fruit Ability User's skill and being unable to activate it—that was easy to understand.
It depended on the situation.
If he stole Luffy's "Gomu Gomu no Axe," he could probably pull it off with Life Return and his extreme control over his body.
But if it were Kaido's "Heat Breath," spewed from his dragon form… No matter how hard he tried, he wouldn't be able to replicate it even if he spat himself dry.
Thinking about it, three of the Four Emperors were Devil Fruit Ability Users. If he wanted to avoid all risk and ensure he stole a usable skill…
"Guess I'll have to go to you, huh?"
Xiano's gaze darkened as he stared toward the horizon.
Toward that old friend who had once lent him a helping hand…
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