In a dilapidated warehouse, Krieg and Gin waited with growing impatience.
Click—
The long-unused warehouse door emitted a grating sound as it opened.
Both Krieg and Gin immediately became alert. As seasoned pirates who lived by the sword, they remained vigilant at all times.
Su Xiao stood at the warehouse entrance but didn't enter immediately. "Wait here," he instructed before stepping inside. Behind him, Hank opened his mouth as if to speak but ultimately remained silent, staying outside to guard the entrance.
Upon entering, Su Xiao's eyes fell upon haphazardly stacked wooden crates and floors thick with dust—clear signs of long-term abandonment.
"You're late. Is this how the Goa Kingdom treats its guests?" Krieg was the first to speak, his tone unfriendly.
Su Xiao chuckled softly as he examined Krieg. The man's tall frame was concealed beneath a hooded cloak, but even from several meters away, Su Xiao detected a peculiar odor—the distinct scent of potent poison. Having coated his own blades with toxins before, he recognized it immediately.
"The job is yours," Su Xiao cut straight to the point, unwilling to waste words with pirates. "Succeed, and the kingdom will grant you noble titles."
"That's it? Weren't there supposed to be three competing factions—"
"No. The other two are worthless rabble," Su Xiao interrupted. "I have the authority to decide. You only need to answer: accept or refuse."
Being cut off mid-sentence clearly displeased Krieg, but within the borders of Goa Kingdom's capital, even this pirate didn't dare act too boldly. Moreover, Su Xiao hadn't come alone—over a hundred guards were lying in ambush around the warehouse.
Krieg hesitated, revealing his distrust—not necessarily of Su Xiao, but of the Goa Kingdom itself.
"First, explain exactly what needs to be done."
The plan to burn the Gray Terminal was known only to those within the capital's inner circles. As outsiders, Krieg's crew had been lured solely by the promise of noble status.
"Tomorrow at six in the evening, ignite the Gray Terminal. Timing is critical—"
As Su Xiao elaborated, Krieg and Gin's expressions grew increasingly grave.
"Burn it all? That won't be easy—the Gray Terminal covers a vast area."
"Have you never heard of explosives?"
Su Xiao kept his eyes fixed on Krieg, ready for any sudden hostility as negotiations reached their most crucial stage.
"Don't joke with me. That quantity of explosives—unless you provide them, we're withdrawing."
Krieg's stance was exactly as Su Xiao had anticipated.
"Is that so? What a pity."
With that, Su Xiao turned to leave without further negotiation.
"Wait."
Gin called out to Su Xiao, then whispered in Krieg's ear: "Captain, if we transport all the explosives from our ships, it should be enough."
Krieg glared furiously at Su Xiao. Of course he knew their ship's stores would suffice—he simply begrudged using them.
"Do you truly believe burning the Gray Terminal alone will earn us noble titles? You must provide the explosives, or this deal is off."
Thirty minutes later, Su Xiao exited the warehouse, leaving behind a visibly pained Krieg and Gin. As promised compensation, he left them an official document—a noble title conferment bearing the World Government's seal. Once signed and notarized by the kingdom, Krieg would become nobility. The contract's terms were unbreakable by either party.
Pirates weren't fools to be cheated—without genuine bait, they'd never risk their lives.
"Lord Bai Ye, has the matter been settled?"
Hank's tentative question made Su Xiao halt abruptly.
"Are you certain you wish to know?"
The icy glare Su Xiao directed at Hank made the man instinctively retreat several steps.
"I... I dare not."
In that moment, Hank deeply regretted not killing Su Xiao during the weapon selection.
"Hank, there's something important I need you to do."
With that, Su Xiao signaled the ambushing guards to reveal themselves. Over a hundred soldiers assembled behind him as he led them back to the guard headquarters.
——
Night fell. Alone in the pitch-black office of the guard headquarters, Su Xiao rested his elbows on the desk, massaging his temples.
The unexpected appearance of the Krieg Pirates hadn't disrupted his plans—rather, it had made them proceed more smoothly.
Though intelligent, Su Xiao recognized his current scheme wasn't flawless—there might still be unknown vulnerabilities. But given his current weakness, meticulous planning was his only recourse. By nature, he preferred solving problems with his blade.
"Soon," he murmured. "Once I leave this high-risk world..."
Though his first world happened to be the perilous One Piece universe, he believed the Reincarnation Paradise wouldn't continually place him in worlds five levels beyond his capabilities. This was likely a test of his qualifications as a Hunter—until completing his main mission, the title was merely nominal, devoid of actual authority.
That night, Su Xiao slept in the office.
At dawn the next day, he awoke early to prepare for the night's operation—the final day of his main mission's time limit. By midnight, he would either assassinate the King of Goa Kingdom or fail utterly.
Throughout the day, Su Xiao worked tirelessly. As the chief operational commander of the Gray Terminal burning operation, every department yielded to his authority without question.
The Left Minister had become completely incapacitated. Seeing the man's vacant stare during their last encounter sent chills down Su Xiao's spine.
By 4 PM, all preparations were complete. Su Xiao retreated into his office, vanishing from everyone's sight. Now, he only needed to wait—wait for the pirates outside the city to ignite the Gray Terminal.
The reason for this operation was laughably cruel: in ten days, the Celestial Dragons would visit. To prevent these "World Nobles" from seeing the mountains of garbage outside the city, the Goa Kingdom chose to burn the entire Gray Terminal—along with its thousands of homeless inhabitants.
Such were the rulers of this world—willing to incinerate thousands just to hide a blemish from their superiors.
At 5 PM, dusk settled as a night breeze stirred. With one hour remaining until the scheduled burning, an eerie quiet blanketed the city.
In the darkened office, Su Xiao sat behind his desk when a green treasure box materialized in his hand—spoils from killing the ruler of Mt. Colubo that he'd been too busy to open until now.
The green treasure box filled Su Xiao with anticipation, bringing a rare smile to his weary face.
[Treasure Box (Green). Open: Yes/No?]
Selecting "Yes," several items appeared in his hands.
[You have opened a Green Treasure Box and obtained the following items:]
[Obtained 1000 Paradise Coins]
[Obtained Soul Crystal (Small)]
[Obtained Tiger Claws]
...
No equipment dropped, but this was expected. Having opened several treasure boxes, Su Xiao understood their mechanics:
The quality of items correlated with the box's color—currently, he only knew the hierarchy: White < Green < Blue.
Moreover, the contents always related to the source. Killing a tiger wouldn't yield swords or shields—only claws or pelts. Similarly, killing the black-market merchant had granted a letter of introduction, while executing Oka produced the pendant he wore.
...
Su Xiao examined his new acquisitions. The Paradise Coins automatically stored in his brand—though called "coins," they had no physical form.
[Tiger Claws]
Quality: Green
Type: Material
Rating: 16 (Note: Green materials rate between 10-30. Higher ratings indicate greater value.)
Description: Claws from an elite beast. Can be used for equipment forging or enhancement in the Reincarnation Paradise.
[Soul Crystal (Small)]
Quality: None
Type: Condensed Soul Essence
Rating: None
Description: Soul Crystals are rare items with multiple uses... (Insufficient privileges. Further information unavailable.)
...
Turning the small, translucent [Soul Crystal] between his fingers—no larger than a fingernail—Su Xiao remained puzzled by these new items. Yet he sensed this might be the most valuable thing he'd ever obtained.
All would become clear upon returning to the Reincarnation Paradise. For now, completing his mission took priority.
Unnoticed, the time had reached 6 PM.
Su Xiao left his office, vanishing into the night. Tonight, he would either succeed or die in the royal palace—there was no third outcome.