Beep. Mysterious energy detected. Retrieve?
Right on cue, the system chimed in. No surprise. That mysterious energy had to be the sap from the Sunlight Tree Eve.
"Retrieve," Rakuya said, curious to see the yield.
Beep. First barrel retrieved. Success. Points gained: 100.
"One hundred a barrel, huh?"
Beep. Second barrel retrieved. Success. Points gained: 98.Beep. Third barrel retrieved. Success. Points gained: 108.Beep. One hundred and eighth barrel retrieved…
The numbers were uneven. Rakuya did the math in his head. "Different volumes per barrel, so the points fluctuate. Call it roughly a hundred per."
He glanced up at the total: eleven thousand points.
That was a lot for so little effort. With a steady supply like this, it was as if a Roger-sized money fairy showed up once a year just to deliver points. And if he opened a real revenue stream for Fish-Man Island and took all the sap, the yield would double.
More than twenty thousand points a year. Outrageous.
He had eleven thousand now. Not enough for another maxed upgrade. Each max cost more than the last. The last time his body upgrade had run about seventy-two hundred. The next one would jump to around fourteen-four. He was short a little over three thousand.
"Close," he murmured. As soon as the retrieval finished, that itch under his skin finally eased.
A blink later, every barrel in the hall had been drained clean, and not a soul on Fish-Man Island had noticed.
"Take the barrels out," Rakuya said mildly to the soldiers.
"Sir... why?" Neptune blurted, heart lurching. "You said you wanted the sap. It is right here. Are you refusing it? Does that mean you will not protect us after all?"
The treasure was right before the man, yet he was waving it away. That could only mean he had reconsidered and decided guarding Fish-Man Island would bring too much trouble. If he backed out now, the island would fall back into hell.
Seeing Rakuya unhurried and silent, Neptune panicked. "Sir, then... we will add another ten percent of the Sunlight Tree's sap each year. Please, I beg you, protect us."
The hall held its breath. Every eye locked on Rakuya.
He could only laugh. He had meant to have the empty barrels cleared, and the king had heard catastrophe.
And that frantic look on Neptune's face made it clear the king had convinced himself.
"I am not backing out," Rakuya said, easy as ever. "The barrels are already empty. They are useless to me, so I told them to take them away."
"Oh. You frightened me," Neptune exhaled, shoulders sagging with relief. "Move the barrels," he ordered.
Dozens of soldiers filed in. Earlier it had taken two men to heave each barrel, faces red from the strain. Now the men stooped, lifted, and blinked.
"Huh? Why so light?"
"Right? Like they are empty."
"No way. I just brought these in and nearly threw out my back."
"Maybe I am imagining things. This is featherlight."
They traded whispers and wide-eyed looks, then all of them turned, awe blooming on their faces as they stared at Rakuya.
"It was him."
"Has to be. Emptied them under our noses."
"Who cares how he did it. He is strong."
"I worship him. I want to have his babies."
"Keep it together. You are a guy."
"You two clowns, he is not into men."
Their voices were low, but everyone heard, and Neptune coughed into his fist, red-eared. The soldiers, suddenly aware of themselves, shut up and carried the barrels out. Some grabbed two apiece.
"Forgive them, sir," Neptune said, still embarrassed. "They forget themselves."
"No harm done." Rakuya waved it off, then smiled. "Neptune, you mentioned an extra ten percent in a panic. Do you still stand by that?"
He had not forgotten.
A muscle jumped in Neptune's cheek. "A promise is a promise. We will add ten percent each year."
"Good. I like a straight shooter."
Soon, another twenty barrels arrived. Rakuya took them all. His total jumped to thirteen thousand. One step closer to his next max.
"Sir, what will you use to deter pirates? To stop them from trying us again?" Neptune asked. That was the crucial question. Even with a protector, there would be fools who dared.
"Haven't decided yet," Rakuya said, thinking aloud.
"Then... what is your bounty?" Neptune ventured.
"My bounty? Right now?"
"Exactly."
Rakuya tilted his head. "If I had to guess… probably zero. For now. But not for long."
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