Whether the hospitality in the desert is truly as it seems, Xiano didn't know.
In any case, his way of treating guests had never changed—it remained as simple and genuine as ever.
[You sacrificed Igaram's curling iron and gained 80 Points.]
[You sacrificed Vivi's bracelet and gained 320 Points.]
Only four hundred in total?
Xiano's gaze shifted to the Dash Duck beside him, who was curiously sizing him up.
Hmm?
Isn't this Vivi's duck? The one that always gets lost and runs in the wrong direction. I think it's called Karu.
Speaking of which, could this guy be considered Vivi's pet and be sacrificed entirely?
"Quack! Quack!"
Karu suddenly felt an inexplicable chill. Its feathers puffed up in alarm, and it buried its head in the sand, leaving its plump butt sticking high in the air.
Are you an ostrich or a duck?!
Xiano smacked the chubby duck butt in annoyance, though the texture was surprisingly satisfying.
Too paranoid, you coward!
How could he possibly lay a hand on such an adorable little creature?
[You sacrificed Karu's sunglasses and gained 100 Points.]
Well, that finally makes five hundred. Barely acceptable.
Xiano glanced at the system panel.
The store would refresh tomorrow, and his current Points balance had already reached a staggering 52,200.
This included the contribution from Hanafuda earlier.
However, that guy… Xiano had specifically cut off his right arm to sacrifice, but it only provided a thousand Points.
Probably because he only existed in the SBS column and never appeared in the manga, his value was far inferior to that of Crocodile, another Warlord of the Sea.
Oh, right, there was also that fool Jack.
Xiano called Kuina over and asked how Hanafuda's subordinates had been dealt with.
The response was that the high-bounty officers at the top had all been taken out by Smoker.
As for the ordinary Pirates, they had all been frozen into ice sculptures by Nojiko and handed over to Alabasta's guards.
As for Jack, who had immediately drilled through the ice and sunk to the bottom of the river upon his appearance…
He had long since drifted off to who-knows-where.
Xiano had used Observation Haki to search the port area but found no trace of him.
So, he had no choice but to give up.
...
The banks of the St. Dora River had now returned to peace under the command and coordination of the guards.
Merchant ships began to sail normally again.
Meanwhile, Igaram, on behalf of the bedridden King Cobra, extended an invitation to Xiano and his crew, proposing to host a grand banquet in the palace to honor them.
This was exactly what Xiano had hoped for. He had been keeping an eye on the Poneglyph in the capital.
Meeting with Cobra would also be a great opportunity to clear his name and fully expose Crocodile's true nature.
However, it wasn't wise to linger here for too long.
Once he got his hands on the Poneglyph, he planned to leave this desert kingdom immediately.
After all, the battle at the river mouth had been witnessed by many, and the collapse of the Hanafuda Pirates was undoubtedly big news. It would likely reach Marine Headquarters soon.
Staying too long might attract some mad dog who held a grudge against him.
——————
The next morning.
The Sunset, with its sails fully unfurled, sped along the St. Dora River toward the capital located inland.
Igaram had already taken Vivi ahead yesterday to prepare for the banquet at the palace.
So, at this moment, the deck of the Sunset was only occupied by their own crew, yet it was still quite noisy.
To be precise...
It was Nami alone, whose noise was giving everyone a headache.
"Ahhhh, what's taking the News Bird so long? Why hasn't it arrived yet!"
Nami leaned over the ship's railing, craning her neck to look up at the sky. The mochi perched on her orange hair was swaying unsteadily due to her anxious leg-shaking.
"It's already 11 in the morning! The World Economic Journal's efficiency is way too low!"
"From dawn until now, you've been shouting every ten minutes. You've already asked fifteen times."
Kuina leaned against the mast, polishing Wado Ichimonji and the Huazhou that Robin had gifted her, without even looking up:
"Can't you take a break? Even if Morgans' subordinates are efficient, they still have to wait for the news of Hanafuda's defeat to reach the newspaper office, right?"
"One night is enough! I finally had a big moment in the spotlight!"
Nami waved her fists angrily, "My brother took down the Warlord of the Sea, Hanafuda, in a one-on-one fight, and what about me? Me, Nojiko, and Smoker did it even faster!"
"It only took half an hour to easily take down the entire Hanafuda Pirate crew! Shouldn't such big news be printed urgently?"
"But even if the news comes out, your bounty won't increase until the Marine Headquarters finishes their meeting."
Robin walked out holding two cups of black coffee, chuckling softly:
"So, Nami, even if you do manage to get the urgent extra edition, your bounty won't change. It's still 80,000 Berries."
"I don't care!"
Nami suddenly dashed over to Agin, grabbing its furry ears,
"It's all your fault! Stupid Agin! If it weren't for you stealing the spotlight last time, making the Marines mistake my flames for your ability, my bounty wouldn't be just 80,000 Berries!"
"..."
Agin couldn't be bothered to respond, yawning lazily as it continued to bask in the sun, letting Nami twist its ears into knots.
"80,000?"
Xiano, who had been dozing under the sunshade, raised an eyebrow in surprise as he pushed his sunglasses up:
"I thought it was 80 million?"
"...You!"
Nami's face turned red with anger, but seeing that Xiano genuinely looked surprised and wasn't deliberately mocking her, she couldn't lash out. She could only stomp her foot in frustration.
Stupid brother, stupid, stupid, stupid!
If it were 80 million, that would be higher than Nojiko's bounty. Would she still be so anxious about the News Bird?
"It really is 80,000. You had just woken up and were talking to me while reading the newspaper, so you probably didn't notice and got it wrong."
Robin walked over to the sunshade, placing the coffee next to Xiano, "Captain, your coffee."
"Thanks."
Xiano picked up the coffee and took a sip.
Seeing Nami puffing her cheeks in frustration, he couldn't help but laugh and casually comforted her:
"Alright, I remembered wrong. Don't take it to heart. Don't worry, your bounty will definitely skyrocket this time."
After all, this time, Agin didn't even make a move, staying on the ship the whole time.
And Nami, to prove herself, used all sorts of flashy, large-scale moves throughout the battle, leaving the onlookers on the shore in awe.
Unless the Marine Headquarters' intelligence department is truly filled with idiots who only know how to hold meetings and present PowerPoints.
There's no way they could mess this up again.
"I hope so..." Nami leaned on the railing, still looking listless.
Xiano shrugged and didn't bother with his sister anymore. While sipping his coffee, he opened the system's marketplace.
The trading market had refreshed.
Now, it was time for his second favorite activity—browsing the treasure trove!
It had been a while.
The last time he browsed the market was before heading to Little Garden.
His luck wasn't great that time; out of ten items, most were useless, and he ended up buying only two.
But this time.
Lady Luck seemed to finally be on his side.
The first item that refreshed as soon as he clicked in caught his attention immediately, sparking his interest.
[Pickpocket Card Set]
[Type: Consumable]
[Price: 2000 Points]
[Description: Upon purchase, receive a set of five "Pickpocket" cards. Each use allows you to randomly steal an item from any person within your line of sight, regardless of distance. Comes with one free trial to test the effect.]
[Seller's Note: "Steam!"]
Although the note was a bit cryptic, the effect was practical.
As long as the target was in sight, he could directly steal an item?
This was practically tailor-made for him.
There would always be situations where he encountered top-tier powerhouses but couldn't get close enough to steal. These cards would come in handy then.
Moreover, five cards, five chances, for just 2000 Points.
That's only 400 Points per card—a real bargain.
Buy it! Next item!
...
Latest novel updates first on 69shu!
[Knock Spell Staff]
[Type: Permanent Item]
[Price: 3000 Points]
[Description: A magical staff that, when placed in your inventory, automatically teaches you the Knock spell. Using this spell allows you to instantly unlock any locked item in front of you—doors, treasure chests, chains, mechanisms… A gentle tap, and nothing remains sealed.]
[Seller's Note: Stuck in the deepest vault of Baldur's Gate Bank, no Knock spell—who understands my pain? Wuwu!"]
It can unlock anything?
The scope of application is too broad. Without hesitation, Xiano added it to his cart.
It's a good item, but…
Why does it feel like he's sprinting further and further down the path to becoming the Pirate King?
With these two items in hand, he couldn't even imagine how far his thieving skills would reach.
Laugh Tale is right before his eyes!
...
[Wish Spell Scroll]
[Type: Consumable]
[Price: 15000 Points]
[Description: A power bestowed by the Star Child. This spell scroll has no casting requirements but requires the user to chant continuously for one hour without interruption. Upon successful completion, it can heal all injuries and illnesses and dispel all negative statuses.]
[This is a group spell, capable of healing up to five people at once. Each use will additionally cost 5000 Points.]
[Seller's Note: "As long as I live, no companion shall suffer harm!"]
Another divine skill!
Xiano sat up abruptly in excitement, nearly spilling his coffee.
The price was indeed steep—a whopping 15,000 Points, making it the most expensive item he had encountered so far, aside from some utterly useless wonders!
Moreover, it had significant limitations. Unlike the Mystical Bean, it couldn't be used during combat.
But compared to its effect, what did that matter?
For just 5,000 Points each time, it could completely heal five people in one go!
With this technology, wouldn't the ship no longer need a doctor?
Wait, no, that's not right.
Xiano gulped down a large mouthful of coffee to calm himself.
A ship's doctor was still necessary. Otherwise, something as minor as a fever or headache could torment someone to death. It wouldn't make sense to spend 5,000 Points on every little issue. No matter how wealthy he was, he couldn't afford to be so wasteful.
In any case, he added it to his shopping cart immediately.
Next item!
...
[The Ancient Stone Statue in the Pyramid]
[Type: Wonder]
[Price: 12,000 Points]
[Description: An ancient stone statue located to the right of the Tiga Statue. In the original timeline, it was shattered by Golza and Melba. Those not chosen by the light cannot activate this object.]
[Seller's Note: "Like sunlight piercing through the night…"]
Well, speak of wonders, and here one comes.
Who on earth is buying such flashy but impractical things?
Xiano shook his head. He was still in his developmental phase and couldn't afford to squander Points like this.
Skip!
...
[Yasso's Secret Sword Manual]
[Type: Cultivation Manual]
[Price: 2,000 Points]
[Description: After returning to his hometown, the white-haired Master Swordsman Yasso compiled his lifelong insights into swordsmanship into this book. Profound and mysterious, the amount of knowledge you gain from it is closely tied to your innate talent in swordsmanship.]
[Seller's Note: "Death is like the wind, always by my side!"]
"..."
Xiano narrowed his eyes.
Wasn't the last part of that description a bit too malicious?
Damn it, can't a sword idiot gain anything from it?
He knew nothing about swordsmanship, yet he had still become a genuine Master Swordsman of the Two-Sword Style!
Sigh, but he had to grit his teeth and buy it.
He himself wouldn't get much use out of it—he'd probably fall asleep after reading it for a while—but there was someone on the ship who would treasure it: a certain Sword Maniac girl.
—Kuina.
This girl, whom he had officially appointed as the Vice Captain, was destined to become his right-hand woman, accompanying him to the pinnacle of the seas.
As the Captain, he would lend a hand in fulfilling her dream of becoming the world's greatest Master Swordsman!
Next item!
...
[Cart Titan Transformation Card]
[Type: Consumable]
[Price: 3,000 Points]
[Description: Upon use, transform into the Cart Titan, becoming one of the Nine Intelligent Titans. The transformation can last up to a month and can be canceled early.]
[Seller's Note: "Beyond the sea lies the Pirate world… sob, I want to go to the Pirate world. Why was I sent here? The Rumbling countdown has already begun."]
Poor kid.
Xiano sincerely wished for the seller to survive the Rumbling.
What a pity. If he were swapped over, the Rumbling would trample over his head, and the only ones hurt would be the Titans.
So… someone who didn't even fear the Colossal Titan would have to be out of his mind to spend 3,000 Points to become the Cart Titan.
Skip this one too!
...
[Prism Tower]
[Type: Defensive Structure]
[Price: 1,500 Points]
[Description: One of the core defensive structures of the Red Alert Allied faction, deployed behind the base, it enters a cloaked state. If it detects a hostile stranger entering the base's perimeter, it will automatically stun them with a prism beam.]
[Maximum alert defense range: up to 50 meters in all directions.]
[Seller's note: Steal another one of these today, neck to the right, charge!]
"Oh?"
Xiano raised an eyebrow. A defensive structure?
This was the first time he had seen something like this, and it seemed quite practical, making him somewhat tempted.
He wondered if it could be installed on a ship. The Sunset was 60 meters long. If it could be placed at the center of the hull, it would provide full, blind-spot-free protection for the entire vessel.
That way, after docking, there would be no need to leave someone specifically to guard the ship.
During regular voyages, he wouldn't have to worry about anyone with strange Devil Fruit abilities bypassing his Observation Haki and sneaking aboard.