Katakuri stayed behind.
It happened to be breakfast time, so both sides took the opportunity to introduce themselves while eating.
When the crew learned that this guy had been specifically chosen by Xiano to stay as a sparring partner, they exchanged glances, their expressions turning somewhat peculiar as they looked at Katakuri.
Their gazes carried a hint of pity, a touch of schadenfreude, and Jack even sighed deeply, patting Katakuri's shoulder with feigned maturity...
What was with this atmosphere?
Katakuri was momentarily baffled, wondering if his scarf had slipped during the meal, revealing his true face.
So he instinctively reached up with his right hand to adjust the scarf—only for his pupils to shrink in sudden realization—
Huh? Wait!
Where's my scarf?!
...
Meanwhile.
Having already filled up on desserts earlier, Xiano had little appetite for breakfast. After casually downing a dozen bowls of ramen to tide himself over, he took his coffee to the open-air Sword Training Field on the second floor. Lounging on a wicker chair, he leisurely reviewed his recent gains.
The dark blue system panel unfolded before him, immediately refreshing with a flood of text.
After his trip to the Queen Mama Chanter, he certainly couldn't leave empty-handed—
[You sacrificed Charlotte Katakuri's scarf, gaining 3,200 Points.]
[You sacrificed Charlotte Smoothie's hat, gaining 2,500 Points.]
[You sacrificed Charlotte Oven's cloak, gaining 1,100 Points.]
These were the three most valuable items.
The other Charlotte children on the ship were also thoroughly looted, contributing an additional 1,000 Points combined.
These were completely minor characters—honestly, even now, Xiano still couldn't remember their names.
A total of 7,800 Points—quite the profitable haul. Xiano was in high spirits as he glanced down at Katakuri below.
So much for the strongest Observation Haki that could see the future.
Sure, it might work against his attacks, but against his godlike thieving skills? Utterly helpless.
And that wasn't all...
With the God Knights delivering themselves to his doorstep, how could he pass up the chance to fleece them?
However, given the tense standoff at the time, their focus was razor-sharp, making it tricky to pick them off one by one.
He could only seize the moment when they teleported away, quietly activating the "Kleptomaniac" card on the leader, that bastard Rocks.
Last time he used Kleptomaniac, he ended up with Kaido and Kizaru's underpants. This time, luck was on his side—he'd snatched Rocks' sword outright.
Xiano's eyes landed on the topmost line.
[You sacrificed Figarland Shamrock Saint's Western Sword, gaining 8,000 Points.]
Huh?
Why was it worth so much?
Xiano was momentarily stunned. Eight thousand Points? That far exceeded his expectations.
Even Rayleigh's severed arm hadn't fetched such a high price. What made Rocks so special?
He hurriedly clicked to check the details.
[Figarland Shamrock's Western Sword]
[Quality: Epic]
[Value: 8,000 Points]
[Appraisal Comment: One of the Supreme Grade Swords of the Twelve Craftsmen, possessing an Awakened Mythical Zoan-type Devil Fruit Ability capable of summoning the Hellhound Cerberus. Its combat prowess is not to be underestimated.]
No wonder!
Xiano suddenly understood.
This sword was not only one of the Supreme Grade Swords of the Twelve Craftsmen but also wielded the power of an Awakened Mythical Zoan—both traits exceedingly rare in the entire Pirate world.
Combined, it was no surprise the price was so steep. And honestly, it was a good thing it was expensive—otherwise, sacrificing it for nothing would have been a real shame.
"I wonder how much Shanks' sword is worth…"
He stroked his chin thoughtfully.
He really wanted to meet this old friend soon. Both he and his Skill Stealing Technique missed him dearly.
Before closing the system panel, Xiano took one last glance at his Points.
Originally at 36,800, the sudden surge of 14,800 had skyrocketed his remaining Points to 51,600, nearly offsetting his previous spending spree.
He couldn't help but grin and stretch lazily.
The New World truly was a wonderful place.
...
After over ten hours of sailing, just before nightfall, the Sunset finally arrived at its first island since entering the New World.
Thunder God Island.
The name said it all.
From afar, the sky above the island seemed torn apart, with blinding flashes of lightning flickering endlessly within the pitch-black clouds.
Countless thick thunderbolts crashed down with deafening roars, occasionally igniting terrifying explosions.
The island's terrain was rugged and treacherous, with almost no vegetation—only charred dead trees and exposed rocks. The air was thick with the acrid scent of burning.
At its center stood a towering black peak.
Like a colossal sword split by lightning, it pierced the heavens, impossible to miss.
"So this is Thunder God Island. My first time here too. They say this island is shrouded in thunderstorms for most of the year—one of the most dangerous in the New World."
Katakuri stood by the ship's railing, gazing at the island. "Ordinary people wouldn't dare set foot here. Even Pirates with Haki could turn to charcoal in an instant if they're not careful."
His menacing fangs and terrifying scars were now fully exposed, oddly mismatched with his usual demeanor.
The mysterious disappearance of his scarf had left Katakuri puzzled all afternoon. Unable to find it, he'd resigned himself to giving up.
He could always buy a new scarf before returning to Totto Land.
After all, he only cared about his image in front of his younger siblings.
Around outsiders, it didn't matter at all.
"Figured as much."
Xiano's eyes swept over the harbor, lingering for a moment.
There, at least a dozen charred shipwrecks lay scattered—victims of the island's lightning.
And those were just the ones visible above the water. Countless more surely lay sunken beneath the waves, evidence of the many Pirates who'd dared to land here, only to meet their end.
"Desolate and plagued by natural disasters—perfect for training Observation Haki."
Xiano laughed. "We'll stay here for a few days. But don't bring the ship too close—drop anchor here. Going further is too risky. You can stay on board if you want, or explore the island if you're bored. Up to you."
"Aye, Captain!"
The crew sprang into action, furling the sails and dropping the anchor.
"Then I don't get it, Brother Katakuri."
Jack, who was in charge of dropping the anchor, lifted it with one hand while turning his head to ask, "If this island is so dangerous and doesn't even have a small town, why are so many Pirates coming here to die?"
Katakuri glanced sideways at Jack.
After a day together, this straightforward young man was quite likable. They had even sparred a bit in the afternoon, and the terrifying strength Jack displayed had secretly surprised him.
Though in a real fight, getting past him would be nearly impossible.
But for his other three younger siblings among the Sweet Commanders, it might be a different story. Only Smoothie could likely match him.
Cracker and Snack would have a hard time defeating him.
And then there was that genius female Master Swordsman who, for some reason, had been extremely cold toward him...
Katakuri narrowed his eyes.
Tsk. It seemed Lord Xiano not only possessed strength approaching the level of a Sea Emperor himself but also had a crew brimming with talent.
The only issue was that this young brother Jack seemed to have misunderstood him, thinking he was also a Fish-man.
The two had hit it off quite well.
Which made it impossible to explain now that his appearance was actually the result of eating too many donuts as a child.
"That's a good question. While Pirates are naturally adventurous, without sufficient incentive, they wouldn't be so persistent about landing on a perilous place like Thunder God Island."
Katakuri withdrew his gaze and pointed at the shipwrecks, speaking gravely, "The reason for this situation is mainly due to a rumor that began circulating over thirty years ago."
"It's said that before the Rocks Pirate Crew was completely destroyed, Rocks buried his most valuable treasure here. Thunder God Island, already famous, saw its reputation soar to new heights."
"Rocks' treasure?!"
The surrounding crew members gasped in unison.
Only Nami raised her hand in confusion, "Who's Rocks?"
"You've never even heard that name, Nami? That guy was called the 'Ruler of the Seas' even before Roger became famous!"
Smoker blew out a smoke ring, "You might not fully grasp the weight of that title, but you only need to know one thing."
"Among the current Four Emperors, aside from the youngest, Red Hair, the other three—Whitebeard, Kaido, and Brother Katakuri's mother—were all his crewmates!"
Three of the Four Emperors were his subordinates?
Nami finally grasped the magnitude, sucking in a sharp breath. That sounded even more intimidating than her brother's title of World's Greatest Swordsman!
"The treasure Roger left behind is called ONE PIECE, buried on Laugh Tale, and no one has found it yet."
Robin pinched her chin and spoke with a smile, "But this Thunder God Island is near the entrance to the New World, with countless Pirate ships passing by every year. After all these years, if the treasure still hasn't been found, this rumor might not be credible, right?"
"Who knows? In any case, fewer and fewer Pirates have believed this rumor in recent years."
Katakuri shook his head. "Over a decade ago, Mom specifically sent people to search for it too. They scoured the area for days but found nothing, so she gave up. I'm more inclined to believe the rumor was fabricated, or maybe someone already secretly dug it up... Anyway, I have no interest in it, Lord Xiano."
He turned to Xiano. "You probably don't believe such rumors either, right? Should we just start training directly?"
"Of course."
Xiano grinned. "Even if the rumor were true, I wouldn't care about treasures. Nothing compares to sparring."
With that, he was the first to leap off the ship using Moon Walk, heading straight for Thunder God Island with Katakuri.
Jack eagerly followed, the first to chase after them.
He didn't believe the rumor either—he just wanted to watch the show with schadenfreude.
Back when he was training in seclusion on Kuraigana Island, Boss Xiano had personally instructed him without mercy, treating him like a punching bag and a soccer ball, leaving him bruised and questioning his life every day.
Now that there was a second unlucky soul to share this "honor," how could he miss such a spectacle?
Smoker, meanwhile, clenched his cigar and dragged Vergo to the other side of the island. True to his word, he was determined to settle their score today.
Kuina followed as well, tasked with supervising to prevent Vergo from escaping.
Robin, Zeff, Agin... one by one, they all disembarked onto the island. Such a rare geographical wonder was too good to pass up—it would be a shame not to explore it firsthand.
Only Nami clung stubbornly to the railing, refusing to let go no matter how hard Nojiko tried to pull her toward the island.
"Waaah, no way!" Nami whimpered, tears in her eyes. "You know how scared I am of thunder! When I was little, I had to crawl into my brother's bed every time there was a storm just to sleep!"
"Idiot!"
Nojiko tugged her ear irritably. "That was then, this is now! You're grown up now, and a Logia-type ability user at that! Thunder can't even touch you—what's there to be afraid of?"
"I know, but it's still terrifying!"
Nami shook her head like a rattle drum, adamantly refusing. Nojiko had no choice but to give up, leaving Nuomici behind to keep her company while she disembarked from the Sunset alone.
Speaking of Nuomici, she was usually the type to seek novelty and would normally have been taken ashore.
But for some reason, since this morning, Nuomici had been listless, barely able to keep her eyes open and lacking energy.
Neither Nami nor Nojiko could figure out why, but since the little one slept soundly once nestled in Nami's arms, she didn't seem sick, so they didn't dwell on it.
...
Two hours passed in the blink of an eye.
The sky gradually darkened.
At the center of Thunder God Island, beside the black rocky peak, Katakuri used his Awakened ability to transform the surrounding rocks into mochi, constructing a sturdy round hut.
The enclosed space muffled the thunder outside, creating a quiet atmosphere.
"These are the key conceptual insights on how to refine and advance your Observation Haki," Katakuri said solemnly from the center. "With your talent, Lord Xiano, grasping the principles should be easy, but truly mastering it will require gradual comprehension through actual combat."
"You arrange the specifics of how to proceed."
Xiano was still mulling over what he had just heard when he grinned and said, "Don't be too formal. Right now, you're my teacher—feel free to put me through whatever training you see fit."
"I wouldn't dare presume, sir."
Katakuri hastily waved his hands. Xiano's words were just polite courtesy, and he knew better than to take them seriously.
With a thought, the surrounding mochi dome instantly dissolved, revealing the terrifying stormscape outside.
The lightning at the island's center was noticeably denser than at the periphery, striking continuously without pause.
"Just as you mentioned before we landed, sir, Thunder God Island's storms are the perfect environment for honing Observation Haki."
Though the two were seated barely an arm's length apart, Katakuri had to shout at the top of his lungs just to be heard over the deafening thunder.
"At the heart of a storm this intense, even the sharpest human senses are rendered nearly useless. But for tempering Observation Haki, it's twice the result for half the effort!"
"Next, I'll mark out an area in the most lightning-dense zone. Please remain within it and avoid every single bolt."
"No actively intercepting the lightning, no using Haki, and no devil fruit abilities... ah, but since you're not a fruit user, that last point doesn't apply."
"In short, strip away all external aids and rely solely on your physical body. Only then, under the constant threat of this deadly storm, can you fully awaken the potential of your Observation Haki..."
Katakuri's voice cut off abruptly as a wheel-thick bolt of lightning chose that moment to strike—directly onto Xiano's head.
CRACK!
The deafening impact left a massive crater in the ground, yet Xiano remained seated exactly as before, listening attentively.
When Katakuri paused, Xiano even shot him a puzzled look: "What's wrong?"
"Nothing, it's just..."
Katakuri's eye twitched. Had he been allowed to use his devil fruit powers or Armament Haki, he too could have shrugged off a lightning strike of that magnitude.
But Xiano had tanked it with pure physical resilience...
Could this man possess an innate talent similar to Big Mom's "Iron Balloon" constitution?
"Sir, it seems we'll need to... slightly adjust the training plan."
Katakuri forced a dry chuckle.
(End of chapter)