His thoughts quickly retracted.
Such a magical skill was naturally not to be missed, and the price of 6,000 points wasn't too expensive for him now.
After adding it to the shopping cart, Shano turned his attention to the next item.
...
[Unlimited Sugar-Free Coke]
[Type: Consumable]
[Price: 1,200 points]
[Description: After purchase, you will get 100 cans of sugar-free coke with an unlimited shelf life, 330ML each. No matter how much you consume, the backpack column will be refilled with 100 cans every day]
[Seller's Note: Why is it Pepsi Toilet Cleaner? Damn, it's sold at a low price!]
Unlimited Coke?
Shano raised his eyebrows slightly.
The last time he saw something like this was many years ago—an "Unlimited Red Bean Bun" from his hometown.
That item had helped him a lot. Whenever he overexerted himself during training, he could pull out a few to replenish his energy and keep going.
Very practical.
This wasn't bad either. When sailing the seas, an unlimited supply of fresh drinkable fluid was arguably more important than food.
He didn't care if it was Pepsi or Coke, though the sugar-free version was a little lacking. He wasn't on a diet, and sweeteners were no substitute for real sugar.
Still, considering the price, it only cost a bit over a thousand points. No reason to hesitate.
Buy it. Next item!
...
[Translation Konjac]
[Type: Consumable]
[Price: 200 points]
[Description: A classic item from the Doraemon world. After consumption, you can automatically understand and fluently speak any language for 24 hours, including foreign languages, dialects, animal speech, alien tongues, and ancient scripts]
[Two pieces total, usable twice]
Interesting little gadget.
Not needed in everyday situations, but no one could predict when it would come in handy.
For just 200 points, a great value. Shano purchased it right away and stored it in his backpack.
After all, humans are basically giant hamsters when it comes to hoarding.
...
Shano wasn't interested in the next few items.
After skimming a bit, he finally reached the last one.
And when he saw it, he was slightly startled.
[Territory Management Map]
[Type: Special Item]
[Price: 5,000 points]
[Description: A glowing sheepskin map. When unfolded, it projects your current territory, shows resource distribution, population structure, resident happiness, and enemy attack alerts]
[Seller's Note: I time-traveled while playing Civilization 6. Anyone know if Civ 7 is out yet? Is it fun? T-T]
Perfect timing.
Shano grinned.
The price wasn't cheap. Had he seen this months ago, he might not have bought it.
But now that he'd entered the New World and his strength was nearly enough, his era of pure adventure was over. It was time to begin building his original dream, step by step.
This item was an excellent support tool.
He bought it on the spot.
...
He clicked on the shopping cart and entered the checkout process.
The trading market this month had been great. He bought six items and reaped significant benefits.
A total of 19,100 points were spent, leaving him with 36,800.
He closed the market interface, called Nuomizi over, and fed it the Digital Gem.
A flash of white light passed.
Nuomizi was still in puppy form, licking Shano's palm affectionately. On the surface, nothing had changed.
But Shano wasn't in a rush. The system said it was a major increase—so it had to be.
If there were an XP bar, then Nuomizi's almost-empty bar probably just skyrocketed.
While petting the dog, Shano opened the sheepskin scroll in his backpack.
A new glowing interface appeared, overlaying the system panel.
[Current Sea Area: New World]
[Number of Territories: 0]
Those were the two lines at the top. Below them was a long horizontal map that took up most of the interface.
Actually, it wasn't even a map—it was nearly 100% black.
Only at the bottom, near the Red Line, was a faint winding trail, like a snake's path.
Shano understood immediately.
Who hasn't played a game like this? Everything starts blacked out. To lift the fog, you have to explore.
Interesting.
Once he truly owned a territory, he could explore the other functions.
After closing the sheepskin map, Shano looked at the "Flowing Water Rock-Smashing Fist" manual in his backpack and opened it for study.
As expected, it was likely the most difficult martial art he'd practiced so far.
But while he wasn't great at swordsmanship, he had full confidence in his boxing talent.
He still had a few days before reaching the next island.
Might as well use the time to practice the newly bought technique and see if he could master the basics.
...
A few hours later.
In the center of the training room.
Shano sat cross-legged before the historical stone monument, slowly closing his eyes and mentally reviewing the key concepts of Flowing Water Rock-Smashing Fist.
This was a martial art that combined fluidity and explosive strength. It appeared calm and gentle, but each move packed the force of crumbling mountains.
"The force of water, the might of shattered stone..."
He whispered, then stood up, dropped into a horse stance, raised his arms, and moved.
At first, his motions were like ripples—subtle, pulling even the air into rhythm.
But just as his fist neared its apex, his muscles tensed, and his punch exploded like a crashing waterfall.
Boom!
The historical stone tablet shook. Even Noqi, sleeping under a pile of snow nearby, was launched backward into a steel wall.
"Not bad."
Shano retracted his fist, lips curled.
This martial art had two major strengths:
First, it integrated your entire body into each strike, dispersing enemy attacks like flowing water—essentially boosting your defense.
Second, it seamlessly blended softness and hardness, making the user's rhythm unpredictable and hard to counter.
"Again."
Shano placed the historical text back in position and resumed his stance.
This time, his punches flowed even more smoothly—he was like a stream, each movement brimming with hidden power.
As time passed,
He showed no fatigue, only growing more excited, more adept at the style.
Clearly—
With a powerful body and boxing background, even though the technique was brand-new to him, his progress far outpaced normal fighters.
"At this rate..."
Shano's eyes gleamed. "I'll master the basics before we reach the next island!"
...
At the same time.
Totland Sea, Fruit Tree Town – 100% Island
One of the 36 islands of Totland and the territory of Charlotte Smoothie, second only to Katakuri in bounty and strength among the "Four Dessert Stars."
Atop the tall Juice Tower, Smoothie reclined on a sofa, long legs resting on a coffee table, swirling a glass of fresh juice.
Famed for exotic fruits, the island's air was always sweet—perfect for mid-day naps.
"Smoothie."
A low voice came from the door.
Katakuri entered, tall and calm.
"Brother Katakuri?" Smoothie raised an eyebrow. "What brings you to my island?"
"Mother's orders."
Katakuri replied bluntly. "She wants you to come with me to meet Shano."
"Another arranged marriage?"
Smoothie snorted, tapping her cup. "I love Mom, but she's getting senile. I've said before—if she wants me to marry, the man must beat me. I won't marry someone weaker."
"Last guy was 'Frost Wolf' Agar, that so-called supernova. Doubled his bounty in the New World, then wet himself when he couldn't block one of my strikes."
"I bet it's the same this time. No thanks."
She downed her juice in annoyance. "Come on, Brother. Mom listens to you. Help me say no?"
Katakuri frowned, then smacked his forehead.
"You've been isolated too long. No wonder you haven't heard of him."
"He may be new, but he's no mere supernova. Honestly, I support this match more than Mom. Even I have to admit—he's the real deal."
Smoothie's grip paused slightly—shocked.
Her proud brother... complimenting a rookie?
"His achievements are incredible. Ask anyone. His bounty too—"
"No need." Smoothie raised a hand. "Keep it a mystery until I meet him. More interesting that way."
"Meaning?"
"I'll go with you." She stood up, stretching with a smirk. "If he got your approval, that's enough for me."
Katakuri was silent.
But beneath his scarf, a smile tugged at his lips.
...
Four days later.
On the sea, the golden sunset bathed the End's deck.
The crew feasted on seafood, courtesy of Zeff.
A massive elephant tuna had landed on the deck during last night's storm, and Jack—who got up to pee—caught it barehanded.
Zeff turned the rare ingredient into over ten gourmet dishes.
Everyone ate in silence, too focused on the delicious food.
Shano too—fresh from practicing his new martial art—devoured tuna sushi, barely swallowing one before reaching for the next.
And then—
"Bru! Bru Bru~!"
The Den Den Mushi on the table jolted upright, eyes wide, wailing loudly.
"Nami, get the phone!" Nokiko called.
"Why don't you go? You—hey! My grilled skewers!"
"Sister Kuina! You too?! How could you steal my food!"
The girls bickered.
Shano glanced at the crying Den Den Mushi, noticed something was wrong, and ordered:
"This is an emergency signal. Someone's calling for help. Jack, answer it."
"Yes, boss!"
Jack put down his food, wiped his hands, and grabbed the mic.
"Hello?"
...
G-14 Marine Branch
This was one of the few Navy branches in the New World.
Situated near Mariejois, it formed a strategic triangle with G-1 and G-5—allowing rapid reinforcement in emergencies.
No branches existed deeper in the New World—that was Four Emperor territory.
In the communications room,
Several young marine women sobbed into their mics:
"Hello? Finally! Please help!"
"We're a merchant ship from Sabaody! Our mast broke in the storm—we can't sail!"
"This cargo is urgent! If you save us and deliver it, we'll give you half the profit!"
"You'll come? Great! Our coordinates are—"
A tall, black-haired lieutenant general wearing a spiked collar sipped her coffee while watching calmly.
Her name was Dor, promoted last year to head G-14.
Behind her stood a taller man adjusting his cap.
"Is this how you catch pirates?"
"Yes, Mr. Sakazuki," Dor smiled. "Well, not always. This trick needs a big storm. But usually, there's always one or two greedy idiot crews who fall for it. I learned it from the G-5 boys. It works wonders."
"..."
Akainu didn't comment.
He normally disdained such underhanded tactics, but this was the New World—any means that worked was acceptable.
He was here on behalf of Sengoku to inspect all New World branches. G-5 had changed a lot under the new chief, Vergo—a surprise worth noting.
Just then, another call came in.
"Hello?"
A dull, heavy voice spoke, a bit muffled—as if the person were chewing.
Dor narrowed her eyes.
Akainu sighed, turned around, and walked out.