Chapter 120: Clearing the Haul, and the Warlord Hanafuda
The Snow-Snow Fruit?
Shane was a little surprised.
Wasn't this Monet's ability? The Donquixote family officer from the Dressrosa arc, six years from now in the original timeline.
He never would have thought that, by a strange twist of fate, the fruit would end up in his hands.
"A Logia-type?"
Kureha also looked over, her eyes wide with surprise. "Those are incredibly rare. I never would have thought that Wapol had something this good. You're a lucky kid."
"For others, it's rare. But for the captain, Logia-types seem to be pretty common," Robin chuckled.
"Oh?" Kureha raised an eyebrow.
"It's true," Shane said with a click of his tongue. "Including this one, we'll have three Logia users on the ship."
The Flame-Flame Fruit, the Snow-Snow Fruit, and the Smoke-Smoke Fruit.
Rounding up, he basically had his own three Admirals on the ship.
"Not interested?" Kureha grinned. "I think the ability to control ice and snow is pretty cool. Hey, how about you use this to pay your medical bill, handsome?"
"Do you think I'm senile too?! I already paid my bill!"
"Then how about you trade something else for it?"
"What?"
"The secret to my eternally youthful and beautiful appearance, how about it?"
"Who wants something like that?! Besides, the wrinkles on your face are deep enough to fit Chopper in them! How is that youthful?!"
"Hey! You want to die, you brat?!"
…
After another scuffle, they finally calmed down. Kureha, bruised and battered, stood to the side with her arms crossed, sulking. Shane, completely unharmed, turned to leave, waving with a laugh.
"We're really leaving now! See you later, old hag! Chopper!"
"Take care, big brother Shane, big sister Robin!"
Chopper stood on his tiptoes, waving his arms frantically.
The two figures finally disappeared into the night.
Chopper stood at the door for a long time, unwilling to leave, until he could no longer see them.
"Alright, don't just stand there," Kureha said, patting his head. "If you want to see them again, then you'd better start studying hard and graduate soon!"
"Yes! Doctorine!"
Chopper wiped away his tears, his small hooves clenched, his eyes burning with determination.
Kureha gave Chopper his homework for the day. When he had gone back to his room, she comfortably lay back down on the sofa and opened another bottle of liquor.
Hmm?
She suddenly looked up at the top of the liquor cabinet, her eyes full of suspicion.
Just then, Chopper's cry came from the other room. "Doctorine!"
"What?"
"Where's my cotton candy?! Waaah, I only had a little bite this afternoon! I was saving the rest for tonight!"
"I don't know, a mouse probably ate it. Who would steal your candy?!" Kureha said, dismissing him impatiently. Her eyes scanned the liquor cabinet.
Forget the cheap cotton candy…
Strange.
She scratched her head, puzzled. Where's that bottle of thirty-year-old sherry I put on the top shelf?
Did I drink too much yesterday and accidentally open that bottle too?
…
In the night sky, Kuma, who was flying, suddenly felt a chill on his scalp. He instinctively stopped and touched the top of his head.
Huh?
Where's my hat?
He distinctly remembered taking it from the table and putting it on before he left.
Did I get too excited about heading to Dressrosa and fly a little too fast, and the night wind blew it off?
Kuma looked back and hesitated, wanting to go back and look for it. But the vast sea… he finally gave up and continued on at full speed toward the New World.
…
On the Drum Island river, under the moonlight, Shane and Robin boarded the back of the sea turtle that was waiting for them.
"Are we going to meet up with the others now?" Robin asked.
"Yeah, I contacted them with your Transponder Snail yesterday. They just arrived at a place called Hot Spring Island. Robin, do you have a pointer for that place?"
"I do," Robin said, opening her bag. "I have Eternal Poses for over a dozen islands near Alabasta."
"You're a lifesaver, Robin!" Shane said, overjoyed, and gave her a big bear hug.
Robin's body stiffened for a moment as he hugged her, but in the next second, he had already pulled away and was excitedly rummaging through her bag for the Eternal Pose.
She finally relaxed, and a self-deprecating smile touched her lips as she looked at his back.
I know the captain is different from the others, that he's a trustworthy man, but I still had an instinctive reaction of resistance…
When will I ever be able to completely let go of this deep-seated wariness?
"Why aren't you saying anything?" Shane asked, still rummaging. "Are you nervous about meeting the others for the first time?"
"Not really," Robin said, raising her arm and looking at the moon through her fingers with a small smile. "I'm just used to being alone. The thought of joining a lively group is a little… overwhelming."
"Haha, don't worry about it," Shane said, finally finding the pointer and standing up with a laugh. "There are no rules on my ship. Everyone is very easygoing. The only downside is that they're a little noisy. You'll fit right in. Oh, right, we also have a cat and a dog on board. You can pet them as much as you want!"
A cat and a dog?
Robin raised an eyebrow, a flicker of curiosity in her heart.
The dog must be that powerful giant wolf. But a cat? Is he talking about that soft, mochi-like little creature?
How is that a cat…
The sea turtle slowly turned, carrying the two of them into the night.
The moonlight danced on the surface of the sea, as if paving a silver path for them.
…
The evening breeze was gentle.
After leaving Drum Island, the temperature quickly became comfortable again. Robin took off her thick winter coat and laid it out on the seat.
Shane used it as a pillow and lay lazily on the turtle's shell.
It certainly wasn't as comfortable as lying on Robin's lap, but he was all better now, and he couldn't very well pretend to be unconscious anymore.
At this moment, he seemed to be staring at the starry sky, lost in thought.
But he had actually opened the system panel and was carefully tallying his gains from the Drum Island trip.
Since he had gotten Henry's Guide to Thievery, he had studied it diligently, and his own thievery skills had reached a new level.
While they were in the treehouse, he had made several moves, and not a single person had noticed.
And the rewards were substantial.
[You have sacrificed Chopper's cotton candy and received 50 points.]
[You have sacrificed Kureha's prized sherry and received 300 points.]
[You have sacrificed Wapol's jeweled crown and received 450 points.]
[You have sacrificed Robin's cowboy hat and received 1200 points.]
[You have sacrificed Kuma's bear-eared hat and received 3200 points.]
The biggest prize was, without a doubt, the bear-eared hat. At over three thousand points, it was worth much more than Crocodile's hook.
It was a testament to how strong Kuma really was.
But at first, Shane's target had actually been the bible that Kuma had placed on the table.
Kuma had been carrying that bible for decades. It had long since become his trademark, and it was even the key to distinguishing him from the Pacifistas.
So, without a doubt, it was the most "valuable" item on him. But when Shane had casually flipped through a few pages, he realized that it wasn't a bible at all.
The entire thick book was filled with Kuma's own handwritten notes.
The cycle of Bonney's illness, her temperature charts, the opinions of various doctors, the prescriptions they had tried and their effects…
There were even newspaper clippings, recording the scattered reports of the Sapphire Scale disease from all over the world.
Bridge Kingdom, Weatheria, Boin Archipelago, Karakuri Island, Amazon Lily… so many places were on his list. Some he had already been to, some not yet.
Shane then understood.
In the original timeline, on the Sabaody Archipelago, the places where Kuma had sent the Straw Hat crew to train for two years… were all places he had personally visited in his search for a cure for his daughter.
The path to salvation was right there.
Shane immediately closed the "bible" and put it back.
If he had actually sacrificed that, he would have been so guilty he wouldn't have been able to sleep at night.
In the end, he chose to sacrifice the bear-eared hat. It didn't hold as much sentimental value, just a hat that Kuma was fond of. It wasn't as valuable as the bible, but it was still worth 3200 points. With the other items, he had gained a total of 5200 points.
This brought Shane's remaining points to 50,700, the first time he had broken the fifty-thousand mark. He was richer than ever before.
Shane closed the system panel, a feeling of contentment washing over him.
Tsk, sometimes, being too rich is a burden.
After they met up with the others, the shop should refresh in a few days.
He hoped there would be some good stuff, so he could go on a good shopping spree~
...
Time flew by.
Five days later, Shane and Robin arrived at Hot Spring Island and successfully rendezvoused with the others.
Hot Spring Island was also a famous resort.
The island was covered in natural hot springs, the steam rising from them all year round.
Because the mineral-rich spring water was said to have healing properties, it attracted many tourists every year.
The crew had already been waiting for a while and had gotten to know the place. The moment Shane arrived, they immediately dragged him to the best hot spring on the island.
This suited Shane just fine.
Drifting on a turtle's back for so long wasn't very comfortable. Even washing up was a problem. He and Robin planned to rest here for a day, and then they would set out for their next destination.
…
Night fell.
The hot spring area was shrouded in a hazy mist. Paper lanterns hung from the eaves, their warm yellow light diffusing in the steam, making the whole place look like a dream.
Splash—
In the steam, Shane leaned back, collapsing into the volcanic rock pool.
The warm spring water lapped over his shoulders, and his muscles slowly relaxed. The towel on his head, soaked with steam, drooped limply, but he couldn't be bothered to fix it. He let out a long, satisfied sigh. "After coming from a freezing winter island, a hot spring is the best…"
Suddenly, a puff of smoke drifted over from the right.
Shane was speechless. He turned to look at the pool beside him. "I'm telling you, Smoker, are you serious? You're even bringing your cigars into the hot spring? You can't even go a few minutes without one? Are you going to die if you don't smoke?"
"I can't help it, boss," Smoker grinned, holding up the cigar. "This is a gift from Miss Robin. She said it's a prized brand that the Sand Crocodile loved. One of these is worth fifty thousand Berries. I've never smoked anything this high-quality before. I have to savor it."
A gift from Robin?
She's already started making her move?
Shane raised an eyebrow, amused.
He remembered clearly.
In the original timeline, when Robin had first joined the Going Merry, everyone except Sanji had been extremely wary and hostile toward her.
And Robin?
She had easily found the weaknesses of Nami, Chopper, and the others and had broken them down one by one. With a few small tricks, she had quickly disarmed the entire crew.
And now, his own crew was about to fall for the same thing?
If this was what it took to make Robin feel at ease and integrate into the group more quickly…
Shane grinned. He would just watch from the sidelines. He had no intention of interfering.
"Uncle Zeff," he said, looking up at Zeff, who was engrossed in a book on the other side of the pool. "Don't tell me Robin gave you something good too?"
"Huh, Captain, how did you know?"
Zeff looked up, surprised. He closed the book in his hand and showed Shane the cover. "Here, this is from Miss Robin. The Lost Cuisines of Alabasta. She said she found it in Crocodile's collection."
He opened the book again, his eyes shining with excitement.
"Alabasta really is an ancient civilization! There are so many dishes in here that even I have never seen before! Especially this Gaia Roast, it's cooked on a natural stone slab that's been heated by the sun, and you add香罗兰 and perilla leaves…"
When it came to cooking, Zeff couldn't stop himself. He began to ramble on to Shane and Smoker.
Shane let his words go in one ear and out the other. His gaze shifted to the high bamboo wall beside him.
Tsk, even the most level-headed old man on the crew has been easily won over.
I wonder if any of the young girls will be able to escape Robin's grasp?
…
Meanwhile, in the women's bath on the other side of the wall.
In the white steam, a dazzling display of holy light was colliding and squeezing together.
"Waaah! Thank you, Robin!"
Nami excitedly hugged Robin. "Drum Island, Thor Island… you have all the sea charts for the islands near Alabasta? This is amazing! My plan to map the entire Grand Line has just taken a huge leap forward!"
"It was nothing," Robin said with a smile. When Nami had excitedly run off to look at the charts, she had handed a thick stack of books to Nojiko.
"These are some of the martial arts manuals that Baroque Works collected, mostly Mr. 2's Okama Kenpo. It's not really suitable for girls, but there are some valuable things in here. You can use it to fill in any gaps in your own training."
Nojiko took the books, and after flipping through a few pages, her eyes lit up.
This is good stuff!
Just as she had said, for someone like her who was practicing several different martial arts, this collection of summaries had a lot to offer.
"Robin!!!"
Nojiko also couldn't help but pounce on her.
In a corner of the bath, Kuina, wrapped in a towel, leaned against the bamboo wall, staring coldly at the slender figure.
Hmph.
A cunning old woman.
She's just a newcomer who has just joined Lord Shane, and yet she's already trying to get close to the crew by giving them gifts?
Even Nami and Nojiko are calling her 'big sister'!
Dammit.
The effortless charm of a mature woman is so infuriating!
But…
Now that I've seen through her, I'm not going to fall for it!
Gifts? I'll just refuse them…
"Vice-Captain Kuina," a gentle voice came from beside her, and a faint floral scent filled the air. Kuina turned in surprise and saw that Robin had, at some point, appeared in front of her.
"Is it alright if I call you that?" Robin said, blinking. "After all, that's what the newspapers and the wanted posters say."
"Err, here, it's okay to call me that," Kuina's face flushed red, and she said in a small voice, "but don't call me that in front of Lord Shane yet. He… he hasn't officially approved it yet. I can't…"
"I'm sure it will be fine," Robin said, leaning in with a gentle smile. "I saw everything in that battle at the docks. You displayed the demeanor of a true leader and incredible strength. That position belongs to you."
"Huh, r-really?"
Kuina was already a little dizzy. Dammit, it must be the steam in this hot spring. It's so hot, I can barely stand up!
"Also, Vice-Captain, I have a gift for you too. It's a famous sword that has been passed down in Alabasta for a long time."
"Of course, its quality is not comparable to your Wado Ichimonji, but it should be good enough as a spare."
"This is…"
Kuina's eyes widened, a look of surprise and delight on her face. "One of the 50 Skillful Grade Swords, the Kashu!"
…
On the other side of the high bamboo wall, after hearing Kuina can't help but call out "Robin-san," Shane shrugged and looked away.
Well, even the swordswoman has been won over. Not to mention my two ditsy sisters. The outcome is clear.
…
The next morning, everyone had recovered and was in high spirits.
The Curtain Call, its Log Pose now set, left Hot Spring Island that day and set sail for the next destination, Alabasta.
Shane sat under a parasol, leisurely sipping his coffee and looking out at the distant horizon.
Alabasta.
His own adventure hadn't even reached there yet, but the final boss of that country, Crocodile, had already been dead for what felt like several hundred years.
It was a strange feeling.
Baroque Works had already been dismantled, and the drought in Alabasta hadn't even started yet. There probably wouldn't be any trouble there.
He could enjoy the sights and sounds of the ancient desert kingdom and then head straight for his main objective.
—The Poneglyph hidden deep beneath the royal palace in Alubarna, in the Tomb of the Kings.
It contained proof of Pluton's existence in history, as well as information on its whereabouts. Robin should be very interested in that.
As for Shane himself…
He wasn't interested in Pluton, but he was very interested in the stone slab itself.
"I hear all the Poneglyphs are indestructible…"
His eyes shone with desire.
As his strength had grown, steel plates were no longer sufficient for his daily physical training.
A Poneglyph seemed like a much better option.
...
Alabasta, Erumalu.
This was the famous oasis city of Alabasta.
As the gateway to the Sandy River, it was a necessary stop for merchant ships and travelers entering the interior of Alabasta.
On both sides of the river, stone docks extended into the blue water. Merchant ships, loaded with all sorts of goods, often had to stop here to unload their treasures from afar.
However—
At this moment, the port was jam-packed with merchant ships. Their masts were like a forest in the wide river. The cargo, which should have been loaded and unloaded in a timely manner, was piled up like a mountain, and the sailors were anxiously leaning over the railings, looking out.
"Are they still not letting us through?"
"What's going on?! Are they going to let us pass or not?!"
"You just got here, right? Don't be in such a hurry. I've been waiting here for a whole day! It's still early!"
"You've been here since yesterday, old man? Do you know what's going on?"
"Look for yourself, don't you have eyes?" the old captain snorted. "There's a big pirate ship blocking the way. Who dares to pass?"
"A pirate ship?" someone sneered. "So what? We all do business on the Grand Line. Who hasn't seen a pirate ship? The Sandy River is so wide. Can one ship really block all of us?"
"You idiot! Do you think it's an ordinary pirate?!" the old captain sneered, his pipe pointing at the fluttering skull flag. "See that big guy under the flag, the one who's five or six meters tall?"
"That guy is one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, appointed by the World Government, Hanafuda! A terrifying monster with a former bounty of 500 million Berries!"
"Not all the Warlords are as approachable as Lord Crocodile! If you want to go and get yourself killed, I'm not going to stop you!"
The surrounding sailors all gasped.
"S-S-Seven Warlords…?"
"What is he doing here?"
…
A large black ship lay across the mouth of the river like a giant beast. Its crimson sails, emblazoned with a playing card and a demon's face, flapped in the hot desert wind.
On the wide deck, a man in a black coat was leaning lazily against the railing. At his feet, a dozen or so merchants were tied up like dumplings.
"I told you all, until I get what I want, no ship is getting through this river. Why didn't you believe me? Why did you have to try and force your way through?"
Hanafuda said with a smile. Under the terrified gazes of the merchants, he drew the massive, four- or five-meter-long scythe from his back—
SQUELCH!
The scythe suddenly plunged into the deck, its blade embedding itself in the wood just inches from a merchant's ear.
The trussed-up merchants all convulsed. One of them, a man with gold-rimmed glasses, wet himself, and the stench of urine filled the air.
"Tsk, not so brave after all," Hanafuda sneered. He leisurely walked over and pulled the scythe from the deck. "I've been blocking this river for a whole day, and the royal family of Alabasta still hasn't made a move. Are they looking down on the loss of a day's worth of shipping, or are they just looking down on me…"
He stroked the scythe and said calmly, "You tell me, if there was a little more blood, a few dozen more lives lost, do you think the royal family would come a little faster?"
A dead silence fell over the deck.
"Why is no one talking?" Hanafuda's face darkened. "Are you merchants looking down on me too?"
"Mmph, mmph…!" the merchant with the gold-rimmed glasses struggled violently, tears streaming down his face.
Hanafuda stared at him for a few seconds, then it dawned on him. He turned his head in a fit of rage. "Jack, you idiot! I told you to tie them up! Who told you to gag them?!"
Huh?
The burly, golden-haired young man was taken aback. He scratched his head sheepishly. "Sorry, Boss Hanafuda! It's my first time on a mission with you. I must have misheard. Please forgive me!"
"Less talk, more work!"
Under Hanafuda's glare, the young man named Jack quickly went over and removed the gag from the merchant's mouth.
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