"What? You all know about Desword already?"
Goodman looked a little disappointed as he poured himself a drink and brought it to his lips. "So you've also heard about the big explosion?"
"Explosion?" Molly and Byle perked up. They hadn't heard anything about that.
Zhang Da Ye relaxed slightly. Uncle Goodman's shipyard was the closest to the incident, so the rumors probably weren't too exaggerated.
Goodman became animated, gulping down his drink. "Let me tell you, I was reinforcing a mast on a ship when suddenly there was a massive blast. If it were gunpowder, I'd estimate it would take at least this amount."
Molly wasn't interested in gunpowder quantities. "Then what happened?"
"All the shipwrights in the yard ducked in fear, wishing they could dig a hole and hide. Only I calmly finished my work. Who am I? I'm Goodman! Back in my younger days…"
Molly patted him on the back. "Get to the point!"
"…Later I heard that the explosives had been planted in advance. That clever person lured Desword and his… three hundred men there, then detonated it, blasting all three hundred into the air!"
Molly covered her mouth in shock, while little Byle's eyes sparkled.
Even Tom seemed caught up in the excitement.
Zhang Da Ye quickly explained, "Actually, they hurt themselves… I brought them to the Marine base for their bounties, and a small accident along the way triggered that explosion…"
He didn't mention that he had actually caused the final blast—some things were impossible to explain.
As for the Marines, they probably wouldn't investigate. A mere 8 million Berry bounty was hardly worth their time.
Hearing this, the Goodman family's excitement cooled.
Molly tilted her head. "So ordinary."
Byle tilted his head. "So lame."
Goodman tilted his head. "So boring."
Tom tilted his head too. "Meow?"
Zhang Da Ye scooped up Tom, squishing him. "Tom, don't join in the nonsense! I've tolerated you long enough!"
"Meow meow meow…" Tom waved his paws in surrender.
"In short, there were no heroes, no thirty or three hundred henchmen. I just got lucky with a bounty. Here, these are for you." Zhang Da Ye handed them the gifts he had prepared.
"Oh, what a great apron!"
"This hat is so cool!"
"And the latest Sumo Panda sunglasses!" Goodman tried them on excitedly. He had wanted a pair, but the budget was allocated to pay Zhang Da Ye's wages, so he had waited until next month.
Molly noticed Zhang Da Ye had chosen Sumo Panda items for her apron and Byle's hat. She worried, "Isn't this too extravagant, Da Ye? Even with a lot of bounty, you shouldn't be wasteful."
"No worries. As long as you like them. Consider it a thank-you for all the care Uncle Goodman and Sister Molly have given me."
"Don't be so polite. You sound like you're saying goodbye."
"Eh? Da Ye is leaving?" Byle paused playing with his new hat, clearly reluctant.
"Yes, I plan to move out and buy or rent a place nearby. I've troubled you all enough these days."
Zhang Da Ye felt that Uncle Goodman's original offer—work one hour a day for 100,000 Berries a month—was overly generous. The work felt more like taking care of him.
Molly was the same—preparing food, clothes, and all necessities, like an older sister caring for a younger brother.
Though unrelated by blood, their kindness made Zhang Da Ye feel ashamed.
Before, he had no choice. Now, with some capital, he couldn't just keep freeloading.
Molly wanted to persuade him to stay, but Goodman stopped her. "Enough, Molly. Don't underestimate a man's desire to live independently!"
"But…"
Goodman waved his hand. "There's no 'but.' A man must be decisive. I told Da Ye this from the start. Now it's the same. Once decided, just do it!"
Byle looked at Goodman with admiration.
"What is it, Byle? Something wrong?"
"No, I just think Dad looks so cool!"
"Haha!" Goodman immediately cracked. "Cool? In my youth, I was a hundred times cooler!"
"Enough boasting," Molly said, bringing the conversation back. "Da Ye, any specific plans?"
Zhang Da Ye replied, "Not yet. I need to see what shops are suitable nearby, and I'm not sure if my money is enough."
8.1 million Berries sounded like a lot, but he wasn't confident how far it could go.
Goodman thought for a moment. "In that case, you could check out Bob's Tavern."
"Tavern?"
"Yes, the one Byle often visits. Old Bob is nearly seventy and wants to retire, so he's thinking of selling the tavern."
"But can I manage a tavern? Is it safe? Pirates might cause trouble."
"Old Bob's been running it this long without issue. Most patrons are shipwrights, with occasional Marines or World Government officials. No one causes trouble," Goodman reassured him.
Zhang Da Ye felt tempted. He knew the tavern, located on the western side of Island 59, with few competing restaurants or bars nearby. Many shipwrights liked to drink and chat there after work.
He hadn't heard of any incidents in his month here—seemed like a good opportunity.
"How much to buy it?"
"At most ten million Berries," Goodman said, a price Zhang Da Ye almost couldn't believe.
"Only that much? I've heard a single ship costs hundreds of millions."
Goodman looked puzzled. "Ships and buildings are different. Every ship is crafted with care—any mistake is critical. A tavern like Bob's can be built by a few apprentices easily."
"Uh…" Zhang Da Ye was speechless. So real estate here was so cheap?
Goodman added, "Of course, noble residences or Marine fortresses are another matter."
*Additional context on local pricing:*
- Sumo Panda T-shirt: 10,000 Berries (~1,400 RMB/200 USD)
- Cotton coat: 28,800 Berries
- Miscellaneous items: newspapers 100, egg 20, tofu 50, ice cream 500, cotton candy 500, etc.
- Ordinary swords: 50,000 Berries
- Famous swords: up to 10 million Berries
- Devil Fruits: 100 million Berries+ (2 million USD+ to potentially be a giraffe man xD)
- Ships and larger treasures: hundreds of millions to billions