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Chapter 191: Time to Beat Up Kizaru!
🕑 Added 2025-09-15 12:19:55 +0000 UTCChapter 191: Time to Beat Up Kizaru!
+50% resistance to mushroom-based toxins?
What the hell was he supposed to do with that? It's not like he was from a place where people constantly foraged for wild mushrooms. And Teemo's size... forget him, even Chopper probably couldn't fit into that thing.
Shane shook his head. This seller is peddling pure junk!
Zero interest.
Next!
[Hearthstone Scroll]
[Type: Special Item]
[Price: 8000 Points]
[Description: A wondrous magical item from the world of Azeroth. After purchase, you can spend 2000 points to, after a brief channel time, instantly teleport back to your territory from anywhere. Each additional person brought along will cost an extra 2000 points.]
[No usage limit, no distance limit, no cooldown.]
[Seller's Note: I can handle transmigrating as Terenas, but what do you mean Arthas is already at the gates?! And what's with that sword?!]
Hm?
Shane, who had been feeling disappointed just a second ago, was suddenly wide awake.
A Hearthstone? Now this is a game-changer!
It was a permanent item with virtually no restrictions. Aside from the steep price tag, it was perfect. He only had one territory for now, but he had to plan for the future. Whether it was for emergency reinforcements or a strategic retreat, this thing was a god-tier tool. Blueno's Door-Door Fruit was limited to line of sight; it couldn't even compare.
Must buy.
After a moment of silent pity for the poor seller, Shane decisively added it to his cart.
Next!
[Single-Use Devil Fruit Extraction Scroll]
[Type: Consumable]
[Price: 2000 Points]
[Description: Within a short time after a Devil Fruit user's death, this can extract the "Devil's Essence" from their corpse. Placing the essence into any normal fruit will transform it into the corresponding Devil Fruit.]
[Seller's Note: Direct from System. No comment.]
What's this? A one-time use Dark-Dark Fruit...?
Shane's eyebrow twitched. Thanks to his Devil Fruit Detector, nearly all his crew members were already users, and he even had two spare fruits on hand. But... since his next focus was on expanding his influence, who would ever complain about having too many strategic resources?
Two thousand points for a Devil Fruit of his choice. It was a no-brainer.
Bought!
[EVE's Body Core]
[Type: Special Item]
[Price: 5000 Points]
[Description: From the world of Stellar Blade, this is the body core of the final EVE Project prototype, "EVE." Installing it into a body will dramatically increase physical strength.]
[This Body Core is only effective on female bodies.]
[Seller's Note: This game sucks. I'm running a 5090 and it still stutters when I climb a ladder.]
Shane vaguely remembered this game. He'd transmigrated before he got a chance to play it. A 5090 struggles with it? The optimization must be terrible. Good thing I didn't pre-order.
But the item itself was definitely good. He couldn't use it, but it could directly boost the physical strength of one of his female officers.
Shane's mind ran through the women on his crew, immediately excluding Nami. A choice had to be made. There was only one Body Core.
Who should get it? It wasn't a difficult decision...
A glint in his eye, he added it to the cart and moved on.
[Trade Market Random Item Replicator]
[Type: Consumable]
[Price: 3000 Points]
[Description: Upon use, this will randomly select and duplicate one item you have previously purchased from the Trade Market.]
[Seller's Note: Direct from System. No comment.]
Shane paused. He stroked his chin, considering. This was basically a loot box. It was all down to luck. If it spat out some cheap starting-village item he'd bought for a few hundred points, it would be a huge waste.
But... he was absolutely loaded right now. Even if he just threw 3000 points into the sea, he'd at least hear a splash. It was worth the gamble. He'd always been pretty confident in his luck.
Bought!
Next!
[Single-Use Saiyan Blood Factor]
[Type: Consumable]
[Price: 16,000 Points]
[Description: After injection, you will gain the following Saiyan trait: after suffering a near-fatal injury, should you survive, all aspects of your physical body will receive a comprehensive power-up. This trait is a one-time use only.]
[Seller's Note: I just want to know who my counterpart in the pirate world is. How come all his stuff is trash?]
That's it!
Shane gritted his teeth. If he remembered correctly, the seller from the Dragon Ball world had complained about him last time, too. He'd been holding back for a long time! But the items this guy sold... they just kept getting better and better. From Senzu Beans to the Destructo Disc, and now this...
Fine. He'd swallow his pride and buy it!
In the face of such a broken item, a little slander was nothing. Even the 16,000-point price tag didn't seem so high. For roughly the same price as Shanks's ship, he was getting a core Saiyan trait. It was a steal! And he just so happened to have one last Senzu Bean... the two items were a perfect, bug-abusing combo.
Shane gleefully added it to his cart, the seller's note already forgotten.
What goes up must come down. The first few items, aside from Teemo's undies, had been one amazing find after another. The rest of the shop's inventory, however, was a total bust. Shane scrolled to the very last page without finding anything else of interest and proceeded to checkout.
He had purchased five items for a grand total of 34,000 points. It was the biggest shopping spree of his life, but also the most satisfying. His original balance of 77,600 was now down to 43,600. Still a very respectable amount.
Exiting the Trade Market, Shane went to his inventory. He first took out the Single-Use Saiyan Blood Factor. It was in a syringe, similar to the Piccolo's Regeneration Serum he'd bought long ago. Without a moment's hesitation, he injected it, tossing the empty syringe into the sea.
"Don't feel any different," Shane said, clenching his fists. His mind was clear. It seemed the description was accurate; the only Saiyan trait he'd inherited was the one that made him stronger after surviving a near-death experience. That was a relief. If he'd also inherited the Saiyans' brutal, battle-obsessed nature, that would have been a problem.
"Next up, the Random Item Replicator."
Shane selected it in his inventory. A 26-sided die popped out and began to spin rapidly. He watched it patiently. A few moments later, it stopped.
Two text boxes appeared before him:
[Random Selection Complete. Dispensing item.]
[You have obtained "Skill Steal" x1]
Huh?
Shane blinked, a strange expression on his face. His luck was definitely good. He'd just used up his Skill Steal, and now he had another charge. He remembered it costing 6,000 points, so this was a clear win. But... the timing was terrible. If only this had shown up a few days earlier, he could have fleeced Red-Hair a second time. Now they were long gone, and who knew when they'd meet again.
So... who should be my next target? He stroked his chin, lost in thought.
Before he could come to a conclusion, two days had passed. The outline of the next island was already visible on the horizon. Just as Shane stepped out of the cabin, he received another call.
"It's Kuma," Shane said with a smile, holding up the Transponder Snail, which had sprouted its fuzzy bear-ear hat again. "It's only been two days. You're calling back sooner than I expected. Have you already reached Dressrosa?"
"Lord Shane." The snail mimicked Kuma's worried frown. "We've arrived, but... the situation has changed. As soon as I neared Dressrosa's waters, I saw a large fleet of over ten Marine warships blockading the country's ports."
"The Marines?" Shane was surprised. "What are they doing there?" The remnants of Doflamingo's crew had been dealt with by Kuma long ago, and the kingdom was supposed to be at peace. What business did the Marines have there?
"It seems they're here to deliver an ultimatum," Kuma said gravely. "I was hiding in the mountains and overheard their broadcast. They're demanding that King Riku re-sign the treaty to join the World Government within five days. Otherwise, they will consider Dressrosa a hostile nation colluding with pirates, bombard the port, and officially land to take control of the country."
"That's so unfair!" a feisty, unfamiliar little girl's voice suddenly cut in. "That Doflamingo guy stole their country and did all sorts of horrible things, and King Riku's calls for help were ignored! Now that Daddy chased the bad guys away and Uncle Shane killed that flamingo creep, they suddenly show up to collect... to collect... uh, what's that word again?"
"The spoils of victory," Mansherry's voice followed.
"Right! The spoils of victory!"
"Bonney, don't interrupt," Kuma's voice said gently.
"But Kuma, I'm not wrong! Uncle Shane! You're listening, right? Tell me I'm not wrong!"
"You're absolutely right," Shane nodded, then added with a sigh, "But little Bonney, you should probably work on the 'uncle' part."
"Grandpa Shane?"
"It's Big Brother!" Mansherry snapped, thumping Bonney on the head. "You dummy!"
"Oww! That hurt!"
As the two girls bickered, Kuma seemed to move the snail away. The noise faded, and only his deep voice remained. "In any case, Lord Shane, King Riku cannot accept the Marines' demands and has resolved to fight. And I cannot... Lord Shane, I can still see it. After we dealt with the Donquixote Family, King Riku, his daughter, and all the citizens who had been turned into toys... they were all on their knees, weeping and thanking me..."
"Say no more." A grin spread across Shane's face. "You and Bonney are my crew members now. As your captain, how could I possibly stand by and do nothing at a time like this?!"
Even without his connection to Kuma... he would have gotten involved anyway. Dressrosa...
The Riku Family had ruled there for generations and were beloved by the people, until Doflamingo had framed them and stolen the throne. The family was nearly wiped out, and King Riku was left with nowhere to turn. Marine Headquarters, the World Government... they had collected Dressrosa's Heavenly Tribute for years, yet they remained silent, allowing the Donquixote Family to reclaim the country. What a pathetic excuse for "justice."
By contrast, when the tyrannical king of the Sorbet Kingdom in the South Blue was overthrown by Kuma, the Marines had shown astonishing efficiency, dispatching multiple warships to help the king reclaim his throne. The reason was obvious. The Marines were always trying to increase their influence in the New World, and Dressrosa was a strategic chokepoint. A direct Marine occupation would have provoked the Four Emperors. But letting the underworld broker Doflamingo control it created a convenient buffer zone, and the former Celestial Dragon's connections and resources provided a steady stream of benefits to the Marines and the World Government.
Of course... Doflamingo's ambition later grew, and his deep collaboration with Kaido was something the World Government had never anticipated.
"Who's leading the Marine fleet?" Shane asked.
"The fleet is currently commanded by the Admiral candidate, 'Pink Rabbit' Gion," Kuma replied. "She is a renowned swordmaster and will be a tough opponent, though I am confident I can handle her. However, our intelligence suggests that Admiral Kizaru is currently on standby at nearby Punk Hazard, ready to provide support at a moment's notice."
Kizaru?
Then he absolutely had to go.
Shane let out a cold snort, a glint of frost in his eyes. That old monkey had ambushed him at Enies Lobby while he was busy fighting Kaido, nearly killing him. That one kick on Sabaody was nowhere near enough to settle the score. Now that he was stronger, he was itching for a rematch.
Hanging up the call, Shane looked up. The entire crew had gathered around him. They'd heard the whole conversation, and their eyes were shining with excitement. It had been almost a month since their last real fight. In that time, thanks to the Dream Weed, they had all grown stronger. This was the perfect opportunity to test their new power.
However, there was one small problem.
"The ultimatum is only for five days?" Kuina frowned. "Sir, Dressrosa is very far from here. Even if we have Kuma's Vivre Card and can sail in a straight line at full speed... I don't think we can make it in time."
"It's enough. Have you forgotten about the device we have on this ship?" Shane grinned, looking up at the orange-haired girl leaning on the second-deck railing. "The next few days are going to be tough for you, Nami."
"Eh?" Nami pointed at herself, bewildered. "Me?"
