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Chapter 190: Shop Refresh, and Kuma's Return
🕑 Added 2025-09-14 12:59:48 +0000 UTCChapter 190: Shop Refresh, and Kuma's Return
Fifteen thousand points!
A five-digit number, a Legendary-quality item.
Shane stretched luxuriously. All that effort had definitely paid off. As far as he could remember, the only other items he'd sacrificed that had reached Legendary status were Luffy's genuine straw hat and Roger's execution stand. This was the third.
The New World really was the best place for shearing sheep!
Shane opened the details of one more item for a quick look.
[Yasopp's Photo of His Late Wife]
[Quality: Excellent]
[Value: 1900 Points]
[Appraisal: A treasured photo belonging to the veteran sniper of the Red-Hair Pirates, Yasopp. It carries his deep love and unfulfilled promises to his deceased wife. The edges are yellowed and heavily worn, but the woman's gentle smile is still clearly visible. The back is inscribed with the words, "To my beloved Banchina." Its sentimental value far exceeds its material worth.]
Sentimental value?
Shane shook his head. He'd sacrificed quite a few photos. For some, after learning the stories behind them, he'd felt a twinge of guilt and tried to make amends, like with the one Smoker's subordinate brought him back in Loguetown.
But for this one... he felt absolutely nothing.
Dragon, the leader of the Revolutionary Army, had still managed to see Luffy off when he set sail. And what about Yasopp? The guy was a piece of work. Forgetting about abandoning his wife and child for years, just a few years ago, he'd followed Shanks back to the East Blue and spent a whole year living with Luffy in Foosha Village, but never once bothered to visit his own hometown.
Shane just couldn't understand it. He'd been out at sea for over half a year, fighting one massive battle after another, and he still managed to call Belle-mère at least once a month.
Closing the details page, Shane did a quick calculation.
The Red-Hair Pirates had contributed a total of 26,000 points. This brought his current balance to a whopping 77,600.
He'd never been this rich!
With a fortune burning a hole in his virtual pocket, Shane's urge to shop was becoming uncontrollable. Soon, in a week at most, the Trade Market would refresh, and by then, they should be arriving at the next island. In the meantime, he would focus on mastering the Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist. Once he had it down completely... he was confident he could go toe-to-toe with any of the Four Emperors and not be at a disadvantage.
Of course, Whitebeard was still a wild card. Until they met, he had no way of knowing the true current state of the "World's Strongest Man."
Shane closed the system panel, grabbed a sugar-free cola from his inventory, and headed for his room, humming a little tune. It had been a fulfilling day. He was going to sleep well tonight.
The only thing that still nagged at him was that Vivre Card the Red-Hairs had accidentally stolen. Whose could it be? Ah, who cares. A fake prop used by a fish-man street vendor to scam people... how important could its owner possibly be?
Agatha Archipelago.
On the mist-shrouded sea, a gaudy, circus-themed pirate ship slowly sailed into view.
"Men! Do you see it?! We're finally here!" Buggy stood at the prow, grinning from ear to ear, his hands on his hips. "According to the treasure map, this island holds a super-treasure worth over 500 million Belly! Once we get our hands on that, the great Captain Buggy will buy the best ship in the world and expand the Buggy Pirates!"
The New World was tough!
Ever since the Marines had chased him out of Paradise, he hadn't been able to fight or bully anyone. He'd been forced to scurry around like a rat in the sewers, just trying to survive... Buggy was on the verge of tears.
Why did this happen to me?! All he'd ever wanted was to quietly hunt for treasure in the East Blue! He never even planned on returning to the Grand Line! How had his bounty just kept rising and rising, leading him to this miserable state? His crew was a bunch of weak, pathetic clowns; not a single one could even use Haki. Were they really cut out for the New World?
But that was all about to change! Once he had that treasure, he'd upgrade his arsenal, expand his forces, and then... heh heh heh...
"Captain Buggy is brilliant!"
"All hail Captain Buggy!"
"ROAR!"
Mohji and his lion, Richie, finally snapped to attention and started the chorus of praise. The rest of the grunts followed suit, grabbing their shovels in excitement, ready to dig for treasure.
Cabaji the Acrobat's cheer was a bit half-hearted. His mind was elsewhere. Perched on his unicycle, he was frantically patting down all his pockets.
Strange. Where's Captain Buggy's Vivre Card?
He remembered being pickpocketed on Fish-Man Island. Had he lost the card then? Captain Buggy had only made two pieces, giving one to him and one to Mohji as a sign of his trust and favor. If the Captain found out he'd lost it... Cabaji swallowed hard, a cold sweat breaking out on his forehead.
"Captain Buggy, look over there!" the lookout suddenly shouted, his eyes wide with terror as he pointed to the island's highest point. "On that tallest red tree on the mountaintop! That flag... I think it's... it's..."
"Hm?" Buggy's upper body detached and flew into the air in a rage. He grabbed the lookout by the collar. "Who are you calling a red-nose?!"
"You misheard me, Captain Buggy!" the lookout wheezed, on the verge of passing out. "I... I said the red tree..."
"You're still saying it! What's so wrong with having a red nose?!" Buggy completely lost it, punching the lookout so hard he went flying into the sea with a scream.
He dusted off his hands and turned to look at the mountain.
There, on the peak, a conspicuous white flag with two swords piercing a seagull fluttered in the morning mist...
"The... The Curtain Call Adventurers?!"
Buggy's eyes bulged, snot dripping from his nose. His limbs detached and flew around in a panic. "This insignificant little speck of an island... it's the territory of that 'World's Greatest Swordsman,' Shane?!"
"Turn the ship around! Turn it around now!"
"Eh? But Captain Buggy, the treasure is right..." Mohji said, confused and a little reluctant.
"That's why you're an idiot, Mohji! What's more important, treasure or my life?! That guy has a bounty of over two billion Belly! Is he someone we can afford to mess with?! He might even be on the island right now! If you want to die, go right ahead!"
Buggy slapped Mohji across the face and roared at the helmsman, "Full retreat! Now! Immediately!"
Waaah, Mohji whimpered, holding his red, swollen cheek. He was new to the New World; he didn't know much about these big shots.
The helmsman spun the wheel with all his might, and the Big Top beat a hasty retreat. Soon, the sea was quiet once more.
A long while later, a pirate's head broke the surface. He stared in disbelief at the empty horizon where the Big Top had vanished.
Captain Buggy! You forgot me!
Five days later, at dawn, The Curtain Call docked at another island.
"Island" was perhaps too generous a term. It was more like a massive, artificially carved-out reef, about the size of a few soccer fields. But it was well-equipped, with five large warehouses labeled "Grog," "Fresh Water," "Staples," "Weapons," and "Misc."
Head Chef Zeff was directing the crew as they loaded supplies onto the ship.
On the wooden pier, a portly old man with white hair was leaning against a railing, carefully counting a stack of Belly. He was dressed in a fine black suit and wore gold-rimmed glasses, his round belly making him look like a well-fed sea lion.
"My, my, what generous customers..." the old man chuckled, stroking his beard, his eyes crinkling into thin slits. "Buying so much at once. It seems you left your last stop in quite a hurry, without time to properly resupply."
Shane stood beside him, hands in his pockets, his gaze sweeping over his busy crew. "Something like that," he said coolly.
This old man, Henry, seemed to have popped up out of nowhere, just like the island itself—a solitary outpost in the vast, empty sea, catering to passing ships.
"Hey, mister," Nami said, walking by with a couple of oranges. She couldn't help but ask, "Are you really the only one on this island? You don't even have any guards. Aren't you afraid pirates will just rob you blind?"
"Pirates?" Fat Henry chuckled, slowly finishing his count before looking up at Nami. A sharp glint flashed in his squinted eyes.
"Little miss, why do you think this island has survived in the New World for so many years without anyone daring to touch its supplies?"
Nami blinked. "Isn't it because... a lot of the islands around here are Whitebeard's territory?"
"Whitebeard?" Fat Henry roared with laughter, his large belly jiggling. "That old geezer doesn't have time to police every little place like this. Besides, you think all New World pirates are well-behaved children? Even in a Yonko's territory, there are always some fearless idiots willing to try their luck."
"There's only one reason I can run my business here in peace." He patted his round stomach. "A decade or so ago, the pirates in these waters used to call me 'River-Cutter' Henry, the strongest bounty hunter."
"'River-Cutter'?" Nami tilted her head. She'd never heard of him.
"It's because I'm a natural at fighting in the water! I'd ambush them from below, slice their ships in half, and force them to fight me in the sea. I've even taken down pirates with bounties of four or five hundred million."
Fat Henry glanced at Shane and chuckled. "Of course, that's nothing in the eyes of Lord Shane here, but it's more than enough to deter the small fry."
"As for the big shots I can't handle, like yourself... you're on a completely different level. You're proper businessmen. You'd never stoop to petty thievery."
Shane silently looked up at the sky.
"Wow, you're that strong...?" Nami was impressed. "I never would have guessed! So, mister, why'd you stop being a bounty hunter and start a business?"
"I got old. You can't make a living risking your life forever," Henry's expression turned a bit sour. "But the main reason... is that I was careless enough to eat a Devil Fruit."
"A Devil Fruit?"
"Yes. The most hateful, most useless kind of Devil Fruit..." Henry sighed. "For Lord Shane's sake, I'll give you a demonstration."
POOF!
His form blurred and expanded. In the blink of an eye, he had transformed into a massive ship, the figurehead a scowling version of his own face. "See? The Paramecia-type, Ship-Ship Fruit... I just don't get it. What kind of sick sense of humor must the god who created Devil Fruits have to make something like this just to mess with people!"
A fruit that lets you turn into a ship... but Devil Fruit users can't swim...
"Pfft—AHAHAHAHA!" Nami collapsed onto the pier, clutching her stomach and rolling with laughter, tears streaming down her face. It was tragic, but she just couldn't help it. This guy had the worst luck! How could such a useless fruit even exist? Her Flame-Flame Fruit was so much cooler and rarer!
POOF!
"Anyway, just thinking about this stupid fruit gets me fired up!" The fat man transformed back, a look of annoyance still on his face. He randomly threw a punch at the sea to vent his frustration.
BOOM!
Fierce flames erupted from his fist, sending a water column dozens of meters into the sky and instantly vaporizing a huge section of the sea. Scalding steam filled the air, and the nearby water boiled for a moment.
"Haaa—"
Nami's laughter died in her throat as if she'd been strangled.
By the time the supplies were loaded, the sun was high in the sky.
Shane was about to head back to the training room when the small Transponder Snail in his pocket started ringing. Purupurupuru...
He took it out. The snail had suddenly sprouted a fuzzy bear-ear hat, and its face had transformed into the gentle, bespectacled visage of an old friend.
"Whoa!" Shane laughed. "It's Kuma! What's up? Is Bonney all better?"
"Yes, Lord Shane," the snail replied with a warm, happy tone. "It took some time, but the disease has been completely cured. I've left my homeland with Bonney and we're on our way. If all goes well, we should reach you in four or five days."
"That's great news!" Shane had been worried. If even Mansherry's powers couldn't cure the Sapphire Scales, his only option would have been a desperate gamble with 5,000 sacrifice points. But it seemed the Heal-Heal Fruit was even more reliable than he'd thought.
"What about Mansherry?" he asked. "Is that little one with you? Does she want to join my crew?" He was still short a ship's doctor.
"She and Bonney are both asleep," the snail said warmly. "She seemed hesitant before. She wants to adventure with you, but she also misses her father and her people. I plan to take her to Dressrosa first to reunite with her family. I'll contact you again once she's made her choice."
"Alright, we'll figure it out then," Shane nodded. "Be careful on the road."
After hanging up, The Curtain Call cast off. With old Henry waving goodbye, they set sail for the next "proper" island.
Shane changed into his training gear and was heading for the training room when he remembered something and checked the system's Trade Market. Just as he expected, it was the start of a new month, and the shop had refreshed.
With over 70,000 points, it was time for a shopping spree. He eagerly opened the market to browse.
But... the very first item made his face darken—
[Teemo's Cotton Underwear]
[Type: Equipment]
[Price: 600 Points]
[Description: From the continent of Valoran. Yordle technology, extremely breathable. When worn, provides +50% resistance to mushroom-based toxins.]
[Seller's Note: Hehehe, furries...]
