Chapter 40: The Monk May Escape, But the Temple Cannot

Parrot Island.

Xiang Keluo, who had just disembarked, looked at Zango and the Cat Brothers before him, momentarily unsure what expression to wear.

Learning that the gold he had accumulated over more than a decade was stolen overnight, he was about to explode with rage.

"So, dozens or even hundreds of you were completely fooled by two fifteen- or sixteen-year-old female thieves?"

"I told you to guard the place, and this is how you guarded it?"

In the midst of his words.

Xiang Keluo wiped his face with his hand; by his old nature, anyone involved in this matter would have been thrown into the sea to feed the fish on the spot.

"Meeting you geniuses is truly my good fortune."

"Captain, if you say that, we'll feel embarrassed~"

The two pirates responsible for guarding scratched their heads with embarrassed expressions.

"You really think I'm praising you!"

Xiang Keluo's mouth twitched; the claw knife in his arms unsheathed, displaying a chilling, cold gleam.

Everyone then recalled that until more than a month ago, the person before them was still the hundred-plans Xiang Keluo who killed without blinking and regarded his subordinates as tools.

The two responsible for guarding immediately knelt down, their whole bodies shaking like a sieve, with not a trace of their earlier unprofessional demeanor remaining.

"Xiang Keluo!"

Gao Wen pressed down on Xiang Keluo's shoulder.

"Understood."

Xiang Keluo then put down the claw knife, but the look in his eyes directed at the two pirates still carried unmasked killing intent.

Failing to guard properly, and even failing to realize the severity of the problem, was an unforgivable grave crime in any pirate crew.

Even Gao Wen's expression toward the two gradually grew cold:

"Tell the whole story from beginning to end, in detail."

"Yes!"

Under the fear.

Their voices trembled, and their speech was unclear.

But Gao Wen still managed to piece together the sequence of events from their mouths, murmuring to himself:

"Two fifteen- or sixteen-year-old girls; one had short orange hair and a strangely shaped tattoo on her arm, while the other had short purple hair..."

Two figures gradually floated into Gao Wen's mind, so much so that the corners of his mouth curled up slightly:

"The monk may escape, but the temple cannot."

"This money won't be lost; even if it is, we can take it back from someone else."

Xiang Keluo sighed, raised his hand to push up his glasses, and looked at the two pirates with a cold, sharp gaze:

"Captain, how should we deal with these two?"

The two were slightly stunned; they felt Xiang Keluo's gaze upon them as if looking at a dead man, and hurriedly knelt to beg for mercy.

After pondering for a moment, Gao Wen glanced at the two and said calmly:

"Lock them up for now."

"If this money can be recovered, I'll spare you once; if it cannot be recovered, then I can only let you feed the fish."

Having spoken, Gao Wen ignored the two's pleas for mercy and directly ordered someone to take them away and lock them up.

Not executing them on the spot as Xiang Keluo would have done was already Gao Wen's mercy.

It was because if Gao Wen showed abnormal tolerance in such matters, it would only make the people in the pirate crew more lax, leading to more similar mistakes.

And while there was still a chance to make amends this time, the next time the consequences could be fatal.

Therefore, even Zango and the Cat Brothers did not speak up to plead for the two pirates.

Gao Wen understood this; having been pirates for many years, they naturally understood as well, and Gao Wen's handling of the matter was already quite merciful.

"Let this matter end here."

Gao Wen glanced around; although more than half a month had passed, the pirates present were still wrapped in bandages.

Even though Xiang Keluo and Arkin had regained their ability to move, it was still not difficult to see the paleness of their complexions.

After a brief thought.

Gao Wen decided to rest and recuperate for a while, and only set off for Cocoyasi Village after the pirate crew had basically recovered its strength.

Nowadays, that place concerned not only the gold Xiang Keluo had lost.

More importantly, there was a top navigator there—Nami—who could be called first-class even on the Grand Line, or even in the New World, and who was so skilled that Golden Lion would not hesitate to fight to recruit her.

If Zoro and Sanji were undoubtedly Gold-class in combat, then by comparison, Nami in navigation had already approached the ceiling of this world.

Thinking of his and Xiang Keluo's poor navigation skills, Gao Wen's mouth twitched.

The climate of the East Blue had already been somewhat unbearable for him; if he rashly entered the Grand Line, perhaps just those bizarre seas so absurd they could be called fantasy would be enough to make him meet his doom.

Therefore, in such a situation, an excellent navigator was indispensable.

"Since the swordsman and the chef are already among my prepared crew, what harm is there in adding one more navigator?"

Gao Wen's eyes grew firm.

Immediately, he thought of other matters.

Nowadays, Xiang Keluo's potential had risen to Bai Yin, and he had also taken in Arkin, who had awakened Observation Haki.

Gao Wen also planned to use this time to further improve his own combat power to cope with the increasingly fierce battles ahead.

At the same time, he grew even more eager to see how much improvement a Bai Yin-class crew member could bring him.

The next day.

On the stone cliff at the center of Para Island.

Xiang Keluo, having barely recovered his mobility, impatiently began his cultivation.

Shigan, which required high-intensity physical activity, naturally had to be set aside for now, but Observation Haki, which emphasized perception, was not subject to such limitations.

Xiang Keluo slowly sat cross-legged, closed his eyes, and perceived everything around him.

Clear sounds of insects chirping and birds calling came from all directions; the sea breeze carried moisture that brushed against his body, bringing a slight chill.

His heart, however, gradually calmed down, becoming like a pool of stagnant water.

At a certain moment, ripples spread across the water's surface.

Subconsciously, Xiang Keluo raised his hand and precisely pinched a wasp flying in from the distance.

The wasp's ferocious mouthparts and sharp stinger twisted uneasily in the air, while a layer of purple-black liquid oozed from its abdomen, clearly carrying some kind of poison.

Xiang Keluo opened his eyes, crushed the poisonous insect to death with one grip, then closed his eyes again to savor the sensation from just before, muttering to himself:

"The perception of Observation Haki is not direct like the five human senses—sight, hearing, touch, smell, and taste; instead, it feels more like a kind of intuition."

"It makes no sense, follows no logic; I just know you are there!"

"Rather than calling it a sensation, it would be better to call it an intuition."

"Gao Wen once said that Haki is the manifestation of the heart; following that logic, Observation Haki should be the human body's intuitive perception of danger."

"And this intuition can be actively released through cultivation!"

Having said this.

Xiang Keluo felt a sudden realization and closed his eyes once more.

He sat quietly there until nightfall, only then slowly rising to his feet.

Feeling his application of Observation Haki gradually becoming familiar, Xiang Keluo's eyes held nothing but indescribable excitement.

"Once I fully master Observation Haki, I will surely be able to push the speed of Shigan to an even higher level!"

"By that time, even that fellow Gao Wen won't be my match!"

As he spoke, Xiang Keluo almost envisioned the scene of himself defeating Gao Wen.

Although he now genuinely accepted Gao Wen from the bottom of his heart, if given the choice, who wouldn't want to be the one giving orders?

"Once my body fully recovers, it will be time for me to become captain again!"

On the other side.

Gao Wen, having just finished washing up and preparing to go to bed, suddenly heard a system notification ring in his mind:

"Constitution Experience +8!"

"Swordsmanship Experience +7!"

"Observation Haki Experience +33!"

(End of Chapter)