Chapter 121: Taking Stock of Gains, Warlord of the Sea Hanafuda [65K]

Snow-Snow Fruit?

Siano felt slightly surprised.

Isn't this supposedly Monet's ability? The one from the Donquixote Family who appeared in the Dressrosa arc six years later in the original timeline.

Who would have thought that, at this moment, this fruit would end up in his hands through such a strange twist of fate.

"A Logia type?"

Kureha also cast an astonished gaze, "This kind of Devil Fruit is quite rare; I didn't expect Wapol to have such a good thing. You little brat, your luck is truly remarkable."

"For others, it is indeed extremely rare, but for our Captain, Logia types seem to have become very ordinary and common," Robin chuckled lightly.

"Oh?" Kureha raised an eyebrow.

"That's true."

Siano clicked his tongue, "Adding this one, there are now fully three Logia users on the ship."

Flame-Flame Fruit, Snow-Snow Fruit, Smoke-Smoke Fruit.

Rounding it off, the ship basically has its own three Admirals obeying him.

"Not interested?"

Kureha giggled, "But I think the ability to control ice and snow is very cool. Hey, how about using this thing to pay the medical fee, handsome?"

"Do you take me for a senile old fool! The medical fee was already paid!"

"Then trade something else for it?"

"What?"

"The secret to this young maiden's eternal youth, beauty, and charm, how about that?"

"Who wants that kind of thing! Besides, old hag, the wrinkles on your face could fit Chopper inside; where is the youth in that!"

"Hey! Do you want to die, you brat!"

The two brawled again with a clatter of blows; after much difficulty, they finally calmed down. Kureha, bruised and swollen, stood aside with her arms crossed in a sulk, while Siano remained unscathed; before turning to leave, he waved with a loud laugh:

"Now we're really leaving. Farewell, old hag! Chopper!"

"Safe travels, Brother Siano, Sister Robin!"

Chopper stood on his tiptoes, waving his arms desperately.

Their figures gradually vanished into the night.

Chopper stood at the doorway, unwilling to leave for a long time, until he could no longer see their backs.

"Alright, stop standing there like a fool."

Kureha patted his head, "If you want to see them again, hurry up and study hard for my sake, and graduate early!"

"Yes! Mother Doctor!"

Chopper wiped his tears, clenched his small hooves tight, and determination burned in his eyes.

Kureha casually assigned Chopper his study tasks for the day; once Chopper returned to his room, she comfortably lay back on the sofa and opened another bottle of wine.

Hmm?

She suddenly looked toward the top of the wine cabinet with deep suspicion.

Just then, a shriek came from inside the room:

"Mother Doctor!"

"Hmm?"

"Where did my cotton candy go? Boo-hoo, I only took a small bite this afternoon and couldn't bear to eat it, planning to finish it when I came back tonight!"

"I don't know; maybe a mouse ate it. Who would be so bored and idle as to steal your candy for no reason!"

Kureha dismissed him impatiently with a perfunctory reply, her eyes searching back and forth all over the wine cabinet.

Compared to the worthless cotton candy...

Strange.

She scratched her head, somewhat puzzled; what happened to that bottle of sherry she had treasured for thirty years, which she had placed on the very top of the cabinet?

Could it be that she was so drunk yesterday that, in a daze, she opened that bottle too?

The night sky.

Kuma, currently soaring through the air, suddenly felt a chill on his scalp; subconsciously, he halted his movement and touched the top of his head.

Eh?

Where is my hat?

He clearly remembered taking it specially from the table and putting it on his head before leaving.

Could it be that his eagerness to reach Dressrosa made him fly too fast, causing the night wind to blow it off just now?

Kuma looked back, hesitated for a moment, and felt somewhat inclined to return and search, but facing the vast ocean... he ultimately gave up and continued at full speed toward the New World.

Drum Island river channel.

Under the moonlight, Siano and Robin boarded the back of a sea turtle moored there.

"Are we going to rendezvous next?"

Robin asked.

"Mm, I contacted them yesterday using the Den Den Mushi I lent you; they just arrived at a place called Hot Spring Island. Robin, do you have a Log Pose pointing there?"

"I do."

Robin unzipped her backpack, "For the dozen or so islands near Alabasta, I have prepared Eternal Poses."

"You've been a huge help, Robin!"

Siano was overjoyed and immediately wrapped her in a bear hug.

Held in his embrace, Robin's body stiffened slightly for an instant, but the next second Siano let go directly, excitedly rummaging through his backpack for the Eternal Pose.

Only then did she return to normal, watching Siano's back as she rubbed her brow with a touch of self-mockery.

Even though she clearly knew the captain was different from those previous guys, a man worthy of trust, she had still reacted with instinctive resistance...

When, exactly, would she be able to completely let go of this vigilance buried deep in her subconscious?

"Why the silence?" Siano asked casually while keeping his head down to search, "Nervous about meeting the other crewmates for the first time?"

"Not really."

Robin extended her arm, gazed at the moon through her fingers for a while, then smiled lightly:

"It's just that I'm used to being alone; suddenly thinking about integrating into a lively group does make one feel a bit unaccustomed."

"Haha, it's fine, don't worry."

Siano finally found the pointer, laughed loudly as he stood up, "There are no rules on my ship; everyone is casual. Aside from being a bit noisy, those guys have no flaws whatsoever; it's very easy to fit in. Oh right, there are cats and dogs on board too, feel free to pet them!"

Cats and dogs?

Robin's eyebrows lifted slightly, a trace of curiosity rising in her heart.

As for the dog, it must refer to that very strong giant wolf, but the cat? Is he talking about that soft little fellow that looks like a mochi?

Where exactly does it look like a cat...

The sea turtle slowly changed direction, carrying the two of them into the night.

Moonlight spilled over the sea surface, shimmering with ripples, as if paving a silver shipping lane.

The evening breeze blew gently.

After leaving Drum Island, the temperature quickly became comfortable; Robin took off her thick winter clothes and spread them out in front of her seat.

Siano used this as a pillow, lying lazily on the turtle shell.

It certainly wasn't as comfortable as lying on Robin's thighs, but since his illness was cured, he felt too awkward to keep pretending to be faint.

At this very moment.

He appeared to be gazing at the sky full of stars, lost in tranquil reverie.

In reality, he had already opened the system panel and was carefully tallying the points gained from this trip to Drum Island.

Ever since obtaining Henry's Theft Handbook last time, he had studied it meticulously, taking the best from each part and mastering it thoroughly; now his stealing skills had reached another level, achieving a state of divine mastery.

During his stay in the treehouse, he had acted continuously multiple times, yet not a single person in the treehouse noticed.

The gains were naturally substantial.

【You sacrificed Chopper's cotton candy, gaining 50 points】

【You sacrificed Kureha's prized sherry, gaining 300 points】

【You sacrificed Wapol's gem crown, gaining 450 points】

【You sacrificed Robin's cowboy hat, gaining 1200 points】

【You sacrificed Bear's bear-ear hat, gaining 3200 points】

The biggest gain was undoubtedly the bear-ear hat; its price of over three thousand points was considerably higher than the value of Crocodile's hook.

From this, one could catch a glimpse of Bear's immense strength.

However, initially, Siano's target had actually been the Bible Bear kept on the table.

Bear had held this Bible in his hands for decades; it had long become the most distinctive item marking his identity, and later even became the key feature distinguishing him from the Pacifistas.

Therefore, it was undoubtedly the most "valuable" thing on Bear, but after Siano casually flipped through a few pages, he realized:

—How could this be any Bible?

Inside the thick entire book, densely packed from cover to cover, were various pieces of information personally recorded by Bear.

For instance, the cycle of Bonney's illness outbreaks, curves of her temperature changes, diagnostic opinions from various doctors, prescriptions tried and their effects...

There were even clipped newspaper fragments recording sporadic reports from around the world about the Sapphire Scale Disease.

Bridge Kingdom, Weatheria Sky Island, Boing Island, Karakuri Island, Amazon Lily... many places were on his itinerary list; some he had already visited, others he had not.

Only then did Siano understand.

In the original timeline, the places where Bear sent the Straw Hat Pirates flying from Sabaody Archipelago to train for two years...

... were precisely the places he had personally stepped foot in while traversing this world to seek medical treatment for his daughter.

The path to redemption lay within it.

Siano immediately closed the "Bible" and returned it to its original place.

If he had really sacrificed that thing, he would have felt so guilty he wouldn't have been able to sleep well all night.

In the end, the bear-ear hat chosen for sacrifice didn't carry too much weight; it was just a hat Bear liked very much. Though not as valuable as the Bible, it was still worth 3200 points; adding the other items, the total came to 5200 points.

This brought Siano's remaining points to 50,700, breaking through the fifty-thousand threshold for the first time and becoming more abundant than ever before.

Closing the system panel, Siano's mood instantly became much more pleasant and relaxed.

Tsk, sometimes, being too rich is also a burden.

After reuniting with the crewmates, it wouldn't take many days for the Shangcheng to refresh.

Hopefully, by then, some good items will appear, allowing him to spend lavishly~

Time flew by in a flash.

In the blink of an eye, five days had passed; Siano and Robin arrived at Hot Spring Island and successfully reunited with everyone.

This Hot Spring Island was also a somewhat famous vacation resort.

The island is dotted with natural hot springs, their vents gushing year-round, shrouded in mist.

Rumored to be rich in minerals and possess healing properties for the body, these waters attract many tourists annually for recuperation and vacation.

The group had been waiting here for some time and were already thoroughly familiar with the place; the moment Siano arrived, the crew immediately dragged him off to the island's finest hot spring bathhouse.

This suited Siano just fine.

Drifting on a turtle shell for too long was hardly comfortable; even washing up was a problem, so he planned to rest properly here with Robin for a day, replenish his spirits, and then set out for the next stop.

……

Night deepened.

The hot spring district was enveloped in hazy mist; paper lanterns hung beneath the eaves, their warm yellow glow diffusing through the steamy vapor, illuminating the entire bathhouse like a dreamlike realm.

Splash—

Amid the rising white steam, Siano leaned backward, collapsing into the bath constructed of volcanic rock.

Warm water lapped over his shoulders and neck, his muscles and tendons relaxing inch by inch; the Mao Jin atop his head, wilted by the heat, hung limp, but he couldn't be bothered to adjust it, merely letting out a long, contented sigh:

"Indeed, after coming from that winter island where one freezes to death, nothing beats soaking in a hot spring..."

Suddenly, smoke drifted over from the right.

Siano fell silent, turning his head toward the adjacent pool. "I say, Smoker, surely that's unnecessary? Even while bathing in a hot spring, you bring your cigar inside? Can't you endure even this brief moment without smoking, or will you die if you don't?"

"Can't be helped, my lord."

Smoker grinned, raising the cigar between his fingers. "This was a gift from Young Lady Robin; she said it's a rare treasure most beloved by Sand Crocodile, worth fifty thousand Berries for just one stick. I've never smoked anything of such high quality before; since I have the chance, shouldn't I savor it properly?"

A gift from Robin?

Has she already started making her move so quickly?

Siano raised an eyebrow, finding it somewhat amusing.

He remembered clearly.

In the original timeline, when Robin first boarded the Merry, apart from Sanji immediately surrendering in welcome, everyone else regarded her with extreme wariness and hostility.

And Robin?

She easily seized the weaknesses of Nami, Chopper, and the others, tackling them one by one; with just a few minor tricks, she swiftly dispelled the entire crew's guard against her.

Now, could his own crew not escape the same fate?

If doing this would put Robin at ease and help her integrate into the group faster...

Siano grinned; he would merely watch the fun from the sidelines, too lazy to interfere.

"Old Man Zeff."

He looked up at Zeff opposite him, who was engrossed in a book, and cheerfully asked, "Don't tell me Robin gave you something good too?"

"Eh? Captain, how did you know?"

Zeff looked up in surprise, closed the book in his hands, and showed the cover to Siano.

"Here, this is what Young Lady Robin gave me: 'The Complete Collection of Lost Alabasta Cuisine,' said to have been found among Crocodile's collection."

He flipped open the pages, excitement shining in his eyes.

"Alabasta truly deserves its title as an ancient civilization; many dishes recorded here, even I have never seen! Especially this Gaia Roasted Meat—it uses natural stone slabs heated by the scorching sun as cookware, then adds fragrant orchids, perilla leaves..."

Once the topic turned to cooking, Zeff immediately couldn't stop, rambling on endlessly to Siano and Smoker.

Siano let it go in one ear and out the other; shifting his gaze, he glanced at the high wall constructed of bamboo rafts nearby.

Tsk, even the old man, usually the most steady and composed on the ship, had been easily won over.

He wondered if any of the young girls could escape Robin's grasp.

……

At the same time.

Inside the women's bathhouse, separated by just one wall.

Within the white, flowery steam, dazzling holy light collided and pressed against each other.

"Waaah! Thank you, Sister Robin!"

Nami excitedly hugged Robin. "Drum Island, Torao Island... you've prepared complete chart data for all the islands near Alabasta? This is wonderful! My Grand Line chart-drawing plan can now leap forward by a huge step!"

"It was no trouble."

Robin smiled gently; once Nami eagerly took the navigational materials off to examine them, she handed a thick stack of books to Nojiko.

"These are several Fist Style secret manuals collected by Baroque Works, primarily focusing on Mr. 2's Okama Fist Style. While girls cannot learn this Set of Fist Styles, some contents within are quite valuable; you can use them to check for gaps and make up for deficiencies, just for reference."

Nojiko took them, and after flipping through just a few pages, her eyes lit up.

What a treasure!

Just as the other had said, for her who was simultaneously cultivating several different Fist Styles, this summarized version of the secret manual held much merit and was quite beneficial to her.

"Sister Robin!!!"

Nojiko couldn't help but pounce over as well.

In the corner of the bathhouse.

Sister Sister Guyina, wrapped in a bath towel, leaned against the bamboo raft, coldly staring at that slender silhouette.

Hmph.

That cunning old woman.

She's merely a newcomer who just defected to my lord Siano, yet she's already using gifts as a means to rapidly close the distance with the crew?

Even Nami and Nojiko are calling her 'Sister'!

Damn it.

That ease and mastery of a mature woman is simply infuriating!

But...

Since she had already seen through it, there was no way she would fall for such a trick!

As for gifts, wouldn't it be better to simply refuse them outright...

"Vice-Captain Sister Sister Guyina."

A gentle voice came from beside her, accompanied by a faint floral fragrance that drifted into her nose; Sister Sister Guyina turned her head in shock, only then realizing that Robin had somehow appeared right in front of her.

"There's no problem with calling you that, right?" Robin blinked. "After all, that's how it's written in the newspapers and on the wanted posters."

"Uh, well, calling me that here is fine, I suppose."

Sister Sister Guyina's small face instantly turned red as she whispered, "But please don't call me that in front of my lord Siano yet; he... he hasn't officially approved it, so I can't..."

"It will surely be fine."

Robin leaned forward slightly, smiling gently. "I watched everything during that battle at the dock; the bearing of a main commander and the powerful strength you displayed make it clear that this position belongs to no one but you, correct?"

"Eh? Is, is that so?"

Sister Sister Guyina was already feeling a bit dizzy; damn it, it must be the steam in this hot spring bathhouse being too hot, making her feel like she couldn't even stand steady!

"Additionally, Vice-Captain, I have prepared a gift for you as well: a famous blade that has circulated in Alabasta for a long time."

"Of course, its quality certainly cannot compare to your Wado Ichimonji, but as a spare sword, it should barely qualify."

"This is..."

Sister Sister Guyina widened her eyes, bursts of delighted light exploding within them. "Huazhou, one of the fifty Fine Blades!"

On the other side of the high bamboo raft wall.

After hearing Sister Sister Guyina involuntarily shout out "Big Sister Robin."

Siano shrugged his shoulders and withdrew his attentive gaze.

Well, even the swordswoman girl has been won over, so there's no need to say more about his two muddle-headed little sisters; it seems the result is already obvious.

The next day, early morning.

Everyone had recovered their condition and was now in peak spirits.

The Curtain Fall, now fully charged with magnetic power, did not delay further; that very day, it departed from the Hot Spring Island, heading toward the next destination indicated by the Log Pose: Alabasta.

Siano sat beneath a sun umbrella, leisurely sipping coffee while gazing at the distant horizon where the sea met the sky.

Alabasta, huh.

Even though his own journey of adventure had not yet reached that place, the mastermind behind the scenes looming over this country, Old Sand, seemed as if he had been dead for hundreds of years already.

This feeling was truly quite wonderful.

The Baroque Works had scattered like monkeys when the tree falls, and the drought in Alabasta had not yet begun; it seemed there would be no major upheavals in this location.

He could travel around to appreciate the cultural and natural scenery of this ancient desert kingdom, then proceed directly along the route to the target he cared about most.

—That piece of Poneglyph hidden deep within the royal capital Alubarna, located beneath the Tomb of the Kings.

It recorded evidence proving the Pluton actually existed in history, along with information on its whereabouts; Robin should be quite interested in this.

As for Siano himself...

He had no interest in Pluton, but he was very interested in the stone slab itself.

"I heard that all Poneglyph slabs are indestructible..."

Desire flickered in his eyes.

With his strength gradually improving, steel plates alone could no longer satisfy his daily needs for martial arts training.

Switching to a Poneglyph seemed like it might be more promising?

Alabasta, Erumalu.

This place was a famously renowned oasis city in Alabasta.

Serving as the gateway to the Sandora River, it was also a mandatory passage for merchant ships and travelers entering the heartland of Alabasta.

On both sides of the riverbank, stone-built docks extended out into the azure water; merchant ships laden with various goods often had to dock here to unload treasures from distant lands.

However—

At this very moment, the merchant ships at the dock were terribly congested, masts crowded together like a forest in the wide river channel, cargo boxes that should have been loaded and unloaded in time piled up like mountains, and sailors anxiously leaned over the gunwales peering out.

"Still not letting us pass?"

"What exactly is going on? Are they going to let people through or not!"

"Just arrived, huh? Don't rush; I've been waiting here all day myself, and it's still early!"

"You've been here since yesterday, old man? Do you know what the situation is right now?"

"Look farther out yourself; don't you have eyes?" the old captain snorted coldly. "With such a huge pirate ship blocking the way there, who dares to go past?"

"A pirate ship?" someone scoffed. "How novel; everyone doing business on this Grand Line has seen a pirate ship before. The Sandora River is so wide; do you really think one single ship can block all of us?"

"Bai Chi, do you think it's an ordinary pirate?"

The old captain sneered coldly, pointing his dried tobacco pipe at the fluttering Jolly Roger. "Do you see that giant figure, five or six meters tall, beneath the flag?"

"That fellow is none other than Boss Hua Zha, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea designated by the World Government! A terrifying monster with a former bounty as high as 500 million Berries!"

"Not all Seven Warlords are as approachable as my lord Crocodile; if you want to go seek death, I certainly won't stop you!"

The surrounding sailors suddenly gasped in unison:

"S-S-Seven Warlords...?"

"What is he doing here?"

A massive black ship lay across the Hekou like a behemoth, its scarlet sails emblazoned with playing card ghost patterns snapping loudly in the hot desert wind.

On the spacious deck.

A man clad in a black coat leaned lazily against the railing, while over a dozen merchants, bound tight like zongzi, knelt at his feet.

"Tell me, didn't I make it clear? Until I get what I want, not a single ship is allowed into this river. Why didn't you believe me and insist on forcing your way through?"

Boss Hua Zha finished speaking with a beaming smile, then, under the terrified gazes of the merchants, drew the massive scythe from behind him, a weapon four or five meters long—

Whoosh!

The scythe suddenly plunged into the deck, pinning itself into the wood just beside a merchant's ear.

The merchants, bound like zongzi, spasmed collectively, their bodies jerking; one wearing wire-rimmed glasses was so frightened he urinated in his pants, the pungent stench spreading across the deck.

"Tsk, so your courage isn't all that great after all."

Boss Hua Zha sneered, strolled forward leisurely, and pulled the scythe free again:

"Laozi has been blocking this river for an entire day, yet the royal family of Alabasta hasn't made a move. Do they consider the loss of one day's blockage insignificant, or are they simply disregarding me too much..."

He stroked the scythe and said indifferently, "Tell me, if there were more bloodshed, if a few dozen more lives were lost, would the royal family arrive any faster?"

A deathly silence fell over the deck.

"Why is no one speaking?" Boss Hua Zha's expression turned cold. "Do you merchants also disregard me?"

"Mmph, mmph mmph...!" The merchant with the wire-rimmed glasses struggled desperately, tears nearly streaming from his eyes in his anxiety.

Boss Hua Zha stared at him for two seconds before suddenly realizing, then turned his head in embarrassed rage:

"Jack, you idiot! Laozi told you to bind these people, not to gag them as well!"

Eh?

The sturdy, golden-haired youth froze, scratching his head foolishly:

"Apologies, Boss Hua Zha! This is my first time accompanying you on a mission; I didn't hear clearly. Please forgive me!"

"Cut the nonsense and get it done!"

"Yes!"

Under Boss Hua Zha's furious glare, the blond youth named Jack hurried forward several steps and removed the rag stuffed in the merchant's mouth.

(End of Chapter)