Chapter 21: A Bountiful Harvest

Night had fallen.

On a high slope in the north of Pale Cherry Island lay a cemetery bordering the sea.

Siano casually carried Sakuraba Ki's corpse over one shoulder as he stepped through the cemetery gates, with Junichi biting his lip in silence and following closely behind.

"Where?"

"This way, Boss." Junichi led Siano to an aged grave.

The headstone above bore Sakuraba Ki's name.

They dug open the grave, and sure enough, it was empty inside.

A desolate, lonely evening wind blew into the cemetery; cherry blossoms by the grave withered and drifted down onto the frail boy's shoulders.

Junichi squatted on the ground and suddenly burst into loud wails.

How he wished it were all just an illusion—that the monster, driven so mad it was beyond description, was not his father, and that the true Sakuraba Ki had already peacefully closed his eyes, lying within this tomb.

Siano watched quietly from the side.

At such a time, no excessive comfort was needed; all that was required was to give the other some time to vent their emotions.

He could understand Junichi's feelings; for the person one had always admired and respected most to suddenly become a frenzied demon was a blow not everyone could bear.

Glancing back toward the district, Siano appeared lost in thought.

Just earlier in the dojo, after defeating this true "Carpenter," those puppets that had not yet fully transformed slowly rose and regained consciousness.

Meanwhile, a large contingent of Navy branch soldiers had arrived outside, along with reporters rushing to capture footage.

If they didn't leave soon, they would become the center of public opinion; Siano dreaded such trouble most, so he took Sakuraba Ki's corpse and left the city from the north with Junichi, coming to this cemetery.

In any case, with plenty of witnesses and evidence at the scene, there was no fear of the truth being buried.

Henceforth, Sakuraba Ki's legend on Pale Cherry Island would likely shift from that of a great swordsman who founded the Kendo Tournament to that of a homicidal demon devoid of sanity.

Junichi's wish to revive the Pale Cherry Dojo was probably now...

An unknown amount of time passed.

Junichi's emotions finally began to settle.

With Siano's help, he placed the corpse into the grave, then pulled several crumpled cherry-blossom candies from his pocket, silently scattering them over the body before covering it with soil once more.

After kowtowing forcefully several times and taking one deep look at the headstone, he followed Siano out of the cemetery gates.

The Celestial Dragons, Navy Vice Admiral Stieless... the frail boy's fists quietly clenched tight.

After walking for some time.

"Is there any underground secret chamber or the like beneath your family's former dojo or house?" Siano suddenly asked.

Junichi paused, startled: "Boss, why suddenly ask about this?"

"I found this inside your father's body just now."

Siano pulled out a dark yellow wooden box, shaped surprisingly like a heart.

"This is his heart; whether it was the Puppet-Puppet Fruit that turned his heart into a block of wood without warmth, or whether that heart which had long lost its warmth caused him to slowly become a true puppet—who can say?"

Who could possibly clarify that?

Junichi's gaze was complex, unsure how to respond, and then he saw Siano open the wooden box, revealing an intricately designed key inside.

"A key hidden within the heart surely means something important lies behind that door." Siano patted his shoulder. "Let's go find it."

Half an hour later.

Guided by Junichi's childhood memories, the two successfully discovered an extremely concealed underground passage beneath the old house of the Sakuraba Dojo.

Reaching the end, an unremarkable wooden door blocked their path.

Siano rapped it with his fist and immediately sensed something: "There's a thick steel plate layer behind this; without the key, probably few people in the entire East Blue could force it open."

Undoubtedly, this was the most important and secretive place for Sakuraba Ki.

Using the key to open the door, the two stepped inside; upon turning on the lights, both instinctively raised their hands to shield their eyes.

For in this not-so-large room, shelves on all four walls were piled high with various glittering treasures of gold and silver, nearly blinding them.

"Is this... my father's treasury?" Junichi stared blankly around. "So the over one billion Berries he earned were all here?"

"Doesn't look like that much." Siano made a rough estimate and shook his head, his attention drawn instead to the items on the desk.

Piled atop it were account books, letters, and various maps and documents...

He pulled out a chair, sat down, patiently read through everything, and after a brief organization, a comprehensive route plan for revenge instantly became clear.

"I must say, your father's plan for revenge actually had a slight chance of success." Siano sounded somewhat surprised.

The upper limit on the number of people the Puppet-Puppet Fruit could control was far greater than Sakuraba Ki had previously claimed, and the effective control range was also much farther than Siano had assumed.

It even extended hundreds of nautical miles from Pale Cherry Island, reaching into the territory of the Rayacote Kingdom.

Approximately three years ago, leveraging the appeal of the Kendo Tournament, Sakuraba Ki had invited several local officials from the Rayacote Kingdom to visit Pale Cherry Island as guests.

From among them, he selected a dozen or so promising individuals and implanted Puppet Strings.

Then, through extensive financial operations and casting a wide net, he nurtured these dozen officials into ministers relied upon by the Rayacote royal family.

Two of them were recommended by the royal family and, just a month ago, passed the World Government's selection process, soon to be promoted to work as World Government employees in the Holy Land, Mary Geoise.

If this continued, there would eventually be an opportunity to encounter those two female Celestial Dragons.

It was for this reason that Sakuraba Ki felt the time had come, preparing to abandon his foundation on Pale Cherry Island and head for the Sabaody Archipelago.

That was the island in the Grand Line closest to the Holy Land, a distance sufficient for him to manipulate at any time those two puppets promoted to the World Government.

"After operating for these few years, he probably invested six or seven hundred million Berries, and finally it bore fruit."

Siano tossed the letters back to their original place. "The remaining funds amount to over five hundred million; more than one hundred million is here, while the remaining four hundred million Berries are stored in the bank vault in Loguetown; the vault key and identity verification card are both here."

"Which means, Junichi," Siano said with a smile as he lifted his head, "you are now a genuine multimillionaire."

"Don't joke about it, Boss."

Junichi shook his head decisively. "His money is black-hearted; I won't inherit it. That guy has no relation to me now! If anything, this money should rightfully belong to you, Boss!"

"Mine?"

Siano was slightly stunned.

"Isn't that only natural?"

Junichi said seriously, "The evil spirit that possessed my father was defeated entirely thanks to you, and you were the one who discovered the key. Isn't it only natural that all of this is your spoils of war?"

It really did seem that way...

Siano didn't have Junichi's kind of mental fastidiousness, but still... could it be true? Was all this money really his now?

Initially, he had only aimed for the Kendo Tournament championship and its five million reward, but now all seven dojo masters were dead, and he didn't even know whom to approach to claim that prize money.

Now, instead, the five million had multiplied over a hundred times, becoming six hundred million Berries?

He had instantly become a super-tycoon.

"Taking all six hundred million Berries feels a bit unsettling."

Siano ultimately shook his head, recalling the corpses in the dojo. "Moreover, while the cash in this room is easy to carry, the rest is too bulky; the two of us can't take it all."

"Can't we just leave it here temporarily and come back for it later?" Junichi paused, puzzled. "Anyway, no one else here can open it, right?"

"No, I only need to take the four hundred million from the bank vault. I've counted over a million in cash in this secret room, which we can also take. The remaining wealth, worth over a hundred million Berries, should serve as compensation for those victims."

Siano picked up pen and paper and began writing furiously.

"Later, we'll clear out everything here related to the revenge plan, especially anything concerning the Celestial Dragons. As for the remaining treasure..."

He turned to look at Junichi. "Among the upper-class figures on the island, is there anyone whose character is reliable?"

"Yes." Junichi thought carefully. "Mr. Az, the former honorary president of the Kendo Guild, is one. He has been incorruptible his whole life, stubborn in temper, and extremely powerful. He has used most of his family fortune to sponsor children from poor families. Everyone respects him. Before my father became what he later was, he treated Mr. Az as his teacher for several decades."

"Besides Mr. Az, there are a few others, but their prestige pales in comparison..."

"Then let Mr. Az oversee and supervise the distribution. Also, go to the publishing house to make several extra copies, inform the most trustworthy individuals about the vault's treasure, and give nothing to anyone with even a hint of doubt. Ensure that this treasure is distributed to the victims' families as widely as possible."

"Alright, done! Let's start clearing out the letters."

After tucking the notification letter safely into his bosom, Siano began helping Junichi clean out this secret room filled with secrets, ensuring nothing was overlooked.

As they cleaned, Siano suddenly raised an eyebrow, his gaze landing on a certain compartment of the cabinet.

This compartment held only a sword sheath that looked utterly ordinary, which seemed somewhat strange.

Beside it was a photo seemingly cut from a newspaper, showing a middle-aged bearded man draped in a white Justice cloak, smiling at the camera.

"Could it be that this sword sheath is..."

Siano instantly realized something. Glancing back to confirm Junichi wasn't looking this way, he grabbed the sheath and activated Sacrifice.

As expected.

In the next instant, the sword sheath vanished without a trace, and the system panel floated before his eyes.

【Sacrifice: Sword Sheath of Stainless】

【Quality: Epic】

【Value: 600 Points】

【Appraisal Comment: One of the fifty Fine Blades, the original sheath of 'Winter Rain.' Five years ago, it fell into the sea while being clutched by the struggling Sakuraba Ki, causing the sheath that had accompanied its owner for nearly twenty years to vanish without a trace. Marine Vice Admiral Stainless often feels regret and sorrow over this incident.】

Second update, humbly requesting monthly tickets~!

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(End of Chapter)