Chapter 19

Silence.

Silence filled the Kangqiao tonight.

Lowering your head, you fixed your gaze on your right arm stretched out in midair. You, who had always dreaded pain, found yourself for the first time entertaining the thought of cutting off your own hand.

Expressionless, you crouched down and began rubbing your fist crazily against the bald shopkeeper’s shirt, infusing your punch with the power of Armament Haki, then unleashed a flurry of blows.

“Wah! Stop, stop! Ah!”

The grocery store owner, who had lost a front tooth from your Haki-empowered fist, hastily raised his arm to shield his head, emitting increasingly strange noises as items began spilling uncontrollably from his pockets, clattering all over the ground.

[System: Acquired 1500 Berries, 1 ordinary sunflower sunglasses (Attack -5, Defense +5, Agility -10).]
[System: Acquired 1 wooden comb with missing teeth, 1 half bottle of shiny hair oil (Use: Charm -1, head remains oily for 24 hours).]
[System: Acquired 4 ordinary burlap cloths.]
[System: Acquired 2 mint-flavored condoms.]
[System: Acquired 1 hand-drawn map of Wusente Island.]

A map?

Not long ago, you had lamented the inconvenience of not having one, and now, unexpectedly, you had received exactly what you needed.

Wusente Island was clearly the very island you currently stood on, home to the Kingdom of Dasheduo, with the Doctor’s Town located in the lower-left corner of the entire kingdom.

Just as you were about to scrutinize the terrain of Doctor’s Town, the groaning bald-headed shopkeeper struggled to his feet.

Though he regained mobility, this time he did not attempt to attack you again, and the “Anger” label above his head disappeared.

Looking disheveled, he returned to his stall (paying no mind to the thick mucus you had rubbed onto his clothes), baring the gap where his front tooth had been knocked out. “Who… who exactly are you two?”

Option 1: We are ordinary citizens.
Option 2: I’m the daughter of a pirate, he is a pirate.
Option 3: I’m a passing monkey, he sells cucumbers, you’ve got the wrong people.
Option 4: Leave.

“I’m the daughter of a pirate, he is a pirate.”

“Pi-pirates!?”

The bald shopkeeper’s expression changed instantly. He glared fiercely at you and said sternly, “Damn pirates! Don’t think you’ll revel in this for long. There’s a Marine base near this island… and I heard that the legendary hero Garp has also arrived on Wusente Island!”

“The guards don’t care about trivial matters, but the righteous Marines are different. They will definitely catch you two and teach you a harsh lesson!”

“Ugh.”

Shanks made a choked sound, pulling at the straw hat atop his head. “So that person came to the island too. What a pain. Luckily, we’re leaving tonight…”

What kind of reaction was that?

You recalled the name Garp—it sounded vaguely familiar. When you first arrived at the dock, the man who had fought with your father was apparently named Monkey D. Garp.

It seemed Shanks, as a crew member of the Roger Pirates, also knew that Marine officer with the “D” in his name.

Option 1: About Garp.
Option 2: About the Marines.
Option 3: Did a mosquito bite your leg?
Option 4: Leave.

A thought bubble with “...” appeared over Shanks. You opened the dialogue box to browse options and immediately noticed option 3.

Damn it, that made you mad!

You could never forget how he suddenly bent over just now. Gritting your teeth, you read out the third option: “Did a mosquito bite your leg?”

“Oh? Yeah, didn’t expect mosquitoes these days to be so fierce. Thanks for your concern.”

[System: Shanks’ favorability +1.]

…Who the hell is caring for you!

You almost spat blood in frustration. What was worse, Shanks’ favorability had now reached 60 just because of that, and you couldn’t feel happy about it at all.

Annoyed, you figured the first two options were for learning more about the story. Seeing Shanks was still selectable, you casually read the first option: “About Garp.”

“Garp?”

“You mean Monkey D. Garp?” The red-haired boy lazily lifted his arm and rested it behind his head. “That guy has some history with our captain. I heard the two of them teamed up to defeat the Rocks Pirates… that was the crew your old man used to be part of. Since then, Garp became a legendary Marine hero.”

Your poor father’s old pirate ship?

So he had broken away from another pirate crew.

You sifted through the long explanation, plucking just that keyword, then indifferently asked, “About the Marines.”

“The Marines? Of course, they’re the ones responsible for catching pirates like us, haha!”

…Such a needless explanation.

You were about to end the conversation when the previously listless bald shopkeeper suddenly perked up again. Like he’d been injected with adrenaline, he straightened his back, spitting as he spoke, “The Marines are the supreme force directly under the World Government, and they obey the Celestial Dragons!”

“Rumor has it the king invited our town’s mayor to the palace because the Holy Land sent notice that the Celestial Dragons might come to visit the famed Wusente Island in a few days.”

“If anything happens to the Celestial Dragons, the three Marine Admirals will mobilize to protect them. Their power is enough to destroy an entire island. Got that? This is the Marines’ strength! Absolute justice beyond your imagination!”

Quite impressive.

Very formidable.

Your left ear heard in, your right ear heard out, almost in skip mode, too lazy to listen carefully. Noticing a new dialogue box appeared over the bald man’s head with “...” inside, you reached out and tapped it.

Option 1: I’m not afraid, I have my father and brother to protect me.
Option 2: Who do you think you’re talking to? Scum! I am a Celestial Dragon!
Option 3: Leave.

That option again.

Honestly, you’ve seen the “I am a Celestial Dragon” option countless times before, never had the chance to choose it, but the bald man didn’t care, and you didn’t care about his favorability either.

Since the Marines exist solely to protect the Celestial Dragons, you had no reason to fear them, right?

You lowered your head and rummaged through your backpack, pulling out the very first item you had stored—the Celestial Dragon’s oxygen helmet. In front of the bald man and Shanks, you snapped it onto your head.

“Who do you think you’re talking to?”

Raising your chin slightly, hands on hips in a proud pose, you looked down your nose at them. The transparent helmet reflected a dazzling glare in the sunlight.

“Scum, I am a Celestial Dragon.”