"Once I get this ship, I can cross Reverse Mountain and head to the Grand Line…"
Xiano's calm gaze fell upon the system panel.
He had no intention of lingering in the small pond that was the East Blue any longer.
Counting the time he spent in rigorous training before Arlong arrived, he had been steadily developing in the East Blue for four years. If it weren't for wanting to spend more time with his family before adulthood, he would have already ventured into the Grand Line.
As for his current strength, it was far beyond what it used to be.
[Name: Xiano (Siano)]
[Age: 18]
[Height: 185/370 cm]
[Strength: 6.8]
[Agility: 6.6]
[Endurance: 6.4]
[Mental Power: 5.2]
[Skills: Six Styles (Mastery), Armament Haki (Great Mastery), Life Return (Great Mastery), Breathing Fist Technique (Mastery), Ripple Fist (Great Mastery), Brain Shut Technique (Great Mastery), Flesh Furnace Method (Great Mastery), Sealed Dust Severance Slash (Great Mastery), Fishing (Great Mastery), Mining (Great Mastery), Theft (Great Mastery)]
[Remaining Points: 29,000]
Three years ago, when most of his stats were still in the 3-4 range, he had already been able to single-handedly crush the Arlong Pirates with ease.
And now.
His foundational stats had reached terrifying levels.
His physical skills, represented by the Six Styles, were nearly perfected, bolstered by his formidable physique.
To put it simply.
If the version of himself that defeated the Arlong Pirates were to stand before him now, he would be torn to shreds in mere seconds.
It wouldn't be much harder than casually slaughtering small fry like Hachi or Kuroobi.
The East Blue could no longer keep up with his level.
At this point, not only could he confidently venture into the first half of the Grand Line, but he also had the confidence to make a name for himself even in the New World!
"I wonder, based on the standards of One Piece fans from my past life, what level I'd be classified as now."
Vice Admiral level?
Or perhaps some half-step Emperor's right-hand man at the peak of perfection?
Thinking back to these memes derived from fantasy novels was quite amusing.
Xiano grinned, then shifted his gaze to the inventory.
Over the years, he had purchased many items, including various training manuals and some interesting tools.
Points flowed like water, but fortunately, the "crops" represented by Luffy were of such high quality that the annual replenishment of points continuously filled the gaps.
Compared to two years ago, he was only short by less than 10,000 points.
Among the manuals he bought, the most expensive was the "Ripple Fist," costing 2,800 points. It was a complete upgrade over the Breathing Fist Technique.
Not only did it further expand the growth limits of Xiano's body, but it also allowed him to concentrate his full strength into his fists and palms more efficiently.
The fist techniques were numerous and could be disassembled and recombined according to the flow of battle. A single punch could create a terrifying shockwave, even causing the air to ripple violently.
Additionally.
He had also mastered the "Sealed Dust Severance Slash."
Yes, he had successfully found a loophole, bypassing the prerequisite of needing the Master Swordsman level.
With his proficient "Life Return" skill, he could now transform his arms into sharp steel blades at will, cutting through steel as easily as a hot knife through butter.
So, to be precise.
Now, besides Kuina, he was also a standard Master Swordsman, a Two-Sword Style Master Swordsman.
—If anyone wanted to question it, he wouldn't care. Just ask, is a hand blade not a blade?
As for the items purchased.
The most noteworthy one was the "Devil Fruit Detection Radar," bought directly from the system for 2500 Points.
It looked quite similar to the Dragon Radar made by Bulma in Dragon Ball, and it was about the same size.
It could be used a total of ten times. There was no need to take it out specifically; as long as it was in the backpack slot, it would automatically light up green when a Devil Fruit entered within a hundred kilometers.
If a Devil Fruit entered within ten kilometers, it would flash a bright yellow light.
If multiple Devil Fruits were detected at the same time, the corresponding number of lights would appear on the radar screen, and it would only count as a single use, so there was no need to worry about wasting usage.
It was very practical and had a powerful effect.
After buying it last year, during his last attempt to "shear the wool," Xiano had specifically kept an eye on it the whole time, but unfortunately, he didn't find anything along the way.
But that was normal, after all, his "shearing" trip only took twenty days, and the route was fixed.
In the future, when he would be adventuring all over the seas, he was sure to make some discoveries.
...
In the blink of an eye, seven days had passed.
The speed of the New Gatt was significantly faster than the old ship, and on the afternoon of the eighth day, they smoothly arrived at Sherry Island.
From afar, they could see the huge neon sign of the "Giant Whale Shipbuilding Company" on the dock.
It was golden and sparkling, flashing brighter than all the other shipyard signs combined, quite eye-catching.
"Finally here?"
Kuina stretched and yawned as she got off the ship. Thanks to Xiano, she had also been assigned a luxurious first-class suite.
The bed was big and soft, and she slept incredibly soundly at night. It was her first time having such a comfortable sailing experience.
Looking back, sailing on her grandfather's Cola-Powered Boat had been pure torture.
"Haha, don't worry, your new ship will definitely be much better than this old one of mine!"
Old Jarte puffed on his pipe, chuckling.
"How do you know? Have you already seen our ship in advance?"
Nojiko asked curiously.
"Not exactly, but it's easy to guess! Don't worry, with your brother's reputation, the Giant Whale Shipbuilding Company would never dare to slack off. They'll even put in twelve times the effort to make this ship their proudest work!"
Old Jarte turned to look at Xiano.
"If you don't believe me, ask Lord Xiano. When he contacted them over the phone, weren't they particularly sincere and enthusiastic?"
"Sincere and enthusiastic?"
Xiano paused, stroking his chin as he recalled, "They were indeed quite enthusiastic, and they even took off twenty million as a discount. But at the time, I didn't think much of it, assuming it was just standard treatment for big clients..."
"It's not what you think!"
Old Jarte blew out a smoke ring, "Other shipyards might cater to big clients, but the Giant Whale Shipbuilding Company has been around for over a hundred years. They have a golden reputation to uphold!"
"Those veteran shipbuilders are all quite arrogant, with major orders from all four seas coming in one after another. They wouldn't be so polite to just any big client, let alone actively waive tens of millions of Berry as a discount! Hah, that's a treatment you'd only get if the sun rose from the west!"
"That's absolutely right."
Zeff nodded in agreement. "Back in my younger days, my first ship was built by the Whale Company, and their service attitude was downright cold."
"So, how did the sun rise from the west in my brother's case?" Nojiko teased with a giggle.
"Of course, it's because the major pirates in the East Blue have all been taken out by your brother!"
Old Jarte laughed heartily. "This is supposed to be the hometown of the Pirate King, Gol D. Roger, but now the pirates here are so weak they can't even make a dent. Isn't that hilarious!"
"Trade routes are much smoother now, and the shipyards are more stable. They all have to thank your brother for that! Even the Whale Shipbuilding Company can't be an exception!"
Xiano was speechless.
It was true. Over the past few years, almost all the pirates in the East Blue with bounties exceeding ten million Berry had died at his hands.
It felt like a sustainable way of overfishing, but in the end, the rate at which the fish grew couldn't keep up with the rate at which they came to die.
Now, in the entire East Blue, there were hardly any big fish left, let alone small fry. Pirates with bounties over five million Berry were few and far between.
"Time really flies," Old Jarte sighed. "When I first met your brother, he was just a little guy under 1.6 meters tall. Who would have thought that in just a few years, he'd become a respected figure throughout the East Blue!"
Speaking of this, Old Jarte's face lit up with pride, feeling a sense of honor.
After all, the most renowned Master Swordsman in the East Blue, who had made his first long journey on his ship and fought alongside Sea Kings, was someone he could boast about.
Over the years, every time he bragged about these stories to his old colleagues, he would attract envious glances, which made him feel incredibly proud.
(End of Chapter)