Alex, with Jewel perched on his head, stands inside the small weapons store. Both of them scan the racks, their eyes lingering on a particular weapon that clearly stands out.
[Keiren]
World: One Piece
Quality: Blue
Type: Katana (Sword)
Required Stats: STR - 7, AGI - 5, SNS - 11
Required Skills: Katana Proficiency lvl 2
Durability: 65/65
Damage: 25-30
Effect: Twitch - Grants a small chance to cause your target's muscles and nerves to twitch violently.
Effect: Inner damage - Grants a small chance to slow down your target, reducing reaction time.
Note: This sword is recognized as a Grade sword. This sword grants a chance to weaken your enemy as long as you are able to inflict damage.
Note: After the pain comes realization.
I need this one! However, this store doesn't display any prices... it's just a small, shoddy store. Aside from this katana, most of these weapons just look rare and expensive, but in truth, they're not even recognized by the system.
Doesn't Soulmate already own two of these mediocre katanas? Princess Jewel is not impressed.
Jewel, not everyone has only Purple and Gold items. These Katanas are actually useful, and they are also worth a ton of shards. We need them.
Soulmate really likes his weapons. Princess Jewel understands that Soulmate also dreams of a large collection.
Really... I am not. Still, I am greedy enough to be excited about them, I suppose.
Still wearing his [Jack's Spare Silvery Mask], Alex backs off and walks toward Tereza and Benezia, who are busy in conversation with the middle-aged shopkeeper.
Jewel! Tell them about the Blue Quality sword on the wall. Let's try to include it in the deal.
Soulmate has discovered a Blue Quality katana. It's hanging on the wall in the far corner. Princess Jewel suggests adding it to the deal, as rightful payment. Since there are no prices listed, there is a chance this Peasant is not aware of the value of the item.
Benezia nods briefly at Alex, then turns her attention fully back to the shopkeeper.
"Let's start over again. Your ridiculous offer of thirteen million Belly is rejected," she says in an icy, cold voice.
"But I haven't even seen the wares yet! How am I supposed to offer more?" the shopkeeper protests, his frustration growing. Yet despite that, he seems to be unwilling to give up on the deal.
Hmm. The other stores only offered ten million. Thirteen million is already better than expected, if the items actually sell. It's a fair price when you factor in taxes and overhead costs this guy must take on. Still... Benezia isn't aiming for a fair deal. She wants to extract as much wealth as she can... whatever the cost.
"We have the wares outside," Benezia states, folding her arms. "Servant! Bring them inside."
"..."
Is she messing with me? Seriously? Whatever... I guess right now I'm just a masked weirdo. Might as well commit.
"Yes, your blueness," Alex responds dryly, turning toward the door.
"Blueness?" the shopkeeper repeats, looking confused, as she looks at Alex leaving the store.
Once outside, Alex takes a moment to make sure the street is empty. Seeing no one around, he quickly accesses his inventory and begins pulling out crates stacked with weapons.
He returns to the store, carrying the first batch. One trip after another until his inventory is finally empty, and the stolen weapons are displayed in full.
Sometimes I think inventories are the most broken thing about the system. Every player has one, and they change everything. It would be at least a Gold Quality skill!
After inspecting the weapons more closely, the shopkeeper finally raises his price.
"Fine. Fifteen million," he says. "But that's my final offer."
"Fifteen million," Benezia repeats. "And we get to choose one weapon from your stock. Any one. I require a suitable blade for an upcoming business trip."
"A weapon? I only carry older models and second-rate merchandise," the merchant complains. "That's why I'm buying from you in the first place—so I can finally offer something worth selling. But fine... choose whatever you like."
What? It looks like we're in luck today! No... maybe after we pick out the [Keiren], the guy will change his mind or demand more. I don't trust him.
To Alex's absolute shock, it takes barely a minute until Benezia casually grabs the [Keiren] from the wall. Without so much as a glance back, she walks out of the shop, with the promised money. Tereza and Alex follow closely after her, leaving behind the crates of weapons without a word.
"That worked?!" Alex blurts out once they're outside. "How about we go back in, grab the weapons again, and help ourselves to his entire inventory while we're at it?"
"No," Benezia replies immediately. "Plenty of players tried stunts like that. Either the system outright stopped them, or something... unfortunate happened. The system doesn't allow that kind of abuse, just like it doesn't let you steal from shops directly."
Tsss... fine, I guess.
"Instead," Benezia says, calm as ever, "let's look for other shops. Also—Nanohana has become a pirate hotspot lately, according to the lore and what we have learned from Baroque works. New ships dock all the time. Crocodile takes care of some of the most aggressive and stupid crews, but most just slip by. We could collect a few heads and earn some extra funds."
"That's... cold," Alex mutters. "But I guess it makes sense. Still, what happened to laying low?"
"According to my current cost-risk analysis," Benezia replies with a completely straight face, "getting to work now is our best move. The danger should not be too high."
She pauses, then adds, "Let's not split up yet. There's a chance we'll run into strong pirates, or worse—players."
"I agree," Tereza says, sounding a little relieved. "No need for solo heroics. Controlled risks are fine. But I'm not risking everything over a few million Belly."
"Okay," Alex says. "As I said, you get to decide, Tereza."
With that, the group continues their stroll through the streets, checking out more stores. Unfortunately, none of them have anything even remotely valuable that they are interested in. After a dozen failed visits, they decide to hold onto their funds and stop wasting time.
"I have an idea," Alex says. "Where do you find pirates?"
Tereza giggles and simply says, "So you want to go to the port, where the ships dock, and look for them there?"
Hey...
Alex sighs, running a hand through his hair. "Was my idea that bad?"
"No, not at all," Benezia replies calmly. "It's a reasonable start. Pirates wouldn't use the main port if they're smart, but we might still spot some useful intel. It's certainly worth a try, human."
Back to human, huh? I guess I pissed her off with the blueness comment.
At the sprawling trade port of Nanohana, dozens of large ships are docked, workers running about, loading and unloading cargo. Crates, barrels, bags—it's a chaotic, but well-organized mess of activity, with lots of soldiers nearby.
With so many soldiers around... there shouldn't be pirates around. I guess my idea was stupid, after all.
In just ten minutes, Alex watches several ships pull in and out of the harbor, the bustle never slowing down.
"It's really a busy town," Alex comments, slightly impressed.
"Indeed," Benezia agrees. "No pirates out in the open... but I've already spotted our target."
"Target?" Alex asks, narrowing his eyes.
Benezia gestures with her chin, and the group follows her toward one of the warehouses near the edge of the port—far away from the main gates and even further from the market stalls.
As they approach, they spot a few shady-looking men unloading crates—not from ships, but from wagons coming in off the dirt road that leads out of town.
Alex watches for a few seconds before putting the pieces together. "Wait... they're not unloading from a ship. They're hauling the goods in from outside the city. So that means—?"
"They've likely bribed the guards to ignore them," Benezia concludes. "They're being far too casual about it. Let's follow the workers and see where this leads. I suspect an illegal port somewhere close by."
An illegal port... makes sense, I guess.
Keeping their distance, the group trails one of the workers as he pushes a cart full of now-empty crates out of the city.
Only fifteen minutes later, they arrive at a small cove surrounded by cliffs, fairly well hidden. Multiple ships are docked there on a narrow pier, and what looks like professional personnel are running the place—somehow keeping a strange sort of order in this clearly unofficial port.
"This is probably run by a gang or some sort of group. The pirates don't attack each other here," Alex notes, eyeing the ships in the distance.
"Hide yourself," Benezia suddenly says. "I'll play the role of bait. If someone's watching us, they won't hesitate to act if they think it's just me."
Alex and Tereza both follow her lead—Alex activates Zetsu, and Tereza uses her disillusionment charm, disappearing from view and leaving only Benezia visible.
Sticking close behind, the two follow her as she walks calmly toward the ships.
As they move closer, Benezia suddenly comes to a halt. A group of drunk pirates approaches her, stumbling across the pier with mugs in hand.
"Hey, look at that veiled girl! I want her!" one of them yells.
Another sighs but then shrugs, looking indifferent. "Okay, but I get the next one."
Shit... I need to do something.
Quickly stepping behind them, Alex conjures Thorian's Domination, immediately activating Unleash Spores, flooding the air around the pirates with a wave of thick, shimmering yellow-green spores.
How about that?!
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