"Sigh..."
Bonney, who was currently face-down in her food, looked up and glanced over.
"Sigh..."
She protectively shielded her bowl with her arms.
"Sigh..."
Now looking suspicious and guarded, Bonney glared at Chrollo. "What have you been sighing about for the last five minutes?"
"Mind your own business," Chrollo snapped.
Eat, eat, eat. All she knows how to do is eat!
Chrollo rolled his eyes and stared at the Bandit's Secret interface, unable to stop sighing. He was practically hyperventilating at this point. He had assumed that resolving such a major plot point—the growth of the main character's navigator—would have netted him a massive amount of Prestige. He didn't expect it to be such a pittance!
> [Detection: Host has successfully defeated the Arlong Pirates. Plunder conditions met.]
> [Current Bosses: Arlong (20M Berries), Hatchan (10M Berries), Kuroobi (9M Berries), Chew (5.5M Berries)]
> [Event Influence Rating: C. Prestige Reward: 4,450 points.]
> [Player's Current Prestige: 6,950]
Not even 10,000 points...
What am I supposed to do with this?! I can't even afford a lighter!
It had been a month, and the Bandit's Point Shop had just refreshed. The items on the list were incredibly tempting, but the prices were anything but pretty.
---
### Bandit's Point Shop (Refreshes Monthly)
[Treasure: Artificial Zoan - Swallow-Swallow Fruit]
Quality: Excellent
Cost: 12,000 Prestige
Note: An artificial fruit created by the evil scientist Caesar Clown using Lineage Factor technology. Consumption has a chance to grant powers, but may also result in unpredictable side effects.
Trait: Allows the user to transform into a swallow, granting lightning-fast low-altitude flight and high endurance for long-distance travel.
[Vehicle: Waver (Skypiea Edition)]
Quality: Fine
Cost: 7,000 Prestige
Note: A transport device capable of traveling on the Sea of Clouds. Powered by Breath Dials, it moves at high speeds, resembling a jet ski.
Trait: Extremely difficult to operate; requires an understanding of wind and current patterns.
[Miscellaneous: Benn Beckman's Lighter]
Quality: Legendary
Cost: 10,000 Prestige
Note: The lighter owned by the First Mate of the Red-Haired Pirates. During the peak tension of the Marineford War, Benn Beckman used his rifle to hold off Admiral Kizaru, then nonchalantly used this lighter to light a cigarette—the ultimate "flex."
Trait: Every time you light up, it's a legendary cinematic moment.
[Special Item: Blank Life Cards (x10)]
Quality: Excellent
Cost: 15,000 Prestige
Note: Produced in the New World. Made from materials mixed with fingernail clippings, these are waterproof and fireproof. They represent the owner's life force.
Trait: Can be torn into pieces to give to friends/allies. The pieces will always point toward each other. The card shrinks as the owner weakens and restores as they recover. Turning to ash indicates the owner is near death.
[Martial Arts: Six Powers - Moonwalk (Geppo)]
Quality: Excellent
Cost: 10,000 Prestige
Note: One of the "Six Powers." By kicking the air with immense leg strength, the user generates lift, allowing them to walk through the sky as if climbing stairs. Enables high-altitude movement and attacks from the enemy's blind spots.
Trait: Consumes stamina; the user cannot stay airborne indefinitely.
---
"..."
Dammit—do you have any idea how much it hurts to see all this good stuff right in front of you and not be able to touch it?
"Every single one of these is useful! Every. Single. One! Why?! Why is this happening?!"
Chrollo clutched his head in agony.
The first one didn't need explaining. An Artificial Zoan—even with the side effects—wasn't something he'd give to a Troupe member (they deserved better than that trash), but as a collection piece, it would fill his lack of long-range flight. It was a solid pick.
The second one? There was no way he was letting the Waver go. The mention of "Skypiea" alone made it mandatory. Traveling on the White Sea without a vehicle is a nightmare. Plus, Enel's Rumble-Rumble Fruit was his ultimate target—a strategic resource he absolutely had to steal. Skypiea was a non-negotiable destination.
And the third one... Benn Beckman's Lighter. It was Beckman merch! Benn Beckman, the man reputed to be the real brains of the Red-Haired Pirates, with an IQ off the charts and combat power equal to an Admiral. His lighter! As a hardcore fan, Chrollo could already see himself pulling it out after a massive battle to light a cigarette. He'd be so cool his own hair would catch fire.
Fourth: Blank Life Cards. Now that the Troupe was in the pirate world, they weren't going to be sitting around. Given his "jinxed" luck, trouble would find them even if they didn't look for it. They wouldn't always be together, so having Life Cards to monitor everyone's status was a survival necessity.
As for the fifth one... Moonwalk. One of the signature Marine techniques. It was a practical, high-tier combat skill that would fix his lack of aerial mobility right now. He couldn't afford to miss it.
The more he looked at them, the more he loved them—and the more his head hurt. The Point Shop refreshed every month. Who knew when this many good items would show up at once again? And knowing his luck, they probably wouldn't!
He had to move fast. Within this one month, he had to gather 54,000 points to buy them all. 54,000 points... that was the equivalent of 540 million Berries in bounties.
His schedule was officially packed.
After scratching his head for a bit, Chrollo walked into the control room and asked Nami, "Nami, how much further until the next island?"
"Almost there," Nami said, checking the charts. "Give it a few minutes." She looked at him curiously. "You seem like you're in a real hurry."
Am I in a hurry? I'm practically dying here!
A look of ruthless determination flashed across Chrollo's face. "Dammit, we need to get to Loguetown as fast as possible..."
The bounties in the East Blue were pocket change. Only the Grand Line and the New World were the true playgrounds for a hunter like him! All those "Great Pirates" with massive bounties and prestige were just waiting to be harvested. Otherwise, he was going to run out of points.
"But... before we hit the Grand Line, I'm going to squeeze every last drop of value out of the East Blue."
As time passed, a luxurious floating restaurant slowly appeared on the horizon ahead of the Black Whale.
The final "big prize" of the East Blue. An exclusive plot line for Nobunaga.
Baratie... had arrived.
---