Kizaru's speed was as fast as ever. In no time at all, he returned, carrying a small chest of glittering jewels.
"Oh, this little box should be enough to cover ten million Berries, right?"
He set the chest down, lips twisted into that familiar, punchable smirk of his.
These jewels were spoils he had seized from a pirate den during a mission. He had "forgotten" to hand them over at the time, and now they finally had a use.
"Sorry, this shop does not accept jewels. Cash only."
Watching Kizaru's smug face, Amon spoke with clear amusement.
Kizaru fell silent.
He stared at Amon's expression, which was somehow even more punchable than his own. If he had not just been beaten in a fight, he would really have liked to walk over and kick this jar merchant into the sea.
"Fine. Seeing how poor you are, you probably cannot take out ten million in cash anyway. I will be merciful and reluctantly accept these."
The moment Amon finished speaking, Kizaru's mouth twitched violently.
Merciful. Reluctantly.
Was that something a human actually said?
A jar that cost one hundred thousand Berries was being sold to him for ten million, and this guy still had the nerve to dislike that it was not paid in cash.
In the end Amon was the one acting like a shameless profiteer, yet he still wanted to put up a moral front. If Kizaru were not as laid-back as he was, he might really have gone over and started swinging.
On the ship, everyone listening to their conversation felt both amused and speechless.
"All right, money and goods are settled. The jar is yours now."
Amon handed one hundred thousand Berries over to the system, and the rest of the jewels went into his cabin.
"Just crack it open, right?"
Taking the jar, Kizaru actually looked a bit nervous. Spending ten million on a single jar, even he could not help feeling a little emotional.
"Yes, just crack it open."
As a businessman, Amon still had a bottom line. Since the jar had been sold, what needed to be explained, still had to be explained properly.
"Good."
Kizaru nodded. Golden light flashed on his fingertip, and he tapped the jar lightly.
With a clear crack, the entire jar shattered. Three small items fell neatly into Kizaru's hands.
He held the three little trinkets and stared at them for a while, but could not figure out what any of them did. A little embarrassed, he glanced at Amon for help.
From watching earlier, he had already understood that everything opened from these jars needed Amon's appraisal before it could be safely used.
Probably some kind of protective mechanism, to prevent theft.
Seeing Kizaru's pleading look, Amon chuckled to himself. Little guy, if you could tell what these were at a glance, what would I, the jar merchant, even eat.
He scooped the three items out of Kizaru's hands.
"Let me take a look."
He spoke calmly, then opened up the system and began scanning each item.
Very soon, their attributes appeared one after another in his vision.
[Land Swimmer]: A great invention. Full name Land Swimming Device. Allows people to freely "swim" on land as if it were water. A must-have artifact for travel and daily life.
[Folding Stool]: Contains hidden killing intent. Its attacks are bizarre and impossible to guard against. When not in use, it can serve as an ordinary stool. Extremely practical and economical.
[The Principles of Light]: A science primer for elementary school students. Explains basic principles of light and its main applications.
After he finished reading the descriptions of all three items, Amon almost burst out laughing on the spot.
Not bad. Very spicy. Especially that last elementary school science book. That one had real personality.
"Oh, how is it?"
Seeing Amon finish examining everything, Kizaru hurriedly leaned closer, curiosity written all over his face.
He wanted to know just what he had gotten for ten million Berries.
"Hehe, your luck is really not bad. These three treasures are so good I am a little jealous myself."
"Really?"
"Of course."
"Then what are they? Explain what they do."
Kizaru's usual lazy tone vanished. He spoke with genuine excitement.
"No problem. Let us start with this one."
Amon placed his hand on the first sealed item. A moment later, with a flicker of light, a machine about two meters long appeared in front of everyone.
"This thing is called the Land Swimmer. Full name, Land Swimming Device. As the name suggests, it is a machine that lets you swim on land. I know you Devil Fruit users cannot swim in the sea, so a Land Swimming Device like this is extremely precious. It lets you enjoy swimming without ever touching seawater."
"Not only that, its design philosophy is very advanced. You can customize the 'swimming environment' according to your preferences. For example, if you want to experience a saltwater beach, you can just add some salt into it."
"If you do not want saltwater, you can add milk, fruit juice, and all kinds of other liquids. Many flavors for you to choose from. It is a must-have divine artifact for travel, daily life, murder, and arson. How about it, is this not a great invention? Honestly, seeing you open such a good item, I am so jealous I do not even know what to say."
By the time he finished talking, Amon was about to laugh himself to death.
On the side, Kizaru listened to Amon boast to the heavens, then looked again at the so-called Land Swimming Device. The corner of his mouth twitched yet again.
What a "great invention." He believed that as much as he believed the world government had a conscience.
"So, do you want to give it a try?"
Amon patted the machine and motioned for Kizaru to climb in.
"Uh... maybe another time. I want to hear about the other things first."
Kizaru really wanted to say that Devil Fruit users could still swim in regular pools, but after thinking about it, he decided to keep quiet. If he annoyed Amon and the jar merchant refused to explain the items, that would be a real loss.
"All right. The second item is truly powerful. It is called the Folding Stool. Not only is it incredibly strong, it also hides killing intent. It is absolutely a must-have artifact for traveling, daily life and murder."
"Oh, let me see."
Hearing Amon hype it up so intensely, Kizaru's eyes lit up.
But when he saw what Amon actually took out, his mouth twitched again.
An ordinary folding stool.
What "must-have weapon for murder." Was this not just a regular stool?
Aside from looking a little sturdy, it did not seem special at all.
"Um, Amon, this looks like a very normal stool."
"Exactly, and that is its greatest strength. Because it looks so normal, it can catch people off guard and defeat them in a single blow."
"How about it, impressive, right? I am really jealous of your luck. To open such a powerful treasure, do you not feel proud?"
"Never mind. I want to see the last item first."
"Fine. The last treasure is truly extraordinary. It can only be understood, not described. You should read it yourself."
The truth was, Amon had already run out of nonsense to say.
He handed over the last item, The Principles of Light, with a straight face.
He had originally thought that once Kizaru saw that it was an elementary school science book, he would explode with anger.
Instead, the admiral's eyes suddenly lit up with delight.
Huh?