One Piece: From Picking Up Red Hair's Broken Arm

Chapter 121 Taking Stock of the Loot, Seven Warlords of the Sea Hanafuda [6.5K]

Snow Snow Fruit?

Shanuo was a little surprised.

This seems to be Monet's ability, right? Six years after the original timeline, the Donquixote Family executive who appeared in the Dressrosa arc.

Unexpectedly, the fruit ended up in his hands by some twist of fate.

"Nature-based?"

Kureha also cast a surprised glance, "This kind of Devil Fruit is quite rare. I didn't expect Wapol to have such a good thing. You kid, you're really lucky."

“It is indeed extremely rare for other people, but for the captain, Logia-types seem to have become quite ordinary and commonplace.” Robin chuckled.

"Oh?" Kureha raised an eyebrow.

"It really is."

Xia Nuo clicked his tongue, "With this one, there are now three Logia-type ability users on the ship."

Flame-Flame Fruit, Snow-Snow Fruit, Smoke-Smoke Fruit.

Rounding up, there were three generals on the ship who obeyed his orders.

"Don't you care?"

Kureha chuckled, "But I think the ability to control ice and snow is really cool. Hey, how about using this to pay for a consultation, handsome?"

"Do you think I have dementia? I've already paid the consultation fee!"

"Then let's exchange it for something else?"

"what?"

"What's my secret to staying young, beautiful, and charming forever?"

"Who wants that kind of thing! Besides, old lady, the wrinkles on your face are so thick you could stuff Chopper inside them, where's your youth in all of a dowdy old woman!"

"Hey! You want to die, you brat!"

……

The two fought again, and after a few moments of calm, Kureha, her face bruised and swollen, stood sullenly to the side, arms crossed, while Shano, unharmed, turned and waved with a big laugh before leaving.

"It's really time to go now. Goodbye, old lady! Chopper!"

"Have a safe journey, Brother Xia Nuo, Sister Robin!"

Chopper stood on tiptoe and waved his arms frantically.

The two figures eventually disappeared into the night.

Chopper stood at the door, reluctant to leave, until they could no longer be seen.

"Alright, stop standing there like an idiot."

Kureha patted its head, "If you want to see them again, you'd better study hard and graduate as soon as possible!"

"Yes, Doctor!"

Chopper wiped away his tears, gripped his little hooves tightly, and a fighting spirit ignited in his eyes.

Kureha casually assigned Chopper her study tasks for the day. After Chopper returned to his room, she comfortably lay back on the sofa and opened another bottle of wine.

Ok?
She suddenly looked up at the top of the liquor cabinet with a look of suspicion.

At that moment, Chopper's scream echoed from the room:

"The Doctor!"

"Ok?"

"Where did my cotton candy go? Waaah! I only took a small bite this afternoon, and I didn't want to eat it. I was planning to eat it when I got back tonight!"

"I don't know, maybe the rats ate it. Who would be so bored as to steal your candy for no reason!"

Kureha impatiently brushed it off, her eyes darting back and forth across the liquor cabinet.

Compared to worthless cotton candy...

strangeness.

She scratched her head, somewhat puzzled. Where was the bottle of sherry she had treasured for thirty years, which she had placed on the top shelf of the cabinet?

Could it be that he was too drunk yesterday and opened that bottle in a daze?
……

Night sky.

The bear, which was flying through the air, suddenly felt a cool sensation on its scalp. It instinctively stopped and touched the top of its head.

Huh?
Where's my hat?

I clearly remember taking it off the table and putting it on my head when I left the house.

Was it because I was too eager to get to Tokushima that I flew too fast and was blown away by the night wind?

The bear turned around, hesitated for a moment, and wanted to turn back to look for it, but the vast ocean... he finally gave up and continued to head towards the new world at full speed.

……

Cigu Island River Channel.

Under the moonlight, Shano and Robin climbed onto the back of the sea turtle that was moored there.

"Are we going to meet up next?"

Robin asked.

"Yes, I used your Den Den Mushi to contact them yesterday. They just arrived at a place called Hot Spring Island. Robin, do you have a compass that leads there?"

"some."

Robin opened his backpack. "I've prepared permanent pointers for more than a dozen islands near Alabasta."

"You've been a huge help, Robin!"

Xia Nuo was overjoyed and immediately gave him a bear hug.

Robin was pulled into an embrace, and her body stiffened slightly for a moment. The next second, Shano pulled away and excitedly rummaged through his backpack for the permanent pointer.

She then regained her composure, gazing at Xia Nuo's retreating figure, and rubbed her temples with a self-deprecating smile.

Even though I knew the captain was different from the previous guys, a trustworthy man, I still reacted with an instinctive resistance...

When will I finally be able to completely let go of this vigilance buried deep in my subconscious?

"Why aren't you saying anything?" Xia Nuo asked casually as she rummaged through her things. "Are you a little nervous meeting your new friends for the first time?"

"That's not it."

Robin stretched out his arm, peered at the moon through his fingers for a moment, and then chuckled softly:
"I'm just used to being alone, so the thought of suddenly integrating into a lively group can be a bit disorienting."

"Haha, it's okay, don't worry."

Xia Nuo finally found the pointer, laughed and stood up, "There are no rules on my ship, everyone is very easygoing. Those guys are usually just a bit noisy, so it's easy to fit in. Oh, and there are cats and dogs on the ship, feel free to pet them!"

Do you have cats and dogs?

Robin raised an eyebrow, a hint of curiosity rising in his heart.

If it's a dog, it must refer to that very strong giant wolf, right? And the cat? Are you referring to that soft little creature that looks like a mochi?

Where exactly does it resemble a cat...?

The sea turtle slowly turned around and carried the two of them into the night.

The moonlight spilled onto the sea, creating a shimmering, silvery surface, as if paving a silver shipping lane.

……

The evening breeze is blowing.

After leaving Drum Island, the temperature quickly became comfortable, and Robin took off his thick winter clothes and spread them out in front of his seat.

Xia Nuo used this as a pillow and lay lazily on the tortoise shell.

It certainly wasn't as comfortable as lying on Robin's lap, but since I was all better, I couldn't very well pretend to faint again.

At this moment.

He seemed to be gazing at the starry sky, lost in thought.

In fact, he had already opened the system panel and was carefully counting the points he had gained from this trip to Drum Island.

Since obtaining Henry's book on thievery, he has studied it diligently, learned from its strengths and made up for his weaknesses, and now his thievery skills have reached a new level, becoming truly masterful.

During the time he stayed in the treehouse, he made several moves in succession, and no one in the treehouse noticed.

The gains were naturally substantial.

You sacrificed Chopper's marshmallow, gaining 50 points.

You sacrificed Kureha's treasured sherry, gaining 300 points.

You sacrificed Wapol's Gem Crown, gaining 450 points.

[You sacrificed Robin's cowboy hat, gaining 1200 points]

[You sacrificed the bear's bear ear hat and gained 3200 points.]

The biggest gain was undoubtedly the bear ear hat, which cost over 3,000 points, making it worth significantly more than Crocodile's hook.

This demonstrates just how powerful the bear is.

However, at the beginning, Shano's target was actually the Bible that the bear had placed on the table.

He held this Bible bear in his hands for decades, and it had long since become his most distinctive personal symbol. Later, it even became a key feature that distinguished him from pacifists.

Therefore, it was undoubtedly the most "valuable" thing on the bear, but Xia Nuo only realized this after casually flipping through a few pages.

—This is hardly the Bible.

The thick book is densely covered with various pieces of information recorded by Xiong himself.

For example, the flare-up cycle of Bonnie's disease, the temperature change curve, the diagnoses of various doctors, the prescriptions tried and their effects...

There are even newspaper clippings documenting scattered reports about lepidopteranosis from around the world.

The Kingdom of Bridges, the Sky Island of Visalia, the Boeing Archipelago, the Mechanical Island of Baltimore, the Amazon Lily... many places are on his list, some he has already been to, and some he hasn't yet.

Xia Nuo then understood.

In the original timeline, on the Sabaody Archipelago, Kuma knocked the Straw Hat crew away and sent them to a place for two years of training...

These were all places he had personally visited throughout the world in his search for medical treatment for his daughter.

The path to salvation lies therein.

Shano immediately put the "Bible" back in its place.

If he were to actually sacrifice this thing, he would feel so guilty that he wouldn't be able to sleep all night.

The bear ear hat chosen as the final sacrifice didn't carry much significance; it was just a hat the bear liked. It wasn't as valuable as the Bible, but it still gave me 3200 points. Adding the other items, I got a total of 5200 points.

This brings Xia Nuo's remaining points to 50700, breaking the 50,000 mark for the first time, making him richer than ever before.

After closing the system panel, Xia Nuo felt much more cheerful and relaxed.

Tsk, sometimes being too rich can be a burden.

Once I reunite with my friends, the shop should be refreshed in a few days.

Hopefully, he'll get some good stuff then, enough to make him spend a fortune!
…………

Time flies by.

Five days later, Shano and Robin arrived at the hot spring island and successfully reunited with the others.

This hot spring island is also a well-known resort destination.

The island is dotted with natural hot springs, which gush forth year-round, creating a misty atmosphere.

Because of the rumored healing effects of the mineral-rich hot spring water, this place attracts many tourists every year for health and wellness vacations.

The group had been waiting here for a while and were already familiar with the place. As soon as Xia Nuo arrived, the crew immediately took her to the island's best hot spring resort.

This suited Xia Nuo's wishes perfectly.

Drifting on the tortoise shell for too long can be quite uncomfortable; even washing up becomes a problem. He plans to rest here with Robin for a day to replenish their energy before setting off for the next destination.

……

The night is getting darker.

The hot spring area was shrouded in a hazy mist, with paper lanterns hanging under the eaves. The warm yellow glow spread through the rising steam, making the entire bathing area look like a dream.

With a whoosh, in the rising white steam, Xia Nuo fell backward and collapsed into the bathtub made of volcanic rock.

The warm spring water washed over his shoulders and neck, relaxing his muscles and bones inch by inch. The towel on his head had long since wilted and drooped from the heat, but he was too lazy to straighten it, only letting out a long, contented sigh.
"Sure enough, after coming from the freezing winter island, soaking in a hot spring is still the most comfortable thing..."

Suddenly, smoke drifted in from the right.

Shalnark was speechless. He turned to look at the pool next to him. "Seriously, Smoker, is it really that bad? You bring a cigar into a hot spring. Can't you even stand it for a little while? Will you die if you don't smoke one?"

"There's nothing I can do, boss."

Smoker grinned and raised the cigar on his finger. "This is a gift from Miss Robin. She said it's Crocodile's favorite delicacy, worth 50,000 Berries a stick. I've never smoked anything of such high quality before. Since I have this rare opportunity, I have to savor it."

Robin gave it to you?

Have they already started taking action so quickly?
Xia Nuo raised an eyebrow, finding it somewhat amusing.

He remembered it clearly.

In the original timeline, when Robin first boarded the Going Merry, apart from Sanji who immediately surrendered and welcomed her, everyone else was extremely wary and hostile towards her.

And what about Robin?

She easily exploited the weaknesses of Nami, Chopper, and the others, separating them and defeating them one by one. With a few simple tricks, she quickly dispelled the entire crew's wariness of her.

Now, are even their own crew members not immune to this?

If doing this can put Robin at ease and help her integrate into the group more quickly...

Xia Nuo grinned; he would just watch the fun from the sidelines and couldn't be bothered to interfere.

"Uncle Zhepu."

He looked up at Zeff, who was engrossed in a book across from him, and chuckled, "You didn't get anything good from Robin either, did you?"

"Hey, Captain, how did you know?"

Zeff looked up in surprise, closed the book in his hand, and showed the cover to Shano.

"Here, this is what Miss Robin gave me, 'The Complete Book of Lost Alabasta Recipes,' which she said she found in Crocodile's collection."

He turned the pages again, his eyes gleaming with excitement.

"Alabasta truly lives up to its reputation as an ancient civilization! Many of the dishes recorded here are ones I've never even seen before! Especially this Gaia roasted meat, which is cooked on a natural stone slab baked by the scorching sun, and topped with fragrant lavender and perilla leaves..."

Once the topic of cooking comes up, Zeff can't stop talking and starts rambling on and on to Shano and Smoker.

Xia Nuo let it go in one ear and out the other, then turned her gaze to the high wall made of bamboo rafts next to her.

Tsk, even the most composed and steady old man on the ship was easily taken down.

I wonder if any of these young girls will be able to escape Robin's clutches?
……

at the same time.

Inside the women's bathhouse, separated by a wall.

In the white mist, dazzling holy light collided and squeezed against each other.

"Wow! Thank you so much, Robin!"

Nami excitedly hugged Robin, "Drum Island, Tohru Island... have you prepared all the charts for all the islands near Alabasta? That's fantastic! My Grand Line charting plan can take a giant leap forward!"

"Easy to do."

Robin smiled and waited until Nami excitedly ran to the side with the nautical information to look through it. Then she handed a thick stack of books to Nojiko.

"These are several boxing manuals collected by Baroque Studio, mainly based on Mr. 2's transvestite boxing style. Girls can't learn this style, but some of the things in it are quite valuable. You can use them to fill in any gaps in your knowledge and refer to them."

Nokiko took it, and after flipping through a few pages, her eyes lit up.

This is great stuff!

As the other party said, for her, who was practicing several martial arts at the same time, this summary version of the manual had many merits and was quite beneficial to her.

"Sister Robin!!!"

Nojiko couldn't resist rushing over too.

A corner of the bathhouse.

Wrapped in a bath towel, Guina leaned against the bamboo raft, coldly staring at the slender figure from behind.

Humph.

A cunning old woman.

She's just a newcomer who recently joined Lord Shano, yet she's using gifts to quickly build relationships with the crew?
Even Nami and Nojiko are calling her "older sister"!

Damn it.

This kind of mature woman's ease and control is infuriating!
but……

Now that she's been seen through, she's not going to fall for it!
As for gifts, just refuse them...

"First Mate Kuina."

A gentle voice came from beside her, and a delicate floral fragrance wafted into her nostrils. Kuina turned her head in surprise and realized that Robin had appeared in front of her at some point.

“Is it okay to call him that?” Robin blinked. “After all, that’s what they say in the newspapers and on the wanted posters.”

"Well, you can shout here now."

Kuina's face flushed red, and she whispered, "But don't call him that in front of Lord Shano yet, okay? He... he hasn't officially given his permission yet, I can't..."

"There shouldn't be any problems, right?"

Robin leaned down slightly, smiling gently, "I saw everything in that battle at the docks. The commanding presence and formidable strength you displayed as a leader—this position is definitely yours, isn't it?"

"Oh, yes, is that so?"

Kuina was already feeling a little dizzy. Damn it, the steam in this hot spring must be too hot, making her almost unable to stand up!
"Also, First Mate, I've prepared a gift for you too. It's a famous sword that has been passed down through Alabasta for a long time."

"Of course, its quality is definitely not as good as your Wado Ichimonji, but it should be barely qualified as a spare sword."

"This is……"

Kuina's eyes widened, bursting with surprise. "One of the fifty finest swords, Huazhou!"

……

The other end of the bamboo raft and high wall.

After hearing Kuina involuntarily call out "Robin-nee".

Xia Nuo shrugged and looked away.

Well, even the sword-wielding girl has been captured, so there's no need to say more about my two clueless younger sisters. It seems the outcome is already obvious.

……

The next day, early morning.

Everyone has recovered and is in peak mental condition.

The curtain call, already brimming with magnetic energy, didn't linger and set off from Hot Spring Island that very day, heading towards Alabasta, the next stop indicated by the pointer.

Xia Nuo sat under a parasol, leisurely sipping coffee and gazing at the distant horizon.

Alabasta.

Even though his adventure hadn't even reached that point yet, the mastermind behind the country, Old Sand, had already been dead for what seemed like hundreds of years.

This feeling is really quite wonderful.

Baroque Works has collapsed and its members have scattered, and the drought in Alabasta hasn't even started yet, so it seems there won't be any major disturbances here.

He can explore the cultural and natural scenery of this ancient desert kingdom, and then head straight for his most desired destination.

—The historical text hidden deep within the royal capital of Arubana, beneath the funerary palace.

It contains evidence that Hades truly existed in history, as well as information about his whereabouts. Robin should be quite interested in this.

As for Xia Nuo himself...

He wasn't interested in Hades, but he was quite interested in the stone tablet itself.

"I've heard that all the historical stone tablets are indestructible..."

His eyes gleamed with longing.

As his strength gradually improved, the steel plate alone could no longer meet his daily physical training needs.

Switching to historical text seems like a more promising approach?
………………

Alabasta, Airuma.

This is Alabasta's renowned oasis city.

As the gateway to the Santora River, it is also the only way for merchant ships and travelers to enter the heart of Alabasta.

On both sides of the river, stone-built wharves extend into the azure water, where merchant ships laden with all sorts of goods often anchor to unload treasures from afar.

however--

At this moment, the dock was crowded with merchant ships, their masts crammed into the wide river channel like a forest, and cargo containers that should have been loaded and unloaded in time were piled up like mountains. The sailors anxiously leaned on the ship's side, looking around.

"Aren't you going to let them through yet?"

"What on earth is going on?! Are we even allowed to pass through like this?!"

"You just arrived, right? Don't rush, I've been waiting here all day, it's still early!"

"You arrived yesterday, sir? Do you know what the situation is now?"

"Look ahead, don't you have eyes?" the old captain sneered. "With such a huge pirate ship blocking the way, who would dare to go past?"

"A pirate ship?" someone scoffed. "What's so special about that? We're all doing business on this Grand Line, who hasn't seen a pirate ship before? The Santora River is so wide, how could one of his ships possibly stop so many of us?"

"Idiot, do you think they're just ordinary pirates?"

The old captain sneered, pointing his pipe at the fluttering skull and crossbones flag. "See that big guy, five or six meters tall, under the flag?"

"That guy is one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea appointed by the World Government, Hanafuda! A terrifying monster with a bounty of 500 million Berries!"

"Not all Shichibukai are as approachable as Lord Crocodile. If you want to go and die, I won't stop you!"

The surrounding sailors gasped in shock.
"Seven, seven, Qiwuhai...?"

"What is he doing here?"

……

The massive black ship, like a behemoth, lay across the river mouth, its scarlet sails, painted with the patterns of playing cards' jokers, fluttering in the hot desert wind.

On the spacious deck.

A man in a black overcoat was leaning lazily against the railing, with a dozen or so merchants, bound like dumplings, kneeling at his feet.

"Look at you all, we clearly told you that no boats would be allowed into this river until I got what I wanted. Why didn't you believe us and insisted on forcing your way in?"

Hanafuda finished speaking with a smile, and amidst the horrified gazes of the merchants, he drew the massive scythe, four or five meters long, from behind him—

puff!

The sickle suddenly pierced the deck, driving into the wooden plank just past the merchant's ear.

The merchants, bound like dumplings, convulsed collectively, their bodies trembling. One of them, wearing gold-rimmed glasses, was so frightened that he wet his pants, and the stench of urine filled the deck.

"Tsk, turns out they're not so brave after all."

Hanafuda scoffed, leisurely stepped forward, and drew her sickle again:

"I've been blocking this river all day, and the Alabasta royal family hasn't made a single move. Do they not care about the loss of the canal being blocked for a day, or are they just not taking me seriously enough..."

He stroked his sickle and said calmly, "Do you think the royal family would arrive faster if there was more bloodshed and dozens more lives lost?"

A deathly silence fell over the deck.

"Why is no one speaking?" Hanafuda's face turned cold. "Don't you merchants respect me at all?"

"Waaaaah...!" The merchant wearing gold-rimmed glasses struggled desperately, tears welling up in his eyes.

Hanafuda stared at him for two seconds before realizing what he meant, then turned her head away in a fit of embarrassment and anger:
"Jack, you idiot! I told you to tie these guys up, not to gag them too!"

Eh?
The muscular, blond-haired youth froze, then scratched his head sheepishly.
"I'm sorry, Hanafuda-sama! This is my first time accompanying you on an errand, I didn't hear you clearly, please forgive me!"

"Stop talking nonsense and get to work!"

"Yes!"

Under Hanafuda's angry glare, the blond youth named Jack hurriedly stepped forward and removed the rag stuffed in the merchant's mouth.

(End of this chapter)