Chapter 22

A/N: I know it's short but I've been suuper busy.

Frose, Sorbet Kingdom, South Blue

Thirty-nine million, Seven hundred and eighty-one thousand, five hundred and sixty Beri. Ho-ly crap did they try and nickle and dime me to death over the damages. Don't get me wrong. After the fight between Rowan, Towa, and myself that whole city block was wrecked. The street, roughly seven stores, and a decently nice hotel were all rendered basically unusable. Plus I had to compensate the citizenry as well. I was never in denial that the bill would be over 10 million. Even 15 or 16 was easy to see.

But almost 40? Goddamn they really wanted to get their moneys worth.

It makes it all the more fortuitous that I had one hell of a coupon to put towards the bill. The 41,000,000 Beri corpse of Montauban 'The Plague'.

Granted, dead rather than alive means the payment was cut by 30% so it didn't quite cover everything, but I wasn't super concerned over my wallet in the first place. Even if I had to pay it all out of pocket I'd still have over 100,000,000 in the hammerspace.

Much more importantly, turning in Montauban triggered my completion of the '40 million bounty' [Quest]. A fresh 20,000 Exp in my pocket sling-shotted me out of Lv.65 and all the way up to half through 68. Just a few thousand shy of that special number right under 70 that always seems to give everyone a giggle.

Luckily for those that enjoy that sort of thing, STR is now sitting at the other number that is near and dear to their hearts. (360) at the end of the battle + 50 for the [Quest] [Reward] + 10 from yet another boost of [Natural Growth] has the stat now at..well you can do the math.

The final bit of [Reward] was the usual choice between bumping up either VIT or DEX. And while adding another 1,000 points to my health is never the wrong decision, this time I simply had to go the DEX route. (454) rose to (504) and finally -finally- the [Game] presented me with a prompt for a second [Perk] in the category.

Though it didn't quite come about in the way I was expecting.

Congratulations! You have reached 500 in DEX!

You may upgrade an existing [Perk] or select a new one.

Instead of two options being presented I had a choice between three. First up was the [Perk] that I had ignored last time, [Unnatural Flexibility]. Though it may seem silly to some I actually gave it some serious consideration this time around. Not for the contorting abilities, heavens no, but rather the 35% blunt damage resistance tacked on right at the end. Depending on which of the two ways the [Game] stacks percentages, it's either ridiculously busted when combined with [Physical Endurance] or really not that game-changing at all.

Second choice was to upgrade [Bullet Time] to have a new feature titled [The Pause Button]. An ability that if chosen would allow me to experience up to five minutes a day of 'paused time' to think a situation through or formulate a battle plan. I won't deny it's potential usefulness. Especially since I could sparse out those five minutes of enhanced perception in whatever way I chose. Two seconds here, three seconds there. It would completely revolutionize the way I handle close quarters combat.

However as potentially handy as those two options may be, I just don't think they quite shape up compared to the final option. The new route. A [Perk] too powerful to be unlocked with a DEX of only 100. And boy did it have some fuckin' implications..

[Spark of Celerity]

Even the strongest cosmic powers can weaken dramatically when stretched across the boundaries of the Omniverse. They become feeble. Withered and frail. But this does not mean they are not Present. The Speed Force is weak in the world of One Piece. It is a sliver. Less than a shriveled fragment of where it exists elsewhere. Yet even a fragment has power. And with this [Perk], you can bridge the gap and be its exclusive wielder. Once every six hours, for 40 seconds you may boost your DEX by 315%.

I do not like what this means. Got no problems with the [Perk] itself. Having that kind of trump card in my back pocket is bloody fantastic. No issues there. What I don't like is some of that surrounding language. I mean..Omniverse? Fuuuck man. That's not a good sign.

Then again what if I'm actually just worrying over nothing? What if all those bolded words in the blue screen are just..flavor text? An empty, hollow justification to give me a cool new power? It can't actually be a shard of the freakin' Speed Force right? That'd be insane. That has no place in this setting.

'Kind of like [Gamer] powers..' my inner doubt whispers back.

No. No. Not doing this. Not going down this route. I'm just going to take the power up and not fuckin' think about it. Better for everyone involved that way.

Regardless I think it's time I kept my word to Kuma and got the hell out of this Kingdom. There's one errand I want to hit first thing in the morning, but once that's done, I am gone.

The Next Morning

The leather couch made its stereotypical 'groaning' sound as I shifted in my seat again. Still searching for that 'ideal' comfortable position as I lingered in the banks lobby. Another minute ticks by and the clock now reads 9:57. And although that makes it nearly an hour since the counting house unlocked its doors and opened up, apparently the appraiser doesn't typically come in until 10:30.

No matter. Gives me plenty of time to peruse today's paper and catch up with the events of the world. King Beer the VI over in the Roshwan Kingdom hosted a great feast for three days to celebrate the birth of his fifth daughter. There's a scandal on page two about the monarch of Tajine, Queen Mororon, allegedly having not one or two but four illicit affairs. Oh, and in the centerpiece article there's a little story about trouble brewing in a desert.

'Civil war imminent!? 300,000 Alabastan soldiers defect from Royal Army!'

Hmm. Y'know I had almost forgotten about this from canon. If I'm recalling correctly here this was right before the Straw Hats went to Drum in search of a doctor right? Guess that means I can assume the 'Little Garden' arc just wrapped itself up.

'Gotta hand it to 'Big News' Morgans though. He sure knows how to make a sensationalist headline.' I mean come on! 300K soldiers defecting all at once? I don't believe that for a second. I'm sure the big bird was just waiting for the stream of runaways to build up until he had a number eye-catching enough for the world.

I flip the page to its backside and continue reading. 'And another thing. Some of the language here is deliberately ambiguous. He's trying to get the reader to think they all joined the Rebel faction without ever actually stating it himself.' My eyes shift to a printed photo of an Alabastan Royal guardsman holding some kind of polearm with a steel fan-like protrusion at the end. 'Makes for a hotter story to print it that way I suppose. 'Don't lie, just imply' and all that. I'm sure many of those soldiers have problems with the idea of warring with their own countrymen. It wouldn't make sense for ALL of them to just up and join the other side.'

"Excuse me sir." A petite voice interrupts, moving my attention up to Colleen, the Lv.3 secretary manning the front desk. "It's still a bit early but Mr. Gombei our appraiser is in his office now. If you'd please follow me?" she speaks sweetly with a long sweep of her arm.

I hop up to my feet and toss the newspaper back to the spot I took it from. "By all means."

A short hop and a skip later and I find myself in a much more private room in front of the desk of a portly man in a white shirt and brown suspenders. A crisp blue bow tie sits beneath his neck and a title befitting his job floats invisibly to all but me over his balding head.

"Ahh my apologies for the wait." he rumbles jovially as he pats his forehead with a white cloth. "It's actually quite uncommon for us to get walk-ins, especially so early. Most people usually set up appointments for these things. Aside from something at 3:00 I really don't have much on the schedule today." Gombei sets the rag aside and folds his hands pleasantly in front of him. "So, how can our Bank help you today?"

"Well you see Mr. Gombei not too long ago I came into possession of some items in need of evaluation. Gold and silver and all that you know? They're not much use to me just sitting around in storage-"

"And you've come to see what we can make of them." Gombei pipes in with a head nod. "Absolutely. It's something we deal with quite commonly here. People turning over old family heirlooms and such. What pieces are you looking to sell today?"

"Tell me, are you familiar with Torino Kingdom? Sometimes known as the 'Isle of Treasure'?"

The bankers expression widens. One part shock, one part excitement. "I am." The man pauses to lean in conspiratorially. "Are you saying you've spirited something away from those accursed birds?"

A chuckle echoes in my throat. "I'm saying I've got 236 'somethings' from those big menaces." One hand reaches up towards the empty air, "Please don't be alarmed. I've got a Devil Fruit ability to store things." The arm sinks briefly into the [Inventory] -much to Gombei's amazement- and a moment later retracts with a palm-sized piece of jewelry in its grip. "First up. One gold amulet with a big ol' ruby in the center."

The appraiser accepts the item and quickly adorns a jewelers loupe to his right eye. "Hmm let us see.." Gombei hums as he begins his examination. "Some light scuffing on the gold.." he rotates it around to scan the underside. "..moderate scratching.." he does a quick circle around the amulets edge before focusing on the centerpiece. "..and the ruby is chipped a bit on the side". The man sets the trinket gently down on his desk and shifts the tool away from his eye. "Still, it's in acceptable condition. Will truly be a beautiful piece after a little restoration work." Gombei glances up with a smile. "The Bank would be happy to purchase this off you. What's next?"

"Item number two." My arm momentarily vanishes once more. "A woman's silver bangle. Large enough to flaunt but without being gaudy. Slotted with five..uh..purple gems.. over the bridge of it."

Gombei chuckles warmly. "Those are amethysts sir." he supplies with a buoyant smile.

A tiny shrug hits my shoulders as I hand it over. "If you say so."

"Numbers 33 and 34. A pair of decorative goblets. Solid gold as best I can tell, though unfortunately not terribly large. Probably could only hold about 10 ounces between them."

"Well they're not really made for drinking anyway." Gombei laughs. "Go ahead and put them on the scale."

"What are we at? 72 now? Some type of...brass statue thing..not sure who it's of.. though I can tell you those birds certainly liked it."

"Hm?" Gombei rubs his chin. "I can't say I recognize the figure either. Normally this wouldn't be worth enough for the Bank to be interested but since everything today is part of a collection we can certainly add it to the pile."

"Alright give me a sec, this one's a bit hefty." I slowly draw the medium-sized chest out from the veil of distorted air. "Item 109." A loud 'thump' echoes around the office as I plant it firmly on the desk. "As you can see the metal clasps are solid silver but I doubt that worth actually adds up to much. The real prize," I pause as I creak open the lid. "Lays inside."

The appraiser scribbles a few more lines on his notepad, flips the page, and then checks a bronze pocketwatch. "Oh...it's gonna be a tight fit. We might end up bleeding into my 3:00 at this rate."

"Guess we'll have to speed up a bit then. Luckily, much of what I have left can be grouped together." Four small lockboxes get extracted from the [Inventory] one after another. "158 through 161. Haven't actually opened these myself yet.." I give the first of them a shake and the rustling of coins can be heard shaking about inside. "..but as you can hear they're obviously not empty."

Brute forcing the locks off is a simple task, though Gombei's expression is still surprised by the casualness of the feat. The first boxes contents are carefully spilled onto the mans desk and he immediately goes about separating them into distinct piles.

While he's busy I make myself useful and start trying to organize items from the second box in much the same manner. Gold coins go here, silver coins over there, and Beri coins..well...obviously go back in my pocket. I'm here to turn treasure into cash after all. Having 50 and 100 Beri coins out is just gonna clutter the workspace.

In the span of just five minutes Gombei is almost already finished with the third chest before I even have time to peak inside the fourth. Yet when I do I have to stop and actually do a double-take.

This last box has a lot less coins in it. There's still a few dozen so there's a jingle if you shuffle it about, but the main thing inside is a quintet of slightly furled papers. Four of which have a blotchy red 'X' marked from corner to corner across their faces.

That wasn't what momentarily threw me for a loop though. No, see, the reason for that was the fact that like people, these slips of weather-beaten paper had titles.

Treasure Map- Jagran's Retreat [ X ]

Treasure Map- Savjorn's Secret Stash [ X ]

Treasure Map- And Really Bad Eggs [ X ]

Treasure Map- Gomago's Grotto [ O ]

Treasure Map- Naysayers Last Regret [ X ]

I lifted the only 'uncompleted' map from the box and peered at it curiously. 'Gomago's Grotto..why does that sound familiar..?' A spark of recognition flickers in my brain leading my posture to subtly rear back. 'Wait a second! Isn't this..' The fingers of my right hand work into a flurry as I quickly scroll through the [Game]'s [Options] and down towards the seldomly used [Archive].

A detailed log of all windows the [Game] has ever shown me pops into a view. A full accounting of everything I've done since washing up on that shore over a year ago. All timestamped down to the minute. 'When was it..when was it..' I scroll past whole months at a time. 'No no..it wasn't during my time on The Marjhan..it was before I even met Korka...Ah Ha!' There it is! One of the options I could have selected when opening that mystery box right after Mori and I defeated Jorgen.

1. Treasure Map- Gomago's Grotto: Six years ago the South Blue pirate captain Gabrian Gomago and his crew were defeated and slaughtered to the last man. Two weeks before the decisive battle though, Gomago stashed all of his plunder inside a hidden alcove he had discovered many years prior. This map may be the only surviving clue to help locate the elusive lost riches which rumor claims includes one of the worlds 50 Ryo Wazamono Grade Swords. Selecting this item comes with +5 levels to the [Skill] [Bladed Weapon Mastery].

I scan over the old paragraph again and then compare it to an [Observe] of the map in front of me. Some of the phrasing is a little different but with the exception of the final blurb about 'Selecting this item..' the two paragraphs may as well be identical. Which means this thing in my hands is definitely the real map. 'Unless the [Game] can't tell the difference between a well made forgery and the real deal...though I sincerely doubt that.'

This does raise the question though. If I had selected that option originally would the [Game] have generated a duplicate of this map? Or would it have just 'poofed' the one existing copy into my hands? At the end of the day does the answer actually matter?

'Regardless I think I'll be hanging on to this. Nothing like a little side-quest to mix things up.'

"Sir?" Gombei calls, getting my attention again. He's finished sorting all the gold on his end and is now doing some quick math in his notes. "Throwing all this into the lot brings the Bank's current offer up to 46.38 million. What's next?"

"Ah. Sorry sorry. My mind was elsewhere. You'll like these next three pieces. That is assuming you like sapphires as clear as the ocean.."

Two Days Later, Drytide Medical Center

Kiwi flaps down slowly in front of the hospital and I slowly slide myself off his back. Moving to his front I begin unhooking the bridle and like a good bird he remains perfectly calm as I stow the riding equipment. "You know the drill buddy. Don't wander too far. I'll call you when we're ready."

"Kee-Wee! Wee-Wee Kee!" he responds with a shake oh his neck.

After departing Sorbet Kingdom -ironically richer than ever before- I decided to take the rest of the week to handle some personal matters. One item of which is to come get Guilford out of the depressed funk he's settled into. I've spoken to the man over the phone a few times since his rescuing and the ex-hunter is only growing increasingly despondent.

He's long since been cleared to leave...yet he has nowhere worth going. Part of the reason he became a bounty hunter in the first place was for some sort of 'honor-revenge' thing against Crowler 'The Weasel', Mira-jane's right hand. I never really asked him the finer details. It didn't seem my business and the one time I saw Waldstein broach the topic Guilford was quick to deflect to another subject.

Everyone enjoys a good vengeance story. Sadly Guilford's is one of the thousands in this world that didn't exactly finish with a happy ending. All that time spent in pursuit... And you know what he earned for his trouble? Got tied to a mast and was tortured until he was a blind emaciated husk. Didn't even get the satisfaction of killing Crowler himself.

Frankly, I'd be a little depressed too.

So! It's time to spring him from this dreary place! Get him back in the sun before the hospital runs out of goodwill and gives him the boot themselves. The common people of 'One Piece' may be generous, but no one's patience is infinite.

Finding his room isn't too hard. Just up the stairs and six doors down according to the nurse at reception. As I stalk up the squeaky clean steps I'm already practicing the spiel in my mind. A friendly little sales pitch I've thrown together to get him to consider relocating to Kivuruk. I think I've just about refined the bit dealing with 'making a new home' when..

The sliding door at the end of the hall slams open and Guilford's head pops out to peer in my direction. His usual slicked ponytail has been replaced with a ratty mop of unkempt hair and it's obvious he hasn't shaved in days. A pair of dark sunglasses hide his ruined eyes and his brow furrows in puzzlement. "Jack? Is that you?"

"Well hey!" I greet in surprise. "How the heck did ya know I was comi-"

"Why is your aura so much brighter than everyone else's?" he interrupts with a scrunched up expression. "Can't you turn it down a bit?"

...

...

...I'm sorry what?

Ok so... Guilford has Observation Haki. Didn't really see that one coming.

A crash behind me rings throughout the lobby as the 'blind' swordsman trips over a chair and then starts swearing up a storm. The nearest nurse rushes over to assist despite the mans angry protests against help. Even going so far as to lightly shove her away the moment her fingers brush his arm.

I should clarify. Guilford has basic Observation Haki. He's somehow tapped into the ability to see the presence of those around him. Apparently we're all 'colored silhouettes' in an otherwise pitch black world.

"I said I'll do it myself!" he snaps at the poor girl.

Doooesn't seem to be helping him navigate around furniture though. "Guilford, buddy." I call. "Stop being stubborn. You don't need to learn where everything is in here since we're never coming back. Just take the help."

The ex-hunter grumbles something undignified under his breath and I raise an eyebrow in amusement. 'Wow. He's a lot more ornery then he used to be. It's like someone dug out all that haughty snobbishness and replaced it with a full-time grouch.' Guilford stumbles again as he staunchly refuses to use his support cane and then throws up a hand to freeze the concerned nurse in her tracks. 'I guess it's preferable to being depressed though.'

The Following Evening, Kivuruk Island

Barker growls as the side of the rapier taps against his shoulder. "Point to me." Guilford intones with disappointment. "That makes it 14-0. Give up yet?"

"You wish!" My quasi-protégé rolls away and hops back to a fighting stance. "I'm not stopping until you're the one knocked on your ass!"

A tiny speck of the old Guilford reappears in the form of a 'high and mighty' smirk. "Big words from a little kid."

With a battle roar the friendly spar continues as I watch from the sidelines, lightly relaxing on a smoothed out rock. "What do you think Kiwi? Does Barker have any chance at all?"

The sparrow continues to crunch down noisily on the crustacean in his mouth. "Wee!"

"Well you never know. Maybe he'll get lucky." I reply back with a lazy shrug. "All he really needs is Guilford to slip on a rock or something."

Kiwi finishes his snack and immediately moves on to the next one at his feet. "Kee Wee-Kee?"

I shake my head in the negative. "Nah. It's better if I sit out for a bit. Guilford needs his confidence built back up and Barker needs to feel like victory's attainable for once. Sparring with me would only be counterproductive for them right now."

As the contest of wills continues in front of me my mind can't help but start to drift. Barker's hit an issue where his growth is stuck in the mid-20's. His personal skill is still advancing -in fact he's nearly figured out a novice level [Soru]- but his stats themselves have officially become stagnant. I suppose I could offer him the Toucan-Fruit to try and break through that wall...but I really don't want to.

For one, it's probably better if he overcomes this hill himself and two, that cursed guava in my [Inventory] is the single best weapon I have against other Fruit-users. If I ever encounter someone that I just can't handle all I'd need to do is somehow get a scrap of it into their mouths and boom. Instantly lethal. 'I wonder what it would look like to watch someones body destroy itself? Do they actually 'explode' or is it more of a foaming at the mouth type thing?'

Guilford gracefully weaves around Barkers wild throws and my thoughts shift to our islands newest resident. 'With him using his aura sight constantly his Haki is bound to grow at a frightening pace. He's already mentioned he's starting to 'see' small things like lizards now. Is insects next? Maybe plants after that? It'd be truly incredible if he could take it that far. On that subject how advanced does Observation Haki have to be to pick up on my [Observe]? Berwynne knew I had done something practically instantly yet Guilford shows no outward reaction at all no matter how many times I cast it on him.'

Moving back to my feet I take a moment to brush off my pants before leaving the boys to their match. Barker will ensure Guilford makes it to his new home alright. In the meantime I need to get to my own training. I'm thinking perhaps an hour of flying slashes with Kugizume, grinding at least two levels into [Shigan], and after that we'll just play it by ear.

I stared in disgusted horror at my arm. The ballooned muscles rippling with power as outlines of my veins bulged near the skin. 'Oh god...oh GOD! That wasn't what I was trying to do at all! Off! Off! How the fuck do I turn this off!'

Once upon a time I heard someone say that strength wasn't just about raw power. That in truth it was about timing. About how one perfectly timed electrical burst was required to signal all ones muscle fibers to work in concert for an incredible exerting force. And how the more fibers were activated simultaneously, the more strength a person would have. As so many of us already know though, that electrical burst is subconsciously regulated by the mind. Limitations are set in place so as to prevent muscles from literally ripping themselves off the bone and permanently disfiguring their owner.

I've known for a long while now that [Seimei Kikan] could let me get past those mental barriers. Or at least it should. However I'll admit to being a bit..overly cautious.. about experimenting with the [Perk] in such a way. Ever since almost cardiac arresting myself I've been content in only exploring minor applications. Very small items such as figuring out how to turn off nail and hair growth and whatnot.

Before laying down for bed though I was suddenly struck by...a sense of 'productivity'. That sudden burst of short term energy that one typically uses to clean a mess, work on a project, fix a problem, or even...run an experiment.

But now. Looking at my right arm, more than twice its normal size and roided to all get-out like it belongs to a fuckin' max-powered All Might..

I realize I have made a wrong turn somewhere.

Unlocking the path to the stereotypical anime 'big muscle form' is cool and all but it doesn't change the simple immutable fact that that wasn't what I was trying to do!

'Ow! Ow! This is uncomfortable. Why are the veins pulsing like that! Change back! Please change back!'

Like a ball leaking air the arm slowly begins to deflate. The throbbing pulsating mass trapped beneath the skin calms down and the limb gradually returns to normal size. 'Oh thank the lord. God, why is it all numb now? I didn't even use it for anything!'

I experimentally roll my shoulder as I try to get feeling back into the limb. My fingers clench open and shut as the sensation of pins and needles slowly disperses. 'Well that was certainly unexpected. Could it be that the bulking is just a side-effect of 'Hysterical Strength' in this universe? Or was I right in thinking I totally screwed it up?'

"Argh.." One hand runs through my hair in frustration. 'Cartoon physics are so annoying! It's like I can never be a 100% sure of anything. Can I just go back to being dumb enough not to question every little development? I'm sick of all this second-guessing!'

A long sigh escaped me as my eyes slowly turned back to my arm. 'Well..I guess we're gonna be practicing this all night now. Maybe if I'm lucky I'll be able to do both arms at once before sunrise.'

Later That Week

I peer through the spyglass of my rifle and hum to myself. "Nope. False alarm." I raise my head and stow the gun away. "It's just some merchant ships Kiwi. They're probably sticking together for safety. Let's move on."

"Wee Kee Kee!" The sparrow veers sharply to the left and begins a steady ascent back into the clouds. I snap the riding goggles back over my eyes and go back to scanning the sea for a potential target.

Supposedly there was some new punk worth 5 million sailing around here but I've yet to see any sign of him. Which if I'm honest isn't really a surprise. Mori did admit the report was dated a week ago. No doubt that particular pirate has moved on. As for which direction he went, well your guess is as good as mine.

Though it's not my proudest thought I'm secretly hoping to find a fish much more worth my time. I'd certainly be happy to remove someone worth 5 million from these waters, much as I'd be happy remove any scum-of-mankind picaroon from the sea. I'd just be a bit more happy if I got something personally out of it as well.

Typically speaking a 5 million bounty would have a Lv. somewhere in the...low 20's probably. Which -now that Exp has scaled down drastically- translates to maybe a 100 points for the whole crew. In fact, if anyone besides the captain himself is high enough to warrant Exp at all then I would be shocked.

Truth of the matter is I'm probably gonna be stuck at Lv.68 for awhile. I could probably grind my way to the level up over the next month or two..but if I want another jump like the one I got for turning in Montauban then I'm gonna need to complete the last bounty [Quest]. The one for capturing a pirate captain worth at least 50 million Beri. And since Eustass Kid has left..

There's only two men on this sea who fulfill that requirement.

'Oaken Fist' Kowalik and a Garrick Osier Hornigold.

The first of which should be the easier to take down. From what I've heard about him he's got a Wood Paramecia that sounds as though it behaves similarly to Mr.3's Wax-Wax Fruit. With the ability to repair his ship in real time the man has an undefeated record in naval battles. His galleon the Molderhulk has faced off against entire Marine battle groups and come out the other side pretty as a picture.

As for the swashbuckler himself his reputation is.. honestly not that terrible. He doesn't pillage or burn and the body count his crew has racked up over time is surprisingly small. There are pirates who've been active only a tenth as long and have already far exceeded the 'Oaken Fist' in the amount of devastation spread. As best I can tell most of Kowalik's crimes seem to be limited to forcibly collecting 'tithes' from the places he makes port and acting as a big fat 'Fuck you I'm here what are you gonna do about it' for the Marines.

The second man though, Hornigold, he is.. a much trickier problem. If Don Krieg was the 'King of East Blue' then Hornigold is undoubtedly 'Lord of the South'. A crew numbering in the thousands, several ships under his flag, and when I asked Mori about which of the three types of Fruit the man possessed, the marine responded with "we don't know."

For you see Hornigold consumed the Sponge-Sponge Fruit. A special little something that is annoyingly hard to classify. And after speaking to Mori about it I understand why. Sponges are technically animals so therefore the Fruit must be some variant of Zoan. Except, as the Master Chief informed me, Hornigold has demonstrated several Paramecia-esque abilites over the years. One particular item of concern being the ability to enhance his own mass just by soaking up a few barrelfuls of potable water.

Then on top of all of that there's the story where, while he was still a young man, Hornigold lost his arm in a fight with Commodore Torsten and within a half-minutes time the limb had fucking regenerated. A power that seriously encroaches into the territory of Logia.

Before I'm done with this ocean both of them are going to have to go.

A brown speck among the blue catches my eye and I bring the spyglass back out for a closer look. "Well I don't recognize the flag.." A mischievous snicker bleeds into my tone. "..but it's got a skull on it. You know what that means right buddy?"

"Kee-Wee Wee Wee!" My partner chirps as he shifts course all by himself.

"You're absolutely right Kiwi." I agree with a predatory grin. "We should pop in and say hello."

Jack Parker, The Gamer, Lv. 68

Health: 6,100/6,100

Exp: 3,445/6,800

Money: 206,512,420Beri

STR: 420

VIT: 305

DEX: 504

INT: 155

WIS: 155

LUK: 76

Points to spend: 105

Click here to see list of [Skills]

-Current number of [Skills]: 44

Click here to see list of [Perks]

-Current number of [Perks]: 7

A/N 2: More of a transition chapter than anything else. See you next time.