For a time, Ryuuto became the vortex at the center of the world. This brought him not only tremendous opportunities but also immense risks.
The greatest danger was the World Government's attitude and potential actions toward him. Their attitude, he was sure, would be extremely hostile. As for their actions, he had Ace to thank for distracting the bulk of the Marines' attention. Otherwise, an Admiral might have already descended upon him by now. After all, compared to the Whitebeard Pirates, the threat Ryuuto currently posed was still quite limited.
While Morgans' presses ran wild, news of the Justice Guild's founding spread like wildfire across the globe.
Time flew by.
Foxy and Buggy continued to prepare for the auction.
Ryuuto, meanwhile, kept his attention focused on the system. It was the most plausible way he could think of to complete his mission.
Fortunately… on the fifth day, a voice finally echoed in his mind.
[Congratulations, Host, for completing Side Quest 1: Establish the Justice Guild!]
[Reward: 50,000 Reputation Points!]
[Every great journey begins with a single step! You have activated a long-term mission. Henceforth, completing a bounty will award a corresponding amount of Reputation Points!]
[Friendly Reminder: 1 Star = 10,000 Reputation Points, 1 Crown = 100,000 Reputation Points!]
[Beep! Please continue your efforts!]
"Just as I thought," Ryuuto mused, looking at the system prompts in his mind. "Establishing the Justice Guild had certain conditions. The most basic one was tied to reputation—enough people had to know it existed."
Ryuuto then checked his reputation exchange interface.
[Reputation Points: 188,500!]
"It's increased by so much!" Ryuuto stroked his chin, pleasantly surprised. Before founding the Justice Guild, his reputation points had never even broken one hundred thousand.
"Long-term missions are the way to go," Ryuuto thought. "And the news… the news is a gold mine. It looks like I'll need a long-term partnership with Morgans. He's the perfect tool for farming reputation points!"
Ryuuto was ecstatic. Completing the side quest had given him 50,000 points, but the surge in his fame had added nearly another 50,000 on top of that. In that moment, he truly understood the benefits of renown.
"I, Ryuuto, am now a man of renown!" he declared quietly.
And the best part… his reputation points were still climbing. It looked like they would break 200,000 in the next few days.
"When have I ever been this flush with resources!" Ryuuto whispered as he pulled his consciousness out of his mind.
"Plus, cashing in bounties will provide a huge amount of reputation points in the future. That means I can effectively convert Berries into reputation. Excellent, excellent. The future looks promising. My goal of building a Grand Fleet will be much easier to achieve. All of it will be supported by a massive pool of reputation points!"
As Ryuuto sorted through his thoughts, his mood soared. Bathed in the midday sun, he felt as refreshed as if he had just drunk an ice-cold beverage, his entire being invigorated.
Nearby, Vivi was brewing alcohol under a canopy, and waves of fragrance wafted into Ryuuto's nostrils. The gentle aroma was laced with a fresh, grassy scent.
"Vivi, what kind of drink is this?" Ryuuto asked. As a user of the Sake-Sake Fruit, Vivi could easily discern the composition of any alcohol, making brewing a simple task for her.
"Captain, I added some cactus juice to this barrel," Vivi explained with a proud expression. "The freshness of the cactus neutralizes some of the alcohol's harshness, making it much smoother to drink."
"Sounds pretty good! I'll have a glass," Crocus chimed in from the side.
Vivi, looking delighted, immediately poured a cup for Crocus to taste before handing one to Ryuuto as well.
"Not bad at all," Ryuuto and Crocus said in unison, nodding at each other in approval.
"Hee hee!" Vivi beamed, overjoyed by their praise.
News of Kid and Killer's deaths quickly spread through the nearby groves. Now, whether they were pirates or gangsters, everyone feared Ryuuto's power. This also meant that the upcoming auction would be much safer.
With Buggy's promotion, the second auction was set to be even more explosive than the first. The items were largely the same as last time, mostly weapons, with the grand prize being the Float-Float Fruit.
As for the Tontatta… the dwarf, who was normally terrified of humans, had surprisingly hit it off with Buggy. As a result, Role had now become a member of the Buggy Pirates.
Besides the Float-Float Fruit being auctioned, Ryuuto still had the Mad-Blood Fruit and the Sick-Sick Fruit. Both were Paramecia-types with high potential for development, and he planned to save them for other purposes.
"The auction house is established, but now it feels like we're a bit short on items," Ryuuto murmured, stroking his chin.
"Time to go for a stroll," he said, hopping onto a hover-cycle, intending to wander around Sabaody.
"It feels strange without Blackbeard around," Ryuuto remarked softly.
"I wonder if the massive power vacuum I created in the Sabaody underworld by taking out Doflamingo's men will attract a new kingpin to send an agent to fill the void," Ryuuto thought to himself as he pedaled the hover-cycle slowly toward Grove 13. He needed a new partner, or his hard-won auction house would soon run out of merchandise.
This time, Ryuuto was heading to Grove 13 for information from Shakky. Judging by the timing, the other Supernovas should be arriving on the archipelago soon.
Before long, Ryuuto once again found himself at Shakky's Rip-Off Bar in Grove 13.
"Captain Shakky, long time no see," Ryuuto greeted her as soon as he saw her. The bar was the same as always, its business looking bleak.
"Captain Ryuuto, you're quite the celebrity now," Shakky said, exhaling a puff of smoke, a playful smile on her face as she looked at him.
"Hahahaha, it's all just empty fame," Ryuuto replied with a laugh, having expected such a comment. He then got straight to the purpose of his visit.
"Rookie pirates?" Shakky took a drag from her cigarette, crossing her legs. "A few new pirates with bounties over one hundred million have indeed arrived on the archipelago."
"I knew I could count on you for the best information, Captain Shakky!" Ryuuto broke into a wide grin upon hearing this.
"They're all here! Excellent!"