Chapter 125: Master of Theft and Master of Mechanics!
The banquet lasted all night.
The central square of Clockwork Island, which once flew the flag of the Trump Pirates, was now piled high with food and wine.
The diamond clock chimed every hour, its toll echoing over the island that had regained its freedom.
"Cheers—!"
"For freedom!"
"For the Straw Hat Pirates!"
Cheers rose one after another.
The residents wore genuine smiles on their faces, and children weaved through the crowd.
In front of Lufia was a mountain of roasted meat, bread, and fruit.
She used both hands, her arms stretching to an astonishing length, grabbing five or six different foods at once and stuffing them into her mouth.
"Mmm! This is delicious! That's delicious too!"
Her cheeks were puffed up like a hamster's.
Nami sat beside her, gracefully eating a fruit salad while unconsciously tapping her fingers on the table, as if calculating something.
Sanji was busy by the bonfire, cooking special dishes for the ladies.
Zoro sat on the grass not far away, holding a bottle of wine in one hand and resting the other on the hilt of his sword.
Usopp was surrounded by a group of children, animatedly telling the exaggerated story of "Captain Usopp's Great Battle Against the Eight Hundred Warriors of the Trump Pirates."
Ralph sat on the other side of Lufia, holding a wine glass. He seemed to be enjoying the banquet, but in reality—
[System Notification: Borodo's favorability toward you has reached the "Friend" stage.]
[Reward Obtained: Steal skill upgraded from Intermediate to Advanced.]
[System Notification: Akisu's favorability toward you has reached the "Friend" stage.]
[Reward Obtained: Mechanical Repair (Beginner)]
[System Notification: Akisu's father, Dr. Isaac's favorability toward you has reached the "Friend" stage.]
[Reward Obtained: Mechanical Manufacturing (Beginner).]
[System Notification: Akisu's mother, Dr. Leah's favorability toward you has reached the "Friend" stage.]
[Reward Obtained: Mechanical Design (Beginner).]
[System Notification: The Clockwork Island engineering team (23 people) has reached the "Friend" stage in collective favorability toward you.]
[Rewards stacking... Mechanical Repair, Mechanical Design, and Mechanical Manufacturing skills merge and upgrade...]
[Current Skill Level: Mechanical Engineering (Advanced).]
Theft, originally at the Intermediate level, was upgraded to Advanced, and techniques flooded into his mind like a tide.
How to assess lock structures, how to avoid surveillance blind spots, how to silently take target objects...
It made Ralph's eyes somewhat dazed. No matter the value, his hands itched at the sight of other people's belongings!
And the knowledge of mechanical engineering was even more overwhelming.
Calculations of gear transmission ratios, optimization of spring torque, calibration of precision instruments, structural design of large machinery...
This knowledge didn't feel as if it had appeared out of thin air but rather as if he had already learned it long ago.
But there was too much, too fast.
Ralph felt his brain heating up slightly, his whole body dizzy. His hand loosened, and the wine glass slipped.
"Clack!"
The glass was caught steadily by a hand.
"Ralph?"
Lufia tilted her head to look at him, a chicken leg still dangling from her mouth.
"Are you drunk?"
Ralph wanted to say that with his Advanced Drinking skill, he wasn't so easily drunk.
But his behavior was too much like someone who was drunk!
"...."
Ralph rubbed his temples and took back the glass.
"Maybe I'm just too happy."
"If you're happy, drink more!"
A worker came over with a wine barrel and filled his glass to the brim.
"Mr. Ralph, you're our hero! Without your encouragement, we wouldn't have dared to pick up weapons!!"
"To Mr. Ralph!"
"To the Straw Hat Pirates!"
Another round of toasts.
Ralph drank with a wry smile, his mind still processing all that knowledge.
Advanced Theft, Advanced Mechanical Engineering... With these two skills combined, even if he didn't become a pirate, he could thrive anywhere.
The kind that works both sides of the law.
He glanced at Lufia. In the system interface, her favorability remained at 85%—without fighting side by side during the Clockwork Island arc, it was indeed hard to raise.
The 5% from his last speech had already been an unexpected delight.
"It seems," Ralph thought to himself, "next time, we'll have to fight together."
The feast lasted until just before dawn.
When the first rays of morning light fell upon Clockwork Town, the Straw Hat crew was already gone.
No farewells, no grand send-off, just as sudden as their arrival.
That's the way of men... and women of the sea!
Deeds done, robes brushed, leaving no trace of fame or glory!
Just then, Nami emerged from the cabin, carrying a massive bundle on her back four or five times her size, wobbling toward the storage room.
"Miss Nami! Let me help you!"
Sanji immediately rushed over but was met with a glare from Nami.
"Don't touch it! This is my treasure! I worked hard, moving it bit by bit like an ant from Bear King's treasure vault!"
During last night's feast, while everyone was celebrating, Nami had slipped alone into the secret vault beneath the tower's peak.
The moment she pushed open the vault door, Nami was nearly blinded by the glint of gold.
Coins piled into hills, jewels scattered across the floor.
Muttering, "All this is ill-gotten wealth Bear King extorted from the people, it should be left for Clockwork Island's reconstruction," Nami stuffed gems and gold coins into the sack she'd brought.
Fill one sack, haul it back to the Going Merry, then return for more.
She repeated this five or six times, finishing just before daybreak.
And even then, she'd only moved a fraction of the treasure vault.
"By the way," Lufia sat on the Going Merry's goat figurehead, her sun-kissed legs swinging back and forth, "Why hasn't the new bounty poster come down yet? I'm so anxious! I want to know if my bounty has surpassed Ralph's!"
Nami, busy counting her treasure, replied:
"It won't be that fast. From the news reaching the Navy branch, then to Navy Headquarters... it'll take at least three to five days. Let the news fly a little longer."
"Ehhh—"
Lufia's voice dragged out in disappointment, her face drooping.
Just then, Lufia turned her head and noticed a small boat following behind.
Everyone looked back.
In the morning mist, a worn but nimble little boat trailed about a hundred meters behind the Going Merry.
On board, Borodo adjusted the sails, sailing alone.
"Borodo!"
Lufia stretched her neck and waved, "Why are you following us? Where's Akisu? Aren't you two inseparable thief brothers?"
Borodo gave a bitter smile, "What thief brothers are left?"
His voice wavered slightly in the morning breeze,
"Akisu found his birth parents. He'll have a bright future on Clockwork Island—going to school, learning mechanics, inheriting the family business. No need to wander with a thief like me, living a life of uncertainty."
His voice suddenly lifted:
"A solo journey is much easier! Any treasure I find, I can keep all for myself!"
Silence fell over the Going Merry.
The Straw Hat crew wore varied expressions; they could tell Borodo was putting on a brave face.
"Borodo! You—!!"
A familiar child's voice suddenly exploded.
On Borodo's ship, one of the lids of the pile of worn-out wooden crates was kicked open with a "bang."
Akisu jumped out from inside, his little face flushed red with anger, tears still glistening at the corners of his eyes.
"You can't just leave me behind! We're the amazing thief brothers! The ones aiming to become the world's greatest thief brothers! Didn't we promise to be brothers for life? Missing even a day, an hour, or a minute doesn't count as a lifetime!"