A light screen unfolded within Zaraki's consciousness. The interface was simple, carrying a cold metallic texture.
At the center of the screen, a brand-new "Shop" icon was flashing faintly.
'Here it was.'
Zaraki's heart stirred, and his thoughts touched the icon.
A shelf-like interface appeared before him.
Most of the product slots were gray, each marked with a lock symbol. Only the topmost slot was emitting a rainbow-colored glow.
It was an exquisite pitch-black box. On its surface, flowing golden lines outlined a huge question mark.
**[Limited Commemorative Blind Box: For the Warrior Who Defied an Emperor.]**
**[Description: Contains one random item with a quality no lower than five stars. It may be a weapon, it may be an ability, or it may be... an unexpected surprise.]**
**[Price: 5,000 system points.]**
Zaraki's breathing paused slightly.
Guaranteed five-star?
That temptation was no small thing.
His Zaraki Kenpachi template was five-star as well.
That meant whatever came out of this box would, at minimum, be something comparable to a top-tier template.
If he could open another five-star template, or perhaps a divine weapon similar to a Zanpakutō...
Then why the hell would he need to fear Kaido?
He could turn the ship around and kill his way back to see whether Kaido's kanabo was harder or his own blade was sharper.
Zaraki's head heated up, and he almost clicked purchase on instinct.
However, when his eyes swept over the "5,000" listed behind the price, his heart immediately cooled by half.
His gaze slowly moved to the upper-right corner of the interface.
His current point balance was displayed there.
**[Current points: 3,000.]**
Killing Jack the Drought, who had a one-billion-berry bounty, had only given him 3,000 points.
He was still short 2,000.
Zaraki's brows twisted into a knot.
This system really was something else.
It did not refresh earlier or later, but just had to show him something good when his points were at their tightest.
It was doing this on purpose, just to tempt him.
He tried communicating with the system in his mind.
"Hey, can I buy on credit? Or pay in installments? Once I kill Kaido, I'll have plenty of points."
**[...]**
The system gave no response.
"How about a twenty-percent discount? I'm an old customer."
"Keep this up and I'm filing a complaint."
At last, a line of cold text appeared beneath the blind box.
**[Insufficient points. Purchase unavailable.]**
**[This system does not provide credit services.]**
The corner of Zaraki's mouth twitched.
'Fine.'
What made his scalp prickle even more was the bright red countdown that appeared beneath that line of text.
**[Limited-time item. Remaining purchase time: 23 hours 59 minutes.]**
**[Notice: If this item is not purchased before expiration, it will disappear from the current Shop and will not reappear in the next refresh cycle.]**
Zaraki narrowed his eyes.
So he had to obtain 2,000 points within twenty-four hours!
Where was he supposed to get those 2,000 points?
The three pirate ships about to approach the deck?
Not enough.
That bunch of rotten fish and shrimp would be lucky if they gave him even 200 points after he dealt with them all.
Zaraki's gaze passed beyond those little ships and turned toward a farther place.
His mind spun quickly, running through every possible target.
Then a wild thought suddenly surfaced.
He needed a target with enough weight.
That target had to give him a proper justification, but it also could not be someone like Kaido, an existence he could not shake for the time being.
He thought of what Gion had just said, and his thoughts instantly became clear.
That guy... Doflamingo.
Dressrosa.
That sinful kingdom, along with the officers entrenched there, should be worth 2,000 points altogether.
But...
The risk was enormous.
Taking the initiative to provoke a Warlord of the Sea, especially one who had close dealings with Kaido, was no different from completely pushing himself into the center of another storm.
If old man Sengoku found out, he might be so furious he would roar the warship straight into the sea.
But the temptation of the five-star blind box left Zaraki with one very simple answer.
'Do it.'
Fortune came from danger.
Since he was already being hunted by one Emperor, what did it matter if he picked up another enemy?
When there were too many lice, the itching stopped. When there was too much debt, worrying became pointless.
The hesitation in Zaraki's eyes vanished, replaced by determination.
He was just about to turn and order the warship to adjust course toward Dressrosa when a strange sensation came from high above.
It carried a feeling of rotation and spying, arriving without warning.
Zaraki abruptly raised his head, and his Observation Haki spread out in an instant.
In the sky, a fat man wearing pilot goggles and sucking on a pacifier was spinning through the air in a ridiculous posture.
Standing behind him was a tall woman wearing sunglasses, while another woman in a maid outfit hovered nearby with one arm shifted into the barrel of a weapon.
The woman's gaze seemed to pass through her sunglasses and lock precisely onto him.
'Them?'
Memories flashed through Zaraki's mind.
Donquixote Family officer, Buffalo, user of the Guru Guru no Mi.
Donquixote Family officer, Baby 5, user of the Buki Buki no Mi.
And...
The former princess of Dressrosa, Viola, user of the Giro Giro no Mi.
What were they doing here?
Coincidence, or... Had they specifically come looking for him?
Almost instantly, Zaraki connected all the clues.
Kaido was hunting him, and Viola's Giro Giro no Mi was an extremely powerful reconnaissance ability on this sea.
So that was it.
That bastard Doflamingo had lent Kaido his people!
"Rurururu, found you."
Buffalo stopped spinning in the air and looked down at the warship below from above, letting out a strange laugh that sounded exactly like his master's.
"War Demon Zaraki really is here. Talk about effortless."
Behind him, Viola's body was tense, and the fingers gripping the hem of her dress had turned faintly white from the force.
She could feel the gaze of the man below. It was calm, but it carried a bone-piercing chill that made her skin ache.
"Hey, Zaraki."
Buffalo's voice was full of arrogance backed by someone else's power.
"I'll report your location to the Young Master and Kaido-sama immediately. I'd advise you to surrender obediently, unless—"
He never finished.
Zaraki smiled.
He raised his head and looked at the fat man showing off in the sky, the smile on his face growing wider and wider as a trace of coldness appeared in his eyes.
"An excuse..."
He murmured softly, yet his voice clearly reached everyone on the deck.
"I was just wondering where I could find an excuse to move against Doflamingo."
Zaraki slowly raised his hand and pointed toward Buffalo in the sky, the curve of his mouth stretching to its limit.
"Thank you for delivering it right to my door."
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