Chapter 21: Great Combat Strength Upgrade, A New Setting Sail
Ten minutes later.
The port of Orange Town.
A medium-sized sailboat flying a comical clown flag was quietly docked at the shore.
Of course, it now belonged to the Straw Hat Pirates.
Luffy was sitting cross-legged in the special seat at the bow, swinging his legs and laughing heartily.
Zoro, meanwhile, held his Wado Ichimonji and leaned against the main mast to rest with his eyes closed.
On the other side of the deck, Tatsuya and Nami were conducting a serious calculation regarding the "distribution of wealth."
"A total of five million Berries in cash, plus jewelry and gold worth about twenty million."
Tatsuya held a small notebook, counting the treasures before him while recording them with a scratching pen.
"Subtracting the costs for procurement of supplies, ship repairs, and future food expenses... well, and various other costs."
Tatsuya closed the notebook, looked up, and gave the expectant Nami a brilliant smile.
"Miss Nami, considering you still owe me a massive debt and your current repayment ability is negative..."
"These treasures will temporarily be kept by this Vice Captain. Do you have any objections?"
"I have an objection!!" Nami tightly hugged the largest money bag in her arms.
"At least... at least leave me a little! This is my hard-earned money for the effort I put in!!"
Nami pointed at the empty pier not far away, her heart aching so much she was almost in tears.
"And! Why did you leave a bag of money on the shore! There were a full five million Berries in there!"
Before boarding the ship, she had seen Tatsuya casually toss a heavy bag of Berries in a conspicuous spot on the pier.
"Objection overruled."
Tatsuya ruthlessly suppressed the Navigator's resistance and casually snatched the money bag from Nami's arms.
Then, along with the treasure on the ground, he tossed it all into the cabin behind him and locked it up.
"That money is for the town's reconstruction."
Tatsuya clapped his hands and looked at Nami with a smile.
"Of course, in exchange, the position of Navigator on this ship is yours."
"Room and board included, but no salary. How about it? Isn't it a great deal?"
"Great deal my foot!!" Nami was so angry she wanted to bite someone.
Just then, a noisy and dense sound of footsteps suddenly came from the direction of the pier.
"Over there!!"
"Quick, after them! Don't let those pirates get away!"
Everyone looked back.
They saw Mayor Boodle with a bandage wrapped around his head, holding Chouchou in his arms.
Behind him was a large group of townsfolk carrying shovels, pitchforks, and wooden sticks, charging aggressively toward the port.
"Ah! It's the Mayor and the others!"
"Hey—!! Old man—!! See that? We won!!"
"Won your head!"
Nami looked at the angry townsfolk, her face instantly turning pale.
"It's over, it's over! They must think we stole Buggy's treasure and are coming to catch us!"
She clutched her hair in despair, "I told you we shouldn't have taken so much! Now we've become wanted criminals!"
"Since we are indeed committing robbery right now, why don't we just throw our Vice Captain back to them?"
Leaning against the mast, Zoro opened one eye and dryly commented.
"Then what do we do? Do we fight?"
Luffy clenched his fists and tilted his head in conflict, "But that's the old man!"
"No need to fight."
Tatsuya walked to the ship's railing, looking at the agitated townsfolk with a glimmer of understanding in his eyes.
He knew very well that these people weren't here to catch them.
They were here to show gratitude.
However, pirates don't need that kind of gratitude.
Moreover, if the Marine found out this town was "saved" by pirates, it would instead be a source of trouble for these ordinary people who had to continue their lives.
"Since we are pirates, we need a pirate's way of exiting."
The corner of Tatsuya's mouth curled into a playful arc. He took a deep breath and shouted at the crowd on the shore:
"Listen up! Everyone in Orange Town!"
"The Buggy Pirates have been taken out by us!"
"As spoils of war, his treasure and his ship now all belong to the 'Straw Hat Pirates'!"
A smile appeared on Tatsuya's face as he pointed to the treasure cabin behind him.
"If you want your treasure back, then chase us to the Grand Line! If you have the guts! Hahahaha!"
After speaking, Tatsuya turned around and snapped his fingers at the dazed Luffy and Nami.
"Hoist the sails! Set sail!"
"Oh!! To the sea!!"
Luffy looked at Tatsuya with a smile.
But upon hearing the words "set sail," he immediately jumped up in excitement, stretching his arms to pull open the massive sails.
Whoosh—!
The sails caught the full force of the wind. Using the momentum, the ship quickly pulled away from the port, carving a white wake in the sea.
"Wait!!"
By the time Mayor Boodle and the townsfolk reached the edge of the pier, the ship was already dozens of meters away from the shore.
They watched the pirate ship as it gradually grew distant.
They saw the straw-hatted youth still waving at the stern, and the black-haired figure standing by the railing with his back to them.
Everyone stopped in their tracks.
They discovered a heavy package on the pier. Opening it, they found it was filled with neatly stacked Berries.
"Those bastards..."
Mayor Boodle clenched his fists, yet tears couldn't stop flowing.
He looked at the young backs on the ship and roared toward the sea with all his might:
"You brats... you brats... you brats!"
"Thank you!!! You pirate brats!!! Have a safe journey!!!"
Chouchou in his arms also barked at the distant pirate crew.
"Woof woof woof! Woof woof!"
The other townsfolk also dropped their weapons one after another, wiping away tears while waving and crying out their farewells.
"Take care of yourselves!!"
"Thank you!!"
The voices drifted onto the ship, carried by the sea breeze.
"Hee hee hee, it sounds like they're saying thank you."
Luffy sat at the bow, pressing down his Straw Hat, laughing so hard his gums showed.
"Ah, what a bunch of troublesome people." Zoro closed his eyes again, but a barely perceptible smile played on his lips.
Nami leaned against the railing, looking at the shrinking Orange Town and the waving crowd with complex emotions in her eyes.
She turned her head to look at Tatsuya, who was organizing the ropes as if nothing had happened.
"Hey, Tatsuya." Nami couldn't help but speak up.
"Hmm?" Tatsuya turned back with an innocent face.
"You... are actually a good person, aren't you?" Nami scrutinized him suspiciously.
Tatsuya's movement of organizing the ropes paused.
Then, he stood up straight, wagged a finger at Nami, and put on that smiling expression again.
"A good person? Miss Nami, that is the biggest misunderstanding of me."
"A good person wouldn't remind you that, counting the five million left for the town just now, your total debt is currently—305 million Berries."
"..."
Nami's expression froze.
Three seconds later, a roar echoed across the deck.
"Tatsuya!! Go to hell!!!"
Ignoring Nami's flailing, Tatsuya happily found a comfortable spot to lie down.
He closed his eyes, his consciousness sinking into his mind as he skillfully opened the system panel.
The battle just now had been very fruitful. Now holding a huge sum of 1450 points, it was time for a shopping spree.
"What should I exchange for..."
Tatsuya's gaze slid across the dazzling array of items in the exchange list.
[Demonic Illusion: Tree Binding Death] B-rank Ninjutsu. Exchange price: 800 points.
[Shadow Clone Jutsu] B-rank Ninjutsu. Exchange price: 1000 points.
[Fire Style: Phoenix Sage Fire Jutsu] C-rank Ninjutsu. Exchange price: 500 points.
[Sharingan Advancement: Two tomoe] Exchange price: 2,000 points
Currently, he had the Fireball for offense, Genjutsu for control, and Substitution for defense. What he lacked were more flexible movement techniques and sustained combat capability.
Finally, his gaze locked onto several options.
[Ding! Consumed 600 Ninja Points, exchanged for Ninjutsu: Shuriken Manipulation Technique (C-rank).]
[Ding! Consumed 300 Ninja Points, exchanged for Ninjutsu: Body Flicker Technique (D-rank).]
[Ding! Consumed 300 Ninja Points, exchanged for Attribute: Chakra Capacity Increase (Chunin).]
[Ding! Consumed 100 Ninja Points, exchanged for Attribute: Chakra Control Refinement.]
[Ding! Consumed 100 Ninja Points, exchanged for Ninja Tool: Uchiha Standard Longsword.]
[Ding! Consumed 50 Ninja Points, exchanged for Ninja Tools: Explosive Tag x5, several Shuriken and Kunai.]
Following a series of crisp notification sounds, streams of warmth surged into Tatsuya's limbs and bones.
Exquisite techniques for manipulating Shuriken with wires, as well as the Body Flicker method of using Chakra for instant bursts of speed, appeared in his mind.
Especially the Chakra in his body, which was originally somewhat depleted, now became much more abundant.
"Whew... working hard all day, only to return to poverty in an instant."
Tatsuya looked at his points, which had instantly turned to 0, and closed the system with a pang of heartache.
Accompanied by Nami's ongoing roars, Luffy's laughter, and Zoro's snoring...
Tatsuya comfortably adjusted his posture and closed his eyes.
And so, the Straw Hat Pirates' first official sailboat, carrying four partners with vastly different personalities, braved the wind and waves.
Heading toward that even vaster sea... they sailed on.