After delivering his report, Captain Nezumi slunk away in a hurry.
Before leaving, however, his gaze lingered greedily on the magical jars arranged across the table, his eyes filled with unconcealed desire and calculation.
If not for Nami that troublesome variable being present today, he would have already tried his luck at purchasing a jar.
Of course, his hesitation was not only due to fear of Nami, but also because of Nojiko’s presence; he did not want outsiders witnessing whatever trump card he might obtain.
If he were to open jars, it had to be done in secret, at a time when no one else was around.
Only then could he ensure that whatever he gained would remain his exclusive advantage.
“Hmph!”
Nami watched coldly as Nezumi repeatedly looked back while retreating, her eyes filled with undisguised disdain, yet the moment she turned around, a bright and cheerful smile returned to her face as though nothing had happened.
“Alright, let’s keep going!
Big sis, you still have three jars left!”
Nojiko nodded lightly, her attention shifting toward the final three jars placed before her.
Unlike Nami, she did not harbor a strong obsession with power or fortune, and thus felt no need for ceremony; without hesitation, she raised her hand and brought it down decisively.
“Bang!
Bang!”
The first two jars shattered in quick succession, but the contents were utterly ordinary one yielded a liter of fresh water, while the other produced a simple fishing rod.
Clearly, they were nothing more than common items with little practical value in the current situation.
Then, as the final jar broke apart
A familiar green light shimmered into existence once more.
Within that glow, a crudely cut paper figure slowly drifted into view.
[Paper Substitute: Upon receiving fatal damage, it will automatically activate to nullify the fatal blow.
Usable only on oneself.]
[Note: There was once someone who cut paper figures through the night to escape relentless pursuit!]
After reading the system’s explanation, Xia Wen’s eyelid twitched slightly.
Good, very good… even this kind of ability had made its way into the pool.
“Shop Owner, what is this supposed to be?
A paper doll cut out by a child?”
“And the craftsmanship is way too rough!”
Nami pinched the thin paper figure between her fingers, her expression filled with doubt and disbelief, before handing it over to Nojiko while turning toward Xia Wen for clarification.
Something like this… deserved a green rarity?
Xia Wen, however, remained calm and unhurried as he explained, “This is a Paper Substitute, a one-time-use item.”
“When its user suffers fatal damage, it will automatically activate and allow them to evade death.”
“It’s an extremely practical life-saving trump card, though it can only be used on the person carrying it.”
A life-saving item… capable of avoiding fatal damage!
Nojiko’s eyes immediately lit up as she understood its value, and without even a moment of hesitation, she pushed the paper figure back into Nami’s hands.
“Nami, you have to take this.”
“When you’re out at sea in the future, if you ever feel homesick… just look at this paper figure.”
She paused briefly, as though realizing her words might be misunderstood, and quickly added in a more earnest tone:
“But when the time comes, don’t hesitate to use it.
Your safety matters more than anything.”
“We can always open more jars when you come back.”
Nami lowered her gaze to the Paper Substitute now resting in her palm, and a faint sting rose in her eyes.
She did not refuse.
Instead, she carefully stored it away as though it were something irreplaceable, then nodded with firm determination.
“Mhm!
I will!”
Deep down, she had already made her decision.
Once the Marines arrived and completely dealt with the Arlong Pirates, she would immediately set sail.
She would make a name for herself across the East Blue and along the way, she would spread the fame of the Jar Shop far and wide.
As for how to rise to fame…
Naturally, she would make use of the countless pirates scattered across the seas.
…
After Nami and Nojiko departed together
Xia Wen shifted his attention to the rewards stored within his system space.
Without the slightest hesitation, he retrieved the dragon scale imbued with power and pressed it firmly against his forehead.
A familiar process unfolded, and after a brief moment, Xia Wen successfully absorbed the ability.
Spirit of Words: Monarch’s Flame.
As for the Paper Substitute, he chose to leave it within the system space, where its passive activation condition would still remain effective.
The rest of the items…
Xia Wen glanced at the assortment of miscellaneous objects piling up in storage and could not help but feel that it would not be long before he needed to set up a proper display cabinet just to sell off the excess clutter.
“Now then… there are still seventy-six jars remaining before the next shop unlocks.”
Seated quietly, Xia Wen began calculating his short-term sales projections.
“When Smoker, the Marine captain stationed at Loguetown, arrives at Cocoyasi Village…”
“To verify the truth behind this shop, he will definitely choose to open at least ten jars.”
“If Tashigi accompanies him, that would bring the number to twenty.”
As for Nezumi…
Xia Wen decided to tentatively count him as another ten jars.
That alone would amount to thirty jars in the immediate future.
“If those two—Joseph and Johnny return to find Zoro and bring him here…”
“That would be another sixteen plus ten… twenty-six jars.”
“Hmm… looking at it this way, reaching one hundred jars won’t take long at all.”
Xia Wen felt quite satisfied with the pace of progress.
Once Smoker personally confirmed the authenticity of the Jar Shop, the news would inevitably reach Marine Headquarters.
At that point, the impact would be significant.
Unlocking the next shop would be all but guaranteed.
“Now the question is… where will the system place the next location…”
…
By the afternoon
Joseph and Johnny, having finally recovered from their hangover with the help of the villagers and replenished their supplies, arrived at the dock.
Joseph carried his blunderbuss over his shoulder with renewed vigor, while Johnny tightly held onto the Poké Ball containing the sea cow, Moo Moo.
The two boarded their small boat, waving energetically toward the villagers who had come to see them off.
“Gehahaha!
Thanks for the wine and the tangerines!”
“From today onward, if there’s a bounty to be claimed, leave it to us—Blade God Joseph and Sword Saint Johnny!”
As bounty hunters, they were not meant to remain in one place; the sea ahead was their stage, and constant movement was their path.
At that moment, Joseph caught sight of a lone figure standing beneath a tree and immediately shouted with excitement:
“Boss!
Johnny and I are heading out!”
“We’ll definitely be back in a few days to open the rest of the jars!”
Johnny also laughed loudly as he added, “That’s right!
Once we find Big Brother Zoro, we’ll bring him back to visit your shop!”
Xia Wen watched the two of them, so full of energy and self-motivation, and a faint smile appeared on his face.
To ensure that their enthusiasm translated into results and to truly draw Zoro in… he decided to give them a powerful incentive.
“I welcome any guest who seeks change and comes here to open jars.”
“When you find Zoro, tell him this my jars can produce not only high-grade swords, but also methods that allow a swordsman to reach the realm of cutting steel.”
The moment those words were spoken, it was as though fuel had been poured onto a raging fire.
Joseph and Johnny’s eyes burned with excitement.
Having followed Zoro for so long, they understood better than anyone what he desired.
“Don’t worry, Boss!
We’ll definitely find Big Brother Zoro!”
With that, the small boat set sail from the port, cutting across the waves as the two bounty hunters embarked on their mission.