Hank put on a sycophantic smile and pushed open the office door.
"Boss, it's me, Hank."
Su Xiao followed closely into the office.
"Is that Hank? At least you know better than to interrupt my fun. Speak. What is it?"
A Strong Man sat inside the office with his upper body bare. His shiny bald head and fierce aura alone were enough to tell anyone that he was no weakling.
"This is the newcomer, Byakuya. He was recommended by 'that person.' This is his letter of introduction."
The Strong Man glanced at Su Xiao, took the letter, flipped through it casually, and tore it to pieces.
"The original price was two hundred thousand Beli, but something major is about to happen, and the situation is tense. So the minimum is four hundred thousand Beli."
Su Xiao's face was still covered in smiles. He was still very weak, so he could only hide his true emotions for now. Although he really wanted to shoot the Strong Man and ask him exactly how much Beli he wanted.
He directly took out four hundred thousand Beli and held it out in front of the Strong Man without saying a word.
Su Xiao's decisive manner made the Strong Man raise an eyebrow.
"No wonder you're from 'that side.' You're generous with your money. From now on, you're a member of the Guard Corps. Remember to call me Boss, or Sir."
Su Xiao was still smiling, but there was something strange about that smile.
"All right, Boss~."
He had successfully joined the Guard Corps. With this, his mission to assassinate the king had taken a major step forward.
Hank lowered his head, staring at the ground in front of him as if there were something fascinating on it.
In truth, that was not the case. Hank was expressing an attitude: he had not seen his superior accepting a bribe.
This incident alone showed how chaotic the atmosphere in the One Piece World was. As long as one had money, perhaps even a higher position could be bought. But for Su Xiao, this was undoubtedly good news.
Beli meant little to him. What he lacked most right now was time. Any problem that Beli could solve was no problem at all.
Notice: Hunter has joined the Guard Corps faction. The storyline has undergone a minor change. Obtained 2.1% World Source.
After leaving the office, Su Xiao received the standard Guard Corps equipment: a uniform and a flintlock.
In the warehouse, Su Xiao looked speechlessly at the crude flintlock in his hand, then turned his gaze to Hank.
"Hank, can I change weapons?"
Hank looked troubled.
"Well~, they're all assigned supplies. I also..."
His hesitant tone made Su Xiao realize that the man in front of him was asking for a bribe.
Without changing expression, Su Xiao stuffed thirty thousand Beli into Hank's pocket. Hank's expression changed at once, and his face filled with smiles.
"We're comrades, so we can discuss any difficulties. Pick your own weapon, but you can only choose one. That's a rule no one can change."
Su Xiao put down the flintlock in his hand and searched through the warehouse. There were all kinds of weapons here. Soon, his gaze locked onto a long blade.
The blade was a little over a meter long, with an edge about three centimeters wide. Its blade had very little curve. Although it was inferior to Su Xiao's usual weapon, it was still a decent weapon.
"This one."
Su Xiao picked up the blade and sheathed it. The moment he touched it, Reincarnation Paradise immediately issued a notice.
"Hey, hey! You can take the other weapons, but not this one."
The expression on Hank's face turned cold, as if he had never accepted those thirty thousand Beli.
"What did you say?"
Holding the long blade, Su Xiao tilted his head toward Hank. Cold light flickered in his eyes. Continually giving in would only make others think he was weak and easy to bully.
When Hank noticed Su Xiao's gaze, he was startled, and a chill rose in his heart.
This man had killed people—and more than one.
Hank began to struggle inwardly. He wanted to turn against Su Xiao on the spot, but Su Xiao, who held a sharp blade, made him extremely wary.
"Hank, don't worry about these things. We're 'friends,' aren't we?"
Su Xiao pointed the hilt of the blade in his hand at Hank's chest.
Hank had only two choices: accept the money and keep quiet, or be killed by Su Xiao on the spot. The long blade in his hand would be of great help in completing his mission.
Besides, Su Xiao would never give up something already in his hands just because of a little threat.
Su Xiao believed that even if he killed Hank, as long as he bribed the Strong Man with enough money, the other party would turn a blind eye.
"This matter stays between you and me. Let's consider the blade a gesture of friendship."
Hank patted Su Xiao's shoulder warmly. He had compromised, and the tense atmosphere in the warehouse dissipated.
"I just arrived in the Royal Capital today, and there are some things I need to understand. So I'm determined to make you this friend."
Su Xiao sighed inwardly. This was only an ordinary guard, yet he was already this difficult to handle. What kind of enemies would he encounter after climbing to the king's side?
The challenging sensation made Su Xiao's heartbeat gradually quicken. His blood surged through his body, and he began to enjoy the feeling.
The battle-hungry factor within him was gradually awakening.
There was a reason Su Xiao had acted so forcefully. Earlier, when he touched the long blade, Reincarnation Paradise had issued a notice.
Obtained Dragon Slayer Flash Dragon Slayer Flash (White · Rare) Origin: One Piece, Steel Furnace Blacksmith Shop Durability: 35/40 - 5 (This weapon has suffered severe damage. Durability -5.) Attack Power: 5~16 (Calculated according to the strength of the slash) Equipment Requirement: Can be used with 2 points of Strength; can be used flexibly with more than 5 points of Strength. Rating: 10 (Note: White equipment has a rating of 1 to 10. White equipment with a rating of 10 will be marked as "Rare" and gain an additional special attribute.) Additional Attribute: Dragon's Majesty. While holding this weapon, the user will intimidate enemies. (The intimidation effect reduces the enemy's momentum.) Description: This was once the weapon wielded by the Dragon Slayer Swordsman, Ryuma, in his youth. However, it suffered severe damage, and its grade fell after being restored. Later, after Ryuma obtained the Black Blade Shusui, this weapon was left in Ryuma's bedroom. After Ryuma died, this weapon was not worthy of being buried with him, and it eventually fell into the outside world. Master, I'm almost rusted through. Where are you? Please wield me and cut down that giant dragon! Price: 1,100 Paradise Coins (This is a rule-bound item and can be taken out of the One Piece World.)
Ryuma had quite a reputation. He was a powerhouse of the One Piece World. Perhaps even the current world's greatest swordsman, Hawkeye Mihawk, was not necessarily stronger than him.
How could the weapon wielded by such a powerhouse in his youth be weak? Su Xiao even suspected that if this Dragon Slayer Flash had never been damaged, it might have been a green, or even blue, weapon.
That was why Su Xiao had been willing to turn against Hank to obtain the blade.
Fortunately, the two had not fallen out, and this false "friendship" could continue for some time.
"You're lucky, kid. This blade was seized from a group of pirates. Aside from me, very few people know it's a valuable item. If I didn't know how to use a blade, and if the warehouse didn't have a strict rule forbidding anyone from choosing a second weapon, I would have taken it long ago."
Su Xiao smiled but said nothing. He simply placed Dragon Slayer Flash at his waist.
With a blade on him, his combat power increased substantially, which made him feel a little more at ease.
"Let's go. Something major is happening in two days. None of us will be idle then."
Hank sighed, as if he were worried about something.
"What is it? Give me a hint in advance so I can prepare."
"In half a month, the world nobles, the Celestial Dragons, will be visiting the Goa Kingdom for an inspection. So the day after tomorrow, we'll have to 'clean up' Terminal Station!"
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