The Ways of the World and Unexpected Benefits

"Alright, I've taught you everything I can. The rest is up to you."

After setting down his wine glass, Rayleigh said, "Let's go, it's time for us to get going."

He had basically told Xi Yan all his theoretical knowledge; as for how far Xi Yan could go, that was up to him.

"Okay, sure."

Xi Yan stood up and said, "Then let's set off."

As for Observation Haki, let's study that later when we get back to the ship.

Xi Yan glanced at Rayleigh walking towards the door, then thought for a moment and said, "Wait a minute, Uncle Rayleigh."

"What's wrong?"

Rayleigh glanced at Xi Yan with a puzzled look, wondering what the kid meant by suddenly calling him over.

Could it be that he wants to master Observation Haki now?

Xi Yan did not answer, but instead took out a scroll.

Then, he unfurled the scroll in front of the two of them.

"Bang!"

A wisp of white smoke drifted by, and a huge box appeared out of thin air on the table.

The two of them were stunned for a moment by what they saw.

"What... is going on?"

Pointing at the suddenly appearing box, Shakky's eyes were filled with doubt.

"Is this also a Ninja technique?" Rayleigh walked over and said with interest, "This thing can store items?"

It would be so convenient to store all sorts of things on scrolls.

Whether traveling or working, carrying a scroll is enough.

"Right."

Xi Yan nodded and said, "This is Sealing Scroll, specifically used to store items."

As they spoke, Xi Yan opened the box, revealing the treasure inside.

This is one of the two chests of treasure he obtained on Judicial Island.

I used one box to buy things, and I hadn't had a chance to use the other box until today.

"Wow, quite a lot of stuff," Shakky said, glancing at the contents of the box. "It's worth at least two hundred million Beli."

There's a considerable amount of gold and silver jewelry here; I wonder where this kid got it from.

Rayleigh glared at Xi Yan and said, "What do you mean, kid? Do you think I'm teaching you this stuff for money?"

Rayleigh was somewhat annoyed. Could he really buy these things with money?

He only taught the kid what he knew because he thought he was alright, and the kid ended up giving him money?

"No, no, no, Uncle Rayleigh, that's not what I meant." Xi Yan waved his hand and said, "This money isn't for buying the theoretical knowledge you gave me."

"Those things are priceless; this amount of money is far from enough."

Hearing Xi Yan's words, Rayleigh's expression softened slightly; at least the other party knew how to speak.

If the other party were to admit that he bought those things with money, he would throw the kid out right now.

"So what do you mean?"

"Hey, isn't Shakky-jie an information broker?" Xi Yan said, "Consider this money for buying information in the future."

"Of course, if Uncle Rayleigh wants a drink, I can treat him!"

After saying that, Xi Yan winked at Shakky, his meaning quite clear.

Shakky was amused; this kid really knew how to navigate social situations.

What intelligence gathering? It was probably just money spent on buying Rayleigh drinks.

Rayleigh was somewhat helpless upon hearing this; after all, wasn't it just to thank him?

However... what this kid said was indeed hard to refuse.

"You..."

"Alright, Little Xi Yan, I'll accept this money~" Shakky said with a smile, "If you need any information, just contact me."

"I'll give you any information I can get my hands on."

"Okay, I understand," Xi Yan said with a smile.

Perhaps fearing that Xi Yan might think she was just being polite, Shakky lowered her head, took out a box, placed it on the table, opened it, and said, "Here, this is for you."

"What's this?"

"This is White Den Den Mushi," Rayleigh explained.

After explaining, Rayleigh looked at Shakky with some emotion and said, "You're really willing to do that, Shakky."

Shakky had never even given him White Den Den Mushi.

Shakky saw through Rayleigh's thoughts and glared at him, saying, "You've only used Den Den Mushi once in all these years, what do you need White Den Den Mushi for?"

Rayleigh shrugged and didn't argue.

"White Den Den Mushi..." Xi Yan said, "What's the purpose of this thing?"

Judging from Uncle Rayleigh's expression, this thing doesn't look simple.

"You should remember what it was like when I contacted Rayleigh before," Shakky said.

"Yes, I saw it."

When Shakky-jie contacted Uncle Rayleigh before, she only said one word and then ended the call.

At the time, he was quite curious, wondering why the other person ended the call after saying only one word. Could they be eavesdropping?

"The reason I did this is because this is the Sabaody Archipelago, where there are a lot of naval personnel," Shakky explained. "And the navy possesses a type of black Den Den Mushi snail phone) specifically designed for eavesdropping, which can listen to the contents of Den Den Mushi."

"That's why I only said one word."

After saying that, Shakky paused for a moment, then continued, "But once we have this White Den Den Mushi, we won't have to worry about being eavesdropped on."

"This White Den Den Mushi is specifically designed to prevent eavesdropping."

"I see..."

Xi Yan nodded in understanding. No wonder Shakky-jie acted that way; it was probably to prevent the Navy from discovering that there were two important figures present.

After all, they were once notorious pirates who roamed the seas.

After thinking for a moment, Xi Yan said, "Is this thing very expensive?"

This kind of high-end device that can be used to prevent eavesdropping must be expensive.

"Just keep what your sister gave you, don't worry about whether it's expensive or not," Shakky said, rolling her eyes at Xi Yan.

Xi Yan scratched his head, thought for a moment, and then picked up the White Den Den Mushi, saying, "Shakky-jie Qi."

"Xi Yan, you absolutely must protect this Den Den Mushi," Rayleigh said. "One of these is worth hundreds of millions of Beli, and it's the kind that's priceless and unavailable."

"Is this thing really that rare?"

Xi Yan looked shocked; he hadn't expected such a small thing to be so expensive.

Is this thing going to be as expensive as him?

"Money isn't the issue; the main problem is how hard it is to find," Shakky said helplessly. "There aren't many of these in the whole world."

A price of several hundred million Beli is already a conservative estimate; if it were put at Auction House, it could potentially fetch 1 billion Beli.

Of course, these kinds of things don't usually appear at Auction House, since... selling this stuff is illegal.

"This..."

Xi Yan looked at the box of treasure he had given away, then at the White Den Den Mushi on the table, and for a moment he didn't know what to say.

"Alright, keep it," Rayleigh said. "Your Shakky-jie has already said it, do you expect her to take it back?"

Xi Yan paused for a moment, then said again, "Shakky-jie Xia Qi."

"Don't mention it," Shakky said with a smile. "You don't need to feel guilty. Just consider this an investment I'm making in you."

She was willing to offer such a large benefit not only because she thought highly of the young man, but also because he had tremendous potential!

Investing in such a promising newcomer can yield enormous benefits!

"Okay, I understand."

After Xi Yan finished speaking, he carefully took out the White Den Den Mushi and put it in his pocket.

"This is a gift from me. You can still call me if you need any information," Shakky said, patting the treasure on the table. "Don't be shy, this can buy a lot of information!"

"Hahaha."

Seeing Shakky laughing, Xi Yan nodded and didn't say anything more.

He remembered this kindness.

After accepting the Den Den Mushi number from Shakky and learning how to Den Den Mushi and use Den Den Mushi, Xi Yan left with Rayleigh.

After watching Xi Yan leave, Shakky said, "Hopefully, that kid wasn't really being targeted by that Charlotte guy..."

Otherwise, with their current strength, it would be virtually impossible for them to defeat the Four Emperors.

With that in mind, Shakky took out the last remaining White Den Den Mushi, placed it next to the regular Den Den Mushi, and dialed a number.

After the call connected, Shakky said, "Find out the purpose of the Charlotte Pirates' visit to the island."

"Clear!"

Watching the Den Den Mushi end its call, Shakky murmured, "I hope Little Xi Yan hasn't been targeted by them, otherwise it'll be quite troublesome."

"Fighting is the best way to enhance Haki..."

Walking down the main road with Rayleigh, Xi Yan muttered to himself, "I wonder if those Supernovas dare to cause me any trouble."

Upon hearing this, Rayleigh glanced at Xi Yan beside him and chuckled, "What, getting itchy hands now?"

Looking into Xi Yan's bright, piercing eyes, Rayleigh discerned the other's intentions.

This is clearly a prelude to a fight.

"More or less," Xi Yan said, glancing at his fist. "Now that I've mastered this power, I should give it a try."

"Looks like you're one of those people who can't sit still..."

"Haha, more or less."

If a strong person were to challenge him to a fight at this time, he would be very willing.

This way, you can not only test out the domineering Haki you just learned, but also improve your strength. Why not?

Upon hearing this, Rayleigh stopped and thought for a moment before saying, "In that case..."

"Um?"

"Uncle Rayleigh, would you like to spar with me?"

Xi Yan looked at Rayleigh expectantly. If Rayleigh was willing to fight him, it would be very helpful in improving his strength.

"Please spare me," Rayleigh shook his head and said, "I'm already an old man, I don't want you to break me up."

Xi Yan:...

Someone who can easily deflect my attacks... an old man?

"Tch, if you don't want to, then don't be. Don't try to fob me off with that kind of talk." Xi Yan said with a sneer.

Do you still want to go to Fish-Man Island?

Xi Yan thought for a moment, then finally nodded and said, "I want to."

"That settles it then."

Rayleigh rolled his eyes at Xi Yan. This kid actually wanted to fight him? How could he even think of that?

After thinking for a moment, Rayleigh said, "If you want to improve your strength, it's best to find an evenly matched opponent; that's the most effective way."

After saying that, Rayleigh pointed into the distance and said, "This is the Sabaody Archipelago. There are quite a few powerful characters here. You can go around and take a look; you might just encounter a suitable opponent."

"Of course, just remember not to make too much of a fuss."

This place is very close to the Navy Headquarters. If we make too much of a commotion, we might attract the attention of Marine Admiral.

After all... the World Government is very interested in this kid.

"Wandering around a bit," Xi Yan said, stroking his chin. "That makes sense."

They've encountered many bounty hunters before when they came here, so who knows, they might run into some formidable ones next time.

For example... those other Supernovas!

Oh, right, and that guy named Katakuri, isn't he pretty strong?

Possessing Observation Haki that allows Predicting the Future... that must be incredibly powerful.

'But before I go find someone, I need to get back to the ship first...'

With that in mind, Xi Yan temporarily abandoned that idea and decided to go back to the ship to find Nami and the others.

So much time has passed, they should have gone back by now.

Just then, Rayleigh stopped and said, "You should go back to the ship first."

"What's wrong?"

Xi Yan glanced at Rayleigh with a puzzled look. What did he mean by telling him to go back to the ship first?

"I need to collect enough resin first," Rayleigh said, pointing to the huge container behind him. "That's how I can coat your pirate ship."

"And this process will take at least three hours, you're clearly not the kind of person who can wait that long."

At this point, Rayleigh smiled and said, "So you should go back to the ship first, hand the things over to your companions, and then you can go to the island and find someone to fight."

"Can't we move the boat over there first?"

"That place is rather special; it's not suitable for pirate ships to go there," Rayleigh explained. "I usually collect resin first, and then go to other places to apply it."

Regardless of the circumstances, he is a wanted criminal.

If he were to appear there in this pirate ship, it might cause a terrible disturbance, which is not something he wants to see.

Xi Yan paused for a moment, then nodded and said, "Okay, I understand."

"You can find the location, right?"

"Of course," Xi Yan said. "I'm not bad with directions."

He's not like Zoro, who has no sense of direction; there's no way he'd get lost in a place like this.

"See you next time~" Rayleigh said with a smile.

He then walked toward a fork in the road, clearly intending to cross the bridge there to reach the other tree islands.

After watching the other person leave, Xi Yan stroked his chin and said, "Uncle Rayleigh is living a pretty carefree life, isn't he?"

That's probably why they willingly chose to settle down here.

After shaking his head, Xi Yan turned in another direction and started running at top speed, intending to get back to the ship as quickly as possible.

When Xi Yan arrived at Number 30, he unexpectedly encountered Sanji and his companion on the street.

"Sanji?"

Xi Yan looked at Sanji in surprise and said, "You guys haven't returned to the ship yet?"

Looking at Sanji carrying large bags and small packages, Xi Yan's face was full of surprise.

They've already found the coating installers, and these two still aren't finished shopping?

Just how much shopping do they do...?

"Ah, I bought quite a lot this time," Sanji said.

This time, he was going to a place 10,000 meters below the sea, and anything could happen during the journey, so he specially prepared some extra things.

After glancing behind Xi Yan and finding no other trace, Sanji asked in confusion, "Where is the others?"

Could something have happened?

But judging from Xi Yan's expression, that doesn't seem to be the case.

"Luffy and his crew went to the amusement park."

"Amusement park..."

Sanji's lips twitched. These guys actually went to the amusement park?

"Went to the amusement park?" Franky asked, dumbfounded. "Did they find the coating technician?"

They need to go to Fish-Man Island; if they can't find a coating worker, they won't be able to get Fish-Man Island.

"Found him," Xi Yan said with a smile. "He's a pretty reliable older man."

"Found it, that's good..." Franky breathed a sigh of relief.

At this moment, Franky was somewhat relieved. Fortunately, Xi Yan had gone with Luffy and the Luffy; otherwise, whether the coating would have been successfully applied would have been another matter entirely.

"Don't worry, there won't be any problems with the coating."

After saying that, Xi Yan looked around and, seeing that no one was paying attention, leaned closer and said, "I have something to tell you. The one who coated us is the Vice-Captain of the Pirate King, Silvers Rayleigh, Uncle Rayleigh."

"Ocean..."

The two stared wide-eyed, their eyes filled with disbelief, and they instinctively wanted to shout.

But considering there were too many people here, the two of them forced themselves to shut their mouths, but snot still sprayed out uncontrollably.

Xi Yan:...

Xi Yan took a step back with a hint of disgust. Why were these two guys so shocked that snot was practically dripping from their noses?

Luckily, I wasn't that close, or it would have jumped right on me.

After forcibly sucking the snot back in, Franky said, "Was it... really that person who applied the coating to us?"

"Yes."

"Such an important person actually works as a coating technician..." Sanji swallowed hard and said, "It's unbelievable."

As the Vice-Captain of the Pirate King, he is practically showered with accolades.

Would such an important person work as a coating worker here?

To be honest, he didn't understand.

"He said he's retired and enjoys this kind of life," Xi Yan said. "He certainly does seem to be living a carefree life."

He drinks a little wine every day, and he has a wife whose age is unknown but who still looks young.

Hmm... what a blissful life.

'By the way, how old is Shakky-jie...?'

He had a feeling that she was older than he had imagined, and he wondered how she maintained such a youthful appearance. Could it be... that she was some kind of special Devil Fruit User?

Well, it's not impossible.

"I don't know what's going on, but... if someone like that is coming to give us a makeover, we should at least go and meet them." Franky said excitedly, "Sanji, what do you say?"

"Of course I'll go see him," Sanji said with a smile.

This is the Vice-Captain of the Pirate King! If I have the chance to meet him, I'd definitely like to get to know him.

"Let's go, Xi Yan, let's set off!"

As he spoke, Franky patted his Bubble Car, gesturing for the other person to get in.

He will put in his utmost effort and rush back as fast as he can!

"I won't go back with you," Xi Yan said. "I originally came back to tell you the message, but now that I've run into you two, I'll stay put for the time being."

"Why?"

"The coating process will take three days, and we have three days to explore the island freely," Xi Yan said. "So I plan to use these three days to wander around the island."

As they spoke, Xi Yan took out Rayleigh's Vivre Card again, tore off a small piece and put it in his pocket, then handed the rest to Sanji.

"Here, give each of them a small piece later."

"This is?"

"This is Vivre Card," Xi Yan explained.

Afterwards, Xi Yan explained to the two why they needed to use this Vivre Card Vivre Card and what its function was.

"Oh... I understand." Sanji nodded and said, "I'll give this to them."

In short, this Vivre Card is the key to finding their ship.

In that case, he'll have to wait for the others at Number 41, otherwise it will be awkward if they can't find the ship's location.

Is this necessary?

Franky took the piece from his pocket and asked doubtfully, "Doesn't Merry have the ability to summon ships?"

They even brought this up specifically when they were disembarking: was it really necessary to have this Vivre Card?

"That's true, but what if the coating malfunctions during the summoning process?" Xi Yan countered. "And... it could easily be thrown into the sea by Uncle Rayleigh."

Imagine Uncle Rayleigh is busy with the coating process, and then suddenly, with a bang, the ship vanishes, and the other person falls into the sea... Is that appropriate?

"Yes, that's true."

Franky nodded in understanding; that was indeed the case.

"Alright, then we'll take care of this." Sanji gave a thumbs up and said, "We'll definitely get the stuff to Nami and the others."

Not long ago, he and Franky encountered Nami and her companion in this area, but since they hadn't finished exploring, he and Franky left first.

I just don't know if they've gotten back to the ship yet.

"Have you forgotten about Zoro?"

Sanji:???

"Wasn't he with you?"

"No, he went for a walk by himself."

"Huh?"

"Eh!!"

Sanji stared at Xi Yan in shock. How could the other party be so carefree as to let Zoro had absolutely no sense of direction, go for a walk on his own?

What... what was he thinking?!

If they get lost here, finding that idiot won't be easy for them!

After all... the environment here is just too complicated!!

Who Knows where that guy might wander off to? What if he ends up at a naval base?

It's not impossible, after all... Zoro is the kind of man who can walk across ice to the enemy's headquarters!

Thinking about this gave Sanji a terrible headache.

"Don't worry, Zoro said he memorized the tree's number," Xi Yan reassured him. "He can find it."

As he spoke, Xi Yan pointed to the number on the tree and said, "Our ship is Number 41. That guy said he remembered it."

"Even if he has no sense of direction, he should be fine following this."

Even if you really can't find it, you can always ask someone for directions.

"The tree's number...?"

Sanji glanced at the number on the tree and then sighed silently.

Even so, he still had a feeling that the guy might get lost.

"Let's get back to the ship first," Franky said. "Even though Zoro has no sense of direction, he won't get lost if he knows the numbers."

"That's the only way."