The Results of a Partner's Cultivation (Part 1)

Sabaody Archipelago, Mangrove Zone 16.

Here stands a strangely shaped building, dilapidated and covered with stitched patches and metal plates. But those in the know understand that this is the headquarters of a human trafficking group called "Madness," a criminal organization whose overall strength ranks among the top five on Sabaody Archipelago!

A man wearing a mask and with a long sword at his waist approached from a distance.

Two thugs standing at the door reached out and stopped him. "Hey... don't come any closer!"

The masked man said succinctly, "I'm here to find someone."

"Looking for someone? Who are you looking for?"

"Pico."

"Pico ..." The two thugs looked at the masked man suspiciously. "Wait here for a moment!" They exchanged a glance, and then one of them went through the gate to announce his arrival.

The masked man said to the back of the person who went inside, "I'm in a hurry... please hurry."

A moment later, the thug came out, pointed to the door behind him with his thumb, and said, "My boss wants you to come in."

Without a word, the masked man walked straight past the two of them.

The room was very spacious, like a large warehouse. At first glance, there were probably several hundred people around. In the middle of the warehouse, three men were sitting around a table. One of them was fat and had a chicken leg in his hand, which he kept gnawing on. This man was Pico, the captain of the Butcher Pirates, with a bounty of 66 million.

The other two sitting next to him were the leaders of this human trafficking ring, named Bege Luke and Bege. In order to expand their business and territory, they offered Pico a large sum of money to work for them.

Bege Luke asked, "Captain Pico, is this your friend?"

Pico, his mouth greasy, glanced at the masked man who had entered through the door. "Who's looking for me... Huh? I don't know this weirdo!"

Upon hearing Pico's answer, Bege Lucie looked up at the masked man and said, "Hey, it seems you've come to the wrong place. The person you're looking for isn't here!"

"No, that's right, Butcher Pico ..." the masked man said in a sinister voice, "Skilled in using two-handed weapons such as chains, hooks, and cleavers... I'm here to find you."

"Where did this bastard come from, looking for trouble!" Pico slammed his hand on the table, which immediately Chop-Chop and collapsed to the ground. He then grabbed the chains and hooks wrapped around his body with one hand and pulled out a kitchen knife from his waist with the other, striding menacingly toward the masked man.

Bege Lucy asked, "What should we do? Should we intervene?"

Bege Luke narrowed his eyes. "No need. Let's see how strong this pirate with a bounty of 6,600 is. I don't think he'll disappoint us..."

The masked man gripped the knife at his waist with his right hand. "Very well... let's settle this once and for all."

"Dare to mess with me? I'll tear you to pieces and turn you into pork belly!" Pico roared furiously. His steps were incredibly fast, completely disproportionate to his obese body. In just a few blinks, he was in front of the masked man.

"Wind Chant!"

The masked man's hand, which was holding the sword, moved.

Suddenly, a cool breeze swept through the warehouse. Everyone inside looked around in confusion at the source of the wind. Pico, whose body was as big as a small mountain, seemed to have tripped over a stone and collapsed to the ground without warning, then stopped moving!

What's going on?!

Bege Lucie suddenly sensed something was off and called out, "Captain Pico, now's not the time to sleep!"

"No... he was knocked down, that man..." Bege Luke's eyes widened, his face filled with utter shock.

"Sixty-six million strength... I overestimated you..." The masked man sheathed the sword he had moved an inch up, slowly removed his mask, revealing a face half-covered by his hair. "Captain Buggy is coming. The final leg of this training should come to an end..."

After saying that, he casually tossed the mask on the ground and turned to walk away as if no one else was around.

At this moment, Bege Lucy swallowed hard, realizing why Pico had been defeated: because his opponent was... "Wind-Hidden Swordsman" Cabaji!!

Sabaody Archipelago, Mangrove Zone 56.

The air was filled with the clanging and hammering of nails and metal. In addition to coating ships, this area also had a lot of shipbuilding and repair businesses. However, because there was Fish-Man Island 10,000 meters below the sea in front of them, the shipwrights not only had to master shipbuilding techniques, but also had to learn some basic skills in coating ship hulls.

Beside the dock, several skilled veteran shipwrights looked at the pirate ship with worried expressions. The ship's unique shape and structure had caused them to fail three or four times in their attempts to coat it.

"What are we going to do, old Yuri? Tomorrow is the last day of the deadline... Although those pirates won't target us, if the coating doesn't work, our shipyard's reputation will be ruined, and we won't be able to get any business in the future!"

"What to do... I want to know what to do too. Even Jimmy, who's a coating craftsman, can't figure it out, so how could I possibly come up with a good idea all of a sudden..."

"You two, stop saying such discouraging things. There's still one last day. Let's give it one more try. Maybe we'll succeed. Isn't it too early to give up now?"

"You make it sound so easy... We haven't slept for three days and three nights, but what's impossible is impossible!"

The old boatmen chatted amongst themselves, their voices filled with helplessness.

"Gentlemen."

A woman wearing a sun hat approached and said with SMILE, "I heard about your troubles. If you'd like, I might be able to try. I might have a way to coat this ship!"

"Even we veteran craftsmen can't do it, so what can a young girl like you do?"

"But... in terms of coating, can you really be better than us?"

"Jimmy, Yuri, I think it wouldn't hurt to give her a try. Don't refuse yet; maybe the little girl has some special methods!"

"Okay... then we'll do as you say, but if she takes too long, we'll have to step in and stop her."

Although the old boatmen agreed to let the other party try, they had no confidence in their hearts, and their faces were full of doubt.

But then, something happened that left these old guys speechless with astonishment!

The woman wearing a sun hat walked to the pirate ship, stretched out her hands and placed them on the hull. A thin layer of bubbles emerged from her palms, spreading and expanding outwards along the hull, enveloping the entire ship in just a moment!

"How exactly did they do that?"

"This is simply a miracle!!"

The veteran boatmen could no longer sit still. They rushed to the ship's side, carefully measuring the coating. They exclaimed in surprise, "That's right... the coating's toughness and flexibility are exactly the same as ordinary coatings!!"

"That little girl..." When they turned back, the woman was already far away.

Having worked as a coating craftsman for so many years, Old Jimmy possessed the highest skill level, and his astonishment far surpassed that of the others. He excitedly shouted, "Little girl, can you tell us your name?"

"Um..." The woman waved her hand. "My name is Kaya!"