News of the Killer

After discussing the construction standards for his ship with the old craftsman Yuris, Luo Ze paid a deposit of one hundred million Berries.

This time, he had plenty of money on hand, so he spared no expense on the ship. Luo Ze not only had Yuris install the best engine he had, but also demanded the finest materials. In the end, he even had Yuris equip the ship with a "Magnetic Navigation System."

According to old craftsman Yuris, this system was his latest research result.

Everyone knew that the Grand Line was an extremely special sea region.

Its geomagnetism, weather, ocean currents, and air currents were all incredibly chaotic. While sailing through those waters, people generally could not even determine their own location, let alone find an island.

Therefore, virtually every pirate crew needed at least one navigator. That navigator would carry a Log Pose or an Eternal Pose and, relying on their navigational skills and the direction indicated by the pointer, gradually lead the crew toward the next island.

The "Magnetic Navigation System" invented by old craftsman Yuris was a mechanical navigator.

After arriving at an island, just like with an Eternal Pose, Luo Ze had to dock his ship near that island and allow the "Magnetic Navigation System" to automatically absorb the island's magnetic force.

Once the magnetic force had been fully absorbed, the "Magnetic Navigation System" would plot the most ideal route to the next island for Luo Ze.

Afterward, relying on the ship's engine, as long as Luo Ze started the ship, it would travel on its own along the route indicated by the "Magnetic Navigation System."

If the currents ahead suddenly changed during the journey, the "Magnetic Navigation System" would promptly alter the route and select a better path for Luo Ze to continue forward.

In other words, with this system, Luo Ze would not even need a navigator. As long as he filled the ship with fuel before setting out, he could travel through the Grand Line alone.

Luo Ze was extremely satisfied with the system invented by the old craftsman, because he would definitely be heading to the Grand Line in the future. He had previously been troubled over selecting a navigator, but now it seemed he could avoid that hassle entirely.

He spoke with the old craftsman a little longer and agreed to come collect the ship in half a month. After that, Luo Ze said his farewells.

The old craftsman had no intention of seeing him off. He merely nodded and said, "Take care. I won't see you out."

Luo Ze left the house and walked outside with an easy stride. He was in quite a good mood today. Not only had he collected bounties from the Marines, but the matter of his ship had also been resolved.

Next, he only needed to gather information on Kid. Once the old craftsman finished building the ship, he could set sail.

However, when he reached the entrance, a girl wielding a wooden sword caught his attention in a wide open area to the left.

The girl wore white short sleeves and shorts, with a cloth band tied around her head. A yellow straw dummy had been planted in the ground before her, and she was currently swinging her wooden sword as she practiced against it.

Luo Ze was drawn in by her swordsmanship. Although the girl's technique was somewhat rough, some of her moves were exceptionally refined.

Luo Ze guessed that the girl's master had to be a skilled swordsman. At that thought, Kuina and Zoro inexplicably came to mind.

If he wanted to find companions in the future, Zoro would be a good choice.

However, Luo Ze was also a swordsman. Convincing Zoro to follow him would probably not be easy.

Luo Ze could not help looking toward the Marine branch.

He wondered whether his affairs would be discovered. The newly appointed Marine rear admiral always gave Luo Ze a faint, intangible sense of pressure.

Seven days passed.

Luo Ze had been active among the many underground intelligence organizations in Dog Town.

After making such frenzied inquiries, on the seventh day, Luo Ze finally confirmed Kid's approximate location through several intelligence brokers.

According to those brokers, Kid had apparently found some treasure recently and made a fortune. He should currently be staying in a town called Ryan Town.

Luo Ze compared the information provided by several brokers and found that their accounts were nearly identical, further strengthening his confidence. He had already secretly made up his mind: as soon as his ship was finished, he would head to Ryan Town and begin his hunt for Kid.

Another seven days passed.

Luo Ze hunted down quite a few pirates around Dog Town. After taking all their wealth, he delivered every one of their heads to the Marine branch.

Luo Ze saw Luca again. Luca remained as warm toward Luo Ze as ever, and more than once asked whether he wanted to join the Marines, but Luo Ze refused every time.

Still, Luca did not get angry. He openly handed the bounties over to Luo Ze, and over the past seven days, he had often invited Luo Ze out for drinks, forming a fairly deep friendship with him.

Today was the end of the half-month deadline.

After lunch, Luo Ze walked out of the restaurant. Yet at the entrance, he unexpectedly overheard some startling news.

"Did you hear? That famous old craftsman was beaten badly by a pirate because he refused to build a ship for him. Even his granddaughter was captured by that pirate."

"That's so pitiful! Those damned pirates even bully old men."

"Watch what you say. I heard this pirate has quite a background. He's a subordinate of Kid, that infamous pirate from the South Blue. I think his name is Killer."

"Then that's terrible. Even the people from the Marine branch might not be a match for a pirate like that!"

Hearing the passersby's conversation, Luo Ze's heart stirred. He quickly walked over and asked, "Is what you just said true? Did something like that happen to the old craftsman?"

Luo Ze was not worried about the old craftsman's safety, but he was worried about his ship. He had placed great hopes on that vessel, so for the moment, he did not want anything to happen to the old craftsman.

"Of course it's true! It happened a few days ago. Lots of people in town know about it now," the passerby replied.

"By the way, you said that pirate was Kid's subordinate? His name is Killer?" Luo Ze suddenly asked again. He seemed to have vaguely heard them mention Kid just now.

"Yeah! That's the one. He's practically a madman." The passerby looked wary, his expression changing when Killer was mentioned.

"Alright, thanks for the information."

Luo Ze tossed several gold coins into the passerby's hands and hurried toward the old craftsman's residence.

Killer, huh... You'd better not let anything happen to Yuris. Otherwise, if my ship can't be finished, you're in trouble.

As he rushed there, Luo Ze muttered to himself.