Heavenly Tribute

Time slipped by before he knew it.

Perhaps because he had been thinking too much and too deeply, Li Mingyuan had paid no attention to the world outside. By the time he came back to his senses, it was already morning.

Looking at the sun that had risen at some unknown point outside the window, as well as the sounds of animals gradually drifting over from the nearby ranch, Li Mingyuan barely pulled himself free from the whirlpool of thought. For a moment, he did not know what to say. He could only give a bitter smile, sit on the edge of the bed, and keep rubbing his temples with both hands.

A bad night's sleep plus a hangover double debuff had left him in rather poor condition.

Mainly because Joseph and Johnny had picked an incredibly awkward time to show up.

What kind of person came to say goodbye in the middle of the night?

That sudden stunt had not only driven away all sleepiness, but also made him instinctively focus completely on thinking through important information.

Fortunately, no one came to wake him the next morning. The village chief had not come either. He did not know whether they had yet to find a cargo ship headed the same way, or whether no ship simply dared to head toward Arlong Park. Aside from that, there were not many sounds in the entire village. Quite a few villagers were probably still asleep, considering how much they had drunk last night.

Otherwise, his head might really have exploded.

"Whew! I'll just take a walk somewhere."

Li Mingyuan got to his feet, walked to the window, and took a deep breath of the fresh morning air.

With fewer noisy sounds around, his nerves seemed to gradually relax under the massage.

There was no way he could go back to sleep now. After thinking about those unpleasant possibilities earlier, he truly had no desire to sleep. Rather than forcing himself to toss and turn in bed, he might as well go outside for a walk and clear his head.

No sooner said than done.

After leaving the room, Li Mingyuan headed to the edge of the nearby ranch.

Basking in the morning sunlight as the breeze stirred his simple clothes, Li Mingyuan stretched lazily. Soon afterward, his expression gradually loosened.

Following the path of yesterday's fight with the bandit Dick, he made his way toward the village street where the banquet had been held last night. Passing through the mess that had yet to be cleaned up after the celebration, Li Mingyuan soon arrived somewhere he had not seen before.

The village port.

As a typical, not particularly large island in the One Piece world, the village was naturally close to the sea. That was why they had found Li Mingyuan on the shore before. Many villagers made their living by fishing, and some even operated ships for trade with the outside world.

Having unlocked a new map, Li Mingyuan looked out at the boundless sea before him. With the sea breeze on his face and shimmering ripples dancing over the water, he felt inexplicably good.

This was the first time he had seen the sea of the One Piece world.

It was even more beautiful than he had imagined. No wonder it was the place that carried dreams in the manga.

In the Great Pirate Era, countless people, filled with passion and ambition, rushed toward this sea.

Li Mingyuan knew that this sight before him would most likely become a common one in his future. He might even spend more time looking at it than at any scenery on land. It would fill the greater part of his days to come.

"There are probably fewer than five cargo ships docked here, and they're all fairly ordinary in size."

"Based on what the villagers said yesterday, there are another seven or eight villages scattered across this island besides theirs. Most are near the coast, and several of them have far more merchants engaged in trade than this village does."

Li Mingyuan examined the ships in the distance.

Though they looked large and imposing compared to people, they were only small to medium-sized vessels compared to the Marine warships from his memories of One Piece. In the future, these ships would also be what he encountered most often.

He truly wondered what kind of ship he would have someday.

It would be nice if it were a little more comfortable.

As a novice transmigrator in the One Piece world, Li Mingyuan's knowledge of the sea was probably on par with Luffy's. He could handle ninjutsu, but as for how to live at sea, he knew absolutely nothing.

In Li Mingyuan's ideal arrangement, professionals would handle professional work. He would be responsible for money and force, then spend the rest of his time killing time in the captain's cabin. Of course, if things truly came down to it, he would not mind pretending to be a sailor as long as someone capable was in charge. As long as the ship did not sink, that was enough.

He just did not know whether such an idea was unrealistic and wishful thinking in the One Piece world.

Many villagers were still resting in the morning, but sailors on cargo ships and fishing boats had already risen early to work hard or load and unload goods.

Li Mingyuan could see that people were constantly moving on and off the largest cargo ship in the distance. Occasionally, voices carried over from afar, though most were orders or exerted grunts from moving cargo.

And so, while Li Mingyuan admired the scenery by the sea and leisurely passed the time—

"Huh...? It's gone?"

"Hey! Who's slacking off over there? Hurry up and move it!"

"But this...!?"

A burst of noise suddenly came from the previously orderly line of workers.

Li Mingyuan casually glanced over and saw several sailors arguing around a crate. One sailor in particular wore a panicked expression. After discussing things for a while and apparently failing to reach a decision, they quickly ran into the merchant ship.

Only a few minutes later, a burly, bearded man dressed neatly, who seemed to be the captain, hurried out of the cabin. His face was grim as he walked to the crate. After saying something to the people nearby, he took a deep breath and opened it.

Thud!

With a heavy, muffled sound, the wooden lid was thrown open and crashed to the ground.

The opened crate was completely empty. There was nothing inside.

"Impossible! Where are the jewels?"

"Those were gifts for the kingdom! Are you kidding me? If they're lost, our heads will be on the line!"

"Everyone, go find them now!!"

The burly man's furious voice echoed through the entire port. "The cargo ship only docked recently. The thief can't have gotten far! Whoever finds them will be handsomely rewarded!"

Not long afterward, Li Mingyuan saw even more sailors rush out from the cargo ship's deck.

In no time at all, the group disappeared from the village port.

Only the burly man remained. He still stood before the empty crate, staring blankly at its vacant interior. It was unclear how long it took him to come back to his senses, but a deep fear flashed across his face.

Not far away, Li Mingyuan watched the entire scene.

There was not the slightest hint of interest or emotion on his face.

After witnessing the whole thing, even an idiot should have realized that something had happened. However, Li Mingyuan had no intention of asking about it, much less getting involved.

He remained where he was and merely watched.

As everyone knew, incidents in this world were often synonymous with trouble. Li Mingyuan had no intention of sticking his hand into every situation. In the end, this differed from the villagers being attacked by bandits before. The current situation had absolutely nothing to do with him. Offering it a glance was already generous enough.

Withdrawing his gaze, Li Mingyuan continued to enjoy the sea breeze and the coastal scenery.

And so, about another hour passed.

Sitting beside a rock, Li Mingyuan looked at the gradually increasing number of villagers and sailors around him and felt that he had stayed long enough.

Unlike him, the villagers had to make a living. Even if last night's banquet had caused many of them to get up later today, they still had to rise and work under the pressure of life.

Thus, the once-quiet port had become very lively.

His headache had eased considerably as well. It was time to head back.

"There are so many people."

Li Mingyuan's gaze swept over the bustling crowd and the fishing boats constantly heading out to sea. It would be nice if one of these ships were headed to Arlong Park.

After standing and brushing the dust from his clothes, Li Mingyuan did not hesitate before turning back.

As he moved through the crowd, he occasionally saw the sailors who had left the seemingly robbed cargo ship earlier. One by one, they were now returning to the ship with dark expressions.

What caught Li Mingyuan's attention was that these sailors were now carrying weapons similar to machetes. Moreover, unlike when they had first disembarked, they now seemed to carry a fierce and hostile aura.

Most likely, they had failed to catch the thief.

Not wanting trouble, Li Mingyuan's eyes shifted slightly as he quietly began moving away at an angle.

He could vaguely see even more cargo ship sailors heading this way in the distance, each looking grimmer than the last. Better to avoid unnecessary trouble. Taking a detour was clearly easier.

Thus, after avoiding the sailors, Li Mingyuan deliberately entered several dark alleys.

After spending some time weaving through them, he finally returned to the main road leading to the village.

Back in the village, Li Mingyuan saw that, unlike when he had passed through in the morning, the traces left by the banquet had mostly been cleaned up. Many villagers had also opened their shops and resumed normal business. At a glance, the lively atmosphere of everyday life washed over him.

Li Mingyuan lowered his head and looked at the two pouches tied around his waist.

Unlike yesterday afternoon, when he could only sit around in a daze, he now had spending power. He was probably even the richest person in this village. It would not hurt to stroll around and see what he could buy.

"Come to think of it, I'm a little hungry too."

Li Mingyuan looked over the shops selling breakfast along the street. "I'll take a look around."

Meanwhile.

On the other side, near the port.

The burly man who appeared to be the cargo ship's captain looked at the sailors gathered around him, all of whom had returned empty-handed. He felt his head spin, as if all strength had been drained from his limbs in that instant.

The cargo was worth several million Beli in total. They had not found it, and they could never afford enough money to cover the loss. In other words, this voyage was destined to leave them unable to account for themselves before the kingdom's nobles.

Even in the East Blue, there were not many islands with kingdoms, but that did not mean there were none.

The island they were currently on was one such example. Aside from the villages, the center of the island was also home to its ruler. In their daily lives, the villagers tacitly avoided mentioning that presence, treating it as if it did not exist. Even so, the mere existence of the kingdom had brought different changes to the island.

Trade and contact with other islands had increased the number and scale of villages here. Its abundant resources had even given rise to bandits, a type of existence that should have been rare in the One Piece world. Even setting aside the resources themselves, because of the kingdom's presence, a Marine branch was stationed on a nearby island. Therefore, bounty criminals who frequently appeared could have their bounties exchanged quickly.

The cargo they were transporting was requested by the nobles of the kingdom at the island's center.

Moreover, this demand was not merely a simple supply arrangement on the surface.

In the impoverished and weak East Blue, aside from those who merely called themselves kingdoms, legitimate World Government member nations had to pay the Heavenly Tribute at regular intervals. The value of their cargo was extremely important for this kingdom to gather enough Heavenly Tribute as well. Without it, it would likely be terrible news for the kingdom on this remote island.

"How could this happen?!"

The burly man gritted his teeth, veins bulging across his face. "That thief... Don't let me find out who you are, or I'll cut off your head!!"

He took a deep breath and maintained what little composure he had left, his gaze turning toward the distant sea.

At this point, there was no other choice.

He had not planned to go there originally, but they had to make up for the missing cargo. In the entire East Blue, only that route could now satisfy their needs.

Arlong Park.

Legend had it that Fish-Men ruled several nearby islands and dozens of villages there. Under the pretense of building an empire, they collected fees from the humans under their rule. Any village that refused would be wiped out.

If they traded with the resource-rich Fish-Men, then if they succeeded, they might still be able to plug this hole.

With that thought, the burly man made up his mind and suddenly raised his head.

"Listen up, boys! The missing jewels can't be recovered!"

"So now, we—"

The burly man's voice gradually faded into the wind.

In the village.

In sharp contrast to the bustling port, the ranch was peaceful and quiet.

After breakfast, Li Mingyuan was doing push-ups at his temporary residence when he suddenly heard hurried footsteps coming from the road outside the ranch.

Li Mingyuan stopped exercising. He casually grabbed a towel beside him and wiped his forehead, then stood and looked out the window. The chubby village chief, wearing a delighted expression, was hurrying toward him.

"Good news! A merchant ship that just docked is heading to Arlong Park!"

"I heard they're recruiting people because the destination is dangerous."

Still unable to catch his breath, the village chief said to Li Mingyuan with a broad smile, "They set sail the morning after tomorrow! You can start preparing now, then report there before departure."