Out in the World, It's All About Your Backing!

Thump!

With a dull thud, Big Eye stopped five centimeters away from Dimon's body.

"What is this, Master?" Big Eye asked, his voice filled with surprise.

"Just as I thought."

Dimon nodded knowingly; it was in line with his prediction.

The Animation Haki he brought to life could not understand human speech, nor did it possess intelligence or life. However, as a part of himself, it possessed the ability to "passively protect its master."

When its master is in danger, this domineering Haki will automatically defend itself without requiring conscious control.

"A fascinating evolutionary trajectory... My understanding of Animation techniques is still less than 1% complete."

Feeling this unique and Haki, Dimon thought to himself that now he wouldn't have to worry about being ambushed while sleeping.

The downside is that the Haki is not an unlimited energy; a portion of it is consumed each time an enemy's attack is defended.

At that time, he will need to replenish it, and replenishing it will require Animation.

A touch of imperfection within perfection...

This is not bad either, since its Animation is unlimited and refreshes every day.

Dimon then spent the entire next day in training.

Cultivation can be addictive, especially when you feel yourself getting stronger every moment; this addiction to cultivation will be even stronger.

Just like reading, if a student can understand all the knowledge the teacher is teaching, then he will definitely love learning.

People who don't like reading don't actually dislike it; rather, they don't understand it and lack positive feedback, which leads to gradual boredom and apathy.

The next day.

After a day of training, Dimon's Haki had increased even further.

He first recovered the Animation power from yesterday, a necessary step.

The talent for Animation has two major limitations, one of which is that it cannot Animation things that have already Animation, thus rejecting the kind of overpowered behavior of stepping on one's own feet.

Next, Dimon unleashed the full Haki of his Haki, concentrating it all in one palm, and then Animation all of Haki in one go.

A flash of golden light appeared, merging into the Haki.

The combination of the two forces gave birth to a new, Haki with the ability to "protect its own master".

"Phew... all done."

With a light sigh, Dimon patted his bottom and got up.

Big Eye had been faithfully guarding the side, needing no sleep or rest. Upon seeing its master stop cultivating, it immediately offered its congratulations.

"Congratulations, Master, on your strength increase."

"Let's go out for a walk. Staying in the room all day is boring; people need to find some fun."

With its Big Eye and flapping wings, it landed on its owner's shoulder, disguising itself as an ordinary paper airplane.

After leaving the hotel, Dimon wandered around the Sabaody Archipelago.

The island is very large, with 79 Yarukiman Mangrove representing 79 different areas, and he only explored a small portion of them.

As Dimon walked, he came to a famous pirate bar in Zone 21.

As soon as you step inside, you're immediately filled with the cacophony of voices as pirates chat and discuss all sorts of news and gossip.

Dimon's arrival went unnoticed. He found a corner, ordered a drink from the waiter, and then quietly listened to the conversation.

"Have you heard? The Supernovas Bururuku was killed a few days ago, and the Navy has removed his bounty."

"That sharpshooter, Bururuku?"

Who did it?

"I've heard he's a very skilled bounty hunter. I'd better be careful these days, and avoid going out alone to prevent being targeted."

"Ridiculous. What's your head worth? Bounty hunters of that caliber wouldn't bother with small-time pirates like us. They wouldn't even bother with a bounty of less than a hundred million."

"How do you know? What makes you say that? Do you know that bounty hunter very well?"

"That's called the spirit of a strong person! A strong person wouldn't casually attack the weak or bully the small!"

"Pfft, you've had too much to drink."

Upon hearing what was about him, Dimon couldn't help but raise an eyebrow, surprised that the news had spread so quickly.

Bururuku was, after all, Supernovas. He might not be remarkable in the New World, but he was a formidable force in the Sabaody Archipelago.

As he listened, Dimon heard some interesting anecdotes and gossip.

For example, these pirates are actually discussing combat power, just like the combat power enthusiasts on forums and message boards in my previous life.

"If we're talking about the strongest, it has to be Whitebeard, one of the Four Emperors, right? The World's Strongest Man, the power of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit is enough to destroy the world."

"Kaido is the Strongest Creature on Land, Sea, and Air; he's the true number one in the world!"

"Red-Haired Shanks became Emperor last year, shouldn't be underestimated. His swordsmanship is on par with the World's Greatest Swordsman Hawk-Eye."

"BIGMOM... never mind, BIGMOM is trash!"

Why is Bigom considered useless?

Dimon was a little curious about what these people were thinking, but the conversation didn't continue.

His attention was quickly diverted by the conversation of another group of pirates.

"It's this time of year again, boss."

"Is the time for countries around the world to pay their Heavenly Tribute soon?"

"If we could plunder a ship of Heavenly Tribute, why would we need to be pirates? We'd all be rich!"

"It's not that easy. Every year during this period, countless pirates around the world are eyeing this lucrative prize, but how many actually succeed?"

"What are you afraid of? I heard that one of the current Shichibukai, Donquixote Doflamingo, used to make a living by robbing the Heavenly Tribute!"

"He eventually became one of the Shichibukai, why don't we follow his example and pull off a big heist?"

Upon hearing this, Dimon's heart stirred slightly.

Heavenly Tribute refers to the system of treasures that World Government Member States annually pay tribute to the Celestial Dragons.

Treasures from all over the world were typically transported to the Holy Land Mary Geoise via Marine warship in order to maintain the Affiliated Nation states' status.

These tributes included gold and silver, wine, minerals, jewelry, slaves... and the "Secret Treasure of the Sea," the Devil Fruit!

One reason why the Celestial Dragons possess such a large number of Devil Fruit is because of tributes from various countries.

"So the offering time for the Heavenly Tribute is fixed every year?"

Chapter 83 In this world, connections matter!

Heavenly Tribute is a piece of fat meat, and it's a piece of fat meat that gets refreshed every year.

There are at least eight or ten thousand pirate crews all over the world eyeing it, but very few actually succeed.

Doflamingo, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, is a relatively well-known one.

In his early years, when his Donquixote Family was still active in the North Blue, he forced the World Government to grant him the title of Shichibukai by constantly plundering Heavenly Tribute transport ships. In exchange, he stopped targeting the Heavenly Tribute.

Of course, this is just news from the outside world.

The real truth is that Doflamingo is Celestial Dragons and possesses a major secret that makes the Five Elders hesitant to act, which is why the World Government chose to back down.

Even if ordinary pirates wanted to emulate him and actually managed to steal the Heavenly Tribute, they'd still need to be alive to enjoy it afterwards.

"It seems we need to investigate this year's Heavenly Tribute. If we could obtain the list of tribute items..."

Dimon frowned slightly, pondering how to begin and gain an advantage.

He wasn't interested in gold and silver jewelry; he had already sent the Seven Deadly Sins to Sky Island to collect gold, so he wouldn't be short of money for long.

What he cares about is the Devil Fruit.

With over 170 Affiliated Nation worldwide, it's impossible for every country to find a Devil Fruit to give to the World Government.

Even assuming that every Affiliated Nation possesses Devil Fruit, there would certainly be kings who wouldn't want to give them away and would choose to keep them for themselves.

"The list of tribute items for the Heavenly Tribute is a government secret. The navy is responsible for the transportation, so they definitely have it on their end. After all, supplies have to be counted before being loaded onto the ship."

"Secondly, the World Government certainly has some as well, and as the recipient, we also need to confirm that the supplies haven't been embezzled by the Navy."

"To get the list, we need to start from these two aspects..."

Dimon took out a 10,000- Beli bill, left it on the table, and got up to leave the bar.

He unexpectedly received good news during his trip out, and he needed to make a plan as soon as possible; he couldn't miss this opportunity.

The Navy has a spy named Mammon; we might be able to obtain some intelligence through Mammon.

However, relying on Mammon frequently will expose increasing risks, and one cannot depend entirely on Mammon alone.

"First, we need to understand the operational process of Heavenly Tribute."

With this in mind, Dimon quickly ordered, "Your main body should go to Marine Headquarters and gather intelligence about Heavenly Tribute."

The reason for sending out Ain's main body was naturally to facilitate questioning Den Den Mushi. Stealing secrets directly through the Den Den Mushi at headquarters was much faster than questioning Mammon.

Ain naturally understood this as well.

[Yes, Master, I will leave behind a clone to continue following you.]

After leaving a message in Dimon's mind, Ain immediately began to act.

A Breath of Fresh Wind, unnoticed by anyone, flew away from the Sabaody Archipelago and headed towards the Marine Headquarters.

After two days of recuperation, Mammon was finally allowed to leave GS General Hospital.

He accompanied Ain and Binz back to Marine Headquarters on a warship.

"When we get back, we'll first face questioning from the Marine Criminal Investigation Bureau," Ain reminded Mammon. "It's routine, Mammon, don't worry. After all, the World Government is furious about what happened at Punk Hazard."

Mammon nodded, already prepared for the worst.

With Three Admirals away from headquarters, in the worst-case scenario, he would have to face Zephyr, Garp, and Sengoku simultaneously, as well as a large number of Headquarters Vice Admiral.

He was confident he could escape.

Beside him, Binz couldn't help but shake his head. "The traitor must be an insider at the research institute. The Seven Deadly Sins even know so much about Artificial Devil Fruit; we had no idea before we went there."

"Since it's a work process, let's follow the rules."

Mammon remained calm, as if it were none of my business.

Half an hour later, the warship arrived at the inner harbor of the Marine Headquarters.

As soon as the three of them disembarked, they encountered members of the Marine Criminal Investigation Bureau who had been waiting for them.

"Major Ain, Major Binz, and Captain Mammon, we are from the Marine Criminal Investigation Bureau. You should have known this beforehand. Please come with us."

The three exchanged a glance, said nothing, and silently followed.

The leading captain said with a smile:

"Chief Instructor Zephyr has already informed us in advance that the three of you, as his disciples, are definitely fine. However, this is a routine investigation and a necessary procedure, so please don't feel guilty."

When you're out in the world, connections are everything!

Mammon nodded silently, gaining a clearer understanding of human relationships and social dynamics.

He clearly noticed that the captain of the investigation bureau was extending a friendly gesture towards him and didn't want to offend him.

"We know, let's get through the process as quickly as possible," Ain said calmly.

"Okay, it won't take long."

The three were quickly taken to the interrogation room.

Binz went in first and came out about five minutes later, then Ain went in.