After accumulating a total of 7,650 Points, the remaining Points suddenly surged to 46,150.
Garp's Dog-head hat was worth 4,000 Points, which wasn't surprising.
But the counterfeit straw hat that Xiano had bought for 500 Berries, which he had used to swap out the real one, actually contributed 3,000 Points, equivalent to one-tenth of the original. This was an unexpected bonus.
Xiano hadn't expected much from it in the first place.
It seemed that as long as Luffy remained unaware of the switch and continued to treat it as the genuine article, he would naturally pour a lot of emotion into it, considering it his most cherished possession.
This meant that Xiano could steadily reap a large harvest of Points every year before entering the Grand Line.
Comforting.
Satisfied, Xiano retracted his gaze, ready to enjoy a good night's sleep. The only thing that slightly annoyed him was that a new skill had somehow appeared at the end of his skill panel.
—Theft (Proficient).
How absurd.
Wasn't all this just to earn Points and protect his hometown and family? How could a martial artist's actions be called theft?
...
The next morning.
Xiano and the others left the Colubo Mountains, bidding farewell to the enthusiastic Dadan family, the reluctant Luffy, and the stern-faced Ace, embarking on their journey back home.
After a few days of travel.
On the Orange Garden, Xiano lay on a rattan chair, holding a newspaper and reading with great interest.
In an inconspicuous corner, there was a piece of news that caught his attention—the latest Pale Cherry Island Kendo Tournament had officially concluded yesterday, and a dark horse named Kuina had stunned the audience, easily claiming the championship.
"Winning with a perfect record, huh? Her progress is really impressive."
Kuina was truly eager to improve.
Not only to catch up to someone she idolized, but also to prove herself to Koshiro, who had always held biases and even said hurtful things to her face.
After meeting her last year, Xiano had sensed that beneath the girl's seemingly polite and well-mannered exterior, there was a stubborn heart that yearned to stand at the pinnacle.
"By the time I officially set sail and you join the crew, how far will your strength have progressed?"
Xiano gazed toward the horizon, his eyes calm.
With Zeff's guidance, the various martial arts manuals he had provided, and most importantly, her exceptional swordsmanship talent, she had crossed that non-existent line of life and death...
He was very much looking forward to this partner, whom he had already internally designated as the second official crew member.
"Ugh, are we really going back so soon?"
Nami's grumbling voice came from behind.
Just as Xiano snapped out of his thoughts, he felt a chill on his neck. The little girl had climbed onto his back, wrapping her arms around his neck and shaking him vigorously. "Brother! Can't we stay and play a bit longer? Or at least drop me off at Shimotsuki Village on the way?"
"We're taking the straightest route home, and it doesn't pass through Shimotsuki Village. Besides, what would you even do there?"
Xiano couldn't be bothered to entertain her and picked up the newspaper again. As for his neck? He had long since trained his body to be as flexible as a crane's. If Nami could actually strangle him, she'd have to be quite skilled.
"Well..." Nami's eyes darted around as she began to whine, "I actually kind of want to be like you, to become a powerful Master Swordsman, defending our hometown and protecting Bellemere and Nojiko! Since Kuina is probably heading back now, I... I could go and learn swordsmanship from her!"
"Hah..."
Xiano let out a cold laugh. Who would believe such a reason, except maybe an adult version of Sanji?
"Nami!"
Suddenly, Nojiko's voice rang out from behind. She angrily grabbed Nami's ear and yanked her down from behind Xiano—
"How shameless! Last night, I poured my heart out to you, and you immediately used it to sweet-talk Brother!"
"Ouch! Wuwu, I didn't mean to, Nojiko."
"Then tell the truth! What exactly do you want to do in Shimotsuki Village?"
"I just want to eat the food Uncle Zeff makes. Don't tell me you don't want to, Nojiko? His dishes are hundreds of times better than Bellemere's! Just thinking about it makes my mouth water…"
"I'll make sure to tell Bellemere exactly that."
"Huh?!!! No, please don't!"
…
Listening to the scolding behind him, Xiano chuckled, crossing his legs and continuing to read the newspaper.
This was probably what they meant by "one thing subdues another." Nami, who was fearless in front of him, turned into a soft marshmallow the moment Nojiko showed up.
Back in the day, the two little ones used to be evenly matched, often getting into fights.
But as Nojiko entered her teenage years, the height difference between them grew, and those days were long gone.
Now, at twelve years old, Nojiko was already 160 cm tall, while Nami was still just over 140 cm, a tiny bean sprout. With such a disparity in strength, the older sister's authority naturally took hold.
But wait, did Nojiko just say that Nami had copied her heartfelt words?
"Hold off on scolding her for now," Xiano turned around curiously. "Is what Nami said true? Do you really want to learn swordsmanship to get stronger and protect our hometown in my place?"
"I do want to get stronger, and I do want to protect our hometown."
Nojiko nodded first, then poked Nami's forehead in frustration. "But I could learn anything to get stronger! The swordsmanship part was just this little troublemaker's wild guess!"
"Wild guess? It was a reasonable assumption!"
Nami rubbed her reddened ear, pouting. "It's not like you didn't tell me last night that Kuina from Master Koshiro's family, who's the same age as you, is already qualified to compete for the swordsmanship tournament championship and was even invited by Brother to join his adventure crew."
"And you can't even beat the village geese, so of course I thought you wanted to learn swordsmanship too…"
She huffed and pointed at Xiano.
"But if you ask me, why bother with Master Koshiro for swordsmanship? You should have Brother teach you instead. He's the strongest Master Swordsman in the East Blue… no, in the entire world! He's way stronger than Koshiro!"
"You're getting carried away."
Xiano pinched Nami's nose in exasperation.
He pondered for a moment, then looked at Nojiko. "I can't teach you swordsmanship, but I can teach you various other martial arts. For the foundational stage, I can tailor a training plan that suits you best. And if there are any secret techniques that fit you in the future, I'll find a way to get them for you."
"But Nojiko, think carefully. Are you sure you can endure the hardship?"
"Yes!"
Nojiko clenched her fists and nodded with determination. "Don't underestimate my resolve, Brother!"
She knew exactly how exhausting it was to train to become strong. Over the past few years, she had been the one delivering water and food to Xiano during his grueling daily training. The sight of him pushing himself to the limit was something she would never forget.
But all of this was to protect Cocoyasi Village, and more importantly, to protect them, wasn't it?
Especially in the past few months, the way her brother had been so tense, almost to the point of madness, had even scared her a little from afar.
Fortunately, after defeating the invading Pirate crew, her brother had visibly relaxed and returned to his usual self.
But no matter what, she didn't want to continue like this, being a useless burden, and she didn't want her brother to constantly worry about their safety.
Now that her brother was at home, no one dared to disturb the peace of Cocoyasi Village, but what about in the future?
Her brother was a man with great ambitions, and he would eventually leave to explore the world.
When that time came, it would be up to her, as the eldest daughter, to step up and take on the responsibility of protecting her sister and mother!
Xiano quietly watched the blue-haired girl, who stubbornly raised her head to meet his gaze.
"You've really grown up without me noticing, Nojiko."
Xiano suddenly felt a sense of nostalgia and smiled as he ruffled her small head. "Since you've made up your mind, then it's settled. Once we return to the village, we'll start your training officially. The training ground in the orange grove has been left untouched, and now it's perfect for you."
"Yes!"
Nojiko nodded vigorously, surprised that she had gained Xiano's support so easily, and her heart was filled with joy.
"What about me, brother?"
Nami, who had somehow pulled out an orange and was eating it, asked vaguely, "I was just joking earlier! I just want to focus on my navigation studies, draw maps, and look at books. I don't want to be forced to run dozens of kilometers every day…"
"Not your business, go play somewhere else."
Xiano lay back down and shook the newspaper, casually curling his lips. "If even a little one like you had to be forced to train in martial arts, wouldn't all the sweat we taller folks shed in the front be wasted?"
Taller folks? Wasted sweat?
What does that mean? Nami was utterly confused, her face blank as she put a slice of orange into her mouth.
Beside her, Nojiko pursed her lips and smiled, gently ruffling Nami's small head just like Xiano had done.
…
Ten days later.
The Orange Garden returned to Cocoyasi Village, resuming its role as a cargo ship.
After a good night's sleep, it was time for the trading market to refresh. Xiano brushed his teeth while flipping through the listings.
The first two items were too low in value to interest him, so he skipped them. When he reached the third item, his eyes suddenly lit up.
[Life Return]
[Type: Cultivation Manual]
[Price: 1800 Points]
[Description: An advanced martial art that involves extreme control over bodily functions, fully merging consciousness with the physical body. Once mastered, it allows the user to freely manipulate organs, hair, and even cellular activity, achieving precise control over the body.]
[This martial art belongs to the same combat system as the Six Styles and is closely related to them. To avoid going astray, it is recommended to master Iron Body and Paper Drawing before cultivating this manual.]
[Seller's Note: None, direct system sale.]
Finally, Life Return?
Xiano's right hand, brushing his teeth, suddenly became more urgent and forceful.
He had been looking forward to this for a long time. Over the past year, his physical attributes had improved too rapidly, and his micro-control ability couldn't quite keep up for a while.
Previously, he had accidentally twisted the steel frame of a birthday cake cart into a spiral, and he dared not move too much while sitting on a dining chair—all because of this reason.
Crack...
The toothbrush in his hand suddenly snapped. Xiano was speechless. Well, here was another piece of evidence.
He had no choice but to finish rinsing his mouth early, his gaze fixed on those lines of descriptive text.
"Do I need to learn Iron Body and Paper Drawing first?"
Xiano frowned. He had already mastered Iron Body, but what about Paper Drawing? The remaining two of the Six Styles hadn't appeared in the past few months.
He hated prerequisites the most. When would he be able to learn them?
He resentfully added it to his shopping cart and then scrolled to the next item.
Huh?
Xiano stared at the new product in front of him. The frown that had been knitted together just moments ago instantly relaxed—
[Six Styles Secret Manuals *2]
[Type: Cultivation Manuals]
[Price: 800 Points]
[Description: Since you have already purchase
d four of them, the remaining two random manuals will definitely be Storm Leg and Paper Drawing]
[Seller's Note: None, direct system sales]
Second update, humbly asking for votes, thank you everyone.
(End of Chapter)