Energy Disc
Type: Cultivation Manual
Price: 6,000 Points
Description: Krillin's strongest technique in the Dragon Ball world. Compresses and spins "ki" into a high-speed disc before hurling it, possessing terrifying cutting power.
Seller's Note: Got revived by Shenron again… Died over a dozen times already. Can you guys stop resurrecting me next time? I'm so tired…
Energy Disc?
Xiano was momentarily stunned before his face lit up with excitement once more.
Another excellent find!
From what he recalled, this technique's armor-piercing capability was astonishing. Once unleashed, even opponents far stronger than the user would have no choice but to evade its sharp edge.
If he could master it thoroughly…
Even if he made no progress in other areas, facing ultimate stat monsters like Akainu or Kaido again wouldn't leave him struggling for half a day just to inflict minor injuries.
An absolute must-buy!
He'd study it carefully later!
...
Truth Serum
Type: Consumable
Price: 500 Points
Description: A common magical item in the Hogwarts world. After consumption, the drinker will experience an intense urge to confess for the next 24 hours, speaking nothing but the truth.
Total: One bottle, divisible into five doses for five uses.
Seller's Note: Used it on old Dumbledore… He said he likes me! What do I do?! What do I do?!
Xiano pondered briefly.
An interesting little tool, and the price wasn't bad either.
Just 500 Points—enough to buy three of Jack's tusks. For him now, it was practically pocket change.
Something like this might come in handy someday.
Without much hesitation, he added it to his cart.
...
After that, he scrolled all the way to the last page but found nothing else that caught his interest.
No matter. The haul this time was already plenty rewarding. Setting aside the Truth Serum, just acquiring the Energy Disc and the Flesh Furnace Method left Xiano thoroughly satisfied.
Closing the market page, he proceeded to checkout.
Original Points: 44,500.
Three items purchased this time, totaling 10,300 Points spent. Remaining balance: 34,200.
Still quite comfortable—unlike last time, when he'd been left broke after shopping.
...
With his second-favorite activity (shopping) concluded,
Xiano wasted no time. He immediately grabbed the Greatsword at his side and hurried to the training room, ready to begin his absolute favorite activity—training.
His Greatsword, "Masamune," had been found for him by Kuina.
Bruno had tossed it onto the highest level of Water 7's giant fountain. Anyone else would've turned the entire city upside down without finding it.
Kuina had searched everywhere for a long time too, but as she passed the fountain, inspiration suddenly struck, and she looked up.
And there it was, right in the water.
Perhaps this was the connection between a Master Swordsman and a Famous sword.
While marveling at this, Xiano was also deeply grateful to Kuina. He laughed heartily and spun the young swordswoman around several times in his arms.
To him, this blade was, of course, just an accessory—at most, something to occasionally mislead enemies.
But after so many years together, he'd grown quite attached to it.
...
Before heading to the training room, Xiano first stopped by the girls' quarters to fetch Nojiko.
The reason he called his sister was twofold: first, he needed her Snow-Snow Fruit ability to reinforce the training area, and second, he required her fist techniques to cultivate the final chapter of the "Flesh Furnace Method."
That was how the Flesh Furnace Method worked.
To train it, one had to rely on external force—what you consumed, you replenished.
To cultivate "Copper Head," you had to strike the head; to cultivate "Iron Bone," you had to hammer the bones...
And for this final "Core Chapter,"
Xiano had to first slice open the skin of his chest, exposing his organs and blood vessels, then let Nojiko unleash her full strength, focusing her attacks solely on his internal organs...
Did it hurt?
Of course it hurt. His internal organs were far less resilient than his external body.
But to fully master this secret technique, there was no other way. It was just a period of self-torture—something Xiano had long grown accustomed to.
...
Arriving in front of his private training room,
he was about to push the door open when he heard dull, rhythmic thuds coming from the adjacent training room.
Extending his Observation Haki slightly to sense it, he realized it was Jack.
"Huh? Up even earlier than me?"
Xiano found it odd. Back at the dining hall during breakfast, he had been the first to arrive and hadn't seen Jack at all.
"Wrong guess, big bro. He didn't wake up early—Jack hasn't slept all night," Nojiko said, shaking her head.
"All night?" Xiano turned to her in surprise.
"Yeah."
Nojiko spread her hands. "Ever since he preliminarily mastered Life Return a few days ago and managed to compress his size to around five meters, he's been like this—sleeping only four or five hours a day, spending the rest of the time holed up in the training room."
"Working this hard?"
Xiano frowned slightly, then after a moment's thought, lowered his hand from the door and turned toward the neighboring training room.
Pushing the door open, he was met with the sight of Jack's burly figure relentlessly punching a specially oversized steel sandbag.
Sweat poured down like rain, his fists already reddened and even faintly streaked with blood.
Yet Jack seemed oblivious to the pain, continuing to hammer the sandbag with punch after punch, his eyes filled with stubborn determination and an unyielding ferocity.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
The dull impacts echoed through the training room as the sandbag swayed under the immense force, its surface already riddled with cracks and dents.
Huff!
After finishing a set, Jack braced his hands on his knees, panting heavily, still immersed in his own world—so much so that he didn't even notice Xiano's arrival.
Until Xiano spoke softly, "Hey, Jack."
"Boss?!"
Startled, Jack whipped his head around. Seeing Xiano and Nojiko, he immediately stopped, awkwardly wiping the sweat from his face.
"Y-you're here?"
"Just passing by. Heard the noise and came to check."
Xiano stepped inside and casually tossed over a large jug of orange soda that Nojiko had brought from the dining hall.
"Take a break and drink up. Don't push yourself to dehydration."
"Thanks, Boss!"
Only then did Jack realize how long it had been since he last drank.
He hastily grabbed the jug, intending to take just a sip, but the moment the sweet, icy soda touched his lips, the dryness in his throat instantly soothed, making him feel alive again.
"Gulp, gulp—"
Only when the kettle was empty did Jack reluctantly stop, wiping the water from the corners of his mouth and letting out a long sigh.
"Thirsty like that and you didn't even think to drink? You were really that absorbed, huh?"
Xiano chuckled. "What, feeling triggered?"
As expected of Boss Xiano—he saw right through him.
Jack hung his head in shame, muttering, "Yeah, Boss... I'm just too weak. I can't help at all."
"That night in Water 7, I couldn't even block a casual punch from Kaido. If you hadn't stepped in, I probably would've been bedridden for days recovering..."
"And back in my hometown, that Aokiji guy... he took me down in one move too..."
The more he spoke, the more dejected he became, as if Perona's ghosts had passed right through him. "I... I'm completely useless, Boss."
You...
Aren't you being way too hard on yourself?
Xiano was both amused and exasperated.
Feeling weak? Well, look at who you're comparing yourself to—Kaido, Aokiji... every one of them stands at the pinnacle of the world.
For a rookie who's only just set sail to even dare charge at those two... well, that kind of reckless bravery probably only belongs to a blockhead like you.
Still.
Reckless or not.
That unwavering loyalty is worth praising.
"I get that you want to get stronger, but training isn't something that happens overnight. Pay attention to your routine and health—don't be so impatient."
"And stop dwelling on the past. Those two old monsters are exceptions. How old are you? There's no point comparing yourself to them. Mental exhaustion is the scariest thing."
After some encouragement and reassurance, when Jack finally showed signs of contemplation, Xiano grinned and patted his arm.
"Trust in your talent. Look at yourself—you've already made solid progress with Life Return. People would kill to have that. What about Haki? How's that coming along?"
"Observation Haki's still not showing any signs," Jack scratched his head, reporting honestly. "But I'm starting to get the hang of Armament Haki. Boss, just give me a little more time... maybe two weeks, and I should have the basics down."
"See? Isn't it better to have a plan and take things step by step?"
Xiano gave a thumbs-up, speaking earnestly. "And if you hit any roadblocks in your training, don't keep it to yourself. If there's something you don't understand, come ask me. From now on, I'll try to set aside two hours every day to train with you personally—help you master Two-Color Haki as soon as possible."
"Y-You're gonna train me? Two hours every day?!"
Jack's head snapped up, eyes wide with disbelief.
"What, not interested?" Xiano smirked.
"No! Of course I am!"
Jack waved his hands frantically, voice trembling with excitement. "Thank you, Boss!"
"Save the thanks. I'm worried you'll drop dead from exhaustion. Go get some breakfast, fill your stomach, and get some proper sleep before you continue!"
"Yes, Boss!"
After that pep talk, Jack was practically buzzing with energy, all traces of his earlier gloom gone. He eagerly pushed open the door and thundered off toward the kitchen.
"Bro..."
Nojiko watched Jack's massive figure disappear into the distance, then sidled up to Xiano. "Doesn't this feel... kinda familiar?"
"Of course it does."
Xiano glanced sideways at her. "Back in Cocoyashi Village, whenever you couldn't keep up with your boxing practice and came crying to complain, didn't I comfort you the same way? Cheering up little brats is what I do best."
"So that's how it was."
Nojiko suddenly understood, then quickly realized what he meant. Her face flushed red as she punched Xiano's arm in embarrassment. "Who's a little brat? I was already quite mature back then! Stop teasing me, you stinky big brother~!"
"I meant Jack."
"That's more like it!"
Nojiko huffed. Though Jack was already an adult, his simple and honest nature made the crew view him almost like a child with underdeveloped maturity.
"Speaking of which, bro," Nojiko suddenly sighed and said seriously, "Jack's anxiety and worries aren't just his alone. The rest of us feel it too, you know."
"Oh?"
Xiano turned to look at her.
Nojiko didn't beat around the bush, pouring out her thoughts like beans from a bamboo tube.
Since setting sail, they'd been navigating the Grand Line for three months now. After just two or three more islands, they'd nearly reach the end of the first half of the Grand Line.
After coating their ship at Sabaody, the Falling Stars Adventure Crew would face a brand new challenge—entering the New World.
Nearly every member of the Sunset crew had mastered Haki, and they weren't lacking in Logia-type ability users either. Even without Xiano's presence, they could dominate the first half of the Grand Line.
But the New World was completely different.
The danger level there wasn't even comparable to Paradise. Just to name a few, every active Pirate there had mastered Two-Color Haki as standard, not to mention all Four Emperors being there, along with various monstrously powerful figures...
"You're too strong, big brother. Maybe you can't understand how we feel," Nojiko said quietly.
"In a place like that, even you wouldn't be able to single-handedly turn the tide against a major Pirate crew, right? We want to contribute too—at least not get crushed by enemy officers and become your burden."
Xiano listened quietly without interrupting.
Only then did he reach out to ruffle Nojiko's hair, chuckling. "Just after hearing me comfort Jack, you're already talking nonsense again. When have you ever been my burden? Without my two adorable little sisters, I wouldn't have had the motivation to come this far alone."
Gazing at the sea outside the porthole, he added after some thought, "But your concerns aren't unfounded. The New World is indeed much more dangerous than the first half. We'll need better preparation."
As for preparation...
Improving their strength was the best preparation.
He needed time to fully master the Flesh Furnace Method and train in the Energy Disc technique.
The combat-focused crew members also wanted to grow stronger.
With limited space on the ship, this would eventually become inconvenient.
Their adventure would have to pause temporarily—it was time to find a remote island for some secluded training.
"Guess I should really thank uncle after all..."
Remembering the battle at Enies Lobby, Xiano couldn't help but grin.
Under normal circumstances, with the Falling Stars Adventure Crew being heavily monitored and hunted by the World Government, staying long-term on any island in the first half of the Grand Line—where the World Government's control was strongest—would have been nearly impossible.
But for now, he was mistakenly presumed dead by the World Government, and even his bounty had been revoked, so he no longer needed to worry about that.
————
In the blink of an eye, nearly a week had passed since leaving Water 7.
Following Xiano's orders, the Sunset did not continue along the usual shipping routes.
Instead, it veered as close as possible to the Calm Belt, staying far from the busy sea lanes.
They were hoping to find an island that was large and spacious yet remote enough that few ships would visit.
It had to be said.
Xiano's luck had always been remarkably good.
About three days later, an island that perfectly fit their criteria appeared on the horizon.
Standing at the bow, Xiano narrowed his eyes as he gazed at the distant island shrouded in thick fog.
The island was sizable but completely uninhabited. Even from afar, one could sense its desolate and dilapidated aura.
A quick sweep with Observation Haki revealed no notable presences.
The Sunset slowly docked at the edge of this eerie island.
Surrounded by mist, they hadn't walked far ashore when suddenly, a Gothic-style ancient castle wrapped in haze came into view.
"Not a single person in sight the whole way… What a strange place…" Nami rubbed her arms and muttered under her breath. "That castle looks like it hasn't been lived in for ages—feels like a haunted house."
Whoosh!
A sharp slash suddenly flew from the side, instantly splitting the ground before them into a deep crevice!
Who was it?
Startled, everyone instinctively drew their weapons.
To their surprise, what appeared before them weren't humans but several large sword-wielding baboons, snarling and screeching, clearly harboring deep hostility toward outsiders.
Huh?
Staring at these oddly familiar baboons, Xiano froze for a moment before realizing something.
No way… Could it really be this much of a coincidence?
Had he stumbled into Hawkeye's lair?!