After Fang Yi spent 3,000 points to grant Intermediate Music to the Soul Power that was being molded, the system immediately notified him:
"Shaping complete. Summoning available in 12 hours."
Watching his points drop from over 68,000 to just 65,000, Fang Yi suddenly felt like he wanted to do nothing else but hurry back to the Blue Sea and start hunting bounty targets again.
At this rate, he suspected he was going to turn from a pirate into a full-time bounty hunter.
Fortunately, Tiffani on his ship didn't yet have a bounty. With her around, they could still claim rewards from the Navy. But once all of them were wanted, they'd have no choice but to go through the black market and deal with shady middlemen.
After organizing the gains he had made, Fang Yi resisted the temptation to use up the rest of his lottery tickets, lay down on his bed, and rested.
The next morning, Fang Yi and his group headed to the Divine Palace to bid farewell to Hafid, god of Birka.
"Oh? You're leaving so soon? That man you mentioned, Enel—did you find him?" Hafid asked with a smile.
Fang Yi shook his head with a look of disappointment. "No, we didn't. But our time here is limited. We can't keep searching forever. We'll come back if we get the chance in the future."
"Is that so? What a pity. I don't know why you're searching for this 'Enel,' but I'll keep an eye out for him. If I do hear word of him, shall I pass along a message for you?" Hafid asked lightly, probing for information.
Fang Yi, of course, recognized the test, but he didn't care.
The most important thing in Birka—the Rumble-Rumble Fruit—was already in his hands. Whether Enel lived or died, and what future Birka had, meant nothing to him.
"If you do find him, please tell him to go to Shakky's Bar in Sabaody Archipelago, Blue Sea. I'll be waiting there." Fang Yi smiled faintly.
Of course, he had no intention of actually waiting at Shakky's. But if Enel, stripped of the Rumble-Rumble Fruit, really did go there… Fang Yi wanted to see what kind of man he would become.
"Blue Sea, is it? Very well, I'll pass the message." Hafid narrowed his eyes slightly, displeased at being stonewalled. He had hoped to pry more information from Fang Yi, but clearly, the man wasn't talking.
Not wanting to waste time, Fang Yi bid Hafid farewell and returned to the Dragon Wolf. The ship sailed east along the White Sea toward the end of the clouds, the only way down from Skypiea.
At the cloud's edge, enormous balloon octopuses could be used to float ships safely back down to the Blue Sea.
Half a day later, the system prompt appeared:
"Soul Power shaping complete. Summon available at any time."
But with his crewmates all around, Fang Yi didn't want to suddenly summon something strange and cause suspicion. He held back the urge, deciding to wait until they reached the ocean below.
Before long, the Dragon Wolf reached the eastern cloud's end.
"This… this is happening?" Tiffani clutched her chest as the ship was grabbed by a massive balloon octopus and began floating down.
Dropping from ten thousand meters above the sea wasn't something many could stay calm about.
"Hahaha, we were just like you the first time, too. You'll get used to it." Shanks laughed, remembering when he first descended with Roger's crew—body dropping, soul still stuck above the clouds.
When the Dragon Wolf landed safely on the sea below, Tiffani eyed the shrinking balloon octopus curiously.
"This octopus is unique to Skypiea, right? What should we do with it?"
"What, you want to cook it? That'd be—"
"Idiot! I mean, if we release it into the sea, will it be alright? How could you even think of eating our savior?"
Before Shanks could finish, Tiffani cut him off fiercely.
"No problem. Once released, it'll return by itself." Fang Yi replied while checking their position on the map.
"Any luck finding where we are?" Barrett asked from the helm.
With the gold they had taken from Skypiea, they needed a big enough city to exchange it for beli. Knowing their position was crucial.
"No, can't pinpoint it. The log pose does point the way, though. If nothing else, we can just follow it." Fang Yi shook his head.
The Log Pose was indispensable on the Grand Line, ensuring navigators never lost their way.
When Fang Yi had the Dragon Wolf built, he had left extra slots around the helm to embed all the permanent poses they had collected, making things easier for the helmsman and navigator.
"Why don't we head straight for Water 7?" Barrett suggested after some hesitation.
Around the helm now were five permanent poses—pointing to Alabasta, Water 7, Sabaody, Wano Country in the New World, and one unmarked needle.
Only Fang Yi knew the destination of that last one. Even Barrett and Shanks were unaware of where it led.
Since they had a permanent pose in Water 7, Barrett naturally suggested it.
"No, that's risky. We don't know our exact location. If we head straight to Water 7, we might not have enough provisions to last. Better to stop at the nearest island first, resupply, and get our bearings." Tiffani objected immediately.
She didn't know that Fang Yi carried a dimensional backpack with enough food and water to last from Reverse Mountain to Sabaody.
But Barrett and Shanks, as former Roger Pirates and now familiar with Fang Yi, were well aware of his secret.
"Hehe, if it's food and water you're worried about, don't be. I have enough for months. But they're mostly bread—no fruits. Without fruits, we'll get deficiencies. So, yes, let's head to the nearest island first." Fang Yi grinned.
"Bread? Bread lasts a long time, sure, but why'd you stockpile bread?" Tiffani asked, puzzled. She thought he had filled the cargo hold with loaves.
Fang Yi only chuckled and tossed her a piece of bread and a bottle of rum—straight from his inventory.
"Eh?" Tiffani stared, stunned. Just seconds ago, his hands had been empty.
"Now you see why they don't worry about provisions. I've got enough food and water stored for a month or two. Just no fruits or vegetables, so it's only for emergencies." Fang Yi explained with a smile.
"Where… where did you pull that from?" Tiffani circled him, searching for hidden compartments.
"Haha, don't bother. When you need it, I'll bring it out." Fang Yi waved her off.
"Haven't you noticed? Sometimes the captain has no bow, then suddenly it's in his hands. Ever wonder where it comes from?" Shanks added, half amused, half exasperated.
"Eh? That's true!" Tiffani froze, recalling the moments, then turned back to Fang Yi in shock. "Where do you get it from?"
"I can't explain. Just know that it works. That's enough, isn't it?" Fang Yi shrugged helplessly.
Explaining the system was impossible, so he didn't even try.
With their course decided, Barrett steered the Dragon Wolf toward the nearest island. By nightfall, they spotted land.
"Captain, island ahead!" Shanks shouted from the mast.
"Finally! I wonder where exactly we are." Tiffani ran out of the cabin, thrilled.
"Good work, everyone. Tonight we'll drink our fill at the island tavern!" Fang Yi announced.
It was their first time truly flush with cash. Treating themselves was only natural.
When they docked, Fang Yi sent Shanks, Barrett, and Tiffani to the largest tavern in town while he slipped away to a quiet, empty spot.
"Summon Soul Power!"
After checking carefully that no one was around, Fang Yi gave the command.
A white light flashed.
A slender woman with long golden hair appeared before him.
"This… this… is this a person?" Fang Yi's mouth dropped open in disbelief.
"Please assign a name…"
The system's voice snapped him out of his shock.
"Uh… since your specialty is music, and you've got golden hair… should I call you Golden Voice? No, that's too much…" he muttered.
"Confirm name: Golden Voice?"
The system took him seriously, and Fang Yi hurriedly canceled before it locked in. He chose to let the system assign a random name.
"Jessica, at your service, Master!"
The moment she was named, light filled her eyes. She stepped forward stiffly, bowed, and greeted Fang Yi.
"This… this so-called summon… is it a real human being?" Fang Yi frowned, muttering to himself.
Above her head, he noticed a visible health bar—clear proof she was a summon.
But she didn't seem very bright. Her movements and expressions were stiff, mechanical. Fang Yi wondered if it was because this was his first summon, or if the soul used to shape her had been too weak.
"Jessica, huh? From now on, you'll be my companion. As a musician, you'll travel with me on this journey."
Whatever the case, since she had been summoned into existence, Fang Yi wasn't about to abandon her.