Thwack!
Lawrence's sword pierced the ground, but struck nothing.
"What?!"
Lawrence stared in astonishment as his opponent resurfaced from the ground on the other side.
"What kind of ability is that?"
An ordinary person might have refused to answer, but Mr. Pink was a man of honor. He openly revealed the secret of his ability:
"I'm a Swimming Free Man who ate the Swim-Swim Fruit. I can freely move through the ground or walls."
The sheer arrogance radiating from Mr. Pink—the kind that screamed, "Even if I told you, you still couldn't beat me"—was almost palpable.
At this point, Lawrence was already starting to regret his alliance with Black Bear Miles.
The Donquixote Family was practically poisonous. How could every random Executive possess such overwhelming strength, and on top of that, be a Devil Fruit user?!
Was this just their bad luck, or were all the Donquixote Family Executives truly this powerful, giving them the strength to dominate the North Blue?
Lawrence refused to believe such nonsense. He was determined to take down his opponent today, no matter what.
As for the consequences, he was mentally prepared for them.
On the vast open sea, he simply couldn't believe the Donquixote Family could truly do anything to him.
Meanwhile, Black Bear Miles had caught his breath and immediately rejoined the fray, his eyes burning with renewed fury.
The crew members on both sides clashed once more in a brutal melee.
But with Mr. Pink's entry into the battle, the scales of victory had already begun to tip decisively in favor of the Donquixote Family...
A tavern was struck by a cannonball and instantly burst into flames.
Hiding nearby, Abel muttered a curse of regret before immediately searching for his next target.
He soon found another tavern, completely deserted but still structurally intact.
Without hesitation, he charged inside and began scanning and teleporting the neatly arranged bottles of fine wine on the counter, as well as the barrels of liquor stored within.
In no time, he had emptied the place of all its alcohol.
[Submit Order Now?]
Abel immediately selected "No"!
If he were only aiming for the basic reward, the wine he had collected might have been sufficient.
But to earn a four- or five-star rating, the quantity and quality of his current haul were far from adequate.
"There's still time. If I don't seize this opportunity to push my luck, who knows when the next chance will come?"
Having failed to find an underground wine cellar, Abel immediately moved on to the next tavern.
This time, Abel's luck was clearly on his side. The tavern was significantly larger than the previous one, and its wine reserves far surpassed anything the first establishment could offer.
Most importantly, he discovered an underground wine cellar!
The cellar was practically overflowing with various types of alcohol. A quick glance revealed at least a hundred barrels.
Abel's face lit up with joy, and he immediately set to work.
He truly had to thank the Giant Bear Pirates and the Hundred Swords Pirates for this stroke of luck. If those groups hadn't deliberately targeted the Donquixote Family's smuggling ships, causing such a massive disturbance, he would never have stumbled upon this rare opportunity for a zero-yuan purchase.
After raiding two taverns in quick succession, Abel still seemed unsatisfied and continued searching for his next target.
But perhaps he had exhausted his luck earlier. Several more locations turned out to be either occupied or had their alcohol smashed to pieces, abruptly halting his progress.
However, the real reason he had to stop was the arrival of the country's military.
A massive force of soldiers, armed to the teeth, had completely surrounded the port. Those who tried to take advantage of the chaos for looting or other crimes were either arrested or executed on the spot.
Many shops and residences were thus protected.
Under these circumstances, Abel dared not take any further risks.
If he were caught red-handed, he'd have no way to explain himself.
So he simply submitted the order. With such a wide variety of wines and over a hundred barrels in total, he was confident this order would earn far more than the measly two-star rating he'd received before.
[Beginner's Prayer Order completed. Customer rating: four stars (unexpected delight)!]
[Comment: "A great variety of wines, some of which I particularly love! Looks like I'll be drinking to my heart's content tonight!"]
[Four-star rating grants a 50% bonus to base Trade Points. Remaining rewards have been automatically distributed. Please check your account.]
[Due to the customer's exceptional satisfaction, you have received an additional reward: Skill: Magic Card Modification.]
'Success!'
'Not only did I get a four-star rating, but I also got a skill book!'
If the occasion weren't so inappropriate, Abel would have burst into triumphant laughter.
[Fake Golden Finger: Completing orders dutifully and methodically, earning a string of one- and two-star reviews, and barely qualifying for the basic rewards.]
[The true Golden Finger: Steal, rob, and deceive! Complete orders by any means necessary, then rake in three-star, four-star, and five-star reviews, earning bonus rewards until you're stuffed!]
This time, Abel finally grasped the System's true potential.
He eagerly checked the rewards he'd earned from his latest order.
First were the Trade Points: a base reward of 150 points, plus a 50% bonus for the four-star review, totaling 225 points.
He'd nearly recouped all the points he'd spent earlier in a single transaction!
His current balance stood at 1,040 Trade Points, once again surpassing the thousand-point mark!
After a moment's thought, he decided to buy out the remaining seven Banana Grenades in the System Shop, spending another 35 Trade Points.
For his current needs, the Banana Grenades remained highly practical. Not only did they pack a decent punch, but their deceptive nature made them invaluable for ambushes.
Stored in his System Inventory, they were readily available for self-defense.
After all, he couldn't be sure if the next Shop refresh would offer anything better than the Banana Grenades. Since he still had plenty of Trade Points, he might as well stock up.
Next was the Magic Card: The Fool's Temperance.
[Magic Card: The Fool's Temperance]
[Single-use consumable]
[Effect: When thrown, releases a massive cloud of smoke. Enemies who inhale the smoke will fall into a deep sleep.]
[PS: Wear a mask before use!~]
It was clear that this Magic Card's attack didn't distinguish between friend and foe, potentially even harming the user.
Still, Abel was quite satisfied. Used unexpectedly, this Magic Card could definitely prove useful.
What puzzled him more was the skill description for Magic Card Modification.
[Skill: Magic Card Modification (Special)]
[Level: LV1]
[Cost: Mental Power, appropriately sized blank card]
[Effect: Creates a blank Magic Card.]
And then...
It was over!
Abel stared blankly, utterly bewildered.
Could the first skill he'd finally obtained be a mundane, life-skill type?
Like those secondary professions in games—making potions, forging weapons, and selling them to others...
What would that make him?
A card crafter in the pirate world?