Early morning, a frantic knock jolted Shao Feng awake. "Who's there?" he called, rubbing sleepy eyes.
"Sorry, I'm the bartender from downstairs. Marine Colonel Gino wants to see you," a trembling voice replied.
"Got it," Shao Feng sighed helplessly. "Marine Colonel? What's he want? Not here to cause trouble, I hope," he muttered, getting up slowly.
"Shao… Feng…" Shao Xue, nestled in his arms, stirred, groping blindly as he moved away.
"It's okay, stay here. I'll be right back," he said, patting her head gently.
Shao Xue nodded, closed her eyes, and drifted back to sleep…
Smiling at her, Shao Feng glanced at An on her bed. Her fluttering eyelashes betrayed her fake sleep.
He leaned down, planting a soft kiss on her lips.
An's face flushed, her breathing quickened, but she kept pretending to sleep…
Amused but not teasing further, Shao Feng headed for the door. Why were the Marines here?
Compared to the usual rowdy bar, the hall was eerily quiet.
The noisy drunks sat silently. A Marine officer in a justice cloak sat at the center table, flanked by a dozen armed soldiers.
"You wanted me?" Shao Feng strode to the colonel's table, sat across from him, and grabbed some food, stuffing it in his mouth.
"Yes, I heard…"
"Wow, this is good! What is it? Hey, bartender, make another plate to take upstairs later!" Shao Feng interrupted, ignoring the colonel.
"Hey, kid, the colonel's talking to you. Listen up!" a soldier behind the colonel snapped.
"Oh, sorry. Go ahead," Shao Feng said, sitting up dramatically, feigning seriousness.
"No need to be so tense, relax," Colonel Gino smiled. "I heard you wiped out the Money Pirates yesterday. Did you really do it?"
"You're not here to arrest me, are you?" Shao Feng asked, pretending to be scared.
"Of course not. They were wanted pirates. Killing them was a public service. Why would we arrest you?" Gino waved dismissively.
"You said they had bounties? How much?" Shao Feng tossed a piece of meat into his mouth.
"We found Jinbao and Yuanbao's bodies on the ship. Their bounties were 800,000 and 500,000 Belly, respectively," Gino said excitedly.
"That low?" Shao Feng blinked. "Aren't bounties usually millions, tens of millions, or even billions?"
"Haha," Gino chuckled. "Those are for famous pirates. This island's remote and poor. Bounties over a million are rare here."
"Oh, I see. So, you're here to give me the bounty?" Shao Feng asked casually.
"Bounty?" Gino paused.
"You said they were wanted. Since I killed them, I should get the reward, right?" Shao Feng said seriously.
"Uh, well…" Gino hesitated. "Yes, you're right." He turned to a soldier. "Get 1.3 million Belly."
A soldier promptly placed the cash in front of Shao Feng.
Looking at the 1.3 million, it sounded like a lot, but it was just a small stack of notes.
Belly came in paper notes (10,000, 5,000, 1,000) and coins (500, 200, 100, 50, 10, 1).
Toying with the notes, Shao Feng asked, "So, what's your real reason? I'm in a good mood, so spill it."
Gino's face turned serious. "After seeing the scene yesterday, I think you're talented. Join the Marines. With proper training, you could become an excellent officer, maybe even a commander one day."
"Marines? Commander? What a joke…" The bar door slammed open, and a massively obese man stormed in, cursing.
"Who's that? So arrogant," Shao Feng muttered.
The man waddled to Shao Feng's table. Someone brought an iron chair, which creaked under his weight.
Gino's face paled, and his soldiers raised their guns at the newcomer…
"Relax, I'm not here for you, cowardly Marines," the fat man said, squinting at Shao Feng.
The soldiers sighed in relief, and Gino looked embarrassed, unsure how to respond.
"Kid, you the one who took out the Money Pirates?" the fat man asked.
"Shao Feng. My name," Shao Feng replied, meeting his gaze. He couldn't show fear—weakness would make him nothing in this man's eyes.
"Haha…" The fat man laughed. "Interesting kid. Shao Feng, huh?" His tone shifted. "But you know, those guys you killed were my men."
"I didn't know who they were or who they worked for. They hurt my friend, so I killed them. Simple as that," Shao Feng said, smiling faintly, unflinching.
"Kid, you looking to die? Do you know who you're talking to?" a pirate behind the fat man growled.
"Haha… Bold and gutsy. You're the first to speak to me like that," the fat man laughed. "Ignorant or reckless? I don't hate bold guys. Join my crew, kid. I like you."
Shao Feng shook his head. "But I don't like you." The bar's patrons gasped in fear.
Ignoring them, he continued, "I'm not interested in being a pirate or a Marine. I just want a peaceful life. I killed those pirates because they hurt my friend. That's it. I don't want enemies, but I'm not afraid of them either."
"Haha, well done. Plenty hate me, but you're the first to say it to my face. For that guts, I'll let this slide. Watch yourself, kid." The fat man turned and left…
"Phew…" Gino exhaled as the man exited.
"You okay letting a pirate act so cocky?" Shao Feng asked Gino.
"Sigh," Gino muttered. "Do you know who that was? Sofia Coppola, the Pirate Godfather of the South Blue. He commands the strongest pirate fleet—thousands of ships. Even the Navy can't touch him."
"Just a South Blue big shot with no guts to challenge the Grand Line," Shao Feng scoffed.
"Shh! Keep it down, you want to die?" Gino hissed nervously. "Let me explain the South Blue's situation."
"Oh, I'm interested in that," Shao Feng said eagerly.
"The South Blue's pirates are split into two types: wolves and dogs. Wolves are nomadic, plundering bands with individual captains, forming loose alliances with significant strength. Dogs hold territory, living off tributes from towns, making them rich with massive fleets. Sofia Coppola's been the top dog for a decade. Now you know who you crossed."
"So, just a local lord too scared for the Grand Line. Not interested," Shao Feng shrugged.
"What's up, Shao Feng?" An appeared on the stairs, holding Shao Xue's hand, as Gino stood to leave.
"Nothing," Shao Feng waved dismissively, seating An and Shao Xue beside him. He ordered breakfast. "Any plans today, Shao Feng?" An asked, eating.
"Plans?" He thought. "Buy a house, I guess. Oh, the Marines gave me the bounty—1.3 million Belly."
"That much?" An gasped.
"Yup," he nodded.
"Let's buy a hotel!" An said excitedly.
"A hotel? Why? You'd need chefs, staff. Plus, this place is crawling with pirates. Where'd we get customers?" Shao Feng asked, puzzled.
"You don't get it. Pirates are the customers—they've got tons of money. I can cook, and you and Shao Xue can be waiters," An said, biting her chopsticks.
"Fine, do what you want," Shao Feng said nonchalantly. "But I'm not waiting tables. You two have fun." He grinned, thinking bounty hunting sounded better.
"Deal! Hmm… what to name it?" An mused excitedly.
Looking at Shao Xue, Shao Feng said, "How about 'Meow! Maid Café'? Perfect name, haha."
"Eww!" An exclaimed…
The café had been open for over ten days.
Thanks to wiping out the Money Pirates and Sofia Coppola's approval, no one dared cause trouble.
But Shao Feng couldn't stand the rowdy drunks and pirates, so he slipped out for "side jobs."
His side job? Robbing bounty hunters on the secluded road to the Marine base.
Money from killing didn't weigh on his conscience when stolen.
Using ninja knockout drugs from the shop, he'd knock out passersby and loot them, enjoying it immensely…
Lazing in the roadside woods, chewing a grass stalk, Shao Feng browsed the exchange system…
Clip-clop… clip-clop…
Hoofbeats approached. His heart leaped.
He flipped up, used Transformation Jutsu to become a middle-aged man, doused himself in animal blood, and pulled out bait—a golden armband.
Found in the skeleton basin, it belonged to a famous South Blue pirate from a century ago, supposedly hiding the secret to his fortune. Despite much effort, Shao Feng found nothing and gave up.
He lay in the roadside grass, holding the armband to catch sunlight, hoping its glint would draw attention.
Most ignored injured strangers, but bounty hunters would notice treasure.
As the hoofbeats neared, he slipped the knockout drug tube into his mouth and feigned unconsciousness…
Whoosh! The rider sped past, seemingly missing the armband's glint.
"Damn, in a hurry?" Shao Feng cursed inwardly, about to rise, when the horse turned back…
His heart raced. He shut his eyes…
The rider stopped, dismounted, and rushed to him, lifting his bloodied body. "Hey! You okay? Wake up!"
A faint perfume hit his nose.
"A woman?" Shao Feng opened his eyes, blowing the knockout drug at the figure.
Sensing danger, they shoved him away but caught a full dose of the drug.
Sneezing softly, their vision blurred, and they collapsed in the grass…
Plan successful, Shao Feng dropped the transformation and approached his prey.
It was a strikingly handsome teenage boy, not fully unconscious. "Don't worry, I won't kill you. Just after your money. It's blood money anyway, haha…" As he laughed, the boy's eyes closed.
Shao Feng dragged him into the woods and looted him.
"Whoa, jackpot!" The boy carried heaps of gold—jewelry and dozens of gold bars.
Satisfied, Shao Feng noticed thick bandages around the boy's chest.
"Injured? Bounty hunting's rough," he sighed.
As thanks for the haul, he'd heal him.
Smiling, he unwrapped the bandages. "What? No injuries?" He frowned. The chest was unmarked.
"Wasted my kindness," he muttered, spotting a gold necklace with a locket. Opening it, he saw a girl resembling the boy. "Must be precious," he sighed, placing it back in the boy's hand. He sprinkled beast-repellent powder on him.
"That's all I can do. Good luck. The drug wears off in ten minutes, don't worry." Shao Feng vanished into the woods…
Lucky day. Converting the gold yielded only a few hundred experience points.
He examined the remaining jewelry, spotting a sapphire ring.
"Looks valuable. Wonder how much it's worth," he mused.
Instead of returning to the café, he headed to the town's gold shop to convert gold to Belly and appraise the ring.
A frequent customer due to his rare finds, he was greeted warmly.
"Hey, young master! Come in!" The owner beamed.
"Skip the flattery. Tell me what this is worth and its origin," Shao Feng said, curious about the boy's identity.
"Alright, alright." The owner studied the ring with a magnifying glass.
After a moment, he sighed. "The pattern and craftsmanship… no mistake. This is royal property. Where did you…" He stopped, face pale with fear. "Sorry, I know nothing."
"Royal? That guy's a prince?" Seeing the owner's fear, Shao Feng smiled. "What're you scared of? Think I'd kill royalty for their treasure?"
"S-sorry, my mistake," the owner stammered, bowing, but his expression screamed suspicion, frustrating Shao Feng.
"Forget it, I'm done talking." He left…
Back at the café, An, dressed in a maid outfit with cat ears, pounced on him. "Shao Feng, you're back! Come quick!" She pulled him upstairs urgently.
"What's wrong?" he asked, hesitating at her urgency.
"You'll see, hurry!" she said.
In a second-floor room, someone lay on a bed.
"Did they save that prince?" Shao Feng thought, sweat beading. That'd be trouble.
Approaching, he relaxed—it wasn't the boy. It was a woman, about 18 or 19. He sighed in relief.
"What's with her… huh?" Seeing her face, he yelped.
"What's wrong? You know her?" An asked, puzzled by his reaction.
"Uh, no, but she's a real beauty," Shao Feng said, calming himself and feigning a lecherous grin.
"Ugh, really?" An pouted, annoyed.
His shock came from recognizing her: Nico Robin. Why was she here?
"Why's she here?" he asked An.
Pouting less, she said, "She collapsed at the door this afternoon, covered in wounds. We brought her up. The doctor said she's got whip marks, burns, knife wounds, and two bullet wounds. She's in critical condition from blood loss. If she doesn't make it through tonight…" An trailed off, worried.
"She won't die," Shao Feng smiled, hugging her. "I'll heal her. She'll be fine."
"Heal?" An recalled his treatment, pouting. "You just want to take advantage of her."
"No way!" he protested.
"No? Then why're you blushing? That's what you're thinking!" She pinched his waist.
"Admit it!" she demanded.
"Fine, I admit it, let go!" he pleaded.
"That's more like it," An said, satisfied, releasing him but glaring. "Fine, take advantage this time—it's to save her."
"What's this woman thinking?" Shao Feng groaned inwardly.
An lifted Robin's blanket, revealing her bandaged, naked body.
"She's covered in whip marks and burns, likely from torture. She escaped somehow. The bullets were removed, but the rest is up to you," An said.
Shao Feng nodded, using Mystical Palm Jutsu to heal her wounds…
After nearly two hours and several soldier pills, Robin's wounds fully healed. Her face regained color, and An smiled.
"Why save her? What if she's a bad person? She's clearly being hunted. Aren't you worried about the danger?" Shao Feng asked.
"She's not bad," An said, stroking Robin's cheek. "I know."
"How do you know?" he asked, confused.
"Woman's intuition," An declared firmly.
"That's it?" Shao Feng was stunned.
An nodded resolutely…
Shao Feng was speechless…