"A ruin!?"
Zhao Xuan's brows immediately knitted together as he pressed on,
"You're saying all of your resources are stored inside a ruin?"
"Y-Yes!"
The Black Shark Pirate squad leader nodded frantically, his body trembling.
"Where is the ruin entrance?" Zhao Xuan asked coldly.
"I-It's… it's r-right here… right on this plaza!"
His face was deathly pale as he stammered,
"U-Usually, the first leader keeps the ruin entrance open so we can enter and extract resources. But because of the White Emperor Pirates, nearly all of us were mobilized, so the first leader closed the entrance as a precaution. A-After all… all the resources we've accumulated over the years are stored inside…"
"All of them?"
Zhao Xuan narrowed his eyes.
"Roughly how much is inside?"
"B-Because we also consume a lot of resources for cultivation… t-the total amount inside isn't that much anymore… maybe around two billion in total?"
"Two billion, huh…"
Zhao Xuan's eyes lit up instantly.
Those two billion worth of resources are mine now.
Consider it compensation for the two hundred million you ate.
Murmuring to himself, Zhao Xuan regained focus and asked again, meeting the pirate's hopeful gaze:
"That guy earlier said he already contacted your first leader and that he's on his way back. Is that true? You really have a communication device that works in the Endless Sea?"
"Y-Yes!"
The man nodded repeatedly.
"B-But they probably won't return immediately. The newly discovered ruin produces a special spirit medicine. It's only sixth-tier, but it can enhance Armament Haki growth and even trigger awakening. It's extremely valuable…"
"A sixth-tier spirit medicine that strengthens Armament Haki?"
Zhao Xuan's eyes shone even brighter.
Then he asked,
"What kind of communication device do you use?"
"It's… it's actually only a one-way device…"
The pirate shakily pulled out a palm-sized object. A red button sat on its surface.
Zhao Xuan took it and examined it briefly.
"This is your communicator? How does it work?"
"J-Just press the red button. Once pressed, the device on the first leader's side reacts, notifying him that something happened at home…"
"No voice or text transmission?" Zhao Xuan asked.
"N-No."
"I see."
Zhao Xuan shook his head slightly, slipped the device into his pocket, and looked back at the pirate.
Hope flickered in the man's eyes.
Zhao Xuan's gaze, however, was ice-cold.
"As you wish."
Boom!
A single punch.
One strike ended his life.
From a certain perspective, Zhao Xuan was a man of his word.
If he promised a quick death, he delivered one.
After killing the pirate, Zhao Xuan fell silent.
"Looks like I won't be able to take those two billion just yet.
The ruin core is bound to the Black Shark leader.
Only by killing him can the binding be removed…"
"I wonder how long it'll take for those pirates to return…"
"No. No. No. No. No!"
Zhao Xuan shook his head sharply.
"I can't just sit here waiting. What if they don't return for days? Or ten days? Am I supposed to wait that long?"
His eyes suddenly flashed.
"Since I don't know when they'll return, I might as well go find them myself. Besides… fifth-tier cactus flowers don't benefit my Armament Haki much anymore—and they've found a better use."
The image of the golden rat surfaced in his mind.
Then—
He recalled how, on the deserted island, the rat had reopened a ruin entrance hidden inside folded space.
A bold, exhilarating idea exploded in his mind.
Immediately, Zhao Xuan opened the Desert Ruins and stepped inside.
The moment he entered, he saw the golden rat sprawled on the ground, hugging several cactus flowers, twisting blissfully.
It looked exactly like a cat high on catnip.
Zhao Xuan couldn't help but feel tempted.
"Look at that golden fur… must feel amazing to touch."
The thought grew irresistible.
He crept closer.
Step by step.
Quietly.
Soon, he reached the rat's back.
The golden rat was completely immersed, utterly unguarded.
Zhao Xuan gently reached out—
And stroked it.
Instantly, two words appeared in his mind:
Silky smooth.
The fur was unbelievably soft.
"Chirp!"
The rat reacted at once.
In the blink of an eye—it vanished.
Less than 0.1 seconds later, it was already fifty or sixty meters away, clutching its cactus flowers.
Facing its wary gaze, Zhao Xuan forced a friendly smile.
"Uh… sorry. I couldn't help it. You actually feel really nice."
"Chirp chirp chirp chirp chirp! (Who allowed you to touch me?!)"
It squeaked furiously.
"My fault, my fault!" Zhao Xuan apologized immediately.
He had no choice.
He still needed its help—not just now, but likely many times in the future.
"Chirp chirp chirp!"
The rat was still angry.
"Alright—how about this?"
Zhao Xuan plucked off a cactus petal and tossed it onto the ground.
"One petal as compensation."
"Chirp chirp chirp chirp! (You said it!)"
The anger vanished instantly.
"Yes. I said it."
"Chirp! (You should've said so earlier!)"
Golden light flashed.
In an instant, the rat crossed the distance, picked up the petal, and inhaled it deeply.
Then it looked at Zhao Xuan's remaining cactus flower and chirped smugly:
"Chirp chirp chirp! (Next time you want to touch me, you pay first!)"
Zhao Xuan: "..."
After a long pause, he finally remembered why he came.
"I've got a simple task. Interested? The reward is this cactus flower."
"Chirp! (Of course!)"
"Same as before. Help me open a hidden ruin entrance."
"Chirp chirp! (No problem!)"
They exited the Desert Ruins together.
"It's right here," Zhao Xuan said, pointing at the plaza.
Before he could finish, the golden rat shot forward.
It sniffed the air, raised a paw—
And tore open a spatial rift in midair.
"HOLY SH—!!!"
Zhao Xuan exploded with excitement.
He never truly expected this to work.
But it did.
The entrance opened.
Ecstasy flooded his body.
"Hahahahahaha!"
This ability meant—
He could steal anyone's home.
Silently.
Effortlessly.
After calming down, Zhao Xuan tossed the cactus flower.
"Chirp! (Pleasure doing business!)"
The rat inhaled happily and vanished back into the Desert Ruins.
Zhao Xuan closed the entrance immediately.
Once bitten, twice cautious.
Then he turned to the ruin entrance.
Eyes blazing.
"Heh."
He stepped inside.
Inside stood a massive storage hall, packed with spirit herbs, medicines, and spirit crystals.
Zhao Xuan's smile widened.
Trip after trip.
He completely emptied the place.
From seventh-tier herbs to third-tier ones—
Nothing remained.
"Only fifteen or sixteen billion? Pathetic. A bunch of poor pirates."
But despite his complaints, he was thrilled.
After assessing the ruin, he abandoned extracting spirit crystals—it wasn't worth the effort.
Instead, a new thought took root.
Why not loot the White Emperor Pirates next?
Not just them.
All of them.
Robbing pirates was fast.
Too fast.
Ten billion per haul.
Faster than any bank robbery.
Elsewhere.
On an island.
A pirate rushed to a dark, burly man.
"First Leader! Something happened at home! Emergency signal!"
The leader frowned.
"Ignore it," he said calmly.
"This ruin matters more. Contact the third leader."
Elsewhere.
Another pirate group.
"Our spy says the Black Shark base was attacked. They're not retreating."
The White Emperor leader sneered.
"So Zhu Ba plans to fight us to the end, huh?"
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