"Don't joke around."
Genzo looked around, sweating profusely, and forced a bitter smile. "These are all Fish-men. What can I do? Any one of them could slap me flying with a single hand."
Speaking of which.
When he was riding his bicycle along the ridge earlier, he saw from a distance that the ones who had come ashore were Fish-men. His heart immediately sank.
He had read about these guys in the newspapers.
They were once part of the Sun Pirates, having come from the Grand Line to the East Blue. Their strength was far beyond anything any East Blue pirate crew could match.
But who could have guessed?
Less than twenty minutes after these Fish-men landed, they had all turned into corpses.
Although he had witnessed how exaggerated Xiano's physical training could be, it still couldn't compare to the shock of seeing these pirates from the Grand Line completely wiped out.
"Xiano," Genzo sighed, "you're truly a monster through and through. It seems our Cocoyasi Village is finally going to produce someone extraordinary in the future."
"Is that so?"
Xiano laughed heartily, stretched, and stood up.
"But right now, I just want to go home and sleep in. I'll leave the cleanup of the battlefield to you, old man."
Genzo nodded, but before he could say anything, his eyes widened as he looked behind Xiano.
What was this?
Xiano followed his gaze and saw the sea surface not far away churning violently.
A large sea beast covered in green spots, resembling a cow, emerged and stared blankly at the corpses scattered on the ground.
"Moo-Moo?"
He suddenly remembered—wasn't this the sea beast raised by the Arlong Pirates?
Had it come out now to avenge Arlong?
Xiano grinned and jumped to the front of the deck. He wasn't the same kid who had to compromise when facing the King of the Near Sea.
Moo-Moo was several times larger than the King of the Near Sea, but with his current physical strength, it probably wouldn't survive a single punch.
Moo—!
But the next moment, Moo-Moo let out a cheerful cry, spat a large mouthful of saliva at the Fish-men corpses, and then bowed its front limbs toward Xiano...
"Am I seeing this right, Xiano?" Genzo on the shore exclaimed in surprise. "Is this thing actually thanking you with a bow?"
It seemed so.
Xiano was also stunned, his clenched fist unsure whether to strike or not.
But Moo-Moo didn't give him much time to think. It turned around, leaped into the sea with a joyful flick of its tail, and disappeared in no time.
"This scene feels familiar."
Xiano pinched his chin, deep in thought.
Was it possible that Shirahoshi was an imposter, and he was actually the true Sea King Poseidon of this generation?
...
Half an hour later.
Villagers began to arrive one after another to help clean up the battlefield at the dock.
When the children brought news of the pirate crew's landing earlier, the village had been in a panic. It wasn't until they heard that Xiano had gone to deal with it that they calmed down.
And Xiano lived up to their expectations, single-handedly annihilating the entire pirate crew.
As for the excessively bloody scene near the dock...
No one would think this was too cruel. Everyone would agree that these pirates got what they deserved. If it weren't for Xiano, it might have been them lying in a pool of blood today!
Especially when Genzo called the surrounding villages on the island to inquire about their situation.
He was shocked to learn that the neighboring Kesha Town had been completely destroyed by the Arlong Pirates, with more than half of the town's population dead or injured. While everyone was filled with righteous indignation, they also couldn't help but feel a lingering fear and a sense of relief.
Thankfully, their Cocoyasi Village had produced an extraordinary powerhouse!
This is what prevented a tragic ending.
...
On the ridge of the field, shaded by coconut trees.
Xiano walked leisurely towards his home with his arms folded behind his head. He wasn't running, nor was he using "Shave" to speed up his journey. His pace was even slower than an old man's morning stroll.
It had been four years since he regained his memories, and it had been a long time since he had been so completely relaxed.
Arlong was dead.
The Arlong Pirates were annihilated.
This meant that the dark cloud hanging over Cocoyasi Village had finally dissipated, and the heavy stone that had been pressing on his heart for so long had completely shattered.
"What a beautiful day," Xiano murmured as he looked up at the blue sky and white clouds, feeling content and at ease.
Bringing his thoughts back, he casually opened the system panel.
The cleanup of the battlefield had been left to the village elders, but he naturally hadn't forgotten to collect the spoils of war.
Before Genzo arrived, he had already tried to offer almost everything that could be sacrificed.
There were plenty of named Fish-man corpses, providing ample opportunities for trial and error, and giving him a new understanding of the system's rules.
Apart from sacrificing personal items he favored.
Limbs like arms and legs seemed to be the limit of what the system could accept. It was impossible to sacrifice an entire corpse directly, and even a severed head couldn't be offered.
Smaller parts were even less acceptable.
It was as if the system was also restricted by some higher power, as overly dark, bloody, or cult-like items were not included in the list of offerings.
Xiano could understand this.
In the end, based on the information flow from the system panel, he compiled and organized the data.
Cadres like Salt Grilled, Xiao Wu, and Pisharo, who were quite weak and had little role in the story, provided pitifully few Points, averaging only around twenty to thirty.
Cadres like Kuroobi and Hachi, who had some strength, provided Points ranging from several dozen to two hundred.
All of these combined were far less than what Arlong offered.
He had severed Arlong's arm with the red tattoo, and after sacrificing it, he received a whopping eight hundred Points, enough to purchase a decent cultivation manual from the store.
Good things shouldn't be wasted.
Xiano felt his pockets, which still contained Arlong's nose and a few fangs. These were reserves, and he planned to find a hidden place to freeze them, sacrificing them each time the cooldown ended.
This behavior might seem a bit unethical, but Arlong probably wouldn't mind.
"Brother!"
A familiar voice suddenly rang out. Xiano looked up to see Nojiko and Nami running towards him excitedly.
"You really defeated the invading pirates, didn't you!"
"Yeah," he said, picking them up one by one and smiling. "But you're both late. The battle ended a while ago."
"Hmph, I knew it! Piece of cake. Some kids in the village were worried you might not be able to handle it alone. What a bunch of clueless fools. Don't they know what the title of the Greatest Master Swordsman of the East Blue means?"
Nami, why are you still spreading rumors!
Xiano couldn't help but ruffle her hair in annoyance. This little brat, the clueless one is clearly you! How many times have you secretly watched me train, and you still can't tell I'm completely clueless about swordsmanship?
"Are you taking us home?" Nojiko asked.
"No way!"
Nami pouted, shaking her head like a rattle drum. "We just snuck out! We still want to see what those Pirates look like."
"Too bloody, not suitable for kids. You're not allowed to go."
Xiano grabbed Nami, who was trying to slip away from under his arm, ignoring the way her lips were pouting like a little teapot. His gaze fell on her arm.
Then he glanced at Nojiko's.
Both little arms were clean and fair, without any trace of tattoos, and certainly no need for knives to stab, pierce, or cry in pain…
"Hey, big bro, what are you staring at?"
Nami glared at Xiano, clearly dissatisfied. "You're thinking of sneaking off to tattle to Bellemere again, aren't you? I took a bath and washed my hair last night, you know!"
"Well, aren't you the responsible one."
Xiano burst into laughter, lifting both sisters high above his head and then placing them on his broad shoulders. With the warm afternoon sun shining down, he strode confidently toward home.
(End of Chapter)