With the increase in the number of crew members, the amount of supplies needed on the ship had grown significantly. Food alone made up a large portion of the purchases, thanks in part to Ron's huge appetite. On top of that, they needed to stock up on fresh water, vegetables, and new clothes for the girls, making the total even more substantial.
Fortunately, in this world, having money solves most problems!
Around two million berries were spent in total, and they managed to buy a wide variety of supplies, including hundreds of different types of food, top-quality ingredients, and a selection of drinks like juice and milk—especially important for the children on board and the girls who preferred something other than alcohol.
"Well, at least this time you didn't go overboard with the clothes shopping!" Ron remarked as he watched a dozen workers load carts full of food and supplies onto the ship. He felt that, for once, Nami had been somewhat merciful toward the men on board.
"That's because we stocked up on clothes before we went to Skypiea!" Kaya replied with a smile.
"Oh, right!" Ron patted his head, almost forgetting. He remembered fighting the Sea Ghost Pirates not long ago, and the golden pistol now hanging at his waist was a trophy from that battle.
"No big deal! It was only two million berries!" Ron waved his hand dismissively. Considering the massive golden pillar worth over two billion berries sitting on the ship, the cost of these supplies was trivial. The girls deserved to live comfortably; it was the least he could do for their loyalty.
"How much did you spend on clothes last time?" Ron asked, noticing that this time, most of the clothing purchases were for Conis, Raki, and Aisa, while the total cost was only a few hundred thousand berries.
"Last time... I can't really remember," Kaya said, thinking back.
"Doesn't matter," Ron said with a confident wave. "When we get to Water 7 and sell the gold, you can buy whatever you want!"
"Long live Brother Ron!" Apis shouted joyfully, grabbing Aisa's arm. "Aisa, you see how awesome Brother Ron is? When we get to Water 7, I'll take you shopping for some fun stuff!"
"Yeah, Yeah, Yeah!" Aisa laughed, feeling that the world below the sky was truly fascinating. Though Skypiea had its beauty, it couldn't compare to the liveliness of the Blue Sea.
"Let's head back to the ship," Ron instructed the workers behind him to load the supplies on board. He wasn't about to make the girls carry anything heavy, so he hired the workers to help.
For the workers, this was a great opportunity; a single trip earned each of them a few thousand berries—more than half a month's wages. With spirits high, they quickly loaded the goods onto the ship, waving goodbye as Ron and the others boarded.
"The Log Pose is fully charged. We can set sail now!" Nami shouted as she activated the Ark Maxim, heading off into the distance.
"Right." Ron turned to the three newcomers from Skypiea. "Come here, I want to assess your abilities and help you improve your skills."
"Huh?"
"What do you mean?"
"Upgrade our skills?"
The three girls were puzzled, not fully understanding what Ron was talking about.
The others, however, knew exactly what he meant. Everyone except Robin had experienced Ron's mysterious ability to boost their skills.
Kaya smiled and explained, "Brother Ron has a strange and powerful ability to help others improve their skills. He enhanced my medical expertise, and now I'm much more skilled. You should definitely give it a try!"
"Alright…" The three of them hesitantly stepped forward, standing before Ron.
Ron walked over to Raki, placing his hand on her forehead. In his mind, he thought, Open Raki's data panel.
"Ding! The data panel is open. Please check it out."
Character Name: Raki
Strength: 19
Physique: 21
Agility: 22
Spirit: 15
Skills:
Marksmanship: 6
Shandora Heritage Combat Skills: 14
"Shandora Heritage Combat Skills, huh? Four hundred years of warfare have clearly helped develop this combat style into something impressive," Ron mused. "Let's see how it looks at full level."
He began enhancing Raki's skills:
Marksmanship: 6 → 100 (Maxed)
Shandora Heritage Combat Skills: 14 → 100 (Maxed)
With the skills maxed out, Raki's overall attributes saw a significant boost, especially since Shandora's combat style focused on physical and melee abilities.
Character Name: Raki
Strength: 37
Physique: 39
Agility: 36
Spirit: 28
Skills:
Marksmanship: 100 (Maxed)
Shandora Heritage Combat Skills: 100 (Maxed)
Raki felt an immediate transformation. Her body brimmed with newfound strength, and her mind was suddenly filled with advanced techniques and combat knowledge involving both firearms and the traditional skills of Shandora.
"This is incredible!" she exclaimed, marveling at the changes.
"Me next! Don't forget about me!" Aisa shouted eagerly, her eyes wide with anticipation.
"Of course I haven't forgotten about you, Aisa." Ron smiled, kneeling to pat her head.
"Hee-hee!" Aisa giggled.
Open Aisa's data panel!
Character Name: Aisa
Strength: 3
Physique: 2
Agility: 2
Spirit: 67
Skills:
Observation Haki (Mantra): 51
Though Aisa had only one skill, her level of Observation Haki was astonishing for her age, reaching an impressive fifty-one.
Observation Haki (Mantra): 51 → 100 (Maxed)
After maxing out her Observation Haki, Ron saw a dramatic increase in Aisa's mental attributes, though her physical stats only saw a modest boost.
Character Name: Aisa
Strength: 4
Physique: 5
Agility: 4
Spirit: 156
Skills:
Observation Haki (Mantra): 100 (Maxed)
Awakening Ability: Life Perception
"Huh?" Ron noticed Aisa's newly awakened ability and was momentarily stunned. Usually, after maxing out Observation Haki, the user would gain the power to foresee the future.