Chapter 234: An Unintentional Result
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Although the Miraculous Suit was incredibly powerful, its only current use was to enhance Robin's combat abilities. The other suits could only gather dust in the different space for now.
For Aoki, the most pressing priority was finding a Town as soon as possible.
The Next Day
The dilapidated house sat wedged between two large trees, with a crooked sign hanging loosely above the gate.
Aoki stopped and studied the sign.
"Is this the place?"
"That's right," Robin confirmed with a nod.
The two stepped into the grocery store.
Inside, it was a cluttered mess—shelves piled with an assortment of items haphazardly mixed together.
A young man with long blond hair, an unkempt beard, and a listless expression was feeding a pale little girl.
Hearing the sound of footsteps, the blond young man looked up.
"What are you looking to buy?"
Robin stepped forward. "I heard you have an old boat for sale."
The blond young man's face shifted strangely, torn between happiness and melancholy, two conflicting emotions flashing across his expression.
"That's right," he said after a pause.
"Show us the ship," Robin requested.
The blond young man nodded, then leaned down to gently pat the little girl's head.
"Dad has to go out for a bit, but I'll be back soon, okay?"
The little girl nodded obediently, sneaking a shy glance at Aoki and Robin.
"Let's go," the blond man said, stepping outside.
Aoki cast a brief look at the little girl's frail legs before following, Robin close behind.
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The three soon arrived at a small pier where a sloop lay anchored on the water.
The boat's exterior bore the marks of time, weathered by wind and rain, but the hull itself appeared well-maintained.
The only glaring issue was the sail—it was grimy, with faint traces of a skull-and-crossbones pattern that had been painted over in an attempt to conceal it.
The blond young man lit a cigarette, taking a deep drag before gesturing toward the boat.
"This is the Alice. Four million berries, and she's yours."
"That's too expensive," Robin said, shaking her head.
The two had already agreed beforehand: Robin would handle the negotiations, while Aoki would secure the funds.
The blond young man frowned. "This isn't just any ordinary ship. The keel is made of black ironwood. While it's small, it's sturdy enough to support four cannons. The shipbuilder who crafted it was none other than the famous Master Orlando—"
Robin interrupted calmly, "Having so many artillery points is useless for us—if anything, they're a liability. Judging by the mast, it looks like it's been broken before, and there are visible repair marks all over the surface..."
The young man's face froze, then gradually turned red at her blunt assessment.
"The Alice has carried us across dozens of islands," he said defensively. "You might choose not to buy her, but I won't allow you to insult her!"
"Insult her?" Robin raised an eyebrow. "What part of what I said wasn't true?"
The young man opened his mouth as if to argue but then closed it again, looking defeated.
"Just tell me—how much are you willing to pay?" he asked finally.
Robin thought for a moment. "Two million berries at most. And that's contingent on a further inspection. If we find any issues, the price will drop further."
The young man's expression stiffened, and then he erupted in frustration.
"Impossible! The materials alone for building the Alice cost more than 20 million berries! Two million is an insult!"
"But now, she's just an old ship nearing the end of her life," Robin replied calmly.
"No, no!" The young man scratched his head in frustration, his breathing becoming erratic. "Two million is far too low! Three and a half million. How about three and a half?"
Robin stood firm. "Two million is the absolute maximum we can offer."
The young man shook his head vigorously. "No! Not two million—not in two hundred years!"
"In that case," Robin said, nodding slightly, "excuse us for the trouble."
With that, she turned and walked away, Aoki silently following her.
A look of pain crossed the blond young man's face. He closed his eyes for a moment, then slowly reopened them.
"Okay! Two million is two million!"
Robin and Aoki stopped in their tracks.
"We need to inspect the boat again," Robin said.
The blond young man looked as if all the strength had drained from his body. With a weak wave of his hand, he said, "Fine, but make it quick. The Alice may be a little worn, but there's absolutely no issue with her quality or performance!
"I bring her in for inspection and maintenance regularly. The Alice is, without a doubt, the best ship you can find around here!"
Robin replied, "Two million berries is already a very generous price for an old ship in this condition."
The blond young man sighed, choosing not to argue further, and gestured toward the ship. "Go ahead, check her out."
Robin and Aoki boarded the ship to conduct their inspection.
Although they weren't shipbuilding experts, they performed a simple surface evaluation, and overall, the ship seemed satisfactory.
"We'll take this one," Aoki decided. After all, it was only meant to be a temporary vessel.
As they disembarked, the blond young man seemed to regain some of his composure.
"See? The Alice isn't bad, is she?" He smirked. "If she weren't... well, I wouldn't have sold her."
Aoki asked, "This used to be a pirate ship, didn't it?"
The blond young man straightened his back, pride flashing across his face.
"That's right. Back in the day, the Alice Pirates were well-known in this region!"
Aoki pressed, "What was your bounty?"
The blond young man froze, scratching his head awkwardly as a sheepish grin spread across his face.
"Haha, well, our crew mostly focused on treasure hunting and exploring ruins. We didn't get into many fights, so our bounties were... modest."
He quickly added, "But we were strong! If we wanted to, getting a bounty of over 100 million wouldn't have been a problem!"
Aoki ignored his obvious exaggeration and asked, "Exploring ruins, huh? Have you ever heard of Shuigu Town?"
"Shuigu Town?" The blond young man frowned, the name clearly unfamiliar to him.
Aoki felt a pang of disappointment but quickly composed himself. Finding an island in the vast ocean was no easy task, and he had prepared himself for a long search.
"What kind of place is it?" the blond young man asked curiously.
Aoki answered casually, "An abandoned town said to have many ruins and mysterious treasures."
The blond young man's eyes lit up. "Mysterious treasure? That sounds familiar..."
He murmured to himself for a moment before suddenly clapping his hands.
"I remember now! There's an abandoned town that matches that description!"
Aoki's gaze sharpened. "You know it?"
The blond young man's expression softened with reminiscence.
"My crew and I once visited an island with a deserted town called Shuigu. It's completely abandoned now, which is probably why it didn't come to mind right away."
Aoki leaned forward. "Do you remember the route and the location?"
"Of course! I remember every place we've been!" the blond young man said proudly.
At Aoki's urging, the blond young man described the route to Shuigu Town in detail, leaving nothing out.
"Thank you very much."
Aoki reached into his bag and handed over a pouch.
The blond young man opened it, his eyes widening in shock.
"This is... too much!"
The pouch contained far more than two million berries—at least double the agreed amount.
"The extra is for the information," Aoki explained with a smile. "Will four million berries be enough to treat your daughter's legs?"
"More than enough!" the blond young man stammered, nodding instinctively before freezing.
"Wait... how do you know about my daughter?"
"See you around," Aoki said, waving as he and Robin boarded the Alice.
Without another word, the ship slowly rose into the air and sailed away over the sea.
The blond young man stood there in stunned silence, only snapping out of it once the ship disappeared from view.
"People with special abilities?" he muttered, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "They're not ordinary folks. Maybe this is a good thing... in their hands, the Alice might shine brighter than ever."
Clutching the bag of money, an excited grin spread across his face as he turned and headed home.
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