The scorching sun blazed in the sky, heating the earth, and as the temperature rose to thirty degrees, the streets gradually emptied as fewer people ventured out.
Su Xiao walked under the blistering sun. Those who passed by him wrinkled their noses and shot him looks of disgust.
He had already gotten rid of the cart and sold the horse at a low price.
After counting the money he had, Su Xiao sighed. The currency used here was called "Beri". Selling the horse earned him 100,000 Berries, which sounded like a lot, but in reality, its purchasing power was only about 6,000 yuan.
Don't be misled by the number—it was far less valuable than it seemed.
From Su Xiao's previous experience, buying a decent set of clothes would cost around 8,000 Berries, and to have a full meal, it would cost about 900 Berries.
Scanning his surroundings and making sure no one was watching, Su Xiao walked toward a residential house.
His choice seemed random, but in fact, he had been observing this house for a while.
Although the house wasn't particularly clean, there were no vines growing on its walls, indicating that someone lived there and the facilities inside were functional.
The thin layer of dust on the door handle suggested that the owner didn't come back often, only visiting occasionally. This made it an ideal place for Su Xiao to temporarily hide.
The reason he didn't choose to stay at an inn or tavern was that those places were crowded with all kinds of people and often attracted unnecessary trouble.
He was here in the world of One Piece to complete a mission. With only 68 hours remaining, Su Xiao would avoid interacting with too many people unless it was necessary for the mission.
Interacting with strangers = potential trouble = unknown danger.
After making sure no one was around again, Su Xiao took out some basic lock-picking tools.
Click, click, clack~.
The door opened easily. Su Xiao had learned lock-picking techniques, and the simple locks in this world were no challenge for him.
Walking in as if it were his own home, Su Xiao entered the house and carefully shut the door behind him.
As expected, there was no one inside.
The house was spacious, about 100 square meters. A photo hung on the wall, showing a man, a woman, and a young girl. The woman's genuine smile suggested that they were a happy family.
Su Xiao quickly stripped off his filthy clothes and headed straight for the bathroom. Although his endurance was strong, even he was beginning to feel nauseated by the stench on his body.
Clean water flowed down his head, washing away the grime and odor. After changing into a fresh set of clothes, Su Xiao felt refreshed.
Sitting on the sofa, he took out a white treasure chest.
[Do you want to open the white treasure chest?]
He chose to open it, and the chest silently unlocked. There were no flashes of light or any noise.
[You have opened the white treasure chest and received the following items:
50,000 Berries (usable only in this world)
Letter of Recommendation from Rowen, Captain of the Gate Guard.
100 Paradise Coins.]
The chest only contained three items, and although the rewards weren't outstanding, they weren't bad either. After all, it was just a white-grade chest, the lowest tier according to the "Reincarnation Paradise" system.
Su Xiao first put away the Berries for later use. He then examined the letter closely.
[Letter of Recommendation from Rowen, Captain of the Gate Guard
Grade: White
Type: Trigger item
Rating: 5 (The higher the rating, the more valuable the item, with 1–10 being the range.)
Description: This is a passionate letter of recommendation. Captain Rowen abused his power to recommend a notorious thug from Windmill Village as a member of the guard. Anyone with this letter can become a member of the guard, provided they are male and have enough Beri.]
After reading the description, Su Xiao smiled. This was exactly what he needed.
If he couldn't directly assassinate the king, he at least had to get close to him. This world's nightmare-level difficulty wasn't something that could be solved with brute force alone.
Su Xiao stored all the items in his inventory and immediately left the house.
After finding a restaurant and eating a hearty meal, he began scouting the streets for patrolling guards.
The guard squad, as he deduced, was responsible for patrolling the streets and dealing with minor crimes like theft. While their power wasn't extensive, they were still part of the kingdom's security forces.
After tailing several guards, Su Xiao soon located the guard headquarters, a two-story office building with two lazily standing guards at the entrance.
Holding the recommendation letter, Su Xiao confidently approached.
"Stop. This is the guard headquarters. No unauthorized entry." a young guard barked arrogantly, his attitude condescending when he noticed Su Xiao's commoner attire.
"I'm the new recruit—" Su Xiao began but quickly stopped himself, realizing that his real name, Su Xiao, might sound out of place in this world. Thinking quickly, he continued, "I'm the new recruit, Byakuya."
The young guard was momentarily confused and sized him up.
"Byakuya? I haven't heard anything about a new recruit. You're not trying to sneak in, are you—"
"Reese! Remember what the captain mentioned? Don't ask too many questions. Byakuya, follow me," the older guard interrupted, shooting the younger one a glare.
The young guard scowled at Su Xiao and muttered something under his breath as they passed.
Su Xiao didn't bother with this insignificant character. He followed the older guard into the headquarters.
After a few turns, they stopped in front of an office.
Cough, cough~.
The older guard straightened his clothes and was about to knock on the door when a voice from inside called out.
Realizing it was a bad time to interrupt, the older guard lowered his hand and stood quietly to the side.
He gave Su Xiao an apologetic smile, knowing that Su Xiao was someone with special backing and didn't want to offend him.
Su Xiao pulled out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket and handed one to the older guard.
Click~. The cigarette was lit, and the two chatted in the hallway while they waited.
A simple cigarette could establish a fleeting camaraderie, and Su Xiao saw no reason not to take advantage of it.
"You're lucky to have someone from above looking out for you. Don't worry, everything's been arranged for you to join the squad." the older guard, who introduced himself as Hank, said with a pleased smile.
Su Xiao returned a polite smile but remained emotionally detached.
"Byakuya, thanks for the help. Please take care of me in the future."
Su Xiao made a small gesture by slipping the remaining cigarettes into Hank's pocket.
He was already evaluating whether Hank could be useful, as Su Xiao still knew little about the kingdom. Someone like Hank could be invaluable.
Hank's smile brightened even more, clearly pleased.
After waiting for a while, Hank finally knocked on the office door.
"Who is it? Get your ass in here!" boomed a rough voice from inside the office.
(End of Chapter)
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Translator's Note :- I am Not that familiar with a lot of the fictional worlds mentioned in the story. So if I make a mistake naming something please correct me by writing a paragraph comment on the mistake. Thank you.