"Hiss!"
"System, when can the transportation tool be upgraded? Otherwise, constantly traveling like this is really unbearable."
"I'm not Mihawk." Alvin rode his jet ski across the vast ocean, complaining for the first time.
Alvin was only speaking casually, but to his surprise, the System actually responded.
[Ding~]
[Upgrading transportation tools requires upgrade coupons! Upgrade coupons can be dropped from specific skill-based characters!]
"Upgrade coupons? Specific skill-based characters? I understand now!" Alvin immediately grasped the meaning.
He even began to look forward to obtaining these upgrade coupons. In the West Blue, the climate was stable, so riding a jet ski was manageable.
However, the weather in the Grand Line was extremely unpredictable. One moment it could be clear skies, and the next it could turn into a violent storm.
For instance, right now, he had encountered heavy snowfall mixed with hail, and some of the hailstones were as large as his fist.
Snow itself was not a problem, but the hail was somewhat troublesome. Although being struck by the hailstones only felt like an itch to him, an itch that lasted too long became irritating.
Looking at the merchant ship not far ahead that he was about to catch up with, Alvin, for the first time, considered boarding it to take shelter for a while.
"Hey! Little brother, do you want to come aboard and take shelter?"
Hmm? This voice sounded almost heavenly!
"Is that really okay?" Alvin shouted toward the merchant ship.
"Hahaha, of course! Come on up!" The bearded man on the merchant ship laughed heartily and ordered the ship to slow down.
"Thank you very much!" Alvin did not stand on ceremony. He stored his jet ski in his spatial storage, then used Geppo to step through the air and board the merchant ship.
"Amazing… little brother, how did you do that?" As soon as Alvin landed on the deck, a middle-aged sailor asked in astonishment.
This merchant ship was not small. It was roughly the size of a medium warship, and several sailors wearing safety helmets were busy working on deck.
"How did I do it? I just stepped on the air a few times and came up," Alvin replied honestly, his expression completely sincere.
"Truly impressive!" The bearded captain praised.
At that moment, Alvin suddenly stepped forward. "Uncle, be careful. It won't be a joke if that hits you."
As he spoke, Alvin caught a large hailstone, about 20 centimeters in diameter, that was about to strike the bearded man, and crushed it instantly.
Bang!
"Hiss! Ow, ow!"
Just as Alvin finished speaking, elsewhere on the deck, a sailor who was not wearing a helmet was struck by a hailstone. Fortunately, it was not too large.
Even so, it left a noticeable bump on his head.
"Hahaha, Thorne, now you should remember. When it hails, always wear a helmet," the bearded captain said with a loud laugh, though his tone carried a hint of seriousness.
"I understand, Captain," Thorne replied, finally taking the advice to heart.
"Come, young man, head into the cabin and rest for a while. We also have quite a few passengers onboard," the bearded captain said warmly, leading Alvin inside.
"I can sense that. By the way, uncle, where are you all headed?" Alvin asked as he followed him.
"To Chronos Forest. We are merchants delivering supplies there, but we also take on passengers from time to time," the captain replied.
"Chronos Forest? What a coincidence, I'm heading there as well!" Alvin was instantly delighted. This meant he could avoid further discomfort along the journey.
"That really is a coincidence. But little brother, I can tell you are no ordinary person."
"Of course I'm not. What ordinary person would dare to sail alone like this?"
"…"
Upon entering the first level of the cabin, Alvin saw that the entire floor had been converted into a casual dining area, with seating arranged by the windows for viewing the outside scenery.
"Hehe, little brother, feel free to sit anywhere. But if you want to eat something, you'll have to pay for it," the bearded captain said, a trace of a merchant's shrewdness in his eyes.
"I understand. I still have plenty of Berries. Thank you, uncle," Alvin replied reassuringly.
He then walked toward a window-side seat.
The bearded captain smiled in satisfaction and returned to the deck. In such harsh weather, he needed to personally supervise things.
"Hello, guest. What would you like to order?" As soon as Alvin sat down, a waiter dressed in a suit and bow tie approached him.
"What are they having?" Alvin asked, pointing toward the table across from him.
At that table sat three men and one woman. At the adjacent table, there were three more men.
The woman had long golden hair, wore thin-framed glasses, and had a delicate yet capable appearance.
At her table, one of the men had horn-like hair, another wore a black cap and had a square face with a long nose, and the third wore a cowboy hat with a pigeon perched on his shoulder.
As for the three men at the neighboring table, there was no need for further description. Their identities were obvious.
"Uh… they ordered beef dishes. Would you like the same, sir?" the waiter replied after a quick glance.
"People still eat beef these days? Doesn't everyone know that other meats contain fifty times more protein than beef? Bring me something that isn't beef," Alvin said with an exaggerated expression.
"Understood, sir. Please wait a moment," the waiter responded before quickly heading off to place the order.
After the waiter left, Alvin gazed out the window in boredom. Snow continued to fall heavily, and the sound of hail striking the deck echoed continuously.
Yet this had no effect on the lively atmosphere inside the dining area.
Still, Alvin felt a bit bored.
He turned his attention to the blonde beauty across from him, then casually moved to sit opposite her, leaning back and resting his arms as he looked at her.
She was indeed very beautiful. Alvin suddenly grew interested.
"Beautiful lady, where are you headed? Would you like to have a drink with me?"
Everyone at the two tables immediately paused their meals. They exchanged glances but made no further moves.
However, the other party clearly had no intention of responding.
"CP9, Miss Kalifa, I am quite interested in you. Are you really not going to join me for a drink?" Alvin's tone suddenly changed, becoming casual yet slightly amused.
In an instant, the seven people across from him could no longer remain calm. Shock filled their expressions. They had not expected Red Hawk to know who they were.
"Red Hawk, may I ask what you want?" At this moment, Rob Lucci, the captain of CP9, looked at Alvin and spoke in a serious tone.
"Oh my, so you did recognize me. But Rob Lucci, since I was not addressing you, it would be best if you did not interrupt," Alvin said, his gaze turning cold.
Under that gaze, Lucci immediately felt an overwhelming killing intent crashing toward him like a tidal wave. He gritted his teeth and endured it, but cold sweat still formed on his forehead.
The gap between them was simply too great.
"Red Hawk, I will drink with you," Kalifa said immediately upon seeing Lucci's condition.
The killing intent surrounding Alvin instantly vanished, replaced by a warm smile.
"That is wonderful. Thank you, Miss Kalifa, for giving me face."
Kalifa then rose gracefully, her high heels tapping lightly against the floor as she walked over and sat down across from Alvin.
...
Re@d adv@nce ch@pters on p@t
guilt_free_daoist
Jo!n d!sc0rd I!nk in synops!s.
GIVE ME YOU POWER STONES.