Sami weighed the possibility of learning Mantra in his mind, but soon shook his head.
That ability was the core secret passed down among Birka's elders, the very foundation of their social order.
Why would they casually teach it to outsiders?
The chances seemed slim.
Still, returning empty-handed wasn't his style.
No matter what, he would at least find a chance to test the waters.
Before that, it was better to maintain their disguise as merchants while gathering information and supplies.
Under the escort of the guards, the group split up to explore.
Aldo and Gade led several sailors who still fantasized about finding another Devil Fruit bargain into a few shops that looked like they sold fruits and vegetables.
"Boss! Do you have any fruits that look… weird?"
Aldo's booming voice startled the shopkeeper who had been dozing behind the counter.
"Or any fruits that were picked years ago but never spoiled?" Gade added helpfully.
The shop owner, an elderly Sky Islander, stared blankly for a moment before shaking his head.
"Strange fruit? We only grow common varieties from nearby cloud islands, meh."
"Fruit that doesn't rot after years? Never seen such a thing. Meh."
After asking several shops and receiving the same answers, Aldo and the others finally gave up.
It seemed Gade's miraculous find was truly once-in-a-lifetime luck.
Meanwhile, Feiqi noticed a small building at the street corner displaying several books.
It looked like a bookstore.
He walked in.
The interior was larger than it appeared from outside, but there were almost no customers.
Feiqi didn't mind.
Instead, he browsed the shelves with interest.
There weren't many kinds of books.
Most looked quite old.
Their contents mainly recorded Birka's history, legends, customs, poems, and essays.
He even spotted some books published in the Blue Sea two or three hundred years ago—likely brought up by old merchant ships.
From a shelf labeled "Legends," he pulled out a worn volume.
The leather cover's title had faded.
"Endless Earth?"
"Oh? You're interested in ancient legends, traveler? Meh."
The shopkeeper behind the counter immediately approached once he saw a customer.
"'Endless Earth'… that is an old tale. Nearly myth now."
The man stroked his beard thoughtfully.
"Legend says the ancestors of Sky Islanders were not born in the clouds."
"They descended from somewhere even higher than the White-White Sea… a place called the Endless Earth."
"In those ancient myths, the Endless Earth was the home of the gods."
"The origin and destination of all things… meh."
"Oh? Gods, huh?"
While the others explored different parts of Birka, Sami asked Abo to guide him to a shop specializing in shells and dial processing.
Inside were many dial devices.
But their variety and craftsmanship were clearly inferior to those on Aramuk Island.
"Boss," Abo said to the shopkeeper,
"this gentleman is a merchant from the Blue Sea. He wishes to purchase some of Birka's dials. Please take good care of him."
"What?! A visitor from the legendary Blue Sea?!"
"Welcome, honored guest. Meh."
Sami smiled.
"Do you have any special dials here?"
"I bought some on Aramuk Island already, but they were quite common."
"Special dials?"
"Of course we do."
"You've come to the right place. Meh."
The shopkeeper turned around and carefully took out a palm-sized shell from a wooden box.
"Please look at this—Jet Dial."
"It's a rare specialty found only in certain cloud sea regions near Birka."
"Jet Dial?"
"Yes. Meh."
"It works similarly to a Wind Dial—storing and releasing air."
"But the compression efficiency is much higher."
"The burst of wind it releases is far stronger."
"So it's the core component of high-end Waver engines, and can also be used in special tools."
"That does sound interesting."
Sami weighed the shell in his hand.
"What's the price?"
The shopkeeper named a number.
Marcus, standing nearby, couldn't help clicking his tongue.
Even the cheapest ones cost tens of thousands of Beli, while the best exceeded one hundred thousand.
"Please don't misunderstand," the shopkeeper quickly explained.
"The reason Jet Dials are so expensive…"
"Is that their source is nearly extinct."
"Overharvesting and environmental changes in the cloud sea have made wild Jet Dials extremely rare."
"Each one is almost a collector's item now. Meh."
"I see."
"Scarcity raises value. That makes sense."
Sami nodded.
Then he casually asked,
"By the way, boss…"
"Do you have any more practical dials?"
"For example—Impact Dials or Slash Dials?"
The shopkeeper's expression froze slightly.
He glanced at Abo beside Sami.
Abo gave a subtle shake of his head.
The shopkeeper sighed.
"Combat dials…"
"They are strictly controlled in Birka."
"According to the laws set by the Great Elder and the council of elders, they cannot be manufactured or traded without special permission."
"And they are absolutely forbidden from leaving the island."
"So this shop doesn't have them."
"Neither will any other legitimate store."
"They are considered non-commercial items. Meh."
"I see."
"That's unfortunate."
Sami nodded calmly.
"In that case, show us the Jet Dials."
"I'd like to pick out a few good ones."
"Of course. Please take a look. Meh."
By evening, the scattered crew gathered again at their meeting point near the dock.
"Boss! We're back!"
Aldo shouted.
"This place has zero weird fruit! We checked several shops for nothing!"
"I didn't find anything special either," Feiqi said, holding up two books.
"So I bought some local ancient texts instead."
Sami thought for a moment.
Then he turned to Abo, who had accompanied them all day.
"Abo, thank you for your help today."
"You've guided us around all day—we appreciate it."
"It's getting late, so we won't trouble you further."
"We'll return to our ship and rest."
He paused.
"Oh, and could you pass a message to the Great Elder?"
"If possible, I'd like to visit him again tomorrow."
"First to thank him for today's hospitality."
"And second… to consult him about some matters related to trade between our lands."
Abo nodded.
"Understood, Mr. Sami."
"I will report your request to the Great Elder."
"Whether he agrees to meet you or not, I will come to the dock tomorrow to inform you."
"Much appreciated."
Under the watchful gaze of Abo and the guards, Sami and his crew boarded the Skylark one after another.
Soon their figures disappeared into the ship's cabin.
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