[Night of the ninth day, an unknown sea in the New World]
The Roger Pirates' ship was gently sailing across the sea, heading toward their next island.
Reno was leaning against the railing, bored, watching the members of the Roger Pirates holding a banquet on the deck.
Though it was supposed to be a celebratory event, the atmosphere was heavy. Few spoke, and most were simply drinking away their sorrows. Some even secretly wiped away tears.
The reason for this sorrow was Roger's announcement earlier today—the disbandment of the Roger Pirates. The banquet was meant to bid farewell to Roger, who would leave the ship early the next morning.
Having only recently joined them, Reno couldn't fully grasp their feelings. Instead, he idly observed their banquet while plotting how to clean out the treasure vault later that night.
Reno had already thoroughly scouted the treasure vault over the past few days, so he wasn't in a hurry. He planned to act once everyone drank themselves unconscious.
Over these past days, he had also prepared everything he needed. The training notes he had been compiling were completed a few days ago.
His notebook didn't just contain the training notes of Roger and Rayleigh but also those of the other officers. Not a single one escaped his cunning persuasion tactics.
"Little Reno, why aren't you drinking?"
Just as Reno was lost in thought, a voice came from behind him. Turning around, he saw Shanks, holding a cup of liquor, walking toward him.
Looking at this little drunkard, Reno couldn't help but think: He's barely a teenager and already indulging in alcohol. No wonder he'll become a famous drunk in the future.
With this thought, Reno's face turned black as he snapped, "Shanks, you're seriously asking a five-year-old why they aren't drinking? Are you drunk, or did a donkey kick your brain?"
Shanks didn't mind Reno's scolding; he was simply looking for an excuse to strike up a conversation. A few insults were a small price to pay.
Once Shanks reached Reno, he looked at him seriously and extended an invitation. "I plan to form my own pirate crew in the future. Little Reno, how about joining my ship?"
Reno slapped away Shanks' hand without hesitation. "I don't want to become a pirate constantly running from the Marines like a stray dog. Nor do I want to join the Marines and work as a watchdog for the World Government. So, little brother, you can play your cat-and-mouse games with the Marines on your own!"
Reno didn't want to be a pirate unless he could rise to the level of a Yonko.
Until he became strong enough that the Marines wouldn't dare mess with him, he wouldn't consider becoming a pirate. But once he reached that level, it wouldn't matter whether he was a pirate or not—he'd still be treated as an enemy by various forces.
As for the Marines, he had no interest. It would take too long to climb the ranks, and until then, he'd be at the beck and call of higher-ups. Even if he became an Admiral, he'd still be under the control of the Fleet Admiral and the World Government. Joining the Marines would mean being under someone's thumb for life, and Reno wasn't foolish enough to invite such trouble.
Hearing Reno's refusal, Shanks didn't press further. He could tell from Reno's tone and attitude that there was no convincing him.
After giving Reno a deep look, Shanks left without a word, returning to the other drinkers to continue his binge.
Time ticked by, and soon it was midnight. The deck was littered with unconscious bodies, most having drunk themselves into oblivion. Only a few were still drinking.
[Ding!]
[Congratulations, Host! You've successfully checked in with the Roger Pirates!
Rewards are being distributed...]
Just as Reno was growing impatient waiting for everyone to pass out, his system notification sounded.
Hearing that rewards were being distributed, Reno's eyes lit up. The last time he received a starter pack, it granted him two god-tier abilities. He couldn't help but wonder what this first check-in reward would be.
[Congratulations, Host! You have received: 100 Attribute Points]
[Attribute Points can be allocated to personal stats, skills, abilities, or proficiencies]
[In the world of One Piece, attributes such as physical fitness, strength, speed, skills, and abilities all start at 10 for an average adult. The max for each is 1,000.]
[Skills include swordsmanship, hand-to-hand combat, and any learned techniques. The max for skills is also 1,000.]
[Congratulations, Host! You have received: Spatial Coordinate Ability.]
[The Spatial Coordinate Ability allows the host to instantly return to any marked location, whether it's a place or an object. There are no restrictions, and others can be transported as well.]
Reading the rewards and their descriptions, Reno's smile grew wider and wider until it became almost manic. Anyone seeing his expression might have thought he had gone insane.
The Attribute Points didn't need much explanation—they were exactly as the name suggested. As long as it was something of his that wasn't maxed out, he could use the points to enhance it.
The Spatial Coordinate Ability was reminiscent of the legendary Flying Thunder God Technique, but it seemed even more advanced. Not only could he transport others, but there were no limitations whatsoever.
After digesting the explanations, Reno began scheming: I'll make a habit of visiting treasure vaults in the future and leaving spatial coordinates. That way, I'll never have to worry about money again. Hehehe!
He also thought about the potential for romantic escapades: If a cute girl doesn't want to leave her hometown, no problem! With this ability, I can hop across the sea in an instant. Imagine spending one day with a girl in the East Blue and waking up the next morning with another in the New World. Bliss! Hehehe!
If anyone knew Reno had such a powerful ability but was using it to think about money and romance instead of achieving greatness, they wouldn't know whether to laugh or cry.
After indulging in these thoughts for a while, Reno floated into the air and leisurely made his way to the deck.
Seeing the sea of unconscious drunkards, he glanced at the few sober crew members still steering the ship. Once he confirmed they weren't paying attention, he drifted toward the ship's interior, heading straight for the treasure vault.
Such a perfect opportunity—if he didn't act now, when would he?
Before long, Reno arrived at the treasure vault. "System, store everything here. Don't leave a single coin for these drunkards. Let them drink the northwest wind instead!"
To store items in the system space, the host must physically touch them.
Hearing this, Reno didn't waste any time. He floated into the air, methodically touching every item in the vault without making a sound.
Minutes later...
Reno looked at the now-empty treasure vault and nodded in satisfaction. He quickly left the vault and returned to his room without alerting anyone.
Since the ship was supposed to reach an island tomorrow, and Roger would disembark there, Reno decided he'd leave with them.
If the theft was discovered before then, he'd just play dumb. With no witnesses and the treasures safely stored in his system space, there was no evidence to incriminate him.
Besides, who would suspect a little kid of such a bold act?
----------
Patreon Advance 30 Chapters: patreon .com/FicVibe