Buy bedding in the east market, furniture in the west market, clothes in the south market, and dine in the north market.
After going through the entire process, a considerable amount of time and money had been spent.
The sky gradually darkened.
"That should be enough, Da Bao."
Moses and Perona walked down the street.
Crow Dabao perched on Moses' shoulder, his eyes seemingly vacant for a moment. Upon hearing Moses' words, his gaze became lively again.
"Caw~ It's, all set. The upper, rooms, are basically, furnished."
Hearing this, Perona's eyes lit up, sparkling as she looked at Crow Dabao, thinking of all the things they had just bought:
"Stupid bird, is my room ready too?"
Though reluctant, Crow Dabao nodded earnestly. There was no helping it—before mastering Hegemony, it was better to humor this living ancestor.
If he ever entered a negative state in front of Crow Xiao Niu and made a fool of himself, it would become a lifelong embarrassment.
The mere thought of it sent a shudder through Crow Dabao's heart.
He had no choice but to swallow his pride.
Immediately, the two turned from the main street into a small alley.
At that moment, a transparent ripple spread across Crow Dabao's body, followed by a strong suction force. The two shrank in size and were drawn into the Castle Space.
It was like entering some monstrous nest, standing at the entrance of a tunnel-like cave.
Behind them was a doorway leading to the outside world.
Ahead lay an open space.
After walking a few steps,
they were greeted by a vast space a hundred meters in diameter, its layout resembling a Bird Nest.
Or perhaps an ancient Roman coliseum.
The walls were covered with countless holes, densely packed.
Perona couldn't help but shiver, goosebumps rising all over her body. "Dead bird, how could you remodel your body into such a place?"
Moses laughed. "This is a Bird Nest, a crow's dwelling. In the future, more and more crows will likely settle here."
At that moment, Crow Dabao emerged from the wall behind Perona and landed on her shoulder. The hard claws pressing against her made her jump in fright.
"Caw caw~"
Crow Dabao mocked.
"Go that way."
His wing pointed to a staircase leading upward at the side of the cave entrance. Moses smiled and began climbing.
Perona quickly followed.
After a hundred meters,
accompanied by the sound of footsteps,
they reached the top of the stairs.
Before them stretched a long, winding corridor. Under Crow Dabao's guidance, they arrived at a half-covered stone doorway.
A rock plaque hung at the entrance, inscribed with the words "Pei Pei."
Pushing open the stone door with ease, they stepped inside. A chandelier hung from the ceiling in the center of the room, lit with Honey Wax, casting a bright glow that illuminated the entire space.
Near the window stood a large pink bed, with a pink mosquito net draped from the ceiling, adorned with spiderweb patterns.
Beside it was a marble-style tea table. The room also had a bookshelf, a sofa, a dressing table, a wardrobe, and even a bathroom.
The layout was designed to resemble a high-end hotel suite.
Perona's eyes shone with delight as she let out a joyful scream. She dashed forward and threw herself onto the bed,
rolling around on it in satisfaction.
Moses chuckled, watching her. "You seem very pleased. You should rest early, then."
"Alright, I'm tired. I'm going to sleep first. See you tomorrow."
Perona let out her signature "Hara Hara" laugh, wriggling excitedly on the bed.
Moses smiled as he stepped out the door. Pausing at the next room over, he glanced at the nameplate bearing his own name before pushing the door open.
The layout wasn't much different from Perona's room, though the color scheme leaned toward cooler tones. After surveying the space, Moses nodded in satisfaction.
Soon, he passed by several more rooms.
The bedroom arrangements were already mostly complete.
Currently, Crow Dabao's castle interior was divided into four levels:
From top to bottom:
The top floor was a spacious leisure area with a swimming pool, billiards room, bathhouse, training grounds, kitchen, and dining hall.
The third floor, just below the top, was the residential area housing Moses, Kureha, Crow Dabao, Perona, Bear Cub, and others, with plenty of rooms still vacant.
The second floor was designated as the work area, planned for large-scale laboratories and forging workshops, along with several unassigned empty rooms.
The first floor was the taming zone, currently the lowest level—a massive Bird Nest space.
There were other reserved areas within the castle, though they hadn't been developed yet.
Given the tight schedule, only the bedrooms had been fully renovated so far. The other floors remained in their preliminary stages—structurally complete but empty inside, requiring further refinement.
After inspecting everything, Moses was quite pleased. He opened a nearby window, leaped out, and emerged outside.
All accessible windows and doorways in Crow Dabao's internal castle connected to the exterior.
"Let's go. Time to return to the battleship."
Having been away most of the day, it was time to make an appearance—lest anyone worry.
For some reason, as Moses walked toward the port, he noticed more mafia members on the streets than before.
Lost in thought, he murmured, recalling Crow Dabao's earlier words: "Seems the Ishu Family and the mafia haven't fallen out over the Devil Fruit incident?"
But it wasn't his concern. After all: "I'm just here for leisure. It's none of the Navy's business either—member nations are independent."
Before long, he reached the port.
Moses boarded the battleship.
"Hey." Bogart called down from the top deck. "Where'd you run off to? Haven't seen you since this afternoon."
Moses gripped the textured grooves on the hull, scaling the side and flipping over the top railing.
Standing beside Bogart, Moses rolled his eyes. "Like I said—went out to have fun. What, did you miss me already?"
Bogart sighed. "Your grandfather and Kuzan left on business. Before going, they told me to keep an eye on you."
"Oh! So that's it. And here I thought you were genuinely worried. Tsk tsk."
Moses immediately turned sarcastic, his words dripping with playful mockery. Bogart's eye twitched as he smacked Moses' shoulder.
"You think I wasn't worried at all?"
"Were you?" Moses blinked.
Bogart: "Yes."
"Oh. Well, keep it up then. Good job!" Moses grinned.
Bogart: "..."
After a beat of silence, Bogart asked curiously, "Those six kids—did you call them here?"
Moses tilted his head, puzzled. "Six kids? Who?"
Bogart frowned. "The six-member thief gang in this port city, the oldest is just fifteen—a boy named Will. Four boys and two girls. They came two hours ago saying you sent them and told them to drop your name."
At this, Moses caught on and immediately laughed, looking at Bogart.
"So, old man, what do you think of that guy named Will?"
"Wait, so you really did send them?" Bogart grimaced, then his eyes flashed with approval.
"But I have to say, those two boys—Will and Moni—are pretty impressive. And the younger ones, Aban and Jia Da, are also quite something."
Bogart had a sharp eye. After following Garp for so many years, there wasn't much he hadn't seen.
If he praised someone as "not bad," they were genuinely not bad.
Hearing this, Moses grinned. "So, you're keeping them?"
Bogart nodded, smiling. "When good seedlings come knocking, of course I'll take them in.
"Though for now, I've just let them stay in the cabins. Once your grandfather gets back and checks them out, we'll officially enlist them."
"Support crew?" Moses chuckled. "Right?"
"Yeah, that's standard. But those two—Will and Moni—won't need that. The Marines prioritize strength. If they've got skill, they'll get better treatment.
At least they can start as privates second class."
"By the way, how'd you run into them?" Bogart asked curiously.
Moses: "Didn't you ask them?"
"They were evasive, so I didn't push. But I did send someone to check. They're a gang of thieves operating in this area—though not the kind with blood on their hands."
"You wouldn't take ones who've killed?" Moses asked, puzzled.
"Hmm—depends on the situation. As long as they're not irredeemable and are aligned with Justice, we'd still take them."
Bogart thought for a moment, not hiding his stance.
Moses understood. The world wasn't black and white but a murky gray.
Especially in a world with slavery, where the strong could do as they pleased.
As long as someone had talent, minor issues could be overlooked—depending on the circumstances.
Bogart then hesitated, which piqued Moses' curiosity. "Spit it out. This isn't like you. What's up?"
Bogart smirked and—smoothly—plucked a short sword from Moses' waist.
Cold Dew
Holding it, his eyes gleamed with excitement. "Little Moses, I've noticed this for a while. Where'd you get this dagger?"
Shing—
He drew the blade.
Gazing at Cold Dew with near-obsession, he swung it experimentally through the air, then muttered in surprise:
"The blade actually condenses moisture from the air? That's so damn cool!"
"A completely new weapon, not in any sword catalog. A Good Skillful Blade, huh?"
Watching Bogart's fanboy expression, Moses sighed. "Is it really that big a deal?"
Then he reached for Bogart's waist, stepping back as he drew the sword with a sharp clang.
Moses gazed at the snow-bright blade, devoid of any impurities, its patterns clear and distinct. He ran his left index and middle fingers along its length.
"Ding~"
His fingertip flicked the blade, producing an ethereal ring.
Closing his eyes, Moses savored the sound before opening them with a hint of regret: "The material is excellent, but the Forging technique falls short. What a waste—it's only Swift Blade quality."
Stepping back, Moses gripped the hilt with both hands, raising and swinging it down.
Advancing, thrusting straight.
Turning, sweeping horizontally.
His movements lacked any formal technique, relying solely on the Unity of Heaven and Man, harmonizing with all things as he followed his instincts.
Like throwing a punch.
Or swinging a staff.
Moses amused himself with the joy of wielding the blade, channeling his full strength into each strike.
Slash marks appeared in the air.
Currents of wind surged forward with each swing.
Bogart watched Moses' movements, eyes widening and mouth twitching. "He's already generating wind currents with his strikes?"
The next moment, Moses sheathed the blade with a heavy exhale, waving it dismissively. "Doesn't feel right at all."
Tossing the long blade into the air, he caught it by the flat with his right hand and offered the hilt to Bogart. "Here's your blade back."
Bogart silently accepted it and returned it to its scabbard.
Moses stepped forward, retrieving his own Cold Dew and its sheath. A flick of his wrist sent the dew droplets on the blade flying.
Click!
The blade slid into its sheath, returning to its place at his lower back.
Noticing Bogart still staring, Moses asked, "What? Do I have flowers on my face?"
Bogart grinned like a blooming chrysanthemum. "Your sword is newly forged—I can tell it hasn't been long since its creation. Could you introduce me to the bladesmith? I'd like to have my blade reforged or commission a new one."
His eyes filled with longing as he clasped his hands together, winking at Moses.
Amused, Moses chuckled. "At current rates, a standard refined weapon starts at 100,000 Belly. Higher-quality ones run 700,000 to 800,000 Belly."
"As for named blades—even the lowest-grade Swift Blade costs at least a million Belly. A Good Skillful Blade? Several million minimum."
"Your blade has good base material, decent foundation. For reforging, you'd need additional precious metals—material costs alone would exceed a million Belly."
Moses smiled. "I'll reforge it for you if you provide materials. But you'll need to procure top-tier Forging equipment for me. Deal?"
Bogart looked bewildered. "What do you mean? I don't follow."
Moses sighed in exasperation. "How dense are you? I'm saying: bring the materials, I'll waive the labor fee—just get me the equipment."
Pointing incredulously at Moses, Bogart stammered, "You? Forging? Are you joking with me?"
Darkening his expression, Moses laughed sharply. "Simple question: yes or no? While I'm still unknown and offering free service. Wait a few years, and the price won't be this generous."
Bogart still couldn't believe it, but considering Moses's intelligence, he wasn't entirely sure either. He had no choice but to ask again:
"Are you certain you can Forge a Good Skillful Blade?"
Moses looked at him expressionlessly, then took three surgical knives from the pouch at his waist. Bogart numbly accepted them, pulling them from their sheaths to examine.
Several minutes later.
After repeatedly inspecting and feeling them.
His face finally twisted in shock as he stared at Moses, his lips twitching:
"What the hell?
How are these surgical knives only Swift Blade quality?
Are you actually serious?"
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