Originally, Xiano had planned to leave Shimotsuki Village after breakfast and head to the final stop of his "wool-gathering" journey—the Goa Kingdom.
However, everyone was reluctant to see him go and insisted on keeping him for one more night.
That evening, before bedtime, a large group of people gathered around the hearth in the main hall, chatting leisurely in a relaxed atmosphere.
During this time, the two little troublemakers, Zoro and Sanji, sneaked some rice wine and were promptly beaten up by Zeff, adding a lively touch to the air.
Xiano, slightly tipsy, got carried away and shared many stories with everyone.
Thus, they learned about Cocoyasi Village, his two adorable younger sisters, and the beautiful orange groves in his hometown, which produced large, sweet, and juicy citrus fruits.
Xiano had also considered it.
Just in case, should he invite Zeff or Koshiro to stay in Cocoyasi Village for a few months after next spring?
That way, dealing with the Arlong Pirates would be a piece of cake.
But after some thought, he ultimately didn't bring it up.
He hadn't even obtained the straw hat yet, and his Points had already exceeded ten thousand.
It could be said that from now on, he could basically pick and choose any Item Manuals from the system's trading market.
In such a situation, if he still couldn't handle the Arlong Pirates after a year of rigorous training, what difference would there be between him and a good-for-nothing?
Might as well forget about planning any sea voyages and just end it all with an Authentic Blade to the neck.
…
The next day arrived in the blink of an eye.
Kuina, Zeff, Sanji, Zoro… and a group of others reluctantly saw Xiano off at the dock, including Junichi, who had been missing since early yesterday morning.
It was only then that Xiano found out.
Since returning to Shimotsuki Village, this kid had been training like a man possessed.
From 5 a.m. until midnight, he didn't even stop for lunch, pushing himself harder than even Zoro.
This made Xiano take notice.
In his opinion.
Junichi's swordsmanship talent was inferior to Zoro's, and far behind Kuina's.
But talent was never the sole factor determining a person's potential.
As long as one put in far more effort and sweat than others, the results would rarely disappoint.
After all, it only took two years to go from being completely powerless to becoming the new generation's Marine hero.
"Why are you staring at me, boss?"
Junichi, who was busy helping Zoro load supplies onto the ship, felt Xiano's gaze and looked up at him in confusion.
"Just a bit worried about you," Xiano said half-jokingly. "I'm really afraid that in a few months, you'll just set sail, and I'll have to figure out how to collect your corpse."
Had he seen through that determination?
Junichi pursed his lips.
Suddenly, he looked up and grinned, "What's with that? That's not a funny joke. Don't worry, boss. I'm not some hot-headed idiot. I won't do anything stupid without being fully prepared."
"Wait, what are you two talking about? Some kind of riddle? My head hurts just listening to you."
Zoro looked back and forth between them, utterly baffled.
"It's not that your head hurts from listening—it's that your head actually hurts."
Xiano glared at the Mosshead in annoyance.
This guy had just been beaten up by Zeff last night, and this morning, during a spar with Kuina, he got his head covered in bumps. The swelling hadn't even subsided yet.
Now he's out here catching the sea breeze—no wonder his head hurts.
He then turned to Junichi.
"Anyway, just keep it in mind. Don't forget you're not alone. No matter where you go in the future, you'll always have so many companions to fight alongside."
After earnestly giving his advice, Xiano waved goodbye to the others on the shore and finally pressed the button, setting the boat in motion toward the distant horizon.
This small boat, equipped with a Black Technology Engine, was something he had borrowed temporarily.
It would only take two days to reach the nearest large island from Shimotsuki Village, and Zeff planned to head there tomorrow to purchase ingredients.
So, once he arrived, all he needed to do was dock the boat at the pier and leave it there.
He could then peacefully board a passenger ship in that town and head to the Goa Kingdom.
Zeff would naturally bring the boat back to Shimotsuki Village.
...…
Six days later.
Deep within the Colubo Mountains of the Goa Kingdom.
In the dense forest, Xiano quickly climbed to the top of a towering tree in a few steps, gazing at the endless expanse of mountains and forests around him.
After a moment of confusion, he rubbed his temples in frustration.
"This time, I really miscalculated…"
He had successfully arrived within the borders of the Goa Kingdom the morning before yesterday.
However, after more than fifty hours, he was still wandering around, lost in this mountain range.
It wasn't that he had caught Zoro's sense of direction.
It was just that the Colubo Mountains were far more vast than he had anticipated…
Having grown up in Cocoyasi Village, where the surrounding islands were all quite small, he had become completely accustomed to the feeling of limited land area.
Coming to the Goa Kingdom, he finally experienced once again what it was like to not see the horizon from a high vantage point…
"If only Luffy were still in Windmill Village," Xiano sighed.
A year ago, Luffy was still in Windmill Village.
But then the incident with Shanks happened, and Garp, upon learning of it, quickly moved him to the Colubo Mountains, entrusting him to the care of the mountain bandit Dadan.
That led to the subsequent events of meeting Ace and Sabo, encountering the Blue Gem Pirates, and forming the ASL Brotherhood…
Thinking carefully.
Sabo had been taken to the Revolutionary Army headquarters by Dragon a few months ago, leaving only Luffy and Ace in the mountains.
Xiano felt that his luck on this voyage seemed to have been used up when he encountered the King of the Near Sea and Zeff.
Relying solely on himself to find those two troublemakers in this vast mountain range was indeed a bit challenging.
But it shouldn't have taken him more than fifty hours of searching day and night without finding anything, right?
Those two troublemakers couldn't stay idle. Being semi-wild in these mountains, they must have been causing chaos everywhere. He should have found some traces of their activities by now.
"Sigh."
Having not slept well for several nights and feeling sore all over, Xiano simply leaned against the high trunk of the tree and sat down, pulling out a few pieces of bread from his backpack to munch on.
He had filled his stomach in the small town outside the mountains before entering, but even so, his rations were almost gone.
If he didn't find anyone today, he might have to hunt some wild beasts in the mountains and roast them for food. Without any seasoning, the taste probably wouldn't be great.
After finishing the bread to barely fill his stomach, Xiano took out a straw hat from his backpack and spun it around his index finger in the wind.
——It looked ordinary, a bit old, with the straw brim of the hat already somewhat loose, and the bright red ribbon faded to a dull, dark maroon.
Bringing it close to his nose, he could still smell a greasy scent of hair oil.
This was something he had bought from a farmer in the small town before entering the mountains, spending two hundred Berries on it, just waiting to use it as a replacement once he got his hands on Luffy's straw hat.
In fact, there were plenty of shops in the city, and similar straw hats were easy to buy.
The reason he insisted on buying this second-hand one with its peculiar smell was simply because the ones sold in those shops were too new.
Luffy might be a carefree idiot, but if his beloved straw hat suddenly became brand new and spotless, he would probably notice it at a glance.
This, this is what they call the devil is in the details.
Xiano was also thinking that if he ran into Luffy again in the future, he might be able to score some Points.
So, it was best not to let the cat out of the bag about the real straw hat being swapped just yet.
(End of Chapter)