Chapter 9: The Hero of the Town

Since Sharlo single-handedly defeated the Barbarian Bear Pirates, the entire town hailed him as their hero.

"Mr. Sharlo, would you like an orange?" The townsfolk greeted Sharlo warmly as he walked through the town. Elderly men and women beamed at him with gratitude.

Sharlo had driven away the pirates and saved everyone on the island. The townspeople were deeply thankful for his intervention. Without Sharlo, the town would have suffered catastrophic damage. This gratitude extended beyond the residents; even local merchants and passing traders were indebted to Sharlo for protecting their assets.

Seeing so many people express their thanks made Sharlo a bit embarrassed. "No, no, this is what I should do," he quickly declined, waving his hand. Despite the modesty, he found the attention rather pleasing.

Behind him, his five maids—Martha, Jenny, Alice, Nell, and Gillian—looked around with curiosity. Their previous kingdom was nothing more than a small, impoverished island with a population of just over ten thousand. It lacked even a decent port, so they were fascinated by the town's vibrancy.

"Mr. Sharlo!"

"Mr. Sharlo!"

People bowed and greeted him as he entered the port, where three pirate ships were docked, now stripped of their pirate flags. The ships, though a bit old and small at only fifty meters long, drew Sharlo's attention.

"Ivan, do we have any shipbuilders in our town?" Sharlo asked.

"Boss, our port mainly serves passing merchant ships. We do have some shipbuilders, but they're not top-notch. They can only build small boats and do repairs," Ivan explained.

Sharlo stroked his chin, contemplating. He planned to set sail at eighteen and needed a good ship. Unlike Luffy, he couldn't imagine starting his journey in a small barrel. "How much do we have in funds, and how much would it cost to build a ship?" he inquired, still unsure about the world's prices.

"Boss, it depends on the size of the ship. Something under fifty meters would cost around fifty to sixty million Berries. For over fifty meters, about a hundred million. We can't build anything over a hundred meters in this town, and better materials would double the price," Ivan detailed.

Sharlo absorbed the information. "What's our monthly income?"

"About three million Berries a month, with two million left after expenses. Most of that goes to your food, Boss," Ivan admitted.

Sharlo's eyes widened at the revelation. "Explain."

"Boss, your meals consist of Sea Kings and beasts from the mountains. We have to hire hunters to catch them, which costs a lot. Without the money, no one would risk going out to hunt," Ivan explained.

Sharlo fell silent. His food expenses alone were nearly a million a month, plus the cost of training equipment. There wouldn't be much left for building a ship. "From now on, I'll handle the hunting myself," he decided. It would be dangerous, but it was necessary to avoid depleting their funds.

"Understood, Boss," Ivan agreed.

"Refit these three pirate ships for hunting Sea Kings. Make it quick," Sharlo instructed.

"Yes, sir," Ivan responded, bowing slightly.

With everything settled, Sharlo left the port for training. On a deserted beach, he practiced his swordsmanship, aiming to break through his mental barrier.

He trained relentlessly for five months, doing nothing but swinging his sword at the sea. This daily routine eventually paid off. One day, he unleashed a ten-meter-long flying slash. The sight of the long slash along the beach nearly brought Sharlo to tears. After a year and a half of training, he had finally achieved something significant.

He had reached the level of a sword master, his strength now comparable to an average Vice Admiral. Though he hadn't mastered Armament Haki yet, Sharlo believed he could hold his own against a Vice Admiral. His powerful flying slashes, wide-range Observation Haki, and the potential of his Conqueror's Haki, which had yet to reappear since the initial outburst, were formidable assets.

With his new skills, Sharlo's spirits soared. He laughed joyously on the beach, his laughter echoing through the sand. The five maids watched from the shore, their eyes shining with admiration.

After one final slash, Sharlo sheathed his sword and returned to the beach. "Young Master!" The maids approached, each holding a towel and other items for his care.

Sharlo wiped his sweat. "Let's go home," he said, handing his sword to Gillian.

"Yes, Young Master!" they replied in unison.

Back at his villa, Ivan approached. "Boss, we're running low on Sea Kings in the kitchen. We need more," he reported.

"Got it. I've nearly hunted all the Sea Kings around the island. I'll go deeper tomorrow," Sharlo decided. After five months of hunting, he had almost wiped out the Sea Kings and larger fish in the nearby waters.

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(50 Advance chapters)