At night, in a quiet alley in Water 7, Rob Lucci and Kalifa stood beneath the shadows.
Kalifa spoke first. "I only know he came to Iceburg to commission a ship. But Iceburg suddenly asked me to leave. Since then, I've felt like he's wary of me… though I'm not sure if it's just my imagination."
"Wary of you?" Rob Lucci's eyes narrowed. "Have we been exposed?"
"I don't know. It might just be a misunderstanding," Kalifa replied uncertainly.
Rob Lucci's voice turned cold. "Keep watching him. That man is suspicious. If he gets in our way… eliminate him."
Kalifa answered sharply, "I planned to investigate further. I already know where he's staying tonight. I need to find out what that masked man really looks like. I even suffered a setback today!"
Lucci warned, "You're no match for him. I can sense his strength—he's at least as strong as I am."
Kalifa was stunned. Her combat strength was around 800, while Rob Lucci's was over 4,000. There was a massive gap.
"That strong? Are you sure, Lucci?" she asked in disbelief.
"It's just a guess," Lucci said grimly. "But he was holding back earlier. If he had really tried to kill you, you'd be dead."
"…I see. I'll be cautious."
[ Ding! The dimensional powerhouse scan is complete. Detected targets: Hashirama Senju from the Naruto World, and Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto from the Bleach World. ]
In the evening, inside his second-floor room at a hotel, after dinner and before bed, Vane remembered to initiate his weekly [Investment System].
Every week, there was one chance to invest in a powerhouse from another dimension. The chance wouldn't carry over. It all depended on Vane's decision.
The system had identified two monstrous figures—Hashirama Senju and Genryūsai Yamamoto.
Vane's eyes lit up. "These two?!"
Both men were like gods—even in the Pirate World. Especially Old Man Yamamoto, the strongest Shinigami in a thousand years. His fire-based Zanpakutō, Ryūjin Jakka, was unmatched. Even without its final release, its flames were vastly stronger than the Mera Mera no Mi.
"Hashirama's arsenal is insane—Senjutsu, Wood Release, and a terrifying Bloodline. But I really want Yamamoto's Ryūjin Jakka. That fire-type Zanpakutō is beyond anything I've seen…"
If it had been Uchiha Madara instead of Hashirama, Vane might've chosen him. Madara's Perfect Susanoo had left a deep impression on him. Still, he finally chose—
"I'll invest in Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto."
[ Investment cost: Four Devil Fruits. ]
[ Investment in progress. Please wait patiently for returns. ]
The system had taken all four of his Devil Fruits in one go. Normally, one fruit accelerated the investment process by 30 years. Now, without any left, he couldn't speed it up.
"System, how much can I accelerate using my remaining [Heavenly Gold] value?"
[ Acceleration available: 56 years and 3 months. ]
"That much? Alright… invest for 50 years."
[ 50-year investment successful. Would you like to complete the investment and collect returns? ]
Vane held back. The longer the investment, the greater the return. Yamamoto was a man who had lived for over a thousand years. His ultimate goal was Yamamoto's Ryūjin Jakka. For its full release, the [Bankai], he needed to invest long-term.
"Next time, I'll invest in Uchiha Madara or Aizen. If I can find them... but investing in powerhouses of that level will cost at least three Devil Fruits. They're not easy to find."
Aside from Devil Fruits, [Berries] could also be used to speed up investments—true pay-to-win style.
Still, Vane wasn't worried. With the Gura Gura no Mi in his arsenal, he was nearly unbeatable in the first half of the Grand Line. Unless he ran into one of the Admirals, Sengoku, or Garp, he had little to fear.
Just as he was about to sleep, a sound came from outside.
--- Google seaʀᴄh NovᴇlFirᴇ.ɴet
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