The next morning, as soon as Eust woke up, Sunny eagerly shared some news, which could be either good or bad.
“Meow, Eust, my development of the Task Fruit has unlocked a new ability. Want to know what it is? Meow!”
“Of course I want to know. Sunny, when did you learn to keep people in suspense? Just tell me already!” Eust replied, half-asleep.
“Meow, seeing you like this, I’ll tell you. Yesterday, we were worried about how to retrieve items stored by the Task Fruit. Today, I can proudly say we won’t have that problem again. Meow!”
“Meow, as the Task Publisher Cat, how could I not have a corresponding task space for storing things? The new ability of the fruit is the Task Space ability. Meow.”
“Sunny, what exactly is the Task Space ability?” Eust, now more awake, asked.
“Meow, Eust, you’re such a fool. Can’t you figure it out from the name? It means I can use this ability to store or retrieve items at will, with almost no cost. Plus, time inside the space is frozen, so even food won’t spoil. Meow!”
“Sunny, how big is this space?” Eust asked, somewhat disappointed.
“Meow, currently, the developed ability provides 10 cubic meters of space, and as my abilities improve, the space will increase. Meow!” Sunny answered happily.
“So, my big-brain plan is a complete failure. It seems the development of the fruit’s abilities is linked to the user’s intentions. Should I brainstorm in this direction…?” Eust continued to feel down.
“Meow, Eust, what’s wrong with you? I just unlocked a new ability, and you’re not happy. Meow.” Sunny, annoyed, launched a cat-paw attack.
“Sunny, put down your weapon and raise your hands… uh, that doesn’t seem right…” Eust endured the cat-paw attack.
…
Unexpectedly, the plan Eust was once proud of had such an outcome. He was feeling down and tried to cheer himself up with food. After enjoying a hearty breakfast at the inn, he finally started to feel better. The food tasted good.
As for the occasional glances from other diners at his “handsome” face, he ignored them. The scratches from Sunny’s cat-paw attack made it clear what had happened.
After enjoying breakfast with Sunny, Eust left the inn. This morning, he didn’t plan to train. He had been on Shields Island for two days and hadn’t really explored Shields Town. It felt like a failure. Today, he decided to take a walk around. Training wouldn’t be neglected, but balance is key.
Shields Town was bustling, with all sorts of vendors selling fruits, bread, fish, milk, and snacks.
Eust bought some of the foods that caught Sunny’s interest. Previously, Sunny’s big, round eyes had expressed protest when they passed by these foods.
Now that they had funds, Eust wouldn’t deprive the greedy Sunny. Sunny ate happily, meowing cheerfully at Eust, making him happy too.
(Sunny didn’t speak when others were around but meowed to communicate with Eust. Eust could understand Sunny’s intentions, so they didn’t worry about communication issues.)
As Eust passed by a weapon store, he decided to go in with Sunny, hoping to get himself a weapon. He was also secretly hoping for a lucky find like Zoro discovering a sword similar to the cursed Kitetsu.
Upon entering, Eust noticed rows of neatly arranged swords and the shopkeeper’s unique face, which looked like a fox if one didn’t look closely.
Sunny was focused on eating cotton candy and didn’t notice much else. Otherwise, it would probably be meowing in confusion about the fox-faced shopkeeper.
The fox-faced shopkeeper said, “Welcome to the Fox Weapon Chain Store. How can I help you? All our weapons are top-quality. Remember our motto: Fox Products, Guaranteed Quality.”
Eust was a bit stunned. This shop seemed interesting and even had a chain operation.
“What’s this chain you mentioned?” Eust asked.
“Sir, our Fox Weapon Store isn’t just one shop; we have several branches. Look at the bottom right corner of the sign: Shields Town Branch. Although we currently have only five branches, our goal is to open stores on every island,” the shopkeeper explained.
“Oh, got it. I’m looking for a katana. Any recommendations?” Eust asked, while inwardly thinking the shopkeeper was quite a braggart.
“What are your requirements? We have various series of katanas, with the most popular being the Famous Blade Series, the Haki Series, and the Chosen Series.”
“Can you explain each series?”
“Of course. Over here, the Famous Blade Series are crafted by renowned blacksmiths, authenticated by Fox Weapons, priced fairly, with no deceit.”
“Here, the two rows are the Haki Series. These swords have unique designs, exuding dominance. We also have replicas of famous blades. Fox Weapons, each for 998 Beli, for showing off and flying high.”
“These three rows are the Chosen Series. These are love at first sight, all for 668 Beli. Take home your exclusive weapon. Fox Weapons, your regret-free choice.”
“This, this, this…” Eust was amazed by the sales pitch. “Can I unsheathe the swords to have a look?”
“Of course. Which one do you want to see?”
…
Eust checked out the Famous Blade Series and found them impressive but too expensive, with each costing over a million Beli. He couldn’t afford them, and even if he could, he couldn’t protect such an investment.
Next, he looked at the Haki Series, which seemed okay and somewhat lived up to their name. The prices were acceptable. But what was with the “high-quality replicas” of famous blades? He couldn’t trust this. He decided to pass.
Lastly, Eust examined the Chosen Series and found them to be a bunch of neglected weapons, many rusty and some nearly broken. Once again, he fell for a misleading title. He often fell for interesting titles, a habit he knew he needed to break.
In the end, Eust left the store disappointed, unable to find a suitable weapon. The idea of getting a great find at a shop seemed impossible; thinking the shopkeepers were fools was just unrealistic…
Losing interest in shopping, Eust returned to fishing, hoping to catch some rare fish and redeem his earlier boasts.
This would also provide lunch. Foodfoo had great food, but there was nothing like enjoying freshly grilled fish, choosing, catching, and eating them himself.
He could also make some extra money. Once he saved enough, he’d buy a ship and set sail. Marriage? That was a slip of the tongue—he meant sailing with enough money and strength.
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