Chapter 50: Heading to Loguetown**

Onboard the Fearless, Kiba was admiring the wanted poster in his hand.

"I've become a pirate with a bounty of over ten million now."

Paul, standing nearby, smiled, though his eyes betrayed a hint of reluctance.

He knew that their leader was about to set off on a long journey, and the Fearless would soon be handed over to him, the vice-captain, to manage. The cyborg, Jack, would serve as his right-hand man.

Looking at the young man with a determined expression, Kiba thought for a moment before speaking, “While I'm gone, make sure you use your time wisely to improve your strength. If you’re willing, I can point you in the right direction.”

“Boss, whatever you say, I’ll follow.”

Patting Paul on the shoulder, Kiba finally shared his idea. “Head to Shimotsuki Village and seek out a master named Shimotsuki Koushirou to train in swordsmanship.”

“I understand.” Though puzzled, Paul chose to trust his leader.

“Remember, only strength is truth. The cries of the weak earn no sympathy on this sea.”

“Yes, I’ll remember.”

Kiba had given Paul these instructions because he had just completed the second main quest.

The final quest, “The Pirate King’s Relic,” had been issued, requiring him to travel alone to Loguetown without any story characters.

*[Main Quest: Bounty (Completed)]*

*[You have earned 300 Story Points]*

*[You have acquired the Admiral’s Pocket Watch (Valuable)]*

*[Main Quest: The Pirate King’s Relic (Unlocked)]*

*[Quest Overview: You’ve received information that the Pirate King’s relic is hidden in Loguetown.]*

*[Quest Requirements: Travel to Loguetown alone and confirm the details of the relic within one week.]*

*Admiral’s Pocket Watch:* A valuable item that can increase a story character's favorability when gifted, or be sold to the space for 200 Story Points.

Kiba didn’t need the 200 Story Points right now, so he decided not to sell it. Who knows when he might need to give a gift in the future?

Looking at the distant Loguetown, Kiba waved his hand, signaling that there was no need for a send-off.

He instructed the Fearless to depart on its own, then called the onmyoji lady resting in the cabin, and the two of them set off on a small raft toward the distant island.

Loguetown, known as the "Town of the Beginning and the End," is located near the entrance to the Grand Line.

The former Pirate King, Gol D. Roger, was born in Loguetown and was executed there by the Navy.

His final words ignited the Great Pirate Era, and for that reason, many pirates view this place as a holy land.

After docking the small raft at Loguetown’s harbor, Kiba immediately noticed the triangular arch with the words “Logue Town” clearly written on it.

The street ahead was lined with various shops, crowded with people, almost giving the feel of returning to a modern city.

“Stay alert,” the onmyoji lady warned as she cautiously scanned the surroundings. “According to the pattern, the final mission usually involves competition between opposing camps. Enemies could appear at any time.”

Kiba nodded slightly and followed her down a secluded path, his mind occupied with thoughts of the so-called Pirate King’s relic.

Relic—a very ambiguous term, impossible to define clearly.

Treasure doesn’t always mean gold and jewels; everyone’s understanding of it is different.

Some might think that the One Piece is the Pirate King’s relic, but it could just as likely be a compass that Roger cherished, something equally precious to the Pirate King.

Kiba suspected that the main quest didn’t have a fixed answer, and that Roger’s relics might be more numerous than imagined. Otherwise, how could so many Reincarnators get a share?

His guess was soon confirmed.

When he spotted the gunner, Vincenzo, he realized that the Silver Fox Squad had already arrived in Loguetown.

After briefly explaining their past grievances, Kiba had intended to avoid showing himself. However, to his surprise, the other party walked directly toward him.

“Don’t be nervous,” Vincenzo said, waving his hand and pointing to a café across the street. “The boss is waiting for you over there, along with the other Reincarnators from the pirate camp.”

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After sensing for a moment, Kiba realized that the other party wasn’t lying. There were indeed several familiar presences in the café—Reincarnators he had seen when they first entered this world.

Considering the upcoming mission, it didn’t seem strange for the pirate faction to gather together.

Even though he understood this, Kiba still didn’t move a step, quietly observing the gunner before him.

“Tch, so cautious.” Seeing this, Vincenzo understood that Kiba never trusted them from the start.

With no trust between them, the idea of cooperation was a joke. Often, the most dangerous threat comes from the knives at your side. In that case, it might be better if everyone went their own way.

*[Reincarnator #11026 has sent you a non-aggression pact]*

Glancing at the gunner in front of him, Kiba opened the contract to review its contents. The requirements were simple: Reincarnators who signed the contract could not attack each other during the remaining time.

With this, there was at least a foundation for cooperation among those in the same faction. The only issue was that signing the contract required a payment of 100 Story Points to the other party.

Knowing that her companion was still a newbie, Ryuna leaned in and explained softly, “To create this contract, you need to pay 20 Merit Points to the Space.”

Hearing this, Kiba understood the meaning behind the fee.

There’s no such thing as a free lunch. If you want to focus entirely on dealing with enemies, you need to spend some “money” to sign the contract. This way, at least you don’t have to worry about getting stabbed in the back.

Considering the substantial cost in Merit Points, Kiba decided it was worth spending 100 Story Points to buy some peace of mind. He was curious, though—what rank does one need to unlock the Reincarnator contract?

After the contract was signed, Vincenzo visibly relaxed. Following the gunner, Kiba finally asked the question that had been on his mind.

“To unlock contract privileges, you need to reach at least the rank of Warrant Officer.”

At this point, Ryuna paused briefly before continuing, “It’s not just contracts between Reincarnators. You can also use Merit Points to sign contracts with summoned creatures. The same applies when converting them into followers.”

“Is it really that versatile?” Kiba, intrigued, couldn’t help but ask, “For example, how many Merit Points would it take to contract your Karasu Tengu?”

“Forty,” Ryuna replied, the number startling Kiba. He hadn’t expected that just signing a contract would cost so many Merit Points.

What about a forced contract?

“Eighty.” That was the number the onmyoji lady gave.

And that was just for a Karasu Tengu-level shikigami. For more powerful summoned creatures, the required Merit Points would be unimaginable.

No wonder people say you can never have enough Merit Points—this thing is far more valuable than he had imagined.

Looking at his own stats panel, Kiba knew he wouldn’t be able to use such methods anytime soon. But that made sense—this was only his second story world, so it was natural that his rank couldn’t compare to those of more seasoned Reincarnators.

After going through six or seven worlds, he’d likely be able to explore all sorts of interesting Merit Point privileges.

Soon, the three of them arrived at the café at the entrance of Loguetown. As they pushed the door open and entered, Kiba immediately spotted the leader of the Silver Fox Squad, Kyousan, holding his Zanpakutō.

“You finally made it.” Kyousan stood up with a smile, as if the previous unpleasantness had already been forgotten.

Of course, Kiba wasn’t that naive. They were now allies due to shared interests, and any past conflicts paled in comparison to the mission at hand.

However, once the mission was over, if they encountered the Silver Fox Squad again, it would inevitably be a life-and-death struggle.

Nodding slightly at the man, Kiba glanced at the others in the room.

Compared to when they first entered the pirate world, the number of Reincarnators had significantly decreased. Even with many choosing to join the Navy faction, it was surprising that only thirteen of them were left.

Sensing his confusion, Kyousan casually explained, “Not everyone is as lucky as you, getting to join the famous Black Cat Pirates. Most people have been barely scraping by under the Navy’s relentless pursuit.”

It sounded pitiful, but Kiba didn’t care. He casually found a seat and sat down.

As for the others present, when they heard that the man before them was Jason, the notorious Black Cat Pirate with a bounty of 12 million, they couldn’t help but look at him with curiosity and intrigue.

After waiting a short while, seeing that no one else had arrived, Kyousan began to explain the current situation.

As Kiba had guessed, the Silver Fox Squad believed there were many ways to complete the mission. Finding even a towel once used by the Pirate King could count as completing the mission.

However, if you try to outsmart the Space, the Space will play tricks on you in return. Taking shortcuts would lead to a significant drop in mission evaluation, making it impossible to earn high attribute point rewards.

“To ensure our mission evaluation isn’t affected, we need to conduct thorough research and strive to find the most valuable relic.”

But don’t forget, there are still Navy Reincarnators in Loguetown watching us closely. The mission’s danger level might be higher than we imagined, which is why the Silver Fox Squad took the initiative to request a non-aggression pact.

Initially, everyone thought they were here to discuss specific strategies, but Kyousan suddenly changed the topic, bringing the faction battle to the forefront.

“I’ve met with the Sound Nest Squad. I learned that the Navy faction has also suffered heavy losses. None of us want to keep fighting over a few Merit Points, so we signed an agreement.”

Kyousan’s gaze swept across the room as he spoke in a deep voice, “As usual, we’ve decided to use a tournament-style battle to determine who gets the mission.”

Upon hearing this, Kiba noticed the sound of someone taking a sharp breath.

As a complete newcomer, he could only look to the onmyoji lady for help.

Seeing this, Ryuna smiled wryly and began explaining some of the unspoken rules of the Reincarnation Space.

“This so-called tournament-style battle…”

(End of Chapter)

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