West Sea.
Luoxia Island.
An unremarkable island, named for the beautiful sunset glow it cast on the harbor and itself when the sun went down.
Departing from the Xuanwu Navy base, after ten days, Benedict and Sakata Gintoki, disguised as merchant ships with some cargo, easily defeated many pirates who attempted to rob them along the way and arrived at Luoxia Island.
Now, they needed to resupply food and fresh water from this island.
"Phew, the beer here is really good, so refreshing."
After downing a large mug of ice-cold, frothy beer in one go, Sakata Gintoki exclaimed in admiration.
To reach the West Sea safely and easily, Benedict and Sakata Gintoki had put on simple disguises. Not being recognized made things much easier.
"It's indeed good," Benedict agreed, then added, "However, I think white spirit is even more satisfying."
The owner, while wiping a mug, heard Benedict and said with a smile, "White spirit is a very strong liquor, the kind a true man should drink."
"But it's expensive. They say it's a creation of the Xuanwu Navy, which has been causing a stir recently."
"A remarkable invention. Many pirates love this liquor now, but unfortunately, white spirit can only be easily found in the East Sea. It's rare to encounter it here."
"It's very popular, and a bottle of white spirit has been driven up to fifty thousand Beli in the black market."
Hearing the owner's words, Benedict felt satisfied but also a little regretful.
The production of white spirit could not yet be scaled up, due to issues with grain.
War and pirates had made the world no longer peaceful, and the common people could not live and work in peace.
This was because pirates could storm their homes at any time, plundering or destroying their economic crops, or even killing their family and friends.
Under such conditions, grain was very important.
Brewing white spirit required a large amount of grain.
Therefore, achieving larger-scale brewing in a short period had become a challenge.
Furthermore, how could the World Government, which viewed the Xuanwu Navy as a thorn in its side, allow the Xuanwu Navy's white spirit to prosper?
"Boss, you have good taste!"
Sakata Gintoki looked at the owner, gave him a thumbs-up, and asked with a smile, "Boss, do you have any white spirit here?"
"I'd like to try some too," the owner swallowed, full of anticipation.
Seeing the owner's expression, Sakata Gintoki smiled.
*Ding-a-ling!*
The doorbell chimed, and a woman in a black cloak entered.
"A glass of whiskey, extra ice!"
Her voice was somewhat crisp but also carried a hint of weariness.
Benedict subconsciously glanced at the woman. She sat in a corner, her head bowed, her hand resting on the shotgun at her waist, appearing somewhat tense.
However, in the tavern at that moment, besides the two of them, she was the only other customer.
"Your whiskey with extra ice, please enjoy." The owner placed the drink in front of her and then returned to his work of wiping mugs.
The woman grabbed the glass and began to drink greedily.
As she tilted her head back, her hood slipped off, revealing a beautiful face to everyone.
Silver-white hair, skin tanned by prolonged exposure to the sun while out and about, and even from the side, her determined gaze was evident.
"What a beautiful woman," Sakata Gintoki remarked, appraising the woman's looks and figure. Especially with her silver-white hair, he couldn't help but feel intrigued.
Seeing her face, Benedict immediately recognized who this woman was.
Nico Olivia, the archaeologist from Ohara, who should be about six years old now, and the mother of Nico Robin.
As a mother, Nico Olivia was certainly not a qualified one, but in terms of historical significance, she was a great figure.
Unfortunately, in the original storyline, she had died, leaving Nico Robin without her only family member.
Nico Olivia heard Sakata Gintoki's words and cast a glance in his direction, her vigilance increasing slightly.
Benedict met her gaze and offered a friendly smile.
"Hello, can we get to know each other?" Sakata Gintoki approached Nico Olivia, his face slightly flushed.
Nico Olivia was somewhat taken aback by Sakata Gintoki's approach.
However, Nico Olivia was well aware of her current situation, so she paid for her drink and turned to leave.
Sakata Gintoki felt a bit awkward at Nico Olivia's behavior.
"Are women so proud these days?" Sakata Gintoki said somewhat sheepishly.
"She's a married woman, she wouldn't be interested in a pretty boy like you," Benedict said with a chuckle.
"How do you know she's married?" Sakata Gintoki retorted, unwilling to concede.
"You'll find out later," Benedict replied with a playful smile.
Seeing Benedict's smile, Sakata Gintoki suddenly felt that what Benedict said might be true.
"Quick, grab her!"
"Don't let her get away."
*Bang! Bang! Bang!*
Just as Sakata Gintoki was wondering, gunshots and chaotic shouts erupted.
Nico Olivia, who had already left the tavern, felt unlucky.
Walking discreetly down the street with her head lowered, she hadn't expected to be discovered by the pursuing Marines.
"What's going on?" Sakata Gintoki looked at Nico Olivia, who was running past in a flash, with surprise.
As he spoke, he saw Marines with guns chasing after her.
"As expected," Benedict mused, recalling the system's prompt.
In the original work, Nico Olivia and some scholars from Ohara were indeed under surveillance and some were captured, but the timeline was definitely not this early.
So, it had accelerated.
And with the mission countdown now at twenty days, the Buster Call could be initiated against Ohara at any time.
"Nico Olivia, you are under arrest."
Nico Olivia ran through the narrow alley, but being an ordinary person, despite her experiences, she appeared too weak in front of the Marines this time.
A Lieutenant Commander, with a cigarette dangling from his lips and wielding a samurai sword, used the Marine Rokushiki technique, Sky Walk, to pursue her in the air and block her path.
Nico Olivia's face changed drastically, especially as her escape route was also blocked by the pursuing Marines.
Nico Olivia bit her red lip heavily, drew her shotgun, and charged at the Lieutenant Commander, firing repeatedly.
Unfortunately, all of Nico Olivia's attacks were dodged by her opponent, who then closed in on her.
"Yo yo yo, such brave resistance."
The Lieutenant Commander appeared behind Nico Olivia and unleashed a sweeping kick.
The immense power was delivered to Nico Olivia without any mercy.
While verbally stating arrest, the force behind it was clearly intended to kill Nico Olivia.
"Get lost!"
A figure suddenly smashed through the wall, a massive fist descending towards the Lieutenant Commander, accompanied by a low growl.