Chapter 5: Players Obtain New Clues
When a monster-type spider dies, it will randomly drop three items: [Spider Silk], [Glands], and [Monster Meat].
Spider silk is an important material for crafting various equipment and buildings. Glands can be used directly to replenish a small amount of health, or they can be combined with other materials to create healing ointments.
As for the [monster meat]... Violet and Shanks put their heads together to observe the monster meat that Violet was holding up with a coconut leaf. It was covered in black hair and sharp barbs, and its overall color was dark purple.
Shanks: "That's amazing. Why do those spiders turn into these things as soon as you touch them?"
Shanks: "Huh—what a strange color. Is this really edible?"
Violet wasn't too sure either, but since the material appeared in the game, it must be usable. Just like the red mushrooms, although they are poisonous whether eaten raw or cooked, Violet firmly believed that there must be some way to cook them into delicious dishes.
Without batting an eye, Violet stuffed the monster meat into her pocket: "You can give it a try."
Shanks' gaze followed Violet's movements: "By the way, where did you buy this outfit? The pockets are so big, it's really convenient."
After Shanks finished speaking, he reached out and touched the spear that Violet had put aside: "Your weapon... Pfft, isn't this just a wooden stick with a stone tied to it with straw rope? Haha, this is too funny!"
Wiel, feeling mocked, stood up angrily: "I'll be able to unlock even more powerful weapons soon!"
"Haha, that's quite impressive, Violet. You'd better keep it up."
Shanks chuckled as he stood up and ruffled Violet's smooth black hair, clearly speaking in a tone meant to appease a child. This infuriated Violet, who immediately grabbed her spear and attacked him.
"Wow, you're doing a pretty good job, Violet."
Shanks easily dodged Val's attack by placing one hand on Griffin.
[Eye Gun]
[Description: A strange, stick-shaped object with a movable eyeball; a random item dropped by swamp mudskippers]
[Damage 20, inflicts 5-second stun]
Valerie pulled an eye gun from her pocket and blew it at Shanks, who was laughing heartily.
Shanks: "Ah!"
Shanks looked at the small blowgun stuck in the back of his hand. For someone with such high health, losing 20 health points was nothing. But the stun attribute of the Eye Gun surprised Shanks, who found himself unable to move!
He saw the black-haired girl put down the strange weapon, walk towards him expressionlessly, take out a piece of monster meat from her pocket—the same piece they had just been discussing whether it was edible—and stuff it directly into his mouth.
Shanks: "Waaah!"
Shanks choked, his eyes rolling back, and an exaggerated bulge appeared on his neck, disappearing with a difficult swallowing sound.
Shanks ate monster meat.
[Shanks's Hunger +18, Health -20, Sanity -15]
Shanks: "Help! I feel like all that fur is stuck in my throat!"
Watching Shanks rush out to find water, Vale confirmed that monster meat was indeed not safe to eat directly.
"Alright, you two, stop playing around." Beckman looked up at the sky. "It's getting dark soon, time to go back."
Violet glanced at the time on the panel. Judging from the time it took them to get there, they definitely wouldn't be able to get back to the campfire before nightfall.
However, Violet collected a lot of branches and grass during this side quest, so she no longer needs to worry about the resources consumed by torches.
Yasopp looked at Violet, who was holding a torch and had a serious expression, with some surprise: "Velo, are you afraid of the dark? Come closer to me, nothing will happen."
Violet looked at the length of the group and the size of the members, and felt that one torch could not provide enough light to cover everyone.
Once someone falls into darkness, their sanity drops at an alarming rate until shadow creatures appear and take their lives. Until players can create weapons that deal magical damage, they are virtually helpless against shadow creatures.
So Violet made another torch and gave it to Beckman, who seemed the most reliable member of the team.
Beckman, with one hand in his pocket, took the torch from the little girl—honestly, wasn't she a bit too skilled at making these things—and looked down at her.
“You must keep a close eye on it,” Violet instructed. “Everyone must stay within the light at all times.”
Looking at Vera's exquisite, doll-like face illuminated by the torchlight, Beckman bit his unlit cigarette.
Why do you say that?
"There are monsters in the darkness."
Yasopp stepped forward and patted Vera's head reassuringly: "You mean the wild animals in the jungle? Don't be afraid, little Vera, we will protect you."
Lu chimed in from the side, "Yeah, yeah, Violet, don't let Yasopp's weak performance fool you, he's actually pretty strong."
Yasopp and the others all thought that Vera was afraid of the wild animals living on the island, but Beckman, after recalling Vera's behavior along the way, nodded seriously.
"I will keep an eye on it."
Darkness descended quickly, and the Red-Haired Pirates shielded Violet in the center of their group. Yasopp walked alongside her, and the star-patterned cape that had been draped over his back was now removed and draped over Violet, making her look like a walking gift box from behind.
The torch in Violet's hand was taken by Yasopp, and the torches in his and Beckman's hands enveloped the entire procession in light.
"roar--"
Shanks, who had been walking behind Violet with a grin, trying to step on her cloak that was dragging on the ground, suddenly looked up and stared seriously at the dark forest not far away.
"Beckman?"
"Um."
Beckman nodded, indicating that he and Shanks had made the same discovery.
The little girl was right; after nightfall, strange things did indeed appear out of thin air in the darkness.
Shanks touched the straw hat on his back: "Can't detect it with Observation Haki? Interesting."
"Heh." It seems the earthquake brought changes to the New World far beyond just altering the terrain. "Vell knows about those monsters."
“Well, Violet might have already been living on this island for a few days before we arrived,” Shanks remarked. “It must have been quite an ordeal.”
Shanks: "What do you think about me inviting Violet to join the Red-Haired Pirates? She's really interesting."
Beckman: "Oh, is monster meat tasty?"
Shanks, who had finally forgotten about the strange taste, felt a fuzzy feeling in his throat again after Beckman reminded him of it.
"Beckman!!"
——
When the group returned to the beach, the imposing dragon-headed ship had already anchored and docked at the shore. The NPC in charge of odd jobs, with a name that sounded careless like "[Pirate No. 1]", had tidied up a place on the beach suitable for the officers to rest.
Hongo took the collected herbs and went ahead to the ship's medical room to prepare a potion to remove the odor from Shanks.
Noticing Vale's gaze fixed on the ship, Shanks walked to Vale's side and casually draped his arm over her shoulder, using her as a cane.
"How about it? Isn't my Red Fox cool?"
How infuriating! I'm so jealous. The NPCs have such much better equipment than the players, and this game doesn't even have a robbery option!
"I'll have a ship even cooler than yours someday!"
"Wow, is Violet going to be a pirate too?"
"Pirates?" Violet shook off Shanks' arm and looked back in confusion. "Of course not."
"I love farming!"
She opened her arms to the sea breeze and said, "Sooner or later, I will sail my boat and plant seaweed all over this world!"
"...Impressive momentum." Shanks the Seal clapped. "But why plant seaweed?"
“Hmm…” Violet thought for a moment, “Raising fish is also an option.”
Shanks nodded in agreement, looking like a promising student: "Right? I think fish tastes better."
"By the way, Violet, have you ever eaten a sea monster? There have been more sea monsters appearing on the surface lately. If you have the chance, could you catch one to help us get through the sea..."
Beckman: "Hey Shanks, Val, stop talking and come eat!"
Shanks and Vale both shrank back and obediently walked to where the officers were sitting.
Shanks looked around: "Why isn't there any alcohol?"
"A lot of supplies on the island have mysteriously disappeared for some reason." Yasopp shrugged. While the officers went to the swamp to look for herbs, the other pirates in the Red-Haired Pirates were responsible for docking the ships, setting up the temporary camp, and moving fresh water and food. "But there's an empty box there that we've never seen before."
Yasopp kicked the wooden box at his feet.
Vera: "Huh, this treasure chest didn't disappear?"
Shanks looked at Violet: "Have you seen this box before?"
Violet: "Yes, [Pirate Treasure Chest], that's what I came to this island to find."
Lu took a bite of the roasted meat: "So you took the things from the box, Violet?"
“Yes, I put it in my pocket or backpack.” Violet was completely unaware of the sudden tension in the atmosphere and sat down next to Yasopp without any hesitation.
Violet's behavior left Yasopp, who had initially intended to intimidate her, at a loss for words: "Ville, do you remember what I told you about our identities?"
"Of course, the Red-Haired Pirates." It was still written on the quest panel, but speaking of the quest panel, Violet suddenly remembered that the NPC in front of her hadn't settled her account yet.
"Where's my mission reward?"
Beckman looked down at Vera, his voice icy: "You stole the pirates' treasure, and you still dare to ask us for things?"
"What? There's no reward for this mission?" Vera's eyes widened in disbelief. "Does this mean we have to fight and defeat you to get the reward?"
Violet looked up at Beckman: "Are you going to become a red-named monster?"
“I don’t understand a word you’re saying, Violet.” Shanks squeezed between Violet and Yasopp and handed her a skewer of grilled meat. “Lu’s cooking is really good, have a taste.”
"Shanks." Beckman glared at Shanks. Violet had no sense of vigilance towards pirates. Although the Red-Haired Pirates wouldn't get angry over such a small matter, Violet actually didn't lie after taking their things and just admitted it so readily?
It should make her realize that most pirates in this world are very dangerous.
"Hey Beckman, don't be so nervous." Shanks grinned as he watched Violet munching on her grilled meat. "We're friends now, aren't we?"
Violet coldly denied it: "No."
"Huh?!" Shanks leaned close to Violet, his handsome face showing a pitiful and foolish expression, like an abandoned puppy. "Why?"
"I don't make friends with stingy NPCs who don't give quest rewards."
"What's an NPC? I've only ever heard of government departments like CP..." Shanks muttered under his breath. "Besides, didn't you take our stuff?"
Shanks: "Alright, Valerie, what do you want?"
What? You can actually ask for this yourself?
Violet no longer thinks Shanks' expression is stupid. Can it be called stupid? It's called innocent, natural, unrestrained, and carefree. It's called an uncorrupted childlike heart!
"Can I unlock a new character?" This blank character is so boring.
"……ah?"
"If that doesn't work, can you tell me where the Resurrection Stone is?"
"...I don't understand what you're saying at all, Violet. Let Hongo take a look at your head later."
Violet felt lost for a few seconds, then remembered the [Abigail's Flower Blueprint] she had found in the treasure chest.
"Shanks, do you know where the undead are?"
"Undead?" Shanks recalled for a moment, "I remember Big Mom, Charlotte Linlin's abilities seem to be related to souls?"
Beckman added, "Her ability is the Soul-Soul Fruit, which allows her to extract other people's souls."
Soul? If the person whose soul has been extracted dies, then they can be called a ghost, right?
Seeing that Violet was getting restless, Beckman warned, "BIG MOM is unpredictable and a very dangerous guy."
"Her sphere of influence is the entire world, and the 'ministers' on any island there are invincible to you."
Oh, I see. We can't engage in combat; we have to stealth.
A note from the author:
----------------------
Beckman: You're dead if you're found out.
Violet: Stealth, stealth, I'm best at stealth!
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