One Piece: It All Started When I Found Shanks' Arm

Chapter 21: A Bountiful Harvest

Late at night.

On a high slope north of Cherry Blossom Island, in a cemetery adjacent to the sea.

Shane, effortlessly carrying Sakuraba Itsuki's body on one shoulder, stepped through the cemetery gate. Junichi followed closely behind, biting his lip in silence.

"Where?"

"Over here, Boss." Junichi led Shane to a rather old grave. The name "Sakuraba Itsuki" was carved on the tombstone above it.

They dug open the grave. As expected, it was empty.

A desolate night wind blew through the cemetery. Cherry blossoms from a nearby tree fell, landing on the frail boy's shoulders.

Junichi squatted on the ground and suddenly burst into tears.

How he wished it had all been a dream—that the monster, so maddened it was beyond description, was not his father; that the real Sakuraba Itsuki had closed his eyes in peace long ago and was lying in this grave.

Shane watched quietly from the side.

There was no need for much comfort at a time like this; he just needed to give the other boy some time to vent his emotions. He could understand Junichi's feelings. The person he had admired and respected the most had suddenly become a crazed demon. Not everyone could bear such a blow.

He glanced back towards the city, a thoughtful look on his face.

Back in the dojo, after he had defeated the true "Carpenter," the few puppets that hadn't been fully transformed had slowly gotten up and regained consciousness. A large number of Marine soldiers from the branch base had also arrived, along with reporters who rushed over to film.

If they hadn't left, they would have become the center of a media storm. Shane hated that kind of trouble more than anything, so he took Sakuraba Itsuki's body, and he and Junichi left the city from the north, coming to this cemetery.

In any case, with all the witnesses and evidence at the scene, there was no fear of the truth being buried.

From now on, the legend of Sakuraba Itsuki on Cherry Blossom Island would likely change from that of the great swordsman who founded the kendo tournament to that of a psychopathic, murderous demon. Junichi's wish to revive the Sakuraba Dojo would probably also...

After an unknown amount of time, Junichi's emotions finally began to settle.

With Shane's help, he placed the body in the grave. He then took a few crumpled sakura candies from his pocket and silently sprinkled them over the body before covering the grave with soil again.

He kowtowed forcefully several times and, after one last deep look at the tombstone, followed Shane out of the cemetery.

Celestial Dragons, Marine Vice Admiral Stainless... The frail boy's fists quietly clenched.

After walking for a while.

"Did your family's old dojo or house have any kind of secret underground room?" Shane suddenly asked.

Junichi was taken aback. "Boss, why the sudden question?"

"I found this inside your father's body just now."

Shane took out a dark yellow wooden box, surprisingly shaped like a heart.

"This was his heart. I don't know if the Puppet-Puppet Fruit turned his heart into a cold block of wood, or if it was the heart that had long since grown cold that caused him to slowly turn into a real puppet."

Who could say for sure?

Junichi's expression was complicated. He didn't know how to respond. He then saw Shane open the wooden box, revealing an antique-looking key inside.

"A key hidden inside a heart. There must be something important behind the door," Shane said, patting his shoulder. "Let's go, let's find it."

Half an hour later.

Following Junichi's childhood memories, the two successfully found an extremely well-hidden underground passage beneath the old Sakuraba Dojo house. At the very end, a seemingly ordinary wooden door blocked their path.

Shane knocked on it with his fist and immediately felt something. "There's a thick steel plate sandwiched behind it. Without the key, I doubt few people in the entire East Blue could open it."

Without a doubt, this was the most important and secret place for Sakuraba Itsuki.

Using the key to open the door, the two stepped inside. After turning on the lights, they both subconsciously shielded their eyes. The small room was filled with shelves on all four sides, piled high with all sorts of glittering gold and silver treasures that nearly blinded them.

"Is this... my father's vault?" Junichi looked around blankly. "The billion-plus Belli he earned, was it all here?"

"Doesn't look like it. It doesn't seem to be that much," Shane said, shaking his head after a rough estimate. His attention was drawn to the things on the table.

It was piled high with ledgers, letters, and various maps and documents...

He pulled out a chair, sat down, and patiently read through everything. After a simple sorting, a complete plan for revenge instantly became clear.

"I have to say, your father's revenge plan actually had a slight chance of success," Shane said with some surprise.

The Puppet-Puppet Fruit's control limit was far greater than Sakuraba Itsuki had claimed, and its effective range was also much farther than Shane had thought. It even radiated hundreds of nautical miles from Cherry Blossom Island to the Layakott Kingdom.

About three years ago, using the allure of the kendo tournament, Sakuraba Itsuki had invited some local officials from the Layakott Kingdom to be guests on Cherry Blossom Island. He selected a dozen or so promising individuals from among them and planted his puppet strings. Then, through massive financial operations and casting a wide net, he cultivated these dozen officials into trusted ministers of the Layakott royal family.

Two of them, recommended by the royal family, had passed the World Government's selection a month ago and were about to be promoted to work as World Government employees at the Holy Land, Mary Geoise.

If this continued, he would eventually have a chance to get close to those two female Celestial Dragons.

It was because of this that Sakuraba Itsuki felt the time was right and was preparing to abandon his foundation on Cherry Blossom Island and head for the Sabaody Archipelago. That island was the closest point in the Grand Line to the Holy Land, a distance close enough for him to control the two puppets promoted to the World Government at any time.

"After several years of operation, he invested about six to seven hundred million Belli, and it finally bore fruit."

Shane tossed the letter back. "The remaining funds are about five hundred million plus. There's over a hundred million here, and the remaining four hundred million Belli is in a bank vault in Loguetown. The vault key and identification card are right here."

"Which is to say, Junichi," Shane looked up with a grin, "you are now a genuine multi-hundred-millionaire."

"Don't joke around, Boss," Junichi shook his head decisively. "His money is all dirty money. I won't inherit it. That man has nothing to do with me now! If anything, this money should be yours, Boss!"

"Mine?"

Shane was slightly taken aback.

"Isn't that a matter of course?" Junichi said seriously. "The evil spirit that occupied my father's body was defeated entirely thanks to you. You were the one who found the key. Aren't these naturally your spoils of war?"

That actually seems to be the case...

Shane didn't have Junichi's moral scruples, but... Really? All this money is mine?

He had initially only been after the five-million-Belli prize for winning the tournament. But then all seven dojo masters died, and he didn't even know who to collect the prize from. Now, that five million had multiplied over a hundred times to become six hundred million Belli? He had become a super-rich tycoon just like that.

"Taking all six hundred million Belli doesn't feel right," Shane ultimately shook his head, recalling the bodies in the dojo. "Besides, as for the things in this room, the cash is easy to carry, but the rest is too bulky. The two of us can't take it all."

"We could leave it here for now and come back for it later?" Junichi suggested, a bit dazed. "No one can open this place anyway, right?"

"No, I only need to take the four hundred million from the bank vault. I counted the cash in this secret room; it's over a million. I can take that too. As for the remaining hundred million-plus in treasure, let's leave it as compensation for the victims."

Shane picked up a pen and paper and began to write furiously.

"We'll clear out everything related to the revenge plan in here later, especially anything concerning the Celestial Dragons. As for the remaining treasure..." He turned to look at Junichi. "Are there any trustworthy figures among the island's upper class?"

"There are," Junichi said after some serious thought. "The former honorary president of the Kendo Guild, old Mr. Azzy, is one. He has been incorruptible his whole life, has a stubborn temper, and is also very strong. He has spent most of his fortune helping children from poor families. Everyone respects him. Before my father became... like that, he had always treated him as a teacher for decades."

"Besides Mr. Azzy, there are a few others, but their prestige is far less..."

"Then let old Mr. Azzy supervise. Also, make several copies at a print shop and inform a few of the most trustworthy people about the treasure vault. Don't give it to anyone you have even the slightest doubt about. Ensure that these treasures are distributed to the victims' families as much as possible."

"Alright, done! Let's start clearing out the letters."

After putting the notice away in his pocket, Shane began to clean out the secret-filled room with Junichi, making sure nothing was missed.

As they were cleaning, Shane's eyebrow suddenly twitched. His gaze fell on a particular shelf. In this compartment, there was only a single, plain-looking sword scabbard, which seemed a bit strange. Next to it was a photo clipped from a newspaper. In the photo, a middle-aged, bearded man in a white "Justice" coat was smiling at the camera.

Could this scabbard be...

Shane instantly realized something. He glanced back and, after confirming Junichi wasn't looking, grabbed the scabbard and initiated the sacrifice.

As expected.

The next moment, the scabbard vanished without a trace, and the system panel appeared before his eyes.

[Sacrifice: Stainless's Sword Scabbard]

[Quality: Epic]

[Value: 600 Points]

[Appraisal: The original scabbard for "Winter Rain," one of the 50 Skillful Grade Swords. It was lost to the sea five years ago when the struggling Sakuraba Itsuki grabbed it. Marine Vice Admiral Stainless often feels regret and sorrow over its loss.]