Trader In The World Of Pirates!!!

"You won't regret this decision~"

Faced with Valmont's resolute answer, the mysterious woman nodded in satisfaction.

Though her face remained obscured behind the cat-shaped mask, everyone in the room could sense the smirk hidden beneath it.

Suddenly, an ancient parchment materialized in midair, covered in densely written script.

The woman extended her hand, and the parchment floated slowly toward Valmont.

"These are items of value in this world. Find them and bring them to me."

"In return, you can have everything you desire."

A thick purple mist swirled through the air.

In the haze, the mysterious woman's figure gradually faded—then vanished completely.

"Boss…"

Finn hesitated, stepping forward, but he wasn't sure what to say.

Valmont, who had just finished scanning the parchment's contents, slowly stood. Without looking up, he raised a hand, cutting Finn off before he could continue.

"Remember—do not mention this to the Holy Lord."

The room fell silent.

Finn and the other two exchanged glances. They were still trying to make sense of what had just happened. Unlike Valmont, they hadn't experienced the sudden flood of knowledge, leaving them with more questions than answers.

Yet, their unwavering loyalty to their leader prevailed.

"Understood."

Meanwhile—

Still within Valmont's office.

Unnoticed by anyone, a lounge chair had appeared in the corner of the room at some point.

Reclining on it casually, a mysterious woman sipped a cup of coffee, lazily wiping her face as she removed the cat mask.

It was her all along.

Robin—the dimensional merchant who had trailed Finn and his group to this hidden base.

The woman who had just spoken to Valmont?

Merely a shadow clone.

Robin smirked as she stretched, enjoying the perks of her ability. Of course, she had snatched this technique the moment it hit the market—how could she resist?

After all, between Jackie Chan, Uncle, and their limited manpower, she wasn't about to leave the collection of magical artifacts solely in their hands.

She had neither the time nor the patience.

And if today's events had proved anything, it was that Finn and his crew had potential.

That immortal Shadow Army alone was enough to confirm that they were connected to something far more powerful.

That was why she had followed them here.

But what she hadn't expected…

Was a double reward.

Robin had initially assumed that Valmont himself was the mysterious mage behind Finn and the others.

Yet, upon closer observation, she realized—

Valmont possessed no magic whatsoever.

Which meant…

The true mastermind was someone else.

Still, this revelation didn't hinder her plans. If anything, it made Valmont more intriguing.

His lack of magic didn't make him any less valuable in Robin's eyes—quite the opposite.

Having lived in darkness herself, she knew firsthand how much ambition it took to claw one's way to the top of the underworld.

It wasn't magic that made someone dangerous.

It was power. Influence. Strategy.

And Valmont had all three.

Given time, he could become just as valuable an ally as Jade.

Yes…

Robin had already decided—Valmont would be her next recruit for the dimensional trade network.

This world wasn't worth making her main base of operations.

But it was worth draining of every last drop of profit.

Once she had trained enough valuable subordinates, she would move on to the next world.

But before that…

She had to meet the Holy Lord Valmont had mentioned.

Robin's aura flared ever so slightly, her presence stretching outward.

In an instant, her awareness enveloped the entire manor.

Nothing could escape her perception now.

It didn't take long for her consciousness to lock onto the most secretive area in the entire estate—

A private chamber, situated right next to Valmont's office.

The real surprise, however, was something far more ridiculous.

Embedded within the wall, just a few steps away from Valmont's desk—

A secret mechanism.

Robin blinked.

All it took was a light press, and the wall would flip, revealing a hidden stone slab—one that clearly housed a soul.

Robin: ???

Was this the thing they weren't supposed to tell the Holy Lord about?

Because if they spoke just a little louder, the guy would hear everything they were plotting.

Through the wall.

Right there.

Robin turned her gaze back to Valmont and his subordinates, watching as they discussed how best to deceive the Holy Lord and abandon collecting talismans in favor of other valuable antiques.

She resisted the urge to sigh.

For the first time, she doubted her ability to read people.

Valmont… might not be the brightest.

With a flicker of movement invisible to the naked eye, Robin reappeared in the neighboring chamber.

A moment later, the dormant statue embedded in the wall trembled.

Its eyes snapped open.

Twin orbs of crimson light burned within the stone—

Awakened.

"It's not Valmont..."

"Who are you?"

Shendu's voice was low and hoarse.

"You appeared before me in an instant… Have you found the Rabbit Talisman?"

Rabbit Talisman? Robin mused.

So, the power of that talisman allows teleportation?

She was already well-versed in the significance of the twelve zodiac talismans, and it wasn't hard to deduce the Rabbit Talisman's ability.

But that wasn't the most pressing matter at hand.

Standing before the ancient statue that housed the Spirit Dragon's soul, Robin remained composed. She was dressed elegantly in a form-fitting purple cheongsam, her face still hidden behind a cat-shaped mask.

"Good morning, Your Majesty, Shendu."

"Who are you? How do you know my name? Did Valmont send you?"

Despite Robin's sudden appearance, Shendu remained unfazed—his tone carried only suspicion.

At the same time, flames began to flicker within the mouth of the stone dragon, gathering power.

It was clear—if Robin's response was unsatisfactory, she would be reduced to ashes in an instant.

But she didn't flinch.

"I'm sorry, but I don't know this Valmont you speak of."

Robin's expression was unreadable as she lied effortlessly.

"Allow me to introduce myself…"

"I am a dimensional merchant, traveling between worlds in search of valuable treasures."

"Upon arriving in this land of precious artifacts, I took notice of Your Excellency's extraordinary presence and wished to propose a trade."

"Dimension? World?"

A crimson glow flickered in Shendu's eyes.

As an ancient sorcerer, he understood far more than ordinary mortals. Though the concept of interdimensional trade was unfamiliar, it wasn't beyond his comprehension.

However, that didn't mean he was convinced.

"And how do you intend to prove your claims?" His voice was measured but sharp. "What exactly do I gain from this so-called deal?"

Robin's response was swift.

"Everything."

Then, she smiled beneath her mask.

"Of course, the authenticity of a transaction can only be proven once the exchange is complete."

She leaned in slightly, her tone teasing yet unwavering.

"So, Mr. Shendu, do you wish to conduct a dimensional trade with me?"

A tense silence filled the chamber.

Then—

A breath of scorching heat escaped the statue's dragon mouth.

Shendu's gaze burned with intrigue.

"Very well."

His voice carried both authority and anticipation.

"If you speak the truth, and there exists a world beyond this one…"

"Then show me the power of this 'other world'!"

Though his body remained confined within the statue, an overwhelming, ancient aura radiated from him—one befitting a being that once ruled an era.

Robin's eyes curved into a crescent smile behind her mask.

"As you wish."

With a snap of her fingers—

A vast flood of information and trade interfaces instantly loaded into Shendu's mind.

Within moments, Shendu found himself staring at the trade interface.

Displayed before him were all the assets he could currently offer—

Magic artifacts stored in his shadow dimension.

Ancient spells recorded throughout his centuries of existence.

And even…

The Black Shadow Ninjas he had once acquired by chance—listed as tradeable commodities.

Yet, despite the tempting array of potential exchanges, Shendu didn't rush into a deal.

Through the newly acquired trade knowledge, he understood that once he became a registered trader, he could continue accumulating and spending points freely.

So, instead of making a reckless decision, he carefully selected a portion of his assets for an initial trade—

To test the waters.

A few minutes later, the transaction was complete.

Though Shendu considered it a small-scale trade, the amount of points he received would have been enough to make countless traders in other worlds envious.

A device suddenly materialized in front of him—

A Rotom Phone, floating in midair, buzzing with energy.

Robin watched with mild amusement as Shendu processed the situation. Thanks to the knowledge embedded in his mind, he instinctively understood how to operate the device.

Yet, there was a problem.

He had no hands to use it.

But he had a solution.

A shadow ninja emerged from the darkness behind him, stepping forward to operate the device in his stead.

Seconds later, Shendu's trader information appeared on the Rotom Phone's screen.

[Shendu]

[VIP Level: 4]

[VIP Experience: 20,000 / 40,000]

[Current Points: 20,000]

Shendu's eyes flashed with renewed excitement.

"Twenty thousand points?!"

The red glow from his gaze intensified, illuminating the sharp claws of the statue—his only physically controllable feature.

Through the memories now accessible to him, he quickly realized—

20,000 points was a fortune.

With such wealth, he could exchange for numerous powerful artifacts and materials.

Even more impressive—his VIP Level was already 4!

That was exceptionally high for a first-time trader.

But then again…

Even in his current state, he was no ordinary being.

Though stripped of his former power, he had once ruled an empire of sorcery.

Even a fallen king still towered above mere mortals.

Of course he would start strong.

After careful thought, Shendu decided to follow the guidance embedded in his newly acquired knowledge. Using his trader's rights, he made a transaction request to the dimensional merchant.

For a brief moment, he set aside his usual arrogance and spoke with a rare hint of humility.

"Lord Dimensional Merchant… Can these 20,000 points help me lift my current seal?"

Robin's eyes gleamed thoughtfully. She studied Shendu from head to toe before gently shaking her head.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Shendu," she said calmly.

"Currently, there are no products in the VIP 4 member mall capable of lifting your seal."

She paused before adding matter-of-factly:

"While breaking the seal would only cost around 10,000 points, customized transactions like that are a privilege reserved for VIP Level 6 and above within the Transdimensional Chamber of Commerce."

Robin offered an apologetic shrug.

"Regrettably, I cannot break the Chamber's regulations."

"What!?"

Shendu's voice erupted into a thunderous roar, his excitement echoing through the chamber. But almost immediately, he caught himself, suppressing his excitement and lowering his tone.

"Then, may I ask, Lord Dimensional Merchant… How do I become a VIP 6 member?"

Robin's lips curled into an elegant smile.

"It's quite simple," she said smoothly.

"As long as your total redeemed points reach 100,000, you'll achieve VIP Level 6."

"One hundred thousand points?!"

Shendu's eyes widened in shock.

While 100,000 points didn't seem too excessive compared to the cost of breaking his seal, the realization of what it truly entailed made his expression darken.

In this trade alone, he had sacrificed half of his stored magical artifacts, half of his magical knowledge, and ten of his Black Shadow Ninjas.

He was extremely powerful, so these props were of no help at all.

Therefore, even if he lost half of them, Shendu would not feel too saddened, as he likely gained 5,000 points in return.

In other words, the total value of all the magical items he possessed amounted to 10,000 points.

And since magic memory would not cause him to truly forget magic, Shendu made up his mind and directly exchanged about half of his collection.

He redeemed approximately 10,000 points, representing all the magical knowledge he possessed, which was worth 20,000 points in total.

As for the Black Shadow Ninjas...

Because they were difficult to obtain and highly practical, he only exchanged one-tenth of them—ten ninjas in total.

Each Shadow Ninja could be exchanged for 500 points, and with a total of 100 Shadow Ninjas, even if he exchanged them all, he would only gain 50,000 points.

Shendu did the calculations in his mind before letting out a long, weary sigh.

"Less than Seventy thousand points..."

His expression grew somber.

"If I could reclaim all twelve talismans and trade them, that should be enough to reach 100,000 points…"

His gaze darkened.

"So, should I continue trading… or should I start collecting talismans?"

For a moment, Shendu fell into deep thought.

Just when he believed he was close to regaining his freedom, he realized he was still trapped—right back where he started.

But then—

Robin's voice suddenly cut through his thoughts.

"Tell me, Mr. Shendu… Are you merely seeking to break your seal, or do you simply wish to escape this stone body and regain some degree of freedom?"

Shendu's eyes flickered with renewed interest.

"That's right!" he responded immediately, his gaze sharpening.

Robin chuckled.

"If that's your only request… then with your current points balance, you can absolutely achieve it."

"...!!!"

"What did you just say!?"

Shendu's entire demeanor shifted.

His fiery red eyes flared, his breathing grew rapid, and from the statue's mouth, he unleashed a torrent of raging flames.

Any lesser being would have cowered in terror before the sheer intensity of his presence.

But Robin remained unfazed.

With a wave of her hand, she summoned a large-screen Rotom, which hovered before them.

A thought crossed her mind, and in an instant, several strange-looking fruits appeared on the display.

Her smile widened.

"Mr. Shendu, allow me to introduce…"

Robin gestured toward the screen, her voice dripping with intrigue.

"A wondrous item from the world of pirates—

The Zoan-class Devil Fruit!"