Mia nodded, then immediately shook her head.
In the Terminal, one thing was scarcest of all—food. The outcasts who survived by scavenging rather than producing lived perpetually on the brink of starvation.
Su Xiao pulled out several compressed biscuits from his coat—emergency rations he always carried.
He had already observed that a forest lay beyond the Terminal. With a gun in hand, food wouldn't be an issue.
Mia timidly accepted a biscuit, eyeing it with curiosity—she had never seen anything like it.
Under Su Xiao's instruction, she peeled open the wrapper and took a cautious bite.
"It's… delicious!"
The girl, who had gone hungry all day, devoured the biscuit ravenously.
"Your name's Mia, right? Lead me out of here, and the rest of these are yours."
Mia stared fixedly at the remaining biscuits in Su Xiao's hand, swallowing hard.
"Okay… but you can't hurt me."
Su Xiao didn't respond. Instead, he climbed out of the dilapidated shack, with Mia—now somewhat recovered—following close behind.
"Where are you going? You're not from the Terminal, are you?"
Su Xiao suddenly halted, his gaze turning icy. He threw one of the biscuits to the ground and crushed it underfoot.
"Take me out of here. Don't ask questions."
Had Mia shown even a hint of suspicion, the gun in Su Xiao's hand would have been pressed against her forehead.
The girl flinched, stumbling back a few steps.
"O-okay."
Too frightened to speak further, Mia hurried ahead.
"Bring me to the entrance of the Kingdom of Goa."
Su Xiao remained vigilant, scanning their surroundings. Occasionally, he spotted outcasts with predatory glints in their eyes—though their greed vanished the moment they noticed his firearm.
Recalling details from the anime, he began formulating his next move.
The so-called Terminal was essentially a massive landfill. The Kingdom of Goa had dumped its refuse here for years, creating this nightmarish landscape.
The savage outcasts had once been ordinary citizens—exiled here for serious crimes or crossing the nobility.
Toxic fumes from rotting waste permeated the air, slowly poisoning everyone in the Terminal.
Su Xiao's health had already dropped from 100% to 98%—a tangible effect of the environment.
No doctors. No food. Just crime, disease, and the law of the jungle.
With Mia guiding him, Su Xiao soon reached the edge of the Terminal, where a towering stone wall loomed. A small gate stood in the distance—the entrance to Goa.
"This is as far as I can take you. The Kingdom's laws forbid outcasts from entering. Anyone caught gets executed."
Though speaking to Su Xiao, Mia's eyes remained locked on the remaining biscuits.
Tossing them to her, Su Xiao dismissed the girl. She scurried away—her help had been purely transactional, motivated by hunger and nothing more.
The side gate of Goa stood open, flanked by several guards.
This entrance existed solely for garbage disposal.
Though the guards appeared lazy, their eyes occasionally flashed with lethal sharpness. These men had undoubtedly killed before—slaughtering outcasts who dared approach the city.
Su Xiao hid nearby, biding his time.
A direct confrontation was out of the question. The physical prowess of One Piece's inhabitants was extraordinary—even Mia had recovered from his strike alarmingly fast.
He estimated the guards' attributes far surpassed 10 points, possibly even higher.
One hour passed. Then two. By the third, the midday sun blazed overhead, and Su Xiao's opportunity finally arrived.
A waste cart emerged from the city, reeking of decay. The guards didn't bother inspecting it—instead, they recoiled in disgust.
"Sirs, would you like to check the cargo?"
The driver stopped, his tone submissive.
"Just get lost! You stink!"
Waving him off impatiently, the guards didn't even glance at the cart.
Spotting this, Su Xiao's eyes narrowed. He swiftly tailed the vehicle as it ventured deeper into the trash mountains.
Once the cart reached a clearing, the driver began dumping the refuse. The formerly meek man now carried a dagger at his waist—proof that only the strong survived in the Terminal.
Lighting a cigarette to mask the stench, the driver started scrubbing the filthy cart.
As he worked up a sweat, Su Xiao approached like a stalking panther—until a half-crushed glass beneath his foot betrayed him.
"Crack."
The driver spun around, dagger already drawn.
Su Xiao cursed inwardly. The uneven trash made stealth nearly impossible—every step risked noise.
But retreat wasn't an option. He lunged forward.
The driver—clearly no stranger to violence—stabbed straight for Su Xiao's throat.
That murderous glare erased any hesitation.
In this world, mercy equaled suicide.
Su Xiao raised the flintlock and aimed between the man's eyes.
Most people would freeze at gunpoint. Not this driver—he charged faster.
Without flinching, Su Xiao pulled the trigger.
The hammer struck flint. Sparks ignited the gunpowder.
"BANG!"
Smoke erupted as the lead ball pierced the driver's skull, flinging him backward. Two convulsions, then stillness.
[Notice: You have killed a Black Market Merchant.]
[Your innate talent 'Soul Devourer' has activated. Permanently increased Mana by 5. Current Mana: 65.]
[You have obtained Treasure Chest (White).]
[First kill achieved. Inventory Space unlocked (2 cubic meters). Can be expanded with Paradise Coins upon return.]
The notifications revealed the truth—this wasn't just a driver, but a black-market trader using the cart as cover.
Above the corpse floated a palm-sized white chest. Though small, its weight surprised Su Xiao.
[Treasure Chest (White). Open: Yes/No?]
He chose No. Storing both the chest and the [Worn Flintlock Pistol] in his new Inventory Space, he tested retrieving the gun with a thought.
Seamless. This ability would be invaluable for his mission.
But this wasn't the place to open the chest—flashy special effects would draw unwanted attention.
First priority: infiltrate the capital.
Su Xiao stripped off his shirt and donned the merchant's clothes.
After a moment's hesitation, he rolled in a nearby puddle of filth, coating himself in grime that obscured his features.
Climbing onto the cart, he awkwardly guided the horse toward the city gates.
In his hand was the merchant's dagger—though it wasn't quite what he expected...