One Piece: Mandala Swordsman

Chapter 100 Pandora in the Book

The vast sea surface was left with a path of tiny ice fragments, and the crisp sound of bells seemed particularly abrupt. The leaping sea fish looked at this unusual scene with puzzlement, while at the same time they heard a faint tune being hummed from the mouth of the person who had come.

……

"He didn't come today either!" This was the third consecutive day that Roman and Robin had gone to Quentin's stall.

The scene was still bustling with people and vendors shouting their wares, but the old man smoking was nowhere to be seen.

Roman wanted to see him; she... also wanted to buy something.

The content is excellent and the annotations are very detailed. This book, "Nautical Charts," is more like a personal account written by someone who has experienced many adventures. When Roman reads it, he feels as if he has entered a strange story world.

He even documented the floating islands, complete with metaphorical stories. The name of this story sounds long and strange.

"The Winged Ones Guard the Sleeping Gold"

With his God-like perspective, Roman naturally knew that the city he was describing was the once-golden metropolis of Shangri-La.

Its language is alluring, tempting those who open this book to leave their homeland and embark on an adventure to a mysterious island in the future.

This book not only contains detailed map annotations and travel experiences, but also records various legends of treasures.

Like Pandora's box, it is always attractive, making people eager to take the first step of sailing.

The fascination with treasure and the exploration of the mysterious have always been the main themes of this world.

If she were younger, she might have really gotten carried away and pursued her freedom at all costs.

But there's nothing we can do; the world government has regulations.

If you want to sail, you have to pay taxes. If you don't pay and are suspected of making a lot of money, World Government officials will immediately come to "have tea" with you. Although you won't be labeled a pirate, under the World Government's biased view, a simple adventurer is still an unstable factor.

However, this did not affect her liking for the book.

So, if she could, she would like to buy more...

The old man was never seen again.

Robin was also disappointed by this.

Because she wanted to buy it too.

She has a deep interest in history, and books are her whole world.

The history books she bought from the old woman were incredibly rich in content, no less impressive than, and perhaps even better than, the books she encountered in the Tree of Omniscience.

Moreover, it is also handwritten, not printed, and it feels more like the author's personal experience.

"Excuse me, where is that old man who sells books?" Roman asked the surrounding merchants, but received no response. Helpless, she had no choice but to take out her Bailey.

Like a magic trick, her initially indifferent face suddenly blossomed into a wide smile, though with a lot of wrinkles, reminding her of Borsalino. This kind of smile is not very effective at attracting customers, but it is very useful at making people feel uneasy.

"Haha, I know who you're talking about, Bentley, right? The guy who showed up in Quentin about a year ago. That old guy is always selling his books. It's not that he's bad at it, but he treats his customers like idiots. He sells a few lousy books for tens of millions of Berries each. Only a fool would buy them. Anyway, I've almost never seen him sell a single one. Oh, but I heard that a few days ago some idiot actually spent tens of millions of Berries on his books. I don't know if he's out of his mind." The businessman next to him looked regretful, as if lamenting that he never encountered such a fool.

Robin and Roman, who were treated like idiots and wanted to continue being treated like idiots: "..."

Roman suddenly remembered that the author of this book was named Bentley. So the old man was the author of the book.

"By the way, I heard it from someone else." As if it involved some unpleasant area, he lowered his voice considerably. "There are rumors that he used to be a pirate and traveled the world, but he returned to his hometown to retire because he was old and frail. But I don't believe it. With his condition, let alone the Navy, I could defeat him myself."

Was he a pirate?

This was something Roman hadn't expected.

But on second thought, it's understandable.

Otherwise, it would be difficult to explain why he had such rich experience, and why the legends and stories were full of desire for gold and treasure.

"So do you know where he lives?"

……

It was a beautiful morning, with moist air and glistening dew, but it was a bit chilly. Although it was much better than New World, I'm getting old and can't even stand this little bit of cold.

I guess I'm getting old.

Bentley wanted to leave his cozy cabin and take a walk around the neighborhood; the sandwich he had for breakfast seemed to have a bit too much ham, making him feel a little full.

I have to thank those two young ladies, they made my finances much more comfortable all of a sudden.

Bentley was curious whether the imagination contained in these books could be felt by anyone, and what kind of miracles it could create.

Maybe there's nothing left, but that's okay, I've done everything I could to try.

So, let's enjoy it...

Hmm? Two little girls? Hmm?

The two from that day were still wearing those black cat masks.

……

An awkward silence.

“I brought some fresh berries, they taste good, would you like to try some, Mr. Bentley?” Roman seemed completely unconcerned about his abrupt appearance and took the initiative to greet him.

Old Bentley wasn't buying it. Although he was somewhat interested in the two girls, that didn't mean he'd disrupt his workout schedule on a rainy morning. Besides, they already knew his name and address, so these two girls had already found out everything. They were quite shrewd. So, he said, "I remember we've already settled the payment. Is there any business left unresolved?"

“Yes,” Roman replied softly.

"I'd like to offer you a big business deal, it's just a matter of whether you're willing to take it." Roman's words carried a hint of provocation, causing Robin beside him to nervously tug at his sleeve.

“No matter how big the business, I only sell books, and each one is quite valuable.”

“Of course I understand, but I want all your books.” Roman’s words immediately conveyed a sense of boundless pride.

“Arrogant girl.” Bentley’s tone was a little angry, but it was a deliberately feigned tone; he actually wanted to laugh.

"Do you know how much money you'll have to pay? I'm not kidding you, or do you think you have some fighting skills and want to rob me?" Bentley knew exactly what was going on as he looked at the calluses on Roman's hands.

His years of seafaring experience had taught him countless times that one should not be deceived by appearances. Although rare, there are always well-preserved old monsters out there.

For example, Gureva.

He still remembers the disbelief he felt when he heard his age when he was younger.

So if this girl told him that she was already over fifty, he wouldn't be surprised.