Chapter Twenty-Seven: The Destination (Part One)

Qiu Bai opened his eyes and stared blankly at the ceiling. Even he experienced moments of laziness where he felt too lethargic to move. Like now. What was the name of this island again? He couldn't recall for a moment, but the noisy streets outside made it clear: this place was not in the doldrums or the New World, but somewhere in the North Sea.

After three consecutive days of primarily eating and sleeping, he had mostly recovered from the exhaustion and fatigue he had previously expended. Now he should consider how to reach his destination, as he had a clear purpose for coming to the North Sea. What about the "friend" who had come with him to this New World? Had that person achieved their goals? To be honest, Qiu Bai wasn't particularly concerned or worried.

In terms of sailing skills, Grisha could navigate the New World without issue, so there was no reason to worry about the North Sea. As for the rest of the matters… crossing the doldrums wasn't something that could be done recklessly. To put it in Qiu Bai's words, Captain Grisha was the kind of person who used his intellect; he knew how to safely maximize his gains. If that person’s goal was to "get rich," then perhaps this time he really could.

Instead of focusing on things he couldn't influence and that had nothing to do with him, Qiu Bai wanted to figure out his next steps quickly. The lack of communication and insufficient information was giving him a headache. After thinking it over, he came to a difficult decision... he needed to get out of bed first.

He had booked the entire courtyard-style inn for himself. As for where the money came from, it was obvious that selling swords would net him a considerable amount of currency. He felt no psychological burden at all from taking advantage of others. As for spending the money lavishly, it was merely for better rest. In reality, Qiu Bai was not someone who cared about or pursued material wealth... This was the kind of pretentious statement that only the wealthy could make, and now he finally had the chance to say it.

Qiu Bai had never cared about money and had never dealt with it in his life... Well, the principle was simple: if he could live more comfortably, why not?

Struggling to get up, he tidied himself up a bit before stepping outside with his messy hair. Then… he witnessed a sight that made him rub his eyes in disbelief: a small polar bear was sitting in a chair, reading a book “like a human.” This was a scene he encountered every time he opened the door, yet his rational mind was constantly being challenged.

In contrast to Qiu Bai's slight laziness, Peibo had already begun to study “with great eagerness.” He could understand human writing—what he was learning was precisely what Qiu Bai had told him before: to return to his homeland, he must rely on his own strength.

Qiu Bai glanced at the large stack of books on the table… "Sailing Master: From Beginner to Expert," "North Sea Climatology," "Sail Dynamics," "World Maritime History," "My 365 Days on the Grand Line," "108 Positions for Hoisting Sails," "Around the World in 80 Days," "Fifty Shades of Grey," and so on, ranging from the popular to the specialized, all focusing on maritime topics. Although the value of knowledge cannot be measured in money, the books as carriers of knowledge could… This translated to the fact that these books were quite expensive, almost making Qiu Bai consider selling another sword.

However, from the perspectives of professionalism and richness, the maritime literature in the North Sea was quite comprehensive, reflecting its "comprehensive strength." Many people entering and exiting the Grand Line came from the North Sea, at least to a degree that did not cause fear when discussing it. Collecting such a set of books would be incredibly difficult in the East Sea, often referred to as the "weakest sea."

The sight of the bear studying diligently was only somewhat incongruous due to its species. Yet a bear willing to learn was far superior to a human unwilling to do so. Although Peibo's starting point was simply to return to his homeland, what he was doing now was undoubtedly something Qiu Bai was pleased to see. If a bear could be diligent and focused, was it truly necessary to have talent to be a sailor?

“Can you understand it?” Qiu Bai asked as gently as possible. Disturbing a bear genuinely acquiring knowledge would be akin to committing a crime. However, he hoped to hear a response of “not a problem at all.” In fact, Peibo did not disappoint him; his answer bore a 42.857% similarity to Qiu Bai's expectations.

“I don’t understand anything at all.”

“……” Qiu Bai froze for a moment, then he thought he heard something shatter. Of course, it was perfectly normal for Peibo not to understand; self-studying maritime knowledge was inherently difficult. Theoretically speaking, turning a bear into a sailor was more challenging than turning a person into one, especially since this bear had only just begun learning for less than three days. If he understood maritime skills in just three days, either he was boasting and anyone sailing with him should prepare for disaster, or someone like Captain Grisha would have to commit suicide… Even if they could accept that a bear could be better than a human, they could not accept that a bear could surpass a person with thirty years of experience in just three days.

As Qiu Bai’s mind began to shift gears, attempting to comfort and encourage the bear, a middle-aged man in a tailcoat approached him briskly. Although the man was dressed like a butler, he was actually the manager and owner of the establishment.

“Guest, someone is looking for you.”

Qiu Bai blinked and hesitantly pointed to his own nose with a finger. “Me?”

The man nodded in affirmation, confirming it was indeed him. After all, he was the only one in the inn; they had booked the entire place. However, this made Qiu Bai furrow his brow. He did not expect to have “acquaintances” on this island… Surely, things were getting more interesting?

“Please bring him over.”

Was it about the earlier pirate incident? Perhaps someone he had wronged through his sword dealings? Or maybe someone was envious of his wealth? Regardless of the reason, Qiu Bai needed to see who was here to find him.