One Piece Quest Fruit - Chapter 45

Early in the morning, Eust and his crew woke up and set out to confront the bald giant’s gang. They soon found themselves at the scene of a crime. What now? Time to make a quick getaway and leave the area.

Staying there and being seen by the villagers could lead to being mistaken for murderous pirates or perhaps pirates who kidnap young girls. Quite strange, really—was Eust some sort of creepy uncle?

Eust and his crew were fortunate enough to distance themselves from the dock without encountering any villagers. Given their low alertness and apparent lack of fear of pirate attacks, were the villagers of Ghost Island ghosts themselves?

Returning to their original hiding spot for their boat, Eust found it still suitable for concealing their vessel.

Though the killing might have been overboard, the scene was bloody. The bald giant’s gang clearly intended to kill Eust, who couldn’t afford to let such enemies live, resulting in the bloody aftermath.

Luckily, no one had discovered them yet, so Eust’s reputation as a bounty hunter remained intact. Otherwise, a bounty on his head would force him into piracy, and no one would believe he was a bounty hunter anymore.

Malfoy, the bald giant, was cunning and ruthless, but in the end, Eust had buried them and collected some spoils of war.

Since joining Eust, Lyra has witnessed two battles and gained a more direct understanding of the sea’s harshness. Eust agreed to let her help with the cleanup, digging holes, and handling of the aftermath.

Don’t think of Eust as cold or as exploiting child labor; he didn’t intend it that way.

Lyra, wanting to venture out to sea, would inevitably face such situations. She offered to assist Eust, who wanted to protect her but couldn’t reject her offer. Helping with the cleanup would help her slowly adapt to the brutal sea life, and she wasn’t directly participating in the fighting. Lyra was a strong girl, and refusing her might embarrass her.

After the cleanup, Eust didn’t forget about the spoils. He sorted them into categories: weapons, valuables, and miscellaneous items.

Noteworthy weapons included two items, both of Malfoy’s “secret weapons”: a spiked club with various mechanisms and a very small hidden weapon launcher.

The spiked club’s design was indeed surprising and likely surprised many, but neither Eust nor Lyra could use it, so it was set aside for future use.

As for the small hidden weapon, Eust and Lyra examined it and understood its “mechanism.” Eust decided to give it to Lyra for self-defense.

Eust would have armed her with one if Lyra weren’t so unreliable with guns and somewhat averse to them. He had a few guns and acquired more firearms and ammunition this time, but they were stored in Sunny’s mission space, along with other weapons.

After organizing the valuables, they found they had amassed over a million Berries—a pleasant surprise, adding to Eust’s savings for a new ship.

One item, classified as miscellaneous by Eust, caught Lyra’s curiosity. Upon closer inspection, she discovered a hidden map engraved on it.

A hidden map? Could Malfoy and his gang have been searching for a treasure map instead of a ghost ship?

Perhaps investigating the ghost ship was just a cover, avoiding drawing too much attention to their island exploration.

Eust thought his assumption was far-fetched but, given his poor drawing skills, still had Lyra draw the complete map on paper.

Examining the map, they found the marked location was indeed this island—Spike Island. Initially indecipherable, strange clues accompanied the map, but the treasure map clearly pointed to this island.

This meant Eust’s speculation about the treasure map and Malfoy’s motives was likely correct.

Now, the priority was to find the treasure. The ghost ship could wait; the treasure map seemed more promising.

Discovering the treasure map and seeking the treasure was a dream Eust had yet to fulfill. Now, it seemed like an opportunity had fallen from the sky, making him very happy.

He hoped it wasn’t a fake map or a looted treasure site. Eust had once gone through much effort only to find an empty site, losing the treasure and the time and effort invested.

But first, they needed to eat. Eust and Lyra, not in the mood to cook, decided to wash up and head to the island’s only restaurant. Eust also planned to gather information about the island’s ships.

The location remained the same, and the owner remained unchanged. When Eust asked about the island’s ships, the owner revealed a little-known “secret.”

The ghost ship’s appearance coincided with the disappearance of the island’s boats. One stormy afternoon, a sudden and fierce storm destroyed several fishing boats, killing most of the fishermen, with only a few survivors.

The next day, someone spotted the ghost ship. The islanders noticed the ghost ship resembled the storm-destroyed boats almost exactly.

All the island’s fishing boats were similar, made by old John and his apprentices. The familiar and cheap boats were of good quality but couldn’t withstand the violent storm.

Some villagers thought the ghost ship might be one of the overturned boats and planned to bring it ashore to identify it.

Families who lost loved ones were devastated but had to move on. They gathered to inspect the small fishing boat, but no one claimed it as their own.

This was puzzling. Could the boat have drifted from elsewhere? Its style matched old John’s boats but didn’t look newly made.

Old John and his two apprentices were called to identify it. John found it strange, saying they hadn’t made this boat, though its style matched his own.

As everyone wondered, the boat, pulled to shore, began to move on its own. Initially thought to be waves, it moved farther away, revealing something unusual.

A normal boat, even moved by waves, would only drift slightly. With no sail set, this boat was clearly unaffected by the wind.

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