C21 Synthesize

"You... Who gave you the order to kill him?"

Esaki gazed down at the Australovenator with a wry smile.

The victim was a World Noble. Killing him would surely put a bounty on his head, complicating any future attempts to make money.

He had planned to bide his time a bit longer, to strengthen himself further. Well, that plan was shot...

The Australovenator let out a cry, as if to say: Is this my fault?

"Whose fault would it be? Just great. I'm on the verge of going from a Pirate Hunter to a pirate myself. At least I managed to snag this bounty."

Esaki grinned as he glanced at the box, transferring the reward money directly into the system—it was too cumbersome to carry around.

As for strolling through Rogue Town, he had no interest. Getting stronger was the real thrill.

He quickly made his way back to the ship.

"Did you manage to get everything?"

On board, he asked Gaimon in a subdued tone.

"Yes, Captain, I've got everything."

Gaimon replied, head bowed.

He had grown accustomed to life aboard the ship over the past few days. It was dull and silent, but at least it was safe; no need to fret over life-threatening dangers.

With the pirates handled by the captain and his dinosaurs, Gaimon's role was purely logistical.

"Do you know how to navigate into the Grand Line?"

Esaki inquired, fixing his gaze on him.

"Uh... well..." Gaimon scratched his head, clearly embarrassed.

He had never ventured beyond the East Blue, possessing only a rudimentary knowledge of navigation. As for entering the Grand Line, he had heard bits and pieces.

"Captain, I've never been to the Grand Line. I've heard that to get there, one must pass through Reverse Mountain. Another route is through the Calm Belt, but it's fraught with danger."

Esaki sighed internally. He was well aware that these were the only two options to reach the Grand Line.

But he didn't know the way.

"Let's take the Calm Belt. It'll be quicker."

Other ships might struggle to cross the Calm Belt, but he wasn't dependent on a ship—he had the mosasaur.

"The Calm Belt..."

Gaimon's eyes bulged.

Was his captain looking for a death wish?

Relying on the dinosaur beneath the waves to navigate the Calm Belt? That treacherous stretch of sea was teeming with Sea Kings, creatures several times larger than any dinosaur.

"Hmm, just follow my instructions," Esaki said with a nonchalant tone.

"Yes... Captain," Gaimon replied, letting out a silent sigh.

Esaki nodded before entering the room.

Inside, he activated the system.

Host: Esaki

Age: 18

Rank: Major at Naval Headquarters

Belly: 15 million

Capabilities: Summoning, Strengthening, Synthesis

"I haven't checked out the synthesis feature yet," he murmured to himself, and proceeded to explore it.

Note: Synthesis must use a dinosaur as the primary subject, with no restrictions on the secondary subject.

A large square appeared on the screen, with several smaller squares beneath it, each with a button displaying a number: 10 million.

Esaki's eyes sparkled with interest.

This feature looks promising, but the cost is steep—10 million Belly per use.

"Considering we'll be passing through the windless zone, it might be wise to enhance the Mosasaur. Though, it's uncertain if it will make it through."

He selected the large box, which displayed various dinosaurs, and dragged the Mosasaur into it.

Upon opening a smaller box, he found a selection of his current dinosaurs and a Devil Fruit.

"Huh? A Devil Fruit can be synthesized too?"

Esaki was taken aback.

"But if the Devil Fruit merges with the Mosasaur, won't it turn into a sitting duck?"

If the Mosasaur ended up a sitting duck, it would essentially be ruined.

After some thought, he decided to place his faith in the system.