Chapter 386: Shells
Seeing the group of kids stretching out their hands for money, Sharlo glanced at Illyana.
"Go ask your mother. I don't have any small change."
To be precise—he only had gold.
"Mom!"
Klein immediately turned to Illyana and called sweetly.
Illyana rolled her eyes and handed him some Beli.
"Use it wisely! Don't spend it all at once!"
She warned the six-year-olds.
"Okay, Mom!"
Klein cheered with joy after receiving the money and began dividing it with his siblings.
Robert looked on enviously.
"Mom! I want some too!"
He called out sweetly.
"Ugh!"
That voice instantly made Deidara feel queasy.
"Alright, alright—everyone gets some!"
Illyana smiled and took out a large stack of Beli, tossing it to the crowd.
"Thank you, Mom Illyana!"
Deidara grinned happily after receiving his share.
Everyone got a generous amount, and spirits rose immediately.
Gan Fall's eyes sparkled as he looked at the children—like he was staring at walking treasure chests.
He hadn't expected this pirate crew to be so rich.
They were much better off than the Roger Pirates, who barely spent a dime during their two days on Sky Island.
But these kids alone got tens of thousands of Beli each!
At a 1:10,000 exchange rate to Extol, Sky Island's currency, that was a fortune!
"Ha ha ha! Sky Island welcomes you all. We've got plenty of interesting things here—like this Tone Dial, which can store music!"
Gan Fall took out a Tone Dial and handed it to the kids.
Robert turned it on—and music immediately flowed out.
Everyone's eyes lit up.
"Amazing!"
Robert exclaimed in surprise.
"And that's just the beginning! We also have Light Dials, Water Dials, Image Dials, you name it! Everything is for sale if you have the money!"
Gan Fall switched straight into salesman mode, enthusiastically promoting the island's specialties.
Even the usually calm Barrett was intrigued.
Sharlo smiled slightly.
"You all enjoy yourselves on Sky Island. Buy anything you like. I'll be leaving for a while. If anything urgent comes up, send a signal."
After giving his instructions, he walked toward the depths of the island—and with a jump, disappeared from sight.
The crew was used to this.
Their captain often left silently for personal errands.
Sharlo wanted secrecy. There was simply too much gold in Shandora, and he didn't want to test anyone's greed—not even his own crew's.
Better he went alone.
Once Sharlo left, the mood became much more lively.
The Dial shells fascinated not just the kids, but the adults too.
Some of the savvier crew members already saw the resale value and planned to become middlemen.
"This is a Jet Dial. It stores wind and can be released to propel users. Our warriors use them on skates and boots for quick movement—or to detonate gases."
Gan Fall pulled one out from a guard's pouch and showed the crowd.
As soon as he mentioned gas, Robert perked up and took it to examine.
"This one's a Flame Dial. It stores fire—great for cooking, fighting, or lighting fires on the go. A must-have for every pirate!"
He held up a bright red shell.
Then he took out another.
"This is an Impact Dial. It absorbs impact force and can release it later. Sky Island warriors use it for defense."
The moment he said this, everyone's interest was piqued.
To absorb and release impact? That was a game-changer.
"I want to try it!"
Deidara stepped forward.
Gan Fall gave a nod to one of his guards, who held the Dial steady.
Deidara gathered explosive force in his fist and punched.
The moment the blow landed—
BOOM!
The shell absorbed the entire explosion, shocking Deidara.
His pupils contracted.
The attack had been completely absorbed.
Everyone frowned.
Deidara's attacks were lethal—those hit rarely left any remains.
Yet this little shell had absorbed it all.
"I'm buying! As many as you've got!"
Robert announced gleefully.
Seeing Deidara stumble always cheered him up.
Gan Fall smiled like a proper merchant.
"This one is a Reject Dial! It releases stored impact—but with deadly recoil. Only the strongest warriors can wield it!"
He explained.
Immediately, demand exploded. People waved cash in the air.
Seeing his inventory was nearly gone, Gan Fall finally revealed his ace.
He held up a shimmering shell.
"This… is the Slash Dial. Sky Island's most powerful shell—it can absorb sword slashes and release them later. It's the bane of all swordsmen!"
The moment he said that, the entire crowd went dead silent.
What did they just hear?
Bane of swordsmen?
How arrogant!
All the swordsmen glared at Gan Fall.
He sensed something was wrong.
Too late.
He realized he'd gone too far with his boast.
He quickly held up the shell again.
"W-Wait! Please don't misunderstand! It only works on ordinary slashes—not sword techniques from swordmasters! If the force exceeds its limit, it'll break!"
"Oh really? Then let me try."
A chilling voice rang out.
Gan Fall's heart sank.
It was Esdeath, the girl who had almost taken his head earlier.
"How do I use it?" she asked.
Gan Fall forced a smile and looked toward his guards.
One of them stepped up with the shell.
"Just swing," he said.
Esdeath slashed with her rapier—not using her full strength.
CLANG!
A sharp impact rang out.
The guard's hand went numb, shocked by the force.
Looking at the shell, he saw a crack forming.
It had almost shattered.
Gan Fall wiped sweat from his brow.
Esdeath stared at the guard coldly.
"Now release it," she ordered.
---
Read up to 30 Chapters ahead on patreon.com/Fanglin
[Please leave a 5 Star review and power stone for this novel]
*Thank you*