Over the following period, Shanks truly went above and beyond, teaching Huamei the techniques of using Conqueror Haki while also helping to try and activate Kaido Meow own Conqueror Haki...
If he hadn't spent every single day attempting to pry Suika Meow away from Sherwin, Sherwin might have been even more grateful to him.
As for the other members of the Red Hair Pirates, they were far from bored.
In addition to having the adorable Felynes to play with, Sherwin provided an unlimited supply of Ibuki Gourd wine.
Consequently, they weren't just avoiding boredom they were enjoying themselves so much they almost forgot about returning home.
However, these good days did not last long. Ben Beckman, the first mate who had already been dissatisfied with some of the crew members, noticed that no matter how much the Felynes played, they always set aside time for training. He immediately initiated special training for the members of the Red Hair Pirates as well.
During this time, the once-nameless isolated island became unprecedentedly lively due to the presence of both groups.
Nevertheless, once Huamei had essentially mastered what he had taught her, Shanks prepared to lead his pirate crew away immediately.
After all, as one of the Four Emperors, he had other matters to attend to and could not spend all his time idling in a place like this.
Furthermore, during this period, Shanks had secretly scrounged quite a lot of Ibuki Gourd wine from Sherwin—enough to last him a good while—which was why he could bid farewell so nonchalantly.
But before leaving, he still quietly pulled Sherwin aside...
"Well, you know, if I run out of wine later..."
Shanks, who had failed several times during this period to trick Suika Meow into joining his crew, knew that if he wanted to drink Ibuki Gourd wine in the future, he could only find a way through Sherwin.
"Emmmm..."
Sherwin rubbed his chin, not refusing immediately.
In truth, he was somewhat annoyed by Shank constant attempts to kidnap his Felynes. Although the bond between a Hunter and a Felyne is unbreakable, having someone constantly eyeing his little darlings was naturally a bit irritating.
From Sherwin own perspective, he wasn't particularly inclined to provide Shanks with a long-distance supply of Ibuki Gourd wine...
Even the Whitebeard Pirates didn't get that kind of treatment!
However, who could help that the Felyne Investigation Team included a commercial genius?
It was important to remember that before Sherwin and the others obtained the gold from the Sky Island and achieved financial freedom, Huamei's trading runs were one of the primary sources of income for the Felyne Investigation Team.
In fact, as their capital continued to grow after entering the Grand Line, it had shown signs of surpassing their largest income source—bounty hunting.
Even after returning from the Sky Island, when large-scale procurement was no longer necessary, Huamei would still purchase small amounts of goods on her own to earn some extra pocket money.
Additionally, she engaged in information brokering. However, since the investigation team was not short on cash, Huamei mainly conducted these transactions as information exchanges, with no actual monetary profit.
Thus, after noticing the Red Hair Pirate urgent demand for Ibuki Gourd wine, Huamei had offered Sherwin an excellent idea...
"Supplying you with Ibuki Gourd wine is no problem, but you'll have to pay," Sherwin proposed his conditions with a grin.
"We aren't short on money. You should know by now that I'm interested in things like famous blades, Devil Fruits, and the like... well, technical data or blueprints would work too."
As he spoke, his eyes drifted toward the sword at Shank waist—the "Gryphon," which was almost certainly one of the Supreme Grade Blades.
"..."
Shanks, with a dark expression, tucked his beloved blade behind his back, blocking Sherwin sneaky gaze.
"I can't give you this! And it just some booze anyway—booze made with an ability at that. How could it be worth this much?!"
"If you don't think it a fair deal, then don't buy it. I'm not forcing you," Sherwin replied, pulling back his gaze and curling his lip with a shrug, acting completely nonchalant.
Since it was a seller market right now, wasn't it normal for him to demand an exorbitant price? Of course, Sherwin wasn't actually that cold-hearted—or rather, Huamei, that commercial genius, still had her principles...
"Besides, I never said one Famous Blade or Devil Fruit only gets you one barrel. The average price for Ibuki Ale is 100,000 Berries a barrel, but we don't accept cash we only trade for the equivalent value in Famous Blades or Devil Fruits."
Only then did Shank expression soften slightly. Although 100,000 Berries a barrel still seemed a bit pricey, considering the quality of Ibuki Ale, it was actually quite cheap. There were some drinks with quality inferior to Ibuki Ale that cost even more on average.
Of course, if one were to consider the actual cost of production, this price was highway robbery to the core—even more of a rip-off than a 79-yuan eyebrow pencil. Monopoly truly was the ultimate treasure of the commercial world.
"Then it a deal."
Even though he knew he was being fleeced, Shanks didn't continue to haggle. After all, while things like Famous Blades and Devil Fruits were a hassle for others to obtain, for a Yonko like him, they weren't actually that hard to come by.
And...
The Ibuki wine they had on hand would still last them quite a while, so there was no real rush.
"Alright, it time for us to leave as well."
As the Red Force departed, Sherwin and the others boarded the Dodo Advance, which was docked at the shore.
"Sherwin meow~ Where are we going next meow?"
(=ΦωΦ=)
Having hidden inside her own main body for many days, Dodo Advance quickly scrambled up to her "throne," pulling at Sherwin hair as she asked.
"Hmm..."
Sherwin rested his chin in his hand, sinking into thought.
At the moment, he had three potential targets to choose from...
Tesoro Gran Tesoro, Wang Zhi Pirate Island, and Kaido Wano Country.
Kaido was someone Sherwin would have to deal with sooner or later. Whether it was for revenge after being chased away before, the Poneglyph and the two Great Grade blades in Wano, or fulfilling the obsession of Kaido Meow, Wano was a place Sherwin was bound to go.
The same applied to Wang Zhi Pirate Island. Sherwin hadn't forgotten about the person with the teleportation fruit ability he had simply chosen to take revenge on Doflamingo first since he was closer, and then the Levely had come up, so it had been delayed until now.
As for Tesoro Gran Tesoro...
Sherwin was actually quite casual about it. After all, he wasn't short on money now it was just that he had previously mistaken Shiki airship for the Gran Tesoro.
Additionally, since there would likely be Devil Fruits up for auction there, Sherwin felt it was necessary to make the trip.
Otherwise, he always felt like something was off.
It was just like playing games back on Earth—when you've unlocked every other achievement but are left with one that isn't difficult, just a bit tedious to complete.
Making a choice wasn't actually that hard...
He would just see which place was closest to them.