Chapter 1611 Luffy from God's Perspective

Pawnshop No. 8

The shop owner calmly swept his gaze over everyone present, his eyes finally landing on the boy wearing a straw hat, whose expression was unusually serious.

Monkey D. Luffy

When they met for the first time in a real sense, he had some understanding of the boy's story, his fate, and even some of the essence that the world had concealed, but seeing it with his own eyes was still different.

A subtle ripple seemed to stir within him, not excitement, nor fear, but more like that of a collector.

The thrill of finally seeing a special collectible that I've heard so much about but only ever seen in pictures, and then confirming and evaluating it in person.

But this slight ripple didn't even cause a ripple in his deep, ancient eyes; the shopkeeper's expression remained one of chilling calm.

Luffy is not strong enough yet.

Of course, this is relatively speaking.

In his world, he was already a monster among his peers, but in the shopkeeper's eyes, the level of power was measured by a completely different set of standards.

If Luffy can handle those five old men at the same time right now, then he probably has the strength to face Im head-on, right?

No, perhaps it's not quite there yet. The god who sits on the throne in the void possesses far more than just power.

When Luffy is fighting, he should be serious. What kind of behavior is this, laughing and joking around? The shop owner doesn't like that.

I dislike the kind of farcical comedy that turns life-or-death battles and clashes of fate between the strong into a farcical showdown.

Power should be weighty, costly, and awe-inspiring, even terrifying, rather than a comedic performance accompanied by exaggerated expressions and nonsensical actions.

The shop owner's gaze lingered on Luffy for half a second longer, slightly washing away the overly flamboyant comedic elements, making Luffy's fighting style purer, sharper, and closer to the cruel beauty of violence itself.

As the unsung hero behind the scenes, he casts pieces from different worlds onto this already chaotic stage, and revels in watching them collide.

Making the world more interesting is one of the rare pleasures in the shop owner's long, almost eternal existence; otherwise, it would be too boring.

He shifted his gaze from Luffy back to Kid, saying, "The helmet is pretty useful, isn't it?"

This is a statement, a greeting, and more like a confirmation of a completed transaction.

Kidd, who was so arrogant that he dared to bare his teeth even in front of the Five Elders, tensed up almost imperceptibly the moment he heard this calm question.

He tightened his grip on the helmet slightly, then nodded vigorously. "It works very well. I'm getting stronger almost every day."

Since Kidd had already explained the basic rules of the pawnshop to everyone, the shopkeeper saved himself the trouble of explaining them again.

He turned and took a thick, ancient book from the wooden cabinet behind him. The shopkeeper placed the book on the counter with a dull thud. He then began to slowly and methodically turn the pages.

The pages are not made of paper, and their edges are tinged with the yellowish hue of age. There are no words on them, only some flowing and changing patterns of light and shadow, recording the information behind countless transactions.

The shopkeeper's gaze seemed to fall on the pages of the book, yet it also seemed to penetrate the pages and land in the void. His voice rang out again, calm yet with a penetrating power that reached straight to the soul: "Every one of you has desires."

"Everyone has something they want: power, revenge, protection, liberation, truth, and even the possibility of changing the world."

He paused slightly as he turned the pages. "Tell me again. Think it over and tell me what you want to change. This might be your only chance in this lifetime..."

After saying this, the shop owner ignored everyone. He seemed to have truly become an NPC in a fixed scene, focusing intently on flipping through the books in his hands.

The soft rustling sound of turning pages became the only background noise in the shop.

This disregard did not make everyone feel relieved; on the contrary, it made the invisible pressure even heavier, as if a pair of all-seeing eyes were coldly scrutinizing their every thought and every heartbeat.

Kidd spoke first, his voice low, "To survive in the outside world, strength is the most important thing. If you haven't decided what to exchange for, then exchange for something that enhances your strength."

This is the simplest and most practical advice!

To increase his persuasiveness and remind everyone of the success of the deal, Kidd casually mentioned something.

The Night Demon who recently wreaked havoc on the Sabaody Archipelago is none other than the former Admiral Zephyr. He obtained the power to eat people and become stronger in this shop.

"Zeff, a one-armed old man, after transforming into Night Demon, possesses the strength to fight Garp. I don't need to explain that further, do I?"

A vivid example was right in front of them, especially for Lucci and Kaku, whose eyes flashed with an irrepressible fervor almost simultaneously.

That was the purest and most naked desire for power!

In the outside world, they might be considered elite, but in the face of true top-tier monsters, they are merely roadside hustlers, not even reaching the level of a third-tier player.

Don't want to become stronger? That's a lie!

Capone Becky, the notorious gangster boss who always double-crossed others and had no sense of martial ethics, also took a deep breath.

His raw strength was too weak. No matter how many henchmen he summoned, it would be useless against absolute individual power. But he was more worried about the cost.

"Can I buy it with money?" he asked tentatively. If he could exchange his vast gang coffers for power, that would undoubtedly be the most worthwhile deal.

Kidd answered for the shopkeeper, a slightly mocking expression on his face, "You can only exchange what you own for money, not money for things in the shop. For this pawnshop, money is just a pile of waste paper."

Capone Becky's face darkened slightly. One of his greatest advantages had been ruthlessly erased, and now he was on the same starting line as everyone else.

No, maybe worse.

Because he didn't seem to have anything particularly precious, except for his life and some other vague and intangible things.

Alan and Ada remained silent.

What they want is more than just power; revenge? Redemption? The possibility of changing the world?

They dared not easily contemplate the heavy price that would be paid.

As for Luffy, he remained seated, gently stroking his straw hat.

His expression was unusual; there was no exaggerated smile as usual, nor any confusion. Instead, he seemed to be recalling something.

What was he thinking about?

no one knows.

Inside the shop, the yearning for power and deep contemplation intertwine, creating a strange and somber portrait of humanity.

None of the people present were truly fools; they just hadn't decided what they really wanted to exchange. The shop owner could wait while standing in front of the counter.

Once they uncover what they truly need, they will go to any lengths to obtain it, perhaps even offering their own soul.