Reborn as a Government Agent (A One Piece Fanfic)

Chapter 4: Shashakima Island

Shashakima Island sits as one of the northernmost Islands close to the entrance of the New World, making it a hub of trade and tourism for many government officials and rich sailors who can afford to cross the Calm Belt.

Shashakima Island itself sits as the head of the Shashakima Archipelago, a group of tropical islands that when looked at on a map, make up the shape of a Manta Ray, with the smaller Islands making up the fins and tail, with Shashakima making up the head of the fish.

Due to its unique topography and climate, it's also a source of many tropical and exotic fruits, which the locals sell and use in their cuisine.

For the past 300 years, the fruits of the Shashakima Archipelago have been a source of great fortune and wealth to the archipelago, in part due to the many tourists and merchants visiting the island to try the exotic fruits, but mostly in part to one simple thing that has guaranteed Shashakima Island its safety for all these years.

The Heavenly Tribute.

The Tax that world government-affiliated nations pay to ensure their protection from piracy. While many countries suffer under the effects of the Heavenly Tribute, such as the poor Vodka Kingdom, which has started multiple wars against non-World Government affiliated countries in order to pay their tax, Shashakima Island has excelled at delivering the heavenly tribute.

The amount needed to be paid by the Heavenly Tax depends on the number of citizens each island has. Shashakima island, contrary to many other islands affiliated with the World Government, has a rather small population. Mix that with the favoritism the island receives for being one of the many sources of food for the World Nobles living on top of the Red Line in the Holy Land Mary Geoise.

This means that they pay less taxes than the average island while reaping the benefits of having a thriving economy.

"Why are you telling me this? We're only going to be here for a night. I don't need the History Lesson." I turned to stare at my father from the corner of my eye, the two of us walking down one of the streets of Punga, the Capital of Shashakima. Funkfreed in his sword form was hanging off my belt, and one of the Cipher Pol agents walked a fair distance behind us, keeping watch on his boss.

"I'm telling you this so you'll get excited for what we're going to be doing now," Spandine said happily, smiling at his son with visible excitement that is rarely seen on a man his age.

"And that is?"

"Cheese Tasting!" My father said as he grabbed my shoulder and turned me to look at a nearby building. It was a two-story building made out of reddish wood, the smell of fruits and nuts could be felt emanating out of the open windows on the second floor.

"Cheese tasting?" I turned to raise an eyebrow at my Father, the 37-year-old man nodding his head before he pushed me in the direction of the restaurant, opened the door, and called for a table for two.

The next thing I knew, I was sitting inside of a restaurant, platters of different kinds of exotic fruits and nuts sat before me, and a plate of different cheeses sat in the middle of the table between Spandine and myself.

"This place is famous for its fruit-cheese recipe," My father said as he picked up a cube of cheese with a toothpick and put it in his mouth, "They use tiny pieces of dried fruit and nuts local to the archipelago and make these wonderful culinary inventions~"

I stared at my plate for a moment, my mind briefly thinking about the investigation I should be conducting right now before I felt a nudge on my arm.

"Troo?" Funkfreed's head extended out of the hilt of my sword, his trunk poking me gently before he grabbed a trunkful of fruit from the plate and shoved it into his mouth. The sight of the small Elephant head eating from my plate was enough to convince me to shelf the investigation preparations for the time being.