Chapter 281: Three Visits to the Thatched Cottage

Luo replied offhandedly with a few words, then fell silent.

In truth.

Having twice experienced the tragedy of being too weak to do anything but watch his companions die.

One Piece had long ceased to be Luo's primary dream; one could even say it never had been.

Now he understood ever more clearly that only immense power was the cornerstone for solving all problems!

If he possessed power like the knight Gao Wen, enough to stand shoulder to shoulder with legends, then what Jin Shizi, what Doflamingo, would pose any problem!

Any obstacle could simply be sliced apart with a single slash.

Yet the clearer this became to him, the more he knew he could not rush.

One must remember that even within a pirate crew, there are two types of roles: core executives and marginal small fry.

This was especially true in a major pirate crew like Gao Wen's, which was destined to command wind and rain across these seas and stand equal to the Four Emperors.

As the pirate crew grew in scale, this was unavoidable.

And what Luo aimed to become was a true core figure under Gao Wen's command!

At the very least, he could not rank lower than that fellow...

Gazing at that lean figure in the distance, Luo's thoughts were pulled back to the battle at Water Seven.

Roubo Luqi's words, laced with contempt—"submit utterly and completely to power"—now pierced Luo's heart like a sharp dagger.

Naturally, he bore no grudge against Roubo Luqi for this; after all, what Roubo Luqi had said was not wrong.

Back then, Luo had indeed believed the Jin Shizi unbeatable; now that the Jin Shizi had fallen, the shadow that had long pressed upon Luo's head was utterly shattered.

He reclaimed his resolve: to obtain absolute power, to protect his companions, and to realize his dreams.

But men always possess a peculiarly twisted competitive spirit in certain matters, especially when facing an opponent who had once looked down on them.

Do not rush!

Not even a little!

Whether it was Bepo's account or the knight Gao Wen's faint yet perceptible attention toward me, both indicated that he already valued my talent.

This time, victory is assured for me!

Upon reaching this thought, Luo's heart gradually settled.

He said nothing, following behind the main group.

Seeing that Luo's mind was made up, Bepo stopped trying to dissuade him and turned to walk toward Chopper in the distance.

Once, under Luo's protection, he could afford to be a mascot who thought of nothing and relied entirely on his captain; but now, having comprehended the Path of Expansion, Bepo only wished to become the strongest existence!

To smash everything on their route with a pair of iron fists!

Whenever he thought of this, Bepo felt the blood within him seem ready to boil.

"Senior Chopper, let us begin today's training!"

Bepo lifted his outer garment with one hand, revealing rows upon rows of weight blocks covering his body.

No one knew just how exaggerated the weights on Bepo's body truly were.

But what they could see was that with every step Bepo took, fine cracks would appear on the ice beneath his feet.

"Not bad!"

Seeing this, Chopper nodded in satisfaction:

"You have already set foot upon the correct path!"

He likewise lifted his own clothing, revealing weight blocks on his body that numbered several times more than Bepo's.

The two exchanged a glance, creating the illusion that everything was understood without words.

Immediately, both squatted down where they stood and began frog-leaping to keep pace with the main group...

"One-two-one!"

"One-two-one!"

"One-two-one!"

Upon the glacier.

A bear and a deer, two humanoid beasts, advanced toward the distance in leaping bounds.

Sweat sprayed, bodies trembled, yet neither could shake their resolute wills.

The ordinary people around them, however, had long grown accustomed to this.

For in these past few days, the nearly self-abusive training methods of the pirates under Gao Wen had gradually helped everyone understand why they possessed such terrifying, almost inhuman strength.

Here, "no pain, no gain" was absolutely no empty phrase.

"Even setting aside their superhuman physical qualities, the willpower of these fellows is already inhuman; even a cyborg body would likely collapse if pushed to such extremes."

Paulie took a puff of his cigar and couldn't help but sigh in admiration.

With Bingshan now missing, he had become the head of all the shipwrights at the Galley-La Company and had also taken over the organization of refugee evacuation.

Food and fresh water distribution, handling the wounded, personnel deployment...

These were matters Paulie had never dealt with before, yet now they piled up before him one after another.

Only now did he realize just how enormous a burden Bingshan had once carried on his shoulders.

Most of the time, the hopes of others are themselves a form of pressure, a pressure so immense it leaves one gasping for breath.

In merely a few days, Paulie's formerly carefree and cynical nature had been smoothed away; he grew increasingly steady, subtly beginning to resemble Bingshan.

Whoosh—!

Exhaling a cloud of smoke, Paulie relaxed somewhat.

He turned to look at Franky and couldn't help but ask with the corner of his mouth.

"Have you really thought that matter through?!"

"Of course."

Franky raised a hand to remove his sunglasses, his gaze firm:

"Originally, my sole purpose in staying at Water Seven was to protect my beloved family and the last wishes left by Master Tang Mu."

"But now, the Water Seven that my master once protected is gone."

As he spoke,

before Franky's eyes, it seemed as though countless Sea Trains were galloping across the great sea, churning up waves, carrying countless people across the ocean to the other shore.

It was just that now Water Seven had been destroyed, such a dream was destined never to be realized.

Paulie shook his head:

"Water Seven still exists, and Mr. Bingshan's will still remains."

The two looked up.

They saw only shipwrights from the Galley-La Company and members of the Franky Family weaving through the crowd, offering help to those in need.

Clearly, having experienced a great disaster, these beings who were once practically incorrigible had grown immensely.

Franky was no different.

Blinding sunlight shone from afar, striking his face, making those pupils of his gleam even more brightly.

His entire being seemed to have come alive in this moment.

"You're something else~ But I've already decided: in the future, I will build that ship as a thank-you gift for that man. Want to join me?!"

"Of course!"

Paulie smiled faintly:

"I am also a shipwright; naturally, I wish for my name to be passed down forever alongside a ship, becoming a legend looked up to by future generations, even if its owner is a pirate..."

"No!"

"Mr. Gao Wen is absolutely not some pirate; compared to the so-called World Government, he is the one who truly harbors justice in his heart."

"Indeed, there are only names misgiven, never nicknames mistaken."

"The most benevolent man in the East Blue?!"

"Maha~"

Franky placed a hand on Paulie's shoulder, his smile brilliant, simply because he had suddenly realized something in this moment:

"Tell me, if we could apply the Sea Train elsewhere, wouldn't Master Tang Mu and Bingshan be happy as well..."

Paulie paused slightly, then nodded heavily:

"Wasn't their original purpose also to help the people of Water Seven conquer nature and make that city prosperous once again?!"

"Since we are now seeking an opportunity to rebuild Water Seven, why not turn this idea into reality completely!"

"Exactly! Exactly!"

The two hit it off immediately, even beginning to envision future city planning and Sea Train track designs, talking until late into the night.

Stars and moon rose; a chill gradually permeated the cold wind as a group of survivors stopped on a desolate island.

When Aokiji froze the sea, he had clearly planned the route; along this journey, at most every two days, they would pass a desolate island where everyone could obtain fresh water and food.

However, there were aspects that exceeded Aokiji's expectations.

That was the fact that nearly every island bore traces of pirate activity.

Water Seven was the core of the battlefield, yet the scope of pirate activity covered the seas surrounding Water Seven.

Indirectly affected, the number of people who even died at the hands of pirates was nearly incalculable.

On this island before them, there were even several thatched huts completely burned down, with several corpses lying before the huts, emitting waves of putrid stench.

Fujitora felt compassion and voluntarily stepped forward to gather the bones of these deceased.

After simply burying them and erecting a tombstone, he found a spacious spot to sit down, falling silent for a time.

In this era, those who devour people are not only the World Government but also pirates.

Among the former, there may perhaps exist certain officials who truly care for the common people at the bottom, yet that cannot offset the fact that the World Government's foundation is crooked from the root.

As for the latter, they may initially have had certain hardships forcing them out to sea, but as the killing proceeded, their own humanity gradually blurred in the process, until they completely devolved into true beasts.

Fujitora raised a hand to support the staff-sword in his grip, feeling the chill transmitted from the blade, yet his blood burned scalding hot in this very moment.

Just then, a steady voice arrived.

"Eat something."

Fujitora's nose twitched; he felt a burst of fragrance hit his nostrils, and for a moment, his heavy mood eased considerably.

"Is that you, Mr. Gao Wen?!"

"Ah."

"Then I shall not stand on ceremony."

Conditions were crude, and Fujitora himself was not one to stand on formalities; he simply reached out, tore off a piece of fish meat, and sent it into his mouth.

The crispy, fragrant fish skin, mixed with a faint taste of fat, instantly filled his oral cavity.

"Delicious!"

Fujitora subconsciously froze.

It was simply because something this delicious should not appear in a place like this.

Yet after carefully savoring it, he discovered that the fish meat had merely been seasoned with some coarse salt.

It was the cook's superb technique; even under such crude conditions, they could prepare a dish that made one's mouth water.

"Is this the chef from your ship?"

"Ah."

Gao Wen nodded:

"A man who is excessively stubborn, yet possesses an extremely firm will; it is simply this flaw in his character that gives one a terrible headache."

"Hahahaha~"

Fujitora chuckled lightly, and an image of a certain blond-haired, curly-browed man involuntarily surfaced in his mind.

After devouring the fish meat in his hand in a few bites, he hugged his cane-sword and faced the distance as if he could see something clearly, yet at that very moment, Gao Wen's voice reached his ears.

"Hey~"

"Issho, why not come aboard my ship?!"

"You have seen what the Marines are like now; there is no space there for a person like you to survive."

Fujitora opened his mouth but did not answer Gao Wen's words; instead, he subconsciously raised a hand to touch his own eyes and murmured:

"I am truly curious what kind of face you have? Are you thin, are you fat, are you tall, are you short..."

Accompanying these words,

Fujitora's expression once again became resolute:

"There is no space for me to survive within the Marines, but neither is there any among pirates; in that case, I might as well try to completely change this world."

"Naturally, keeping your company would allow me to live freely and at ease, but how could someone like me possibly enjoy all of this with a clear conscience?!"

"There are still too many people in this world struggling in the mud; if I do not lend them a hand when I have the ability, I cannot even sleep peacefully."

"Therefore..."

"I apologize, Mr. Gao Wen!"

This was a difference in great righteousness...

Seeing this, Gao Wen truly understood.

Fujitora's mind was already made up; trying to recruit him aboard the ship was nearly impossible.

However.

Gao Wen was not surprised by this, anyway.

After all, this was simply Fujitora's nature.

He and T-Bone were of the same kind, holding the world in their hearts and feeling the suffering of the common people as if it were their own.

In the eyes of such people, there are many things, but only themselves are absent.

Seeing this,

Gao Wen half-jokingly said:

"Are you preparing to make me visit your thatched cottage three times?!"

Fujitora paused for a moment, then helplessly shook his head.

He did not have many friends; Gao Wen was one of them, while a certain old fellow who stirred up storms at Marine Headquarters was the other.

The identities of the two were completely opposite.

But precisely because of this, he was able to see this world more clearly.

Fujitora continued:

"Previously, Old Master Zephyr also once invited me."

"The Marines?!"

"Yes, and no."

Fujitora nodded, yet shook his head:

"After leaving Dovecote Port, Old Master Zephyr has already seen the shortcomings of the Marines and the World Government; he is about to establish a brand new unit."

"A unit not constrained by the World Government, completely independent from the current forces, named..."

"Neo Marines!"

"According to him, this is a unit capable of exercising true justice; I wish to go and see, for there might be something I am waiting for there."

Gao Wen nodded.

In his heart, however, he was not at all surprised by the early emergence of the Neo Marines.

After previously battling Zephyr in Alabasta, Gao Wen had already sensed that some intense transformation was occurring within Zephyr.

It seemed that the moment to take action had finally arrived.

It was just that the current Neo Marines were likely completely different from the insane unit in Gao Wen's memory that hunted pirates everywhere in the New World, even becoming so hysterical as to plan using Dyna Stones to detonate undersea volcanoes and destroy the entire New World along with them.

It was more like a unit born from the Marines, yet possessing independent adjudication rights.

One could simply understand it as a SWORD squad with greater authority and stronger combat power.

Frankly speaking, this unit would indeed allow Fujitora to exert his abilities more than serving as a pirate under Gao Wen's command.

"Then I wish you martial fortune and prosperity."

Gao Wen no longer dwelled on this issue.

Fujitora was already a friend he recognized; even if they could not sail on the same ship, he sincerely hoped Fujitora could obtain what he desired.

This had nothing to do with interests or anything else; it was purely a blessing from one friend to another.

"Thank you."

Fujitora nodded, and suddenly a face flashed through his mind:

"However, speaking of which, there is a young man who wishes to join under your command; both his will and his potential are of the highest order."

"Law?"

The corner of Gao Wen's mouth curled into a playful smile:

"Then guess when he will actively seek me out?!"

"Uh..."

Teng Hu froze, made a quick estimate, and then said:

"One month?!"

"No!"

Gao Wen shook his head, his tone carrying an indescribable confidence:

"Three days at most!"

(End of Chapter)