Chapter 391

"No, nothing at all." Sima Di suddenly woke up. "Let's go back, let's go back. They might already be worried about us."

Sima Di grabbed Robin without a word and walked down the slope.

These things couldn't be thought about too deeply, or she'd drive herself mad before Blackheart got his hands on her.

Yet halfway down the path, they met the old graveyard keeper arriving.

"Oh my, you haven't left yet? That's wonderful."

"What's wrong, old man?" Sima Di asked, noticing he held a package in one hand and a shovel in the other.

"This is what Sima Di's son sent her. It was meant to be buried underground, but I forgot. Since you've come now, could you please help bury it?"

The old man shoved the package and shovel into Sima Di's hands.

Sima Di's son…

Sima Di internally rolled her eyes; Robin beside her barely held back her laughter.

"Old man, isn't Trafalgar Law Sima Di's close friend? When did he become her son?" Sima Di said. She suddenly remembered the characters erased beneath "close friend"—could they really have been "son"?

"He claims he isn't, but look at his age, and the way he cares… In this world, only a son could care for his mother this way. But this son of hers is truly something—refusing to acknowledge his own mother. How could a mother rest in peace knowing this?" The old man shook his head repeatedly at Sima Di's tombstone. "Tsk, tsk, tsk. How pitiful."

"Old man, were the words 'close friend' originally written as 'son'?" Sima Di pressed, unwilling to let it go.

"Oh… you mean that? I truly didn't know. When the tombstone was placed, it already read 'close friend.' But Miss, you're not far off—I think that's exactly what happened." The old man nodded in agreement. "I've seen this sort of thing many times. It's just heartbreaking for parents…"

"How so?" Robin asked with a smile, earning herself a resentful glare from Sima Di.

"Like down the slope, there's a grave for a woman named Mary. She was just like this. Mary was a poor girl—never married, yet got pregnant by a man who then abandoned her, saying he was going to become a pirate. Her family begged her to abort the child, but Mary refused, insisting on keeping it."

"Her family, ashamed, cut off all ties with her. But think about it—what a hard life for an unmarried mother! Mary had no skills; her only asset was her beautiful face. So to survive, she became a prostitute, just to feed herself and her son…"

The old man droned on, "As the son grew older, Mary thought things might get easier. But that bastard son refused to acknowledge a prostitute as his mother and severed all ties. Mary died alone in a nursing home, and her son probably felt guilty—so he built this tomb. You see, people never honor their parents while alive, only regret it after death. What good is that? Sima Di must be the same."

Though the story was heartbreaking, Sima Di's face turned as dark as a soot-covered pot.

"Just bury this thing, right?" Sima Di said, picking up the shovel and beginning to dig her own grave.

"Yes, yes, bury it. But be careful—Sima Di's son has sent quite a few packages here over time, at least ten or more. A few months ago, he even came himself and buried a lot of things. So this tomb isn't for a body—it's packed full of these things."

As the old man spoke, a sharp clang rang out—Sima Di had hit something.

The sound terrified the old man.

"Oh dear, be careful! Don't damage the other items, or we're in trouble. Last time, we still haven't recovered from it—if anything happens again, my old life is done for."

"Huh? Last time?" Sima Di frowned.

"You probably don't know what kind of person your aunt's son is?" The old man glanced around, then lowered his voice only when certain no one else was nearby.

"What kind?"

"A pirate! A pirate! A pirate with a bounty over one hundred million!" The old man whispered excitedly. "Last time he came here to bury something, the next day someone robbed the grave. Sima Di's son found out and flew into a rage—he cut those grave robbers into pieces! Oh my, the scene was terrifying."

"Didn't you recover all the stolen items?" Sima Di asked.

"How did you know?" the old man said. "Those robbers moved fast—they sold everything off right away. Even after Sima Di's son tracked them down, he only recovered eight-tenths of the items. Some are still missing."

That's why Sima Di bought Robin's recorded sound shell on the black market in Alabasta.

Under the old man's watchful gaze, Sima Di buried the package, and only then did he let them leave.

Leaving the graveyard, Robin finally laughed out loud.

"Hahaha, Sima Di's son…"

"No! No! No!"

"Alright, alright, it's not. I didn't say anything."

"That's better."

Robin covered her mouth. "Son… sorry, I still can't stop laughing."

". ～ Robin-sis!" Sima Di stared at Robin, whose laughter hadn't faded, and felt a deep sadness.

After another few minutes, Sima Di estimated they were far enough from the graveyard and out of the old keeper's sight. He quickly pulled Robin around and headed toward the beach.

"What are you doing?"

"What else? The more I think about it, the angrier I get—I have to do something."

"The old man's too old—we should respect the elderly…"

"No, Robin-sis, where are you getting this idea? Am I that kind of person?" Sima Di pulled Robin close and whispered, "I'm going to rob the grave."

"Rob the grave?"

"Exactly! Those things were mine to begin with—I have to get them back. So… Robin-sis, please. With your ability, it'll be effortless." Sima Di pleaded sweetly.

"Fine. I've never robbed a grave before—especially not the deputy captain's." Robin agreed without hesitation.

The two discussed their roles, then, under cover of deep night, began their illegal activity.

As the saying goes: Rob your own grave, and let others talk.

Today is a very important day for me.

Because soon, I'll meet my parents.

And also…

Sima Di was taken out of her room and brought to a relatively clean, tidy room.

The room had a clean bed, clean sheets, and a faint smell of disinfectant in the air. There was no stench of rust or rot, no violent, self-harming roommate, and no oppressive iron bars on the windows.

"Starting today, this is your room."

The nurse said this, then turned and left, locking the door behind her.

Sima Di knew this room, though assigned to her, would belong to her for only one day. Tomorrow, it might belong to the next patient whose family came to visit.

And he would return to that filthy room, locked again with his beloved, violently inclined roommate.

Look at the scars on his body—more than half were his roommate's doing.

Sima Di walked over and sat dully on the bed, eyes vacant and empty.

How much longer must these days last… or so…

He felt his Reason Already gradually slipping away, and the Boundary of Life and Death beginning to blur.

Perhaps, tomorrow, he would become the person he wanted to be.

Suddenly, the door of the Bingfangde Sect was opened.

Sima Di looked up, gazing at the newcomer.

The first to enter was his attending physician.

78 Imprisoned for no reason

"No! No! No!"

"Alright, alright, alright. If it's not, then it's not. Consider me as having said nothing."

"That's more like it."

Robin covered her mouth. "Son… I'm sorry, but I still want to laugh."

"Sister Robin!" Sima Di, seeing that Robin's smile had not diminished in the slightest, felt deep sorrow in his heart.

After perhaps a few more minutes, Sima Di estimated they had left the cemetery and moved beyond the old gravekeeper's sight. He immediately pulled Robin around, heading toward the beach.

"What are you planning to do?"

"What else could it be? The more I think about this matter, the angrier I get, so I must do something about it."

"The old man is far too old; we must respect the elderly and care for the young…"

"No, Sister Robin, where did you get that idea? Am I that kind of person?" Sima Di pulled Robin closer and whispered, "I am going to rob a grave."

"Rob a grave?"

"Exactly! Those things were mine to begin with, so naturally I must retrieve them. So… Sister Robin, I beg of you. With your abilities, it will be effortless." Sima Di said in a flattering tone.

"Very well. I have never robbed a grave before, let alone the grave of the Vice-Captain." Robin agreed without hesitation.

After the two discussed their division of labor, they began their illegal activities under the cover of deep night.

As the saying goes: Rob your own grave, and let others talk!

053 Today is a very important day for me.

Because I will soon see my parents.

And there is also…

Sima Di was led out of his room and brought to a relatively clean and tidy house.

Inside were a clean bed, clean bedding, and the air carried a faint scent of disinfectant. There was no foul smell of rust or decay, no roommate who would periodically go mad and self-harm, and the windows were not barred with the depressing heavy grilles.