Chapter 55: A Person Must Live for Themselves At Least Once

"Replace everyone with our own people?"

Bulldog's eyes flickered; he was deeply tempted by the proposal yet unwilling to go too far.

Saint Saint Saiwen approached Bulldog.

"I finally understand why Becali could become king. With your timidity and constant hesitation, no wonder you were deposed."

Patting the little old man's shoulder, Saint Saint Saiwen left a single sentence before heading to the kingdom's prison.

"People must rely on themselves."

Watching Saint Saint Saiwen leave, Bulldog gritted his teeth, his previously hesitant gaze gradually turning resolute.

"I've enjoyed what I should have enjoyed and suffered what I should have suffered. I'll go mad one last time; I can't be worse than that brat Becali, can I?"

When Becali split the kingdom in two, Bulldog paced anxiously with no solution, never expecting heavenly justice to strike and erase Becali directly.

"Consider it for the common people. Let's do it."

When an honest person turns ruthless, you won't even get a chance to apologize.

During Bulldog's reign, while the country was impoverished, the people's spiritual life was rich; overall, he was a democratic, kind, yet limited king.

When Bulldog became king again and resolved to make changes, the nobles' doom arrived.

Sorbet Kingdom, Ducheng Prison.

Saint Saint Saiwen stood silently outside the cell, his gaze piercing the iron bars to rest on the Great Bear bound by chains; through this scene, he had already grasped the Great Bear's state of mind to about eighty or ninety percent.

How could such small chains possibly trap one of the top figures among the Saint Saint Saiwen Warlords? The reason he hasn't escaped is likely that he still harbors illusions in his heart.

"Hello, Mr. Great Bear."

The Great Bear raised his head; even sitting on the ground, he was taller than Saint Saint Saiwen standing.

"H-hello."

Jin Ni sat beside the Great Bear, curiously examining the front: "Why would a great pirate like you specifically come looking for us?"

Saint Saint Saiwen used the gentlest tone of his life.

"I am Barzab Saint Saint Saiwen, captain of the Morning Star Pirates. I came to invite Mr. Great Bear and Miss Jin Ni to board my ship."

"Invite us aboard?" Jin Ni giggled, her eyebrows curving into two crescent moons.

"Sorry, Mr. Great Pirate, but I'm close with Great Bear, and we have no intention of becoming pirates."

Being rejected was within Saint Saint Saiwen's expectations; pirates, after all, have a rather bad reputation.

But then again, crew members chosen by this captain cannot escape.

"To show sincerity, before coming I resolved the crisis of the Sorbet Kingdom; Becali has been executed, and the former king, Bulldog, has returned to power."

Hearing this, Jin Ni and the Great Bear exchanged a glance and shook their heads.

"It's useless, Mr. Saint Saint Saiwen. Even with a new king, the nobles remain. King Bulldog... is too cowardly; he lacks the courage to confront the nobles."

Within Saint Saint Saiwen's Observation Haki range: Bulldog is physically purging all the nobles arriving at the palace.

"This country no longer has nobles."

Jin Ni and the Great Bear fell silent.

Saint Saint Saiwen increased the stakes; the blazing fiery wings behind him appeared in the Great Bear's and Jin Ni's line of sight.

"Great Bear, everything you feared in the past and present, I have experienced as well."

Two years ago, Saint Saint Saiwen's resentment toward the World Government stemmed from Captain Roger's execution.

Two years later, to become stronger, to establish a foothold on this sea, and to live with a smile in this world where the strong devour the weak.

The moment Saint Saint Saiwen chose the Lunarian bloodline, he stood completely opposed to the World Government.

Even if he wanted to ease tensions, once the Lunarian bloodline was exposed, the World Government had only one choice—completely crush him.

Of course, without exposure, he could continue to grow for a long time.

The Great Bear stared intently at the blazing wings behind Saint Saint Saiwen.

If the Baccanians are misfortune, then the Lunarians are a tragedy; once beings of godhood, they were utterly exterminated by the World Government.

In the silence of the three, Saint Saint Saiwen's peach-blossom eyes were deep with affection and sincerity.

"Xiong Sang, I dared to break into the Buster Call for Oharan scholars I never met; how much more so for my own comrades."

From now on, you will never have to hide because of your Baccanian bloodline; I will block all the World Government's wanted posters.

From now on, you can hold Miss Jin Ni's hand and walk side by side into your future, under the sun and amidst the waves.

Do you wish for Miss Jin Ni to live alone until the end of her days?"

"Xiong Sang, you wouldn't want that, would you?"

After saying these words, Saint Saint Saiwen waited quietly for the Great Bear and Jin Ni's decision; if he still could not move the Great Bear, then he would have to wait ten years.

Perhaps due to the filter of his past life, Saint Saint Saiwen was much gentler than usual.

Hearing those descriptions of a beautiful life, the light in Jin Ni's eyes grew brighter and brighter, as if she saw a wonderful future for her and Great Bear.

As long as she could be with Great Bear, being a pirate was acceptable, especially following a Sea Emperor like Barzab.

Sensing this, the Great Bear took a deep breath.

Before being imprisoned by the king, he and Jin Ni had both seen news about the Morning Star Pirates; Barzab, who forcibly broke through the Navy's Buster Call fleet, was only seventeen this year.

As long as he doesn't court death, his future is limitless.

So.

Should he continue to live in hiding, trembling with fear, or accept the invitation to board the ship and be with Jin Ni forever?

"Xiong Sang, a person must live for themselves at least once."

"Isn't that right?"

The Great Bear lowered his head, memories flashing before his eyes like slides: at five, he and his parents became slaves to the Celestial Dragons, witnessing his parents' tragic deaths firsthand.

At nine, he was sent to God's Valley to serve as prey for the Celestial Dragons' hunting game.

After eating the Nikyu Nikyu no Mi in God Valley, rescuing five hundred commoners and slaves, he returned to the Sorbet Kingdom to live in seclusion; fearing the Baratie bloodline would implicate Jin Ni, he refused Jin Ni's marriage proposal...

Twenty-five years of a bitter life, as if he had truly never lived even once for himself.

Silence hung stagnant in the air for a long time; the corners of Kuma's mouth slowly curved upward, his eyes swirling with a luster never seen before.

"Captain, I want to change my way of living."

Saint Saint Saiwen gestured with his hand: "Please."

Saint Saint Saiwen could have easily opened the prison cell door for Kuma, but breaking a cell door is easy; breaking the door in one's heart is hard. He wanted to tell Kuma clearly and plainly—

Kicking the door open is actually really easy.

If you do not take that step, you will forever tread in place, hesitate, and look back and forth; when you bravely take the first step, you will discover: originally, everything was already prepared.

Kuma kicked the prison door open, walked out of the cell, silently turned to the side, and revealed Jin Ni behind him.

"Captain, please take care of me from now on."

"Welcome to the Morning Star Pirates."

Saint Saint Saiwen smiled with great relief; this might be the gentlest moment of his life. All the crew members he wanted were now in place; henceforth—

You damn well join or don't.

I certainly don't accept trash here.

No, there's also the helmsman, Blue Fatty.

Sorbet Kingdom, Southern Seas.

Inside the cabin of a medium-sized ship, Ivankov was whispering "beep-beep" into a Den Den Mushi.

"Dragon, how long will it probably take you to arrive?"

Den Den Mushi: "About three days, Ivankov. You'd better not show your face first; don't let the Marines and the World Government discover your whereabouts."

Ivankov's heavily made-up face drooped: "Understood. I'll try again in a while to see if I can contact Kuma and Jin Ni."

Den Den Mushi: "Stay in contact at all times."