"What's next? Should we just run away?"
"I've told you, calm down~" Chacher looked at Nami, who had returned and was once again fidgeting nervously. Helplessly, he said, "Nothing will happen. And even if it does, I'm confident I can escape."
"Alright, alright! But that's the Navy hero we're talking about! Our Captain Chacher will definitely find a way to work with the Navy hero." Seeing Chacher's unwavering calmness, Nami felt a little more at ease. She glanced around curiously. "Where's Robin? Why isn't she here? Did she sneak off by herself?"
"Robin has some business to take care of. She'll be back later." Chacher waved his hand dismissively, not bothering to explain Robin's whereabouts in detail.
As for Garp...
To be honest, Chacher wasn't entirely sure if Garp would be willing to collaborate with him.
It was true that Garp could be unpredictable, laid-back, and somewhat hypocritical, but there was no doubt that as a Navy hero, he upheld his own sense of justice.
In this world, there is no pure evil and no pure good. It's a world steeped in filth.
The Navy has its villains, and pirates have their good-hearted individuals!
Monkey D. Garp, in particular, had his own unique way of distinguishing justice.
As for the World Government and the Navy...
To be honest, the sheer power displayed openly by the World Government was already despair-inducing. Without a good solution, this kind of muddled justice was the best they could achieve.
Deceive the superiors while executing your own justice for the subordinates!
If you lack strength, you have three choices:
Go to sea and become a pirate, living in constant fear.
Join the World Government.
Or muddle through as best as you can.
As for Chacher himself...
He was simply taking advantage of both the World Government and Navy Headquarters.
This is a world where the strong reign supreme. The strong can obliterate everything in an instant, while the weak can only abide by the rules set by the strong. Without power, all ideals are just empty talk.
Chacher sighed, shaking his head as he glanced at the newspaper in his hand.
"At least, it seems like we won't be arrested for now."
After all, Vice Admiral Garp had just eaten the biscuits he offered.
Looking up at Nami's puzzled face, he said, "If you really have nothing to do, go out and help handle the refugees who just arrived! You should know, we caught quite a few people this time."
...
"Dad, are they really not going to sell us?"
"I-I don't know."
"Then... can I eat this? It's white rice and big steamed buns. It smells so good!"
"I... I..."
Looking at his daughter's longing gaze, the man called "Dad" couldn't bring himself to refuse.
He didn't know if all of this was just a trap or if this might be their last meal as ordinary people.
Once they finished this meal, they could become slaves, sold to those despicable nobles, or even to the terrifying Celestial Dragons.
Even though he was just a refugee, living on this vast sea had taught him about those so-called descendants of gods—no, they were more like terrifying demons.
It was said that once you fell into the hands of the Celestial Dragons, you ceased to be human and could only live like insects.
You might even endure unimaginable torment.
But...
"Dad, I'm so hungry~"
Hearing his daughter's words and holding her frail little body, the man found himself unable to refuse.
Pike.
That was his name.
His wife had already starved to death, and he didn't want his daughter to suffer the same fate.
But...
As just an ordinary man, he had no way to change their fate.
Thinking about yesterday...
They were originally just citizens of the Wittgen Kingdom. No, it would be more accurate to say they were forgotten citizens.
To pay the exorbitant heavenly tribute, the king of Wittgen Kingdom confiscated their belongings and drove them to a remote area of the island, abandoning them as forgotten people to fend for themselves in desolation.
Some said this was learned from the legendary most beautiful country in the East Blue—Goa Kingdom. They exiled useless citizens to maintain the cleanliness and beauty of the nation.
It was even rumored that Goa Kingdom received praise from the Celestial Dragons for doing so.
He didn't know how beautiful the most beautiful country could be, but how beautiful could a country that abandons its own people truly be?
Yesterday morning, they were still scavenging in the barren wasteland. By nightfall, a group of pirates had suddenly stormed the island, and then... they were brought here.
He still remembered that moment when the bald pirate captain, upon learning that he had a daughter, froze briefly before letting out an excited grin and shouting, "You have a daughter? Bring her along! Bring them both!"
What a terrifying devil!
He wouldn't even spare a little girl.
They thought that after being captured, the father and daughter would suffer unimaginable abuse or be sold as slaves. But what they didn't expect...
Was this?!
Pike looked around, his nose involuntarily drawn to the tempting aroma wafting through the air. Forget about a little girl—even he, a grown man, couldn't resist.
He was hungry.
Really hungry!
He wanted to eat!
At this moment.
"Clang, clang, clang~"
A series of metallic knocks echoed, pulling Pike out of his thoughts. He raised his dazed eyes and looked at the window in front of him.
Is it already his turn?
Did everyone ahead in the line finish?
Did they really get food?
His heart was filled with doubt, but...
"Dad, Kati is really hungry!" The little girl, who called herself Kati, cautiously glanced at the window before turning her eager eyes back to her father. "Can I eat?" she asked.
"I..." Pike lowered his head to look into his daughter's longing eyes, then lifted his gaze back to the food behind the window.
Swallowing hard, he glanced at the others who had already received their meals.
They looked dazed, as though in a dream, but obediently sat down under the guards' direction.
Maybe this really is a dream!
But even if it's a dream, they must eat their fill!
With that thought, Pike's cloudy eyes became firm as he stared intently at his daughter. "Eat! We have to eat as much as we can. This might be our last meal."
Though these words shouldn't be spoken to a little girl, there was no choice now.
"Even if we are going to die, we must die with full stomachs. We cannot become slaves—that place is hell!"
**********
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