East Blue, Outskirts of Goa Kingdom
The afterglow of the setting sun filled the sky. In the fields, the wind blew through the wheat, and amidst the curling cooking smoke, a kingdom with high city walls still stood solemn and dignified.
On the hillside, a 15-year-old Sabo stood quietly. The wind blew his long blond hair on the left side, covering the ugly yet deep scar—the mark left by the Celestial Dragon's cannon fire, and also the mark of his "death." He wore a top hat, with windproof goggles, a jacket, and a ruffled tie. His right hand rested naturally on the metal pipe at his waist. His gaze was calm and composed, but the moment he looked at the high city walls of Goa Kingdom, a dark disgust appeared in his eyes.
"Still the same old place..." Sabo murmured to himself. "A magnificent shell, wrapped in rotten hypocrisy." He subconsciously touched the scar on his left eye, but a sarcastic smile appeared on his lips.
Koala stood behind him, a 16-year-old girl who was already graceful, her eyes gentle, a smile on her lips. "What? After a long separation, you dislike it even more?"
"No," Sabo shrugged. "I just find it ironic... nothing here has changed, but I'm no longer the child who looked up at the city gate."
Koala looked at the fleeting pain in his eyes and said slowly, "This is just an intelligence stop. We don't have to stay here long. If you want to leave, we can go."
Sabo nodded slightly and was about to turn and leave when suddenly—
"Rumble—rumble—"
In the distance, dust flew. A wooden carriage, loaded with chunks of meat, was slowly coming along the dirt road back to the village. The old couple on the carriage looked relaxed, and the sound of their laughter was carried by the wind.
On the carriage, Roc, while driving, said cheerfully to Elin beside him, "Honey, did we buy enough meat this time? Those two brats will definitely be able to eat their fill."
"Definitely enough," Elin said, lovingly patting the cloth bag. "That kid Ace has loved meat since he was a child, and Luffy's appetite is also scary... and that kid Roy, he said he'd be back for a few days, but the three of them train every day, and they're all like starving ghosts."
"Hahaha, I just hope they don't eat us out of house and home," Roc laughed so hard his eyes squinted. "But seeing their spirit, I'm really relieved. Roy has made Ace and Luffy much stronger than before."
As the carriage passed through the village road, people on the side of the road all turned to look, marveling at the pile of meat on the carriage, and discussing among themselves. However, before they had gone two miles, a gunshot suddenly rang out from the small path ahead.
"BANG—!"
Mud flew, and a deep crater was made in the ground in front of the carriage. "Whoa—!" Roc pulled the reins hard. The horse neighed and stopped, and the carriage almost overturned.
A shadow emerged from the forest. Over a dozen pirates, wearing pirate scarves and holding weapons, surrounded the entire road. The leader, wearing a blue cloak, grinned, his face full of flesh. "Old man, old woman, if you know what's good for you, hand over all the meat and money on the carriage."
"Otherwise—hehehe, we're not the kind of people who reason."
Roc narrowed his eyes and snorted coldly. "Pirates? A bunch of third-rate trash dares to block my way?"
Elin was much calmer. She gently pulled his sleeve. "Old man, don't be so reckless. You don't have that old hunting rifle with you."
On the hillside, Sabo's whole body trembled. He stared at the carriage—and seeing the savage smiles on the faces of the pirate crew, his heart suddenly tightened, and memories from many years ago flooded his mind. The burning Gray Terminal... the abandoned lower-class people in the sea of fire...
Just then, the pirates of the Bluejam Pirates had already surrounded them with savage grins.
Koala noticed his strange behavior and frowned slightly. "Sabo, what's wrong?"
Sabo took a deep breath and suddenly drew his pipe, his voice ice-cold. "You stay here." The next instant, his figure flashed out, becoming an afterimage as he flew down the mountain.
Before the members of the Bluejam Pirates could react, they heard—
"BANG!"
The moment the pipe came down, the very earth seemed to tremble. The leader, Bluejam, didn't even have time to see the face of the newcomer before his entire body was viciously smashed into the ground like a broken sack, his head buried in the mud. His body twitched a few times and then went still.
"Enemy attack—!! Is it the Marines?!"
"N-No! This person is not wearing a uniform!"
"Who the hell are you?!"
The pirates were in a panic and drew their swords and charged. But what answered them was a fierce attack, like a tiger descending a mountain. "CLANG!" a clear sound.
Porchemy roared and slashed down, the light of his blade cutting through the air, but the moment it got close to Sabo, it was slapped away by his "Dragon Claw Fist." "CRACK!!" The blade of the sword broke in two. The next second, Sabo's fist slammed into his chest. "Pfft!!" Blood mixed with a gasp, and Porchemy was sent flying back several meters like a broken kite, crashing into a few of his comrades before he could barely stop, and then he fainted.
"Run!! This person is not ordinary!!"
"Help—!!!"
The remaining pirates threw down their weapons and fled in a panic. But they didn't even get a chance to escape. Sabo's figure moved like a phantom. With each swing of his pipe, there was the sound of bones breaking and flesh tearing. In a flash, those once-savage pirates were lying on the ground, wailing.
In just a few tens of seconds, the entire Bluejam Pirates crew had been wiped out. The thick dust settled, and the sun set in the west. Sabo put away his pipe, panting slightly, and looked back at the old couple on the carriage. The afterglow fell on their faces. Roc's wrinkled eyes held a hint of scrutiny and a little admiration, while Elin's face was full of kindness.
"Hey—!! Are you okay?!" A panicked cry came from the hillside. Koala leaped up, nimbly landing from the top of the slope, her landing silent. Her gaze quickly swept over the pirates on the ground, and after confirming Sabo's condition, she let out a long sigh of relief. "Why did you suddenly rush down like that? You scared me."
"I'm fine," Sabo smiled slightly, but his voice was a little lower than before. "Just... an impulse." Koala frowned but did not press the matter, just quietly stood beside him.
Roc narrowed his eyes and looked at the blond, curly-haired boy with sharp eyes before him, a rare hint of relief on his face. "Kid, you've got good skills... are you a soldier?"
Sabo smiled slightly and did not deny it. "Not to mention you saved our cart of meat, and you beat up this trash pirate gang," he stroked his beard and grinned. "This kindness of yours can't be repaid with just a few words of thanks."
Elin, on the other hand, smiled and bent down, taking out a piece of braised jerky wrapped in oil paper from a cloth bag and handing it over. "Young man, thank you. This was prepared for our grandsons, but you have a piece too. Don't be shy."
"Uh... I..." Sabo paused. He had originally wanted to refuse, but seeing the gentleness and trust in her smile, his throat was as if it were blocked, and for a moment, he couldn't say no.
"If you're not in a hurry," Roc said with a smile, slapping the side of the carriage. "Come back to Dawn Village with us for a meal. We're planning to have stewed beef tonight, and a spicy hotpot. Plenty of meat, I guarantee you'll eat your fill."
"That's right," Elin smiled with a motherly love. "Your eyes... are just like our little grandson's."
That sentence was like a fine needle, gently pricking Sabo's heart. He stood there quietly, looking at the old couple's kind smiles and the cart full of heavy chunks of meat. Suddenly, even the air seemed to have warmed up a bit. Although he was still on a mission and had originally planned to leave this place far behind, for some reason, at this moment, he couldn't bring himself to refuse.
Koala seemed to see Sabo's struggle and blinked with a smile. "Can we? Then I won't be polite~"
Sabo was slightly taken aback, then he also showed a faint smile. "...Then we'll be intruding."
The two of them got on the carriage and slowly drove along the dusk path back to the village. Sabo sat at the back of the carriage, looking at the high walls of Goa Kingdom that were gradually receding in the setting sun, his fingertips gently rubbing the pipe, his gaze distant. But the next second, his gaze sharpened slightly. "Hm?" He sensed a strange gaze. The gaze came from a small grove by the side of the road. A faint killing intent was quickly retracted, but Sabo keenly caught it. He narrowed his eyes, a ripple in his heart. "These two old people... are not simple."
Under the sun, the carriage swayed, heading towards the distant village. The smell of meat and fire came from the air, as if from a future warm dinner, a long-forgotten taste of home.
....
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