Leaving (1)

"Oh, that works too?" The man with the long spear paused for a moment, then asked.

"Yes, that's right. People who eat Devil Fruit become unable to swim and will drown if they fall into the sea. However, if an untrained swimmer has a helper who is a very good swimmer, then even if they want to drown, it's impossible." Fanxin said, "So, you can eat it without worry. Once you become strong, it will be very difficult for you to fall into the sea."

People who eat Devil Fruit aren't necessarily forbidden from going to sea; it's not a taboo. If someone trains their abilities to the extreme, they can perfectly protect themselves from drowning.

Take the Little Black Cat, for example. Although it ate Devil Fruit, it has built several layers of protection to prevent itself from falling into the sea. Even if it were to fall into the ocean now, it wouldn't drown because it has developed its abilities to a certain level. The seawater can no longer threaten it.

"That's true. Then I'll give you more. I'll come back to see you tomorrow." The man with the long spear nodded, then turned and headed towards his residence.

Fanxin smiled and returned to the sea to have a water fight with Ren Fang and the others.

They played until evening before going home, enjoying a delicious dinner. They didn't do anything else but go to their rooms to sleep. After a day of playing, they were all feeling tired.

After returning to his dwelling, the man with the spear gathered all his tribesmen together and went to the ruins for a meeting.

Their numbers were small, only about sixty, with a severe gender imbalance; the majority were men, and there were very few women, only about ten, and they were all elderly.

If they don't leave, those children won't be able to get married, and without marriage, they won't be able to continue their family line. Their entire clan will be wiped out because of this.

Once everyone had arrived, the man with the long spear stepped to the front, glanced at everyone, and said, "Gentlemen, I just went to talk to that young man, and he agreed to help us."

"Oh, that's great, that's great!"

Upon hearing this, the children were very excited. To be honest, if it weren't for their grandparents' insistence, they really wouldn't want to stay in this kind of place, because it was just too remote and too boring. They were living like wild animals.

Now that they can leave, they certainly won't be polite.

"Alright, let me finish." The man with the long spear gestured for everyone to quiet down. Once everyone was quiet, he continued, "Although we can leave, we are still criminals wanted by the government. Therefore, you must all change your names. This isn't betraying your families, but rather a last resort. However, if you become strong, you can change your names back. But while you are weak, you must endure, understand?"

"Understood!" everyone shouted.

"Yes, I've made up my mind. Tomorrow, we'll all leave here and head out into the world. So, everyone, pack your bags. We won't be coming back here. Take everything you need with you!" the man with the long spear shouted.

"Ah, Chief, are you sure?" The curly-haired man paused, then asked. He thought he had misheard, because the chief had previously opposed their leaving, and even now, he only allowed the children to leave. If he hadn't been forced into this situation, he probably wouldn't have agreed to let the children leave this godforsaken place.

But now the leader has decided to take everyone away from here, which is unprecedented.

"Ah, yes, I'm sure. I spoke with that boy; he's also a wanted criminal. However, instead of running away, he faced the challenge head-on. I think our clan is no weaker than his; we just haven't mustered the courage," the man with the spear said. "We were attacked for no reason and labeled as wanted criminals, and we still don't know why. I'm not reconciled, so I've decided to leave this place and find out the reason."

"Leader, are you prepared to go against the government?" asked a man who was shirtless but whose upper body was covered in paint. He felt this decision was somewhat insane. After all, the World Government was the most powerful force, like a mountain pressing down on them, making it hard to breathe. How could they dare to resist?

"I'm not against the government, but against those bastards who put us on the wanted list. They abuse their power for personal gain, while we bear the blame. I can't tolerate that," the man with the long gun said. "So, I'm going to investigate. That boy was right. What does it matter if I die? If I don't die, then those who abuse their power will have to pay the price. I'm prepared to risk my life for a future."

"And you, are you willing to come with me? Hiding forever solves nothing; it only emboldens those who abuse their power, making them even more arrogant and self-righteous, as if they are the masters. I'm going to slap them in the face and pull them down from their pedestals."

"Alright, we'll follow our leader." As soon as the man with the spear finished speaking, many people responded immediately, raising their hands in high spirits.

"Very well, but we can't all participate in this operation," the man with the long spear said. "Once we get out, we'll split into two groups. One group will live a quiet life, while the other will come with me to sea to fight those evil forces."

"In this way, even if we fail, our clan won't be completely wiped out. Alright, I've said all I need to say. Everyone, think about which part you should join. Children can't make a choice; you must be adults before you can make your own choice."

After saying this, the man with the spear left and returned to his residence to begin packing.

After packing everything he needed to take, he immediately took a shower to wash off all the paint. They did this to avoid being recognized. After all, as wanted criminals, they absolutely couldn't let others see their faces, otherwise, it would be troublesome.

After washing, he returned to his original appearance.

He had a square face, a mustache, and long, flowing hair, giving him a very elegant appearance. He was about forty years old, with a composed demeanor and a very muscular physique.

In particular, after receiving guidance from Fanxin, the sharpness in his eyes became apparent, and his expression was no longer one of helplessness.

"I will slaughter all those who abuse their power for personal gain and trample on the dignity of others, to clear the name of our clan." The man with the spear grinned, exuding a murderous aura. Clearly, he was no longer afraid and was ready to challenge authority.

Not long after he returned, his people also returned one after another.

He made some arrangements, and the tribespeople began preparations, restoring their original appearances. Then, they ate something simple and rested. Tonight might be their last peaceful night's sleep. Once outside, if they were unlucky, they might be hunted down by the navy, without even a chance to sleep.

Nothing more was said that night.

The next morning, they got up early, ate some breakfast, and then, carrying their luggage, went to wait outside Fanxin's residence.

At this moment, Fanxin also got up and went out. He saw a large group of people sitting not far away. He was stunned for a moment, then walked over and greeted them.

"Uh, what are your names? My name is Fanxin." Fanxin smiled awkwardly. Yesterday, their faces were covered in various paints, so he couldn't see their faces clearly at all. Now that their true appearances have been restored, he can hardly tell them apart.

The man with the long spear immediately stepped forward and said with a smile, "Hello, I'm the one who spoke with you yesterday. You can call me Tieshan. We are both members of the Iron Clan."

"Hello." Fanxin smiled and said, "You guys are all dressed up like that, I really didn't recognize you. Alright, enough chit-chat, we're leaving at noon. If you don't mind, let's have lunch together before we go!"

"How can we accept this?" Tieshan hesitated. Fanxin had done them such a big favor, and they hadn't even accepted the gift; he really felt bad about it.

"Hehe, how could you not? You've come from afar, so please accept our hospitality. If you really feel bad about it, you can go find the ingredients!" Fanxin said with a smile.

Upon hearing this, Tieshan did not refuse. He gathered his people and sent them to find food.

He was here talking to Fanxin.

"Have you made up your mind to die?" Fanxin asked.

"Yes, this is a difficult task, and I am prepared to die. I have divided my people into two groups: one group will come with me, and the other group will go with one of my brothers. Even if I am wiped out, the Iron Clan will not be wiped out because of this," Tieshan said.

"That's excellent. You're still weak now, so stay quiet in the East Blue for a while and slowly build up your power. Once you're strong enough, leave the East Blue and take revenge on those evil forces," Fanxin Xin nodded and said. He thought Tieshan's decision was very good. This way, he wouldn't have to worry about anything and could go all out.

"Thank you so much this time," Tieshan said. If it weren't for Fanxin's guidance, he might still be hiding in this godforsaken place until he died.

"No need to thank me, you've already given us a lot of face by not kicking us out," Fanxin said.

If Tieshan hadn't told him, he wouldn't have known that they had been targeted by a group of people months ago. He wasn't in the mood to care about anything else at the time. If Tieshan brought people to attack them, they would be in serious trouble.

However, Tieshan did not do so, which gave them some peace. Therefore, he was determined to repay this favor.

"That's just because we don't want to be exposed, not because we don't want to get rid of you," Tieshan said with a smile.

"Hehe, anyway, we're even now," Fanxin said with a smile. After talking with Tieshan for a while, he went back to eat.

After breakfast, they began preparing lunch. The Tieshan tribesmen brought a lot of food, which they washed and arranged together, waiting for noon to arrive.

They started preparing lunch at 10:00 AM. They were leaving at noon, and finishing lunch early would allow them to leave sooner.

With everyone's help, lunch was ready quickly.

After a joyful and hearty meal, Fanxin announced the start of his journey.

Langyue created a gigantic air wolf, enveloping all the members of the Iron Clan within it. Then, the group sat atop the air wolf, riding it towards the edge of the Calm Belt.

The members of the Iron Clan were stunned for a long time upon seeing the giant air wolf; they were terrified by it.

Fanxin smiled but didn't explain further.

Langyue's control abilities allowed the giant air wolf to run at high speed, and after more than an hour, they left the Calm Belt. After leaving the Calm Belt, they continued to ride the giant air wolf.

They stopped when they found an inhabited island, and after removing the giant air wolf, they landed on the island.

"Alright, this place is inhabited; it should be a small town. Make sure you all settle in. We'll part ways here," Fanxin said as she approached Tieshan.

"Thank you." Tieshan looked at Fanxin for a while and only said two words. He didn't know what to say. Because if it weren't for Fanxin, they might never have been able to leave the Calm Belt. The Sea Kings at the bottom of the sea filled them with fear, and they would never have dared to venture out! They could never repay this kindness.

"Hehe, goodbye." Fanxin smiled and then walked towards the edge of the island.

At this moment, the Little Black Cat had already released the boat. He boarded the boat, turned around, waved to Tieshan, and then went back inside.

The Little Black Cat started the engine, steered the boat, and headed forward.

Soon after, they completely disappeared from the area. Only after Fanxin and the others left did Tieshan lead his people into the town.

"Fanxin, where are we going now!" After running for quite a distance, the Little Black Cat immediately turned off the engine and raised the sail. It was preparing to conserve energy and rely on natural wind power to propel the boat forward.

"Let's find a navigator first, then head towards Marine Headquarters," Fanxin said after a moment's thought.

"Navigator? Why?" the Little Black Cat asked, puzzled.

"I carefully reviewed the news from the Grand Line. The environment there is different from here; it's extremely harsh. A slight misstep could lead to being swallowed by a storm or a tsunami. Also, if we don't know how to avoid danger, our ships might end up in some dangerous places. We have no sailing experience, so we must find a navigator just in case," Fanxin said.

"I see. But if we really encounter this situation, we can hide inside the giant air wolf that Langyue created. That would be very safe," the Little Black Cat suggested.

"That's true. However, it can only be used as a means of self-preservation. Everyone's abilities are limited. Although Langyue can create giant air wolves, its duration is also limited. And those dangerous things are happening over there all the time. If we are all exhausted, how will we deal with the dangers that are yet to come?" Fanxin Xin said helplessly, "Therefore, we can't be without a navigator. Let's go find a navigator first!"

"Fanxin is right. Let's go find the navigator first, shall we? This is about taking responsibility for our own lives."

Ren Fang suddenly interjected. She hadn't found her enemy yet, so she absolutely couldn't die in an accident. The navigator could protect them from accidents. Therefore, she didn't object to Fanxin's suggestion.

"Alright then! Let's go find the navigator!" The Little Black Cat nodded, saying nothing more.

Unable to find a navigator, they could only drift slowly at sea. However, their overall direction remained unchanged: the entrance to the Grand Line.

Ten days passed by in the blink of an eye.

On the eleventh day, they arrived near a Syrup Village in the map.

"Hey, Fanxin, we're out of food on the ship. It seems like someone lives here. Let's go buy some food!" Ren Fang said, carrying four glasses of juice. She distributed them to the Little Black Cat, Langyue, and Fanxin.

For more than ten days, they had been adrift at sea without landing. The food and seasonings on the ship were running out, and if they didn't replenish their food supplies soon, they would go hungry.

"Let's go then! There's no rush to find a navigator; let's save our lives first." Fanxin nodded. Although he was a little Fanxin because they hadn't found a navigator yet, there was no use in rushing this matter.

"Let's go, there should be a market ahead, let's dock!" Ren Fang nodded and said.

The Little Black Cat nodded and steered the boat toward the shore of Syrup Village.

Once they reached the shore, everyone disembarked. The Little Black Cat immediately activated the boat's protective shield and then maneuvered the boat to sink to the seabed.

After the Little Black Cat finished dealing with the situation, it came to Fanxin's side.

Fanxin twisted his slightly numb waist and then prepared to head towards Syrup Village. Suddenly, at that moment, they heard a sound on the sea.

Fanxin Xin immediately turned around and looked at the sea. Ren Fang and the others also stopped and looked at the sea with curiosity.

There were two small boats on the sea, both sailboats. One boat had pure white canvas without any markings, while the other boat had a pirate symbol on its canvas: a large skull with a red nose, which looked quite comical.

The two boats were also heading towards Syrup Village. As time passed, the two boats got closer and closer. Finally, both boats docked.

After the boat docked, three people disembarked: one woman and two men.

The woman had a great figure, fair skin, big eyes, brown boots, a light yellow mini skirt, and a black and blue cotton top.

One of the two men had big eyes, wore a red vest and blue riding breeches, and a Straw Hat. He was very thin and looked frail, as if he could be knocked away with a single punch.

The other man, on the other hand, was quite the opposite. He was very strong, twice the size of the man in the red vest. He wore a white gauze shirt, dark green trousers, and black boots.

He had a unique personality; his hair was green, I don't know if he dyed it. He wore an earring on one ear and had three swords hanging at his waist, clearly a swordsman.

Fanxin glanced at them and asked, "You're pirates, aren't you?"

"Yes, we are pirates." The man in the Straw Hat nodded and asked, "Are you a pirate too?"

"Us? Heh, we're not pirates." Fanxin chuckled upon hearing this. He had no interest in being a pirate. If he found his parents and avenged his family, he might retire to the mountains and live a life of seclusion.

"Oh, so you want to be a pirate? Join us!" The man in the straw Straw Hat looked at Fanxin with excitement, as if he had seen a priceless treasure.

"Hehe, not really interested. But we don't mind making friends with pirates. I'm Fanxin." Fanxin smiled, pointed to Ren Fang and the others, and said, "These are my friends: Ren Fang, Langyue, and Little Black."

"Yes, I am Monkey D. Luffy, this is my swordsman Roronoa Zoro, and this is my navigator Nami," the man in the Straw Hat said with a smile.

"Hey, who's your navigator? I didn't agree to that." The woman named Nami glared at Luffy and said with displeasure. Clearly, she had some reservations about being a pirate, otherwise she wouldn't have contradicted him on the spot.

"A navigator? Hey, Fanxin, this is a navigator! We don't need to look anywhere else." The Little Black Cat's eyes lit up when it heard the word "navigator," and it said.

"Ah, I understand." Fanxin nodded slightly upon hearing this. However, he didn't look at Nami, but rather at Luffy wearing the Straw Hat, and asked, "You said your name is Monkey D. Luffy, right?"

"Ah, yes, what's wrong?" Luffy asked.

"What is your relationship with Monkey D. Garp?" Fanxin asked, staring intently at Luffy.

"He's my grandfather. Do you know my grandfather?" Luffy asked excitedly upon hearing this.

"Grandpa? Are you sure you're not mistaken?" Fanxin was stunned for a moment before asking.

"Hehe, who would mistake their own grandfather! Monkey is our clan's surname. There is no other family with the surname Monkey besides us," Luffy said confidently.

"Really? Hehe, what a strange family. The grandfather is a marine, and the grandson is a pirate. What will you do when you see your grandfather in the future?" Fanxin asked curiously.

He had assumed that with a grandfather who was a Marine, his descendants would also be Marines, or at least not pirates who opposed the government. However, Luffy's unexpected decision left him speechless.

"My grandfather is my grandfather, and I am me. He can't decide my dreams," Luffy shouted.

"Your dream? What is it?" Fanxin asked.

"I want to become the Pirate King, that's my dream." Luffy said proudly, head held high.

"The Pirate King? You think you can?" Fanxin Xin scoffed, "Don't talk big. Becoming the Pirate King isn't easy. It takes countless hardships and tribulations. Remember, it's only a possibility, not a certainty. Many pirates have gone through all that pain and hardship, and still haven't become the Pirate King."

The Pirate King is the highest honor for pirates, but to date, only one person has become the Pirate King: Gol D. Roger, who was executed by the government more than twenty years ago.

That was the first Pirate King to appear in countless years. Now, a little brat is actually clamoring to become the Pirate King; he thinks it's unlikely to succeed.

"I will definitely become one, I definitely will," Luffy said confidently.

Fanxin stared intently at Luffy for a long time before finally looking away and saying, "As expected, a newborn calf is not afraid of a tiger. Fine, I'm about your age, I'll wait and see if you can become the Pirate King."

After saying that, Fanxin looked at Nami beside him and said, "Hey, I heard you're a navigator, right?"

Upon hearing this, Nami nodded without hesitation and said, "That's right, I am the navigator. Why are you looking at me like that?"

"I want to go to the Marine Headquarters. The Marine Headquarters is on the Grand Line, but it's very dangerous there. We don't know anything about navigation, so we need a navigator. Since you're a navigator, why don't you come with us?" Fanxin said.

He was overjoyed because he had searched for so long without finding a single navigator. But just as he was about to rest, a navigator suddenly appeared at his doorstep—it was truly a stroke of luck!

"Sorry, I'm not going." Nami immediately shook her head and refused.

"Don't worry, I won't let you help for nothing. I'll pay you a generous reward," Fanxin emphasized. He assumed the other party refused because there was no reward available, and if that was the reason, he was perfectly willing to oblige.

"Really?" Upon hearing this, Nami's eyes lit up with excitement. She asked, "How much? How much?"

Fanxin Xin and the others looked at Nami speechlessly upon hearing this; this girl really was a little money-grubber.

"Just name your price!" Fanxin said after a moment's thought.

"One hundred million gold coins, how about it? If you agree, I'll go with you." Nami's eyes darted around as she spoke.

"One hundred million gold coins?! You're robbing me!" the Little Black Cat shouted, clearly displeased.

"Hmph, I want 100 million gold coins. If you don't agree, then I won't agree." Nami snorted, giving a "you decide" look.

Fanxin and Ren Fang exchanged a glance and said, "One hundred million it is, but I can only give you a portion now. I will give you the rest once we reach our destination."

He was also helpless, because he hadn't found a navigator yet, and if things continued like this, he might be delayed for a long time. Now that the problem could be solved by paying money, he was naturally happy to do so.

"No, I want it now, that's my rule," Nami chuckled and said.

"Now?" Fanxin shook his head upon hearing this and said, "No, I don't have that many right now."

Of course, there was one more thing he didn't say: even if I had that much, I wouldn't give it to you now. If you run away halfway through, I'd be at a huge loss.

Fanxin's concern was not without reason, because this woman named Nami seemed to be obsessed with money. If he gave her the reward all at once, she might abscond with the money.

He didn't have time to chase after the other party, so he wouldn't pay the money in one lump sum.

"I'm sorry, I won't help you," Nami said with a shrug.

"Really?" Upon hearing this, Fanxin looked at Nami, smiled calmly, and said, "You will agree." After saying that, Fanxin ignored the others and headed towards Syrup Village. He planned to buy ingredients, and once he had replenished his food supplies, he would leave.

Of course, he would also take one person with him, namely the woman named Nami. If she refused to leave, he would have to use force.

The Little Black Cat, Ren Fang, and Langyue glanced at Nami and the others, then followed closely behind Fanxin.

"Stop right there!" Just as Fanxin was about to enter Syrup Village, a voice suddenly came from the bushes beside the steep slope.

Fanxin and the others were stunned for a moment, then immediately stopped and looked towards the bushes.

After a while, a man emerged from the bushes. He was wearing boots, had a bag slung over his shoulder, and his hair was naturally curly. He had a strange nose that was very long, almost as long as a person's index finger.

He wore a light brown headscarf, over which was a pair of sniper goggles. He slowly walked out, facing so many of them, appearing quite formidable.

However, Fanxin glanced at the other person and almost laughed, because although the long-nosed man appeared very Haki, his legs were trembling slightly. Clearly, he was very scared, and his Haki was just an act.

"Hey, what brings you here?" Fanxin asked curiously.

"Hmph, this is my village. You pirates are not allowed to set foot here. Anyone who dares to do so will be shot dead without hesitation!" the long-nosed man shouted. However, what was funny was that the more ruthless he spoke, the more violently his legs trembled.

"Oh, you alone can't kill us," Fanxin laughed.

"Are you kidding? I have eight thousand men under my command, how could I be alone?" The long-nosed man glanced at Fanxin with displeasure, then shouted towards the bushes, "Men, come out here! Let these despicable pirates see what we're made of!"

As soon as the long-nosed man finished speaking, countless pirate flags suddenly emerged from the bushes. Each flag was waving, as if someone were controlling it. With so many pirate flags, it seemed the other side really did have that many followers.

Seeing so many pirate flags, Fanxin and the others remained calm and showed no panic. They were people who had even fought Sea Kings, and they wouldn't be intimidated by a few words or flags. Even if the other side really did have that many subordinates, they could simply start a fight.

Luffy's eyes lit up, his face full of surprise, as if he were shocked. Zoro remained calm, looking around, seemingly doing nothing.

Nami chuckled and said, "Eight thousand underlings? Don't lie to me. There are only three of them. Do you think you can scare me?"

"Oh no, he's figured it out! What do we do? What do we do?" Long Nose's face changed upon hearing this, and cold sweat broke out on his forehead. His lie had been exposed; he didn't have the so-called eight thousand followers, only three little brats as his helpers.