Ortolan: Come On, I'll Take You to Deliver Justice!

After Tesoro entered, he didn't dare to look into the room and quickly asked Shakky, "Big Sister, what do you want to see me about?"

Shakky held an empty cup in her hand and pointed at Ortolan: "Hey, see him? Recognize him? He's looking for you."

Tesoro turned to look at Ortolan, his expression initially puzzled, then he seemed to recognize Ortolan, and with a look of terror, he said, "I haven't committed a crime! Although I live in Lawless Zone, I'm a law-abiding citizen!!!"

After saying that, he was about to turn and run away. The people of Ortolan were a little confused. When Tesoro was about to run away, he realized what was happening and burst into laughter. "Hahahaha, don't run. You can't outrun me. Besides, I didn't come here to catch you. What crime could you have committed that would make me come all the way from the New World to catch you?"

Tesoro seemed to have his panic and fear somewhat dispelled by the laughter. He swallowed hard, grabbed the door frame, stopped in his tracks, and looked at Ortolan with some suspicion, asking, "Lord Marines, what do you want with me?"

"Did you go to school?" Ortolan asked casually, without giving a direct answer.

"No..." Tesoro replied with a slight sense of inferiority.

"Can you read?" Ortolan asked again.

"I can read, I can read, I've taught myself." Tesoro said with a little more confidence this time.

"What have you taught yourself?" Ortolan asked again.

"I..." Tesoro hesitated for a moment, then quickly added, "I've studied some economics books. I used to work part-time in a library and read a lot of those books..."

"Why are you learning all this?" Ortolan raised an eyebrow and pressed for an answer.

Tesoro said somewhat embarrassedly, "I... I want to earn more money..."

"Then why didn't you make any money? Did you not understand it?" Ortolan asked with a smile.

"I...I later realized that the things discussed in those books were too advanced; only the super-rich could use that knowledge. Someone like me, who has nothing, even if I learned it, I couldn't use it because I have no capital or connections...I...so..." Tesoro stammered, unsure of what to say next.

"If I gave you capital and connections, could you make money?" Ortolan asked again.

Tesoro immediately exclaimed excitedly, "Yes, I can..."

Upon seeing the earnest look in Ortolan's eyes, Tesoro's previous burst of confidence seemed to vanish instantly. His previously enthusiastic tone became sparse, and his voice lowered to the point of being almost inaudible as he whispered, "It should be... about right..."

"Heh..." Ortolan chuckled and looked Tesoro up and down again before standing up. "Come with me. Staying on Sabaody Archipelago will only bring you trouble. Come with me to the New World; there's a place where you'll be useful."

After saying that, Ortolan looked at Shakky and said, "Then, Ms. Shakky, I won't disturb you any longer. Farewell."

Shakky Qi nodded. "By the way, brother, if you want to do business with me again next time, you can't use the same conditions as this time, otherwise I'll be in a lot of trouble."

A bright smile appeared on Ortolan's lips, "Don't worry, next time I might not be short of money."

After saying that, Ortolan was the first to leave the tavern without even saying goodbye to Rayleigh.

Rayleigh glanced at Ortolan's retreating figure but didn't say anything, lest he make a fool of himself.

Tesoro, on the other hand, stood there, looking somewhat helpless. He looked at Shakky with a pleading look in his eyes, unsure of what to do.

Seeing this, Shakky smiled and said, "In one's life, there are very few opportunities to change one's destiny. Tesoro, this time, perhaps it is your chance to turn things around. So, make the most of it."

Tesoro's expression remained somewhat hesitant, but he eventually nodded and followed Ortolan out the door.

As he spoke, Ortolan took out a cigarette from his pocket, lit it, exhaled a puff of smoke, and asked, "Do you have any luggage to pack? If not, let's leave now. Don't let my appearance fool you, I'm actually very busy..."

"Marines sir..." Tesoro began, but Ortolan interrupted him, "Do you know my name?"

"Yes, Vice Admiral Bane Ortolan of the Marine Headquarters, I often see you in the newspapers..." Tesoro quickly replied.

"Then just call me Ortolan." Ortolan waved his hand casually and said.

Tesoro dared not. He hesitated for a moment, then whispered, "Bane?"

"Do as you please," Ortolan replied casually without correcting him.

"Bane, I... I cannot leave the Sabaody Archipelago yet," Tesoro said, mustering his courage.

"Why?" Ortolan asked calmly.

"I promised someone I would give her her freedom... She was a slave, and I'm almost done saving up my money..." Tesoro explained.

"Slaves?" Ortolan asked, feigning surprise. "Didn't the World Government explicitly prohibit and abolish slavery more than two hundred years ago? How come there are still slaves?"

Upon hearing this, Tesoro was momentarily at a loss for words to explain to Ortolan.

Are you genuinely clueless, or are you just pretending?

However, Ortolan didn't insist on getting Tesoro's reply. He waved his hand and said, "I'll take you to carry out justice!"

Tesoro was taken aback at first, but quickly realized what was happening and said with a delighted expression, "Yes, please come with me."

He was reserved and nervous when facing Ortolan, and sometimes he couldn't even speak clearly. But that didn't mean he was stupid or clumsy. On the contrary, Tesoro was a smart man, and he immediately understood that Ortolan was going to stand up for him!

Therefore, he walked hurriedly, almost as if he was about to run, and his eyes were filled with hope and light, as if he saw a beautiful life beckoning to him, as if he was about to grow wings on his back, break free from the cage of fate, and head towards freedom and light!

If he weren't worried about being too frivolous and ruining Ortolan's impression of him, he would have even wanted to sing a song.

As Ortolan watched Tesoro's impatient yet expectant, hopeful figure recede into the distance, a smile involuntarily crept onto his lips as he bit down on his cigarette.

Perhaps, my visit this time not only yielded the promising business talent of Tesoro, but also served as a significant purpose?

For some reason, Ortolan's mood improved considerably.

"Justice..." Ortolan murmured softly, a strange look appearing in his eyes. He smiled and muttered to himself, "Sometimes it really is a pleasant thing."

He seemed to understand why some of the Marines officers were so keen on upholding justice.

He seemed to understand, to some extent, what Bartholomew Kuma had said when he met him in the Sorbeth Kingdom in the South Blue.

"Shouldn't it be something to be happy about to help others to the best of your ability?"

Perhaps even Ortolan himself didn't realize that he was indeed changing the trajectory of the Marines's fate, and the Marines, in turn, was changing him.

Back then, Zephyr once said that he was only eighteen years old, and that the Marines was such a big melting pot that even if there were impurities, they would be fine after a few years of refining.

Perhaps Zephyr wasn't wrong.

The former Ortolan did not know what justice was, nor did he even know what he was pursuing.

Perhaps he has changed a little bit now?

Led by Tesoro, Ortolan soon arrived at the shop where Stella was being sold as a slave.

Standing outside the shop, Ortolan saw a large display case, just like a clothing store displaying its clothes and merchandise, except that what was displayed here were people, slaves.

In this display case, there was a blonde woman with a choker around her neck. She was slender and beautiful. When she saw Tesoro, a gentle smile appeared on Yuan Numb's face.

It has to be said that Tesoro has good taste. No matter how you look at it, Stella is a rare beauty, no wonder she caught the eye of the Celestial Dragons.

Tesoro nodded to Stella without saying anything, and led Ortolan into the shop.

As soon as they entered, a chubby boss rushed over, beaming at Ortolan, and said, "Sir, what kind of slaves do you want? I have them all here!"

"You're selling slaves here?" Ortolan asked with a 'friendly' smile.

"What you're saying is ridiculous, isn't it?" the boss replied with a smile.

"Isn't it illegal?" Ortolan asked again.

The boss was taken aback for a moment, then frowned and said, "What? You want to meddle? Go ahead and report me? Go ahead and try, I have connections!"

Ortolan grinned and laughed, "Isn't this a coincidence? I am the so-called 'person in charge'!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Ortolan kicked the boss squarely in the stomach. Instantly, the guy flew out like a ball, crashing through the wall behind him and disappearing without a trace.

The people in the shop were all a bit stunned and bewildered by this sudden change, but Ortolan ignored them, picked up the Den Den Mushi, and made a direct call to the Marine Base in the Sabaody Archipelago.