"What can we do?"
Luffy, tied to a stone pillar, shouted angrily, "Of course we have to fight! What's the point of hiding in the mountains, old man? Everyone should join forces and deal with those damn nobles, beating them all into the sky!"
It hadn't been long since Sabo's incident, and Luffy still remembered it vividly!
"..." Manba glanced at Luffy and sighed without replying.
"Stop shouting nonsense."
Xia Nuo frowned and tapped Luffy's face with his scabbard. "Adults are talking. What are you butting in for, kid?"
What a troublesome brat. How does he have even less sense than people in the era of the Five Emperors?
The Kingdom Army was well-equipped and backed by the World Government. How could ordinary people possibly stand against them?
Even if all the bandits in the Colbo Mountains were gathered together, it would still be no more than throwing an egg at a rock.
In a world where overwhelming power belonged to individuals, resistance from below was even more difficult. Much of the time, it was practically a joke.
So what if hundreds of thousands or even millions of people gathered?
Could they withstand Conqueror's Haki?
Could they afford a rain of falling magma?
A single spark could start a prairie fire, but that simply didn't work on this sea. Only a small handful of powerful people could climb to the top of the power structure and carry out change from above.
That was also the main reason he had never been very interested in joining the Revolutionary Army.
Of course, he merely disagreed with their approach.
After all, feeling one's way across a river by stepping on stones was understandable. Being able to uphold their original ideals and put them into practice for so many years was still worthy of praise.
In this world where everyone competed to be the worst, the existence of such a group of people was already quite rare.
"How many of you are there in total?" Xia Nuo turned to Manba and asked.
"Thirteen, counting me."
Manba's expression darkened. "That night, I originally managed to pull more than twenty people out of the flames with my life on the line. But the elderly, children, women, and some who had already fallen ill couldn't survive in the harsh conditions of the mountains..."
The other "bandits" also looked sad and lowered their heads one after another.
"You've already done enough." Xia Nuo shook his head.
The man looked to be only a little over twenty.
When disaster struck, he hadn't fled on his own. Instead, he had chosen to rescue people everywhere. After entering the mountains, he had even dared to risk himself by pretending to be the notorious bandit wanted by the authorities in order to shelter these impoverished civilians. He was a real man.
Xia Nuo looked around.
If these dozen or so people continued struggling to survive in the mountains, the outcome probably wouldn't be good.
They would either die for one reason or another, or completely abandon their morals and become genuine bandits.
It would have been one thing if he hadn't encountered them. But having seen them with his own eyes, he couldn't help feeling reluctant to leave them to their fate.
Xia Nuo pondered briefly, remembering the four hundred million Berries he had in the bank.
He had originally not planned to withdraw the money. He had intended to leave it there earning interest and use it to pay for shipbuilding after he officially set out to sea.
But now, he faintly had a plan.
"To be honest, if I were still flat broke, I definitely wouldn't want to take care of you, nor would I have the ability."
Xia Nuo looked at Manba and shrugged slightly. "But I can't help it. Who told me I can barely be considered a rich man now? So I should still be able to find a way to lend you a hand."
"Rich man?"
Luffy's eyes instantly lit up. "So you're really rich, old man! Are you going to give them money? Can you give me some too? I'm short on money as well!!!"
The free meals he had eaten with Ace and Sabo at the shopping street below the mountain had all been put on credit. He hadn't had time to pay the bill yet!
"Old man, my foot!" Xia Nuo finally lost his patience and slapped him. "I'm only a few years older than you. If you want to flatter me, call me big brother!"
"Oh..." Luffy unhappily rubbed the red handprint on his cheek.
"Pay back the debt you incurred yourself!"
After glaring at Luffy in annoyance, Xia Nuo looked toward the impoverished people around him, his eyes thoughtful.
He certainly wasn't planning to scatter money around as Luffy had suggested.
They had only just met, after all, and had no emotional foundation between them. It would be far too strange to simply hand out money out of pity.
Besides, it was better to teach someone how to fish than to give them fish.
"I have an orange orchard that I'm preparing to expand, but I don't have enough hands and need to hire some workers."
He glanced at the Straw Hat on Luffy's head. "As it happens, I was planning to return home today. Why don't you leave the Goa Kingdom with me and go back together? You can settle down there afterward. How does that sound?"
He kept his explanation fairly vague.
In his actual plan, he intended to take out tens of millions of Berries and leave the rest saved as funds for his voyage.
He wasn't merely planning to expand the orange orchard. He also intended to establish several family-run workshops to process the harvested citrus fruit.
The citrus produced in Cocoyasi Village was truly excellent. Even compared with the dekopon and ponkan oranges he had eaten in his previous life, its flavor was far superior.
But the purchase price for raw agricultural products was also truly low.
Otherwise, Bellemere wouldn't have had to spend all year tending the orange orchard while still being so poor that she couldn't afford to buy Nami new clothes before he grew into the family's main support.
According to his plan, if the high-quality oranges were processed into salted or candied products, such as canned fruit, jam, and preserved fruit, before being sold, their added value could be greatly increased.
Manba could handle the workshops' day-to-day management. If Bellemere wanted to enjoy some free time, she could. If she wanted to stay busy, she could continue tending her beloved orange orchard.
Limited by the location and available trade routes, they might not make a great deal of money.
But while improving their household's circumstances, it would still be more than enough to feed these starving refugees and let them support themselves.
"R-Really? Is that really okay?!"
Manba was stunned for a moment, then grabbed Xia Nuo's hands, unable to contain his excitement. "Sir, you're really willing to take us in and give us work?!"
"Yeah. Have everyone pack up. We'll leave together shortly."
Xia Nuo nodded slightly. "Don't worry about the fare. I'll cover that too."
"That's wonderful!"
"We're saved! We're saved!"
"Thank you, sir! Thank you!"
At first, the starving people nearby were somewhat incredulous.
Only after Xia Nuo confirmed it did their long-suppressed emotions erupt. Some began to cry, some knelt on the spot, and others silently shed tears as they hugged one another in celebration.
Winter had already arrived. These days, they had lived in constant fear and anxiety in the mountains, unable to eat their fill or keep warm. Life had been unbearably difficult.
"Thank you so much, thank you so much..."
Manba's voice choked with emotion. "You've practically saved the lives of the dozen of us. I-I'm not good with words and don't know what to say. In any case, sir! From now on, my life belongs to you! Whatever you want me to do, I'll do it!"
"Sir, us too!" the surrounding refugees shouted in agreement.
"Waaah..." Luffy was crying nearby too. "Could you untie me first, old man? I can't wipe my tears, and it feels awful."
Xia Nuo speechlessly glanced at the kid and drew Masamune from his back.
Swish, swish.
Flashes of sword light passed by, and the hemp ropes binding Luffy's limbs were instantly severed.
"Wow, what amazing swordsmanship!"
Luffy rolled his wrists, marveling at the precision of the technique. Suddenly, blood sprayed from both arms at once. He shouted in panic and hurriedly tore his shirt into strips to wrap around the wounds and stop the bleeding. "Wah! How did you cut my skin too?!"
"..."
Xia Nuo coughed to hide his embarrassment, turned around, sheathed his sword, and looked at the dark-skinned man before him.
"Xia Nuo," he said. "What about you? What's your real name? What should we call you from now on?"
"Just call me Manba."
The man shook his head and answered sincerely, "To be honest, I used to be a guard raised by a noble family from childhood. The steward picked my name at random, and I never liked it. On the other hand, I've grown used to the name Manba after using it for several months. I might as well live under this name from now on."
"Good, Manba! Bring all your important belongings. We're leaving now!"
Xia Nuo burst into laughter.
Once everyone had begun bustling about, he shifted his gaze back to Luffy. Before leaving, how could he possibly forget the most important matter?
"It hurts, Xia Nuo!" Luffy complained, pointing at the wounds on his arms. "Could you have aimed more carefully when cutting the ropes? Now I don't even feel like thanking you for getting me out of trouble!"
Of course, that was only what he said aloud.
Luffy still had a good impression of the man before him, who had immediately helped these starving people escape their predicament upon appearing. Besides, no matter what, he was completely free now!
He no longer had to rack his brains wondering how much hunting he would need to do to pay for ten times the amount of roast meat.
"Sorry. My swordsmanship really isn't polished enough yet."
Xia Nuo smiled faintly. "As compensation, I'll perform a little magic trick for you."
"Magic?!!"
Luffy instantly perked up and struck a classic monkey squat on the table. "Sure, sure!"
And so...
The next second, under the boy's foolish gaze, Xia Nuo suddenly reached out and took the Straw Hat from his head.
Before you continue