Time passed in a flash. Before long, another five months had gone by.
At the training ground, Madalina stood under Luo Ya's watchful eye, eyes closed as she swung her sword at the Iron Body in front of her.
The iron sword swept through the air, and the Iron Body split in two.
Bang!
Seeing the Iron Body cut in half, Madalina cheered and looked at Luo Ya.
"You've been eating Divine Tree fruit every day, and it still took you nearly a year to cut iron. What's there to be happy about?"
Smack!
Luo Ya smacked Madalina on the forehead.
Madalina crouched on the ground, clutching her head. Nearby, Annajia laughed as she watched them horse around.
After training that evening, Luo Ya lay bare-chested on the bed in their bedroom, with Annajia, also naked, sprawled across his chest.
"Give me the Osama Kingdom's Log Pose. I've delayed long enough. It's time to set off."
"Really? If things get too dangerous, come back. So many years have passed already; waiting a few more won't make any difference."
Annajia sounded both delighted and worried. After all, spending so much time together had made them grow fond of each other. They'd been together for almost a year, and she was worried about Luo Ya.
Luo Ya pinched Annajia's cheek. "Enough chatter."
After Luo Ya put away the Log Pose, an intense "battle" began.
Early the next morning, Luo Ya, refreshed and invigorated, arrived at the pier and boarded the Black Pearl, which he hadn't seen in a long time.
He'd been away from the ship for nearly a year, and dust coated the wheelhouse. It wasn't that King Brunen hadn't sent anyone to clean; it was just that only Luo Ya could open the Black Pearl's captain's cabin and bedroom.
The accessible areas, like the deck, had been cleaned until they were spotless. After Luo Ya busied himself cleaning the ship and stocking it with food and water,
he finally set off for the Osama Kingdom.
At the pier, Madalina and Annajia watched the Black Pearl sail into the distance, their eyes filled with worry.
The Grand Line had seven routes, and the Osama Kingdom lay along a different route from the one they were on. Even with the Black Pearl's impressive speed, it would take some time to cross the sea.
While aboard the ship, Luo Ya spent each day meditating and doing basic physical training.
At his current level, ordinary training methods no longer had much effect, and he'd long since stopped getting anything out of the green Divine Tree fruit.
Only one grueling battle after another, and the trials of blood and fire, could make him stronger.
At last, he reached the harbor of Bekna Island, where the Osama Kingdom was located.
After locking up the ship, Luo Ya stepped onto the pier. Unlike the bustling harbor he'd seen before,
this country's harbor was also crowded, but most people hauled cargo with blank expressions.
Apart from food and drink, what stood out most were the groups of slaves being driven along by men with whips. And among them, besides those who had clearly only recently been enslaved,
the most numerous were people whose faces bore black patterns resembling wolves or dogs, with open jaws and fangs clearly visible. Whether they were hauling cargo or driving slaves, they all wore the same mark.
A few merchants and nobles dressed in finery haggled with them.
After wandering around, Luo Ya arrived at a tavern and casually ordered some food and beer. He ate while listening to the people nearby talk.
"Some of the pirates General Ambuseton brought back this time are from the Kuja Pirates."
"Right, right. I heard that country's people are all women. No idea how they have children. Hahaha."
"What are you in a hurry for? Once they've got slave collars on, you can pay a few Beli and find out for yourself."
Their words were followed by lecherous laughter and filthy remarks.
After his meal, Luo Ya rented a room. As the server escorted him upstairs and turned to leave, Luo Ya pulled out a stack of Beli.
"Tell me about this country. I'm here as a tourist."
The server calmly pocketed the money and gave him a knowing smile.
"Haha, everyone says they're here to sightsee, sir. The pleasure district in the Osama Kingdom is famous, and I can recommend a few reliable places where you can buy someone to take home and serve you."
The server's explanation gave Luo Ya a clear picture of the country.
It turned out that not everyone could become a citizen of the Osama Kingdom. Only people with the wolf-and-dog brand on their faces qualified.
They were the country's true citizens—slaves branded at the soul by King Ambux.
They made up most of the population. Seventy percent of the people in the country fell into this category.
The rest, the ones wearing slave collars, were pirates captured by the great general, Ambuseton, or slaves seized in attacks on other countries.
Some particularly powerful pirates were also branded and enslaved by the king.
Still, the people of this country seemed to hold their king in fairly high regard. In a world where you could eat your fill, stay warm, and avoid being killed by passing pirates, that already counted as a happy life.
As long as they followed the rules he set, they could live in relative peace.
The country's system seemed somewhat like the utopia created by one of the Four Emperors, Charlotte Linlin.
And with everyone bearing a mark on their face, the power behind it was probably somewhat similar, too. After all, in Charlotte Linlin's territory, the price of living there was a portion of one's lifespan. The marks on these people's faces couldn't simply be for decoration.
The only ones left were people from elsewhere. Most were nobles who had come to buy slaves or slave-trading crews who had come to sell them.
The pleasure district mentioned earlier was where captured female pirates were fitted with slave collars and forced to work as courtesans.
It was practically a must-see attraction on the island, and most slave auctions took place there as well.
After learning the basics about the island, Luo Ya returned to his room and began thinking of a way to get close to Ambux.
Sneaking in to launch a surprise attack was out of the question, and Luo Ya wasn't the sort of person to do that anyway.
But he couldn't just draw his sword and start fighting on the spot, either. That would be foolish and far more trouble than it was worth.
As he considered his options, Luo Ya took out a Den Den Mushi and dialed a number.
When the call connected, a long face appeared, covered in crisscrossing tattoos.
"I didn't expect you to call me, Luo Ya."
"Heh. Dragon, I'm planning to conquer a country here. How about I hand it over to you after I bring it down?"
"We're seriously short on people right now. I'm afraid we can't spare many."
"Busy starting revolutions elsewhere? Surely you can send a few people to take this country's wealth."
Dragon fell silent.
After a long while,
"What do you want in return?"
"I want a Supreme Grade Sword! If you can't even manage that, forget the revolution and go back to sea as a pirate, Dragon."
"Fine, but it'll take a year to find one. Most of the Supreme Grade Swords have disappeared without a trace."
This time, Luo Ya fell silent as he thought it over. The wealth of an entire country could easily pay for a Supreme Grade Sword. The only issue was how long it would take to find one, given how rare they were. If the Revolutionary Army needed that long, he might as well consider other groups.
He just had a fairly good impression of Dragon, which was why he'd contacted him first.
When Luo Ya fell silent, Dragon grew a little anxious.
"I'll personally owe you a favor!"
It was no wonder Dragon was anxious. You never knew how hard it was to make ends meet until you were in charge. Back when he'd been in the Navy, food and drink had been taken care of, and he'd never had to worry.
Now that he was leading his own people, there were so many mouths to feed. A revolution couldn't very well be waged on empty stomachs. Every day, Dragon worried about money until handfuls of his hair fell out.
"Heh. The Osama Kingdom. I'm planning to make my move tomorrow."
With that, he hung up and lay on the bed, pondering his next move.