Ajilu Celo, One of the Celo Five

Late at night, Cinnamon Island's streets gradually quieted down.

The bustling spice market from the daytime now stood empty, with only a few gas lamps casting dim yellow halos at the street corners.

Yang Yunzhi stood before the inn window, but his gaze was not focused on the street.

He was communicating with Little Bean.

"Have you looked into that blond punk?"

"Yes, Master." Little Bean's voice was clear and quick. "His name is Ajilu Celo. He is eighteen years old and a member of the now-destroyed local mafia family, the Celo Family. More precisely, he is an adopted son."

A stream of information unfolded before Yang Yunzhi's eyes—the material Little Bean had compiled.

The Celo Family was a small mafia that had risen on Cinnamon Island seven years ago.

Its founder, Gelaigao Celo, came from the slums. Relying on extraordinary courage and relatively fair principles, he had carved out a place for himself in the dock district.

"Fair?" Yang Yunzhi raised an eyebrow.

"Yes." Little Bean explained, "Unlike other mafias, Gelaigao was very particular about rules when collecting protection money. Shop owners paid five thousand Beli a month, stall owners paid one thousand, and those who truly could not afford it could work off their debt—for example, by helping move cargo or clean the streets. And once he took the money, he actually got things done. In his territory, petty theft was almost nonexistent. If a merchant caravan was robbed, he would send people after the culprits. He even helped mediate commercial disputes."

Yang Yunzhi was somewhat surprised. "How is that a mafia? That is practically a community service organization."

"That was exactly the problem." Little Bean continued, "Gelaigao's methods offended the local sheriff, Drefa. By convention, seventy percent of the protection money collected by the mafia had to be handed over to the sheriff as a 'tolerance fee.' But Gelaigao charged little, so naturally, he handed over little."

Yang Yunzhi shook his head. "This Drefa really had no vision. If protection money was low, more people would come to do business. Once commerce prospered, tax revenue would naturally increase. Even if each person paid less, the total would not be low. He was killing the goose that laid the golden eggs."

"Drefa clearly did not understand that." Little Bean said, "Two years ago, he joined forces with an outside mafia called the Dead Chess Gang and set a trap during a gang battle, killing Gelaigao Celo."

"And then?"

"Then Drefa learned what the power of righteousness meant." Little Bean's tone carried a trace of mockery. "It was precisely because of Gelaigao's kindness that the Celo Family members were fiercely loyal. After their leader was killed, the family not only did not collapse, but erupted with astonishing combat power. Within three months, they drove out the Dead Chess Gang, assassinated Drefa, and controlled half of Cinnamon Island."

Yang Yunzhi nodded. "That was what they called killing one good man and unleashing a pack of tigers. But the Celo Family probably did not end well either, right?"

After all, there was no Celo Family left on Cinnamon Island now. There was not even a decent mafia.

"That is right. The Celo Family dared to kill a sheriff, so of course the new sheriff would not allow such a powerful local gang to remain. He mobilized the Spice Kingdom's royal army and carried out a massive purge of the underworld. The Celo Family was devastated. Every notable leader either died or fled. That happened a year ago."

"Ajilu and the others..."

"The five Ajilu siblings were only sixteen or seventeen at the time and were not involved in the core affairs, so they survived the purge," Little Bean said. "But their fathers' influence was gone, and now they could only drift around. The 'boss' they mentioned is named Lushen Celo. He is the only surviving minor leader of the family—not because he was strong, but because he was weak and knew how to read the situation. He submitted to the new sheriff and handed over most of the money he collected every month, barely managing to keep a foothold."

"So the five Ajilu siblings were attached to Lushen's crew?"

"Yes. But the five of them are special—they are not biological siblings. They were all orphans Gelaigao picked up off the streets. The eldest, Ajilu, is eighteen. The second sister, Ali, is seventeen; she is the dark-skinned, short-haired girl from earlier today. The third, Akai; the fourth, Ayong; and the fifth, Aming, are all sixteen. Because they called Gelaigao Father, the neighbors called them the Celo Five."

"Because they were Gelaigao's adopted children, Lushen had always been wary of them. So although they were under Lushen's banner, their living conditions and treatment had always been terrible."

Yang Yunzhi fell into thought. "In other words, these five were raised by a good man and have basic moral boundaries, but they also grew up in a gang environment and understand the rules of survival. They witnessed their family's destruction, saw the changing of power, and are now being suppressed by their boss. They have tasted all the bitterness and sweetness of life..."

"Yes, Master. They are all promising material," Little Bean said. "They had no names in the original story, which means they never made anything of themselves. But that was not because they were incapable. They simply lacked an opportunity."

Yang Yunzhi nodded. He agreed with that assessment.

After all, Liu Bei's Pei County group and Zhu Yuanzhang's Huai West nobles had both proved that a single county could provide the talent needed to govern a nation. The world had never lacked talented people; what it lacked was a platform for them to demonstrate their abilities.

"Now, the opportunity has come."

He pushed open the window. His figure flashed in the night, and he had already vanished from the room.

In the eastern district of Cinnamon Island, near the garbage disposal site, stood a row of low wooden shacks. This was the slum, home to dockworkers, sanitation workers, and idle punks.

Inside the house at the very end, the five Ajilu siblings were gathered around an oil lamp, eating dinner—if it could even be called dinner: several hard, dry loaves of bread and a pot of watery vegetable soup.

"Big Brother, that ten thousand Beli from today..." The third brother, Akai, took a bite of bread and said vaguely, "How about we buy some meat tomorrow?"

Ajilu shook his head. "Save it. We still have to set aside twenty thousand for Boss Lushen's 'management fee' this month."

"Twenty thousand?" The fourth brother, Ayong, widened his eyes. "Wasn't it only fifteen thousand last month?"

"He said prices had gone up." Ajilu's expression was blank. "We do not have to pay, but then we cannot keep hanging around on his turf."

The five fell silent.

The only sound in the room was the faint chewing of bread.

Suddenly, the flame of the oil lamp flickered.

Ajilu jerked his head up—there was another person in the room.

"Who?!"

The five nearly jumped up at the same time and grabbed whatever they could find nearby. Ajilu seized a wooden stick, Ali drew a short knife from her waist, and the three younger brothers each picked up a broken chair leg or a brick.

Yang Yunzhi stood by the door with a faint smile. "Quick reactions."

"You?" Ajilu recognized the man who had been holding a black-haired beauty earlier that day. "What do you want?"

"I came to discuss a business deal with you," Yang Yunzhi said.

"You break in at midnight to discuss business?" Ali said coldly, her short knife glinting under the oil lamp.

Yang Yunzhi did not answer. Instead, he looked around the shabby room. It was less than twenty square meters. Five straw mats laid on the floor served as beds. There was a broken cabinet, a cooking pot, and a few bowls. Old newspapers had been pasted onto the walls to block the wind, but cold drafts still seeped through the gaps.

"Gelaigao Celo's adopted sons and daughter live in a place like this?" he asked.

Ajilu's pupils contracted. "You know our father's name?"

"I know more than you think." Yang Yunzhi walked to the middle of the room and sat down on a broken stool as if it were his own. "I know how Gelaigao died, how the Celo Family was destroyed, and how you are now following Lushen Celo—that useless coward who sold away the family's last shred of dignity."

"Do not insult Boss Lushen!" The fifth brother, Aming, snapped, raising his brick as he charged forward.

"Aming!" Ajilu shouted him down. Then he stared hard at Yang Yunzhi. "Who exactly are you?"

"Someone who can give you a way out," Yang Yunzhi said. "But before that..."

He stood. "Let me see what you are made of."

Before his words had even faded, Ajilu's wooden stick came crashing down at his head!

Yang Yunzhi did not dodge.

He raised his left hand and spread his palm. Just as the stick was about to strike his head, his five fingers precisely gripped its shaft.

The force was so great that Ajilu felt as if the stick had been welded into a block of iron. It would not move at all.

At the same time, Ali's short knife stabbed at his ribs from the side.

The other three brothers also pounced from different directions.

Yang Yunzhi finally moved.

He made a circle with his right hand—golden sparks flashed, and a portal half a meter wide opened before Ali. Unable to stop herself in time, Ali rushed straight into the portal, then tumbled out beside the wall at the other end of the room.

"Ali!" Ajilu cried out.

"She is fine." As Yang Yunzhi spoke, he twisted his left hand. Ajilu felt an enormous force travel through the stick, and it flew from his grasp.

Then pain exploded in his chest, and he was sent flying into the wall.

The third brother, Akai, swung his chair leg at the back of Yang Yunzhi's head.

Without even turning around, Yang Yunzhi reached back, seized Akai's wrist, and twisted. Akai cried out in pain, and the chair leg fell to the floor.

The fourth brother, Ayong, smashed his brick at Yang Yunzhi's face.

Yang Yunzhi sidestepped, pressed his index and middle fingers together, and tapped Ayong's wrist. Ayong felt his whole arm go numb, and the brick slipped from his hand.

The fifth brother, Aming, was the fiercest. He lunged forward, trying to wrap his arms around Yang Yunzhi's waist.

Yang Yunzhi drove his knee into Aming's abdomen. Aming grunted and curled up on the floor.

The entire process took less than ten seconds.

All five of them were down.

Yang Yunzhi brushed dust from his hands that was not there and sat down again. "Your strength is decent, but you lack systematic training. Ajilu's stick technique has some structure to it. Gelaigao must have taught you? Ali's knife work is too wild, all street-fighting moves. As for the three younger ones... your courage is commendable."

Ajilu struggled to his feet and stood protectively before his siblings. Gritting his teeth, he said, "We admit defeat. Beat us or kill us, do as you please."

"I told you, I came to discuss business." Yang Yunzhi looked at him. "I want you to work for me."

"Doing what?"

Yang Yunzhi smiled. "Piracy. Are you in?"

The five froze at the same time.

"Piracy?" Ajilu frowned. "No."

"Why not?"

"We are too weak, and we do not know how to sail." Ajilu was blunt. "If we went to sea like this, the waves would kill us."

"Of course I am not asking you to set sail now." Yang Yunzhi said, "I will train you first—combat, weapons, navigation, weather, sea charts, all the knowledge pirates need to master. Only when your skills are sufficient will I let you go to sea."

Ajilu was even more confused. "Being a pirate... requires that much?"

"Because you will not be ordinary pirates." Yang Yunzhi stood and walked over to the oil lamp. The dim yellow light reflected on his face, making his expression seem deep and mysterious. "You will be blades in my hand. Wherever I point, you will cut."

He paused, then added, "Of course, you will also be part of the organization's outer circle. Sending spies into an enemy's home is only natural, isn't it?"

"Organization?" Ali stood up, clutching the shoulder she had struck. "Who exactly are you?"

"Someone who wants to change the world," Yang Yunzhi said frankly. "With a pirate crew that obeys my orders, I can do many things that are inconvenient for me to do personally. Like assassinating a Celestial Dragon, or stealing some Heavenly Tribute."

The five siblings sucked in sharp breaths.

Assassinate a Celestial Dragon? Steal Heavenly Tribute?

This was not merely audacious. He wanted to punch a hole in the sky!

"What if we refuse?" Ajilu asked in a low voice.

Yang Yunzhi's expression turned cold. "Then I can only let you die."

"Why?!" Aming cried. "We never offended you!"

"Because you saw my face and learned of my plans." Yang Yunzhi spoke calmly, as though stating a simple fact. "I cannot allow these secrets to leak out. Either you are one of us, or you are dead. Choose."

The room fell into deathly silence once more.

The oil lamp's flame danced, casting shifting shadows across five young faces.

After a long time, Ajilu spoke. "We need to discuss this."

"You may." Yang Yunzhi said, "You have five minutes."

The five gathered in a corner and spoke in low voices. Yang Yunzhi was in no hurry. He sat on the broken stool and closed his eyes to rest.

In truth, Little Bean was monitoring their conversation in real time:

[Ajilu: What do you think?]

[Ali: Big Brother, this man is not simple. That ability to open doors must be a Devil Fruit power. And he beat all five of us so easily...]

[Akai: But the things he said are too terrifying! Celestial Dragons, Heavenly Tribute...]

[Ayong: But do we have any choice? If we refuse, we die.]

[Aming: Living like this is meaningless anyway. Boss Lushen squeezes us dry every day, and we barely have enough to eat...]

[Ajilu: Father once said that people must live with dignity. Do we have dignity living like this?]

[Silence]

[Ajilu: Besides... if what he said is true, if he really can change this world... wasn't what Father wanted back then simply for the poor people in the dock district to have food to eat?]

[Ali: Big Brother, make the decision. We will follow you.]

Three minutes later, Ajilu turned around and walked up to Yang Yunzhi. "We agree."

"Good." Yang Yunzhi opened his eyes, then pressed a finger to Ajilu's forehead.

[Secondary Link established: Ajilu Celo (Loyalty: 71%, steadily rising)]

[DD number acquired: XC-004-20240824-013527]

Ajilu froze—a pale blue chat interface appeared before his eyes, displaying a welcome message and his personal number.

"This is DD Chat, our organization's internal communication tool." Yang Yunzhi explained, "You can type with your thoughts. Little Bean, create a group for the five of them."

[System Notice: New group "Pirate Training Camp" created]

[Group Members: Yang Yunzhi (Group Owner), Ajilu, Ali, Akai, Ayong, Aming]

Yang Yunzhi established links for the other four in turn.

The instant the links were completed, the way the five looked at him changed—their wariness and hostility faded, replaced by instinctive closeness and trust.

The loyalty links had taken effect.

"Starting tomorrow, Little Bean will issue training assignments through this group," Yang Yunzhi said. "The first stage will be physical conditioning and combat. I will remain on Cinnamon Island for three days, and during those three days, I will personally teach you the basics."

"What about after three days?" Ali asked.

"After three days, I will have other matters to handle. You will continue training." Yang Yunzhi said, "The training materials will be sent through DD Chat. Every month, I will send someone to deliver living expenses to you. You will not need to keep following Lushen anymore."

He paused and looked at Ajilu. "Remember, you belong to me now. If anyone bullies you—whether it is Lushen or anyone else—tell me directly."

Ajilu nodded heavily. "Understood!"

"Get some rest." Yang Yunzhi walked to the door, then looked back. "Oh, right. Your Boss Lushen... should encounter a little 'trouble' in a few days. When that happens, just enjoy the show."

The door closed, and he had already disappeared.

The five siblings looked at one another. In each other's eyes, they saw shock, confusion, and a trace of... hope.