Country of Endless War

The moment the phrase "seduce and abandon" surfaced in Xia Luo's mind, his gaze turned cold.

No matter who it was, if anyone dared to hurt or tried to hurt Olvia, he would show no mercy!

After Xia Luo repeatedly pressed her, Olvia finally told him about the man. After hearing it all, Xia Luo said nothing. He planned to investigate him personally.

If the man's character was lacking or his intentions were impure, Xia Luo would make sure he disappeared from Olvia's sight forever.

At the end, Xia Luo spoke tactfully and smiled. "By the way, Sis, before you get married, you can't stay overnight at his place or let him stay overnight here. Mom and Dad used to say that."

Olvia glared at him. "As if you needed to tell me! Besides, why don't I remember Mom and Dad ever saying that?"

"Well, maybe you weren't listening carefully at the time. Isn't that right, Oran?"

As he spoke, Xia Luo looked at Oran, his eyes carrying a hint of killing intent and warning. If you dare say no, you're dead!

Oran shuddered and hurriedly nodded. "Yeah, I remember it clearly. Mom and Dad did say that. Sis, you actually weren't listening carefully."

"Really?" Olvia frowned. "Hmm, maybe I was reading at the time..."

"Just remember it. There's no mistake." After saying that, Xia Luo turned and quietly instructed Oran, "Oran, you're in charge of keeping watch. If... just see how I deal with you!"

Oran swallowed and quickly said, "Understood, understood. I'll keep a close eye on her."

Xia Luo beamed. "Oh, right. Didn't you say you wanted to buy something last time? How much was it again, five hundred thousand Beli? I'll give it to you later."

"Hey, thanks, Bro!"

Upon hearing this, Oran, who had been listless just moments ago, instantly came back to life. Overjoyed, he practically dropped to his knees in gratitude.

"What are you two whispering about behind my back?" Olvia asked curiously as she looked at her animated little brother.

"Secret!"

The two brothers answered in unison.

Soon, Xia Luo spent seven happy days at home.

And after several days of observation and investigation, he gained a clear understanding of his future brother-in-law.

In short, there was nothing wrong with the man. He did not seem like the sort of scum who would seduce and abandon a woman, leaving behind a wife and daughter.

Although Xia Luo still found him unpleasant to look at, there was nothing he could do. Olvia was bound to get married eventually. As her younger brother, he could not exactly stop her, could he?

Meanwhile, Lynn, completely unaware that he had wandered around the gates of hell several times over the past few days, was taking a walk with Olvia. The two strolled shoulder to shoulder, chatting and laughing, their manner intimate like lovers.

"Hmph!"

Xia Luo snorted and turned away. He was afraid that if he kept watching, he would not be able to stop himself from rushing out and beating up the guy taking advantage of his sister.

That evening, after dinner, Xia Luo bade Olvia and Oran farewell.

After the three siblings reluctantly said their goodbyes, Xia Luo vanished into the vast sea under cover of night, his destination unknown.

Five days later.

New World, Marik Sea.

Country of Endless War.

The sun shone brightly that day, with not a cloud in the sky. As usual, the people living in this land split into two camps and slaughtered one another without end.

"Kill!"

The cries of battle shook the heavens.

The battlefield was like a meat grinder, madly devouring the lives around it. Blood dyed the earth red, while severed limbs and corpses lay everywhere, testifying to the cruelty of war.

The soldiers below did not understand why they fought. Day after day, they simply charged forward, then fell.

The officers above were either scheming against one another and fighting for power, or lying in their castles amidst beautiful women and champagne, singing and dancing as they indulged in endless luxury and decadence.

Years of war had left this country utterly devastated. Ruined walls and rubble could be seen everywhere, making it seem like a wasteland. The young and able-bodied were busy fighting instead of producing anything, while the elderly, children, and women, with their lower labor capacity, were forced into production and work.

The most ridiculous part was that, because of its poverty and fierce people, this island was hardly ever attacked by pirates.

Powerful pirates did not want to come because the people here were too poor. There was nothing worthwhile to steal, making the effort pointless.

Weak pirates could not defeat the island's army...

Over time, the Country of Endless War instead became a "pure land" in the New World.

Xia Luo's assessment of this was that it was unbelievable, yet perfectly reasonable.

But none of that had anything to do with Xia Luo. He had not come to stop the war. His target was Douglas Bullet.

Douglas Bullet was born in 1477. Abandoned by his mother as a child, he stepped onto the battlefield at a young age and repeatedly distinguished himself in battle. At fifteen, after suffering betrayal, he angrily destroyed the country. He later joined the Roger Pirates and fought Rayleigh, the Dark King, to a draw.

At eighteen, he left the Roger Pirates. At twenty-two, he was defeated by Garp and Sengoku and imprisoned on the sixth level of Impel Down...

Bullet's life experience was nothing short of legendary. At fifteen, his strength was already comparable to that of an Emperor's commander. If not for his poor luck, there might well have been a place for him among the "Four Emperors."

Of course, Xia Luo personally felt that Bullet's strength had been somewhat exaggerated. His so-called draw with Rayleigh had most likely been because Rayleigh deliberately went easy on him and perhaps had not used powerful methods such as Conqueror's Haki infusion.

Still, that was enough to prove Bullet's potential. If he developed normally, becoming an Admiral- or Emperor-level powerhouse in the future was practically guaranteed.

If he had not eaten the Fusion Fruit and had instead eaten some powerful Logia or Mythical Zoan, he would only have become stronger—at the very least, no weaker than the Navy's three Admirals.

With Bullet's talent, a Devil Fruit geared toward physical strength, such as a Mythical Zoan or Ancient Zoan, was clearly more suitable for him and would better unleash his potential.

Xia Luo's purpose in coming this time was obvious: he wanted to recruit Bullet.

Vissel Port, the only port trade city in the Country of Endless War, received a large quantity of weapons and equipment every day, which ultimately flowed into the hands of the two major factions.

The port was crowded with people, most of them foreign arms dealers. The shops and street stalls displayed either guns and ammunition or all kinds of contraband.

Xia Luo blended into the crowd, wearing a black cloak and a cat-faced mask.

Ignoring the malicious gazes around him, Xia Luo thought to himself, At this time, Bullet probably hasn't eaten the Fusion Fruit yet, right?

Bullet joined the Roger Pirates in 1492, and by then he was already a Devil Fruit user. Xia Luo had come three years early precisely to prevent Bullet from eating the Fusion Fruit.

The Fusion Fruit could not exactly be called a trash-tier fruit, but it definitely was not a "good fruit," much less comparable to god-tier fruits like the Azure Dragon Fruit.

Of course, Xia Luo had no way to find a Mythical Zoan Devil Fruit for Bullet right now. Those were simply too rare.

However, Xia Luo did have two Devil Fruits on hand at the moment, and they were quite suitable for Bullet.