The Road Ahead

After a long while, Olvia's sobs gradually faded from loud crying to quiet whimpers, her voice growing softer until it vanished.

Only then did Xia Luo realize that she had fallen asleep against him. She slept deeply, her face streaked with tears.

Seeing Olvia asleep yet still frowning tightly, Xia Luo could not help feeling heartache. He carefully picked her up and carried her back to her room.

After wiping the tear stains from Olvia's face with a damp towel, Xia Luo gently closed the door and turned to walk into the kitchen.

More than an hour later, Olvia slowly woke up. The moment she opened her eyes, she caught the rich aroma of food.

Just then, Xia Luo entered with a spatula in hand. Their eyes met, and Xia Luo smiled. "Sis, you're awake. Perfect timing. Come eat with me."

"You've lost at least ten pounds this month. You definitely haven't been eating properly!"

"Of course, it's all your little brother's fault. To make it up to you, I'll handle all the cooking at home for the next three months. I'll definitely fatten you back up."

Seeing Xia Luo's earnest expression, Olvia burst out laughing.

"Fine, I forgive you. But remember, don't let it happen again."

"Yes, yes." Xia Luo nodded hurriedly.

"Where's Oran?"

"Who knows where he ran off to fool around. Leave him alone for one day and he'll tear the roof off. After we eat, I'll go drag him back."

Olvia did not know whether to laugh or cry. "Enough, stop bullying him all the time. He's your younger brother."

"Aren't younger brothers meant to be bullied?" Xia Luo muttered under his breath.

"Oh? Is that so? Are you sure?"

"Ahem. Well... let's eat. The food won't taste good once it gets cold."

After eating, Xia Luo casually made up an excuse and left home.

He went to the newspaper stand, flipping through the papers while pretending to ask casually,

"Aunt Merry, are all the newspapers from the past few days here? Which one is the latest issue?"

"Xia Luo? Long time no see. When did you get back?"

"The newspapers from the past month are all here. The latest issue is on your right. Yes, the one on top. It arrived this morning. It's big news."

"Mm, I got back this morning." As he spoke, Xia Luo picked up several newspapers and placed 100 Beli on the counter. "Aunt Merry, I don't need to buy them. I'm just taking a look."

Merry chuckled as she picked up the Beli. "No problem. I'll do my work, and you can look all you want."

One hundred Beli was enough to buy ten newspapers. Letting Xia Luo read them would not stop her from selling them to anyone else.

By then, Xia Luo's attention was fixed on the papers. He quickly flipped through the newspapers from the past few days and found no reports whatsoever about God Valley.

"Just as I thought."

Xia Luo was not surprised. The World Government was professional at suppressing information. They were habitual offenders.

Of course, the World Government had only suppressed information regarding God Valley. The Celestial Dragons' hunting game, their brutal practice of wiping out a nation every three years—none of that could possibly be made public for the world to learn. It would be detrimental to the World Government's rule.

Besides, taking things out of context and twisting the truth were also things the World Government did professionally.

The latest newspaper mentioned Garp, claiming that he had stopped the Rocks Pirates' attempt to destroy the world and successfully defeated the Rocks Pirates, earning him the title of Hero of the Marines.

"A Hero of the Marines who dared to throw a punch at the World Government's highest ruler?" A cold smirk curled across Xia Luo's lips.

Sometimes, Xia Luo had to wonder whether the World Government had deliberately given Garp that title just to disgust him.

Others might not know, but did Garp himself not know? What kind of Hero of the Marines was he? Under normal circumstances, the World Government would have branded his actions as those of a traitorous marine, an unforgivable pirate.

Garp knew it, the Marine higher-ups knew it, and the World Government's upper echelon knew it too. Yet everyone tacitly chose not to mention it, pretending it did not exist.

At the same time, portraying Garp as the "Hero of the Marines" could conceal the truth, placate the Marines, erase the impact of Imu's indiscriminate attack on the Marines at God Valley, and severely intimidate the remaining pirates. Three birds with one stone.

See that? "Hero of the Marines" Garp could even destroy the Rocks Pirates. What were small fry like you? Behave yourselves!

Thinking of this, Xia Luo could not help laughing. "Hehe, Garp must be furious right now. No wonder he kept refusing promotions to admiral later on."

"Oh, right. Whitebeard, Golden Lion, Roger, and the others have all had their bounties rise sharply. The Whitebeard Pirates and Golden Lion Pirates have been formed too..."

Several new wanted posters were tucked into the newspaper. Whitebeard's title was finally no longer First Division Commander of the Rocks Pirates, but captain of the Whitebeard Pirates. The same was true for Golden Lion.

After Rocks died, the Rocks Pirates instantly fell apart. Whitebeard, Golden Lion, Charlotte Linlin, and the others each formed their own pirate crews, beginning legends that belonged to them.

The wheels of history rolled onward in an unstoppable tide. Xia Luo was caught within that current as well. Whether he would drift with the flow or rise with the momentum depended on the choices he made next.

In the world of One Piece, there were not many paths to choose from. He could sail out directly as a pirate, find like-minded companions, and form his own pirate crew.

Or he could become a free bounty hunter and live as he pleased.

Or he could join the Marines for the time being, using them as a stepping stone while secretly building up his strength.

Or he could find Dragon and establish the Revolutionary Army with him.

Of those four paths, Xia Luo was more inclined toward becoming a pirate or joining the Marines.

The Revolutionary Army? It was not even a thing yet. Dragon was still lost at this moment, with no idea what he should do next. By the time he founded the Revolutionary Army, who knew how many years would pass? Xia Luo could not wait.

There were only sixteen years left until Ohara's destruction. Xia Luo had to grow stronger as quickly as possible. Ohara was his hometown, the place where he had grown up, filled with countless memories. He would never allow anyone to destroy it!

As for stopping the Tree of Knowledge's scholars and Olvia from researching the history of the Void Century, Xia Luo would naturally try to persuade them. But what reason did he have to stop a group of historians from pursuing history? They were not the ones in the wrong!

Besides, the Tree of Knowledge's scholars had not even started researching the Void Century yet. What the hell was he supposed to persuade them about?

If he failed to persuade them and it backfired, making the scholars interested in the Void Century ahead of time and causing them to study the Poneglyphs early, would that not be utterly disastrous?

What? Move away?

Olvia would be the first to refuse. Ohara was her root, her home. No matter what, she would never leave.

If Olvia would not leave, Xia Luo was even less likely to leave on his own. Besides, Ohara had been destroyed before he transmigrated, and if Ohara was still destroyed after he transmigrated, then would his transmigration not have been for nothing?

What had he racked his brains and gone through so much trouble to obtain the Azure Dragon Fruit for? Was it not to protect everything he had now?

With that thought settled, Xia Luo put the newspapers back where they belonged and turned toward the forest.

He could not waste time. He had to seize every minute and every second to become stronger.

On a huge boulder in the forest, Xia Luo sat cross-legged and circulated the Six Treasury Immortal Thief, transforming the nutrients in his body into energy and steadily strengthening his internal organs, meridians, muscles, bones, skin...

Xia Luo greatly enjoyed this feeling of improving little by little, of becoming stronger bit by bit. It made him feel grounded.