See the World / The World Is Like a Tree, and Now It Is Sick

At this moment, on the empty mountaintop.

The Bonfire roared, and the lingering aroma of meat filled the air.

Ace and his two companions were enjoying their meal, and apart from being a little disheveled, they were unharmed, thanks to the power of the Horse Talisman.

However, Luffy's injuries were severe; most people would have been half-dead or dead. But after smelling the aroma of Roast Meat, he immediately perked up and tried to jump off Ace's back. If Atlas hadn't forcibly held him down and used the Horse Talisman to heal him, he probably would have healed on his own while eating.

"Um... how did you guys defeat that tiger... um, Ace, Sabo."

While frantically munching on the Roast Meat he was holding with both little hands, Luffy asked Ace and the other two.

"Perhaps... it was Mr. Atlas who made the move!"

Sabo answered softly.

This navy is incredibly mysterious. They appeared out of nowhere, and every ability they revealed was incredibly amazing: terrifying Explosion power, powerful healing abilities, and the ability to make the King of Mount Colubo retreat from a distance...

They still didn't know what the man's true purpose was. Although he hadn't shown them much malice so far, they still felt a little uneasy.

Ace didn't refute it; only the intervention of the Navy could explain it, otherwise that tiger wouldn't have let the three of them go so easily.

"Are you full? We can move on to the next training exercise soon."

Atlas interrupted their conversation.

He might not stay here for very long; Sengoku didn't give him a long vacation. Although the situation on the high seas seems stable now, Pirates have never been a peaceful group, and the world won't be peaceful for long.

"You should know that the outside world is far more wonderful than you can imagine, with all sorts of races, Devil Fruit, beautiful scenery, and delicious food..."

Atlas explained casually as he fired Shigan at the three brothers.

"But if you want true freedom, whether you're in the Navy or Pirates, immense strength is the only way to achieve it. And in this world, there are many ways to become powerful, but none of them can bypass physical strength."

Hey! Slow down!

"Don't worry, I'm here, you won't die!"

Ignoring Ace's resistance, Atlas gradually increased the speed of his movements, unleashing a barrage of energy pellets like bullets.

This training method not only improves their neural reaction abilities but also helps them Awakening Observation Haki. In any case, with Atlas's Horse Talisman ability as an aid, there's no need to worry about injury or disability.

Atlas is now instilling in the three the idea that physical strength is fundamental, and that they should first understand the concept of Haki. This way, regardless of whether he can persuade them to return to the Marines, Ace will not be captured by Blackbeard in the future. Although the Flame-Flame Fruit is powerful, over-reliance on it would undoubtedly be a waste of Ace's talent.

"As for physical strength, everyone possesses a latent power: observation, Armament, and Conqueror. You don't need to understand these too much right now. You only need to understand that a strong person will definitely have Haki, but someone with Haki is not necessarily a strong person. My current training is to help you Awakening your Observation Haki."

"Of course, whether it succeeds or not depends on yourselves..."

Call out!

"Wow!!"

As the difficulty increased, Luffy began to struggle to keep up. A Shigan grazed his cheek, leaving a shallow bloodstain, but in the blink of an eye, a bud of flesh was visibly pulled out, leaving a small scar.

Atlas was speechless. So this scar would have grown even without encountering Red-Haired? Was this the binding force of the timeline?

Although the Horse Talisman could perfectly remove the scar, Atlas felt it was unnecessary. Scars were a man's badge of honor, and he always felt something was off about Luffy without his scars.

Or...

Atla stared at Luffy's chest, lost in thought.

"Um?"

Luffy was screaming in pain, suddenly felt a tightness in his anus and a shiver run through his body, as if someone with ill intentions was watching him.

Bonfire, Roast Meat, beautiful women... well, let's skip that...

Although Atlas's cooking skills were not entirely satisfactory, the quality of the ingredients from Mount Colubo was so good that the three little ones ate with great relish.

Why do you want to go to sea and become Pirates?

Atlas smiled slightly. After these few days of contact, he believed that Ace and the others' wariness towards him had dropped to a minimum. Moreover, he already knew Ace's biggest secret, so what was there that he couldn't tell him?

"I want to join the navy!"

Luffy answered first. Although he sometimes thought about becoming Pirates with his good friends Ace and the others, the temptation of Roast Meat and beating up his grandfather was still quite strong.

"I didn't ask you!"

Even though he was already used to Luffy's eccentricities, Atlas still roared angrily.

"Freedom, I want freedom, this place is too oppressive."

Ace looked somewhat dejected.

"You need to understand that there is no absolute freedom in this world. Even Roger, who is known as the freest man on the sea, is not truly free. You need to find what you truly desire in your heart: freedom? Family? Or friendship?"

"Family ties..."

Ace fell silent for a moment.

Chapter 141 Take a Look at This World

East Blue, Orange Town.

Located on the edge of the Marine Branch, this place is famous for its excellent orange cultivation, but due to frequent Pirates raids, the town's residents are not very wealthy and can barely make ends meet.

"Mayor! Something terrible has happened! Another Pirates ship has appeared in the harbor!"

Mayor Budor, who had been busy all morning, was about to take a break, but the news brought by the panting young man at the door made him forget his physical exhaustion. He picked up his coat again and hurried to the town entrance.

"Wait a minute, you go first." Suddenly remembering something, Budor stopped in his tracks. "I'll go ask the navy for help first!"

"But..."

The young man hesitated.

"No buts. Reporting to the Navy in this situation means there's another possibility."

Budor understood that even if the Navy reacted quickly, they would likely not be able to get here by the time the Pirates had looted the entire town. Orange Town's location was simply too remote, making it impossible for the Marine Branch responsible for its jurisdiction to provide timely support.

"Okay, then Mayor, please hurry..."

The young man gritted his teeth and had no choice but to obey.

Actually, the town does have security personnel; the young man is one of the members of the security team. They are usually good at maintaining order and dealing with some thugs, but if they really encounter Pirates, they wouldn't stand a chance against them.

The town is not very big, and its location near the port facilitates the export of oranges. Orange cultivation is one of the town's major sources of income for its residents.

By this time, a large number of townspeople had gathered at the port, mostly young and middle-aged men, led by an older, composed man.

Confronting them was a group of armed Pirates, chatting and laughing, constantly swearing. They were already adept at plundering towns without their own Armament, and even if they encountered some resistance, it would only take a little more time, so they didn't take the townspeople seriously at all.

The town hasn't been around for very long. The old man was one of the earliest founders and has seen many trials and tribulations. He understands that the young people are full of vigor and naturally have to step in to maintain order. Otherwise, if they anger these Pirates, this town might disappear from the map of the East Blue.

"This captain looks somewhat familiar."

Although he was terrified, not because he feared death, but because he carried the lives of the entire town on his shoulders. To put it bluntly, he was old enough to have lived long enough, but he didn't want to watch the town he had built with his own hands be destroyed again.

"Haha, old man, you have a good memory. I was just here last month!"

This was a tall man covered in fat. Years of life at sea had made his skin cracked and sallow, giving him a fierce and sinister appearance.

"Now that this captain has already visited the town of Waimao, he should know our situation. We simply do not have any extra money to offer as tribute to you gentlemen!"

The old man pleaded with a bitter smile, even though he knew it was all in vain.

As expected.

"Hahaha! I'm Pirates, you dare to bargain with me? You've really got some nerve!"

The obese Pirates didn't care about any of that. He hadn't wiped out the entire town last time because he was planning to keep fleecing them. He hadn't expected his money to disappear so quickly. If he couldn't satisfy him this time, then...

"Charge! Let's fight him to the death..."

"Damn it, the worst that can happen is death, what's there to be afraid of!"

"Exactly! These damn Pirates, do they really think we're fools?!"

Hearing the Pirates' insults, the group of young men turned red in the face and their necks bulged, wishing they could rush forward and kill the Pirates.

"Hey-hey..."

The obese Pirates wasn't angry. If they couldn't come up with enough money to satisfy him later, he wouldn't mind slaughtering the entire town. He could always find something by scraping the ground.

"Shut up!"

Budor arrived in a sweat, and from afar he could hear the cursing of the town's young people. He became even more anxious, fearing that arriving a moment later would trigger an even bigger conflict.

"What are you doing! Are you out of your minds?! Are your family members out of their minds?!"

"Mayor, you..."

Ignoring the objections of others, Budor turned to the obese Pirates with a fawning smile and said, "Could you grant us a little more time? We've been so poor since you visited our town last time, sir, that we can't even afford to eat..."

"Huh? You mean I'm the reason you guys are starving?!"

"No, no, I wouldn't dare..."

Budor quickly retorted, explaining that his current goal was to delay as much as possible until the navy arrived, but the next words spoken by the obese Pirates in front of him horrified him.

"I think you notified the navy, trying to buy time..."

"Absolutely not..."

A flicker of panic crossed Budor's face as he realized his secret had been exposed, and he was about to offer an excuse.

But Pirates wouldn't listen to such nonsense. For them, who live by the sword, even the slightest suspicion is enough to warrant an attack; otherwise, the slightest mistake could mean losing their heads.

Swish!

He swung his machete!

Just when everyone thought that Budor would die on the spot, a light, airy voice entered their ears.

"I'm so sorry, you're just unlucky today..."

Before the obese Pirates could react, he was instantly burned to ashes and scattered by the wind.

"Gurgle~"

The group of Pirates, who had been frolicking, suddenly fell silent, their previous relaxed expressions gone, clearly frightened by the bizarre scene before them.

Without further ado, Atlas used his Conqueror's Haki to clear the area. These Pirates were all low-level Pirates, and the only one in the entire crew with a pitiful bounty was the fat Pirates from before. So, under Atlas's Conqueror's Haki's Haki, they all bled from their seven orifices and collapsed to the ground.

"The Navy? They're providing support so quickly?"

Having survived the ordeal, Budor looked at Atlas, who appeared before him, with a puzzled expression. Atlas was dressed in a pure white Suit, but the epaulets on his shoulders were unfamiliar to him.

"I am truly sorry, but Justice cannot be absent, much less delayed. This is the fault of our navy."

Atlas also knew that although the Four Seas were under the control of the Navy, the Navy's manpower and military funds were limited. Now that the number of Pirates had increased dramatically, the Navy's reinforcements were not timely.

"Ah? No need to apologize. We were only saved from disaster thanks to the Navy Captain's timely intervention."

Budor quickly waved his hand. It would be a lie to say he had no complaints about the delayed naval support, but he also understood the situation.

In this day and age, survival is becoming increasingly difficult for ordinary people, and without the protection of the navy, there is even less hope.

Chapter 142 The world is like a tree, and now it is sick.

The journey back was gloomy.

Even Luffy, who is usually oblivious, didn't shout with the same curiosity as before.

Orange Town was the fifth place they had arrived at. Atlas showed them the worst side of humanity, exposing the ugly faces of the Pirates.

The Pirates profession, which originally symbolized freedom and adventure, was completely overturned in their minds.

"So? What are your thoughts?"

Atlas broke the silence; he hadn't gone to great lengths to bring these three little ones on a trip.

"... By the way, could you put us down first before asking?"

Ace felt a little embarrassed; their current situation was indeed rather strange.