"This rice is yours."
"For this old woman?"
The old woman held the heavy sack of rice, utterly stunned, unable to believe that a pirate would give her food.
An uproar broke out among the villagers.
"Quiet!"
Good snapped coldly, and the plaza immediately fell silent.
"There's rice for all of you. Every adult gets five kilograms, and every child gets two and a half. From now on, you can collect a ration every month."
"Now line up for your rice!"
For a moment, nobody dared to move.
But their longing for food soon overcame their fear of pirates. Once the first person stepped forward, the villagers quickly formed a line.
After nearly an hour, every villager held a heavy sack of rice, even the three-year-old children.
If they rationed it carefully, this much rice would barely last them a month. Families with children, in particular, received more.
They did not understand why pirates were handing out food to them.
Good said calmly, "I know you hate us, and I don't need your gratitude. I only want to tell you one thing."
"As long as you're willing to settle down and work for the Beasts Pirates, in this rotten, chaotic world, we can at least keep you fed, protect you from other pirates, and keep you alive!"
"Now, the laborers on this island have launched an uprising. Among them are your husbands, your children, and the fathers of your children!"
"The laborers are your family, but they've destroyed this island's peace and your stable lives. They are criminals!"
"Even if their uprising succeeds and they drive us out, then what?"
"Pirates are a dime a dozen in the New World. Once we leave, other pirates will immediately come to plunder you. They might even kill every last one of you!"