After these few days of training, Crocodile's progress is clearly visible.
His Haki flowed more smoothly, and his application of the Six Powers became more refined.
He even began to try combining the Sand-Sand Fruit's power with physical techniques.
" Desert Rankyaku!"
Crocodile unleashed a kick, the slash carrying sand particles, its power several times greater than a pure Rankyaku.
Bullet shattered the slash with a single punch and nodded approvingly.
"Great idea! But the sand is still too soft. Keep going!"
Roy watched for a moment, then turned and left, satisfied.
Crocodile's rapid progress proved his potential.
This also proves the effectiveness of Roy's "knowledge transfer".
This method of directly imprinting cultivation methods into the brain can indeed greatly shorten cultivation time.
"Captain."
Stella's voice came from behind.
Roy turned around and saw the navigator walking towards him with a nautical chart.
"At the current speed, we are expected to arrive at the Sorbet Kingdom in the South Blue in three days."
Stella unfolded the nautical chart and pointed to the marked location.
"However, according to intelligence, the situation in the Sorbet Kingdom is somewhat unique."
"Oh?" Roy raised an eyebrow.
"This country is divided in two by a high wall."
Stella explained,
"Within the walls lay the territory of royalty and nobility, a place of prosperity and wealth."
Outside the walls lay civilian districts and ruins, inhabited by a large number of impoverished people.
"Bartholomew Kuma is in a church outside the wall, using his Devil Fruit powers to heal the poor."
Roy nodded, not surprised by the situation.
In the original story, the bear was born a slave of the Buccaneer Tribe.
He later escaped from the God Valley and lived a secluded life ever since.
His choice to help the vulnerable in slums is perfectly in line with his character.
"Inside and outside the wall..."
Roy seemed to be deep in thought.
"This artificially created class division is quite suitable as a starting point."
"What does the captain mean?"
"If the bear refuses to join, we'll start by changing the country."
A glint of light flashed in Roy's eyes.
"Let him see that we have the ability to create the world he dreams of."
Stella understood Roy's plan, noted down the key points, and left.
Roy stood alone at the bow of the ship, gazing at the endless night sky ahead.
Recruiting the bear won't be as simple as Crocodile.
That gentle yet strong man had his own beliefs and principles.
But Roy was confident—because he could provide exactly what the bear needed most.
The power to protect loved ones, and... the opportunity to change the world.
Three days passed quickly.
When the Ark Maxim crossed the Calm Belt
Upon entering the South Blue Sea, the outline of the Sorbet Kingdom appeared on the horizon.
As Stella said, the country was divided apart by a towering wall.
Inside the walls are neat streets, magnificent buildings, and a bustling port;
Outside the wall were dilapidated houses, muddy roads, and ragged poor people.
This stark contrast caused everyone on board to frown.
"This is too much..."
Scarlet covered her mouth, her eyes filled with reluctance.
As a princess of Dressrosa, she had seen the gap between rich and poor, but she had never seen such a blatant class divide.
A wall separates people from the same country into two worlds.
"This is true for most World Government Member States."
Roy said calmly,
"The royal family and nobles enjoy the protection of the Celestial Dragons, while exploiting the blood and sweat of commoners to pay the Heavenly Tribute."
As for the lives of ordinary people... who cares?
Crocodile, cigar in mouth, coldly surveyed the scene below.
He once dreamed of becoming the Pirate King and challenging the world order, but he never really paid attention to the lives of these people at the bottom of society.
Seeing it with my own eyes now, I can't help but feel a surge of emotion.
"Captain, where are we landing?" Tesoro asked.
"Outside the wall, near the church."
Roy pointed to the location marked on the map,
"Don't attract too much attention; keep a low profile."
The Ark Maxim quietly descended into a grove of trees outside the city walls.
Roy disembarked with Bullet, Hawk Eyes, Tesoro, Pea, and Vera, while the others remained on board to await orders.
After navigating the muddy path, the group soon spotted the church.
It was an old but clean building; the stained glass windows, though faded, were wiped very clean.
A long line formed outside the church, consisting mostly of elderly people, women, and children.
They were ragged and emaciated, but their eyes shone with hope.
At the very front of the line, a tall man was busy at work.
She wore round-framed glasses and had a gentle demeanor.
What's most striking are his hands—his palms have pink fleshy bumps on them.
Bartholomew Bear.
At that moment, he was placing his hand on the chest of a child who was coughing incessantly; the fleshy mass was faintly glowing.
A few seconds later,
A ball of red light was ejected from the child's body, and the child's cough immediately stopped.
"Okay, go back and get some rest, and drink plenty of water."
The bear spoke gently and patted the child's head.
The child bowed gratefully and skipped away.
"Next."
The bear turned to the next person in the group, an old woman with a cane.
Roy and the others stood not far away, observing.
The bear's movements were skillful and gentle, and he was completely focused on each treatment.
Fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead, clearly indicating that the treatment was taking a toll on him, but he did not complain at all.
"What a kind person..."
Vera said softly.
As the ship's doctor, she understood best the kind of selfless dedication Xiong made.
Treating patients is not only a technical task, but also a physically and mentally demanding one.
Such continuous treatment must be quite a burden on Xiong.
"Boss, shall we go straight there?" Bullet asked.
Looking at the bear's towering figure, Bullet was already eager to test its strength.
"Etc."
Roy reached out and stopped Bullet.
"Don't disturb his treatment."
Roy looked at Pea and Vera,
"Go and help."
Pea, use your abilities to create some life essence; Vera, prepare some common medicines.
"Yes!"
The two acted immediately.
Pea walked to an open space to the side, placed her hands on the ground, and green light emanated from her palms.
Several peculiar plants quickly sprouted from the ground, but as the Pea moved, those plants began to wither rapidly.
Then, clusters of green life essence appeared in the palm of the Pea.
Vera then took out various medicinal herbs from her medicine box and began to prepare a simple potion.
Their actions attracted the attention of the team, but seeing that they were preparing medicine,
People's eyes showed gratitude.
The bear noticed the commotion and looked up.
He paused slightly when his gaze met Roy's.
Seeing Roy and the others' actions, Xiong showed no hostility.
He simply nodded and continued treating the patient in front of him.
Roy wasn't in a hurry, so he just stood there and waited quietly.
Time passed second by second, and the sun gradually set in the west.
When the last patient left, Xiong finally straightened up and wiped the sweat from his forehead.
He walked toward Roy, his tone gentle but direct.
" Captain Roy, what brings you here?"