Chapter 11

"Hmm? Who threw this banana?"

Just as the homeless people began to dream of a bright future, a banana suddenly came flying from nowhere and landed in front of them.

One of the more greedy homeless men quickly squatted down to pick it up, grinning foolishly.

But as he was about to peel it, a sudden burst of light filled his entire field of vision.

Boom!

The ordinary-looking banana exploded!

The loud noise and the rising smoke scared many nearby people, who started to panic and run away. But one figure did the opposite.

"Why are you forcing me to do this?"

"If you simply wanted revenge, not many would have to die. Why did you have to see what you shouldn't? Why the need for total annihilation?"

Abel stood at the entrance of the alley, staring at the horrific explosion inside, his expression unchanging.

Who would have thought he would make a U-turn to retaliate?

Originally, Abel just wanted to follow these people, find their hideout, and quietly dispose of the relentless long-haired homeless man.

But unexpectedly, he overheard the bastards' conversation while hiding in the alley, and his murderous intent grew!

If he let them have their way, he and Law would likely have a hard time escaping this country alive.

So, for self-preservation and revenge forLaw, he had no other choice.

Of the eight homeless men, seven were instantly killed by the explosion. Only the long-haired homeless man, who was luckily standing a bit further away and had two 'human shields' in front, managed to survive.

However, when he saw the face of the newcomer, he immediately showed a terrified expression.

"Don't... don't kill me, please!"

"I promise, I won't say anything...wuh wuh wuh."

A grown man was actually weeping in a bid to save his life.

Abel was silent for a moment, then turned to leave, seemingly ready to let the man go?

But just as the long-haired homeless man's face lit up with relief, a banana descended from the sky, landing perfectly in his lap.

"No..."

Boom!!!

Since the situation had already escalated, what was the difference between causing one explosion or two?

Abel's cold silhouette quickly vanished into the distance.

By the time the security team arrived, the scene was in complete chaos.

Various body parts and collapsed walls were mixed together; not a single intact body could be pieced together.

Especially the smell of charred bodies, it was particularly nauseating, causing many people to feel like vomiting as they approached, turning pale.

Even though after an investigation it was confirmed that the dead were all homeless people no one cared about,

Because of the atrocious method of crime (using bombs), a death order was issued from above: the murderer must be found.

Otherwise, what if the killer had a bad mood one day and threw a bomb into a crowded place? That would be disastrous.

Captain Jess, who received the order, also didn't look too well.

You see, although the homeless people who died were unimportant, they were the ones who paid him a tribute every month and also acted as his informers,

And occasionally, they did some dirty work for him that couldn't be done publicly.

Now that a significant number of them were dead all at once, how could he not be enraged!

"Search! Conduct a thorough search!"

"First, bring back everyone who might have witnessed the crime scene in the vicinity!"

"Also, send someone to the black market, ask old Jack who he sold bombs to recently. Does he have a death wish?"

With the chaos ensuing, Abel andLaw's situation became extremely precarious again.

...

Late at night.

Abel stealthily infiltrated the hospital, taking some medication and bandages. He was almost discovered, but luckily, he managed to evade without any harm.

By the time he returned to their hiding spot in the forest, it was almost dawn.

"I don't know which of these medicines work, so I just took a little of everything. Can you differentiate?"

At this point, Law had woken up. Although his wounds appeared horrific, most were superficial. Fortunately, he had managed to protect his vital areas; otherwise, he might have been beaten to death and wouldn't have lasted until Abel found him.

"These two medicines are for external application, this one is for internal use, and this one is an anti-inflammatory."

"Okay, as long as they can be used, the trip was not wasted."

Since Law was currently immobilized, Abel had to administer the medication.

Given the circumstances, there was no room for finesse. Abel simply wrapped Law like a mummy, using up all the bandages he brought without considering the issue of changing dressings next time.

After all, he had done enough already. If Law couldn't make it through this, it would be as if Abel had misjudged and invested in the wrong target.

"Thank you."

Even though Abel's bandaging was rough and left him wrapped like a mummy, Law still expressed his sincere gratitude.

This was the second time Abel had saved him.

Abel, on the other hand, was not modest, laying on the grass and looking up at the stars, "No need for thanks. Remember, you owe me two lives now."

"Take them whenever you want, my life is worthless anyway. Your family is in business, right? Why do they always make losing deals?"

"We may lose now, but not necessarily in the future. What I am doing is long-term investment, what would a doctor's son know!"

Abel said dismissively, then pulled out an apple and took a big bite.

Hmm, it's damn sweet!

Gurgle, gurgle...

Ro's stomach immediately started grumbling, clearly he was also hungry.

However, he refrained from saying anything, not because he was embarrassed, but because he didn't want to trouble Abel.

After all, he couldn't move around and couldn't be of any help. Sharing the limited food with the only able-bodied person was the right choice.

To put it simply, giving it to him would be a waste!

Ro kept quiet, and Abel seemed to pretend not to hear the noise just now. He finished the big apple in a few bites, without any waste.

Then he pulled out another apple.

Ro swallowed his saliva quietly.

But Abel continued to eat, seeming to not notice.

Soon, the second apple was also devoured.

And then...

Like magic, he pulled out a third apple.

At this point, Law couldn't stand it any longer.

"Is that apple...sweet?"

"It's absolutely sweet!"

Seemingly fearing that Law wouldn't believe him, Abel immediately took another big bite right in front of him. Juice splattered everywhere, the freshness was evident!

"..."

Ro, laying on the ground resembling a mummy, suddenly felt a little shut down.

Did I really ask if it was sweet?!

How can he not hear the subtext?!

SeeingLaw's frustrated face, Abel finally couldn't help but laugh.

Hearing Abel's laughter, Law finally realized that this guy was just teasing him!

"Damn it... mmph..."

A large, round apple was shoved intoLaw's mouth, silencing the words that were about to follow.

"Eat your apple, and remember not to overdo it next time."

These apples were likely given to the doctor by someone. Since nobody was touching them, Abel grabbed a few on his way.

After some investigation, Captain Jess's men found several witnesses who claimed to have seen children running out of the alley at the scene of the explosion not long before it happened. Others had seen some vagabonds trailing a child into the alley. All these statements pointed to the same target.

This clue was crucial!

Captain Jess did not believe it was a coincidence. Those two kids definitely were involved.

It wasn't that he'd decided they were the culprits, but his intuition told him that those two kids must know something.

Otherwise, he couldn't imagine who would go out of their way to cause trouble with a few vagabonds. Those useless guys combined weren't worth a single bomb!

So, he had some wanted posters drawn up based on the limited information they had, hoping to find those two kids as soon as possible and question them about the incident.

On the other hand, about those recent buyers of bombs that old Jack confessed to, Captain Jess was also not planning to let them slip through his fingers. After all, the crime scene had made it clear: it was undeniable that the culprit used a bomb.

So, following this lead, there couldn't be a mistake.

At this moment, Abel, now in a different outfit, was looking for information about ships, planning to take Law and flee the country.

The world was vast, but there seemed to be no place for them to stay.

Passing by a notice board, Abel immediately saw the two wanted posters on it. His original outfit andLaw's distinctive spotted hat were both features on the posters.

Obviously, after making such a big fuss, they had attracted official attention.

Fortunately, these features were not too conspicuous, and the clothes he was currently wearing were freshly "borrowed" from someone's yard, and were still damp in places.

At a glance, he didn't look much different from other children on the street.

In fact, along the way, he had to fend off several little girls who wanted to play with him.

At that moment, two soldiers slowly approached, each carrying the freshly distributed wanted posters.

Abel didn't show any sign of fear and remained calm.

As expected, the soldiers merely glanced at him before walking past, failing to link him with the individuals on the wanted posters.

It was a stretch to find someone based on such scant features.

But they had no choice; the information collected was minimal. They couldn't possibly arrest every boy they saw on the street.

In this manner, Abel made his way smoothly to the harbor.

There were quite a few ships docked at the harbor, and the area was bustling with people coming and going.

Most of them were merchant ships, with a few passenger ships.

He even spotted two pirate ships flying pirate flags, boldly docked here, seemingly unafraid of being captured by the navy.

This was actually thanks to the town of White.

Those high-ranking individuals, to bury the secrets of Flevance, allowed neighboring countries to wage war on it, purposely reassigning nearby naval forces as an excuse to avoid providing aid.

If any slip-ups occurred, they could use the pirates to finish the job!

The plan was foolproof.

As a result, Flevance couldn't hold out and was completely burned to the ground.

So, it was not surprising to see pirates on this island before the arrival of new naval forces.

After wandering the harbor for a while, Abel was ready to head back.

He discovered there were only a few methods to set sail:

1. Craft a small, decrepit boat or raft, then leave the rest to fate upon entering the sea. Even a single wave could capsize the vessel, a risk he was aware of.

Abel dismissed this option almost immediately.

If he was to leave by such means, he'd rather stay and continue being hunted.

2. Purchase a ticket and leave directly on a passenger ship.

The advantage of this was its safety and stability. However, the downside was the risk of revealing their identities.

And most importantly, they had no money!

Such was the sadness of poverty, hindering their movement.

3. Somehow change their identity, like joining one of the pirate crews, then logically set sail.

Abel wasn't against the occupation of a pirate, but their age was undoubtedly a drawback. Most pirate forces wouldn't take in young kids.

Furthermore, if they were to reveal their identities, it was uncertain whether their wanted status would work in their favor or lead them to be sold out immediately.

Abel didn't trust that every pirate in the grand sea was like the protagonist, Law and his crew, gallantly promoting dreams and freedom everywhere they went.

In reality, most pirates were treacherous, cunning, and ruthlessly untrustworthy.

It was quite possible that they would escape one danger only to fall into another, truly finding themselves in a dire situation with no help.

Just then, another large ship slowly docked.

Abel, who was about to leave, felt a sense of familiarity upon seeing the flag displayed on that ship.

...

The next day, Abel didn't rush to take action but continued to scout the area.

With the help of some loose-lipped sailors, he finally recognized the flag that seemed familiar.

It was the smuggling ship belonging to the Donquixote family!

In the war that devastated Flevance, at least half of the numerous armaments used by these countries were purchased from the Donquixote family.

Now that the war was over, the spoils had been divided, and it was a time of abundance.

Clearly, the Donquixote family had set their sights on them once again.

More accurately, they were after the wealth in their possession!

After exhausting so many weapons and ammunition, wouldn't there be a need for replenishment?

If not, it didn't matter; other countries had purchased already. They were free to decide!

After all, war could break out at any moment, and when it did, the unfortunate ones would certainly not be the Donquixote family.

The Donquixote family were experts in instigating wars between countries and profiting from them, unmatched in the North Sea!

Consequently, these countries of Sodorland had no choice but to accept the situation and were forced into a new round of arms race.

After all, they might not need armaments, but they certainly couldn't be without them!

The Donquixote family had a firm grip on these nations' vulnerabilities, always making a handsome profit.

Abel hid in the shadows, watching as crates of weaponry were unloaded from the ship and then turned into crates of money and supplies being loaded back onto the ship. A plan began to form in his mind.

And it seemed Abel wasn't the only one setting his sights on the Donquixote family.

The two pirate crews who had previously docked here for repairs were now green with envy.

Don't be fooled by Doflamingo's thriving black market business. He hadn't yet become the future Emperor of the Underworld, nor had he even attained the title of the Seven Warlords of the Sea.

Therefore, even in the North Sea, there were still many who harbored hostility towards the Donquixote family!