Chapter 5 - Happiness in Desperation

Using the power of Kenbunshoku Haki, I continued to monitor the situation on this pirate ship. Through that ability, I could sense the various emotions felt by the pirates. Some of them appeared tired after carrying out their plundering acts or perhaps celebrating their overnight success. There were others who looked drowsy from the long journey. I tried to identify if any of them were the captain of this ship. Amidst the emotional vibrations I sensed, I felt someone experiencing happiness. I believed that smile was an expression of satisfaction with their success in plundering the island where I used to live. The smile appeared more sinister than the demons in the movies I had watched. Disgust and anger filled my heart as I thought about the cruel actions of the pirates towards the people on my island. I didn't know the extent of the damage they had caused, and I felt pessimistic about the conditions there.

After repeatedly observing the state of the entire ship with the help of Kenbunshoku Haki, I gained a clearer picture of the vessel. Based on its size, this ship could be categorized as a small to medium-sized ship, with a total length of about 150 meters. From there, I assumed that the pirates on this ship were just ordinary pirates in the East Blue. Their combat abilities were slightly above average compared to ordinary people. However, I was confident that the captain of the ship possessed greater power than the other crew members. Although I wasn't certain about their strength, I believed that the captain had stronger combat abilities than the average pirate crew member. It would be strange for a captain not to have power surpassing their crew members. Furthermore, in the world of One Piece, strength is a key theme for survival in this world.

Meanwhile, inside the cell where I was held, I saw several other individuals or children. Desperation radiated clearly from their faces and eyes. I could sense it because I had experienced the same feeling surrounding me before, about the cruelty of this world. In the story of One Piece, the theme of Luffy's adventure with his friends often involves facing various obstacles and ultimately overcoming them. However, many One Piece fans overlook the fact that the pirate era is not as sweet as depicted in the comic. For example, look at the Tenryuubito who enslaves people like animals, or Donquixote Doflamingo who manipulates a whole country, or Crocodile who creates chaos in Alabasta to achieve his goals.

I laughed with a veil of sadness enveloping me. I felt ashamed of myself. Previously, I had always daydreamed that if I were in the One Piece world, I would explore the entire world, uncover the mysteries on each island, and meet beautiful women. But now, being in the world I had always longed for, all I felt was the desire to return to my small home and isolate myself to avoid committing the unknowing evil that I had done. Perhaps this was punishment for the sins I had committed in the past. Desperation overwhelmed me again as I looked at the current situation. Honestly, I truly didn't know what to do in a situation like this. I just sat on the edge of the damp cell, observing the pirates traversing the East Blue.

Some time passed without me realizing it, and the sun was high in the sky. I felt the temperature increasing in this ocean. The door to my cell opened, and a pirate entered, carrying what they called food. However, what I saw was only watery porridge of unknown origin. Perhaps this porridge was made from ship debris processed into food. The pirate carelessly threw it into the cell without any regard. I saw a lot of porridge spilling onto the floor. Damn, they were truly demons disguised as humans. How could God allow these demons to exist in the world? Seeing many other children and women in this cell, emaciated and without an ounce of strength, and being given food lower than that given to animals on a farm.

After the pirate left and locked the cell again, I stood up with a strong determination to gather the spilled porridge on the floor with my bare hands. I looked at the other children, walking towards them with porridge in my hands, giving them little by little, watching as they tried to swallow it, a faint smile forming on their dry lips.