Chapter 44: Misery

Chapter 44: Misery

Ratti Island, port.

"Boss!" said Ivan, approaching just as Charlotte arrived at the port with his sword Shigure hanging at his waist.

"Boss, everything is ready," announced Ivan with a smile.

"Ivan, keep an eye on that woman. Don't let her wander around Ratti Island," ordered Charlotte.

Ivan smiled confidently. "Don't worry, boss. I'll take care of everything."

Charlotte fully trusted Ivan. He didn't want the secrets of Ratti Island to be discovered, as he was sure that the pirate Ochoku's crew would be a thing of the past. There was no point in getting too involved with them and wasting emotions.

Charlotte looked at the Hiberfield ship and felt melancholic. After so long anchored, it would finally set sail.

With a determined gesture, he began to board the ship, closely followed by Beta and Barrett. As he boarded, one of the crew members ran towards him.

Charlotte took the map given to him by Quixia and handed it to the crew member.

"Prepare to set sail," ordered Charlotte calmly.

The crew member studied the map for a moment and responded loudly. "Yes, sir!"

Then he quickly ran to the control room.

"Brothers! Our destination is the Kingdom of Ille! Set sail!" he shouted.

Charlotte stood at the bow of the ship, looking at the vast ocean. Being a pirate meant not following the rules.

Those with bad intentions were astonished to see the enormous hundred-meter-long ship finally set off. The distinctive flag fluttered in the wind.

The Hiberfield slowly left the port and headed towards the horizon, quickly disappearing from sight.

After sailing slowly for two days, the Hiberfield reached the waters of the Kingdom of Ille.

From a distant ship, a lookout with a telescope shouted excitedly. "Ship in sight! Ship in sight!"

A middle-aged general, bald and with an "I"-shaped mustache, dressed in silver armor and wielding a large lance, came out laughing loudly.

"Soldiers, get close! But don't sink the ship! Once aboard, kill everyone and steal the treasures."

"Yes, general!" the soldiers responded.

Shortly after, three ships formed a V formation and surrounded the Hiberfield.

Charlotte had noticed the three ships for a while. His observation haki made him perceive something strange and twisted.

They seemed... excited. They were probably pirates.

Charlotte frowned. What bad luck!

He unsheathed his sword Shigure and launched three flying slashes that split the sea.

With a crunch, the three ships were cut in two, resolved easily.

"Damn it!" roared an enraged general, standing on the floating remains of one of the ships, with a silver steel lance in his hand, looking at the Hiberfield.

"Wow, you've got skills!" exclaimed Beta, jumping onto the remaining ship.

Charlotte frowned. If Beta, being a devil fruit user, fell into the sea, the consequences would be disastrous.

It wasn't wise in these situations. They should have used cannons to sink the ships and be sure.

But seeing Beta's desire to fight, Charlotte didn't stop him. After all, he could rescue him from the sea if necessary.

That's why it's better not to eat a devil fruit; at sea, it's too dangerous.

"Kid, die!" shouted the general, attacking with his silver steel lance.

"Old man, talk is cheap," responded Beta disdainfully. "Razor!"

He disappeared in an instant with a burst, while the general attacked where Beta was.

The general's destructive power shattered the ship's remains.

"Not bad, but not enough," said Beta, using Geppo to stay in the air.

With another burst, Beta descended.

"Iron Fist: Explosion!"

He covered his fist with armament haki and punched.

The general's eyes contracted, and he tried to block with his lance.

With a bang, the lance shattered, and Beta pierced the general's body, throwing him into the sea.

The Hiberfield crew cheered.

Charlotte nodded. Beta had finally mastered armament haki.

"Continue."

The Hiberfield reached the port without further interruptions, which surprised Charlotte.

Upon arrival, Charlotte was shocked to see the place was desolate; there was no one.

Leaving some to guard the ship, Charlotte and his group disembarked.

Beyond the port, they found a small, impoverished village.

On the way, they saw a desolate landscape without vegetation.

Entering the village, they were shocked to see corpses hanging from the buildings. Men, women, elderly, children; all seemed to have been residents of the village.

The place looked like hell.

Destroyed buildings, darkened bloodstains, and signs of a fierce war.

Charlotte and his group couldn't believe what they were seeing.

Compared to Ratti Island, this place was hell.

No one knew what had caused such destruction.

At the village entrance, some malnourished children were searching for food among the rubble.

They didn't even react upon seeing Charlotte and his group.

Mitis, with dry eyes and a heavy heart, remembered going through something similar, although in his case, it had been among garbage.

If it weren't for Charlotte, he and his sister could be like those children.

"Mr. Charlotte..."

Charlotte nodded, understanding what Mitis wanted to say.

"Lina, distribute food to these people."

"Gillian, check everyone and treat their wounds."

Both immediately got to work.

"Mitis, find out what happened here."

"Yes, Mr. Charlotte," responded Mitis, and he walked away accompanied by two crew members to protect him.

Neither Beta nor Barrett were suitable for this information-gathering task.

Soon, Mitis returned with information obtained from the children.

(To be continued...)

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