Chapter 38: Stay True to Your Original Aspiration

The once bustling street had somehow become empty, with the citizens seemingly frightened away by the earlier explosion and conflict.

At the same time, the Dressrosa Kingdom's guard appeared at the restaurant entrance, each holding a flintlock rifle, all aimed at Fujitora.

"Put down your weapon!"

The atmosphere became tense.

The guards' hands trembled slightly as they held their guns.

The reason was clear: inside the beef restaurant, the floor had collapsed into seven or eight pits of various sizes, with dozens of pirates lying in them, their bodies twisted and unconscious.

"Didn't you hear me? Put down your weapon!"

The leading guard captain shouted loudly.

However, seeing that Fujitora still showed no intention of responding, he began to wonder, "Is this guy not only blind but also deaf?"

At this moment, Vivian, who was afraid of being affected by an angry Fujitora, walked over with Tashigi and others, asking, "Are you the local guard?"

"Hmm?" The guards turned their heads, and upon seeing the navy uniforms on Vivian and his group, their tense expressions relaxed slightly.

"Are you from the navy? Headquarters or a branch?"

"I am Navy Officer Vivian. We are from the East Blue Loguetown base, under the orders of Captain Smoker, here to investigate the antidote for 'Trance'."

Trance, the name of the toxin that Grandpa Lamor was poisoned with, was found to be a neurotoxin that continuously erodes the human nervous system.

Without taking the antidote to suppress the toxicity, an ordinary person would become completely demented in less than six months. Even with the antidote, most wouldn't last more than ten years.

Additionally, taking this drug often causes headaches and hallucinations, showing how harmful it is.

"Trance?"

The leading guard captain showed a puzzled expression upon hearing this term, "What is that? What does it have to do with the Kingdom of Dressrosa?"

"You don't need to know the details, just take us to see Doflamingo," Vivian said.

"See our king?"

The guard captain sneered inwardly, thinking that their king wasn't someone a mere branch Officer could meet.

But he still said, "Sorry, the king went out a few days ago and hasn't been on the island recently, so…"

"Is that so."

Vivian's eyes lit up upon hearing this. {You really believed him?}

Doflamingo isn't in Dressrosa?

That's great, it means my task just got a lot easier!

Without Doflamingo, the remaining Donquixote officers probably wouldn't be a match for Fujitora alone.

Vivian felt very happy and fortunate for his decision.

"Good thing I brought Fujitora along…"

If only this guy could join the navy…

He thought to himself.

Of course, Vivian wasn't referring to Fujitora becoming an admiral through world conscription two years later, but rather joining the Loguetown navy base as his subordinate.

A free powerhouse with admiral-level strength…

Just thinking about it felt great.

"Well, if there's nothing else, please don't disturb the kingdom's order," the guard captain said.

"And the civilians here?" Fujitora asked.

"Leave them to you to handle."

The captain of the guards grinned, showing a fake smile: "After all, I'm not a navy, so I have no obligation to care about the lives of those civilians."

…

In the seafood restaurant, Fujitora frowned, looking at Vivian with his white eyes, without touching the fried rice in front of him.

"Vivian…"

"What?"

"Is it only the navy that cares about the lives of civilians?"

"Uh…" Vivian's hand holding the chopsticks froze in mid-air.

'Well… how should I put it, the navy doesn't necessarily care about the lives of civilians either.'

After thinking seriously for a moment, Vivian replied, "No matter where you are, there will always be bad people."

"So, whether it's the navy or pirates, as long as you stick to your principles, what difference does it make where you are?"

"As the saying goes, 'Stay true to your original intention, and you will achieve your goal. Live freely, and you will become fearless.'"

"Sorry, I said a bit too much." Vivian sighed.

He certainly knew the horrors of the pirate world.

Pirates run rampant, wars rage everywhere, civilians are displaced, and those without homes are often trafficked to noble families as slaves, ultimately dying in endless torment.

Truly treating human lives as worthless.

But what could he do?

As a navy, being able to occasionally help out when he sees injustice and save a few civilians is already quite good.

Save the world?

Come on, that's Luffy and his dad's job. He just needs to be a small navy, survive until the end, marry a slightly pretty wife, then retire and live in seclusion…

Such a life doesn't seem too bad?

Vivian fantasized for a while, then lowered his head to continue eating his noodles.

However…

"Huh? Where's my seafood noodles?"

He looked up at the refined man with silver-framed glasses who was wolfing down food.

"Kuto!!!"

His angry shout echoed inside and outside the restaurant for a long time.

Meanwhile, Fujitora was still frowning, pondering Vivian's words.

"Stay true to your original intention, and you will achieve your goal?"

This kid… at such a young age, he sees things more clearly than I do…

For a moment, the previously conflicted Fujitora suddenly felt enlightened.

…

That night.

Dressrosa Kingdom.

Vivian, Kuto, and Fujitora appeared at the bottom of a cliff.

However, the three of them looked somewhat different at this moment.

"Hey, Uncle Issho, aren't you a bit too out of place?"

Wearing black tight-fitting clothes, Vivian and Kuto turned to look at Fujitora: "Isn't the purple cape a bit too conspicuous?"

"Don't worry, although I can't see, my hearing is excellent, and my legs are quite agile, so I shouldn't be easily discovered." Fujitora explained seriously.

Vivian nodded in response.

But Kuto, on the other hand, looked worried.

This uncle… seems to care a lot about his image?

It looks like I'll have to spend more effort protecting him later.