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Chapter 25: The Little Girl Who Buys Flowers
On the other side, Flying Squirrels led hundreds of Marine soldiers through the busy streets of town, heading towards the residence of Shields Saint. Gion looked preoccupied as she peered at the back of Flying Squirrel walking ahead. She couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong and suspected that Darren was intentionally distracting her and Kake to act alone.
"Big sister, you are so beautiful," a childish voice rang out, pulling Gion from her thoughts. Startled, Gion turned to find a little girl in a simple floral dress, a backpack filled with packaged red roses on her back. The girl, about seven or eight years old, had big, shiny eyes and gave Gion a polite bow.
"Do you want to buy flowers?" the little girl asked.
Charmed by the girl's appearance, Gion smiled gently, squatting down to stroke her hair.
"Little sister, how much are they?" Gion inquired.
The girl glanced at the long sword at Gion's waist before responding timidly, "Sister, 200 Bailey, is that okay?"
Gion chuckled. "That shouldn't be a question for me," she said, noticing where the girl's eyes were fixed. With a soft smile, she reassured, "Don't worry, my sister is a Marine; I protect people like you. My sword is only used to deal with bad guys."
"Really?" the little girl asked, hope gleaming in her eyes.
Gion nodded and confirmed with a warm smile, "Of course, that's what we Marines do."
After looking at the bouquet on the girl's back, Gion decided, "Give me one." As she spoke, she took out 200 Baileys and handed them to the young girl. The girl looked up in surprise, then clumsily put down her schoolbag and chose the most beautiful bloom with care.
"Well, this one is the most beautiful," she declared, handing a fully bloomed red rose to Gion.
"Little sister, why are you out selling flowers at such a young age?" Gion asked, still smiling.
Leah beamed, "I'm old enough to help Dad." Looking at the roses pridefully, she said, "These flowers are planted by my father. They are as beautiful as you, sister!"
Gion laughed and asked, "So your dad is a flower farmer? Where's your mother?"
The girl's expression dimmed. "Mom is sick, and dad says she has gone to a faraway place for treatment."
The mood shifted momentarily before the girl turned to Kake, bowing respectfully. "Uncle, would you like to buy some flowers?"
Kake's face tensed. His eyes twitching, he squatted down, forcing a smile. "Little sister, I'm under 20 years old; you should call me brother."
The little girl examined Kake, with his brown hat and cigarette, and shook her head firmly. "No, uncle, you don't look like a brother, you look like an uncle."
Frustrated, Kake through gritted teeth and a strained smile offered, "Little sister, call me brother, and I'll buy all your flowers."
Her eyes sparkling with the prospect, the little girl hesitated, her hands fidgeting as she expressed her dilemma, "I would like to sell all the flowers... But Dad told me not to lie."
Gion swiftly intervened as Kake fell flat with disappointment, reassuring the startled girl, "That 'uncle' may look scary, but he is a good man. Don't be afraid."
The girl, slightly confused, nodded. She then started dividing the 200 Baileys from Gion, tucking 40 into one pocket and the remaining 160 into another.
Curious, Gion asked, "Why are you splitting the money?"
The girl explained earnestly, "Dad says we have to give part of what we earn away, so those with weapons won't trouble us."
Gion's expression turned grave. Suddenly, a man rushed over, took the girl's hand, and with a worried bow, apologized to Gion, "I'm sorry, Mister Marine, Lia doesn't know any better and has spoken nonsense."
He scooped up his daughter and quickly departed, the girl's cheerful voice calling out, "Goodbye, big sister! Goodbye, uncle!"
Kake cried out in frustration, insisting, "I am a brother, not an uncle!"
Gion's gaze followed the father and daughter, thoughts racing. Someone was imposing taxes...
She approached Flying Squirrel, who was organizing tasks nearby. "Major Flying Squirrel, tell me, is Darren doing something crooked?"
The squirrel, feeling the gravity of the situation, responded, "Major Gion, as the Base Commander, Darren has matters to attend to. We must execute his orders as his adjutants. Our current priority is the security for Shields Saint."
Gion persisted, "No, I want to know what Darren is up to. We have orders from headquarters, and such communication with Bhatia Island's governor negates Darren's need to manage it personally. If the mission to protect Shields Saint is crucial, and Darren is the lead, he should not leave. Is he extorting taxes from the mafia families on behalf of the mayor?"
Flying Squirrel was stunned for a moment, feeling surprised. Although Gion could be very naive at times, she was indeed smart and had guessed Darren's purpose. "I knew it!" Gion clenched his fists. The reaction of Flying Squirrel gave her a definite answer. "How can you do this? Mafia forces may not be as harmful to civilians as pirates, but their existence still causes them to be oppressed and exploited!" Gion asked angrily, "Forget it, Darren... that depraved, corrupt man is beyond redemption! But Major Flying Squirrel, how can you collude with the Mafia family like him? We are righteous Marines. Our responsibility is to protect civilians, not exploit them!" She had wanted to confront Darren long ago, but the sudden war started by Germa 66 interrupted her.
Flying Squirrel looked at Gion's anger and determination and sighed deeply. "What an admirable belief. It's a pity that in a place like the North Blue, pure justice is the most useless thing," he thought. "Major Gion, do you see this street?" Instead of answering directly, he pointed to the street before them. "Can you please tell me what you see?"
Gion looked around, confused. She saw many shops on both sides of the street with a wide range of goods and a busy crowd. Young parents played with their children, and laughter filled the air. A scene of peace and tranquility surrounded them. "Peace," Gion murmured softly, her voice low.
"Yes," Flying Squirrel nodded, "but a year ago, this street was one of the most notorious lawless areas on Badia Island. It was full of crooks, hooligans, scammers, and murderers... a darkness and chaos that someone like you, born in Marineford, could never imagine."
Gion was speechless as Flying Squirrel pointed to a nearby building: a hospital. "That place was once a shelter for refugees and homeless people," he continued, pointing to the distant port where they had docked their warship. "That port used to be a filthy ditch full of corpses, and the road we walked on was a stinking garbage dump a year ago."
As Gion and Kake's expressions changed, Flying Squirrel exhaled: "Bhatia Island has always been one of the most chaotic route transit stations in the North Blue. Pirates plundered recklessly, and dozens of Mafia families ran rampant... Gunshots were heard almost daily. The crime rate exceeded 30%. More than half of the children joined pirates, liars, gangsters, and gamblers before becoming adults. The island, despite its flourishing trade, was a breeding ground for crime."
"This... how is it possible..." Gion and Kake murmured, their faces pale. They struggled to reconcile the peaceful view in front of them with the chaotic picture Flying Squirrel described.
"Haven't the North Blue Marines sent troops to suppress it over the years?" Gion asked, gritting her teeth.
"Send troops? Yes, they have," Flying Squirrel replied with a mocking smile. "When Rear Admiral Sakazuki was in office, he led troops to fight pirates and the Mafia, creating rivers of blood and leaving few survivors. But this caused civilian casualties, political pressure, and eventually his transfer to headquarters."
"But... it worked, right?" Gion pressed on.
"Worked? No, the situation on Bhatia Island got worse," Flying Squirrel said with a complicated look. Gion and Kake protested in disbelief, unable to accept that the situation could worsen after Sakazuki's efforts.
"It's hard to believe, but it's the truth," Flying Squirrel sighed. "The pirates and Mafia families couldn't be eradicated, especially not in the North Blue Sea region. Less than half a year after Sakazuki's strong efforts, criminals and pirates flooded the island again, plunging it back into chaos."
"And in fact, nobody could solve these problems. Neither Rear Admiral Borsolino's lenient policy nor Sakazuki's aggressive approach had any effect. Not until a year ago, when Darren was promoted to Head of Branch 321's base."
His eyes filled with deep admiration as he spoke of Darren. "He suppressed the rampant pirates and Mafia, leaving only two families with clearly defined territories. Darren once said, 'Pirates, Mafia... these can't be eradicated in any era. The key is control, at least in the North Blue Sea area.' After keeping the two families that were easier to control, Darren allowed them to maintain a balance and unify the island's underground forces."
"The situation finally stabilized. For their own benefit and fear of Darren's purge, the two families cooperated peacefully. There was no more gang warfare, civilians could recuperate, and the economy and trade of Bhatia Island achieved long-term development. The city transformed, and the crime rate, once above 30%, dropped to below 5%..."