"Well, well, Kojaku, don't trouble the boy. Remember, he's only thirteen this year."
Drake leaned casually against the wall, attempting to ease Rorschach's embarrassment, whose face was nearly turning red from the discomfort.
Rorschach felt a sudden sense of relief and quickly distanced himself from Kojaku, moving between Drake and Law, using their presence as a shield.
"Haha, so what if he's thirteen? His combat abilities far exceed those of a man in his twenties."
Drake let out a faint sigh and responded with a hint of resentment, "He's from the race of mythical beasts, while I'm just a poor old species, so it's only natural that I can't match him."
Kojaku chuckled and returned to his seat, quietly lifting a glass of red wine with elegance.
Looking at Rorschach, who quickly grabbed some snacks from the table to hide his embarrassment, Kojaku smiled and said, "We'll soon head to Marineford, Rorschach, are you ready?"
Rorschach coughed slightly, his tone hesitant, "Ready for what?"
"For the customs of the North Blue. Before we came here, word had already spread in the headquarters. Even though you haven't arrived yet, many are curious about this new young soldier."
Kojaku's words left Rorschach stunned.
Customs of the North Blue?
He scratched his head and looked at the people beside him.
"What are the customs of the North Blue? I… I don't know. Drake, do you know anything?"
"What? Customs of the North Blue?" Drake responded, completely puzzled.
"Really?"
Kojaku looked at Rorschach, who seemed unaware of what was happening, and suddenly smiled.
"It's alright if you don't know. Anyway, you'll be surprised when you reach Marineford. Oh, and there's a little girl who's been diligently learning cooking and medicine for the past year, waiting for your arrival to prepare a grand feast for you."
"Is… is it Skye?"
Rorschach smiled awkwardly, suddenly recalling the love-filled meal Skye had once prepared for him.
Should I eat it?
I might get poisoned…
No matter, I'll bring Law with me when the time comes. He's a doctor, and he has experience dealing with food poisoning.
As Rorschach thought about this, he glanced at Law, only to be surprised to see him glaring at him.
"Haha, Law, what's wrong?" Rorschach laughed awkwardly, asking a question he already knew the answer to.
"What do you think? Do you dare ask me that?"
A few black lines appeared on Law's forehead.
After cooperating with Rorschach and Drake in an attack on Prince's Castle, Law had been seriously injured, with his arm severed by Doflamingo, forcing the soldiers of the 177th division to send him to Flameheart Island for rest and treatment.
As a skilled doctor who possessed the Ope Ope no Mi fruit, making him unafraid of severe injuries, such significant wounds didn't bother him much.
So, it only took him five days to fully recover on Flameheart Island.
He planned to leave immediately using his small submarine, to escape the kingdom and avoid the watchful eyes of the Donquixote Family, hiding temporarily to increase his strength.
But Rorschach insisted on keeping him there for several reasons.
On the first day, Rorschach said he should at least inform Drake before leaving.
On the second day, Drake returned and said that they were pirates, and the situation in Prince's Kingdom wasn't in their favor. If discovered by the Marines, it would be very dangerous, so it would be better to wait a couple more days.
On the fourth day, a powerful Marine Admiral arrived and spoke with Law for half a day, then invited him for a meal and got him drunk until he passed out.
On the fifth day, Rorschach told him that his submarine had been damaged by pirate shells and needed urgent repairs by the supply division of the 177th division, so he had to wait a little longer.
And today, Drake came to say that he would be leaving the North Blue and returning to the headquarters.
This way, Law remained on Flameheart Island for over six days, even though he was supposed to leave a while ago.
Law began to chew the rice balls in his hand sharply, glaring at this silver-haired boy, deciding that after finishing the farewell drinks, he would leave Flameheart Island with Bepo and his friends.
If he stayed any longer, Law feared he'd fall into another trap.
Who would have thought that a thirteen-year-old kid could be so cunning?
Law learned from Drake a few days ago about Rorschach's true age, which hadn't yet reached thirteen, making Law understand the reason behind the sense of powerlessness he felt during the battle at Prince's Castle.
This was a rare point of agreement between Drake and Law.
When Rorschach saw Law's darkened face, he laughed, grabbed him tightly, and placed his hand on his shoulder warmly, raising a glass from the table.
"Don't be angry, come on, let me toast you."
Law stopped eating and tried to pull away.
He wasn't comfortable with this close proximity.
But the hand of this thirteen-year-old boy was as strong as Sea-Stone cuffs, and no matter how much he tried, he couldn't break free.
After Rorschach drank a glass with the black-faced Law, he coughed quietly, took a deep breath, then turned serious and looked at Hawkins and Law with seriousness, saying:
"Mr. Hawkins, Law, after the battle of Prince's Kingdom, I think you both saw a dark side of this world."
Rorschach's words made Kojaku and Drake sit up seriously.
Law stopped eating, and Hawkins raised his eyes slightly.
Rorschach continued:
"Meg Jones, Doflamingo, Prince Illya, each of them alone is a figure far beyond the reach of ordinary people in this kingdom."
"Power and status, both are beyond what the poor can ever attain."
"All ordinary people want is a peaceful and stable life, but even this simple request depends on the mercy and mood of those in power."
"If they become distressed, or go mad, any decision they make can throw thousands of people into hell."
Rorschach sighed here, raising the bottle on the table to fill another glass and drank it all at once.
He wasn't good at drinking, and after only two glasses, signs of redness began to appear on his young face.
Rorschach pointed to himself, saying: "My hometown is a small island in the Kingdom of Roppongi, the birthplace of the great adventurer Rolando, in a small village called Autumn Leaves Village."
"I lived there for twelve years. Though the conditions weren't great and I went through some bad things, life was somewhat acceptable thanks to the absence of these villains."
"But just a raid from a weak pirate with a measly bounty of only 16 million was enough to kill 187 villagers, including my father."
Rorschach's eyes turned slightly red.
"Ah, those are pirates, the locusts that roam the seas. Wherever they pass, nothing grows."
Drake sighed and patted Rorschach on the shoulder.
"Not all pirates are bad…"
The deep voice of Law was heard.
(End of Chapter)
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