Vivian felt exhausted, truly.
If he had known things would turn out this way, he wouldn't have pursued that brewing skill, which ended up entangling him with such a troublesome woman.
But despite his thoughts, he still had to make the right choice.
"Little fool, how could I leave you? When I leave in two years, you can come with me. I'll take you on a world tour…"
[You chose option 3, reward: Endurance +1]
As soon as he finished speaking, Domino's face turned red again.
"I… I… Who… Who said I wanted to leave with you…"
"Well, if there's nothing else, I'll be going. If anything happens in the prison, just call me."
Without waiting for Domino's response, Vivian jumped onto the warship, dropped the anchor, and ordered the propulsion system to start.
Ahead, the Gates of Justice slowly opened a small gap under the operation of Fujitora and Hannyabal.
Standing at the stern, Vivian watched Impel Down shrink in the distance, his mind filled with thoughts.
Women…
They really are troublesome creatures.
…
Sabaody Archipelago, Area 1.
Kuto adjusted his glasses, searching the crowded streets for Tashigi.
"Miss Tashigi!"
"Tashigi!"
Damn… Could she really have encountered a Celestial Dragon, as Vivian said?
He thought carefully. If it were Smoker, he might stay calm, but Tashigi was another story.
That woman would definitely act impulsively without thinking if she saw something unjust.
Speaking of impulsiveness… If it were the old him, he might have acted similarly. But after spending time with Vivian, he learned the importance of flexibility, like now…
"Hey, why did you bump into me? Do you want to die?"
Startled, Kuto found himself facing a group of fierce pirates pointing cannons and guns at his head.
Kuto: "…"
"I'm sorry, I didn't see the way. I apologize for my recklessness." Kuto bowed sincerely.
The pirates exchanged glances, then spat on the ground, "Be careful next time, idiot."
"Yes, yes, I'll be careful."
They pushed Kuto aside and walked away, leaving him in his plain clothes, looking at their backs with a complex expression.
"I've become the kind of person I used to hate…"
He remembered scolding Vivian for similar behavior when they first met in Loguetown.
But there was no choice. Finding Tashigi was the priority.
"Tashigi!"
"Miss Tashigi!"
Kuto continued shouting.
After a few calls, he noticed a commotion ahead.
"Miss Tashigi?"
Kuto hurriedly ran over, squeezing to the front. He saw a huge pirate choking a civilian woman, her face filled with fear and desperation, shouting, "Someone save me! Please, someone save me!"
"I've given up on the Grand Line. My family is waiting for me at home… Please, please… My child was just born when I left. He doesn't even know what his father looks like!"
He cried out, showing none of the demeanor expected of a pirate.
At the same time…
Ding!
Ding—ding—ding—ding!
The collar around his neck suddenly started to beep, signaling it was about to explode. Just then, a figure flashed across the lawn, catching the woman the pirate had thrown and slashing at the collar on the pirate's neck.
Clang!
Boom—!
An explosion erupted.
The tall pirate was instantly charred and covered in blood, causing the surrounding crowd to scatter in fear.
"I… never want… to be a pirate again…"
These were the tall pirate's last words before he died.
Around the corpse, Kuto pushed his blood-stained glasses up his nose, his expression extremely grim.
"You're… you're bleeding!" The civilian woman Kuto had saved pointed at him in a panic.
Kuto's entire right arm was exposed, the clothes blown away, and his skin covered in burns. However, he seemed unfazed, sheathing his sword and looking sharply to the right side of the road.
"The… the Celestial Dragons are here!" someone in the crowd shouted.
At that moment, two Celestial Dragons, wearing bubble helmets and luxurious white robes, appeared within everyone's view.
Simultaneously, the civilians on the Sabaody Archipelago knelt down, bowing their heads in worship.
Only Kuto stood with his fists clenched, showing no intention of kneeling.
"Young man, you should kneel," a civilian behind him reminded Kuto.
Soon, the Celestial Dragons approached Kuto.
"Hey, why aren't you kneeling?" One of the Celestial Dragons, an old man with a cane, round sunglasses, and a white beard, pulled out a pistol and pointed it at Kuto, asking angrily, "Do you want to die, you lowly scum?"
As he spoke, the Celestial Dragon's finger began to pull the trigger.
At the same time, Kuto reached for the hilt of his sword and drew it swiftly.
Bang!
A gunshot rang out.
Kuto was tackled by a figure, crashing heavily into a wall.
"Hmm?" The Celestial Dragon frowned, looking in the direction the two had flown.
"Brother… brother… you died so horribly… boo hoo hoo…"
A civilian woman in simple clothes lay on Kuto's body, crying loudly with tears streaming down her face.
Blood flowed from beneath the body, staining the lawn red.
"Dead?" The Celestial Dragon looked confusedly at the flintlock pistol in his hand.
How strange…
Why didn't it feel like it hit anything?
"Saint Rosward, the auction is about to start," a bodyguard said to the Celestial Dragon.
But Saint Rosward waved his hand, pointing to the woman crying on the ground, "Bring her to me."
"Yes, Saint Rosward."