章 5: Ch-05 Who is worst?
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After a brief moment of silence, Nami's voice broke through the stillness, filled with anger and frustration. "These pirates... they are the absolute worst. There isn't a single good pirate among them."
Isshiki nodded in agreement, his expression reflecting the weight of his own experiences. "You're absolutely right. Pirates are undeniably bad... very bad. It's been seven long years since I lost my father, a tragedy that unfolded at the hands of those ruthless pirates. But you know what? They aren't even the worst. The true epitome of evil lies within the World Government and their loyal followers, the Marines."
Curiosity mingled with confusion on Nami's face as she sought clarification. She had believed that both Isshiki's ship and his mother had fallen victim to the pirates. "Why would you say that? I thought your mother was also killed by pirates when they attacked your ship."
Calmly, Isshiki shook his head, correcting her perception of the tragic events. "No, my mother met her untimely demise as target practice for the despicable Celestial Dragons. As for my ship, it was mercilessly sunk by the Marines who were sworn to protect them. We were mere honest merchants."
A sense of disbelief and horror washed over Nami as she heard the mention of the infamous Celestial Dragons.
Isshiki continued, his voice tinged with a mix of bitterness and resignation. "You see, pirates may embark on their treacherous voyages with a clear objective – to plunder and pillage. If they succeed, they amass wealth; if not, they pay with their lives. They live every day with this unwavering resolution. So, when a pirate commits an act of wrongdoing, it can be seen as somewhat acceptable, given their nature. However, it is the Marines and the World Government who fail to fulfill their duties as protectors of the common folk, champions of justice."
"So, let me ask you, which do you think is worse: an organization that promises to protect you and fight for justice, but ultimately has the power to eliminate you on a whim and subject you to harassment in the name of protection, or the pirates who instill fear and uncertainty with their very presence, leaving you prepared to face any consequences?" Jiryoku inquired, seeking an answer.
Nami remained silent, unable to determine who was truly worse. To her, both options seemed equally dreadful.
"Allow me to illustrate this with an example from the Conomi Islands," Isshiki interjected. The mention of Conomi Island caused an immediate change in Nami's expression, as it happened to be the place where her own village, Cocoyashi Village, was situated. Curiosity piqued, she hurriedly asked, "What happened on Conomi Island?"
Isshiki continued his narrative, delving into his past experiences as a merchant who traversed various locations and maintained connections with fellow traders. "One of my merchant acquaintances ventured into the vicinity of the Conomi Islands. However, he was denied entry into the range and compelled to procure goods from the Marines instead. Now, consider this: why weren't the inhabitants of Conomi Island permitted to sell their own products? There are only two plausible explanations: either the Marines are exploiting them through coercion, or the island has fallen under the control of pirates who wish to conceal their presence from the rest of the world."
Nami, with her head down, listened to every word Isshiki said, knowing the situation of her village. Then she spoke hesitantly, "Maybe these marines are corrupt, but it is not necessary that every marine is like them."
"You are correct. There are also honest marines. But let me ask you something: do you believe that the headquarters of the marines, who know every small detail of everything happening in the world, don't know about this? They definitely know, and that's where the so-called honest marines come in. However, they don't do anything because they don't care about weak villagers. They have important pirates to capture. So, for me, the Marines are more of a scum than pirates," said Isshiki.
Nami, as a member of the Arlong pirates, knows this, but she still held hope in her heart that the marines would save her village.
"I will go to the front and see the route of the boat. We may reach Shell Town anytime." With that, Nami left, and Isshiki also didn't say anything. He just stood there, leaned on the edge of the boat, and looked at his reflection in the sea.
There were many changes. His eyes, which were black, had now become white. His skin had also become fairer compared to before, and his hair, which was once black, had turned white. Additionally, there was a mark below his chin. Seeing it, Isshiki said, "Is this the Kāma mark?"
"Yes, until you fully take control of Isshiki's power, you will have this Kāma mark," came a voice from his head.
"System, so you have intelligence. Why didn't you awaken before? Why now, just so that I can embark on the path of revenge?" said Isshiki in an angry tone.
"What do you think? Power can be given to anyone?"
"No, only those who have the will to become strong and are ready to go to any lengths to achieve that power can possess it."
"Remember when you first learned about your disease? What did you do?"
"You took the easy way out, just reading books and living a simple life as a merchant's son, with the intention of becoming a merchant in the future."
"And what about after your father died? It was the same."
"You worked just to be a good merchant and didn't strive hard to avenge him with your own hands."
"You had very poor willpower and no goals whatsoever."
"So, on what basis do you deserve the system?"
"Only when you saw your mother dying in front of you and, even after being shot, you ignored your heart-wrenching pain."
"You only had one thought: to stand once more and shoot that Celestial Dragon."
"It was only in your dying moments that you had a clear goal for your life, and that was to destroy the World Government and everything and everyone related to it."
"That's when the system was activated, and I am at your service," replied the System.
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