Chapter Twenty-Four: Pirates Once Again

Perhaps it was because the villagers had been intimidated by Luo Lan’s display of power, but when he and his companions returned to the village, not a single soul was to be found. The entire place seemed deserted and hollow.

Yet, this village had clearly left a deep shadow in little Donna’s heart. No sooner had they set foot inside than she began trembling uncontrollably. She was afraid, even though Luo Lan walked right beside her.

Feeling the trembling in his palm, Luo Lan’s hatred for the village grew even stronger. He had been expelled from this place; his stubbornness had made him leave immediately, so he never learned what Donna had endured here that could make her so fearful upon returning.

He activated his Observation Haki, and inside those houses, he sensed a great deal of malice. He knew this was coming from the villagers lurking in the shadows, watching him. Their hiding was out of fear—fear of his strength and fear of the pirate ship docked outside.

Had he still been an ordinary man, helpless and powerless, he might not have been beaten to death, but would certainly have suffered inhuman treatment. Though his Observation Haki was only at level three, with the system’s help, his development diverged from others, allowing him to perceive the malice in people’s hearts.

He gently picked up Donna, whispering words of comfort, but did not slow his stride. Moments ago, he’d felt a sudden urge to destroy the village, but managed to suppress it. He was not a pirate; massacring a village was beyond him. Once he joined the Marines as an officer, he could ensure the Navy never patrolled this area again.

“Luo Lan, let’s leave this place today,” Nami suggested, despite the evening drawing near. Seeing Donna still trembling with her eyes closed, she couldn’t bear staying in this vile village even a moment longer.

Nami had witnessed the wickedness of pirates, but never before the collective malice of ordinary villagers. She had traveled to many islands, but only here did she feel such discomfort. Elsewhere, even children of pirates might be hated, but no one would vent their hatred so cruelly upon them.

Luo Lan said nothing, silently moving forward, lost in thought.

Back at the dock, all the pirates, including Gin who had recovered, were stunned to see Luo Lan return carrying a little girl. Who was she? Could she be Luo Lan’s illegitimate child? But he didn’t look old enough for that—how could he have a child like this?

Onboard, Donna’s tension and fear eased somewhat. But surrounded by strangers, she remained timid, hiding in Luo Lan’s arms and refusing to lift her head.

“Her name is Krista Donna. From now on, she’s my little sister,” Luo Lan explained to the curious pirates. So she was only a sister? The gossip that had begun to simmer in their hearts quickly dissipated, and everyone went back to their business.

Gin, however, noted Donna’s full name. Luo Lan’s full name was Roman Luo Lan, yet this girl’s surname was Krista—how could she be a blood sister? The matter was likely more complicated than Luo Lan let on.

At the doorway, Luo Lan handed Donna to Nami. “Take her to wash up. She’s such a lovely little thing in the photo, she shouldn’t stay dirty like this.”

Nami took the reluctant Donna with a hint of displeasure. Donna clearly relied on Luo Lan, but still hesitated with her. Yet Donna was not unreasonable—she simply didn’t want to leave Luo Lan’s side. After a brief struggle, she obediently rested in Nami’s arms, gazing longingly at Luo Lan as he walked away.

“Oh, and for now, just alter some of my clothes for her. When we reach the next island, we’ll buy her a few outfits. For now, we’ll have to make do,” Luo Lan said, turning to Nami before departing.

Leaving the room, Luo Lan went straight to the kitchen, instructing them to prepare some simple food suitable for someone who had been hungry for a long time. He then headed to the infirmary, telling the doctors to give Donna a check-up after dinner.

Having come to this world alone, Luo Lan had only his mentor, Golden Lion, as family. Now, seeing Donna as a kindred spirit, he treated her as a true sister.

When Luo Lan left the infirmary, he noticed the atmosphere had shifted. The pirates seemed to have discovered something; one after another they grabbed their weapons and rushed to the deck.

“What’s going on?” Luo Lan strode onto the deck, grabbing a pirate and demanding an explanation.

Normally, he would not care—whether the pirates rebelled or an enemy invaded, it mattered little, given his strength. But now things were different. With Nami and Donna aboard, both mattered greatly to him, and he would not allow them to be harmed.

“Pirates spotted in the distance,” the pirate replied, startled by Luo Lan’s sudden grip.

“Pirates?” Luo Lan’s expression turned odd.

Was he somehow bound to pirates? He’d been saved by a legendary pirate upon arriving in this world, attacked by pirates soon after setting sail, rescued a pirate from a storm, and now—returning home—encountered pirates once more.

What was happening in East Blue? Wasn’t it said that Garp swept through the sea every time he returned home, clearing out pirates? Yet in less than a month, Luo Lan had encountered three waves of pirates.

“Sir Luo Lan, should we open fire and sink them?” Gin approached, weapon in hand, asking.

“No need for now. I’ll go check it out,” Luo Lan replied, refusing Gin’s suggestion without hesitation.

Their ship was indeed a large, three-deck vessel with plenty of cannons, but who could say what the outcome of a real battle would be? If, during the firefight, a cannonball struck his cabin, Nami and Donna would be in grave danger. Unlike him, they lacked Armament Haki to ignore the damage.

Thus, the best solution was for him to use Udian’s power and deal with the enemy directly, venting some of the day’s suppressed ire in the process.

Without waiting for Gin to speak further, Luo Lan transformed into Udian and ran across the water toward the pirate ship, knocking down several incoming cannonballs along the way.

Yet the closer he got to the pirate ship, the more familiar its flag seemed. He was sure he’d seen it somewhere before.

But where had he seen it?

He couldn’t recall. He knew all the pirate crews from East Blue featured in the TV series, and it wasn’t any of them.

Still, with pirates now rampant across the world in this era, Luo Lan paid little mind—they were all minor characters.

“So it’s them!”