"What can we do?"
Luffy, tied to a stone pillar, shouted in frustration, "Of course, we fight! What's the use of hiding in the mountains, old man? Everyone should unite and deal with those despicable nobles, sending them all flying into the sky!"
The incident with Sabo was still fresh in his mind.
"..." Man-Scar glanced at Luffy, sighed, and remained silent.
"Stop yelling."
Xiano frowned, tapping Luffy's face with his scabbard, "Adults are talking; what's a kid doing interrupting?"
This unlucky child, how could he be even more thoughtless than during the era of the Five Emperors.
The royal army is well-equipped and backed by the World Government. How could ordinary people possibly contend with them?
Even if all the bandits in the Corbo Mountains were gathered, it would still be like an egg striking a stone.
In a world where great power resides in individuals, bottom-up resistance is even more difficult, often seeming like a joke.
What does it matter if hundreds of thousands or millions of people gather?
Can they withstand Conqueror's Haki?
Can they endure Magma Descent?
A single spark can start a prairie fire, but in this vast sea, it simply doesn't work. Only a handful of strong individuals can reach the pinnacle of power and bring about change from the top down.
This is also the main reason he has never been very interested in joining the Revolutionary Army.
Of course, it's just a matter of differing paths.
After all, feeling the stones to cross the river is understandable, and maintaining the original intention and taking action for so many years is still commendable.
In this world of decay, the existence of such a group is already quite rare.
"How many of you are there in total?" Xiano turned to Man-Scar and asked.
"Including me, thirteen."
Man-Scar looked downcast, "That night, I managed to pull more than twenty people out of the fire, but the elderly, children, women, and those already sick couldn't survive in the harsh mountain conditions..."
The other "bandits" also showed sadness, lowering their heads.
"You've done well enough," Xiano shook his head.
The man looked to be just over twenty years old.
In the face of disaster, he didn't flee for his own safety but chose to save others. After entering the mountains, to protect these poor people, he dared to impersonate a notorious bandit at great risk. He was a true man.
Looking around.
The remaining dozen or so people, continuing to struggle for survival in these mountains, probably wouldn't fare much better.
Either they would die from various causes or completely abandon their morals, becoming real bandits.
If he hadn't encountered them, it wouldn't have mattered, but seeing them now, he couldn't help but feel some compassion.
Xiano pondered slightly, thinking of the 400 million Berries he had in the bank.
This money, he hadn't planned to withdraw, just letting it earn interest, intending to use it to pay for shipbuilding costs once he officially set sail.
But now, he vaguely had a plan.
"To be honest, if I were still penniless, I definitely wouldn't want to get involved with you, nor would I have the ability."
Xiano looked at Man-Scar, shrugging slightly, "But there's no helping it, since I can now barely be considered a wealthy man, so I should still be able to help you out."
"Wealthy man?"
Luffy's eyes instantly lit up, "So you're rich, old man! Are you going to share the money with them? Can you share some with me too? I'm really short on cash!!!"
He had only left IOUs for the meals he, Ace, and Sabo had eaten on credit at the shops in the mountain town, and he hadn't had the chance to pay them off yet!
"Who are you calling 'uncle'?!" Xiano couldn't hold back any longer and slapped Luffy on the head. "I'm only a few years older than you. If you're trying to butter me up, you should call me 'big bro'!"
"Ow…" Luffy rubbed the red handprint on his face, looking aggrieved.
"You're responsible for paying off your own debts!"
After glaring at Luffy in annoyance, Xiano turned his gaze to the impoverished people around him, his eyes thoughtful.
He wasn't planning to just throw money around, as Luffy had suggested.
After all, they had just met, and there was no emotional bond between them. It would be strange to hand out money out of pity.
Moreover, it's better to teach a man to fish than to give him a fish.
"I have an orange orchard at home, and I'm planning to expand it. I'm short on hands and need to hire some workers."
He glanced at the straw hat on Luffy's head. "I'm planning to head back home today anyway. Why don't you all leave the Goa Kingdom with me and settle down there? How does that sound?"
He spoke in general terms.
In his actual plan, he intended to set aside a few million Berries, with the rest still saved as funds for his future voyage.
He wasn't just planning to expand the orange orchard; he also wanted to set up a few small family workshops to process the harvested citrus fruits.
The oranges produced in Cocoyasi Village were truly of excellent quality, far surpassing the taste of any citrus fruits he had eaten in his previous life, like the "Papa Gan" or "Ugly Orange."
However, the purchase price for primary agricultural products was really low.
Otherwise, Bellemere wouldn't have been so busy tending to the orange orchard all year round, yet still too poor to afford new clothes for Nami before he became the family's main support.
According to his plan, by processing the high-quality oranges into various salted, sugared products—such as canned goods, jams, and preserves—the added value could be significantly increased.
The daily management of the workshops could be handed over to Man-Scar, while Bellemere could take it easy if she wanted or continue tending to her beloved orange orchard.
Due to geographical limitations and trade channels, they might not make a fortune.
But it would be more than enough to improve the family's living conditions and provide a livelihood for these struggling, hungry people, allowing them to support themselves.
"R-really? Is it really possible?!"
Man-Scar was momentarily stunned, then couldn't contain his excitement as he grasped Xiano's hands. "Sir, are you really willing to take us in and give us jobs?!"
"Yes, have everyone pack up. We'll set off with me later."
Xiano nodded slightly. "Don't worry about the boat tickets; I'll cover those too."
"That's amazing!"
"We're saved, we're saved!"
"Thank you, sir! Thank you!"
The group of hungry people nearby was initially in disbelief.
But after Xiano confirmed it, their long-suppressed emotions burst forth. Some cried, some knelt down on the spot, and others silently embraced each other with tears of relief.
Winter had already arrived, and these past days in the mountains had been filled with constant fear and anxiety, with not enough food or warm clothing. Life had been incredibly hard.
"Thank you so much, thank you so much…"
Man-Scar's voice choked with emotion, "You've saved the lives of more than a dozen of us. I... I'm not good with words, but in short, sir! From now on, my life is yours! Whatever you ask of me, I'll do it!"
"Sir, we feel the same!" the surrounding poor people echoed loudly.
"Wahhh," Luffy also wept on the side, "Uncle, could you untie me first? I can't wipe my tears, and it's so uncomfortable."
Xiano glanced speechlessly at the kid, then drew the Authentic Blade from his back.
Swish, swish.
The blade flashed, and the hemp ropes binding Luffy's limbs were instantly severed.
"Wow, such amazing swordsmanship!"
Luffy moved his wrists, marveling at the precision of the sword technique, when suddenly, blood spurted from both his arms, startling him into a panicked scream. He hurriedly tore his shirt into strips to wrap around the wounds to stop the bleeding. "Ah! Why did you cut my skin too?!"
"..."
Xiano coughed to cover his embarrassment, sheathed his sword, and then turned to the dark-skinned man before him.
"Xiano," he said, "And you, what's your real name? What should I call you from now on?"
"Just call me Man-Scar."
The man shook his head and spoke earnestly, "To be honest with you, I was a guard raised in a noble family since childhood. The name was given casually by the steward, and I never liked it. Instead, I've grown accustomed to the name Man-Scar over the past few months. I think I'll just continue living with this name."
"Alright, Man-Scar! Gather all the important things, we're leaving now!"
Xiano laughed heartily.
As everyone busied themselves, he finally turned his gaze back to Luffy. Before leaving, how could he forget the most important matter.
"It really hurts, Uncle Xiano!"
Luffy pointed discontentedly at the wounds on his arms, "When you cut the ropes, could you aim a bit better? It makes me not even want to thank you for getting me out of that mess!"
Of course, he was just saying that.
Luffy actually had a good impression of the guy who had appeared out of nowhere and actively helped these starving people out of their predicament. And after all, he was now completely free!
No longer needing to rack his brains over how to hunt enough to repay ten times the amount of roasted meat.
"Sorry, my swordsmanship really isn't up to par yet."
Xiano smiled slightly, "As compensation, let me show you a little Magic trick."
"Magic?!!"
Luffy immediately perked up, performing a classic monkey squat on the table, "Yes, yes!"
And so...
The next second, under the kid's foolish gaze, Xiano suddenly reached out and took the straw hat from his head.
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