Chapter 800: Chapter 799: Ace and Dues
Not long ago, Dues found the Coating Craftsman and brought them back to the Spatier. The coating process takes at least three days, but that doesn’t mean the craftsman has to work continuously for three days.
It’s just that within those three days, one procedure needs to be repeated multiple times, waiting for the processed resin to change.
Then it was discovered that Ace’s wallet had gone missing, and he was being hounded by island vendors demanding repayment. To avoid further trouble, the members of the Black Spade Pirates asked Dues to make sure to keep an eye on Ace.
"Boss Dues, please make sure Ace doesn’t cause any trouble."
Scar’s words echoed in Dues’s mind, but keeping an eye on Ace wasn’t an easy task.
He was a captain unreliable enough to fall asleep while eating, with a heart full of freedom.
After the incident at the free meal, Ace went to the Soap Bubble Paradise, a place that speaks volumes about a pirate’s nature. Pirates with an adventurer spirit are intensely interested in the Soap Bubble Paradise upon reaching the Shampodi Islands.
More typical pirates tend to roam the illegal zones, gradually intertwining with the undercurrents there.
The reason Ace came here was because he saw the interest in the Ferris wheel reflected in Dues’s eyes. Eventually, the two of them boarded the Ferris wheel’s gondola, reaching the top as the mechanical gears turned.
The gondola made of soap bubbles reflected a kaleidoscope of colors, providing a breathtaking view of the Shampodi Islands from above.
"That’s a huge Hercules beetle."
"Oh, that one. My brother has one of those. Those beetles are really smart."
Dues also saw a flash of a Heracross, prompting Ace to start talking about his brother. Every time he talks about his brother, he can go on endlessly.
As Ace recounted past events, Dues was writing and sketching in his notebook, documenting their journey and penning his own stories.
"Giant trees. A super island.
Floating soap bubble-like things. Can they take me, with my limited vocabulary, to distant places?
I, like a driftweed with no roots, can I live on that tree root? Of course, I can! Yes, Shampodi!"
"Don’t read it out loud!"
"What’s the matter? You’ve already written it!"
Listening to Ace read the contents he’d written while suppressing his laughter, Dues felt a bit embarrassed and hastily closed his notebook.
After some horsing around, Ace set off once more on his quest for food. During this process, he also encountered some bounty hunters and pirates. In the New World, nobody knew who he was, but on the Shampodi Islands, he still had some fame as a Super Rookie.
Whether they wanted to make a name for themselves through him or exchange him for a bounty, Ace smashed all such intentions.
"Really, don’t these guys find it annoying?"
"Well, you’re a celebrity too. The name Fire Fist Ace has gained some renown... Hey! Kid, put that down!"
During the previous fight, they had put down their bags, and naturally, Ace’s bag contained a variety of foods.
Now, Dues saw several kids rummaging through their stuff. When discovered, they didn’t heed Dues’s call but instead took the items and ran, even tearing open packaging and stuffing the contents into their mouths as they fled.
They were from the slums, and survival in the Shampodi slums was no easy feat.
It was manageable if they had parents or adults; without them, they had to find ways to fend for themselves.
Surviving solely on the charity of others was impossible; doing odd jobs and acting as guides were more reasonable means.
Some chose to join local gangs, and under life’s pressures, gradually turned from the oppressed to oppressors.
Joining a gang meant participating in fights. Many didn’t want to take on that risk, but that didn’t mean they would abide by nonexistent laws here.
When survival becomes hard, principles become irrelevant. Stealing, freeloading, they’ll seize any opportunity to survive.
Conflicts on the Shampodi Islands were constant opportunities for them.
Taking advantage of Ace and Dues’s battle, they had stolen a lot of food. Now Dues, being a pirate too, couldn’t just stand by and watch, but Ace stopped him.
"Dues, let it go."
"Hmm? Ace, those kids stole our stuff..."
"Feeling hungry is really uncomfortable. It’s just some food, come on, let’s follow them and see."
Ace didn’t seem upset. Instead, he picked up the food and followed them. Observing his actions, Dues sighed and had already guessed his intentions.
The kids were very familiar with the terrain of Shampodi, quickly disappearing into the crowd using the cover of the mangrove trees. However, they didn’t shake off Ace and Dues, who followed closely and stopped when they reached the slums.
In stark contrast to the bustling main street, the slums were shrouded in a gloomy atmosphere. Garbage was scattered everywhere, and all around were dilapidated buildings that looked like ruins.
Seeing outsiders entering, the people on the street hid away. Ace even spotted the kids who had stolen his food, peeking at them from the shadows of a building.
He didn’t scold them but instead voluntarily distributed the food he bought to them. After some hesitation, the hungry people couldn’t resist the temptation and came out one by one.
"Don’t steal next time, okay? You won’t always get this lucky."
Ace patted one child’s head, but the child didn’t respond, only bowed to Ace before leaving.
"He can’t speak."
"Huh?"
"I escaped with him. Those people thought he was too noisy and cut out his tongue."
Remaining behind, one person explained for the child who left, and then Ace curiously asked, "So there aren’t usually many people here?"
"No, it’s just that a group came to the main street today, giving out free food and providing medical care."
"Isn’t that a good thing? Why not go?"
"They said if you go with them, you’ll always have food and someone to teach you to read. Only foolish kids believe that."
Naturally, he was referring to Iscariot’s group. They didn’t go just because they were skeptical of the other’s intentions. Upon getting closer, Ace realized they were older youths, but malnutrition made him mistake them for children.
Ace wanted to give them some money to improve their lives, but they refused.
As for why they didn’t want the money, such things meant nothing to them. Having money would only bring danger, and food that could be eaten was the most valuable thing.
