One Piece: The True Codex

The royal banquet at the Goa Kingdom's palace was filled with an abundance of expensive wines and delicacies. Standing amidst the scene, watching the nobles and elites chatting and laughing with wine glasses in hand, one would hardly imagine that just beyond the city walls, there were people scavenging through garbage heaps every day just to find food to survive.

Count Pere cautiously engaged William in conversation. Based on the information he had gathered, the Morgan Pirates—a group of notorious criminals from the Navia Kingdom—were likely nothing more than the attack dogs of this newly prominent figure standing before him.

Count Pere had previously clashed with the Morgan Pirates—or more accurately, he had provoked them. The result was the complete annihilation of the Blue Sapphire Pirates, and even his own subordinates were decapitated, their heads delivered to his home in wooden boxes. This left Count Pere with a deep fear of the Morgan Pirates, to the point of developing a psychological shadow.

Thus, Count Pere could only tread carefully around William, who, according to rumors, controlled this armed force and now held a high position of power in a neighboring country. After all, he still needed to conduct business. Due to the incident with the Blue Sapphire Pirates, the Morgan Pirates now sank any merchant ships under Count Pere's banner on sight, refusing even bribes. This situation left Count Pere in utter misery, and he hoped William might change his stance. However, William avoided giving any clear response, neither confirming nor denying any connection to the Morgan Pirates.

Instead, William initiated a discussion about the social segregation policies implemented in the Goa Kingdom. In this regard, there were some similarities between Navia and Goa. While Kalmar City had never built physical walls, its residents' living areas were still strictly divided by class.

Count Pere, however, had no interest in discussing topics as lofty as class issues or wealth distribution. Feeling at a loss, he spotted a long-faced nobleman walking by and quickly called him over.

"The garbage heaps outside the city? I'm not familiar with those, but this gentleman here certainly is," Count Pere said with a faintly mocking smile. "His son, Sabo, was reportedly seen in the garbage heaps outside the city, mingling with the children there."

The long-faced nobleman's expression darkened. "Sabo is just a little mischievous. He would never stoop so low as to associate with those maggots. Those people must have been mistaken."

After speaking, he turned to William with a sycophantic smile and asked, "How could someone as distinguished as you take an interest in such garbage?"

"If a ruler doesn't understand the living conditions of their people, how can they govern effectively? Your son, as a noble, interacting with commoners is already a form of progress," William replied casually. Then, as if remembering something, he added, "By the way, how old is your son?"

"Ten years old," the long-faced nobleman quickly answered.

"Perhaps your child simply lacks opportunities to interact with peers, which is why he's acting out. I've recently established a specialized school in Kalmar City, where I personally serve as the headmaster. The school teaches professional skills with the aim of cultivating talented individuals," William said with a smile. "If you're willing, you could send your son, Sabo, to my school. Perhaps spending time with peers his age will make him less rebellious, and he could also learn some useful skills."

What William had in mind was the technical school he had just founded. Much like how prestigious schools in his previous life often lowered admissions standards for the children of influential families, he planned to proactively recruit the children of nobles from various countries. This would not only expand the school's influence but also establish a network of connections through these students, who might prove useful once they graduated and returned to their respective nations.

While high-ranking nobles like Count Pere might look down on William's fledgling school, the long-faced nobleman before him seemed like a suitable candidate based on his demeanor.

"You personally serve as the headmaster?" The long-faced nobleman's eyes shifted thoughtfully. "I'll certainly consider it."

However, his face turned bitter as he thought of his missing son. He added, "That is, if we can find my son, Sabo."

...

The Gray Terminal was the name of the garbage mountain located outside the capital of the Goa Kingdom.

This place was a dumping ground for the city's discarded people and objects. Everything here, whether living or dead, was regarded as repugnant trash by the nobles of High Town.

The dire conditions made it a place no official wanted to visit, effectively turning it into a lawless zone.

Yasopp followed the personnel assigned by William, his expression grim as they trudged through the mountainous heaps of garbage. The stench of decay lingered in his nostrils, souring his mood further. They had been walking through the garbage mountain for half a day. William's team, composed of members from the Four Seas Trading Company and the youth military, had been making notes and occasionally discussing things before continuing to record their observations. Yasopp, whose personality didn't mesh well with theirs, found himself isolated throughout the journey.

"The sanitary conditions here are so poor; it could easily lead to outbreaks of infectious diseases."

"There's so much flammable material here; a fire could break out at any moment."

Yasopp listened idly to his companions' conversation, but suddenly, his expression turned serious. A cold, disdainful smile appeared on his face. "More fools looking for trouble, huh?"

Just as he finished speaking, two small figures leapt down from a nearby pile of garbage. Yasopp, as a sharpshooter with keen eyesight, instantly caught a clear view of their faces.

After recognizing them, Yasopp froze for a moment, then calmly re-cocked the hammer of his revolver and holstered it.

The two figures were merely boys, no older than ten, their bodies filthy and each wielding a metal pipe—a sight that was both laughable and pitiable.

Had there been any residents of the Gray Terminal present, they would have immediately recognized the boys as the infamous local duo: Sabo and Ace.

Yasopp set aside his revolver and instead unslung his bolt-action rifle. Sabo's target was clearly him. Despite his young age, Sabo attacked with surprising ferocity, swinging his metal pipe directly at Yasopp's head.

However, Yasopp, holding his rifle by the stock, swung it with one arm. The solid wooden butt of the rifle struck the metal pipe, easily knocking it aside. Sabo's strength was no match for Yasopp's.

The impact numbed Sabo's hand, causing him to lose his grip on the pipe. Yasopp swiftly grabbed Sabo by the collar and lifted him off the ground.

Staring at Sabo, Yasopp asked, "What kind of hellhole is this, where even kids like you resort to robbery?"

Sabo didn't answer. Instead, he opened his mouth, attempting to bite Yasopp's hand. Yasopp responded by slamming him to the ground with enough force to leave Sabo dazed and disoriented.

~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~

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