OPTC Chapter 287: Poverty
People were all chattering about the origin of these items. Some didn't even know what the Grand Line was and just came to join the excitement.
On the small stall were items of every kind—tables, chairs, and benches, down to pots, bowls, and pans. They all looked used.
Out of curiosity, Zhang Da Ye and the others followed the crowd to take a look. This, however, was a problem for Wendy and Perona, who tiptoed in vain, unable to see a thing.
Tom had already climbed up onto Zhang Da Ye's shoulders for a better view. He was never short on curiosity or initiative.
Perona puffed her cheeks, then had a sudden idea. She handed her body over to Wendy and let her spirit form float upward.
But just as she poked her head out, Ye Yan pressed her back down. "Don't use your ability recklessly—it could cause panic."
"Then what should we do? Wendy and I aren't tall enough," Perona grumbled, hands on her hips. She was still a bit scared of Ye Yan, but she'd grown comfortable enough to throw little tantrums around him.
"That's easy. Rui Meng Meng, come give us a hand," Ye Yan called over, taking what she was holding.
"Oh, okay. Sit tight," Rui Meng Meng said, bending down and scooping Wendy and Perona up—one on each arm. "Can you see now?"
"Oh! So that's an option!" Perona exclaimed, holding Rui Meng Meng's arm with one hand and shading her eyes with the other to peer into the crowd.
Wendy, however, just clung to the soft warmth of Rui Meng Meng's arm, sinking into quiet dismay, no longer interested in the commotion.
Carla perched on Rui Meng Meng's shoulder and gently patted Wendy's head in comfort. She still couldn't understand why Wendy, who was so young, cared so much about her figure. Was it because of the other women in the guild? Carla thought of Erza, Lucy, Mirajane, Cana… Okay, maybe it made sense.
Someone in the crowd raised a doubt. "Hey, you sure this isn't a scam? Stuff from the Grand Line isn't that easy to get!"
The stall owner calmly replied, "Of course I can't reach the Grand Line myself, but a travel group from there arrived in the Goa Kingdom yesterday. It's already been spread all over the port and border towns. You can go ask around."
People murmured in agreement; some nodded, saying they'd heard about the travel group.
Tom, sitting on Zhang Da Ye's shoulder, nodded too—he also knew about it.
The vendor continued, "That travel group's been touring since leaving the Grand Line. It's a long trip, and they ran out of funds, so they're selling off their ship's supplies to stay afloat. I paid a hefty price to get these!"
The crowd's eyes lit up in understanding.
Tom suddenly froze. Oh no—we're out of money! No wonder they were looking for someone to treat us yesterday!
"Don't fall for it," Zhang Da Ye said, tapping Tom's head. So that's what it was—someone pretending to be them to scam money.
Still, the man's convincing tone won over a few gullible listeners, who began asking for prices. The vendor gleefully marked up a pile of secondhand goods by five to ten times their value.
No one wanted the cookware, but trinkets and ornaments drew quite a bit of interest.
Items from the Grand Line—imagine casually mentioning that when hosting guests. Instant prestige!
"He's lying! We never sold anything!" Perona couldn't hold back. According to the Tenth Rule of Elementary Students—be honest and brave, don't lie, and admit your mistakes.
No one cared about what a little girl said, though. Except for the merchant, who flinched for a second, the crowd went on browsing and haggling.
"No need to shout," Zhang Da Ye said, pointing at the smiling, money-grabbing vendor. "Just use your Negative Ghost."
"Got it!" Perona waved her hand, sending a small ghost flying through the man's body.
The vendor collapsed to the ground. "A scammer like me pollutes the air of this place!"
The crowd backed away three meters. "A ghost! Did that ghost just possess him?"
"So that's what Perona's ability does?" Wendy asked curiously, having never seen the Negative Ghost in action before. Using it to prank guildmates was banned, and recent fights hadn't needed her to join in.
"Hehehe…" Perona was pleased to show off for her girlfriends. She waved again, and the ghost passed through the dazed merchant once more.
The man pounded the ground. "Scum like me belongs with the trash!"
"It's that little girl controlling the ghost!"
"There's even a skeleton over there! They're evil spirits!"
"What the hell's going on?!"
The crowd quickly dispersed. No one blocked the view anymore, so Rui Meng Meng set Wendy and Perona back down.
Perona stood with her hands on her hips. "We're not evil spirits! We're the ones he said came from the Grand Line! We've never sold anything—he's the real scammer!"
"Oh, that makes sense!"
"No wonder these things look just like our local stuff! This guy must've just sold his own junk!"
"Damn it! Give us our money back!"
The scammer got a solid beating. The money he'd taken was seized, his stall smashed, and he sat crying pitifully.
"Serves him right," Zhang Da Ye said, calling his friends to move on.
A few bold onlookers came over, asking questions about ghosts, the Grand Line, and whether they had any real Grand Line items to sell.
It took some effort to shake off these curious strangers before they could continue toward the harbor.
On the way, they passed more stalls claiming to sell "Grand Line goods," including that same merchant from yesterday—Lyle—whom they'd already taught a lesson.
Zhang Da Ye didn't bother showing up this time. He just had Perona send her Negative Ghosts to make those frauds kneel and repent a few times, which quickly made the truth clear to everyone around.
"People really will do anything for money," Zhang Da Ye muttered, shaking his head.
Ye Yan, however, was sympathetic. "It's hard to live without money. Once, when I was broke, I even dragged Che Yongtai to a black market clinic to sell our organs… but the cops caught us before we earned a cent."
"Che Yongtai—that's the Demon King, right? He's kind of your classmate and coworker now, isn't he?" Zhang Da Ye asked.
"Yeah," Ye Yan nodded.
"How terrifying!" Wendy clutched Carla and hid behind Zhang Da Ye.
"Monster!" Perona clung to Artoria's arm.
"So cruel—selling your friend's organs! You're not going after mine next, are you? Oh wait, I don't have any organs! Yohohoho!"
Shark Chili patted his metal body. No organs to sell—but what if they sold him for scrap?
Artoria and Rui Meng Meng exchanged uneasy looks. They always knew Ye Yan lacked morals, but they didn't think he'd go that far.
Ye Yan quickly protested. "Hey, hey! That guy's the Demon King! He can regrow a kidney in seconds! I wouldn't screw over my own teammate otherwise! And he volunteered—did the surgery himself!"
Tom shivered. His master once said he had an immortal body. Would that mean his organs could regrow too?
He imagined Ye Yan grinning wickedly as he opened up his stomach. His tiny heart jumped to his throat—and then, afraid his heart might get taken too, he hurriedly swallowed it back down.
"Don't imagine such bloody scenes!" Ye Yan waved a hand through Tom's head, dispelling the thought. He explained that Che Yongtai hadn't been harmed, they hadn't been on the same side at the time, and they even had a personal grudge. That's why he'd done it.
It just goes to show—what's funny in comics becomes horrifying in real life.
Zhang Da Ye sighed. "That manga's definitely getting reported by parents someday."
After much reassurance, the others finally believed Ye Yan wouldn't repeat something like that. Still, Tom, Wendy, and Perona kept their distance, leaving Ye Yan a little dejected.
The morning port was quieter than usual. A few ships were docked nearby—some ready to set sail, others unloading cargo.
Two soldiers they'd seen yesterday were standing guard near the Amber. One yawned, the other followed. Zhang Da Ye suspected they'd been up to something last night.
"Thanks for your hard work," he greeted them warmly, while Shark Chili handed over cigarettes.
The soldiers gratefully accepted, swearing that no suspicious individuals had approached the ship since yesterday. They could rest easy.
After exchanging pleasantries, Zhang Da Ye carried the groceries onboard.
The flag demons on watch reported the same thing as the soldiers, which made Ye Yan feel like they were all just brushing him off.
Once everything was stored, the group gathered at the small bar. The flag demon Sui Feng Er floated in quietly, avoiding notice.
Ye Yan asked about the commotion last night.
Sui Feng Er said, "A squad of soldiers was chasing someone. They caught him and dumped him outside the city along with a wagon of trash."
"What crime did he commit?" Rui Meng Meng asked curiously.
Sui Feng Er instinctively glanced at Ye Yan. "Being poor."
Ye Yan clenched his fist. "What's that look for? You trying to get smacked?"
Sui Feng Er waved his hands in panic. "No, no, Master! I didn't mean to insult you!"
"So you *were* insulting me, you idiot!" Ye Yan bonked him on the head. "You've got three minutes to explain."
"Yes, Master." On the verge of tears, Sui Feng Er quickly reported what he'd learned. "In the Goa Kingdom, being poor is the greatest crime. Having no money means you're garbage—thrown out of the city, never allowed back. If they want to live, they have to scavenge from the city's trash."
"The soldiers last night were called the Trash Hunters. Their job is to investigate and drive out the penniless. Doesn't matter if you lost your business, got scammed, gambled, or squandered it away—no money means guilty."
"That's awful! How could there be such a rule?" Wendy said, heart aching. Even if they didn't help the poor, shouldn't they at least not attack them? Treating people like garbage...
Sui Feng Er continued, "Though not everyone they throw out deserves pity. The man last night was crying, shouting that he didn't want to become a lower-class person. Once outside, he still looked down on those kicked out before him. Didn't seem like a good man either."
"How can people be like that?" Wendy frowned, not understanding.
Zhang Da Ye said, "The Goa Kingdom worships the Celestial Dragons. From top to bottom, the whole place is rotten."
That was why Monkey D. Dragon, when he returned home half a year ago, only rescued Sabo and those trapped at the Gray Terminal—nothing more.
Pessimistically speaking, even among those Dragon saved, few might actually be good people.
To change this country completely, countless people would need to be executed or imprisoned. Then, who could tell if you were saving the nation or destroying it? And no, that had nothing to do with avoiding Garp's sandal prints on his face!
"These things aren't for us to worry about," Zhang Da Ye said. "Most of the people here probably enjoy it anyway. No one thinks they'll be next—until it happens."
He didn't know what he could do for these people, or even if they wanted his help. Cutting down a king just because he didn't like him might not be justice at all.
"Let's just focus on our little travel group," he said. "Maybe when I'm stronger, have seen more, and stand higher, I'll understand better."
Artoria's face looked pale. Talk of changing a kingdom hit too close to home. If she were its ruler, what would she do?
Then she gave a small, bitter laugh. She couldn't even save her own country—what right did she have to think about others?
Tom yawned, finding the topic boring. He pulled out an axe, gesturing as if to say, weren't they supposed to go chop down a Christmas tree?
Zhang Da Ye took the cue to end the heavy conversation. "Let's go chop that tree!"
"I'll stay and guard the ship," Ye Yan said. "We pissed off that noble yesterday. Might come for revenge. And those flag demons aren't exactly reliable."
"I'll stay too," said Brook. "I'll keep Ye Yan company."
"I'll stay as well," Rui Meng Meng added. "Tom-sensei's going out, so someone has to cook lunch."
"I'll stay too," Artoria said.
"You can't, Artoria! There are wild beasts on that mountain—boars, tigers, crocodiles! If you come, we can roast meat and have a picnic! If not, I'm just a snack delivery service for the animals!" Zhang Da Ye pleaded dramatically, shaking her arm like a child.
Tom played along, wearing a terrified expression, imagining himself chased by a tiger.
Zhang Da Ye could tell Artoria wasn't in a good mood—he just wanted to get her outside for a change of scenery. Tom, on the other hand, was genuinely scared.
"How hopeless," Carla sighed, disappointed in Zhang Da Ye.
"Don't say that, Carla. Big brother Da Ye just…" Wendy tried to come up with an excuse.
"This guy can't be trusted. Artoria, you'd better come with us!" Perona quickly latched onto Artoria's other arm.
"It's not that serious," Artoria said with a soft laugh. "I'll come."
Whether she meant the beasts or herself was unclear.
In the end, Artoria agreed to go.
Tom slung the axe over his shoulder and cheerfully walked out—then—
The metal axe head slid off the handle, blade first, slicing clean through the tip of Tom's tail and embedding itself in the floor.
Tom froze, eyes brimming with tears.
Adjusting sleep schedules is so hard... sigh.
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