Pushing open the heavy city gate, the inside was like another world entirely.
Although the outside world appeared dirty due to air pollution, the buildings were still orderly and tall.
But the inside was vastly different from the outside.
Looking around, a cluster of chaotic, low, and dilapidated small houses stood in a modest open space.
Within Dragon's line of sight, he could even see the clearly visible large smokestacks in the distance.
They continuously spewed black smoke, dotted with sparks, into the sky.
The people living here appeared even more horrifying.
Each one was emaciated, and their eyes were as still as stagnant water.
The arrival of Dragon and Swore went unnoticed by anyone.
They simply went about their tasks—some cooking, others lying down as if waiting to die.
Dragon was stunned by the scene before him; he had never imagined people could exist in such a state.
He thought the suffering he had witnessed in other kingdoms was extreme, but at least those people still retained some semblance of emotion.
Whether it was hatred or any other feeling, the individuals here were left with nothing but numbness.
"You two, find an empty house to settle in. If there's nothing else, get to work immediately."
"Let me warn you again: don't cause trouble here, or you'll face the consequences."
With that, the soldier left with rifle in hand.
As he departed, a person weakened by hunger collapsed in front of him, blocking his path.
Without hesitation, the soldier kicked the person aside.
"Damn fool, daring to block my way."
Seeing this, Swore clenched his fists, itching to teach the soldier a lesson right then and there.
Dragon reached out and stopped him.
"Swore, don't let impulse cloud your judgment. Go check on that person first."
Swore nodded and went to see if the individual had sustained serious injuries.
Meanwhile, Dragon pondered the situation.
'The management here was strict.'
'The high walls and armed soldiers made it clear that miners were not permitted to leave easily.'
'Surveillance was lax'.
Upon entering, Dragon had used Observation Haki to scan the area and found few soldiers inside—most were stationed on the walls or outside.
The people here seemed utterly numb, having lost all faith in life.
Their survival likely stemmed from sheer biological instinct.
Quietly, Dragon recorded these observations in his notebook.
When Swore returned, Dragon was still writing intently.
Swore hesitated, wanting to speak but holding back.
Dragon set down his charcoal pen and looked up at Swore.
"Speak your mind, Swore."
Only then did Swore voice his thoughts.
"Leader... I went to check on that person. One of his ribs was broken, but when I offered to help treat him, he just gave me a blank look, got up, and walked away."
"His eyes were terrifying—all I could see was lifelessness, devoid of any human emotion."
Dragon sighed deeply.
"Indeed, the plight of the lower class in this country is ten times worse than we imagined."
...
As dusk fell, dim yellow lights flickered on one by one.
A group of grimy workers returned from their worksite to rest.
Soon after, overseers in uniform arrived to distribute what could barely be called food.
Among them, Dragon spotted the overseer who had brought them here, but the man seemed unaware of Dragon's presence.
Each person received a small piece of black bread and a bowl of equally dark, gruel-like substance, handed to them roughly.
While Dragon and Swore found the fare nearly inedible, the long-numbed workers were accustomed to it.
They wolfed down the food without a second thought, swallowing it hastily without savoring the taste.
After a grueling day of labor, all they wanted was to seize whatever rest they could get.
The work in the mine was extremely arduous, and without proper rest, it would delay the heavy labor the next day.
Watching the workers hurriedly finish their food and fall asleep immediately, Dragon and Swore stared blankly at the black bread in their hands.
"Leader, how can they devour such unpalatable food so ravenously?"
Swore couldn't quite understand.
This was mainly because Swore's past circumstances were different from those of the miners before him.
Although Swore had also been oppressed, the area he came from was relatively prosperous, and he had never lacked food.
Dragon placed a small piece of the dry black bread into his mouth, chewing slowly and savoring the bitter and astringent taste it brought.
His expression remained as calm as ever, as if this dry, hard black bread was no different from the food he had eaten before.
After finishing the black bread and the bowl of black paste, Dragon patted his stomach and turned to Swore.
"It's awful. This is the worst food I've ever eaten."
Swore was stunned.
"Huh?"
'Didn't you say it was awful? But I just watched your expression, and there was nothing unusual about it.'
'You ate it all as if it were ordinary food, and then you tell me it's awful???'
Dragon imitated the miners around him, found an empty room, and lay down on the dirty ground without a second thought.
"Swore, even though this stuff tastes bad, it's best to eat it to preserve your strength."
Dragon didn't say much more.
Although he had lived as a well-off young man for over a decade, from the moment he decided to seek justice, his lofty conviction became his strongest weapon.
"The bitterness of food is only temporary. Whether it's unpalatable or delicious, you just have to swallow it without thinking. But the suffering in their lives seems to have no end in sight."
After hearing Dragon's words, Swore felt a pang of guilt.
Yes, he was a steadfast member of the Freedom fighter Army—how could he let something as trivial as food hold him back?
The leader was right.
If he couldn't endure this small hardship, how could he bear the suffering of the common people?
Swore tossed the bread into his mouth, chewed it a couple of times, and washed it down with the paste.
"But leader, this really is awful!"
Looking at Swore's miserable expression, Dragon laughed heartily.
"Let's sleep. The real test begins tomorrow."
Swore agreed and found a spot to lie down and rest.
...
At the Marines base in the North Blue, in Raleigh's office.
In the spacious office, only Raleigh's busy figure could be seen.
Today, he wasn't slacking off but was busy formulating his plan.
One by one, small red dots were clearly marked on the map.
Connecting these red dots formed a route from the East Blue Branch 133 to the Snail Transport Team of the Red Line.
Raleigh wrote down name after name on the map, adding and deleting, some just written before being crossed out.
"That's it." Raleigh put down his pen, picked up the Den Den Mushi beside him, and made a call.
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