aircannonsinc 41: Seeds
41: Seeds
"We've finished watching, let's go, Lingling."
Seeing Oro stand up, Lingling also stood up, but she looked puzzled:
"That's it? You think you can hold off this purple-haired old man like that?"
"This is just one scene. Although the later scenes are not as psychologically manipulative as the first, as long as Zefa adheres to the principle of not killing and upholds the justice in his heart, he will keep running around."
"Until we are far away from Sabaody Archipelago, far away from Naval Headquarters 'Mariinford'."
Oro handed a money bag full of pele to the waiter and waved his hand to indicate that the change was not necessary.
The waiter's face immediately lit up with a smile. He bowed as he escorted the two to the store entrance, and before he could, he pulled two small, exquisitely packaged boxes of bubble gum from under the counter, stood on tiptoe, and slipped them into Lingling's hands.
"Miss, this is our new product, cherry flavored, please try it!"
Lingling's eyes lit up, and she immediately opened a box, popped out a pink bubble gum into her mouth, and the sweet aroma instantly spread on her tongue. She squinted her eyes in satisfaction, forgetting most of her previous doubts.
Auro stepped out of the shop, glanced at the bustling street, and led Lingling in the opposite direction from the naval dock.
After leaving Block 3, Oro and Lingling did not return directly to the Golden Dawn.
Oro took Lingling for another stroll around the Sabaody Archipelago, mainly to purchase some medicinal herbs and spices that Gails needed.
"Oro, if you do this kind of performance a few more times, will that purple-haired uncle finally listen to you?"
"While their acting is good, is this really going to work?"
Lingling looked curiously at the roadside stalls selling various bubble toys and asked a question.
She wasn't particularly interested in those complex human games, but she trusted Oro's judgment.
"This is just the beginning."
Oro's gaze swept over a stall full of medicinal herbs on the side of the street. He walked over, picked up a small bunch of silver leaves, and held it to his nose to sniff. The leaves were dry but still had a faint sea smell. It was fresh and of good quality.
The stall owner quickly came over: "Sir, you have a good eye! This was just harvested this morning from the deep sea area in the east. It's very effective at clearing heat and detoxifying from the sea. If you want more, I'll give you a discount!"
Oro nodded and recited the names of the herbs on Gails' list. The stall owner quickly packed the herbs into neat square packages using oil paper.
After paying and taking the package, Oro continued to explain to Lingling:
"People like Zefa have deeply ingrained beliefs that are difficult to change through external forces."
"Only when he sees it with his own eyes and experiences it firsthand will that seed take root and sprout on its own."
"We just need to wait for the right opportunity, and perhaps in the near future, this seed will grow into the strength we need."
He didn't expect a few performances to turn Zefa against him; that was unrealistic.
Oro had considered ways to save his family and students, but upon closer examination, he realized that this approach was not feasible.
The time and place of the murders of Zefa's family members are uncertain, and even the identity of the murderer is unknown.
The creator of this world once said in an interview that the reason for not revealing the information about the murder of Zephyr's family was to make the inevitability of this event clear.
Even using the Time-Time Fruit to travel through time cannot change this.
The seed in Zephyr's heart was chosen by Oda's immense power and would be watered with the blood of his family.
"oh."
Lingling nodded as if she understood, but her attention was soon drawn to the "Colorful Bubble Gum Waterfall" at a dessert shop on the street.
After completing their shopping, the two leisurely returned to the Golden Dawn, which was located at a remote dock.
The ship was still temporarily camouflaged, and from a distance it looked like a huge but slightly old merchant ship.
"We're back! Gals! Everyone!"
"You're back! Did your shopping go well?"
Gails came over when she heard the sound. Oro smiled easily and handed the purchased supplies to Gails.
"Of course it went smoothly, here's what you wanted. How's Taylor doing?"
Gails took the package and sighed, "She's still locked herself in her room, saying she's not feeling well and needs to rest. But I don't think she's sick..."
She paused, then added, "I brought her food and calming herbal tea, which she accepted, but she just wouldn't come out."
Lingling nodded seriously, "Auro, Taylor is acting really strange. Could it be that she's homesick?"
Oro smiled helplessly and patted Lingling on the shoulder: "Maybe. But don't worry, she'll be fine."
"I'll go check on her again later. Now, let everyone know that we're ready to set sail for Gaya Island."
"Finally going to Gaya Island?! That's great!"
Lingling became excited immediately upon hearing that she was going to her future new home:
"I learned from books that there are many interesting legends about that place!"
Gails also looked expectant: "Hmm, I'll go and check the ship's supplies again."
Auro looked at the excited Lingling and reached out to ruffle her long pink hair:
"Don't get so excited. The Sabaody Archipelago is still quite far from Gaya Island. We have to pass through several islands in between."
With the order to set sail given, the Golden Dawn became active once again.
The massive golden cable automatically retracted the anchor, and the sails billowed fully under the pull of the golden pulleys.
Oro took out a Den Den Mushi and dialed the number.
The Den Den Mushi mimicked the somber voice of the Foreign Minister of Ryugu Palace: "Just in time, Lord Oro."
There are two things I need to tell you.
The minister's voice came through the Den Den Mushi: "First, regarding the destruction of the G7 naval base and the death of Vice Admiral Chick."
"The World Government has exerted tremendous pressure on us, demanding our full cooperation with the investigation and implying that this matter is related to the 'Golden Pirates'."
"Ryugu Castle is currently under a lot of pressure, but we insist that we are unaware of this matter."
"As expected."
Oro said casually, "They need to find a suitable scapegoat to cover up the internal scandal. And the second thing?"
"second……"
The Foreign Minister's tone softened slightly:
"It's about Tiger. That kid... although he accepted the invitation to join the Dragon Palace Guard."
"But he said he couldn't stay on Mermaid Island for long, that he wanted to follow his own way of doing justice, and... he said he remembered your promise and hoped to be eligible to join your fleet in the future."
Oro smiled slightly, a gesture that perfectly suited Tiger's stubborn yet righteous character.
"I understand. Thank you for letting me know. The World Government's attention won't be focused on Ryugu Castle. As for Tiger, let him choose his own path."
After ending his call with the Foreign Minister, Oro turned and walked to Taylor's room, knocking on the door.
"Taylor, it's me."
"Lord Oro..."
Taylor's voice came from the room, and at the same time the door opened.
……
The Golden Dawn slowly sailed out of Reef Bay, once again breaking through the azure sea.
The fantastical landscape of the Sabaody Archipelago, composed of countless bubbles, gradually disappeared into the distance.