One Piece Devouring Fruit - Chapter 59
After restocking supplies on the island, Michion and his companions set sail again, smoothly continuing their journey. They even skipped lunch and dinner that day because the island was abundant in fruit. Having not eaten fruit for a while, everyone filled their stomachs while collecting fruit to store, thus saving two meals.
Perhaps their luck had turned for the better, as five days after setting sail, they encountered an island with a human city.
This island, however, had no king. It was said that the Vinsmoke family had conquered this nation, beheading the king and using his head as a symbol of their triumph. Inevitably, the country was torn apart by ministers, nobles, and various rebellious factions.
Michion couldn’t help but recall an image from the anime he had watched in his past life. When Sanji’s father made his appearance, a painting in the royal palace showed a man on horseback with several crowned heads beneath the horse’s hooves. Michion’s expression turned strange.
The previous ruler of this country was likely one of those heads in that painting.
This also highlighted how frequent wars were in the North Blue, explaining why the people of Michion’s kingdom, the Kingdom of Ishtar, were reluctant to join the Navy and instead enlisted in the royal army.
As a member of the Navy, the primary target was pirates. While the Kingdom of Ishtar faced pirate invasions, the impact was much less than the wars between nations.
The Navy served as a public organisation under the World Government, mainly aimed to combat pirates and other threats. Involvement in a country’s war was not permitted.
Thus, it was natural that the Navy didn’t thrive in the Kingdom of Ishtar. Who wouldn’t want to protect their homeland?
Wearing the Navy uniform meant you couldn’t participate in defending against invaders from other countries, which was unacceptable.
Watching your fellow citizens suffer while you stand by because of orders?
No, thank you!
However, they devised a workaround due to the subsequent interests linking the Kingdom of Ishtar with the Navy and King Gaius’s close relationship with the Navy.
This arrangement had benefits; the Kingdom of Ishtar handled most of the recruitment and provisioning.
The neighbouring countries had no objections either, as they were in similar situations—member countries that refused to let their young men join the Navy due to the risk of losing their workforce in wars.
Over time, everyone got used to it. It was generally accepted as long as they didn’t call in external Navy reinforcements. The Navy also got a foothold in the North Blue, providing workforce and resources.
It was a win-win situation for both parties.
However, the country Michion and his companions arrived at had no Navy branch stationed there because it had no king or unified government—only cities and endless chaos.
The Vinsmoke family’s influence was evident everywhere, no matter where you looked.
If there was trouble and no clear cause, it was likely the Vinsmoke family’s doing!
But to be fair, this country’s issues could indeed be traced back to the Vinsmoke family, such as its use of mercenaries and involvement in wars between nations around the world.
Thinking cynically, the Vinsmoke family might have instigated some of these wars behind the scenes.
They would then step in as mercenaries, get paid by the hiring nation, and take resources from the defeated nation.
These were all things the Vinsmoke family needed. As a nation focused on scientific research, they naturally required funding and resources for their experiments.
But this was far from Michion’s current concerns.
Right now, he had to be cautious of the Vinsmoke family, but he believed that once he grew stronger, such a family would only end up as captives, serving as labourers and researchers.
That was a matter for the future. With his current strength, confronting them would be suicide.
Not a trace of him would remain.
Upon arriving at the island, Akainu ordered a guard to stay with the ship and randomly selected some people to help purchase supplies.
Michion and his group followed Vice Admiral Akainu to gain some experience.
Although the city was chaotic, few dared openly attack the Navy. Doing so would have given the Navy a reason to intervene, which the power-hungry rulers didn’t want.
The city Michion and the others arrived at was called Anluya.
Although leaderless and in constant conflict, the city’s economy thrived.
Akainu, seeing their confusion, smiled and explained:
“Anluya is close to the edge of the island, so many passing ships stop here to resupply or trade local specialties.”
“The large flow of people boosts the economy of this desert city. It seems this is a unique place,” Michion quickly understood the city’s characteristics.
Looking at the bustling market, he became interested in exploring it.
One of his wishes in coming to this world was to see the sights he could never have seen in his previous life.
The sky islands are suspended ten thousand meters in the air, and Fish-Man Island is deep under the sea.
These places couldn’t exist in his previous world but were brought to life by the wonders of nature or technology here.
All these attractions deeply fascinated Michion; now, he was beginning to experience this world’s unique scenery. How could he not be delighted?
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