“Lord Arceus, shouldn’t we control them?”
“Everyone has to grow up one day, and at their age, they should be able to make their own judgment. Unless there’s a danger, we shouldn’t interfere.”
Though it seemed like Yamato and others were alone, they were being watched by more than one pair of eyes. If Tesoro harbored any ill intentions, his fate would be miserable.
He isn’t yet the Golden Emperor who awakened his devil fruit after becoming corrupted. He’s just an ordinary person, that’s all. Such a person doesn’t even need Olga or Elizabeth to take action as he can’t even defeat the current Yamato. Kaido’s one finger is quite important.
They are not puppets and cannot grow under someone’s control forever. Without their own sense of right and wrong, it’s easy for them to be deceived by others.
Arceus only wants to ensure that they wouldn’t stray too far from the right path. The rest was up to them.
“It should be enough. Anyway, I really need the money. Okay, it’s time for me to rest now. You kids should go back early too. Even the 33rd region isn’t safe at night.”
Saying that, he put the money from the guitar case into his pocket. Every Berry meant that he is one step closer to Stella. In the almost three years they had spent together, they had already developed deep affection for each other.
Yamato’s 5,000 Berry brought him even closer to his goal. Another month of work should be enough.
“Big brother, how much money do you still need? Is she at risk of being sold off?”
“I still need 300,000 Berry, but don’t worry. I’ll be able to save enough by next month.”
It was because he was worried about such a thing that he was working so hard to earn money. Although Stella had been here for almost three years, he couldn’t be sure if unexpected circumstances would arise.
“You’re lying. You’re clearly still worried.”
“You’re just a kid. Don’t worry about these things. Go home early. By the way, where are your parents? How can they let you kids stay here alone?”
After they left the Ferris wheel, Olga had been following them at a distance of more than twenty meters. Tesoro assumed their parents were somewhere nearby since there were many people around just now, but now everyone was gone, and the children were still here.
A child who could casually take out 5,000 Berry couldn’t be from an ordinary family. It was strange for them to be alone without any supervision.
“Little girl, you didn’t steal your money like I used to before, right? That’s not good, you know.”
“Of course not! That’s my own pocket money. But if you need 300,000 Berry…”
Yamato took out her wallet, which looked like a pink Chansey from outside and it was even plump just like Chansey because it was stuffed full.
When she opened it, it looked like there was a stack of egg rolls inside, but they were rolled-up Berry, stacked 10 by 10, with about 1 million Berry inside.
“Here, I’ll lend you 300,000 Berry. Remember to pay me back by next month.”
She was doing it because she thought it was the right thing to do, and under the effect of the Power of Viridian, she believed that he was not lying. He needed money, she had a lot of money, so she saw no problem in lending him the money for something important.
Moreover, she said it was a loan, not a gift. She didn’t believe she should unconditionally support him, she just wanted to help him eliminate possibility of something unexpected happening.
As for whether Tesoro would default on the debt and how he would repay the money, she hadn’t thought about those matters.
For Tesoro, this was undoubtedly a windfall, but after a brief moment of joy, cold sweat broke out on his forehead. He accepted the money from Yamato, then pushed her wallet back.
He simply couldn’t refuse this money. Although Stella had not been sold so far, the longer this situation dragged on, the more potential risks there would be.
But he used to be a thief, and he knew just how chaotic the Sabaody Archipelago could be. Despite the seemingly calm environment, there were countless people looking for targets.
Although it was getting dark, and the number of people in Bubble Park had decreased significantly, the presence of potential onlookers remained unknown.
“Hasn’t anyone taught you not to reveal your wealth?”
“They did, but this is just pocket money. It’s not a huge sum.”
With one sentence, Yamato blocked everything Tesoro wanted to say afterward; the money he had toiled day and night for, saving up for a whole month, turned out to be mere pocket money in her eyes.
The disparity between them seemed excessively vast, leaving him inevitably disheartened and, at the same time, fostering a slight desire for more money.
“Alright, go redeem the big sister now. Remember to pay me back next month, or you’ll be in big trouble.”
“I will definitely repay the money, but… Never mind. Where do you guys live? Let me take you back. It could be dangerous if you stay here any longer.”
“No need, there’s someone nearby. Huh, where are they? Maria, Robin, Jack, have any of you seen Sister Olga?”
“She didn’t follow us. It seems Lord Arceus didn’t come either.” Jack and Maria hadn’t noticed this, but Robin did. Moreover, the Beasts Fruits people had quietly left not too long ago.
“Let me take you then. Where do you live?”
“On a ship outside 30th Mangrove.”
“Lord Arceus, is this okay?”
Only Arceus could have called Olga back, and he had also moved away the Beasts Fruits’ people because he wanted to test how the children would handle unexpected situations.
Kaido wanted to do it long ago, but he wanted them to experience it on the battlefield, which is why it hadn’t been implemented until now.
So far, they had only experienced regular training, and the current situation in Sabaody Archipelago was just right for them.
“Are they still following us?”
“They are, and we’ve already confirmed their identities; they are a group of human traffickers from the Sabaody Archipelago.”
“Well, let them practice a bit then, it’s about time they see some blood. But we shouldn’t be careless either. You and Elizabeth go over there, just don’t get discovered.”
“Understood.”
Tesoro accompanied Yamato and the others back to 30th Mangrove, while Olga used her illusion to follow closely behind them with Elizabeth. The human traffickers were further away.
Their targets were Yamato and Maria. Robin was just an ordinary human girl, and although Jack was a Fish-Man, he looked so unlike Fish-Man that outsiders couldn’t tell.
Yamato and Maria, both possessing exceptional appearances and the rare trait of horns on their heads, naturally caught the attention of these human traffickers.
Although they were bold, they weren’t reckless enough to directly kidnap people in front of everyone. So, they had been waiting since morning until now, just to find the right opportunity.
The people who were following them gradually left, and now only Tesoro remained. For them, this was an opportunity.
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