Chapter 58

Early chapters here and unreleased novels here: pa.treon.com/FFAddict

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One Piece: I Will Wipe Out The Tenryubito!

While Abel was on a spree looting the wealth hoarded by the nobles, he handed over all the freed slaves to the woman, Ivette Crowley, for handling.

Whether due to her shared experience or her previous qualification as a queen, these freed slaves were obedient for now, causing no trouble. Thus, no opportunities arose for anyone to assert their dominance through violence. It could also be because the slaves had been scared into submission from previous punishments. Those disobedient were either beaten or starved to death, leaving only a group of gaunt survivors, too fearful to even lift their heads to look at people.

In the midst of her busy schedule, Ivette Crowley seemed to have found a purpose for living. She didn't mind whether her elegant clothes were dirtied, even bringing some relatively healthier people to move food from the noble estates and finding some medicine.

Seeing this, Abel didn't comment much, only taking the opportunity to unload all the food he had stored in the "Universal Capsule No.1" iron box, allowing her to distribute it.

He then made an excuse to dismiss Baby-5 and Bafaro, filling the entire box with the treasures he had collected, and compressing it back into the "Universal Capsule No.1".

In these times, how could one not hoard a little private stash? After all, he had already consumed nearly half of the bamboo pole he had gained from Doflamingo just to feast at the food festival once before.

There was no choice, given his current appetite. If he really let himself go, it would be a bottomless pit!

Gourmet cells - they give you the opportunity to become stronger by eating.

But the prerequisite is that your wallet can support it!

"I've done what you asked me to. I also made a rough count, and many of these people come from different places, some even quite far from here. How do we send them all home?" Ivette Crowley, sweat beading her forehead and her clothes dirty, approached Abel, stating her purpose.

"Send them home? It seems you've misunderstood me. I only mentioned that I would send them away from this country, this island. What they choose to do and where they wish to go afterwards is none of my concern," Abel said leisurely, lighting an N95 for himself. Although his stock was indeed limited, smoking one occasionally after a battle was permissible.

"So, you risked danger to kill these nobles and save those people outside, just to let them be recaptured as slaves or perish at sea?" Ivette Crowley could not comprehend at all.

"People can eat indiscriminately, but words mustn't be spoken carelessly. I've given them a chance to survive. Whether they can seize it is their own business."

"And you seem to have forgotten what I told you earlier. Don't consider me a good person just because I saved them. Expecting me to take responsibility for this crowd as if I'm their nanny, spending my money, effort, and time to send each of them back home. Witnessing their tearful reunions with family and friends, seeing them embrace each other, and then hearing a simple 'thank you', as if they're completing a chore, isn't what I signed up for."

"That's the responsibility of a selfless hero! So stop bothering me and get those people outside out of here!"

Abel was exasperated. From the moment Pique dumped this mess onto him, he foresaw the complications.

Fortunately, he was well-prepared mentally. If I lack morality, no one can hold me hostage with it!

He thought to himself, 'I'm clever, indeed. Truly a mastermind!'

All of Ivette's prepared arguments were immediately shut down.

She could see that Abel was serious. And burdening such a young boy with this heavy responsibility, was that really fair?

Ivette was silent, then as she turned to leave, she said, "Even though you constantly emphasize that you're not a good person, you saved us all, including me. That fact will never change."

"The name of our savior, Abel, I'll ensure they remember it forever!"

Ivette left, taking all the freed slaves from this nation by boat.

If nobody else cared about the fate of these people, she was willing to take full responsibility for them.

And they, they were her new citizens.

"Abel, the slaves have been sent away. I followed them flying a considerable distance before coming back. Everything was normal," Bafaro reported.

"Good job, Bafaro. When we return, I'll treat you to some ice cream," Abel promised, causing Bafaro to beam like a child.

"Abel, Abel, we have a problem! The supplies you asked me to gather, they're all gone!" Baby-5 ran over in a panic.

"The supplies? Come to think of it, I saw heaps of supplies on the slaves' ship... Ah! Those thieves must have stolen them! No, I must bring them all back!"

"Forget it, Bafaro. Let it go. It's all stuff of no value anyway," Abel quickly restrained the indignant Bafaro and the angry Baby-5, thinking how awkward it would be if they indeed brought the slaves back.

"But... Are you sure it's okay?" Baby-5 kicked a small rock on the ground, her head lowered.

"Of course it's not okay!"

"Eh?"

"Next time we encounter those scoundrels, I must teach them a harsh lesson! How dare they steal the supplies that our Baby-5 worked hard to collect, it's utterly unforgivable!"

"Eh? Is that so?"

"Absolutely. Whoever upsets my little maid, I will ensure they never have the chance to be happy again."

Abel's... little maid.

Baby-5's face flushed red immediately, and she looked so endearingly dizzy that one couldn't help but want to pinch her rosy cheeks.

"Why are you pinching my face again?"

"I wanted to, is that okay?"

"If Abel wishes to... you can do it as long as you like."

Such an innocent nature made one want to tease her.

Fortunately, Abel was aware of the consequences of crossing certain boundaries, so he only pinched Baby-5's cheeks for a moment.

"Actually, my cheeks are softer than Baby-5's and feel even better."

As Bafaro pinched his own large face, he couldn't help but compare.

Hearing his murmur, Abel's fists clenched.

He managed to restrain himself from punching that 'soft' face!

Feeling nauseous, Abel instinctively quickened his pace.

A smuggling ship sent by the family arrived swiftly.

Then it immediately took over the entire country, and all the nobles were instantly in trouble.

In comparison, Abel seemed quite unprofessional.

A significant amount of wealth was plundered onto the ship, and those who dared to resist were almost thrown into the sea to feed the fishes.

Thankfully, Senior was overseeing things, and they didn't dare to overstep, sparing the ordinary citizens.

Upon their return, Doflamingo, upon learning about the bounty, laughed and praised them, even offering a portion as their reward.

He was visibly pleased.

As for the task that Senior had Abel do secretly, Doflamingo didn't even mention it, as if he was unaware.

Abel understood, the more Doflamingo acted this way, the more Pique would devote himself.

"Abel, I've been training hard these days. Let me show you the fruits of my labor!"

In the junkyard, Law was brimming with confidence, rubbing a finger under his nose, eager to see Abel's surprise.

Conversely, Abel was considering how he could go easy in the forthcoming 'battle' without hurting Law's pride and enthusiasm for training.

It was a damn worry!

His fighting experience inherited from White Yaksha didn't cover this aspect at all!

"Here I come!"

Law shouted, and then charged forward with his sword.

Seeing this, Abel had no choice but to draw his shortsword.

With a clang, their weapons collided crisply.

Even though Abel had gone easy, the gap in strength was too significant, much more than when he first went to the food festival!

Law stood stunned, his weapon knocked out of his hands.

Sometimes, reality can be brutal.

You might study hard without sleep for 24 hours, yet never outdo a peer who merely glanced at a book before an exam.

Despairing?

Damn the swordsman's dream!

The atmosphere was unusually silent and awkward.

Especially for Abel, he wanted to comfort Law a few times, but felt that whatever he said might backfire at this moment, so he opted to remain silent.

To see Law truly start to capitalize on his talents, he would need to eat a devil fruit and rid himself of the lead poisoning.

Having a healthy body, combined with harnessing the powers of a devil fruit, would allow the future Law to ascend to the highest stage.

For now, honestly, being alive is already good enough for Law.

Anything more would be demanding!

"Still not good enough, huh? It seems the gap between us is larger than I imagined."

"Law..."

"Don't worry, I'm not that fragile. But I will fulfill my words, someday not only will I catch up with you, but I will also do my best to surpass you!"

Seeing that Law was indeed serious, Abel breathed a sigh of relief and even quipped, "I think you can consider reincarnation early, so you might have a chance to fulfill this daydream in your next life."

"I'll kill you now, die with me, damned Abel!"

"Keep dreaming, I'm sure I will outlive you. When you die first, I'll cover your tomb with bread."

Whether it's the psychological trauma left from the escape, now every time Law sees bread, he frowns and feels nauseous.

"Ugh! Damned Abel, can you be more vicious?"

The mere thought of the scene made Law quickly retreat.

Abel gave it some serious thought, "What about covering your corpse with bread as well?"

"..."

...

Upon Abel's return, he could clearly sense a shift in the family atmosphere.

All executives were extraordinarily busy since the family needed to expand, and Doflamingo was no longer content with minor skirmishes.

Only the Grand Line, and even the New World, would serve as the ideal stage for his ambition!

Hence, he needed to speed up resource accumulation. The faster he could turn the North Sea into his backyard, the quicker he could step onto a bigger stage, leaving this 'small place' of the North Sea.

However, this move was akin to stealing countless people's livelihoods.

The cake was only so large, and if someone ate more, someone else would get less.

Moreover, an ambitious person like Doflamingo wanted to eat the entire cake himself, leaving nothing for others.

Naturally, this would provoke countless resistances.

This led the family executives to wage wars everywhere, annihilating those forces that dared to oppose the family, plundering all resources needed by the family.

This drastically cut down the time Abel and the others had for their lessons.

Fortunately, the impact was minimal because Abel was a fast learner. Even without instruction, he would not slack off and could focus on practicing skills. Every minute and every second, he was becoming stronger.

Baby-5 and Buffalo's initial roles were in the 'air force'. Their bomber duo's requirements were low on all fronts. Learning body techniques and gunnery was to give them some self-defense capabilities. They weren't expected to achieve much in this area.

Frankly, they just needed to understand their Devil Fruit powers, and they would be a significant combat force for the family in the future!

As for Law...

Surely no one still had high hopes for him?

If it weren't for Doflamingo's plans for Law, the likes of Diamante would consider Law a lost cause, incapable of making any meaningful contribution.

However, during this busy period, one person appeared leisurely and idle all day long.

That was Corazon!

It was a wonder how he managed to do it, spending every day in the family's base without going out. Sometimes, even when Doflamingo had to take action himself, Corazon remained steadfast.

It could only be said that Doflamingo indeed took good care of his brother.

Then, one day, Abel was intercepted by Corazon.

"Mr. Corazon, is there something you need?"

Abel, who had no immediate intentions of leaving the Donquixote family, was not keen on getting too close to this spy, Corazon, as it could lead to unnecessary complications later.

Corazon unfolded a piece of paper he had prepared beforehand.

Upon a careful look, Abel realized it was a proposition for him and Law to set sail in search of a doctor to cure their ailments, asking if he was willing.

Wasn't that an obvious question? Of course, he was...

Unwilling!

For him, the Amber Lead Syndrome had already mutated into a kind of talent. Though it seemed he only had a few years to live, he could buy life-extending items from the system mall.

So, he wasn't eager to sail with Corazon. It was simply a waste of time and energy.

He decisively shook his head, "It can't be cured. Rather than believing that a doctor can cure me, it's better to take my chances with the Devil Fruit. I won't go."

After Abel's departure, Corazon felt rather dejected.

He couldn't comprehend why, despite his good intentions, no one was willing to trust him.

What should he do?

For a moment, he felt somewhat lost.

Meanwhile, Abel quickly put the meeting with Corazon out of his mind, as Doflamingo had given him a new task.

"I have a relatively simple task that I'm planning to entrust to you."

After calling Abel over, Doflamingo cut to the chase.

"Handed to me?"

Abel was taken aback at first, then quickly assured there would be no problem.

Satisfied with his attitude, Doflamingo nodded, "Although you and Law have only been part of the family for a few months, I've noticed your progress in strength and your performance during this period. I believe you're ready to handle less complicated matters on your own."

"Abel, if you want to become an executive, you must demonstrate the ability to manage on your own."

"And when you've contributed enough to the family, you can naturally be promoted to the rank of executive."

Doflamingo began to entice Abel once again, his tone full of temptation.

Recognizing this, Abel immediately realized that the character he had purposefully crafted for himself had reached Doflamingo's ears.

Otherwise, Doflamingo would not be tempting him with the prospect of becoming an executive.

Greed, gluttony, and the ambition to become an executive...

These were all 'weaknesses' that Abel had intentionally displayed!

"The more 'weaknesses' a person has, the easier they are to manipulate," thought Abel. He quickly adopted an eager expression. "Rest assured, Captain Doflamingo, I've got this!"

"Hahaha, take this Den Den Mushi. If there's anything you need to report to me in the future, you can use it to get in touch. This is a privilege that even Baby-5 and the others don't have."

The implication was clear: "I have the highest hopes for you! So, I'm giving you preferential treatment!"

A typical ten-year-old would probably be too excited to sleep, eager to undertake any dangerous task to prove himself. However, Abel had seen such tactics used numerous times in his past life in the corporate world.

Even after he became a boss, he frequently painted grand pictures of success for his new employees to motivate them.

Why only new employees?

Well, because they're easy to fool! Show them a bit of special attention from the boss, and they would be ready to work overtime without compensation, all in the hope of impressing the boss and receiving promotions.

Only those seasoned employees who had seen through the world would remain unfazed, maybe even find it amusing. They knew very well that this 'special treatment' was something everyone received.

Two days later, Abel arrived at Serpesis Island, a famous entertainment hotspot in the North Sea.

It was a place brimming with circus performances, musicals, magic shows, and various types of fortune-telling, attracting a myriad of tourists every day.

This time, Abel's mission was to eliminate Black Rat Xini, who was hiding on the island. Xini had stolen something from a buyer in the underground black market.

The buyer had directly approached the Donquixote family and offered a bounty for the return of his item.

The underground black market was an integral part of the Donquixote family's operations, so any disruptions were considered direct opposition. Plus, the wronged buyer was ready to spend money to rectify the situation.

Once they had located the target and his hiding place, Abel was entrusted with the task.

Dealing with a rather slick thief was neither difficult nor dangerous.

The only concern was the bustling nature of Serpesis Island. If not handled properly, the target could easily slip away again.

Abel didn't want his first independent mission to end in failure, as it would undeniably delay his promotion to a higher rank.

"Come one, come all! Don't miss the most authentic circus performance!"

"Roar!"

Guided by the handler, a lion with stunningly soft and beautiful mane impressively leaped through one fire hoop after another, earning cheers and applause from the awestruck audience.

One after another, a variety of animals took the stage, showcasing tricks or acting cute. In no time, their performances had earned a significant amount of tips from the tourists, making the circus owner beam with joy.

Not too far away, a crowd gathered around a close-up magic show. Incredible and unimaginable tricks left spectators amazed, prompting generous tips.

However, the good times didn't last long.

"Tickets for the newest musical 'Princess Orlan and the Ten Knights' are about to go on sale! Hurry if you want to see it!"

In an instant, the crowds watching the circus and magic show dispersed, all rushing towards the theater's ticket booth, forming a long queue in the blink of an eye.

Clearly, the musical 'Princess Orlan and the Ten Knights' was incredibly popular!

In contrast, the previously lively circus and magic shows became deserted in a flash, resulting in an awkward silence.

Instead of hastily seeking out the 'Black Rat', Abel took his time strolling around, familiarizing himself with the environment.

Passing by a booth advertising tarot card readings, he couldn't help but take a second look. Most fortune tellers he'd come across on his stroll were women – young and beautiful, spooky and eccentric, or the typical old fortune-telling crones. But a 15- or 16-year-old boy running such a booth was somewhat unusual.

Of course, while unusual, there were no hard-and-fast rules or gender biases in the fortune-telling business, so Abel didn't make a big deal of it. He simply gave it an extra glance, without any intention of stopping.

However, the next second, he was called by the boy.

"Would you like a reading?"

"Are you talking to me?"

Abel stopped and gave the boy a serious look.

The tarot card playing teenager had flowing golden hair, with six vertical lines on his forehead reaching his eyelids, appearing as though replacing eyebrows. A black cross tattoo adorned his throat, giving him a distinct personality.

At the moment, Abel felt he had seen the boy's outfit somewhere before, but didn't think too much of it.

"Focus your mind, think silently about what you wish to divine."

"Then, please choose three cards from these, and I'll interpret them for you."

"Boring tricks." Abel didn't pay any attention to the other party. But as he was passing by, a gust of wind flipped one of the tarot cards.