Sailing at Sea: The Breath of the Day at the Start

Page 42

During this period, Ron successively defeated and tamed the old bears, giant tigers, and other ferocious beasts on the mountain.

Sometimes he would even take Luffy and his two friends on a giant tiger, riding through the mountains and laughing freely.

For Luffy and his two companions.

The powerful, calm, and mature Ron has become the goal they aspire to.

……

this day.

Heavy rain started falling on the mountain.

The five people hurriedly looked for a place to take shelter from the rain and finally found a tree hole.

The five people sat side by side, crammed together, staring at the rain in front of them.

Someone chuckled first.

Then all five of them burst into laughter.

Ron, who had been tense and focused on becoming stronger, also felt a rare moment of complete relaxation, both physically and mentally.

After fully integrating into the body of this age.

He seemed to have gotten closer to the world.

"Hahahaha, Ron, Kuina, I've made up my mind."

Luffy laughed cheerfully, "When I become the Pirate King, I want you all to become my crewmates, just like Ace and Sabo!"

"No."

Kuina rejected him outright.

"why?"

Little Luffy looked at him with a puzzled expression.

"My goal is to become the world's greatest swordsman, not to become a pirate."

Kuina said with a firm gaze.

"Oh, never mind then. What about you, Ron? Will you become my partner?"

Luffy looked at Ron.

Ace, Sabo, and Kuina all turned their attention to him.

Looking at the rain outside, Ron turned to the four of them and smiled, "I don't know either."

Sabo asked curiously, "Ron, you're so strong, yet you still train so hard. Are you like Kuina, aiming to be the strongest in the world?"

"No, I do it to better enjoy life."

"........."

All four of them looked completely bewildered.

"Think about it, if you're not strong enough, can you eat delicious food, drink fine wine, go wherever you want, and do whatever you want?"

Ron spoke to the four of them in a very serious tone.

"Therefore, my goal is to become a traveler with absolute strength, whose life goal is to enjoy life!"

"What...is this any different from pirates?"

“Of course!” Ron replied without hesitation. “I’m not interested in that One Piece, nor do I intend to rob others, nor do I plan to dominate the seas or rule a region. How can I be considered a pirate?”

"..."

Ace, Sabo, and Kuina were all rendered speechless by his words.

So this is why you've been working so hard to cultivate yourself?

That's... quite a unique idea.

Luffy scratched his head and said, "So, being a traveler is freer than becoming the Pirate King? Then I don't want to be the Pirate King anymore, I want to be a traveler too!"

"Little Luffy, wait until you can actually hit me before you talk about becoming a traveler."

Ron raised his hand, flicked his forehead with his finger, and laughed.

Little Luffy touched his forehead, grinned at him, and smiled foolishly.

Ace looked at him with doting eyes:

"Stupid Luffy."

Everyone burst into laughter.

………………

These pleasant and harmonious days did not last long.

Sabo's worst fears came true.

His father, the nobleman Otruc III, issued a missing person notice, posting it throughout the Kingdom of Goa in an attempt to find him.

Late at night, he looked at the missing person notice in his hand, glanced at Ace and Luffy who were still fast asleep beside him, and made a decision in his heart.

this day.

After finishing the workout.

Sabo called out to Ron and spoke to him alone.

Two days later, Sabo disappeared from Mount Golpo without saying goodbye.

While Ace and Luffy frantically searched for him all over the mountains.

Ron arrived at the bandit's house.

Inside the bandit's house, Dadan, with a cigarette dangling from his lips, stared blankly at a missing person notice in his hand.

"Boss, a little brat has come looking for you."

"Huh? Kid?"

Dadan stood up. "I'll go take a look."

She walked out of the house.

A black-haired boy carrying a long knife stood in front of the house. Despite facing a group of fierce and tall bandits, his expression was surprisingly calm and composed.

"Whose brat are you?"

Dadan walked up to him and asked, "What do you want with me?"

"Before Sabo left, he asked me to find an opportunity to give you this letter."

The black-haired boy's words caused Dadan's expression to change slightly.

She took the letter he handed her, but didn't open it right away. Instead, she looked at him and said, "I heard that Ace, Sabo, Luffy, and the other two are training with a boy who is about their age. That boy must be you."

Ron remained noncommittal.

"Did Sabo... say anything else to you?"

Ron glanced at the missing person notice clutched in her hand, then looked at the seemingly fierce but kind-hearted old woman in front of him and said, "He said he's going back to settle things with that family, and if all goes well, he'll be back soon."

Dadan loosened her grip on the missing person notice slightly.

"Then why didn't he say it to us in person?"

“I asked him the same question. He said that if he were to talk to you face to face, he might not be able to make up his mind in the end.”

Ron said softly.

"That...you stupid brat!"

Dadan wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes. "It's just going home, why be so dramatic? You're making others worry."

Ron didn't say anything.

But he knew very well how much Sabo loathed that home.

It took immense courage to choose to go back and end it all alone.

"Well then, I'll take my leave now."

Ron nodded to her and turned to leave.

"Thank you for helping Sabo and saving Luffy and the others."