Chapter 1238: Early Aspirations
Chapter 1238: Early Aspirations
Red looked sorrowfully at Constance lying on the ground, closed her eyes, and surrendered without resistance.
"I will never submit. I was merely defeated by overwhelming wickedness, but my ideal will never yield."
She lifted her head, her gaze resolute. "An ideal that brings happiness to people can never be wrong!"
Hmph!
"So you say?"
The wind carried Kuro's voice to her ears. When she opened her eyes, Kuro stood before her, Black Blade raised. His cold gaze made Red instinctively shut her eyes again, bracing for the blade's descent.
Smack!
A moment later, she felt a sudden lightness atop her head. The sound of Kuro's voice followed.
"Lida, she's your prisoner now. Keep a close watch on her."
No pain?
Red opened her eyes just in time to see her headphones split cleanly in two, falling to the ground.
He didn't kill her.
Why?
Red looked up at the man who had already sheathed his blade and turned away. Confusion flickered in her eyes. She opened her mouth, hesitated, then finally asked, "Why did you spare me?"
Kuro didn't stop walking. He pulled a cigar from his coat, lit it, and said, "You're neither a pirate nor have you caused any deaths. I just dislike you personally. Between you and me, there are countless people and things in this world I dislike. If I killed every one of them, I'd never stop killing."
"Besides", he paused, exhaling smoke, "I have no right to force someone to abandon their ideal."
With that, he strode toward the Castle Tower. Lida watched his retreating figure, puzzled. "How come his mood's sour again?"
"Hey, you're coming with me. I'll find a place to lock you up."
Lida approached Red, her expression indifferent. "I don't like you either, but since Kuron spared you, I won't lay a hand on you."
Dealing with this woman was simple. She posed no threat. Let the Navy chain her with Seastone cuffs and lock her in the Castle Tower. Naturally, Lida also extracted some intelligence. The woman was talkative, spilling everything. Soon, Lida eagerly bounded to the fifth level and slid open the door to the grand hall where Kuro was.
"Kuro, Kuro! Did you know what Red's ability is?!"
Kuro leaned on the balcony, sitting cross-legged on a cushion. One leg was bent, the other stretched out, one hand resting on his knee, the other dangling loosely. A white porcelain wine bottle dangled from his fingers. He watched the setting sun slanting across the horizon.
Sunlight bathed his profile and body, casting a faint glow. Yet there was an inexplicable sadness in the scene.
"Kuro?" Lida asked, concern creeping into her voice. "Are you alright?"
Kuro turned his head slightly. "Oh, Lida. Nothing's wrong. I was just thinking about the past."
Lida obediently sat beside him, tilting her head. "The past?"
"Hmm."
Kuro raised the wine bottle, taking a small sip. "Sometimes I can't help but wonder—ideals are sacred, yes, but they must adapt to circumstances. To put it simply, the Grand Line has its own nature. Not every ideal is worth clinging to."
"But then..."
He turned his gaze back to the setting sun, sighing. "This woman, that old man, and others I've met before—they've all upheld their ideals, even when they clashed with the times, even when they were wrong."
"Maybe..."
He extended his hand, staring at his palm. "That's why I never developed Conqueror's Haki."
The woman was easy enough to deal with, but the Grand Line wasn't a place where military might alone decided right and wrong.
People had emotions, hearts. They thought, they hesitated, they pondered the meaning of their beliefs.
Kuro didn't think his current ideals were wrong, but the woman had pushed him to a breaking point.
"I thought I'd grown used to seeing so much in the Grand Line, but it turns out I still feel something."
He sighed again, taking another sip of wine.
For now, it was just a feeling. A feeling for an ideal he had long abandoned—his early aspirations.
"Roger, Kaido, Big Mom, even that bastard Marshall D. Teach, and this woman. They all wanted to change the world."
Kuro continued, "Changing the world is incredibly hard. Yet they all pursued it relentlessly. They never wavered. Didn't they know how difficult it was? Perhaps they did. Otherwise, they wouldn't have hidden in a corner of the New World for so long. But why haven't they given up?"
He turned to Lida. "I gave up long ago. The Grand Line is too vast. Islands aren't connected, information doesn't flow freely, bloodlines are deeply entrenched, and there are terrifyingly strong men capable of destroying the world. Military might doesn't determine right or wrong. Sometimes, it crushes budding ideas before they can grow. The people lack the ability to resist. Even if they awaken, they can't protect their own awakenings."
"The people here aren't suffering. The Grand Line is vast, resources are abundant. They won't starve, and they haven't reached the point of rebellion. Cases of uprising exist, but they're rare compared to the scale of the Grand Line."
"I've seen many flaws, so I gave up. Living for myself is enough."
Kuro took another sip. "My homeland has a saying: 'When you prosper, benefit the world; when you struggle, cultivate yourself.' It's not about wealth, but about one's ideals and strength. I can't 'prosper,' I can't benefit the world, so I'll just live for myself and make the best of this life."
"I don't understand", Lida tilted her head. "Kuro, you're good. You're kind, you're just, and sure, you have a foul mouth, but you're a good person."
Kuro's lips twitched. "Don't give me the 'good person' card! Anyway, it's just venting. It doesn't mean anything. By the way, what was that woman's ability again?"
"Oh right!" Lida perked up. "She's a Devil Fruit user. She said she ate the 'Mero Mero no Mi'—it can soothe people's hearts, calm them down, but also stir their emotions. She called it the Moon Tribe woman's ability. By singing, she creates beautiful dreams. Combining both, that's what she became."
"Quite the unique power", Kuro raised an eyebrow. "A Songstress, huh? Setting aside the Moon Tribe part, the World Nobles probably want her for this ability. Those world nobles love collecting bizarre powers."
Take the current 'Snake Princess' Boa Hancock, for example. Her overbearing ability to petrify anyone, man or woman, young or old, was given to her by the World Nobles for their own amusement.
Those people care nothing for consequences.
Kuro set the porcelain bottle aside, picked up the still-burning cigar, bit down on it, and turned back to the setting sun.
"How to resolve this..."
(End of Chapter)
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