Chapter 23: Let's Go Out to Sea, Get Ready to Set Sail~!
The next day, atop a quiet hill not far from the village of Elbaf, a simple ceremony was held.
Lords Jarul and Jorul stood before a freshly made grave, Redding towering behind them. Beside him were Roy, young Hajrudin and the children of the Sheep's House, all gathered in solemn silence.
Because the nun's body could never be recovered—what remained were only tattered fragments of her clothing found in the ruins of the Sheep's House—they placed those remnants into the grave, creating a small cenotaph in her memory.
"Sister Carmel," Jarul said, his deep voice echoing through the cold mountain air, "Linlin… she failed to live up to your hopes. She's become a devil."
Jorul sighed beside him, lowering his head in sorrow. "A pity… she had such potential."
Roy knelt before the grave, setting a small bouquet of wildflowers down on the stone mound. He squeezed out a few tears—half for show, half for real—and rose silently, gripping the hilt of his sword as he joined Redding.
Pandora floated beside him in silence. Even for a talkative creature like him, there were no words suitable for this moment.
The death of the nun had tamed him more effectively than any of Roy's scolding or teasing ever could.
After a while, the crowd began to disperse. Roy turned to the children, ruffling their hair gently.
"Let's go home," he said softly.
He would need to start teaching them discipline soon. Without the nun, someone had to fill that role—and unfortunately, that someone was him.
At first, he expected chaos. After all, when the nun was alive, these kids were uncontrollable troublemakers. But to his surprise, things turned out differently.
Maybe it was the sword he carried, or Pandora's ability to breathe fire…
But when Roy returned to the house, the children stood in neat rows before him, silent and obedient, waiting for orders.
"Alright," Roy said, hands on his hips. "You girls—come with me at noon. I'll teach you how to cook."
The girls nodded quickly.
"You lot," he pointed to the smaller boys, "will be in charge of cleaning the house and odd jobs."
"Understood!" they chorused, standing straight as if he were a drill sergeant.
"And you," he pointed at the taller boys, "take turns chopping firewood. We'll need it for winter."
"Yes, sir!" they replied in unison.
Roy nodded in satisfaction, giving out a few more tasks before strolling leisurely through the house, inspecting their progress like a little commander.
To his surprise, they were genuinely working hard—sweeping floors, scrubbing walls, chopping logs.
Maybe they weren't scared of him after all. Maybe… the nun's death had forced them to grow up.
In this cruel world, childhood never lasted long. If life didn't let you stay innocent, you either adapted—or got crushed.
Roy sighed, sitting under a large tree outside the house. The sunlight filtered through the leaves, warm and gentle. He pulled out his book on famous swords and flipped through it idly.
Forget it, he thought, no point in overthinking things.
He wasn't the kind of person who brooded on tragedy. The world was already cruel enough; why add to the weight?
He wanted a life filled with freedom, adventure, and beauty. If he could meet a few lovely women, travel the seas, and build a life worth smiling about, that would be more than enough.
He didn't see himself as a hero—or a saint.
Strength, to him, was just a means to an end: to live comfortably, freely, and without fear.
Saving the world? Changing the world? That was for dreamers and fools.
"As for that line," he muttered, glancing up at the sky, "'With great power comes great responsibility'… yeah, maybe that's true for some people."
He leaned back, resting his head on Pandora, who was floating lazily in the air.
"But for most of us," Roy said with a grin, "it's more like, 'The greater your power, the greater your right to live how you damn well please.'"
Roy respected those selfless, heroic types who sacrificed themselves for others… but only from a distance.
Respect didn't mean imitation.
As far as he was concerned—Roy chose girls.
"Hey! You idiot! Don't chop down the tree in front of the house—it's for shade!" Roy shouted, pointing at the silly kid who was swinging an axe dangerously close to the front yard.
"Oh, I get it!" The boy scratched his head, grinned, and ran off to find another tree farther away.
Roy raised an eyebrow. "It must be tiring to run that far…"
The boy stopped and looked back. "What did you say? You looking for a fight, huh?"
"I didn't say anything!"
Satisfied, Roy finally sheathed his sword.
---
Life in Elbaf soon returned to a strange sort of peace.
Every morning, Roy would wake before sunrise to train.
He practiced kendo beneath the towering trees, his blade cutting arcs through the mist.
Sometimes, he sparred with Hajrudin—though "sparred" might have been too generous a word for the one-sided beating that usually followed.
By noon, he taught the children physical training, making them run laps or chop wood. In the afternoons, he'd bury himself in books about navigation, geography, and sea routes, learning all he could about the world of One Piece.
And when the sun began to set, he'd take Pandora with him to the village to play with little Rod.
Every now and then, when Prince Loki's mother carried the baby prince out of the castle, Roy would drop by to tease the giant toddler.
The only problem? Even giant babies were, well—giant.
They were adorable, sure, but when it came to hugging, Roy honestly couldn't tell who was hugging whom.
Pandora once muttered, "+1 for a dwarf's revenge," earning itself a flick on the forehead.
Life flowed by slowly, the days calm and monotonous.
Winter melted into the gentle warmth of spring. Before he knew it, January had passed.
---
Today, the sun shone bright, and the air was filled with birdsong. Roy's mood was just as pleasant.
Because finally—finally!—Master Redding had agreed to his request.
For an entire month, Roy had been relentlessly pestering the poor giant. He nagged while eating, complained while walking, and acted pitiful during sword practice.
He'd used every trick he had—persistence, charm, shamelessness, even playing cute.
Redding had held out admirably for weeks, but eventually… the great giant's patience snapped.
"Fine! Fine! We'll go!"
That single sentence was all Roy needed to hear.
---
The giants of Elbaf didn't fear the sea, but they were protective of Roy.
Though his defense was monstrous and his talent undeniable, he was still a child in their eyes. Compared to the treacherous, deceitful pirates lurking beyond the horizon, Roy was too young—too trusting, too pure.
So after much discussion, Redding and a few giants who also wanted to see the world decided to form a pirate crew of their own.
They would take Roy with them—not as a warrior, but as an apprentice sailor.
It was both a compromise and a blessing in disguise.
---
"Brother Roy, are you really leaving?"
A group of children from the Sheep's House surrounded him at the door, eyes filled with reluctance as Roy adjusted the straps of his backpack.
"I'm just going out to see the world," Roy said with a grin. "And to test whether you can take care of yourselves without me."
He leaned down and poked one of the kids on the forehead. "When I come back, I don't want to see this place in ruins, you hear me?"
"Yes, Brother Roy!" the children answered, though their voices trembled.
Roy smiled softly and ruffled their hair one last time.
He had to admit, the kids had changed. Over the past month, they'd learned to cook, clean, and live independently. They'd grown up faster than he expected.
It made it easier to leave.
After all, no matter how much he liked to pretend otherwise, he wasn't heartless. These children were the closest thing he had to a family in this world.
And knowing they would be fine without him brought him peace.
---
As he walked down the hill toward the harbor where Redding's giant ship waited, the salty wind brushed against his red hair.
Pandora floated beside him, yawning lazily. "You look awfully cheerful for someone leaving home."
"Of course I'm cheerful," Roy replied, smiling confidently. "The sea's calling my name."
Pandora tilted its glowing eyes. "And what do you plan to do once we're out there?"
Roy smirked. "Explore the world, find treasures, and maybe…"—his grin widened—"meet a few girls along the way."
Pandora groaned. "You really are hopeless."
Roy laughed, slinging his sword over his shoulder. "Hopeless? Nah. Just honest."
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