After leaving the palace, Alvin did not linger for even a moment. He crossed the bustling capital directly and entered the deep forest.
Now that the karma between them had been settled, the next step was to continue becoming stronger. Only by possessing overwhelming strength could he live a life where he could act freely in this world.
After a brief moment of thought, Alvin decided to continue cleaning up the West Blue before heading straight for the Grand Line.
Having made his decision, he began walking toward the seaside.
"Oh?" Alvin suddenly stopped, his gaze fixed on a hidden bush several hundred meters away. "Lil White? So you were still waiting for me!" he said in surprise. "It seems you really can't live without me, can you? Hahaha, come here, come here!"
Hearing Alvin call out, Lil White was so startled that his tiger soul nearly fled his body.
He hurriedly looked around, and when he realized it was Alvin, his fear immediately turned into joy.
He walked up to Alvin, lowered his head, and gently rubbed his cheek against Alvin's body, letting out a low growl as if acting spoiled.
"Ah hahaha~ Good dog, good dog... ah, no, good tiger, good tiger. It wasn't for nothing that I gave you so many bones earlier today." Alvin laughed heartily as he reached out to stroke Lil White's fluffy tiger head.
Just then, a raging fire suddenly erupted inside the palace. The flames looked as if they wanted to burn the entire palace to ashes, and Alvin's gaze instantly turned toward the palace.
"Suicide, huh... Sigh... Lil White, I don't have a mother anymore...." Alvin sighed softly while gently stroking Lil White's head.
He was sad for about three seconds, then flipped onto the tiger's back.
"Let's go, Lil White. Take me to the seaside and I'll give you meat afterward."
"Roar!" Lil White let out an earth shaking tiger roar excitedly and then galloped toward the seaside.
The soft moonlight filtered through the gaps between the trees, casting mottled patterns of light and shadow across the ground. One man and one tiger moved swiftly through the forest, rapidly approaching the coast.
By the time they reached the seaside, it was already early morning.
Alvin slowly woke up while lying on the tiger's back, the sound of waves crashing against the shore echoing in his ears. The strange heaviness lingering in his heart seemed to be gradually swept away by the sea breeze.
"Mmm~" He sat up, stretched his body, and let out a satisfied groan before lightly jumping off the tiger's back.
"Here~ Lil White, this is your reward. I said I would give you meat, and now I'm giving you meat. I'm pretty good to you, aren't I?" Alvin said generously as he took out a cow from his system space that was nearly the same size as Lil White.
"Roar!" Seeing the plump cow placed before him, Lil White let out an excited growl, clearly very satisfied with the reward.
At last it was not those dry bones from noon anymore.
"Enjoy it. No need to thank me. I'm going back to sleep." Alvin patted Lil White's head, yawned, walked to a nearby open space, quickly set up his tent, and crawled inside to sleep soundly.
Lil White glanced toward Alvin's tent, then lowered his head to look at the cow before him. In the end he dragged the cow farther away from the tent and began to feast.
Under the cold moonlight, the sound of waves mixed with Lil White's chewing, forming a peaceful and lively scene.
— — — —
The next morning, a thin mist like gauze gently covered the coastline.
Alvin slowly woke up inside his tent, hearing birds singing and the rustling of leaves stirred by the wind.
He reached out and unzipped the tent, and a brilliant ray of morning sunlight immediately poured inside. The golden light felt like a sharp blade cutting through his lingering sleepiness.
Alvin squinted and raised his hand to block the sunlight, his mind still slightly dazed as if he had just emerged from a dream.
He slowly crawled out of the tent, stretched lazily, and felt his entire body loosen under the warm morning light.
Turning around, he saw Lil White curled up beside the tent, sleeping soundly. His massive tiger body rose and fell gently with each breath, like a small mountain quietly guarding him.
A faint smile immediately appeared on Alvin's lips.
"What a good dog... bah~ I said it wrong again. Good tiger." He muttered softly, his voice carrying a hint of teasing and affection.
As if hearing Alvin's voice, Lil White's ears twitched slightly before he slowly opened his amber tiger eyes.
When he saw Alvin standing in front of him, he let out a low growl, deep and gentle, as if saying, "Good morning, Master."
Then he proudly raised his tiger head, a trace of smugness appearing in his eyes, as if responding to Alvin's praise.
Of course. I am the best.
Alvin was amused by the expression and burst into laughter, his voice echoing in the crisp morning air.
"Hahahaha~ Good tiger, good tiger. I'll wash my face first, then I'll give you meat, alright?" He laughed as he walked toward a nearby forest stream, scooped up the cool water with his hands, and splashed it onto his face, instantly feeling refreshed.
Before long, one man and one tiger were enjoying their breakfast while facing the rising sun.
Alvin ate roasted meat, occasionally tossing a piece toward Lil White.
Meanwhile Lil White lay lazily beside him, slowly devouring a large crocodile that Alvin had thrown over earlier, occasionally glancing up at Alvin with satisfied eyes.
After breakfast, Alvin knew it was time to depart.
He walked over and gently patted Lil White's head, a trace of reluctance in his voice.
"Buddy, I have to go now. Take care of yourself."
Lil White seemed to understand and let out a low whimper from deep within his throat.
Alvin felt a slight ache in his heart, but he quickly stood up, climbed onto his jet ski, and sped toward the distant horizon. Lil White stood motionless on the shore, watching Alvin's figure gradually disappear in the distance without moving for a long time.
— — — —
Time flowed like water, and in the blink of an eye a full month had passed.
The year 1514 of the Sea Calendar was approaching, and Alvin had spent the entire month drifting across the vast ocean searching for wanted pirates.
However, his results were rather disappointing.
During this time he only encountered and defeated four pirates whose bounties were below ten million berries, earning a total of thirty four million bounty points.
For Alvin, this small gain was nothing more than a drop in the ocean.
One month later, Alvin's jet ski docked near a dilapidated kingdom known as the Kingdom of Sylvia.
Instead of landing at the port, he quietly came ashore on a remote and deserted beach.
This country had once been prosperous. It was located along the sea route between the West Blue and the Grand Line, and almost every ship would stop here to restock supplies.
However, everything changed when the Kingdom of Sylvia was expelled from the World Government's allied nations because it could no longer afford the exorbitant Heavenly Tribute.
From that moment onward, it became a target for plunder by various forces.
Merchant ships stopped visiting. The royal family fled with what remained of the kingdom's wealth, abandoning the common people to survive amid war and poverty.
As Alvin stepped onto this land, he immediately felt an unprecedented level of chaos.
Within the range of his Observation Haki, the entire city resembled a living hell.
Arson, murder, and looting occurred everywhere. The streets echoed with the wild laughter of thugs and the desperate cries of victims. It seemed that only those who fled into the deep mountains could find even the smallest fragment of peace.
But none of this concerned Alvin.
The reason he came here was simple. He had heard that this place was a gathering ground for many wanted pirates.
And indeed, the moment he arrived he sensed a level of chaos unlike anything he had encountered before.
"A bit tragic, huh~" Alvin's gaze swept across the city. "However, this really is a good place."
A cold smile appeared at the corner of his lips, and then he stepped forward toward the very center of the chaos.
...
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