Chapter 77: The Wisdom of the Common People
Ian had originally thought that a noble with such a grand air would be considered a notable figure in the Goa Kingdom. However, under the quiet explanation of Captain Bill, Ian learned that this guy was actually just a minor noble.
Not only that, but he was the type who, when encountering the other 99% of nobles, would bow, scrape, and tip his hat...
Indeed, if he were a truly great noble, he wouldn't be running along with the fleet. Those kinds of nobles were delicate and pampered, not willing to endure such hardships. This merchant convoy wasn't large to begin with; a few trading companies had pooled together only twelve ships. And this Mr. Roland Gale, for the sake of such a small business matter, felt uneasy and had to personally oversee it. So Ian guessed that the cargo on this ship probably represented the majority of Roland Gale's assets.
Ian hadn't really paid it much mind. Although he had heard of the Goa Kingdom, he had never stayed there. These so-called nobles felt far removed from him. But he didn't expect that this minor noble, once on board, wouldn't settle down at all and soon caused trouble again!
The reason was actually related to Ian. Since Ian was the strongest guard recruited by this merchant convoy, he had been given the best cabin on the ship. That was fine in itself, but this Roland Gale, who had suddenly joined, discovered after boarding that his own cabin wasn't the best and immediately threw a fit!
He was the only noble to appear in this fleet; everyone else was a commoner. Don't be fooled by how Roland Gale bowed and scraped before other nobles—in front of a crowd of commoners, he put on quite an air. He was very dissatisfied with the cabin assigned to him. The maid who had been tasked with attending to Ian had barely explained a couple of things when he slapped her to the ground with a single blow.
Not satisfied with that, he continued to beat the maid with his walking cane. Unable to bear the pain, she could only run out of the cabin. But he chased after her, grabbed her hair from behind, and threw her hard onto the deck.
"Lowborn! How dare you run!?" he shouted, kicking the maid viciously.
Many people on the deck witnessed this farce, yet no one dared to speak up for the maid. The ship's sailors, first mate, and captain had all been recruited by the merchant convoy from the Goa Kingdom. The other guards recruited from Loguetown, though also angered by the scene, were hindered by Roland Gale's status as an employer and couldn't speak out.
Ian watched speechlessly and asked Bill beside him, "Is this how the nobles of your country behave?"
Bill was equally furious but dared not show it. He could only whisper to Ian, "There's nothing we can do. We all have families and dare not defy these nobles. Right now, we commoners are still allowed to live within the town, but if we offend a noble, we might be exiled to the Gray Terminal. That terrible place..."
Bill didn't finish his sentence, and Ian understood what he meant.
Sighing, Ian pressed down on his hat and swayed as he walked toward Roland Gale.
Roland Gale was in the middle of his beating spree when he suddenly noticed a shadow blocking the light. Just as he was about to look up to see who was so bold, a tremendous force struck his abdomen. Before he could react, his entire body flew backward.
The one who did this was, of course, Ian. Arriving in front of Roland Gale, he kicked the guy flying with a single blow!
Watching Roland Gale tumble and roll far across the deck, Ian ignored him. He reached out and helped the maid up, asking, "Are you alright?"
The maid's hair was disheveled, and a red handprint marked her face. Even after Ian helped her up, she was still trembling, but she managed to thank Ian gratefully.
Ian felt there was nothing to thank for. This girl had been assigned to attend to him yesterday, and he had actually received quite a bit of care from her. Helping her was only natural.
Roland Gale finally scrambled to his feet, his abdomen still aching dully. Furious, he pointed at Ian and roared, "You... how dare you hit me!? Do you know who I am!?"
"I don't care who you are!" Ian snorted disdainfully. "Put away that act of yours. This isn't your Goa Kingdom! Really, seeing how arrogant you were just now, anyone would think you were a Celestial Dragon!"
In fact, Ian didn't realize he had inadvertently touched on a truth. When the Celestial Dragons had visited the Goa Kingdom back then, their behavior had profoundly influenced the nobles there. Using slaves as mounts and parading around ostentatiously—such actions seemed unbelievable to others, but to the nobles of the Goa Kingdom, this was the epitome of nobility. So they eagerly imitated every behavior of the Celestial Dragons, striving to align themselves with the World Nobles.
If the nobles of the Goa Kingdom had previously been merely hypocritical and cold, over the years, their treatment of commoners had become increasingly harsh, and their mentality more twisted.
"Guards! Arrest him!" Roland Gale's face twisted into a snarl as he roared. "I'll make him understand the consequences of angering me!"
But unfortunately, no one listened to him!
This guy might not know Ian's identity, but others did. As the most formidable pirate hunter in the East Blue, who would dare to step forward and arrest him?
Finding that no one obeyed him, Roland Gale grew even more enraged. Not understanding what was happening, he thought the commoners were planning a rebellion. So he took matters into his own hands, pulling a pistol from behind his waist and aiming it at Ian.
But before he could pull the trigger, Ian's figure suddenly vanished—so fast that many didn't see how he moved. When he reappeared, a gleaming blade was already pressed against Roland Gale's neck.
"Do you really want to die?" Ian asked coldly, his patience wearing thin.
Feeling the sharp edge of the Enma sword, which stung his skin, Roland Gale was finally terrified. Having spent so many years in the Goa Kingdom, he had never encountered a fearsome enemy like Ian. He stammered, unable to form words.
Ian shook his head, swung his sword, and cut Roland Gale's pistol in two. Then, grabbing him by the neck, he lifted the man off the ground.
With Ian's current strength, lifting a man of a hundred or so kilograms was child's play. Held by the neck, Roland Gale's face turned red as he struggled desperately, his legs kicking.
Walking to the ship's railing, Ian didn't hesitate for a moment. He threw Roland Gale directly into the sea.
"Let him cool off!" Ian turned to Bill and shrugged. "Fish him out in a little while."
Bill, chewing on his pipe, grinned at Ian and gave him a thumbs-up. He understood that on this ship, Ian was the one least worried about Roland Gale. The merchant convoy needed Ian; such a capable guard was hard to find. And Roland Gale, even as a noble, was just one of the responsible parties in this fleet. If he wanted to retaliate by firing Ian, he would have to see whether the other trading company heads agreed.
The others on the ship also felt a great sense of relief. They knew that after being frightened by Ian, that so-called noble wouldn't dare to cause trouble again.
After the sailors deliberately took their time rescuing Roland Gale, watching him scurry into the cabin like a frightened quail, the convoy set sail. It was around six or seven in the morning, and the morning sunlight poured down, making the sky look so clear.
"It's a good day!" Bill said to Ian, pipe in mouth. "Weather like this is perfect for setting sail."
Ian knew that an old captain like Bill must have a knack for observing the weather; otherwise, he wouldn't have chosen this day to depart.
Twelve ships of various sizes raised their sails and left Loguetown's port, forming a line heading toward Reverse Mountain in the Grand Line. With nothing much to do, Ian stayed on deck with Bill, basking in the sun. The maid Ian had rescued brought them two glasses of freshly made juice as a token of her gratitude.
Chatting idly with Bill, time passed quickly. About three hours later, Ian heard the lookout's shout: "Captain, I can see the lighthouse!"
Their ship was the lead vessel. When the lookout's cry came, Bill stopped sunbathing, stood up, and loudly commanded, "Lower the sails! Inform the ships behind us to start slowing down."
The sailors quickly carried out his orders, furling the sails. The ships behind did the same. Without the wind, the entire fleet's speed began to decrease.
Then, Bill did something odd. He stood at the bow, motionless, staring at the sea. Strangely, the sailors also became very quiet, no one daring to disturb him.
Curious, Ian walked over and asked, "Bill, what are you doing?"
"Shh!" Bill raised a finger to his lips, signaling Ian to be quiet, and then said, "Listen carefully!"
Ian was puzzled, not knowing what he was supposed to hear. But he quieted down and, like Bill, listened intently.
The sounds of the sea were chaotic—the wind, the waves, the calls of unknown seabirds. Ian listened for a while but didn't notice anything unusual. Just as he was about to ask, a very distinctive sound reached his ears.
Amidst the other noises, it was faint, but Ian still caught it—a sound like "Ooo-ahhh"...
"What's making that sound? Where's it coming from?" Ian asked Bill.
"It's coming from the other side of Reverse Mountain!" Bill took a puff of his pipe. "On the other side of Reverse Mountain is a place called Twin Capes. There's a huge whale there, and that's its call!"
Oh, right. Ian was startled. He had almost forgotten about the whale Laboon.
Bill continued, "For a convoy like ours to enter the Grand Line, we have to wait for the right moment! That whale named Laboon is a dangerous threat to us. No one knows why, but it appeared decades ago, blocking the exit at Twin Capes. It constantly rams its head into Reverse Mountain and sometimes stands upright in the water, crying out to the sky. If we enter the route while it's active, we'll run straight into it! All the ships would be destroyed!"
Ian suddenly understood. "So you listen carefully to judge its current state, right?"
"Yes! Laboon's voice is as enormous as its body. It can easily be heard on this side of Reverse Mountain. Whenever its cry sounds, it means it's about to start ramming Reverse Mountain!" Bill said with a smile. "That's why we set out early. No one knows how long it will ram. We have to wait until it gets tired and dives into the sea before we can enter the entrance."