Once the Celestial Dragons' entourage had departed, William dusted off his knees, brushing away imaginary dirt, and stood up.
Behind him, Sherlock also rose without saying a word, but Dampier, upon standing, wore an expression of fury.
Dampier, a man of vast knowledge and lofty pride, would never bow and scrape before William as Gesseta and others might. His erudition ensured he didn't share the ignorant belief of common folk that the Celestial Dragons were inherently superior or more talented simply by birth. Forced to kneel, and then deliberately humiliated, Dampier's restraint was the only thing preventing him from drawing his sword and cutting down Saint Jalmack on the spot.
"Why should humans kneel to pigs?" Dampier sneered.
"The Celestial Dragons, even if they are pigs, are still members of the Celestial Dragons and will be shielded by the World Government," William replied with a radiant smile, his tone contrasting Dampier's visible anger.
Sherlock glanced at William, knowing full well that William was undoubtedly displeased. However, the extent of his anger remained concealed behind his composed exterior.
When they reached the half-constructed city walls in the noble district, which had been abandoned midway through construction, Saint Jalmack once again unleashed a barrage of sarcastic remarks.
Under Gesseta's management, the East Blue News had been publishing articles related to the World Government inspection team's stay in Kalmar City. The newspaper did not shy away from expressing its stance on the Celestial Dragons, and even criticized William, the kingdom's chief regent, for failing to properly fulfill his duties in hosting the World Nobles, thereby shaming the nation.
Inside a classroom at the Neustria Academy, it was break time, and most of the students had gone out to relax. Hughes Holt, however, was engrossed in reading a newspaper.
After a while, he set the paper down and muttered angrily, "Are the brains of these reporters full of crap? How much better could anyone possibly treat the Celestial Dragons?"
Ilya Reed, hearing this, habitually responded with a contrary opinion. "That's not entirely fair. At the very least, the issues with the slums and the noble district's city walls weren't addressed before the Celestial Dragons arrived."
"The slums have been a problem for years! How could the headmaster fix them in such a short time? As for the city walls, they were originally constructed by the nobles, with taxes imposed on the commoners. It was the headmaster who abolished that system after taking office."
Ilya Reed remained unconvinced. "The Goa Kingdom managed just fine. They also have High Town and the Gray Terminal. I understand you dislike the Celestial Dragons, but they are, after all, World Nobles and representatives of the World Government. The newspaper isn't entirely wrong—our headmaster's failure to host them properly has brought shame not only to himself but to the entire nation, and even the East Blue as a whole."
"Why not include all of humanity while you're at it?" Hughes Holt retorted sarcastically.
"I'm not arguing with you," Ilya Reed shook his head. "You're too extreme and can't view the issue objectively. The Goa Kingdom, despite having blemishes like the Gray Terminal, handled their reception well and upheld the dignity of the East Blue nations, ensuring they didn't displease the World Nobles."
...
The inspection team stayed in Kalmar City for only a few days. Though called an inspection team, to William, they seemed more like representatives of the Celestial Dragons and the World Government, merely asserting their dominion over the East Blue, akin to a lion patrolling its territory.
From start to finish, they showed no genuine interest in inspecting the internal affairs of the kingdom, rendering many of William's precautionary arrangements unnecessary.
Meanwhile, as the Celestial Dragons' inspection team departed, the East Blue News began gradually unveiling suspicions surrounding the Gray Terminal fire in the Goa Kingdom.
Because Sabo himself hailed from the Goa Kingdom and had lived in the Gray Terminal for many years, his roommates were particularly invested in following the news. They were increasingly drawn to the questions raised by the newspaper's reports.
After being questioned by his roommates, Sabo confirmed the accuracy of the articles. In his memory, the Gray Terminal was indeed humid and should not have burned so easily.
Sabo remained deeply worried about Luffy and Ace. Since learning of the fire from the newspapers, he had written several letters and sent them out, unsure whether Luffy and Ace would receive them or if they were safe.
"Hey, big news!"
One day, while Sabo and his roommates were chatting in their dormitory, their fourth roommate, a lively boy named Ander, burst into the room noisily.
Unlike Sabo, Ilya Reed, and Hughes Holt—who respectively hailed from a doctor's family, the slums, and noble lineage from another country—Ander was the son of a gunner aboard one of William's pirate ships.
Ander was outgoing, naturally sociable, and incredibly nosy, always eager to gather and spread information. In their dormitory, he was recognized as the group's unofficial source of news.
Because Sabo was from the Goa Kingdom and deeply concerned about the Gray Terminal incident, Ander had been closely following news related to the kingdom.
Fortunately, thanks to the East Blue News' prolonged coverage and buildup, many locals were now paying attention to the neighboring nation's affairs, making it easy for Ander to pick up fresh tidbits.
"What big news?" asked Ilya Reed, who, despite his good upbringing, was not particularly fond of Ander's style and frowned at him.
Ander swallowed and exclaimed, "Have you heard? The latest report from the East Blue News says the fire at the Gray Terminal was deliberate arson!"
Ilya Reed replied impatiently, "We already figured that out. A fire that big, in such a damp place—what other explanation is there? Didn't the newspapers suggest recently that it was probably the mountain bandits who started it? Those criminals are heartless, setting such a massive fire and killing so many people."
Although Ilya Reed's anger was directed at the mountain bandits, Ander still felt annoyed and retorted, "Wrong! The latest news says the arsonists weren't mountain bandits or criminals—it was the rulers of the Goa Kingdom, the nobles and the king!"
Clang!
Sabo, momentarily stunned, dropped the cup he was holding onto the floor.
The other two roommates were equally shocked. Ilya Reed asked in disbelief, "Why would they do that?"
"Who knows? The newspaper didn't say," Ander shrugged.
"Where's the newspaper?" Ilya Reed began searching Ander's pockets, hoping to see the article for himself.
"I don't have spare money to buy a newspaper," Ander slapped away his hand. "I borrowed someone else's copy to read. It didn't explain the motive—just said they're still investigating."
The dormitory fell silent. As young boys, they struggled to process such cruel news.
"The Gray Terminal in the Goa Kingdom has always been compared to our slums, hasn't it?" Hughes Holt muttered after a long pause. "I used to think our King Norton I was crazy enough, but it turns out the king of the Goa Kingdom is even crazier. I was wrong. From now on, I'll never join in when people curse King Norton I. I'll thank him for his grace of not killing us..."
Sabo, Ander, and Ilya Reed were left speechless at his words.
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
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