Chapter 334 A Sense of Justice
Honestly, Raked II was currently quite bewildered.
After realizing there were intruders in the palace—with a blade already at his neck—his heart filled with terror.
In that instant, his thoughts were consumed with whether these people were attacking pirates or domestic rebels.
Whoever they were, what he needed to do next was preserve his life at any cost.
But now the situation seemed different from what he'd expected.
Had these people not come for his wealth?
The King's mind was completely muddled now.
Why was the noble district prosperous while the slums were utterly impoverished?
Who would ask such a ridiculous question?
Especially sneaking into his palace in the dead of night, taking him hostage, then asking this!
Were these people insane?
Though he thought this internally, Raked II didn't dare delay. He hurriedly responded.
"This country has always been this way, generation after generation."
His Majesty answered thus. "The territory isn't large, and there are no resources to make the nation prosperous. So both country and people have always been poor."
Brett's mouth twitched. The guy looked like a fat fool but actually wasn't stupid.
Quite skilled at deflecting.
"I'm not asking why the country is so poor. I'm asking why the wealth gap is so extreme."
"Yeah!"
Nana beside him nodded repeatedly. "You're so rich, yet you let the citizens live like that? You're really a terrible king."
Raked II's face flushed bright red. He argued, "My wealth was accumulated over generations of royalty! What does it have to do with those commoners?"
"So then, how was this wealth accumulated?"
Brett smiled. "Through companies and shops operated by royalty and nobility? Purchasing life necessities cheaply overseas, then selling them at high prices to this nation's citizens?"
Raked II was undoubtedly a greedy monarch, but he hadn't directly used violent means to seize wealth from the people.
Robbery was too inefficient.
He was a businessman.
"You're way too terrible!"
Nana loudly rebuked him. "As king, the most important thing is ensuring your citizens' livelihoods, right?!"
King Neptune of Fish-Man Island was like that.
Though Ryugu Palace was naturally far more luxurious than other Fish-Man Island residents' homes, even during the years before Fish-Man Island's great development, Neptune had still worked hard to improve people's lives.
The king nodded awkwardly. "Yes, yes..."
What kind of idiots were these people?
Running here late at night to spout nonsense and talk foolishness.
If not for fearing these fools would simply slit his throat, he'd have already sneered aloud.
Since when did kings serve their subjects?
The entire country belonged to the king! All citizens were merely the king's private property!
As long as he could make money, who cared whether those lowlifes lived or died?
This was what Raked II thought.
But right now, preserving his life mattered most. Best to just go along with these bastards.
Shirahoshi had already pressed her lips together.
She could hear very clearly the voices in this king's heart.
Having reached this point, there was no need to continue.
Brett casually knocked the obese king on the head, knocking him unconscious.
"Alright, Shirahoshi, what are your impressions?"
Brett asked softly.
"Why is it like this, Brett-niisan?"
The little princess asked somewhat bewildered. "Why, when they're all human, do they treat each other this way?"
The little princess didn't quite understand.
Between humans, there shouldn't be problems with mutual understanding, right? So why treat their own kind this way?
"The premise of mutual understanding is that both sides can compromise."
Brett said. "But some things cannot be compromised."
"Cannot be compromised?"
Shirahoshi blinked.
Sometimes people faced awkward situations where both sides clearly understood each other's difficulties, but for various reasons had to remain opposed.
Mutual understanding was meaningless in such cases. Love and peace were just empty words.
Take this obese king, for instance. Did he not know what kind of lives his citizens lived?
He certainly knew.
As the nation's largest merchant, his understanding of this country's situation might even exceed that of the citizens personally suffering hardship.
But that didn't stop him from continuing to exploit this nation.
Brett thought these things, then conveyed this concept to Shirahoshi through her Observation Haki.
If he explained it verbally, she probably wouldn't understand.
The little princess's mouth opened slightly.
That night, Brett brought the two little girls to visit every noble's home in this country, asking them all the same question.
How they answered didn't matter. What mattered was that Shirahoshi heard all their inner voices.
"Humans are really awful. They're the same race, yet they treat people this way."
Nana sighed and shook her head, her young face wearing a world-weary expression as if her illusions about the world had completely shattered.
"Humans... seem different from what Mama said."
The little princess looked somewhat distressed.
"Never mind all that!"
Nana turned excitedly toward Brett. "Brett-niisan, this country's people are too pitiful! Let's do something!"
"Oh? What do you want to do?"
Brett smiled.
"Let's distribute those bad guys' money to the people!"
Nana grinned. "Why should these guys let people live like that while they themselves live in luxury?"
"Eh? Nana-neesan—"
The little princess said somewhat helplessly. "That's not good, right? Those things belong to other people..."
"They are other people's things—stolen from the citizens!"
Nana waved her small hand. This child possessed a very simple sense of justice. She didn't need elaborate reasons—seeing injustice, she was willing to help.
"We're just returning the money to those who should rightfully have it!"
"Well said, Nana."
Brett nodded approvingly. "Then go ahead and do it."
This wasn't difficult for him anyway.
And so that night, it rained in this country.
Not ordinary rain, but rain of gold, jewels, and money.
The entire country practically boiled over.
But the instigators had already quietly departed. The journey continued.
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