Chapter 20: Crossroads of Fate
"Be a pirate? Sure." Alvida didn't object at all.
Cheng Lang shook his head.
"That's not what I meant."
"I thought I'd meet Luffy in Rogue Town. That's why I've been sailing—traveling, thinking about what I should do with my future."
Alvida understood.
She fell silent. Her own thoughts drifted.
People think differently when they're poor and when they're rich.
When you're starving, all you want is a meal.
Once you're full, you start dreaming bigger.
It was the same for her.
When she had nothing, all she thought about was money.
Now, with a chest of gold worth tens of billions, her perspective shifted.
For a great nation, that fortune was nothing.
But for a small one, it was everything.
Enough to buy loyalty, armies, even crowns.
With such wealth, she could live in luxury forever.
So why be a pirate? Why risk her life?
She could found a country.
Become a noble.
Live as a lord.
Who wouldn't want that?
In this world, the Celestial Dragons were the ultimate symbol—
Idolized, feared, obeyed.
It was said they could command admirals directly.
If given the chance to become one, who would refuse?
And with enough gold, she could at least become the next best thing:
A local noble, indistinguishable from the Dragons themselves.
The thought thrilled her.
Her imagination spiraled further and further—
Until Cheng Lang's voice cut in.
"What do you think about joining the Revolutionary Army?"
---
What Do You Think of This World?
"What!? Are you crazy? You want to go against the World Government?" Alvida stared at Cheng Lang in disbelief.
As a pirate, she was already hunted by the Navy from time to time—
and every encounter left her terrified.
The thought of opposing the World Government itself was unthinkable.
That wasn't just dangerous.
That was suicide.
By then, she wouldn't even have the chance to spend her fortune.
Cheng Lang smiled awkwardly.
"It's just an idea."
But Alvida shook her head firmly.
"Don't even think about it. That's the World Government. Small people like us can't afford to offend them."
She sighed, then added:
"Forget the Revolutionary Army. Do you even know what the Devil's Child is?"
"I know. Robin—the Devil's Child, right?"
"She's the perfect example. Hunted by both the World Government and the Navy. There's even a rumor: if you hand her over alive, they'll erase your crimes as a pirate."
"Real or fake?"
"I don't know. But true or not, it doesn't matter. Rumors like that push pirates against her. She can't trust anyone—not pirates, not nations. She's isolated from both the black and white worlds."
Cheng Lang nodded.
It made sense.
Public opinion itself was a weapon.
"By the way," he asked curiously, "why did you become a pirate?"
Alvida stretched, her eyes distant.
"This is a long story…"
Her parents had been ordinary farmers.
But the kingdom demanded heavy taxes—money and labor from every family.
With little savings, they cut back on food.
In the end, her parents starved to death.
She was left an orphan.
She survived by stealing.
And because she had known hunger, she grew obsessed with food.
She ate whenever she could.
Her body grew heavy, her strength grew with it.
But stealing couldn't sustain her anymore.
So she became a bully.
First collecting protection money.
Then, within a few years, she was wanted.
Finally, she went to sea.
And became a pirate.
---
Everything had happened so naturally.
There was never really a choice.
Life had forced her hand—until she finally became a pirate.
Cheng Lang saw the root of the problem immediately.
It all began with the Heavenly Tribute.
In countless nations, people went hungry and cold because they had to cut back on food and clothing just to pay the tribute. Families collapsed under the weight of it. Those who couldn't survive turned to crime.
The population shrank, but the tribute never did.
The burden on the survivors only grew heavier.
A vicious cycle.
In the end, those who resisted became pirates.
Those who didn't… starved.
Eventually, the population dwindled, the kingdom lost its status as a member state, and pirates destroyed what remained.
Other nations saw this and rushed to become member states themselves.
And so, pirates could never truly be eradicated.
The more pirates harassed the seas, the more nations sought protection under the World Government—feeding the cycle again.
The so-called Great Pirate Era was said to have begun with Roger.
But perhaps it was less about one man's declaration—
and more about inevitability.
Resentment had built up for generations.
And when it reached its breaking point, it exploded.
---
"This is really like the change of dynasties."
"What?"
"It's fine, I've already applied sunscreen." Cheng Lang clapped his hands, walked to the railing, and gazed out at the sea.
Alvida turned her head. In the sunlight, Cheng Lang's eyes seemed fixed on the horizon, as if he were staring into the future. Yet she could feel the heaviness in him.
After all, what she had just told him wasn't a cheerful story.
"Don't worry. We have so much gold, the situation I described won't happen," she said.
To Alvida, her family's tragedy had always been about money.
Cheng Lang didn't argue. In this world, there was no such thing as basic education. Alvida was fortunate—she could at least read. Most people couldn't even recognize their own names, let alone reflect on why they had fallen into piracy.
All they knew was: no money meant stealing, and stealing eventually meant becoming a pirate.
Every step looked like a choice, but in truth, people of this era had no choice at all.
One Piece told a story of freedom and adventure. And it was precisely because the world was so suffocating that freedom shone so brightly.
Like a firefly in the dark—small, but dazzling.
Exhaling slowly, Cheng Lang felt clarity settle in. His path was becoming clear.
Join the Revolutionary Army?
He dismissed the thought.
That was the path of those with no other options.
Joining meant burning every bridge, walking a single road to the bitter end. His abilities would fit them well, and he wouldn't mind helping someday—but not now.
Become a Marine?
He could. His record was clean. Entry would be easy.
But he shook his head. The Navy's idea of justice was noble.
Its actions were not.
"Alvida, I'm going to be a pirate."
"Why?"
She was baffled. With his abilities, he could join a kingdom and become a noble, or even found his own nation and rule as king. At the very least, he could live as a wealthy man. She wouldn't even have been surprised if he'd chosen the Navy.
After all, she knew him well by now. Cheng Lang was a good man—kind-hearted, almost naïve. He didn't want to be a pirate.
"Why? What do you think of the world?"
---
"This world?"
Alvida hesitated. No one had ever asked her that before. She frowned.
"What do you mean?"
"Just your opinion. For example, you could simply say: 'The world is beautiful.'"
"Huh? Of course it's terrible." Alvida answered without hesitation.
"What exactly makes you feel it's terrible?" Cheng Lang pressed.
Alvida fell silent. She searched her memories. But no matter how far back she went, she couldn't pinpoint a single moment that proved the world was rotten. She just felt it was rotten. Always had.
Seeing her struggle, Cheng Lang smiled.
"You can't answer, can you? The reason is simple: you've felt the world was rotten your entire life."
His words struck her.
It was true. Since birth, she'd never had a full meal as a child. Never lived a stable life as an adult.
But since meeting Cheng Lang, the world had shifted.
She had become beautiful.
She had gained wealth.
For the first time, she could imagine comfort. She even dreamed of becoming a noble—escaping the endless chase, never worrying about food again.
"You're right," Alvida admitted. Then she frowned.
"But what does that have to do with you being a pirate?"
Cheng Lang didn't answer directly.
"If I became a Marine," he asked instead, "what do you think I could achieve with my current abilities?"
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