“You cim we’re pirates who do nothing but evil?”

  On an unnamed deserted isnd, Moss gazed down at Tsuru, whose face was filled with shock. He spoke with a sful smile, “Even though we run these businesses for profit, the sheer quantity of grain we provide has driven market prices down by at least half.”

  “Do you know how many lives this grain and medie have saved?”

  “Do you uand hoeople in the New World and the West Blue struggle to survive each year because of food shes, all while paying massive tributes to the Wovero sustain the Celestial Dragons’ indulgent lifestyles? Some are so impoverished they ’t even afford the tribute, leaving citizens starving, desote, and their nations on the brink. These people survive thanks to that very grain.”

  And that was only the beginning. Over the years, Hell's Trading pany had quietly provided relief to impoverished isnds ier half of the New World. They anized periodic charity ics with recruited doctors and protected these isnds from pirates, either driving them away or eliminating them. The pany also employed idle young men from these regions, them respectable, stable jobs. For many locals, they were seen as saviors.

  Although their ultimate goal was to take trol of these isnds ohe Totto Land Pn was fully realized, they had still saved many civilians who would otherwise have perished.

  “What?!”

  Tsuru’s eyes widened, her face struck with shock. During her campaigns with the Navy against pirates, she’d heard citizens in poorer towns and vilges mention that grain prices had fallen, particurly in the New World, where the drop was most noticeable. These lower prices were making life easier for the struggling lower csses. Hell's Trading pany’s business, it seemed, had iently done a lot of good.

  "sider this: if Hell's Trading pany suddenly ceased its grain trade…" Uthan, the Minotaur, leaned against a tree with his arms crossed, his tone calm. "For starters, some of those struggling nations in the New World a Blue would immediately face a food crisis, potentially leading to severe famine, even the plete colpse of some."

  "If that happened, hundreds of thousands—if not millions—of civilians would gradually starve. How many of those would then be driven to the sea, forced to turn to piracy?"

  “Is that true?”

  Hearing Uthan’s words, Tsuru took a sharp breath, her scalp prig. She hadn’t realized that Hell's Trading pany wielded sufluence, with the fate of tless civilians hanging on it.

  “Mamamama, you know what my power is capable of. If I wao harm civilians, the entire Sabaody Archipego would have been drenched in blood.” Charlotte Linlin grinned, looking down at Tsuru, whose face was filled with turmoil and disbelief. “You may see us as ruthless for killing Marines, but in the end, it’s just a differen allegiances. When the Navy hunts us, they don’t hold back either.”

  Linlin’s voice dropped, filled with anger. “And with El as a Lunarian, we’re natural enemies of you Navy ‘dogs’ of the Wover. For hundreds of years, the Wover has ordered the Navy and CP to hunt down Lunarians, Three-Eye Tribes, Bueers, and other unique races, nearly driving them to extin. They’ve been fighting to survive all along.”

  "From El’s perspective, do you really believe these soldiers who hunt his people are i? Or are they simply ignorant, misled by the Wover?”

  "And even if they knew, do you think they’d stop following orders?"

  “Don’t deceive yourself.”

  “…”

  Tsuru frowned. Although she was disillusioned with the Navy, she khat most Marines, like herself, had joined with the ideal of upholding justice. Yet it was true that, uhe Wover’s trol, the Navy couldn’t pursue true justidepely. It had always been a tool created to uphold the Gover’s rule, cloaked in the guise of justice.

  Though Tsuru still believed El and his crew were excessively violent for killing so many Marihere was truth in Linlin’s words. After all, if aire family or race were being hunted down, was it unreasonable for them to resist?

  Especially now that her own faith in the Navy’s brand of justice had eroded, she was beginning to see the Wover’s true nature. This vast power that ruled the seas wasn’t so different from the tyrannical regimes of other kingdoms. The “Celestial Dragons,” with their absolute privileges and arrogance, were er than oppressive royalty. And she khe dark side of the Navy well enough that Linlin had a point.

  ‘Swish, Swish’

  At that moment, a "cloud" in the distance grew rger, approag with surprising speed.

  “What’s that?”

  “Wow, it’s huge—”

  “It’s El-sama and Gerd!”

  “Amazing… is that an isnd cloud from the Sky Isnds?”

  “pared to Zeus and Hera, this one is beyond huge!”

  Linlin, Lily, Nef, and the others wideheir eyes, watg in awe as the enormous isnd cloud hovered closer. They were both astonished and thrilled.

  “Is that…”

  Meanwhile, Tsuru’s face was one of stunned disbelief. As the isnd cloud drew nearer, she could make out what looked like a massive, humanoid fa its surface.

  “A homie created with the Soul-Soul Fruit?” The former Navy i gasped, breaking into a cold sweat. “This size is… unthinkable.”

  Having studied the Devil Fruits and their abilities, she was familiar with homies and had seen Hera on Sabaody. She had also witnessed Zeus and Prometheus after Gerd’s arrival. But their size was nothing pared to this enormous homie.