"The streets are bustling, with goods being sold everywhere, but the chaos is real."
Moses walked down the street, witnessing no fewer than five brawls along the way.
And that wasn't all—from the distant areas he hadn't yet explored, the faint sound of gunshots could be heard.
Through Observation Haki, he sensed several life forces fading away.
Moses spotted a fruit stall about ten meters away and walked over. The variety of fruits was impressive.
Seeing Moses approach, the vendor waved him off with a look of disdain. "Shoo, shoo! I don't give handouts here. If you're begging, go somewhere else. I spotted you from a distance, wandering around aimlessly."
Moses froze, then glanced down at himself in confusion. His clothes weren't tattered or anything.
"What are you staring at? I've seen plenty of unwanted brats like you. Don't think just because you're wearing clean clothes, I won't recognize you. Get lost!"
The vendor cursed again. "Trying to scam me? You should've at least brought an adult with you. How many times do you think I'll fall for this trick?
"I've been burned before. Get out of here. This isn't a charity."
Silently, Moses pulled out a 500-coin stamped with a small dragon and said calmly,
"How much can this buy? I want apples."
The vendor's expression stiffened, then he pursed his lips and snatched the coin. "Apples, 500 Belly per pound."
The vendor picked several apples, stuffed them into a bag, and handed it over. Moses took it, weighed it in his hand, and raised an eyebrow.
"Your scale's off. This is clearly heavier—by about two taels."
At the first half of his sentence, the vendor's lips curled, ready to curse again. But hearing the second half, he fell silent before scowling fiercely.
"Get lost already, you talk too much. My scale's fine. Stop yapping."
Moses smiled at the vendor, who was actually kind-hearted despite his rough demeanor. He pulled out a bright red apple from the bag, wiped it on his clothes, and—
Crunch!
He took a big bite. Crisp and sweet—delicious. Chewing, Moses grinned.
"Actually, you're mistaken. I just arrived on this island today. I snuck off the ship to explore on my own."
"Mind telling me why you thought I was a beggar?"
Seeing Moses' demeanor and taking a closer look—his smooth, unblemished hands, the lack of any unpleasant odor—the vendor began to believe him.
But then his face darkened, his lips twitching.
"So… you have money?"
Moses nodded cheerfully. "Of course. So, are you going to rob me? I've been wandering around here for a while, and people's eyesight doesn't seem too sharp."
The vendor's expression turned cold. "If you know their eyesight's bad, why aren't you running back? This port city is controlled by the Ishu Family, and their business is thriving."
A glint flashed in Moses' eyes as he looked at the vendor in surprise.
"Care to elaborate?"
With that, he pulled out another 500-coin and flicked it into the air. It spun before landing neatly in the vendor's lap.
Hesitating, but swayed by the Belly, the vendor muttered,
"The Ishu Family's commerce is booming. Their operations are vast. For lone outsiders like you..."
At this point, he seemed to hesitate, stopping mid-sentence with an irritated expression. "Get lost already, stop interfering with my business," he snapped.
With that, he tossed a coin toward Moses, who deftly caught it. The coin flipped between his fingers a few times before he flicked it back to the shopkeeper.
Moses grinned and waved. "Appreciate the kindness. Bye, foul-mouthed but kind-hearted boss."
Though the man had only spoken half of what he meant, Moses understood—likely something about trafficking outsiders.
Without bothering to acknowledge the shopkeeper's flushed face, Moses turned and walked away, munching on an apple. Glancing at the five remaining apples in his bag, the corners of his lips curled slightly.
"Seems not everyone here is cold-hearted. Then again, painting them all with the same brush wouldn't be fair."
Moses continued strolling through the bustling streets, leisurely weaving through the crowd when something caught his eye.
Not far away, a boy of about fifteen or sixteen brushed past a grown man. Moses clearly saw a nimble, thieving hand slip into the man's pocket and fish out a wallet.
After the boy passed the man, another youth crossed paths with the thief, who swiftly handed over the stolen wallet.
"A team, huh?"
Amused, Moses followed the boy who ended up with the wallet, tailing him through alleys and streets, keeping a safe distance behind.
Along the way, he watched as the boy bought a large baguette from an old bakery, carefully cradling it under his oversized clothes.
Half an hour later, in a rundown, increasingly desolate part of town, Moses saw the boy slip into a half-collapsed, hidden courtyard.
Breathing steadily, Moses entered the Unity of Heaven and Man, syncing his Breath with the surroundings as he approached.
Faint, chaotic chatter reached his ears.
"Big Brother Vil, you're back! Any luck? Yay~ more baguette! You're amazing, Vil!"
"Vil, where's Moni? Didn't he come back with you?"
"He's still scouting outsiders. Lay low these next few days—there's been a lot of gang fights among the newcomers. Stay sharp. Now, go boil some water. We'll have bread porridge later."
"Oh, Vil, what about that girl you met earlier? Did she agree to join us?"
"Uh… still refuses. That brat thinks she's hot stuff just because she can use sorcery. Even when I offered to let her be the boss, she turned me down and mocked us."
"What a nasty little freak. And you even gave her food before."
"Tell me about it."
"Hey Vil, should we sell her info to the Ishu Merchants? Maybe we'd get a reward. She's an outsider, not from here."
"Shut up, Aban! We're thieves, but we don't do that kind of scummy shit. Anyone who tries it—don't blame me for cutting ties."
Moses stood outside the corner of the wall, listening to the voices coming from within. He felt both curious and surprised—curious about the "her" they mentioned who could wield sorcery, and surprised by the resolve of the young boy named Vale.
With that in mind, Moses walked to the entrance, bent down, and slipped inside. As he entered the courtyard, his eyes fell upon five young boys and girls. The oldest was Vale, the one who had taken the wallet, while the other four—two boys and two girls—were younger, around twelve or thirteen years old.
The moment they spotted Moses, all five froze in shock. Vale stepped forward, frowning as he demanded, "Kid, who are you? How did you get here?"
A slightly older boy with a bowl cut scowled menacingly. "Hey, brat, speak up, or I'll beat you up."
"Brother Aban, don't scare him. Let me handle this," a purple-haired girl chimed in, stepping forward with a cheerful grin. "Little brother, what's your name? I'm Jada. Can you tell us how you got here?"
Moses ignored her, instead eyeing Vale with amusement. "Mind telling me? Where's that little girl who can use sorcery? I'm a bit interested."
Jada puffed her cheeks in displeasure. Seeing this, Aban's eyes flashed with anger. "Hey, brat! Jada's talking to you. Are you deaf?" He strode forward, reaching out to grab Moses by the head.
Just then, an arm shot out, gripping Aban's wrist. Aban glared at the offender. "Vale, what's the meaning of this?"
Moses took a step back, intrigued. Infighting?
Vale released Aban's arm, his expression cold. "I don't recall teaching you this, Aban. Bullying the weak is forbidden for us."
Seeing Vale's anger, Aban faltered, turning his face away. "Alright, alright, I get it. Don't look at me like that, Vale. Sorry."
Vale's gaze softened slightly as he turned back to Moses. "Care to explain?"
Moses grinned, sizing up Vale, who carried an air of sharp competence. "I saw it. I saw the whole thing—you two stealing earlier. Then I followed you here. I've answered you. Now, what about that sorcery girl? Where is she?"
Vale's brow furrowed. "Why do you want to find her? Who are you?"
"Ha!" Moses chuckled before suddenly lunging forward, aiming a kick at Vale's stomach.
"Huh?" Vale barely had time to react, startled by Moses' speed. He clenched his right fist and swung with full force.
Thud!
A dull impact echoed as Vale staggered backward from the kick.
The remaining four gasped in shock. Aban reacted fastest, snatching up a brick from the ground and hurling it at Moses.
Moses' eyes flickered with surprise as he deftly caught the brick midair. In one fluid motion, he closed the distance to Aban and swung the brick down.
Crash! The brick shattered into three pieces against Aban's forehead. Moses let go, watching as the boy collapsed, eyes rolling back, blood trickling from his temple.
Moses looked at him and curled his lips, "Daring to copy my sneak attack, you've got some nerve."
Then, turning to Weil, who now wore a wary expression, Moses chuckled and said:
"Mind telling me? If you do, I'll give you an opportunity—a real chance to survive in this world."
Weil stiffened for a moment before gritting his teeth and replying:
"You tell me first. Why are you looking for her? If you mean her harm, I won't say a word."
Moses laughed, his gaze oddly amused. "No, it's fine if you don't. If you won't talk, there are still them." He gestured toward the remaining panicked boy and two girls. "Once I take you down, I'll use you to threaten these guys. They'll spill it for me."
Weil's face darkened instantly.
Moses felt his words sounded a bit too villainous, but it was kind of fun.
He simply watched Weil with amusement.
Left with no choice, Weil muttered, "In an abandoned house near the forest west of these ruins. She's there."
"I've told you, and I've got no money. So, can you let us go now?"
Hearing this, Moses grinned. This guy had decent character—knew when to yield, wasn't stubborn, and had talent. His judgment hadn't been wrong.
"Thanks!" Moses turned to leave but paused after a few steps, glancing back at Weil. "That opportunity I mentioned? Head west of the port here. A Marine battleship from headquarters is docked there. Tell them Moses sent you, and they'll take you in."
"Up to you whether you go or not."
"Bye~ Good luck, you not-so-bad thieves."
With that, Moses slipped away.
...
"Desolate place, huh? An old abandoned district?"
Moses walked down the ruined streets, a stark contrast to the bustling avenues not far away. Weeds sprouted everywhere.
Soon, he reached the forest-adjacent ruins—collapsed, derelict houses scattered about.
Hopping onto a two-meter-high pile of rubble, Moses scanned the area, releasing his Observation Haki. Almost instantly, he detected a faint presence.
Not strong.
But clearly not some small animal either.
Moses headed in that direction. Two minutes later, he stepped into the forest. Among the sparse trees, vibrant flowers carpeted the ground, bursting with unusual vitality.
Walking through the blossoms, he soon heard a cheerful voice up ahead:
"La-la-la~ la-la-la~ The flowers smell so nice! Mmm, poor Pepe~ So pitiful."
"Ah, but it's not so bad. Good things will happen one day! Hang in there~ Pepe-chan!"
The childish voice giggled, offering encouragement—though it was unclear to whom. It sounded like she was amusing herself. Moses approached.
What greeted him was the tiny, pink twin-tailed back of a girl, hunched over as she stared at something in front of her. Curious, Moses spoke up:
"Who are you? Talking to yourself?"
The small figure visibly flinched, then toppled over.
Then, to Moses' astonishment, something like a spirit emerged from her body.
The spirit wore identical clothing to the figure on the ground, appearing to be a little girl around seven or eight years old, floating above the flowers and grass.
The spectral girl now had one hand on her hip while pointing at Moses with the other, tilting her head as she asked curiously:
"Who are you? Did you come looking for me?"
"Hmm, I heard there was a strange little girl here who uses witchcraft. Got curious, so I came to check. That would be you, right?"
Tilting her head further, the spirit girl's eyes darted around before she suddenly thrust her right palm toward Moses.
At that moment,
A white, translucent spirit resembling a teru teru bozu shot out from the girl's palm, rushing straight toward Moses.