Chapter 204: Right And Wrong, And Growth
A certain priest with golden hair once said:
“A person’s life will experience three growths.
The first is understanding the right and wrong of things;
The second is understanding that some things are not just right or wrong;
The third is, after understanding that some things have no right or wrong, still firmly doing what one believes in and taking responsibility for it.”
Generally speaking, although not everyone can experience all three growths completely, in the long course of life, one will inevitably experience one or two of them.
But Aoxi is different; she was walking well on the path of life when suddenly she was kicked back to the starting point.
And when she got up and looked up again… where the hell did this come from? Is this still the country?
She not only has to face a brand new world but also a brand new self; now forget about path dependence—she can’t even find the road.
Fortunately, Aoxi’s brand new life, after a year of exploration and witnessing all sorts of people and things, finally found her new “right and wrong.”
And this journey has indeed been smooth sailing: performing rites for the deceased spirits, bringing mortals’ dreams to the sky… Aoxi’s “right and wrong” has indeed influenced those people.
But that’s where it ends.
After all, whether it’s the pirates who witnessed Aoxi performing rites or the ordinary people who couldn’t reach Sky Island on their own, although they are older than Aoxi, on the path of growth, they have been left behind by her.
They just see Aoxi walking ahead and instinctively follow.
Now, finally, someone walking ahead of Aoxi has appeared, and the road under their feet is different from Aoxi’s, which is undoubtedly something unacceptable to her.
『Is my path wrong? Hers is right?』
『Will the road under my feet break off someday?』
『What meaning has there been in the path I’ve walked?』
“Hey, Sister La, can you tell me the answer?”
Aoxi looked at La with hopeful eyes, hoping to get affirmation from her, but instead got a gentle shake of the head from La.
“I’ve already said it, Aoxi—this time is just to let you seriously witness the path others walk.”
“Don’t obsess over right and wrong; life is originally a vast wilderness—you can go wherever you want. What’s truly important is leaving the footprints you desire.”
This is a lesson with no teacher to teach it, and the final exam is a blank paper with no standard answer.
As long as one can boldly and confidently write one’s own name, one passes.
……
“Mama~ mama~”
“What a miraculous ability; this brat recovered so quickly.”
Watching Aoxi, who was bouncing around lively again in no time, Big Mom couldn’t help but feel curiosity toward La’s golden flame.
Unlike Aoxi, who was treated as a child, Big Mom had placed La on the same level as herself from the start.
She was very clear that this golden little girl in front of her would be the one sitting at the negotiation table with her.
“Just some minor tricks, not worth mentioning.”
“Mama~ is that so.”
Seeing that the other party was unwilling to say more, Big Mom didn’t press and instead brought up the main topic.
“By the way, how do you plan to pay this brat’s ‘tuition fee’? The cost of Old Lady making a move isn’t something a bit of gold can settle.”
“Ten percent of Beasts Heavy Industry’s sales profit in the New World, plus thirty percent of future sales profits in the Four Seas and ‘Paradise’.”
La stated her price.
“Hm? Four Seas and ‘Paradise’? You have connections there?”
Big Mom’s intelligence didn’t show that Beasts had extended their reach beyond the New World.
“No.”
“So in areas outside the New World, your side will provide the sales channels, and our side will provide the goods.”
This was part of the alliance between both sides; the alliance between Beasts and Big Mom this time would involve many aspects, not just military alliance, but also alliance in interests.
“Mama~ mama~ That brat Kaido is really calculating!”
Big Mom Pirates indeed have a large distribution of subordinate factions in the Four Seas and ‘Paradise’.
After all, Big Mom wants to collect all races, and some rare races aren’t in the New World—only on some remote small islands in the Four Seas.
“But if that’s the case, Old Lady wants fifty percent of the profit!”
Undoubtedly, a lion’s big mouth.
Beasts’ arms never lack buyers; just for proxy sales, taking half the profit is no different from extortion.
“Thirty percent.”
La said expressionlessly:
“I need to remind you, Charlotte lady, this is not the negotiation you imagine, and I have no interest in haggling with you.”
“You just need to answer agree or disagree.”
“What did you say?!”
“Just a Beasts brat, daring to be so arrogant!”
Before Big Mom could speak, the recovered Oven and Daifuku were already the first to yell discontentedly.
She’s just a cowardly little girl who didn’t dare say anything when her own sister was beaten badly by Mama, yet she dares to have this attitude toward Mama?!
Their mother’s crushing victory just now had restored confidence and arrogance to these sons and daughters.
And La completely ignored these people’s meaningless anger and contempt, quietly waiting for Big Mom’s nod.
“La, for Old Lady to teach your sister a lesson, I went to great lengths!”
“And you wrecked Old Lady’s celebration—I haven’t settled that with you yet! This is the most important founding ceremony of ‘Whole Cake Island’!”
“You think thirty percent profit can send Old Lady away?!”
Big Mom’s words were intense, and at the same time, the Conqueror’s Haki that seemed able to crush everything surged from her body, pressing down toward La below.
“Captain Kaido’s original intention was only to give twenty percent profit to your side.”
“But Aoxi is my sister; I feel her one extracurricular tutoring session should be worth another ten percent profit.”
“So it’s thirty percent.”
La seemed not to feel Big Mom’s pressure at all, casually explaining the process of how she and Kaido decided the profit allocation.
Big Mom understood this meant the other side had no intention of yielding.
“Mama~ mama~”
“Since that’s the case, then let Old Lady see where the confidence comes from for that brat Kaido and you to use this price to send me away!”
Big Mom slammed one hand in front of La, staring at La intently with those terrifying eyes, as if ready to act if words didn’t match.
And facing the aggressive Big Mom, La just slowly raised her left hand, opening her palm toward a certain direction in Big Mom’s somewhat puzzled gaze.
“What are you…”
“!!!”
Big Mom, who was curious just a second ago, lost her composure the next second upon sensing what was in that direction!
She suddenly widened her eyes and let out an extremely furious roar!
“That bastard Kaido!”
Strange, what the hell am I writing?
