Chapter 74: Righteousness and Evil for the Future

The speed of Lightning was incredibly fast. In just a moment, Asa had taken Jessica from the food court to the port where his ship was docked.

After casually inspecting a few decent-looking ships, Asa hopped aboard one, effortlessly tossing the remaining crew members into the sea. Without hesitation, he commandeered the vessel and set sail toward open waters.

By the time the marines protecting Jessica arrived at the dock, Asa had already disappeared beyond the horizon.

The seagulls chirped sharply, carried by the salty sea breeze. On the endless ocean, a small boat—just over ten meters long—glided forward with the wind.

At the bow, Jessica had removed her chef's hat, letting her wavy golden hair cascade over her shoulders. The sight of her standing there, with an air of vulnerability, was undeniably beautiful.

Yet, her eyes burned with hatred as she glared at Asa.

"You're a pirate who commits all kinds of atrocities. What exactly do you want from me?"

Just moments ago, she had been participating in the prestigious Chef Competition in Gourmet City. Now, she found herself abducted, sailing alongside Asa on an uncertain voyage.

Was she afraid of pirates? No. She had grown up in Marine Headquarters, listening to the stories of great naval heroes. Fear was not in her nature.

"I'm assembling a pirate crew, but I still need a chef," Asa stated matter-of-factly, adjusting the ship's rudder to keep them on course.

His confidence was unwavering, completely ignoring the murderous glare Jessica shot at him.

"Keep dreaming! I will never join the ranks of evil pirates!" Jessica snapped, hurling her chef's hat at Asa. "Kill me if you must! Justice will never bow to evil!"

"Justice? Evil?" Asa suddenly burst into laughter, as if he had just heard the most ridiculous joke in the world.

"What's so funny?!"

"I'm laughing at how naïve you are. You've been brainwashed by the Marines," Asa scoffed, shaking his head. His gaze drifted toward the boundless ocean as he spoke.

"There is no such thing as justice or evil in this world. These are just the words of those in power—the ones who win. We stand on opposite sides, and from your perspective, I am evil. But to me, you're the one who is blind."

When a weaker nation is conquered by a stronger one, the weaker sees the stronger as villains. But from the perspective of the strong, if the weak could not defend themselves, why shouldn't they be taken over?

"The Marines represent justice? And pirates are inherently evil? That's absolute nonsense. Only those who think critically can see past such illusions."

He paused for a moment before continuing, "Of course, in your eyes, I am a villain. I won't deny that. But in my own eyes, I've done nothing wrong."

"The weak submit to the strong. History is written by the victors. That is the eternal truth—so tell me, where have I erred?"

Asa turned his gaze toward Jessica, his eyes piercing into her delicate yet determined face. His tone left no room for argument.

"I know that, to you, my words sound like baseless rhetoric. But in time, you will come to understand."

Legends like Roger and Whitebeard set sail with their own purposes. If the Marines and the World Government never interfered with them, would they have fought against the Marines? Highly unlikely.

In some nations of the New World, children's songs were sung with lines like, "The great pirate Whitebeard is more terrifying than the devil!"

Yet, Whitebeard had no interest in ruling the world. He only cared for his family. But the World Government, fearing his strength, painted him as a monster. Who, then, was truly right or wrong?

Asa had set sail in pursuit of freedom, thrill, and excitement. Anyone who tried to stop him—whether directly or indirectly—was eliminated. And he felt no guilt about it.

After all, as the saying goes, the strong define what is right.

Those who judge others never stop to consider things from a different perspective.

Jessica huffed, turning her head away in disdain. But behind her clenched teeth, she was already scheming an escape.

"Let's see how this so-called evil pirate thinks he can change my mind."

Her resolve was unwavering. The beliefs instilled in her since childhood were not so easily shaken.

"Alright, enough debating," Asa sighed. "Go make some snacks."

Jessica glared at him but didn't respond.

"There are plenty of ingredients on board. It won't hurt to eat a little more. Besides, we're heading to the City of the Queen of Spring next—the most prosperous city on this stretch of the Grand Line. Naturally, the Marines have a branch stationed there. I'll let you see firsthand how justice turns evil when given the chance."

Asa waved his hand dismissively. "Now, go cook. It's going to rain soon."

Jessica's expression remained defiant, but she finally turned toward the cabin. After everything that had happened, she was starting to feel hungry.

Asa smirked. Good. As long as she starts obeying, she'll get used to it. Then, eventually, she'll come around.

Suddenly, a deafening boom split the sky.

The once-brilliant sun vanished behind a mass of dark clouds. Within moments, the sky was shrouded in shadows, and the humidity in the air surged, signaling an impending storm.

As expected.

The weather on the Grand Line was notoriously unpredictable. And in the New World, it was even more erratic. But even Asa had rarely encountered such an abrupt shift.

"Crash!"

In an instant, heavy rain began to pour, drenching everything. Towering waves rocked the ship violently, threatening to swallow it whole.

"So, I still haven't broken past the 200-million-volt limit…" Asa muttered to himself, standing still as the rain washed over him.

If he could break that threshold, he would finally be able to go toe-to-toe with Garp without being at a disadvantage. Then, he could roam freely across the New World, standing at the very peak of the seas.

But for now, such thoughts were premature. He still had more work to do.

Raising his right arm, Asa clenched his fist.

Boom!

A blinding bolt of lightning erupted from his palm, piercing through the storm clouds like a divine spear. The sheer force of the discharge shattered the dark sky, creating a massive, visible hole where sunlight streamed through once more.

"The power behind a casual strike like this is decent… but compared to Garp's fists, which can literally shatter thunderclouds, it's still lacking."

Garp's legendary strength allowed him to demolish mountains with his punches. His clashes against pirates often resulted in entire fleets being sunk. It was no wonder he always had to request new battleships after every mission.

Asa narrowed his eyes.

"The problem isn't quantity… My body recovers far too quickly for that to be an issue. If I can generate Heaven's Judgement by hand, then the real limitation must be quality rather than output…"

Deep in thought, he lowered himself onto the deck, cross-legged.

It was time to figure out a new approach.

(End Of Chapter)

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