Three Days in the Island Food City
It had been three days since Charlotte arrived at the Island Food City.
The original target, Saga Lido, had vanished without a trace. No—disappeared was more accurate.
Charlotte sat in the captain's quarters, leaning back in his chair, his irritation evident.
Then he suddenly sat up straight.
"Tell me! Is there any way to find him?"
For a brief moment, Beta and Douglas Barrett—who had temporarily joined to repay a debt of gratitude—were at a loss for words.
Charlotte had been completely dumbfounded when he first heard that Barrett had allied himself with the Heberfil family.
Of course, he had no reason to turn away such a powerful asset.
However, now that he was seeking advice from these two, he realized how pointless it was. Both of them were brutes who only knew how to settle matters with their fists.
The moment the words left his mouth, Charlotte regretted even asking.
Looking at their silence, he sighed internally and decided not to push further.
What he needed now was a strategist.
Someone like... Ivan, the cunning tactician.
Just then, the door swung open, and a woman entered.
Lina strode in confidently, clad in a black, tailored V-neck short suit, tight black shorts, and a form-fitting black cloak.
Her long, straight, porcelain-white legs were particularly eye-catching.
"Charlotte, I heard that Saga Lido actually disappeared five days ago," Lina stated calmly.
Charlotte's eyes lit up.
"Lina, can you continue?"
She nodded.
"I found out through Hill Palen's intelligence network that Saga Lido was last seen in the civilian district."
Hill Palen?
Charlotte was well aware of the man—an overseas merchant who ran a shipping transit station on Lati Island. He was also a subordinate of the notorious Warehouse King, Giberson.
Charlotte had to admit that despite lacking deep backgrounds, these underground forces possessed exceptional intelligence networks. Their ability to gather information was not to be underestimated.
And in the end, it was Lina who provided the lead.
Men are unreliable.
"Civilian district?"
Charlotte frowned. A bad feeling gnawed at him.
In the One Piece world, trouble always seemed to brew in civilian areas.
Shaking off unnecessary thoughts, he stood up and walked toward the door.
He needed to act fast. Now that he had a solid lead, the best course of action was to investigate in person.
"Beta, you and Barrett stay behind and watch the ship. Wait for our return."
Beta tensed up. "Boss, don't worry! The ship's safe with us."
"Yeah!" Though Beta was a hot-blooded and battle-minded fighter, he never slacked when given orders.
Barrett, standing silently to the side, straightened his posture. He remained aloof, his expression carrying a hint of arrogance.
Charlotte paid no mind to their reactions—his focus was solely on tracking down Saga Lido.
As Charlotte and Lina departed, Beta exhaled in relief.
"Are you scared of Mr. Charlotte?" Barrett asked, puzzled. To him, Charlotte was an impressive yet low-key and kind man.
Beta shuddered internally but merely smirked. This guy's still young... He had no idea how brutal Charlotte's training sessions could be.
Someday, Barrett would cry.
With an air of superiority, Beta scoffed. "What do you know? This isn't fear—it's respect. You know nothing, you little brat!"
Barrett's expression darkened instantly.
He hated being called a kid.
His voice boomed. "Damn it! How many times do I have to say this?! I am not a little brat—my name is Douglas Barrett!"
"Got it, little brat."
Beta replied indifferently, tapping his ears as if he hadn't heard.
Barrett's face flushed red. His rage was palpable. "I am NOT a little brat! I am DOUGLAS BARRETT!"
Beta, completely unfazed, continued, "Oh, little brat, what was your name again?"
"You bastard! I'm Barrett!"
"What? Thunder?"
"Barrett!"
"What special?"
Barrett's eye twitched. He was seething. If he were strong enough, he'd make Beta regret existing.
"Hey, brat! Brat!"
Barrett clenched his fists, took a deep breath, and turned away in frustration. Dealing with this lunatic wasn't worth his time.
"Hey, hey, don't go! Are you mad? I'll buy you some meat!"
Beta ran after him, a teasing grin plastered on his face—completely unserious, completely shameless.
---
Island Food City – District 54, Civilian District
The civilian district of Island Food City was a stark contrast to its prosperous heart.
Crumbling buildings, overcrowded alleys, and suffocating spaces formed a place most would rather forget.
In a dark alley...
A young boy lay collapsed on the ground. He clutched a dirty, half-eaten piece of bread in his arms, yet his scarred face bore a genuine smile.
That smile had an indescribable charm.
"That's great, Mitiya... I won't go hungry today!"
Enduring the pain in his bruised body, the boy slowly stood up.
Carefully, he tucked the piece of bread into his shirt as if it were a priceless treasure.
After wiping the blood from his face, he hobbled out of the alley, moving with slow yet unwavering determination.
He soon entered an even darker, more confined space.
A place more accurately described as a slum than a "civilian area."
Nearly 40% of the island's native population was crammed into this space, which occupied less than 1/30th of the city's total area.
It was a place of despair.
Yet, for the boy, it was home.
For half an hour, he trudged forward, step by agonizing step.
Finally, he reached a shelter that barely qualified as a house—even by slum standards.
Calling it a "home" would be generous. It was merely a fragile refuge, built within the ruins of a half-collapsed building, with cardboard and scrap wood holding it together.
Taking a deep breath, the boy patted his cheeks, forcing himself to appear cheerful.
Then, with a bright smile, he lifted the tattered cloth that served as a door.
"Brother... y-you're back... cough, cough..."
A weak, childlike voice greeted him. The coughing was heavy, labored.
Hearing it, the boy instantly quickened his pace, ignoring the searing pain in his body.
He rushed to a crude wooden bed, where a pale little girl lay.
She was his sister—Mitiya.
"Mitiya, I earned another 30 Berries today! Don't worry, your illness will be cured soon!"
He forced a reassuring smile and pulled out the bread.
Despite his own gnawing hunger, he handed it to her without hesitation.
"Brother... You should eat too..."
Mitiya weakly broke the bread in two, taking the smaller piece and offering the larger one to her brother.
"Mitiya, I already ate! You eat it all!" The boy grinned, putting on a carefree act.
"Really...?"
"Of course! No worries."
Turning away quickly, he hid the truth—burying his hunger deep inside.
Silently, he placed his hard-earned 30 Berries into a rusty tin box.
His sister needed food and medicine.
He could endure hunger.
Without hesitation, he stood up. He had no time to rest.
He needed to find work—any work—to make more money.