Chapter 125: Departure to New Worlds

“Don’t be nervous, kid.”

“We mean you no harm.”

“We’re employees of the Tongbao Arsenal.”

“This is the insurance and life-growth plan your parents purchased years ago.”

The two of them spoke as they pulled out the documents.

Back when Karl was building his influence in the Four Seas, he had already ordered his people to gather information about potential talents from the original works.

Thanks to the rapid growth of these organizations, buying insurance had quickly become a hot topic everywhere.

Half a month ago, Borsalino’s grandfather had passed away.

But before he left this world, Tongbao Arsenal had tracked him down and sold him an insurance policy.

He just hoped that after he died someone would look after his grandson.

“Is this for real?”

Borsalino lowered his guard a little and took the papers. He saw that his grandfather’s signature was indeed at the bottom.

“Grandpa…”

“Clunk!”

He let go of his suitcase without thinking.

Standing there, he gently traced his grandfather’s signature with his right hand. Tears started running down his face before he even realized.

The two men in black said nothing, just patiently waited.

“So… do I go with you now?”

Borsalino read through the contract carefully. He understood his grandfather wanted him to have a safer life, and he didn’t have any reason to refuse.

Besides, if these two were up to no good, they’d hardly bother explaining. They’d simply take action.

He was still just a kid, no way he could fight these two off.

“Of course!”

“Your grandfather paid a hefty sum for this.”

The man in black could tell that since the boy had dropped his guard, things would go smoothly from here.

“Can you wait for me a bit?”

Borsalino wanted to take one last good look around the room.

He knew that once he left, it could be years before he’d ever see it again.

He was right. Once he took this step, he might not return for over a decade.

“Of course. Take your time and tidy up your things if you want.”

The men in black didn’t mind either way—they were just following orders.

And there was no rush in picking him up. Sooner or later was all the same to them.

They stepped outside and quietly closed the door.

Borsalino felt lost. He had no idea what awaited him.

He wandered around the house aimlessly.

Then he found another suitcase and packed away some of his parents’ belongings too.

At least this way, he could keep their memory close.

“Goodbye, old friend. Till next time.”

After a while, Borsalino walked out with both suitcases in tow.

Sadly, he hadn’t had the chance to say farewell to Sayetti.

“Alright, let’s go then.”

The two men took his luggage and led him toward the large ship by the roadside.

“Where are we headed, exactly?”

Borsalino was curious where this journey would take him.

“Oh, right—we never introduced ourselves!”

The short-haired man realized they hadn’t even bothered with introductions yet.

“We’re with Tongbao Arsenal.”

“Here’s my card.”

“I’m Orm, he’s Argus.”

He handed Borsalino a pair of business cards as he spoke.

“First, we’re going to the Kingdom of Kokia in the North Blue. After that, someone will escort you to Cake Island in the New World.”

While Borsalino looked down at the business card, Orm explained their destination.

“The New World?”

“Where’s that?”

Borsalino had never heard of the New World, so he had no clue where it was.

He simply assumed it was some faraway place.

“It’s a long way from here.”

“Really, really far.”

Borsalino stared quietly at Orm, taking in the answer.

He looked back at his house one last time, reluctant to leave.

If it’s that far, coming home might become a distant dream.

Meanwhile, elsewhere in the North Blue, Sakazuki was also approached by two men in black.

At this point, his hometown hadn’t been destroyed by pirates yet, so he hadn’t developed that fierce hatred for evil.

After talking it over with his family, he too was taken to the Kingdom of Kokia.

They even left a Transponder Snail behind so his family could stay in touch.

“Hello, my name’s Sakazuki.”

“Nice to meet you, I’m Borsalino.”

Fate’s gears always seem to turn when you least expect it.

In the original story, the two of them joined the Navy in the same year.

Now, the two were joining the pirates at the same time.

And after months of searching, even Issho, who was born in the Grand Line, had been brought near Jaya Island.

Meanwhile, Moria, Kuzan, Kuma and others had all been added to the list for the Children’s Growth Program.

If they were older, they would’ve probably been picked up by now, too.

Karl didn’t want to spoil any of them, so the ideal age was around ten.

People in the world of pirates tend to mature quickly, and by ten years old a kid’s core personality was already set. That’s the perfect age to nurture them further.

“What is that?”

“Kawaii ne?”

The two of them waited quietly in Kokia Kingdom for the journey to the New World to resume.

During that time, they explored the Kingdom of Kokia a bit.

But on the seventh night, an island suddenly drifted down from the sky.

The two kids cried out in shock, eyes wide.

“Are we supposed to get on that thing?”

They shared confused glances with the men in black who’d brought them, their heads full of questions.

A flying island?

“Whew!”

“Hold on tight!”

With a rush of wind, the small island settled gently on the water’s surface.

“Click, click, click…”

From Skypiea above, a mechanical ladder slowly extended to the ground.

“Up you go, little ones.”

Sakazuki and Borsalino tried to stay calm.

They picked up their bags and stepped boldly onto the ladder.

“Oh wow, that’s actually kind of cool!”

Borsalino climbed higher and higher, glancing nervously down at the shrinking water below.

He couldn’t help but shiver—falling from this height would be instant death.

“Welcome to Visalia.”

Gan Fall greeted them with a warm smile. His open gaze put the boys at ease.

As soon as they set foot on the floating island, a young man was there to welcome them.

It was Gan Fall in his younger years, his face full of youthful energy.

Where Gan Fall pointed, they saw a group of a dozen or so kids up ahead.

All of them had eyes shining with curiosity.

These kids had been gathered from all over, each one a natural prodigy.

Soon they’d all travel by floating island from Visalia in Skypiea to Cake Island in the New World.

“You two are the last arrivals.”

Gan Fall led them to a guest room specially prepared for these children to stay for a while.

Though he didn’t know why Lord Karl wanted things this way, he never questioned his orders.

Soon, the island rose into the air, heading toward Cake Island in the New World.

Still, from the way Karl spoke, Gan Fall was sure that among these kids, true powerhouses would emerge.