One Piece: A King's Path Anew

In the North Blue, within some nameless kingdom, war was ravaging the land. Its citizens lived in dire straits, families were torn apart or lost, homes were destroyed, and refugees were a common sight. This was an all-too-normal reality in a war-torn nation.

Among a group of fleeing refugees, two sisters with green hair huddled together. The older sister tightly clutched the younger one in her arms, terrified of losing her only remaining anchor. Both looked utterly wretched. Their clothes were tattered and filthy; their green hair was matted and even knotted in places; their faces were smudged with grime, and the younger girl's face bore the clear streaks of recent tears. It was evident she had cried often.

"Big sister, I'm hungry!" the little girl in her arms whimpered pitifully to the older one, tears welling in her eyes.

"Sugar, dear, just hold on a little longer. Once we get into the city, things will be better," Monet replied. She too was starving, but there was nothing she could do at that moment except try her best to comfort her younger sister.

Their parents were already dead. Damn this war! Throughout their arduous escape, the two sisters had only each other for company. As the elder, Monet naturally did everything in her power to care for Sugar. But in this country, constantly bombarded by cannon fire, survival was the most difficult feat for those at the very bottom.

The war had plagued this nation for a long time. After their parents' deaths, the two sisters had wandered for what felt like an eternity. Along the way, there had been no shortage of ill-intentioned men who, noticing the sisters' striking beauty, had tried to take advantage of them. But Monet, ever vigilant, had always managed to escape with Sugar just in time. To conceal their pretty features, she had resolutely smeared their faces with dirt and ash. Only then did they find some measure of peace from such advances. However, the greatest enemy on the road of a refugee was hunger.

To fill their stomachs, they couldn't afford to be picky about food from trash cans or rotten fruit. As long as it kept them alive, they ate it. And even for such scraps, there was a multitude of people fighting over them. One shouldn't assume that fellow refugees would treat you with kindness.

Monet, once innocent and carefree, had in these times gained a profound understanding of humanity's ugliness. Everyone was selfish, resorting to any means necessary to survive. Unfortunately, no matter what, she was just a weak young woman with no strength to speak of. Yet, even so, Monet, as the older sister, used every ounce of her being to protect her only remaining kin.

While the common people suffered immensely, the nobles of the upper class indulged in lavish feasts and decadent entertainment, reveling in their carefree lives.

So prosperous! This was the thought that crossed the sisters' minds as they gazed upon the beautiful, large town before them. The streets were bustling with pedestrians, and merchants hawked their wares incessantly. There was no trace of war here. The sisters almost wondered if they had arrived at the wrong place.

"Big sister, I'm hungry! I want to eat those!" Sugar, clinging to her sister's leg, said, pointing at a stall selling grapes.

Monet smiled gently at Sugar, patting her head. "Sugar, be good. Big sister will definitely make sure you get to eat," she said softly.

Sugar nodded, obediently saying no more. In truth, she understood her sister's hardships. With only each other left to depend on, she too felt for her sister.

"Get lost! Where did all these beggars come from? Stay away from us! We can smell your stench from three streets away!" a rather portly resident exclaimed with disgust, fanning the air in front of his nose as if to drive away the foul odor.

"When did our Beautiful Town get so many beggars?" "Yeah! They look like they drifted in from somewhere else, don't they?" "Who let them in? People like this should be beaten to death! They're polluting the air of our Beautiful Town!"

The residents of Beautiful Town on the street spat out venomous words one after another, intent on driving out or even exterminating these unfortunate refugees.

The displaced people looked terrified, shocked by the hostile reception and frightened by the residents' words.

"Get away!"

Monet and Sugar were not far from a male resident. The smell emanating from them was, of course, unpleasant. The resident berated them without an ounce of politeness and then, without warning, kicked out at the younger Sugar.

Seeing this, Monet naturally wouldn't let her sister be bullied. She threw her arms around Sugar, taking the man's vicious kick with her own back. The two of them were sent sprawling. A clear footprint was visible on Monet's back.

"Big sister, are you okay?! It's all my fault!" Sugar, still in her sister's embrace, quickly checked Monet's condition, tears streaming down her face. Sugar blamed herself entirely. If she hadn't been standing so close to that man, her sister wouldn't have been hurt because of her.

Blood trickled from the corner of Monet's mouth. The heavy kick had injured her quite badly, but as long as Sugar was alright, that was all that mattered.

"I'm fine! Sugar, don't worry," Monet said, wiping the blood from her lips, a gentle smile still on her face as she tried to reassure her sister.

"How can you be fine! I saw you bleeding, big sister!" Sugar sobbed.

"I'm really okay," Monet comforted Sugar again, simultaneously struggling to get up from the ground.

Just as Monet was about to rise, another kick came flying towards her. Taking the heavy blow, Monet instinctively shielded her sister, protecting her from harm. The two sisters were sent flying once more.

"Damn, filthy vermin! How dare you smile! Truly disgusting! In our presence, you should be crying!" The resident who had seen Monet's smile felt insulted. How dare a lowly, refugee peasant smile in front of us? Is she mocking us?

Monet, clutching Sugar, crashed heavily to the ground again. This time, she coughed up a large amount of blood and fainted.

Big sister! Boo-hoo..." Sugar, in Monet's arms, cried out loudly, utterly helpless.

"Now that's more like it! What a delightful sound!" The resident who had just beaten Monet remarked with considerable satisfaction. The surrounding residents didn't utter a word to condemn the man's actions. In their eyes, these outsiders were all the same; even if they died, it wouldn't affect them. In fact, hearing the man's laughter, more people joined in, laughing wantonly.

Did they need a reason to beat someone? Of course not. They were just a bunch of lowly peasants, their status not much different from slaves.

The onlooking refugees watched with cold indifference. They could barely protect themselves. In this world, the only person one could rely on was oneself. The weak could only live in abject humility.

"Cough, cough… I'm alright. Sugar, be good, don't cry anymore," Monet, still holding Sugar tightly, regained consciousness. She wasn't worried about her own injuries; her priority was to comfort Sugar.

" Big sister..." Young Sugar sobbed, unable to form any comforting words, only clinging tightly to Monet, terrified of losing her.

"Tough little cockroach, aren't you?" The man walked up to them again. He had dressed up nicely today, intending to go out and pick up a girl, but he hadn't expected to encounter such disgusting creatures, stinking up his expensive clothes.

The man grabbed a handful of Monet's long green hair and yanked her head up viciously, forcing Monet's face close to his. "Ah!" Monet cried out in pain as her hair was pulled. Sugar, still in her arms, glared at the man with hatred. "Let go of my sister!" she shouted. The man paid no heed to Sugar's threat, instead looking at the two sisters with renewed interest. "Tsk, tsk! Not bad looking, are they!"

"Let go of me!" Monet yelled furiously, but it was useless. At that moment, Sugar wriggled free from Monet's embrace and bit down hard on the arm of the man holding Monet's hair. "Aargh!" The man howled in pain and quickly let go. Seeing her chance, Monet tried to flee with her sister.

However, fate is often cruel, and the downtrodden rarely have control over their own destinies. The residents, acting in wicked collusion, surrounded the two sisters, clearly not intending to let them leave peacefully.

Smack! The man swiftly slapped Sugar across the face. A red mark appeared on her cheek, but surprisingly, Sugar didn't cry, stubbornly holding back her tears.

"Sugar!" Monet rushed to check on her sister. "It's all sister's fault," she said worriedly.

"You two damn pests!" The man's face was livid with rage. He was completely incensed now. Although he had briefly appreciated their looks, he wouldn't dare touch them. Who knew what kind of diseases they carried? He still wanted to live for a few more years!

The man lunged towards them. Monet quickly shielded Sugar, protecting her from harm. The man had intended to "teach Sugar another lesson," but Monet protected her too well. Frustrated, he settled for the next best thing. His kicks showed no mercy, landing forcefully on Monet's thin, frail body. Monet was being brutally abused.

" Ah! Stop hitting her! Big sister! Sob, sob... Won't someone save my sister?" Sugar, well-protected, finally burst into tears again, screaming desperately for help from anyone nearby.

It's none of my business, so I'll stay out of it. Everyone was selfish! They had no obligation to help. Not joining in was already considered good enough. Although the two sisters were in a wretched state, there were many in the world who were worse off than them. They didn't have that much empathy to spare. This was the reality of Beautiful Town. What a "beautiful" Beautiful Town indeed – truly beautiful!

After what felt like an eternity, the man, perhaps tired from the exertion, stopped his assault. Sugar, in Monet's arms, had cried herself into unconsciousness from sheer exhaustion and despair. Did they need a reason to beat someone? Of course not. They were just a bunch of lowly peasants, their status not much different from slaves.

"Hmph! Wasted my damn energy," the man cursed at the sisters, then grabbed Monet's hair again, dragging both of them away. Blood trailed behind them, leaving a long, crimson line on the street. Monet, unconscious, was dragged along, her face contorted, perhaps from the pain.

The man's name was Kenn. He was one of the more prominent figures in Beautiful Town, a top dog among the local hooligans. Kenn dragged the two sisters to his home and threw them into the woodshed without offering any aid. What fate awaited them, no one knew.

Even in unconsciousness, the two sisters clung tightly to each other, unwilling to be separated.

The town's beauty remained untarnished by this single incident. The residents continued their revelries and merrymaking, happily living their little lives.

Just then, a new duo – a man and a bear – arrived in Beautiful Town, causing all the residents to turn and stare.

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