One Piece: The user of the Nen-Nen Fruit, who overturned the sea.

After these few days of training, Crocodile's progress is clearly visible.

His domineering aura flowed more smoothly, and his application of the Six Forms became more refined.

They even began to try combining the Sand-Sand Fruit's power with physical techniques.

"Desert Mist Kick!"

Crocodile unleashed a kick, the slash carrying sand particles, its power several times greater than a pure Tempest Kick.

Barrett shattered the slash with a single punch and nodded approvingly.

"Great idea, very creative. But the sand is still too soft, keep going!"

Roy watched for a moment, then turned and left, satisfied.

Crocodile's rapid progress proved his potential.

This also proves the effectiveness of Roy's "knowledge transfer".

This method of directly imprinting cultivation methods into the brain can indeed greatly shorten cultivation time.

"captain."

Stella's voice came from behind.

Roy turned around and saw the navigator walking over with a nautical chart.

"At the current speed, we are expected to arrive at the Kingdom of Sorbe in the South China Sea in three days."

Stella unfolded the nautical chart and pointed to the marked location.

"However, according to intelligence, the situation in the Kingdom of Sorbe is somewhat special."

"Oh?" Roy raised an eyebrow.

"This country is divided in two by a high wall."

Stella explained,

"Within the walls lies the territory of royalty and nobility, a place of prosperity and wealth."

Outside the walls lay civilian districts and ruins, inhabited by a large number of impoverished people.

"Bartholomew Kuma is in a church outside the wall, using his Devil Fruit powers to heal the poor."

Roy nodded, not surprised by the situation.

In the original story, Kuma was born a slave of the Bakania tribe.

He later escaped from the Valley of the Gods and lived a secluded life ever since.

His choice to help the vulnerable in slums is perfectly in line with his character.

"Inside and outside the wall..."

Roy seemed to be deep in thought.

"This artificially created class division is quite suitable as a starting point."

"What does the captain mean?"

"If the bears refuse to join, we'll start by changing the country."

A glint of light flashed in Roy's eyes.

"Let him see that we have the ability to create the world he envisions."

Stella understood Roy's plan, noted down the key points, and left.

Roy stood alone at the bow of the ship, gazing at the endless night sky ahead.

Recruiting the bear won't be as simple as recruiting Crocodile.

That gentle yet strong man had his own beliefs and principles.

But Roy was confident—because he could provide exactly what the bear needed most.

The power to protect loved ones, and... the opportunity to change the world.

Three days passed quickly.

When the Ark Maxims crossed the Calm Belt

As they entered the South China Sea, the outline of the Sorbe Kingdom appeared on the horizon.

As Stella said, the country was divided by a towering wall.

Inside the walls are neat streets, magnificent buildings, and a bustling port;

Outside the wall were dilapidated houses, muddy roads, and poor people in tattered clothes.

This stark contrast caused everyone on board to frown.

"This is just too much..."

Scarlett covered her mouth, her eyes filled with reluctance.

As a princess of Dressrosa, she had seen the gap between the rich and the poor, but she had never seen such a blatant class division.

A wall separates people from the same country into two worlds.

"This is true for most member states of the World Government."

Roy said calmly,

"The royal family and nobles enjoy the protection of the Celestial Dragons, while exploiting the blood and sweat of commoners to pay for the Heavenly Gold."

As for the lives of ordinary people... who cares?

Crocodile, cigar in mouth, coldly surveyed the scene below.

He once dreamed of becoming the Pirate King and challenging the world order, but he never really paid attention to the lives of these people at the bottom of society.

Seeing it with my own eyes now, I can't help but feel a surge of emotion.

"Captain, where are we landing?" Tezzolo asked.

"Outside the wall, near the church."

Roy pointed to the location marked on the map,

"Don't attract too much attention, keep a low profile."

The Ark Proverb quietly descended into a grove of trees outside the city walls.

Roy disembarked with Barrett, Hawkeye, Tezzolo, Pea, and Vera, while the others remained on board to await orders.

After navigating the muddy path, the group soon spotted the church.

It was an old but clean building, and the stained glass, though faded, was wiped very clean.

A long line formed outside the church, consisting mostly of elderly people, women, and children.

They were ragged and emaciated, but their eyes shone with hope.

At the very front of the line, a tall man was busy at work.

He wore round-framed glasses and had a gentle demeanor.

What's most striking are his hands—his palms have pink fleshy bumps on them.

Bartholomew Bear.

At that moment, he was placing his hand on the chest of a child who was coughing incessantly; the fleshy mass was faintly glowing.

A few seconds later,

A ball of red light was ejected from the child's body, and the child's cough immediately stopped.

"Okay, go back and get some rest, and drink plenty of water."

Xiong said gently, patting the child's head.

The child bowed gratefully and skipped away.

"Next."

The bear turned to the next person in the group, an old woman with a cane.

Roy and the others stood not far away, observing.

The bear's movements were skillful and gentle, and he was fully focused on each treatment.

Fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead, clearly indicating that the treatment was taking a toll on him, but he did not complain at all.

"What a kind person..."

Vera said softly.

As the ship's doctor, she could best understand Xiong's selfless dedication.

Treating patients is not only a technical task, but also a physically and mentally demanding one.

Such continuous treatment must be quite a burden on Xiong.

"Boss, shall we go straight there?" Barrett asked.

Looking at the bear's towering figure, Barrett was already eager to test its strength.

"etc."

Roy reached out and stopped Barrett.

"Don't disturb his treatment."

Roy looked at Pea and Vera,

"Go and help."

Pea, use your abilities to create some life essence; Vera, prepare some common medicines.

"yes!"

The two acted immediately.

Pea walked to an open space to the side, placed her hands on the ground, and green light emanated from her palms.

Several peculiar plants quickly sprouted from the ground, and as the peas moved, those plants began to wither rapidly.

Immediately afterwards, clusters of green life essence appeared in the palm of the pea.

Vera then took out various medicinal herbs from her medicine box and began to prepare a simple potion.

Their actions attracted the attention of the team, but seeing that they were preparing medicine,

People looked grateful.

The bear noticed the commotion and looked up.

He paused slightly when his gaze met Roy's.

Seeing Roy and the others' actions, Xiong showed no hostility.

He simply nodded and continued treating the patient in front of him.

Roy wasn't in a hurry, so he just stood there and waited quietly.

Time passed second by second, and the sun gradually set in the west.

When the last patient left, Xiong finally straightened up and wiped the sweat from his forehead.

He walked toward Roy, his tone gentle but direct.

"Captain Roy, what brings you here?"