Pirate: I was just slacking off, do you really think I'm bad?

"Forget it, I'll deal with whatever comes my way. As long as I'm strong enough, I don't need to care about these schemes and tricks."

Once Raleigh had sorted out his thoughts, he put the matter out of his mind.

Let's continue fishing.

Fishing during patrols earns you +200 points.

-------------------------------------

The North Sea, on the land of the Kingdom of Eryokabu.

The sky seemed to be covered by dark clouds, and not a single ray of sunlight could penetrate it.

A tall man wearing a cloak stepped onto this land.

He frowned, inhaling the repulsive, pungent odor in the air.

His resolute gaze and square face had lost their youthful innocence.

"Chief, where is this place? Why is it like this?"

Some of the people following him were already coughing violently, as they were in poor health.

The man known as the leader looked up at the massive chimney in the distance and said:

"This is the Eryokabu Kingdom in the North Sea. According to the book, it is a powerful and resource-rich country, but I never expected it to be like this."

Before arriving in this kingdom, the group of them had high expectations for it.

I hope to see a prosperous and beautiful country.

But when they actually set foot on this land, they realized that the real world was not as wonderful as described in the book.

On the edge of the Kingdom of Eryokabu, several enormous chimneys stand.

Even in any corner of the kingdom, one can see them continuously spewing thick black fog into the sky.

This kingdom is like a giant beast hidden underground, and the chimneys are its breathing holes.

With each breath, it exhales the polluted air from underground onto the surface.

Even when they stood at the port furthest from the kingdom, their feet were covered with black, granular dust that they couldn't sweep away.

The leader bent down and observed the plants by the roadside.

What should have been lush green plants are now completely covered by this thick layer of black particles.

Some have died completely, while others are stubbornly alive, though their surfaces are covered in dust.

The leader plucked a leaf from the plant and rubbed it in his palm.

He pinched the thick layer of black granules between his fingers, smelled it, and said:

"It's particulate matter from coal smoke."

He said it with certainty.

Such air can seriously affect human health.

Many people experience chest tightness and suffocation in this environment, which can lead to death in severe cases.

"Chief, how do the people here survive? I feel like if I stay here for a while, I'll be poisoned to death by this air."

"It was said by a member who was physically weak and coughing incessantly."

"Let's wrap our mouths and noses with the cotton cloth or gauze we're wearing first, and then we'll find a hotel to tidy up."

The leader was the first to pick up his clothes and cover his mouth and nose.

The rest of the people followed suit and covered their mouths and noses in a very professional manner.

In a small town where visibility was less than fifty meters, even Monkey D. Dragon had to use his Observation Haki to find passersby and ask for directions to an inn.

Finally, half an hour later, Monkey D. Dragon and his group encountered an old man.

"Sir, we are travelers from out of town. Do you have a hotel here?"

The elderly man shook his head.

"It goes without saying that you are young travelers from out of town who don't know much about the Kingdom of Eryokabu, because there are no hotels in our area."

The old man's words surprised Long, and he couldn't help but ask:

"No hotels? How is that possible? Don't you ever have visitors or tourists here?"

The old man sighed silently and looked at the black smoke floating in the sky.

"How could anyone possibly travel to a place like this?"

"Not to mention outsiders, even our own nobles don't live here. They moved away long before the pollution started, to another scenic area."

"The only people living in this city are us, the lowly people who are not considered human."

After hearing the old man's self-deprecating remark, Long and the group behind him exchanged glances.

One of the members whispered in the dragon's ear:

"Chief, this country sounds very oppressive. The people living here have lost all hope for tomorrow."

The dragon nodded.

He had traveled all the way from the Grand Line and had seen many people living in poverty, but there were almost no others like the Kingdom of Eryokabu.

The nobles fled the area, but then ordered the commoners not to leave, watching them die for their own benefit.

The fate of this country is like the black fog that hangs in the sky—thick, deep, and dark.

But Long couldn't understand why the people in such a place wouldn't revolt.

"Young people, there are no hotels. But there aren't many people at my house. If you don't mind, you can come in for a drink of water."

The old man seemed to sense the predicament of Long and his group and took the initiative to speak.

He wasn't worried that Long and his group would do anything bad to him, because there was no difference between him being alive and dead.

"Thank you very much, sir."

Longdu originally planned to return to the port and spend the night on the ship first.

But now that he has a place to stay and a local, it will be easier for the dragon to understand the history of this country.

Half an hour later, the group followed the old man into a two-story building.

At the door, Long shook off the dust from his clothes before entering the house.

Everything inside looked somewhat old, and most of the places hadn't been cleaned in a long time.

Only in the middle of the house, an old, faded photograph was wiped clean.

The photo above is a group photo of four people. Judging from the photo, it should be a family photo taken by the elderly couple and their son and his family.

Judging from the current situation, it seems that the son and his wife haven't visited the elderly couple in a long time.

"Please have a seat, I'll make you some tea."

The old man said something to Long, then went to the basement to fetch water.

The dragon looked around and said:

"Everyone, I have a feeling that this will be a place where we grow rapidly. The experience we gained in other kingdoms can be put to use here."

"But Chief, where should we begin? I think most of the people in this city are busy in the mines; there's hardly anyone on the streets."

A younger member of the Self-Defense Forces raised his hand and spoke.

The dragon nodded, then said:

"Yes, but fortunately we met an old man who may know many of the secrets of this kingdom."

Long wasn't idle either; while discussing directions with the members, he also cleaned up the old man's house.

When the old man carried water up from the basement, the whole house looked brand new.