You can read ahead up to 15 chapters on my Patreon https://www.patreon.com/darkshadow6395
At a single glance, the broad plaza and streets before the base were packed shoulder to shoulder with a dense crowd of people, occupying an enormous area. With a rough estimate alone, there were already more than thirty thousand people gathered there.
Such a massive number of people made their scalps tingle.
From ancient times to the present, humanity could be called a miraculous species. At birth, humans were weaker than even some young beasts, but as they grew year by year, they gradually gained terrifying strength. They could tear apart tigers and leopards barehanded, split seas and mountains, and the truly powerful could even destroy islands, possessing the might to overturn heaven and earth.
Humans were fragile, yet also immensely powerful.
Although Rojen's group possessed strength far beyond ordinary people, at the end of the day, they were still human as well, sharing all the same traits as humanity.
Before the vast tide of mankind, even the strongest individual was merely an insignificant corner of history, capable of being swallowed by a single wave.
Relationships between people were complicated, friendship, hatred, bonds, mutual cherishing, and human emotions came in endless forms.
But at this moment, Rojen's group witnessed another side of humanity, one rarely seen.
That side was called gratitude.
The tide of more than thirty thousand people stretched the wide street thousands of meters into the distance. Looking from afar, there seemed to be no end to it.
Yet this endless human tide suddenly moved as one, sinking downward by a large degree.
Countless people cried loudly with gratitude on their faces, shouting something toward the sky, no, toward them standing atop the base platform.
At this moment, every single member of Rojen's group felt their hearts tremble violently. It was as if every pore on their bodies suddenly contracted, goosebumps covering their skin. They froze completely, dumbfounded and stunned.
The crowd before them had suddenly lowered by a great deal, what did that mean? They could see it clearly.
More than thirty thousand people, filled with gratitude, had all knelt on both knees, offering them the highest respect they could possibly give.
It was impossible to believe, impossible to fully describe with mere words the emotions surging through Rojen and the others at this moment. But one thing was certain: everyone present seemed to feel a genuine connection and resonance between human hearts.
Their emotions inexplicably became heavy.
Perhaps in ordinary life, when you do a good deed and receive someone's thanks, your heart feels happy and fulfilled. The kindness shared between people was always something worth cherishing.
Evil deeds leave nothing behind in the world. Only truth, goodness, and beauty can truly illuminate the human soul.
But what if that gratitude were magnified endlessly, thirty thousand times, even fifty thousand times?
At this moment, Rojen and the others saw that the human tide was not decreasing at all. Instead, it continued growing larger. The rescued people across the island were still continuously rushing toward this place.
Those with broken legs leaned on crutches. Those missing arms stared ahead with determination. At this moment, there were no disabled people on this island, only ordinary people trying to convey their gratitude to their saviors.
The atmosphere became silent, solemn, and heavy.
The entire plaza was so quiet that even a pin drop could be heard, with only the sound of breathing echoing between people.
Across the silent streets and plaza, the human tide stretching thousands of meters all knelt on the ground, their foreheads pressed tightly against the earth.
These people were not expressing submission.
They were simply expressing gratitude.
Faced with such a scene, every member of the Nether Soul Pirates stood frozen, visibly flustered.
They were all people who had killed before, crossed the Grand Line, and experienced danger countless times. Yet when faced with this moment, they became unsettled.
"W-what do we do?"
Jason sounded nervous.
Crocodile's fierce face twitched continuously as he clenched his fists tightly, his emotions equally restless.
Everyone turned to look at Rojen, waiting for the captain's response.
"Huu…"
Letting out a deep breath, Rojen's eyes gradually became serious.
Without a doubt, no one could remain calm when faced with such a scene. Even Rojen's own heart was pounding rapidly. He was not a simple-minded person like Luffy; he clearly understood the significance of what was happening before him.
An entire island of people kneeling before him in gratitude carried an unimaginably heavy meaning.
Even though Rojen had his own motives and purposes for doing these things, when he truly faced this moment, his emotions still became heavy and complicated.
"All the people of Ablis Islands offer our highest gratitude to our benefactor!"
At the front of the silent crowd, a white-haired old man around sixty years old knelt on both knees and spoke solemnly.
Because of his age and frail body, kneeling on the hard stone ground was already painful for him, yet he persisted.
"No matter what request you have, as long as Ablis Islands can accomplish it, please command us freely, benefactor!"
"We will definitely do everything within our power to serve you!"
These solemn words filled the eyes of the Nether Soul Pirates with shock. But what surprised them even more was that not a single person from Ablis Islands objected to the old man's words.
That meant everyone present silently agreed.
"Captain!"
They all turned their eyes toward the figure standing at the front.
Any request could be fulfilled! This meant that even if Rojen wished to become the king of this place, these people would agree without hesitation.
No one could truly understand the feelings of the people of Ablis Islands. Their hearts had been crushed beneath a dictatorship of brutality and oppression. That loneliness, helplessness, and despair were emotions outsiders could never comprehend.
And now, someone had saved this island, what an enormous act of kindness was that?
"Everyone, stand up."
From atop the platform, Rojen's calm voice spread gently into the hearts of everyone present.
Just moments earlier, Rojen had vaguely heard the thoughts of the tens of thousands before him, the voices of stones, the voices of trees, and even the voices hidden deep within people's hearts, all chaotically echoing in his mind.
Yet this immense flood of countless voices and overwhelming streams of information did not make his head explode. Instead, it strangely gave him a sense of warmth.
"Hearing the Voice of All Things? No… perhaps not."
Rojen shook his head. He realized he had once again gained control over a mysterious ability, something difficult to describe with words.
"Benefactor, please state your request. Otherwise, we will not rise!"
The old man stubbornly replied.
After receiving help from others, people with kindness in their hearts would never simply leave as though nothing had happened. They would remember the kindness. They would feel gratitude.
But in the very next second, Rojen's voice caused all thirty thousand people present to freeze in astonishment.
It was a voice like a warm breeze and gentle light, a voice that had saved them, yet allowed everything to drift away with the wind without leaving behind the slightest trace.
"Everyone, stand up. That is my request of you."
The entire crowd became stunned, then fell silent.
(End Of This Chapter)