Two days later, in the south of China, at about 6 in the afternoon. Lucius and his crew arrived on one of the docks, before leaving the ship.
After everyone left the ship, a lady with red hair, raised her hands towards the ship before picking up a snow globe, and placed the ship inside it.
The woman was wearing an apple red colored shirt underneath her black mage's rope, black pants, and brown boots. She gave off a feeling of warmth and comfort that resembled that of a mother's as well as that of a crazy person.
After the woman trapped the ship into the snow globe, Lucius and the rest started traveling by foot.
"Why do we have to do this? Most of us can either run fast enough to be in the city by now or teleport."
Asked Charlie, his tone showing his puzzlement.
Lucius answered:
"Because one, we would be wasting ki. Two, do you think official controllers would allow us to enter their city; And three, it's better to be more human than divine."
"I see." Charlie said, his face turning somewhat sad after hearing Lucius's last sentence.
During their conversion, Johan kept trying to look around the area but couldn't since he was only a child.
He had an innocent face and gentle air around him that made seem no different than any other child.
He wore a white shirt, brown pants, brown boots, and a grey jacket that was handed to him by Rodolfo.
He was carrying the katana he used when training with Lucius in his right hand by the top of the scabbard near the hand guard.
At this moment a woman spoke to him in German:
"How do you like it here?"
The lady was quite pretty. She had a soft face, thin lips, as well as clear and soft skin. She wore black pants, a black shirt, and an unzipped white hoodie. She gave off the aura of a bubbly and gentle young lady that just grew up and doesn't know where to start first.
"It's fine."
Johan answered in Japanese.
"You don't seem to know much German?"
Said the lady after hearing Johan speak.
"Yeah."
Johan said as he nodded sheepishly, unlike last time, he answered in German.
"If you don't mind me asking, how old are you?"
Asked the lady, face giving off an aura of friendliness, and kindness.
"Im 7 though I'll be turning 8 in March."
Said Johan as he stared at the lady next to him.
At this Sophia thought to herself:
'Does the captain really want to use him for war? He's just a normal kid, he's just smarter than most but other than that he's just regular. IS HE GOING TO BE USED FOR CANNON FODDER! No wait Lucius wouldn't do that, would he?'
"Heyyy, so I gotta go talk to the captain real quick and umm by the way I'm Sophia but people call me Sofi."
She said before running to the front of the group.
Johan stared at her running away before looking away and back in front of him.
After a while of walking, the group went into a cave and settled down for the night.
After setting up his tent, Johan went to bed and started to remember his father. In the remembrance of his father's death as well as his lifeless corpse, Johan remembers the first thing his father taught him about life.
Inside the Nakaya household, in a room with a simple bed, a desk near the door, and a window to look outside, sat Johan as he looked at his father who just walked in.
"Johan, why did you punch the kid?"
Asked Ryozo as he looked at his kid.
"Because he was making fun of me."
"And do you think that was right?"
"Of course."
At this moment Ryozo slapped Johan on the cheek after hearing his answer.
"You fought against another child because he made fun of you and in return you got injured yourself. You didn't need to fight him."
"But dad, he-"
"Listen to me Johan, There is no reason to fight someone for such a simple matter. The only reason you should ever fight is when you or the people you care for are in danger. If not, don't fight. Fighting is only used to keep something and when it's not both parties lose. You both get hurt and you both didn't gain anything. You got cuts and bruises because of this and what did you gain? Tell what did you gain that helps you."
Johan looked towards the floor and spoke:
"Nothing."
"Exactly. Listen, if you're only going to learn one thing from me, learn this. You only fight when you or others are in danger or will be in danger if nothing happens. Ok."
"Ok."
Johan said after a few seconds.
"Ok then what did I say then?"
Ryuzo asked, trying to see if Johan understood what he meant.
Johan answered in a shy tone:
"You said that you should not fight others unless it's to protect yourself and others."
"And why is that?"
Asked Ryozo.
"Because fighting doesn't help with anything, the people in the fight only get hurt."
Ryozo smiled after hearing Johan, he then spoke in a calm tone towards his son:
"Good now remember those words and take them to heart for there is a reason why I am telling you this."
Outside the tent that Johan slept in, on top of a tree branch, sat Lucius looking down at it.
"I remember those words too but they are too limited. What if you had to attack people for food or money so that the people you care for are fed and happy."
As he thought to himself a woman walked towards him from the party that the crew was having from the celebration of getting millions of dollars, It was Sophia.
Once they both laid eyes on each other, she spoke in a calm yet nervous tone:
"Are you planning to use Johan as cannon fodder?"
"No, at least not right now."
Answered Lucius.
"I believe that even though Ryozo taught him what he believes, he doesn't understand the weight of it. He knows what to do but he doesn't know why. It's like telling someone what's right and wrong, they will only truly understand why when they go through it."
"But why are you doing this?"
Sophia asked, a look of confusion on her face.
"Well I could use him that's why."
Answered Lucius.
Sophia spoke, her tone pushy:
"Lucius."
"What?"
"What's the real reason?"
"Not telling."
"Oh come on."
At this moment Lucius jumped down from the tree and walked towards Sophia:
"Come on I'm not gonna hurt the kid I promise."
He says as he pets Sophia's head.
"It's not like he can be much help right now."
'Can you stop petting me?"
"Why should I? You seem to like it."
Lucius said with a teasing smile before he stopped petting her head.
"Alright i'll stop, well i'll cya around, good night."
"Good night. Sophia replied as she looked at Lucius's back and then to Johan's tent before going back to the party that was heating up.
"He's been told that fighting is wrong and that is true but he will still do it. He will only stop when he realizes why they are useless and the pain they bring.
In this world what does it mean to be human? Is it to just live or to protect?"
Lucius mumbled as he went towards his tent.
The next day, at sunrise, the group resumed their journey, walking until they reached a deep cavern that went underground.
At the entrance of the cavern was a man with iron black eyes and fiery red hair.
He had high cheekbones, thin lips, and a muscular build. He wore white pants and a white rope with blood red accents that ran across the sides.
After seeing the group, the man spoke, his voice ruff, and deep:
"I presume you're the group that Treno sent to kill Ryozo?"
"That is correct, and I presume that you are the person who will take us to Drushin no?"
Lucius said as he walked towards the man, acting as if he was a friend.
Johan, who was in the middle of the group, was trying to hear the conversation between the two men before suddenly a hand grabbed onto his shoulder.
He turned around to see who it was, and when he did, he saw a shadowy figure wearing a brown trench coat, and a clownlike comedy mask that had a red tear droplet on its left cheek, and a yellow star on his right.
"It is rude to listen to others' conversation, didn't your parents teach you manners?"
Lucius's voice sounded out of the figure where the mouth should be but there was nothing there for sound to come out of.
Before Johan could respond, the figure disappeared into the shadows as if it never existed in the first place.
Johan stared at his shadow before muttering:
"Damn old man thinks he can mess with me, I'll show him that he'll regret killing my dad one day."
"Didn't your father teach you only to fight to protect yourself and others? Plus if you believe in God then you shouldn't cuss."
The shadowy figure's mask appeared from beneath Johan's shadow before disappearing into the darkness again.
At this moment Johan was stunned before yelling to his shadow:
"I am protecting! I'm protecting my father's honor! He didn't deserve to die, let alone by the hands of a pirate!"
"Boy, your dad doesn't care about honor. He only cares if he can protect the most people with his actions without killing anyone or killing the least amount of people possible."
Lucius mumbled in his mind as he continued his conversion with the red haired man.
On the left side of the group was Rodolfo and Sophia, walking together as they discussed Lucius, and Johan:
"Don't you think Lucius treats Johan worse than the others?"
"Yeah, he makes him train in fighting at such an age. Compared to the rest of the kids that we've taken, he treats Johan the worst."
Sophia said as looked towards Rodolfo, her voice getting softer each time she said a word.
"I believe it to be the opposite."
A lady's voice spoke out behind them, she wore a white shirt underneath a black mage's rope, brown pants, and brown boots.
She gave off a feeling of warmth and comfort that resembled that of a mother's as well as giving off a bit of craziness.
After hearing the words that came from her, he couldn't help but think if she had lost it.
As if sensing his thoughts the lady spoke again:
"I mean that unlike the others in which he makes it clear that they will be unable to get revenge by showing the difference in power, he fuels Johan to gain his revenge, making it seem he has a chance to catch up. Not only that but he trains Johan and even tells him his father's philosophy of "You should only fight to protect yourself and others from danger".
Of course the boy is finding excuses for it because he wants revenge for his father or rather he wants to fix the hole in his heart from the pain of losing his father and believes killing his killer will fix it."
"That is true. Hey, maybe you're not losing control Audrey." Rodolfo said with a smile on his face as he teases the red haired lady.
"This is the reason why you don't have a girlfriend."
"Man screw you too."
"You wish you could screw me, of course it is only a WISH."
"Ok, Ok, let's not fight, we're all friends here plus it doesn't really benefit anyone if a fight breaks out. Also you followers of Christ shouldn't insult others or make sexual jokes or comments."
Sophia said as she came up between the two making sure nothing could happen.
At this moment, the conversation between Lucius and the man with red hair ended:
"Alright guys we're going, just to let you know it's going to a rocky road so I hope you didn't pack brittle items."
Lucius yelled out towards the group of people behind him before walking into the cave.