Everyone moved to a quieter place.
North of Dressrosa, after crossing the long iron bridge, lies a small uninhabited island, much smaller than Dressrosa itself.
At the same time, Luffy received a message from the system:
"No one will come to this uninhabited island."
Sabo led Luffy into the forest.
Because the island had no inhabitants, there were no traces of human activity; the forest remained completely untouched and primitive.
While talking, the four of them picked up some dry firewood scattered across the ground and started a campfire.
Koala grabbed an iron pot, collected mushrooms and wild berries from the forest with Uta, then went to the shore to pick up shellfish and even dove into the sea to catch a few fish.
A pot full of mixed ingredients soon began to cook.
Sabo sat on a tree stump, grilling fish as he spoke about the past.
"Sorry, Luffy. When I was a kid, I saw the ugly side of the Goa Kingdom and felt ashamed of being a noble. I just wanted to escape that place, so I left a letter for you and Ace and couldn't wait to run off to sea."
"You know what happened next. At that time, the Celestial Dragons were visiting the East Blue. As soon as I went out to sea, I encountered their ship and was attacked by their bombardment. It was your father who saved me… but I lost my memory afterward."
Luffy and Sabo's hometown was the Goa Kingdom in the East Blue.
Known as the most beautiful country in the East Blue, it was a society that eliminated everything deemed unnecessary—
a model of extreme segregation.
The royal family lived in the palace.
The nobles lived in the High Town.
People of different social classes were separated into different districts.
Compared to that—
The "Grey Terminal" mentioned in the note Koala had given Luffy was the dumping ground for all of Goa's garbage.
It could very well be called a slum.
Rotten, foul-smelling, and overflowing with waste, it was the dark side that Goa's rulers desperately tried to hide.
It was like walking through the streets of London in 1913 in his previous life, where people would shout:
"Watch out, someone might dump filth on your head!"
The people living in Goa's capital would also dump their excrement there, into the Grey Terminal.
Recalling the Goa Kingdom didn't stir much emotion in Luffy.
After all, it wasn't a true personal experience for him—just a memory.
And compared to London, where sewage thrown into drinking water created major sanitation crises…
Goa, ironically, was doing much better.
"At that time, I accidentally found out that the royal family was conspiring with pirates to burn down the Grey Terminal…"
Sabo laughed lightly. "I didn't understand it back then, but thinking about it now, they probably wanted to erase the ugly parts before the Celestial Dragons' arrival."
After all, beyond the horrendous smell, people were living in that mountain of trash.
How could the "most beautiful country in the East Blue" show such filth to the Celestial Dragons?
Sometimes, a ruler's logic is painfully simple.
Luffy also found it absurd.
"Hahaha! Well, thanks for surviving."
To be honest, dealing with waste—especially human waste—had always been a major problem in urban development.
"That's when I felt ashamed of my noble status and wanted to escape that false beauty."
Sabo sighed, shaking his head. "Anyway, that's pretty much the story. After losing my memory, I stayed with the Revolutionary Army until I recovered it recently."
After finishing his own story, he asked about Luffy.
In his memory, Luffy had been the weakest of the three brothers as children.
Even after eating the Gum-Gum Fruit and becoming a Devil Fruit user, he was still clumsy with his powers back then.
Yet in the blink of an eye, he had become one of the Yonko.
Sabo couldn't help wondering what exactly had happened to Luffy.
To satisfy his curiosity, Luffy improvised and gave a short, simplified recount of his past adventures.
"…Then I focused my efforts on Big Mom. To fight against the World Government, you need overwhelming power."
As he spoke, Luffy reached into the air and pulled out an invitation from his pocket.
"This is an invitation to the wedding. If you want to come, just take it and head to Whole Cake Island to join the celebration."
"Huh? You're marrying Big Mom?!"
Koala, who had been listening in, exclaimed in shock.
A marriage—or alliance—between the two of them would undoubtedly shake the world.
Sabo suddenly understood everything.
"So that's it… Warrior of Liberation… No wonder the World Government holds such a special hatred toward you."
Then he took a small piece of paper from his hat and handed it to Luffy.
"This is my Vivre Card. If you ever need me, just come find me."
After a brief pause, he chuckled. "Luffy, you've killed so many Celestial Dragons. Once the Revolutionary Army heard about it, tons of people became your fans. Koala wanted to meet you even more than I did."
Sabo safely tucked the wedding invitation away, smiling.
"If I get the chance, I'd like to visit the Revolutionary Army's headquarters too," Luffy said with a nod.
He picked up a grilled fish and handed it to Uta.
After taking it, Uta bit into it and mumbled, "I'm going too. What kind of person is Luffy's dad?"
She asked eagerly.
Sabo laughed, and the group continued chatting.
Suddenly—
Luffy's eyes narrowed slightly. From the corner of his eye, he glanced toward the nearby bushes.
Noticing his reaction, Sabo also sensed something unusual.
"Looks like we've got some spectators," Luffy said.
Right after he spoke, he released a surge of Conqueror's Haki straight toward the bushes.
Boom!!
It was like a strong gust of wind blasted through the vegetation, followed by panicked screams.
"This is bad! We've been spotted—run!!"
Sabo vanished in an instant and rushed after them.
After some time, several tiny figures were brought back.
These miniature people were only the size of a palm. One of them wore a crown-shaped hat, and two needles—about as tall as he was—hung at his waist.
(End of Chapter)