Chapter 32: Spiritual Fruit Breakthrough
Uncle Witt looked at Luo Han with a trace of helplessness in his voice.
"Luo Han! Look behind us—can you still see Ring Tree Island?"
Luo Han turned around. After a while, he finally spotted a small black dot in the mirror-like blue ocean.
"You see it too. We're already at our limit. Any further, and we might not be able to find our way back."
Luo Han stayed silent. Seeing this, Uncle Witt felt equally burdened.
But there was no choice—this really was the limit.
If he and Luo Han got lost, the people of Ring Tree Island would fall into even deeper despair.
"But… there really might be… no, there must be an island over there, Uncle Witt!" Luo Han said, his eyes glowing with hope.
Sigh! Uncle Witt also wanted to see for himself—but it was impossible to go further. Without a Log Pose for the island, once they left this area, there'd be no guarantee of finding their way back.
Uncle Witt replied, "Luo Han, even if those clouds aren't moving, even if there is an island underneath...
Once we get there, how do we get back? You know the situation. We've already lost clear visual contact with the island.
If we get lost, wouldn't Grandma Mo be heartbroken? Think it through! Don't act impulsively!"
Luo Han opened his mouth, but no words came out. His chest felt heavy, like something had blocked it.
After a moment, he calmed himself down.
He was right—I can't get lost. I can't leave Grandma Mo behind. Luo Han reaffirmed to himself.
"Wait! Uncle Witt, didn't you say that back then, you and my parents found your way back to Ring Tree Island?
I remember you once told me that you all knew where the island was."
Suddenly, Luo Han recalled a story from years ago, when Uncle Witt had told him about his parents.
He had said that the three of them had headed directly for Ring Tree Island—only to be caught in a World Government ambush and a storm that swept them back.
"Uh… Luo Han, the truth is, we only roughly guessed the position of the storm that had separated us.
Before that, we were actually flying blind, haha...
And Ring Tree Island doesn't have magnetic fields—so no Eternal Log Pose either," Uncle Witt admitted, glancing up with an awkward smile.
Luo Han stared at him speechlessly. So all that "smart navigation" talk back then was just them trying to sound clever.
Fine—there went their last hope.
Staring out at the endless ocean, Luo Han suddenly felt a strange sense of release.
He remembered his past life. Maybe to the average person in the One Piece world, modern Earth seemed safe and peaceful.
No pirates or noble oppression.
But compared to that reality, with its money problems and diseases...
Luo Han now felt more willing to face the harshness of the One Piece world.
He let out a soft chuckle, lips curling in self-mockery. Somewhere along the way, he'd let go of his past life—fully immersed in this one.
He had even begun thinking about saving the world.
I, Luo Han, have always just been an ordinary person—both in my past life and this one.
Maybe I can't save Ring Tree Island. But at the very least, I can save some of its people, right?
Once he accepted this, Luo Han seemed to let go of his obsessions.
"Let's return and reorient ourselves—then search in another direction," he said calmly to Uncle Witt.
Seeing Luo Han's composed expression, Uncle Witt grew a bit concerned, but didn't press it. He, too, wasn't feeling great inside.
"Alright, let's head back and re-establish our position," Uncle Witt agreed.
The two of them flew back closer to Ring Tree Island and began searching a new direction.
They searched all day.
...
That evening, back at Qingya Cliff, the four of them stood in silence. A heavy atmosphere hung around them.
"No luck on your side either, Kate?" Uncle Witt finally broke the silence.
Uncle Kate shook his head with a weary look.
Cole stayed quiet as well, watching the mood.
"I'm heading back, Uncle Witt. We'll continue the search tomorrow," Luo Han said, then flew off alone toward home.
"I'll go too, Dad!" Cole said, likely eager to get home and eat.
"Mhm, go ahead," Uncle Witt replied.
"Witt, what's going on with Luo Han? He looked... different tonight. Too calm, like nothing matters anymore.
Yesterday he was still so anxious and worried," Uncle Kate commented as he watched Luo Han fly away.
Sigh... Uncle Witt sighed and said, "Today's search broke him. He fell apart—and then became like this.
Maybe it's because we all placed too much hope on him. The pressure got to him. Now that he sees no solution, he's simply... given up."
"It's not just Luo Han. We're the same, aren't we? We just don't show it anymore.
Sometimes... not showing anything at all is a form of despair," Uncle Kate murmured, staring out at the sea.
"We'll keep going. Tomorrow again. We don't give up until the very end," Uncle Witt said, standing and walking back toward the island.
"Wait for me, Witt!" Uncle Kate followed behind him.
...
Day after day passed, with no signs of another island.
Meanwhile, more super-giant Sea Kings kept appearing—now there were at least five confirmed, all over 10,000 meters in length.
Panic began spreading across the island. Everyone knew only a portion of them could be evacuated—and the rest... everyone understood what that meant.
At first, people held on to a sliver of hope.
But ten days in, they couldn't hold it anymore. Each morning, people began lining up outside Luo Han's house, pleading for him to save their loved ones.
Seeing all those desperate faces, Luo Han could only answer calmly, "I'll do my best to take everyone I can."
After the crowd eased up, he would take to the skies again, searching around Ring Tree Island for any possible island—even in places he'd already checked.
As if, by continuing the search, he could find some peace.
Time slipped by.
Only about three days remained until the Scaled Fruit was expected to ripen.
But no one knew the exact time—it might even be tomorrow.
That night, after a quiet dinner with Grandma Mo, Luo Han lay on his bed, deep in thought.
Tomorrow at noon, they would begin evacuating the island. He felt a wave of reluctance—he hoped the Divine Tree could survive once again.
His eyes dimmed.
Tomorrow, he would push his limits and take as many people as possible. The hard decisions... he would leave to Uncle Witt and the others. He would simply follow orders.
He decided to train again—perhaps with just a little more strength, he could carry a few more.
After eating a Rainbow Fish, Luo Han lay down again, using his spiritual sense to feel his body strengthen.
His consciousness expanded, spreading out over all of Ring Tree Island.
By now, the island had quieted. Maybe everyone had come to accept their fate. Families sat together, talking.
At Uncle Witt's home, Cole rested his head on Aunt Lilian's lap, enjoying her gentle caresses—like a lazy cat.
Uncle Witt sat across from them, watching silently.
On the other side of the island, Uncle Kate sat with his nephew Lain's family, smiling and chatting.
In the stillness of Ring Tree Island, occasional laughter echoed softly.
This... this was the brilliance of humanity.
Hearing their laughter, Luo Han finally let go of the last of his burdens.
(END CHAPTER)
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