Chapter 52: Don’t Worry, You’ll Have Plenty of Chances to Fight

As soon as Ron’s order was given, the entire pirate crew erupted into action.

Every member was filled with excitement and anticipation as they scattered in all directions, searching for gold and other valuables.

Ron had never specified exactly how much wealth they needed to collect.

In truth, he didn’t particularly care about the amount.

What mattered was observing the attitudes of the island’s inhabitants.

Those who chose to submit would be allowed to remain.

As for those who resisted, their fate would depend entirely on which member of the crew they encountered—whether they lived or died would be left to that person’s discretion.

Enel watched the looting pirates with a cold gaze.

They were like a swarm of ravenous locusts.

Not only did they strip the island of its treasures and resources, but they even removed wall decorations and ornamental carvings from doors and windows, treating everything as something that could be exploited for value.

The sight filled Enel with anger and frustration.

It wasn’t merely because he was losing his wealth.

More importantly, he felt he was witnessing the ugliest side of humanity: endless greed and selfishness.

"How can these people call themselves strong?" Enel sneered inwardly.

"True strength should come with conviction and dignity—not this pathetic scramble for petty profits."

As those thoughts intensified, so did his contempt.

In his eyes, no matter how powerful someone was, if their heart was filled with greed and vulgar desires, they could never be considered truly strong.

Unfortunately for Enel, nobody cared what he thought.

As long as he was alive and capable of bleeding, that was enough.

Over the next several days, the crew settled into a routine.

Those responsible for looting continued looting.

Those responsible for collecting payments continued collecting payments.

Meanwhile, Ace and Marco followed Ron as he established a research facility.

The facility was built inside Enel’s former stronghold on Upper Yard.

In reality, Upper Yard was originally a part of Jaya.

After being blasted into the sky by the Knock Up Stream years ago, it became the legendary City of Gold.

Mentioning Jaya made Ron sigh.

"It’s been nearly half a month since we left. I wonder how things are going over there now."

Ace, who had been sweeping the floor nearby, paused and looked up.

" Ron, when are we going back to take a look?"

It was obvious he still cared about the island.

"Yeah," Marco agreed from the side. "It’s honestly pretty boring staying here."

Over the past few days, he had learned quite a bit from Jozu and was eager to put some of it into practice.

Ron smiled at their complaints.

As he did, a list of future opponents flashed through his mind.

Golden Lion Shiki.

Douglas Bullet.

Gild Tesoro.

Kaido.

Big Mom.

Every one of them was a legendary figure of the seas.

"Don’t worry," Ron said with a grin.

"You’ll have plenty of chances to fight."

Not long afterward, the construction of the research facility was completed.

Without wasting any time, Ron immediately immersed himself in his experiments.

His eyes were filled with focus and determination, as though everything else in the world had ceased to exist.

Jozu remained nearby as his personal guard.

Although Ron had repeatedly told him such protection wasn’t necessary, Jozu stubbornly insisted on fulfilling his duty.

Unable to argue with Jozu’s determination, Ron eventually let him have his way, secretly appreciating his loyalty.

Meanwhile, Conis had been taken away by Whitey Bay.

According to Whitey Bay, she intended to teach Conis how to attend to Ron’s daily needs.

Someone would need to clean his living quarters and handle various household matters.

Although Conis felt somewhat embarrassed and reluctant, she understood that it was ultimately for Ron’s benefit, so she obediently followed Whitey Bay.

Elsewhere, Whitebeard was wandering around the island with Marco accompanying him.

The two soon disappeared into the dense jungle, leaving behind only silence and mystery.

Ace, meanwhile, had joined the island’s aerial defense force.

His attention had been completely captured by the various Dials unique to Sky Island.

Some could spray water.

Some could record images and sounds.

Some could release fire.

Others could even produce cloud masses as hard as iron.

Ace examined them enthusiastically, his curiosity growing with every discovery.

The Shandians had retreated deeper into the forests.

Whenever they encountered pirates, they avoided direct confrontation and relied on guerrilla tactics instead.

Their caution stemmed from what they had witnessed firsthand.

They had seen Enel—the god who once ruled Sky Island—defeated in battle.

Even now, chilling screams occasionally echoed from the place where he was imprisoned.

The terrifying sounds only made the Shandians more wary of these newcomers.

However, hiding alone could not solve the problem.

Seeking a lasting solution, the Shandian chief decided to take action.

After careful consideration, he approached Jozu and opened negotiations.

In the end, both sides reached an agreement.

The Shandians would pay a certain amount of gold in exchange for the right to remain on the island.

To the Shandians, gold and other precious treasures were valuable only for their appearance and carried little practical use.

Trading them for security and a place to live was an excellent bargain.

As a result, not a single member of the tribe objected or felt any regret.

Of course, if possible, the Shandians also hoped to acquire more soil.

To them, fertile earth was one of the most precious resources imaginable.

But considering that even seemingly useless gold was highly valued by these outsiders, they doubted any trade involving soil would be accepted.

Even so, the negotiations had at least resolved the immediate crisis and secured their continued survival on the island.

In the end, the ordinary island residents made the same choice as the Shandians.

They all paid and chose to stay.

The reasons behind the decision were both complicated and understandable.

First and foremost, they had lived here for generations.

Their roots were deeply embedded in this land.

The outside world was unfamiliar to them.

It was a place they knew almost nothing about.

Leaving would mean entering a completely unknown environment.

That uncertainty filled them with fear.

Compared to facing an unfamiliar world below, remaining in the place they had always called home felt far safer.

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