For a period of time, Gan Fall seemed to have unlocked his speech, recounting the history of Angel Island and the Shandians to them.
He spoke of Enel's arrival on Angel Island and how he stole his divine position.
He even recounted meeting Roger's crew decades ago.
This continued for over an hour.
During this time, Indigo arrived, then A'lo, and A'Tao also came, even A'Hua, who was cooking, joined them.
After listening to Gan Fall's words, everyone became even more interested in the God's Land Apalado and Angel Island.
Robin, who cared most about history, was especially devoid of her usual composure, filled with excitement.
She was practically impatient.
Impatient to reach the Golden City and uncover the history of the Shandian ancestors.
After Gan Fall finished speaking, he picked up his teacup, took a sip, and then performed an action that greatly surprised everyone.
He gently put down the teacup, stood up, and walked over to Kouta, who was lying on a recliner, drinking.
Then, he bent his knees and slowly knelt down.
At this moment, everyone on the bow stared at Gan Fall in shock, but they didn't intervene.
From the story the old man had just told, they could sense his unwillingness, his unwillingness due to his lack of strength.
And his guilt for the Angel Island residents suffering under oppression.
However, while they were filled with respect for this elder who cared for his people, they wouldn't make any promises lightly. This was because the final decision about the ship's destination rested solely with their leader, Kouta, and only Kouta could represent them in agreeing to anything.
They also trusted Kouta, believing that whatever Kouta agreed to, they would all agree to as well.
And they would strive and fight for that cause.
*Bang!*
Gan Fall's aged body knelt straight outside Kouta's recliner. The sound of his knees hitting the deck was not loud, but it was deep, resonating in everyone's hearts.
Deafening.
Kouta put down his gourd, sat up, and leaned cross-legged on the recliner, looking at Gan Fall without speaking.
He knew what the old man was thinking, and he knew what he wanted to ask him.
However, he would only help him if he heard it directly from the old man's mouth.
This was not because Kouta was cold.
It was because…
People are like this; only when they deeply understand that something is hard-won will they cherish it more.
He was not a sage; he had his own joys and sorrows, and he also loved to be loved and respected.
But that was not a reason for him to necessarily help people.
What he wanted was actually very simple.
That was for the person seeking his help to ask directly.
Whether it was Cocoyasi Village, or Bass, or the cruise ship from Gamma Kingdom, or Alabasta.
In fact, he had found a reason to act for himself in all these cases.
Although some reasons were ridiculous and childish, as long as there was a reason to act, that was enough, wasn't it?
Even if, in the end, there was no reason, he would still act.
But having a reason was better than having no reason.
Even a ridiculous reason like saying, "I don't like this bad guy, I just want to kill him," was still a reason, wasn't it?
People!
They couldn't do anything without a reason.
Without a reason, it wasn't doing things; it was acting on whims and being lawless.
He was human, not yet at the level of a god's detachment from all desires.
Gan Fall raised his head, gazing at Kouta's azure, evidently extraordinary eyes, and said with self-mockery, "Kouta-san, am I looking quite pathetic like this?"
Kouta remained silent.
Gan Fall collected his thoughts, his expression turning serious. He bowed his head towards Kouta, resting his forehead on the deck, and said loudly, "Kouta-san, I implore you, save Angel Island, save the countless residents of Angel Island. I beg you here."
Kouta looked down at Gan Fall. A smile appeared on his calm face. With a thought,
Gan Fall's body involuntarily straightened up. Even with all his strength, he couldn't resist the force that made him stand.
At this moment, Kouta stood up from the recliner. He walked up to Gan Fall and, looking at him, smiled and said, "Do you have any alcohol?"
"Uh..."
Gan Fall was momentarily stunned. He looked up at Kouta blankly.
"Do you have any alcohol?"
Kouta repeated.
Seeing the gentle smile on Kouta's face and hearing the goodwill in his voice, Gan Fall finally reacted. He quickly replied, "Yes, yes, yes. While not many people drink on Sky Island, we do have a brewery to entertain guests. Kouta-san, however much you want, we can brew it for you."
"Haha!!"
Kouta bent down, put his arms through Gan Fall's, helped him up, and patted his shoulder, laughing. "You said it, alright! You know my drinking capacity is quite good! Also, I'm a picky eater. If it's not good, don't blame me for getting angry!"
"How could that be?"
"While I don't know if our Sky Island sake is better than Blue Sea sake, I've also tasted sake brought by other Blue Sea people, and I don't feel there's much difference. In fact, due to Sky Island's special geography, I think the sake brewed here is even more delicious!"
Gan Fall looked at Kouta, a smile returning to his face.
He could sense from Kouta that his request had been granted.
With Kouta's group here, defeating Enel shouldn't be too difficult, right?
Although he had only seen A'lo in action, it didn't affect his judgment.
He firmly believed that this extremely handsome, exceptionally poised young man before him was an unparalleled expert.
"Good!"
Kouta shouted and then, with a serious tone, said to Gan Fall, "I accept your request."
Immediately, the serious expression on his face vanished, and he smiled again. He then turned to the onlookers and said with a smile, "Let's eat! After eating, we'll go take a look at that God's Land, Apayado, and see what kind of rubbish that god and his priests are."
"Haha!! No matter what kind of rubbish they are, I can finish them with one shot."
A'lo smiled, raised his left hand to brush his hair, gripped his Meigou in his right hand, tilted his head back, and boasted arrogantly.
"You?"
A'Hua adjusted his glasses and glanced sideways at A'lo. "You can't even beat me, and you want to fight a god? Leave that guy to me!"
As he spoke, he raised his hand and made a fist. "See this fist, the size of a sandbag?"
"One punch, forget about a false god, even a real god would have to kneel."
"Hahahahaha!!"
"You..."
A'lo turned his head to stare at A'Hua, a flicker of anger in his eyes. "Want to fight again?"
"Bring it on, who's afraid of whom!"
A'Hua lowered his fist, rolled up his sleeves, turned to A'lo, and shouted, "Come on! It's been a while since I've disciplined you, you guy. Let me show you today that my fists are not something you can compare to your embroidery pillow."
"You're looking for death!"
"Ah..."
A'lo clenched his fists and roared, charging at A'Hua.
"Ah..."
A'Hua also roared, charging at A'lo.
Just as the two were about to collide.
A pink figure appeared as if teleporting, right beside where A'Hua and A'lo were about to collide. Their not-so-tall body exuded an aura of a great demon king, as if it were blocking out the sun, casting A'Hua and A'lo into the newcomer's shadow.
"Enough!"
"Thump~ Thump~"
"Hiss hiss!!"
"Ouch, ouch, ouch!!!"
A'Tao, holding a cigarette between his right index and middle fingers, put the mouthpiece in his mouth, took a deep drag, then removed the cigarette from his mouth. He elegantly held his right hand to the right, glanced sideways at A'Hua and A'lo, who were squatting on the ground, holding their heads and nursing their sore spots, opened his mouth, and exhaled a puff of smoke, a hint of disdain flashing in his eyes.
"Idiots!!"
"Hehe!!"
Guina retracted her fist and turned to Gan Fall, smiling slightly. "Forgive me for making an old man witness such a scene."
"It's alright."
Gan Fall wore a smile.
"You guys have such good chemistry."
The feeling this team gave him was different from any pirate crew he had ever encountered. It seemed they really were the "adventure group" they claimed to be.
...