thefictionvixens Chapter 75 Existence is Right
Chapter 75 Existence is Right
Karna stood quietly beside Ace, able to clearly sense the turbulent emotions surging within his Master's heart.
He didn't immediately offer words of comfort, but silently released a warm and peaceful aura, like the sun, dispelling the damp chill of the rainforest and providing Ace with a silent refuge.
After a long while, Ace slowly raised his head, his eyes no longer burning with the pure flame they had before.
My heart was filled with complex weariness and deep confusion.
"Little Sun..." His voice was a little hoarse.
"That Zhou, is that the younger brother you mentioned? He said you... were a 'mistake'?"
Karna looked calmly at Ace with his golden eyes, without the slightest hesitation.
"Yes, Master. Under the 'righteous law' bestowed upon him by fate, my birth, my existence, was an unacceptable 'mistake' from the very beginning."
"And... what about you?" Ace's voice trembled slightly.
"Do you...think that way yourself?"
Karna was silent for a moment, his gaze falling on the fragmented sunlight filtering through the gaps in the rainforest, cut into pieces by the branches and leaves.
"Whether it's wrong or not is a definition imposed on me by others."
His voice remained calm, yet it contained a steadfastness born of experience.
"I choose to accept my fate, fulfill my duty, and protect those I trust. This is my path. Whether it's giving alms or fighting, I will have no regrets until the end of my life."
"This very existence is my 'Dharma'."
"No regrets...existence is the law..." Ace pondered Karna's words.
Even Karna, the powerful son of the sun god, was burdened with the heavy destiny of being seen as "wrong" by his closest relatives.
But Karna chose to accept it, chose to fight, chose to protect, and did not regret it.
What about yourself?
Is the label of "Roger's son" truly an inescapable shackle?
Is one's own existence really just a "mistake" that needs to be erased?
The white-bearded old man's booming voice seemed to echo in my ears: "Be my son!"
Sabo's warm smile as a child, Luffy's carefree shouts... the faces of his crewmates flashed by one by one.
Karna stood quietly beside him, his golden eyes filled with understanding and warmth, not urging.
He didn't spout any grand principles; he simply released his warm and peaceful aura even further, dispelling the damp chill and gloom surrounding Ace.
"Master," Karna's voice was calm yet powerful.
"Your body needs to recover. There seems to be human presence ahead; perhaps you can find a place to rest temporarily."
Ace took a deep breath, barely managing to suppress his turbulent emotions.
He understood that now was not the time to wallow in self-doubt; the threat was not over.
He nodded and stood up with the help of Karna's outstretched hand.
The two struggled through the dense, suffocating rainforest.
Under the power of the smoke mirror, the plants were unusually lush and aggressive, with huge carnivorous flowers writhing and emitting a sweet, rotten smell.
Karna's Undying Blade would occasionally tap lightly, and a flash of golden flame would turn the threatening mutated plants to ashes, clearing a relatively safe path for Ace.
After walking for about half a day, the air became a little drier, and the sound of flowing water and... noisy voices could be faintly heard.
Pushing aside a huge fern leaf, the sight before them both took a slight breath away.
This place appears to have been a small oasis settlement on the edge of the Alabasta desert, but under the power of the smoke mirror, the oasis has been completely transformed into a rainforest.
Several dilapidated mud houses stood precariously in the mud, and a group of emaciated villagers were gathered together, uttering desperate cries and angry curses.
Among them, a "cocoon" made up of countless wriggling vines was perched beside a small well.
The vines emitted a sweet, poisonous odor, and villagers who tried to approach the well to draw water were mercilessly whipped by the vines.
Several young men were already tightly bound by vines, struggling in agony, their skin showing signs of corrosion.
The water level in the well was visibly dropping, being greedily absorbed by the vines.
"Damn monster! Give us back our water!"
"Let go of my dad! Please!"
"At this rate, we'll all die of thirst and starvation here!"
An atmosphere of despair permeated the small settlement.
Ace stared blankly at the scene.
The suffering of these villagers is so real; it is the most basic and direct struggle for survival.
They have no grand concepts like "One Piece" or "Holy Grail War" in their eyes; they only have the most primal desire for water and survival.
"Is this... the change brought about by the power of the Smoke Mirror?" Ace murmured.
The transformation of the desert into a rainforest may sound like a blessing, but for the villagers who depend on the oasis for survival, it is a terrible disaster.
Dramatic ecological changes have led to the emergence of mutated plants that are unable to adapt, directly threatening their lifelines.
Karna's gaze swept over the villagers bound by vines and groaning in pain, a hint of pity flashing in his golden pupils.
He looked at Ace: "Master, they need help."
Ace's heart skipped a beat. He was currently utterly exhausted...
But seeing the despair in the villagers' eyes and hearing the children crying, a different kind of impulse welled up inside me.
That was the kindness he inherited from Rouge, which was also what he did most often when he was "Fire Fist Ace".
Protecting the vulnerable and helping those in need—that's what he's always been doing.
This has nothing to do with stance, identity, or even the meaning of his own existence; it is an anchor point deep within his soul.
"Ah..." Ace responded softly, the confusion in his eyes replaced by a more direct emotion—action!
He took a deep breath, suppressing his physical exhaustion and inner turmoil, and suddenly ignited flames in his hands!
"Hey! Big guy over there!" Ace yelled at the vine cocoon, attracting its attention.
At the same time, a ball of blazing white flame condensed at his fingertips. "A musket!"
Whoosh whoosh whoosh—!
Several fireballs were accurately fired at the roots of the vines that were entangled around the villagers. The flames scorched the vines, making a sizzling sound and emitting a burnt smell.
The vines, in pain, twisted violently, temporarily loosening their grip on the villagers.
"Quick! Pull them out!" Ace shouted to the other villagers.
The villagers snapped out of their daze, and several of the bolder ones immediately rushed forward and dragged their companion away from the vines' attack range.
"Roar—!" The vine cocoon seemed to be enraged. It abandoned the water source and lashed out at Ace with its vines covering the sky!
"Master, be careful!" Karna appeared instantly beside Ace, his golden armor gleaming slightly.
Snapped!Snapped!Snapped!
The divinely imbued spear easily severed the attacking vines, and the flames halted their regeneration.
Karna's movements were precise and elegant, as if he were clearing weeds, protecting Ace while also clearing obstacles for his attack.
"Thanks, little sun!" Ace perked up.
With Karna by his side, he can launch a full-scale attack!
"Firefly Daruma!"
Ace unleashed a flurry of punches, sending explosions rippled through the air and flames spreading wildly across the vines.
The vine cocoon emitted a piercing shriek, twisting and struggling wildly in an attempt to extinguish the flames.
However, with Ace's relentless bombardment of flames and Karna's precise severing of its regenerating tentacles, its resistance grew weaker and weaker.
"Final blow! Flame-Up!" Ace leaped into the air and slammed his hands down.
A massive wall of fire shot up from beneath the vine cocoon, completely engulfing it.
boom--!!!
In the raging fire, the vines were eventually reduced to charred ashes, leaving only the small well that had been preserved.
The flames subsided, and Ace landed back on the ground, slightly panting.
Although exhausted, seeing the villagers' grateful eyes after surviving the disaster, a long-lost, pure sense of satisfaction welled up in my heart.
"Thank you... thank you, sir!" An old man walked over shakily, tears welling in his eyes.
"Without you, we...we would truly be finished!"
"Thank you so much for saving my dad!" A little girl hugged her rescued father and timidly thanked Ace.
Ace looked at them, at the pure gratitude in their eyes, not because of who he was, but simply because he had helped them.
This recognition, so simple, yet so heavy, struck his bewildered heart.
He scratched his head awkwardly, a tired but genuine smile appearing on his face.
"Ah...it's nothing, just something I did."
Helping others and protecting the weak seems to be the right thing to do.
Karna stood behind Ace, watching the renewed radiance on his Master's face, a hint of relief appearing in his golden eyes.
Giving and protecting are among the meanings of his existence.
"Master, perhaps we can rest here for a while, find out what's going on, and wait for your brother," Karna suggested.
This place is relatively safe, and the enemy can't find us for the time being, which is a good opportunity for Ace to recover his strength and calm his mind.
Ace looked at the exhausted villagers and himself, who also needed rest, and nodded.
"Hmm, that's fine too." Ace hesitated a little. "And also..."
"Thank you for your help, Little Sun."