One Piece: Mandala Swordsman

Chapter 21 Luo's Stubbornness

Book, book, book, not this one, not this one either.

Where is it?

Luo was extremely uneasy.

After the girl finished speaking, she left quickly. By the time Luo tried to chase after her, she had already disappeared from sight.

What seemed like a joke actually stirred up fear within him.

Luo's parents also found it strange that the usually composed Luo was so flustered, but they didn't ask any further questions. They knew that if Luo really needed them, he would speak up.

At Hartel's house, Roman was idly stroking the soil.

This is the power of platinum-lead. Although its toxicity is weak, it can affect the soil, and trees and flowers that draw nutrients from the toxic soil are also stained white.

However, it is a gradual change, so much so that people may even forget what they originally looked like.

As long as the soil is contaminated, the plants that grow there will be pure white and spotless.

So, in the end, people will be the same.

The toxins have already accumulated in the body and are almost irreversible; all Roman can do is offer a reminder.

If Luo had known in advance, he would definitely have taken action.

It may not be useful, but it's probably better for him to know something and then try to change things after he learns it, than to know nothing and then suffer an undeserved disaster.

Doing nothing might lead to even greater regret.

For the past few days, Roman has hardly eaten any food on the island; she has been eating dry rations brought from the sea.

This puzzled Hartel greatly, but Roman brushed it off by saying that "sea voyages are arduous and not suitable for leisure."

As a result, the Hartle family ate bread and canned food brought from the ship for all three meals a day.

This caused Hartel considerable distress.

Furthermore, platinum and lead jewelry, paint, and Roman all put their items in the storage room, citing their dislike of white.

Although Hartel felt it was unnecessary, as a soft-hearted middle-aged man, he let Roman do as he pleased.

This was the only thing Roman could do; he could only hope that doing so would delay the onset of platinum lead poisoning.

Of course, Roman didn't neglect his training either.

Strength is the foundation of one's existence. Now that she has left the safe house, she needs to take responsibility for herself.

Compared to the New World, the Four Seas is indeed a bit child's play, but we can't be careless. After all, the population base is there, and who knows if a few monsters will suddenly appear? She's heard plenty of stories of ships capsizing in the gutter.

If she doesn't want to become someone else's corpse, she'd better stay alert at all times. The future is full of possibilities, and even if she already knows part of the future, who can say for sure about the details?

The moment she, like a butterfly, flapped her wings, the future might have already begun to change.

……

"How did you find this place?" Looking at the small figure with a stubborn expression, she couldn't help but tease her.

“Big sister, you’re dressed all in black and you’re curious about the unique scenery here, which means you’re from out of town. I checked at the port, and there haven’t been any passenger ships these past few days, only returning merchant ships. A few days ago, I noticed the calluses on your hands, marks from frequent use of knives, indicating you have some fighting ability. If you came from a merchant ship, then it’s more likely you were a guard. And a merchant who would allow a little girl to board a ship and serve as a guard wouldn’t be a big merchant, so after ruling that out…”

"Impressive, impressive, what a remarkable child! No wonder they all say you're so smart." Roman clapped his hands. Since they'd already deduced this far, there was really no need to listen any further. It seemed that one of the requirements for studying medicine was having a sharp mind.

"So, what do you want from me?"

"It's about what you said that day."

Did I say anything?

Seemingly not expecting Roman to deny it, Luo began to panic: "I looked up the information you gave me back then. A hundred years ago, our plants were indeed not white, and the period when they turned white was exactly when we were mining platinum and lead."

"so what?"

"So... what do you know?"

"The key is not what I know, but what you think about? Do you think it's normal for plants to suddenly change color? Think about it carefully, plants are just one form of life, and aren't humans also a specific manifestation of life?" Roman began to guide her patiently.

"Of course I know. Are you trying to say that people can turn white like trees?"

“I didn’t say that.”

"That……"

"Rather than saying it turned whiter, it's more accurate to say that the white covered up the original color. That's how I see it."

Did the white cover the original color?

Luo became a little excited.

He knew what she meant; her words implied that platinum and lead were problematic and harmful to people.

But is that really possible? Platinum and lead have been mined for over 100 years, and during that time, no one has ever found any problems with their use.

But how do we explain the changes in the color and sound of trees?

Plants and animals in the biological world are often more sensitive than humans and are more easily affected by the environment. Fryvanes has hardly experienced any major environmental changes in the past century, but the strange color changes of the plants may not be a problem. However, if there is a problem, it means that the lives of the entire nation are in imminent danger.

Impossible, impossible.

"Who exactly are you? What do you know? Are you a scholar?" Luo began to shout uncontrollably.

Fortunately, the surroundings were quiet and Hartel wasn't home, otherwise it would have attracted a lot of attention.

"Just a sea traveler, currently staying here temporarily for work, not a scholar."

"That……"

“I have no obligation to tell you everything. Your subsequent actions will be determined by your own thoughts. Also, I haven’t said anything. You discovered all of this yourself.”

She didn't want to get into trouble; she couldn't save the country, so the best option was to give up.

But even if Luo knows he can't save the country, he will still do his best. So let him get involved. His individual strength may be insignificant, but that's not something Roman needs to worry about.

She came here only to witness the last glory of this country, and she didn't care what the future held for it.

This place has been abandoned, not because it died from invasion or extravagance, but because it has truly been abandoned.

It was sacrificed as a torch for world government. It died at the hands of its own people.

If the truth hadn't been revealed a hundred years earlier, it would have been a dead end.

"I will find the truth."

Luo stopped pressing him, perhaps knowing he would say nothing more, leaving Roman with only a stubborn shadow.

Sure enough, if you push something you find troublesome to someone else, you'll feel much better.

With things as they were, Roman resumed her exercise routine.