"That is a country just like heaven."
In the alley, a group of ragged children surrounded a tall, thin man, their little faces filled with longing.
The man sat on the steps, wearing a black wide-brimmed hat and a tattered white coat. He had a clean, fair complexion and looked frail.
"Doctor Reddy, don't think you can fool us just because we're young. There's no such heaven in this world."
A boy around eleven or twelve years old shouted, his face full of disbelief. The other children clearly followed his lead and began to protest.
"Yeah, yeah, you say if you work hard, you can eat your fill, but pirates will come and steal everything."
"It's impossible for every child to have a chance to go to school."
"Every orphan who loses their parents will be taken care of by the government? That can't be true!"
"..."
The children chattered loudly, raising all sorts of counterarguments to refute Doctor Reddy's description.
Reddy smiled and did not argue back.
His body belonged to this world, but the soul inside had been replaced by one from another world.
In the country he had lived in before crossing over, there might have been all kinds of flaws, but one thing was undeniable.
It was a peaceful and stable country.
There was no famine, no threat of war. As long as you were willing to work hard, you could eat your fill. And there was compulsory education for all children.
"Will you take us to that heaven?"
A little girl around five or six years old hugged a dirty, one-eared stuffed rabbit and looked at Reddy with expectation.
The boy said seriously, "Mia, don't believe this nonsense that even children wouldn't fall for. If Doctor Reddy knew how to get to that heaven, why would he come to Loguetown? Is heaven somewhere in the East Blue?"
Mia said weakly, "But... but I want to go."
The surroundings fell silent.
The other children hesitated, looking at their leader, wanting to speak but not daring to.
"Don't let Doctor Reddy fool you."
The boy was angry, not because the others believed Reddy's lies, but because they were pinning their hopes on an illusory country.
With such naivety, how could they survive in this cruel world?
Reddy burst into laughter. He placed his hand on little Mia's head, leaned down, and pressed his forehead against hers. He said seriously, "Ark is right. There is no heaven in this world, but we can create an ideal land like heaven with our own hands."
"That'll take so long."
Mia sighed in disappointment.
The other children also showed disappointed expressions.
Loguetown was known as the Town of Beginnings and Endings.
It was the gateway from the East Blue to the Grand Line. For any pirate who wanted to conquer the Grand Line, this was the last supply point before entering.
The parents and relatives of Ark and these children had died in the repeated pirate raids.
Every child longed to escape this painful life.
"Although it will take a long time to create the ideal land in my heart, if we don't try, there's no chance of realizing this dream at all." Reddy laughed heartily and ruffled each of their heads until their hair was even messier.
The children scattered in annoyance.
Mia didn't leave. She hugged her stuffed animal and said with longing, "Doctor Reddy, can we really create such a heaven?"
"Of course we can. That's why I came to Loguetown." Reddy placed his hand on Mia's head again.
Mia's eyes lit up, her dirty little face full of anticipation. "Is heaven really in the East Blue?"
Reddy smiled. "I didn't come to the East Blue to find heaven. I came to find a small island floating in the sky."
"An island floating in the sky?" Mia looked confused, unable to imagine such a scene.
Reddy thought for a moment, then gestured as if holding a boat. He added, "Or rather, I'm looking for a big ship flying in the sky."
At that moment, Ark and a few other children came running in panic.
"Hide quickly, the pirates are here again!"
Ark was at the front, with a wound on his right arm, a bruise on his forehead, and a split lip.
"Those brats are here!"
At the alley entrance behind them, a few pirates wearing headscarves spotted them and chased after them with vicious grins.
"Doctor Reddy..."
Mia hid behind Reddy in fear, her dirty little hands tightly clutching a corner of his coat.
"He's just a doctor. He can't do anything. As long as we hold out until the Marines arrive, we'll be saved."
Ark grabbed Mia's hand and tried to pull her away, planning to use his familiarity with Loguetown to escape the brutal pirates.
"I don't believe the Marines can save us. Doctor Reddy will save us. Because he'll take us to create heaven." Mia refused to let go.
"Grab that man and those brats. Kill them in the cruelest way. We'll all become fearsome pirates." The pirates behind them shouted threats.
"He's just a liar!"
Mia's stubbornness made Ark furious.
"Ark, let's run!"
The other children, seeing the pirates about to catch up, cried out and tried to pull their leader away to escape the alley.
"You go. I'm staying." Ark gritted his teeth and pushed the other children toward the other end of the alley.
Seeing Ark's determination to stay, the other children had no choice but to leave him and Mia behind and flee.
Ark watched them run away, then glared at Reddy and said angrily, "You're going to get us killed."
Reddy smiled. "Aren't you afraid of death?"
Ark turned his head away and said angrily, "I'm afraid of death, but I don't want Mia to die alone here."
In his heart, the liar Reddy had already been crossed off the list of people he trusted.
"Doctor Reddy will save us." Mia stubbornly insisted that Reddy was the savior in her heart. Her persistence made Ark give up arguing.
"I used to place my hopes on others too... but the Marines' justice can't protect everyone like us who longs for peace. The Revolutionary Army just wants to overthrow the old nobles and replace them with new ones to keep ruling this world. That's why I decided to create my own ideal land."
Reddy placed his hand on Mia's head and slowly stood up. With his other hand, he waved in the air.
A panel that only he could see appeared.
[Gene Library]
[Gene Analysis Lab]
[Gene Editing Lab]
[Chip Lab]
[Biochemical Lab]
[Clone Factory]
Reddy clicked on the [Clone Workshop] option in the list, entering the next submenu.
[Product Storage]
[Enhancement Workshop]
[Modification Workshop]
He clicked on [Product Storage], and a new list appeared.
[Gene Warwolf (LV4)] x5
[Gene Seabeast (LV5)] x1
Reddy clicked rapidly.
Five black shadows suddenly appeared out of nowhere, surrounding Reddy and the two children.
They were monsters.
They resembled wolves but stood over 1.6 meters tall at the shoulder. Their bodies were covered in glossy black scales, and their dark claws looked like small daggers. They stared coldly at the approaching pirates.
"He's a Devil Fruit user! Run!"
The pirates, seeing Reddy summon monsters out of thin air, scrambled to escape the alley in terror.
"You... you're a Devil Fruit user?"
Ark was stunned.
Devil Fruits were treasures of the sea. Each one granted its user incredible powers.
He never expected that Reddy, this seemingly frail man, was actually a legendary Devil Fruit user.
"I knew Doctor Reddy would save us."
Mia didn't understand what a Devil Fruit user was. She only knew that Reddy had lived up to her expectations. Clapping her hands excitedly, her face was full of pride.
"I'm just a doctor, and also a scientist who studies genes."
Reddy shook his head with a smile, then extended an invitation to Ark and Mia. "Although this might not mean much, I still can't bring myself to be indifferent. Will you come with me to save others?"
"I'll go."
Mia jumped up, raising her hand while still tightly clutching a corner of his coat.
Ark hesitated for a moment, then nodded firmly.