"We can't guarantee victory all the time..."
Lily said, "Doflamingo has ruled for so many years, hiding oppression and darkness deep underground, erasing people's memories. But once he's defeated, people will remember his claims because the public is foolish..."
"Foolish to the extent that even if someone points out, 'Look, he's oppressing you, giving you only ten percent of what you deserve,' in the end, you'll still say... 'It's nothing, he's living well.'
"Yes, no one said he wasn't living well... But whether it's good or bad, there's a comparison."
Lily pointed to the farmland ahead, "Do you know why I brought you here? Compared to Dressrosa in terms of area, it's not as large as our base, Storm City, let alone the main island and Vice Island of O'hara."
"You, and Doflamingo, after all these years, you've only developed less than half of this area."
The towns of Dressrosa, divided by the large stone arch bridge in the center, have less than half of the area as towns, with some small villages and farmlands on the outskirts. As for the other half, it's wilderness.
"Of course, I'm not trying to say that. What I'm trying to say is... do you know what kind of life these farmers live?"
King Liku was stunned at the words. He was a benevolent and loving king, aiming to avoid war, striving for peace, fostering friendly relations with neighboring countries, and considering the citizens. But... he really didn't know about those marginalized people.
Human activities and knowledge are limited, and some people may never have ventured beyond three or four blocks around them in their lifetime. All their information comes from the mouths of others.
Even so-called tourism is only about traveling from one set of bustling streets to another set of bustling streets, never seeing the whole picture.
The king is no exception. The places he frequents are the Royal Palace, the arena, and the surrounding buildings. It's not that he ignores the farmers, but he doesn't have this concept.
"When we first came to Dressrosa to build ships, I investigated. The lives of people here during your rule and Doflamingo's rule have not changed at all. Neither of you cared about these people. They are unaffected by usurping."
"This family, three people."
Lily's fingers shifted to a house that had been cut into sections, but which seemed abandoned even before that happened.
In front of the house, there's a large tract of farmland.
"They plant corn, which matures every three months, yielding about a ton. They use the best local seeds, waking up at the crack of dawn and returning home only after dark, their hands are cracked, their skin even darker than Gin's... thin and black, it's not natural, it's from the sun."
"Do you know what happens after they harvest?"
Lily looked at King Liku, in his somewhat dazed expression, and said, "Taxes, it's a common thing that no one can avoid."
"Doflamingo didn't touch your tax rate, so you're a good king. But no matter how low the tax rate is, no matter how high the price of grain is, you and the nobles and merchants with noble status will press the price to the lowest when buying from them."
"Three months of hard work, selling the grain, then buying seeds. The result when checking their hand... only fifty thousand Belly, three months, fifty thousand Belly."
Lily spoke with a tone that was either self-deprecating or full of pity:
"What can you do with that money? Buy a lousy knife? Get some medical treatment? Or buy something you want?"
"When I saw them at that time, I didn't think they were unfortunate. After all, they could have a full stomach, keep warm, live like normal people... until we captured Gares, under Sage's rule, and saw the changes."
"Farming could also yield good returns, street cleaning could earn respect. No matter what seemingly unprofitable job they did, they could earn a salary equivalent to their contribution. They not only had enough to eat and wear, they could afford to treat a dozen serious illnesses, and they could buy anything they needed..."
"It was then that I realized, this world indeed has a paradise."
"When I came this time, I came here again, and found they were gone. Was it solely because Doflamingo's darkness disappeared, or was it that something unfortunate happened much earlier, leading to their untimely death? No one knows."
Lily grasped the sword handle at her waist and said to King Liku, "I don't like killing people. If possible, I don't want to kill anyone. I prefer quietly practicing swordsmanship, painting a sea map, using my sailing knowledge to help Sage navigate every undiscovered part of the sea."
"You are also a good king, diligent and responsible, worried for your people, longing for peace, but..."
Ching!
Lily drew the White Thunder, pointing at King Liku and his family, her voice though calm, struck like thunder in their ears and those of Issho.
"You are in the way!!"
...
The wind, unaffected by eras or the struggle between right and wrong, continued to blow, fluttering Lily's hair as she stood alone on the hillside, gazing at the field ahead.
Beside her, Issho stood like a statue, motionless, eyes closed, lost in thought for some time, then slowly spoke:
"O'hara, that rule of calamity, is it truly as you say?"
"Why don't you go see for yourself?" Lily replied flatly.
Issho forced a stiff smile, "If you keep killing like this, it won't be good for your reputation."
"I don't care about those things."
Lily extended her hand, as if trying to catch a wisp of the wind, and said, "Besides, a pirate's reputation isn't great to begin with, as for the criticism... let the nobles suffer, and I'll bear the infamy!"
Issho was silent for a while, tapped the ground with his staff, and turned to leave.
"I will go..."
He opened his white eyes and sighed, "If these eyes weren't blind at that time, perhaps they could have seen a different view. It's truly... a regret."