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It was a disaster for Rouge, and it all ended with a few words at the wine table.
This was typical.
A helpless pregnant woman posed no real threat to the Five Elders, who held such high positions.
What would make them pay attention and act personally is either something involving a Poneglyph or someone who could potentially threaten their rule.
As for the title of Pirate King? It's just a name celebrated by those from the lower world.
Sitting high in the Holy Land, they didn't really care much about the so-called Roger. After all, the biggest thing he's done so far is reach Raftel, and nothing more.
Their true concern—their inverse scale—was the Poneglyphs, and there was no information indicating that Rouge had any connection to them.
Akira had reason to believe that the order to hunt down Rouge was one the Five Elders gave without much thought.
They might even forget about it entirely.
Those pursuing her were likely just subordinates hoping to curry favor with their superiors and earn a promotion by completing the task.
This is the allure of power.
And while their banquet was in full swing!
A group of CP0 members in pure white suits descended from the Holy Land and boarded a warship, heading into the distance.
"Captain, it's so late, why are we heading to the Sabaody Archipelago?" a young team member asked.
The CP0 captain stood at the bow and calmly responded, "To get a real slave."
"For the Celestial Dragons?"
"No. It's for the Marine who's currently dining with the Five Elders."
"Oh."
The team member understood.
After the new Marine Fleet Admiral passed the Five Elders' test, it's an old tradition to find some women to spend the night with him to keep him content.
It's no big deal, just some slaves, nothing of great value.
For such a small price, if the Marine Fleet Admiral can fully obey the Five Elders' orders, it's a very profitable deal.
However, the young team member still had some doubts.
"Didn't we already pick up several slaves this afternoon? Why do we need to get more?"
"We just got word that the Fleet Admiral prefers a particular type."
The CP0 captain sighed and said in a low voice, "The slaves we selected have decent skills, but they've been tortured and have lost their spirit."
All the CP0 members understood.
Since the new Marine Fleet Admiral prefers a certain type, the current slaves won't do.
After all, not everyone, like the Celestial Dragons, enjoys women who are broken and lifeless.
The youngest team member couldn't help but express his thoughts:
"It must be great to have that kind of power. People will go out of their way to please you without you even having to ask."
"I wish I could experience that someday."
The rest of the trip passed in silence.
Soon, the warship docked at the port of the Sabaody Archipelago.
Without hesitation, the CP0 members headed straight to the slave market.
Even though it was late at night, the lawless area between grove 1-29 was still bustling.
Human traffickers, bounty hunters, and pirates were fighting everywhere.
CP0 ignored the chaos. Their expressions remained indifferent.
As long as no one was foolish enough to pick a fight with them, they wouldn't bother to intervene.
After all, catching pirates was the Marine's job, not theirs.
Anyone coming to the Sabaody Archipelago would know the basics. Seeing CP0's attire, they understood these were agents of the World Government, so they wisely chose not to cause trouble and quietly stepped aside.
Soon, the group arrived at the slave trading market.
"My lords, good evening! How may I assist you?"
The shop owner quickly stepped aside, bowing his head repeatedly as he asked eagerly.
"We're here to buy some slaves," the CP0 captain said coldly.
A large "$$" symbol practically gleamed in the shop owner's eyes.
He knew he was about to make a fortune tonight.
Anyone running a slave shop in the Sabaody Archipelago knew who the Celestial Dragon guards were.
Whenever they came to buy slaves, they were always ready to pay generously for anything that caught their eye.
"My lord, we recently captured a pirate with a bounty of 8 million berries.
"We also have a newly arrived, rare member of the Snakeneck Tribe."
"And besides..."
The CP0 captain raised his hand, cutting off the shop owner's enthusiastic pitch, and said in a stern voice, "The slaves we want this time aren't for collecting or amusement; we need beautiful women, ones with pure looks and good family backgrounds."
"Of course, of course. We have those too."
The shop owner nodded repeatedly, as if he were pounding garlic, and respectfully led the way. "Please, come in and take a look."
The CP0 captain followed him inside.
The store was vast, with nearly a hundred transparent cages, each imprisoning a different individual.
The CP0 captain ignored the rest, his attention solely on the female slaves.
Time ticked by.
The CP0 captain was still meticulously choosing.
It was clear he was taking this very seriously.
After all, these slaves were meant to accompany the Marine Fleet Admiral, and ordinary merchandise simply wouldn't do.
If the Five Elders found out, they wouldn't just brush it off.
"Captain, I'm stepping out for a smoke," the youngest team member said, bored, as he headed outside after getting the CP0 captain's nod.
He lit a cigarette, leaned against a transparent cage, and exhaled a thick plume of smoke.
After finishing three cigarettes, he was about to head back inside when suddenly—
A faint singing voice drifted from a distance, catching his attention.
He glanced at his captain, seeing that the task wouldn't be completed anytime soon, and curiously followed the sound.
After passing through several cages and turning down a few paths, he finally reached the source.
In front of him sat a young man with gray-green hair, dressed in a striped shirt, singing softly.
In the slave cage behind him, a voluptuous blonde woman sat quietly, her hands wrapped around her knees, listening intently.
"Stella, don't worry. I've got a job now. I'll buy your freedom once I have enough money."
After finishing the song, the young man stood up and earnestly reassured the female slave.
"Tesoro, we've only known each other for a few nights. It's not worth it," the blonde woman, Stella, replied numbly. Even the mention of freedom, a dream she longed for, didn't stir her emotions.
She glanced at Tesoro, who was dead serious, and finally shook her head, trying to dissuade him:
"I appreciate your kindness, but don't waste your efforts. By the time you save enough, I might have already been sold."
"If I don't try, how will I know I can't do it? I'll work hard, I promise."
"I'm not worth this effort from you."
"No, you are. You're the only one who's ever appreciated my singing."
Stella fell silent.
As a slave stripped of her freedom, there was nothing she could do.
So when her words failed to dissuade Tesoro, she simply stopped trying.
"Let me sing you another song."
Tesoro grinned, stretched out his arms, and began to sing again.
"This beautiful woman should be good enough."
Mid-song, the CP0 team member suddenly appeared in front of the cage, scrutinizing Stella like a piece of merchandise.
After a quick assessment, he nodded, "We'll take her."
Tesoro's singing stopped abruptly.
As he watched the CP0 member pull out a thick stack of berries, his eyes widened.
Stella…
She's going to be sold?
No, no! This can't be happening. She belongs to me, only I should be able to buy her.
Tesoro's mind screamed, his pupils flaring red with rage.
"Huh? You want to buy this woman too?"
The CP0 member turned to Tesoro with a half-smile, "I'm a very reasonable person. You were here first, so I'll let you go ahead."
Tesoro clenched his fists, glaring at him.
"It seems you don't have the money. How about I lend you some?" The CP0 member taunted, shaking the stack of berries in his hand.
"Are... are you serious?" Tesoro stammered, taken aback.
"Of course, but you'll have to pick it up yourself."
With a casual flick of his wrist, the CP0 member let the stack of berries fall to the ground like leaves.
Tesoro watched the bills scatter on the floor, knowing the man wanted to humiliate him, making him pick them up like a beggar.
He'd seen this kind of thing before—a pirate captain, drunk, had done the same to his crew, making them scramble for money off the ground.
"No, Tesoro, he's trying to humiliate you," Stella said, leaning against the glass of her cage, shaking her head in refusal.
"It's okay, Stella. This is nothing," Tesoro replied with a faint smile. He knelt down without hesitation and quickly gathered the berries.
Just a few days ago, he was a gambler surviving by stealing money. Kneeling to pick up some cash was hardly the worst thing he'd endured.
The CP0 member just watched, a smirk on his face.
Soon, Tesoro had gathered all the berries. He looked up, "These are mine now, right?"
He still couldn't quite believe it.
After all, the money had come so easily. The man hadn't even forced him to crawl; he'd just made him pick it up.
"Of course! Weren't you going to buy this woman? What are you waiting for?" The CP0 member shrugged.
"Stella, wait for me! I'm going to buy you right now," Tesoro said, joy lighting up his face as he waved the berries and hurried toward the slave shop.
Soon, he found a shopkeeper.
"I-I want to buy Stella! Here's the money, hurry!" Tesoro stammered, his face flushed with excitement.
The shopkeeper, who had barely caught his breath, was suddenly overwhelmed with a stack of berries shoved into his hands.
Though taken aback, he knew the slaves were for sale and that money couldn't be returned.
He began counting, and when he confirmed the amount was enough, he nodded, "Alright, this slave is now—"
"Wait a minute."
The CP0 member approached, stepping between them. "I want to buy this slave too."
Before the shopkeeper could respond, Tesoro stepped forward, desperation in his voice, "Didn't you say first come, first served? Don't go back on your word!"
"I did say that," the CP0 member replied with a chuckle, "but you misunderstood. I meant that you could buy her first, but now it's my turn."
The CP0 member then turned to the shopkeeper, "So, who are you going to sell her to?"
"Of course, I'll sell her to you, sir! I'll bring her out right away," the shopkeeper said, recognizing the CP0 member's authority, his voice trembling.
As he turned to retrieve Stella, Tesoro grabbed his shoulder tightly.
"I came to you first; you should sell her to me!" Tesoro growled, his voice shaking with anger.
"Are you kidding? That gentleman spoke first," the shopkeeper retorted, slapping Tesoro's hand away.
Tesoro's eyes widened in disbelief.
The shopkeeper was blatantly lying—he'd just seen him do it. But he didn't have time to dwell on it; he had to act fast. He ran ahead of the shopkeeper, blocking his path.
"I can pay more! I've still got a lot of berries left!"
"More money? Even if you offered ten times as much, I wouldn't sell her to you."
"Why not?"
"Are you dense? Do you even know who that man is?" the shopkeeper snapped, frustrated by Tesoro's persistence but knowing he couldn't leave without explaining.
Pointing to the CP0 member, who was watching the situation unfold with amusement, the shopkeeper said, "He's one of the guards for the Celestial Dragons, the world's nobles."
"This kind of big shot is not someone we can afford to offend. If we anger him, our boss won't be able to keep this shop running," the shopkeeper explained, his voice trembling. "Even if you offered a hundred times the money, as long as that lord wants something, we have to hand it over if we want to stay in business."
"Do you understand? You are just a Ordinary Person!" he added, emphasizing the gap between them.
The CP0 member felt a wave of satisfaction wash over him. His eyes narrowed in delight, basking in the fear and deference his authority commanded.
This was precisely why he had given Tesoro the money earlier, only to swoop in at the crucial moment and snatch the prize away.
For him, berries were nothing more than valuable pieces of paper. If he could spend them to indulge his own whims and assert his power, he would do so without hesitation.
Even though he couldn't experience the same pleasures as the Marine Fleet Admiral, the power trip alone was enough to satisfy him.
Tesoro stood frozen in place.
It wasn't until he heard the sound of Stella being dragged away by the staff and handed over to the CP0 member that he snapped back to reality.
"No, Stella!" Tesoro shouted, clenching his fist. Without thinking, he hurled himself at the CP0 member.
But in the next instant, a powerful strike landed on his stomach.
The blow was so fast that Tesoro couldn't even see it coming.
Whoosh! Bang.
"Ughhh..."
Tesoro's body flew backward, skidding across the ground for hundreds of meters before coming to a stop.
His face was ashen as he clutched his stomach, blood pouring from the corner of his mouth.
The CP0 member, having handed Stella over to his subordinates, strolled over to where Tesoro lay. He knelt down, lightly slapped Tesoro's face, and sneered down at him.
"Remember one thing, boy," the CP0 member said with a smirk. "In this world, berries are important, but power is far more important."
"When you have power, you can do whatever you want. Got it? Hahaha..." He laughed heartily and walked away, satisfied.
The shopkeeper, having completed the transaction, didn't dare linger and hurried off to report to his boss.
On the deserted street, only Tesoro remained, writhing in pain and unable to stand.
For a long time, the silence was broken only by the sound of sobbing.
Tezolo slowly raised his face, his eyes bloodshot, his lower lip bitten so hard that it bled.
Dark red blood dripped down like a stream.
"Power... if I had power..."
"Stella, wait for me. I will rescue you," he vowed, his voice strong and filled with resolve, echoing around him like a ghostly whisper.
The next day...
Warm sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows.
In a soft, comfortable bed, Akira slowly opened his eyes.
"Hiss..."
He rubbed his aching forehead, his face showing the discomfort of a hangover.
After a few moments, his mind cleared.
Last night, he had been drinking with the Five Elders until 1 a.m.
Those high-end red wines were potent, and even with his monstrous physique, the effects lingered, leaving him dizzy.
He vaguely remembered being carried back to his room by Kong.
After a while, several women had been brought in.
"Last night... I felt like..." Akira muttered, frowning as he lifted the quilt to check.