The predawn mist, already thick with chill, now carried the unmistakable smell of blood.
As the man stared at the soldier—now convulsing on the ground, lifeless—terror twisted his features.
To him, the soldier's death meant three things.
First, an enemy had arrived—one reckless enough to disregard retaliation from the nation's military.
Second, this enemy was powerful.
So powerful that they had struck down his comrade before he could even react.
And third, with the soldier dead, he was likely next.
After quickly organizing his thoughts, the man didn't hesitate for a moment.
He immediately chose to abandon all the slaves and rushed into the fog-filled streets, opening his mouth wide to shout at the top of his lungs.
Rousing more people and summoning additional soldiers was the only way he could survive.
As long as he drew enough attention to this place, his attacker wouldn't risk exposing their identity to kill him!
That was the man's reasoning, and his logic was actually quite sound.
But unfortunately, the moment he opened his mouth, a bolt of lightning silently erupted from his heart.
There wasn't much sensation—just a sudden twinge in his chest before his consciousness plunged into utter stillness.
He collapsed to the ground, acutely aware of his life slipping away.
A sense of unwillingness filled him, yet he was powerless.
The hole in his shoe remained, and his wife's words echoed in his ears.
'When you return next time, I'll mend the hole in your shoe.'
He had refused her kindness back then, saying.
'Just throw them away. After this job, I'll have earned enough to buy myself a nice pair of leather shoes.'
His wife, his son, his family, his home, the Celestial Tribute—all the things that had driven him to work for his entire life—now swirled together in his mind, weighing down his consciousness, dimming it further and further.
Face pressed against the cold ground, he recalled the disdain he'd felt towards slave traders in his youth, the guilt from his first sale of another human being to save up for a house, the bloodstained Berries in his hands just days ago, and the faintly sorrowful life he'd led.
Within seconds, the man was completely dead.
Not a trace of life remained, leaving behind only a wisp of regret and resentment.
Jake emerged slowly from the fog.
He glanced at the man then walked towards the group of slaves.
He had been tailing this man for a long time.
Along the way, he'd witnessed the man's care and affection for his family, as well as his frugal, hardworking nature.
But the sins the man had committed were unforgivable—even in his final moments, he seemed unaware of most of his wrongdoings.
Jake shook his head.
Killing this man brought him no satisfaction, only a dull heaviness.
The man was guilty—guilty enough to deserve death—but where did the root of his crimes lie?
In the exorbitant Celestial Tribute that made survival nearly impossible!
In those damned, Celestial Dragons swine!
As long as those creatures lived, men like this would continue to appear, over and over again.
The thought only deepened Jake's discontent.
Quickening his pace, he stepped past the man's body and approached the female slave who had been whipped earlier.
Now, she was curled up like a frightened stray cat, trembling uncontrollably, tears streaming silently down her face.
Not a single sound escaped her lips.
She knew that crying out now would only mean death.
She had no idea what the man before her intended to do, nor whether he would kill her.
Only one thing was certain to her.
That was... no matter what happened, all she could do was silently accept it.
Yet in the next moment, something unexpected occurred that surprised the woman.
She felt waves of warmth surge through her entire body, and the surrounding cold seemed to dissipate considerably.
Raising her head, what met her eyes was the handsome face of a man.
He was smiling gently at her, his voice soft as he spoke.
"The treatment won't take long. Once it's over, tell the others to board the ship without worry. I'm not a slave trader—I'm a Marine. I'll take you all to the nearest Marine branch base shortly and you can disembark there. Don't worry, it's all over now."
The man's kind words were like a warm stove in winter, thoroughly melting her nearly frozen heart.
She gazed at him, silent tears streaming down her face, unable to utter a single word.
Meanwhile, light footsteps approached and Monet's tall, beautiful figure emerged from the thick fog.
Her breathing was slightly hurried, and she spoke faster than usual.
"Jake, we need to leave immediately. I've secured a ship, but the fog is getting worse. If we don't depart soon, navigation might become impossible. Also, regarding this slave transport, I've learned about a rather alarming middleman—someone who supposedly captures slaves for the Celestial Dragons on Sabaody Archipelago."
"That guy might be coming to pick out a few 'quality goods' from this batch of slaves. I'm not sure if he'll show up, but we should still be cautious."
Jake nodded at Monet's warning and replied, "We'll set off right away. As for that guy, don't worry. Even if the Celestial Dragons themselves come, not a single one of these slaves will be traded again."
Monet looked at Jake and nodded firmly.
If there truly was light and hope in this world, Monet could answer without hesitation.
"It would definitely be Jake!"
With uneasy hearts, the slaves slowly boarded the ship the man had prepared for them.
As the anchor was raised, the ship swayed slightly before slowly sailing through the dense fog into the distance.
The two corpses had been hidden by Jake in the soldiers' duty room—likely to remain undiscovered until the next shift change the following day.
The sea was thick with fog, and only this single ship moved slowly through it.
Not far ahead lay the Marine branch base.
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