Chapter 97: Sabaody Archipelago – Live Broadcast: Execution of a Celestial Dragon (Part 2)
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku! Something's happened!" Sengoku's aide burst into his office.
"There's news about the kidnapped Celestial Dragon?"
"Yes, sir. Please come see this!" The aide quickly led Sengoku to a nearby room with a TV. Vice Admiral Tsuru and Admiral Akainu—who happened to be free—followed close behind.
"What is this?!" Sengoku was stunned as he stared at the screen. Dead center was a Celestial Dragon, his face swollen with a bright red palm print, mouth gagged, tied to a chair, and completely immobile.
A magnetic male voice spoke from offscreen, "What you're seeing is one of the Human Auction Houses in Sabaody Archipelago!"
Sengoku gritted his teeth. "Darren Eric !"
"Who's broadcasting this signal worldwide? Cut it off immediately!"
"Report, sir. It appears to be coming from the World Economic News. But we haven't been able to contact its president, Morgans."
...
"What you're seeing is one of the Human Auction Houses in Sabaody Archipelago!" Eric stood off-camera, reading from a script with dramatic flair. Unfortunately, the audience couldn't see the expression on his face.
The camera panned out, capturing the seating below the stage—hundreds of nobles and kings from allied nations slumped across their seats. Those who had previously collapsed on the floor had been "kindly" helped into chairs by Eric 's team.
To TV viewers, the screen showed hundreds of nobles with terror-filled eyes, murmuring in panic. But thanks to Kurumi's City of Devouring Time, their voices were too faint and distant—only a soft cacophony could be heard.
"Now then, let's interview this... gentleman who seems to be a noble." Eric hoisted one man toward the camera and signaled to Kurumi, who momentarily deactivated her time-drain ability for him.
"I-I'm a great noble from the Kingdom of Sindorai! Please don't kill me! My family will pay you any ransom!" The man, terrified, tried to buy his life with promises of wealth.
"Relax. Now, tell me—where are you right now?" Eric 's voice was gentle, lulling him into answering, though his eyes threatened death if he didn't.
"Th-This is... a professional employment agency in Sabaody Archipelago..." The noble hesitated to say the true name, trying to sugarcoat it. Wrong move.
"No. Try again. Where are you?" Eric cut him off softly, but his gaze screamed: say the truth or die.
"Eek! We're in a Human Auction House in Sabaody Archipelago!" the noble blurted out.
"And why are you here?"
"To buy slaves! Either strong men to work hard or beautiful women to serve me!" He gave up and confessed everything, hoping honesty might spare him.
...
Around the world, people watching this broadcast were shocked.
"Wasn't slave trading banned by the World Government long ago?!"
"This is disgusting!"
"They're still using slaves in this day and age?!"
"What is the World Government doing?! This is right next to Mariejois, and they're pretending not to see it?!"
Countless outraged citizens around the globe began questioning their leaders and cursing the exposed noble.
...
"Let's move on to our second guest—seems to be a king." Eric moved the first man aside and had him bound again by Kurumi. Then he picked a crown-wearing old man.
"Ugh... I'm King of Tequila Wolf! I swear, this kidnapping won't go unanswered! I'll put a bounty on your head!" Despite just being freed from his weakened state, the king recovered quickly and began threatening Eric on the spot.
'Is this guy mentally challenged?' Eric thought. "Your life's in my hands and you're trying to scare me?" This world's nobles and kings truly had no sense of consequence.
He didn't entertain the man further. Zap! He was instantly reduced to charcoal.
"Sorry, second guest wasn't quite right in the head. Consider that a bit of shock therapy. Let's move on to our third guest…" Eric picked a plump, clearly wealthy noblewoman.
"Hello there. What's your status, and what were you doing here?" Eric 's presence was like the devil's. Her gaze involuntarily drifted toward the smoldering remains of the last "guest."
"I-I'm a wealthy merchant from the Goa Kingdom... I came to this Human Auction House... to buy a few slaves for personal use." Her voice trembled. She knew what would happen if she gave the wrong answer.
"Very good. Please head over there." Eric pointed to where the first man had gone, and she quietly shuffled away.
...
Sengoku, seeing Eric kill a king on live broadcast, immediately ordered, "Akainu! Head to Sabaody Archipelago immediately. Save the Celestial Dragon!"
Akainu rose from his seat. As he left the room, his raspy voice drifted back: "I'll deal with these pirates quickly. Whether the Celestial Dragon survives... I make no promises."
Meanwhile, Marines had already surrounded the auction house—but Esdeath's ice barrier made it impossible to enter.
...
"So, do you see it now? This filthy, dark corner of the world that exists under the nose of the World Government!"
"Today, they will be judged! Behold!" The camera shifted to show dozens of auction staff tied together onstage.
"I now deliver divine punishment upon them!" A pillar of blue lightning engulfed them. When the light faded and the thunder stopped, only charred remains were left.
It wasn't a bloody scene, but everyone watching on TV swallowed hard, nervous and afraid.
"Next up... our World Noble—Celestial Dragon Charlmak." The camera returned to its opening shot. Charlmak, still tied to a chair, struggled violently to break free.
Eric pulled the cloth from his mouth.
"Filthy commoner! Do you know who I am?! I'm Saint Charlmak, a Celestial Dragon—descendant of the gods! How dare you treat me this way?!"
The moment he could speak, the Celestial Dragon spewed vitriol. He had never been treated like this in his life.
Smack! Eric didn't let him finish. Another slap left a second bright red print on his other cheek.
...
The Den Den Mushi broadcasted everything. Around the world, people saw it—Eric slapping a Celestial Dragon.
"He slapped a World Noble?!"
"Isn't he afraid of the Admirals?!"
"It's over! An Admiral will definitely head to Sabaody! Damn it, Eric !" Pirates who had avoided Eric 's purge on April 1st began panicking. Some abandoned their coating plans and immediately prepared to flee the island.
...
Charlmak, stunned by the slap, was briefly dazed—but then he raged again, "Commoner! You dare lay a hand on me?! Even my father has never hit me! You're all inferior to my finger! I'll make sure you—mmph!"
"Alright, alright." Eric stuffed the cloth back into his mouth. Slap slap! Two more hits, then he turned to Esdeath.
"Esdeath, would you like the honors?"
Esdeath smiled wickedly. "Of course! I've always wanted to hear what a Celestial Dragon's screams sound like~"
(END CHAPTER)
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