This incident eventually evolved into a slave escape, with the slaves in the human market clueless about what was happening, only that the collars and prison keys appeared out of thin air before them.
Shortly after they unlocked the restraints, a massive fire erupted here. No one was sitting idly by, as this was one of their rare opportunities.
The escaping slaves caused quite a stir, and the subsequent fire erased all evidence. Whether those people ultimately managed to escape, Shaina and Olga were unsure—that wasn't their concern.
Tesoro and Stella were taken away together, with Arceus planning to place them in the Hundred Beasts Fruit.
Despite some dark impulses, the ability to transform from a runaway slave to the Golden Emperor, controlling 20% of the world's Belly, and cultivating the Gol-Gol Fruit to the point of Awakening speaks volumes about Tesoro's talent.
His combat talent isn't highly regarded, but Arceus values his business acumen primarily. As Hundred Beasts Fruit continues to grow stronger, they now need an outstanding CEO to lead its further development.
However, how far Tesoro can go remains to be seen. He plans to first place him at a regular branch in the New World to test his capabilities. It's impossible to let him directly lead Hundred Beasts Fruit; that way, he wouldn't be able to win people's hearts.
Tesoro did not refuse the idea of working for Hundred Beasts. Yamato extended a helping hand at his most critical moment, and he wasn't an ungrateful scoundrel. Besides, he had said he would do anything for her.
Though he's boarded the pirate ship, it was an unavoidable decision for him; staying here would be extremely dangerous for both him and Stella.
The fire in the human market didn't hinder the continuation of the auction. People here were already accustomed to such occurrences, but the items at the auction held no interest for Arceus.
Jewelry, art—those weren't what they wanted. Instead, they encountered two Zoan-type Devil Fruits.
These two fruits were ultimately purchased by the Hundred Beasts. Zoan-type fruits generally don't sell for high prices externally, and the two Devil Fruits were finally sold for two hundred and ten million Belly.
The end of the auction also marked the conclusion of Yamato and her party's Shampodi trip.
The fire in the human market drew little attention, and the local Navy ignored it too, although they had to maintain order due to higher-ups' orders.
Still, most people who voluntarily enrolled in the Navy had their own goals. Though there were rotten apples among the Navy, most had a conscience.
They couldn't actively release those slaves, but they could turn a blind eye to the runners. Except for slaves who were originally pirates, most managed to sneak onto ships leaving Shampodi with the guards' indulgence.
The Heavenly Celestial Dragon was furious knowing his goods had escaped, but he had no outlet for his anger. The market owner was dead, all slaves had run away, and even if he yelled for the Navy to capture them back, they'd merely go through the motions.
The return trip on the Origin carried newfound joy since the ship now had a musician—a rare slice of happiness on a pirate journey.
"Yo-oh-ho-ho, yo-oh-ho-ho
Bring Binke's wine to your side
Like the sea breeze, sailing freely as you please..."
Tesoro sang Binke's wine, just as in Soap Bubble Park that day. Unlike the scattered audience before, the pirates found this song far more enticing.
The ship lacked instruments, but they turned deck buckets, kitchen pots, and plates into makeshift accompaniments, creating an altogether different melody from these objects' collisions.
"Not bad, Tesoro, give us another song!"
"Yeah, it's rare for us to have a musician on board. Brother Queen might like you—or hate you. He claims to be the most artistic of the Hundred Beasts!"
The pirates on the deck, faces flushed, were clearly influenced by alcohol. Encouraged by their jeers, Tesoro performed his first-ever stage show atop a makeshift platform, making these pirates his first audience.
The feeling of being watched made his heart race, especially since Stella was among them, smiling up at Tesoro without the excitement of the pirates.
This stunned him. He'd seen Stella smile before, but always through the bars of a solid iron cage, with the explosive collar on her neck being an insurmountable chasm.
But now, all those obstacles were gone, and for a moment, he forgot to continue singing.
The fading song naturally caught the pirates' attention, leading to a chorus of jeers.
"Hey, hey, is it time to rest? It's getting late."
"Yeah, Tesoro, two pieces of news: the good news is there's still a cabin available on our ship, so you two have a place to stay. But the bad news is there's only one cabin left, and only one bed in it."
"But don't worry, that bed is big enough for both of you!"
Amid the hoots, Tesoro and Stella were pushed into their cabin.
The atmosphere inside the cabin was rather delicate. The duo, over three years, had journeyed from acquaintances to close friends, and now to newfound freedom. Had it not been for their serendipitous encounter with Yamato, their fate wouldn't have been favorable.
The deck was silent, seemingly desolate, but in reality, dozens were eavesdropping outside the cabin.
Ninety-nine percent of the people on the Origin were members of the Arceus Sect. Joining this organization was far more complex than merely becoming part of the Hundred Beasts.
These individuals had been vetted by Shaina's disciplinary inspections, finding nothing problematic. Still, this didn't stop them from seeking amusement.
"Don't crowd me. It's only so much space."
"You move aside. You guys took all the good spots..."
While the pirates softly shooed each other, a voice suddenly came from behind.
"What are you guys doing? Is there good stuff in there?"
"Of course, really interesting stuff."
"Really? I want to see too. Make way."
The pirate who replied suddenly shivered. That was a woman's voice, and when they turned, Yamato was standing there with her Alcremie, having slipped between them unnoticed.
"Move aside, what are you doing?"
"Ahem, Miss Yamato, this isn't something you should be watching."
"Yeah, yeah, you should go to bed."
If Arceus found out they corrupted Yamato by letting her see something inappropriate at her age, they feared they would meet their demise rhythmically...