Sabaody Archipelago - Area 1.
Auction house.
A group of guards in black suits and sunglasses formed a human wall at the entrance.
Shalria rode atop a massive slave. As descendants of the great creators, the Celestial Dragons avoided letting their bodies touch the filthy ground.
Residents on both sides of the street knelt down, not daring to look directly at the World Nobles.
Some whispered among themselves, but most simply kept their heads bowed, silently praying not to attract trouble.
...
Griffin kept his hand on the long sword at his waist, his cloak billowing behind him as he followed. His eyes continuously scanned the surroundings, playing the part of a proper guard perfectly.
Creak—
The auction house doors swung open, revealing a brightly lit hall.
Wealthy merchants and nobles who had come for the auction had left their seats to kneel in the corridors, waiting for the Celestial Dragon's command before they could move.
Slaves of various appearances and ages were confined in cages, awaiting their fate to be auctioned.
...
Shalria coldly scanned the crowd. When she turned to look at Griffin, she covered her face with a folding fan, showing a shy expression.
"What kind of slave do you like, Lord Griffin? My father prefers captain slaves, and that's what I usually use too. Do you like them?"
Pointing at the slave beneath her, she continued: "This is the captain of the 'Great Beard Pirate Crew,' with a bounty of 47 million Berries. What do you think?"
"If you don't like this type, I can buy you other kinds!"
"I could even buy all the slaves in this auction house if you want!"
...
In her understanding, humans were like souvenirs - disposable commodities.
If this could make Lord Griffin smile at me...
That would be such a bargain!
...
Sengoku had still underestimated the effect Griffin's face could achieve.
Not only had it increased Marine recruitment rates by several percentage points, but even the Celestial Dragons residing in the Holy Land had become infatuated with him.
Upon closer thought, this wasn't surprising.
The Celestial Dragons were people born with everything. For them, perhaps only different humans could provide them with amusement.
In the Holy Land, slaves were like treasures - hard currency among Celestial Dragons.
In fact, the moment Griffin's photo reached Mary Geoise, seventeen 'palaces' in the Holy Land had demanded the Marines offer him up. But these orders never left the Holy Land, suppressed by the Five Elders.
To put it bluntly, the Marines were indeed the hunting dogs of the World Government.
But even among hunting dogs, there were differences.
The Celestial Dragons could dispose of CP Organization agents at will, without needing the Five Elders' approval.
Because the agents were the Celestial Dragons' private property, their household servants.
The Marines were not.
...
This was like the difference between regional armies and palace eunuchs. If an emperor disliked a eunuch, he could just kill him. But could he kill a general just because he didn't like him?
Any properly functioning ruling class would never allow such things.
The World Government could command the Marines, but if they treated the Marines like they treated the CP Organization...
They would simply be sending troops to the Revolutionary Army.
The Marines and the World Government exist in a mutually dependent relationship. Even the Five Elders must maintain a certain "balance" in their dealings with the Marines.
While most Celestial Dragons are fools, the Five Elders who govern the World Government are certainly not.
The Five Elders strive to avoid actions that would undermine the Marines' convictions.
Just as they suppressed information about the God Valley incident and concealed the truth about the Empty Throne...
...
Thus, an unwritten rule has long existed in the Holy Land:
It is forbidden to enslave active-duty Marine officers ranked Lieutenant Commander or higher.
Even for lower-ranking Lieutenants, action can only be taken after they leave service. Celestial Dragons who violate this agreement face punishment.
Ordinary Marines should not be killed whenever possible. If such an act occurs, all witnesses among the Marines must be eliminated.
...
...
After learning she couldn't directly take Griffin home, Shalria behaved like countless star-struck girls - offering her idol everything she possessed in hopes of gaining his approval.
Griffin raised his hand to stop Shalria's "beacon-fire teasing of the feudal lords" behavior: "My apologies, Saint Shalria, but I am no noble. I possess no right to keep slaves."
...
"That's alright! I can grant you a noble seat in an affiliated kingdom, of course..."
Shalria's pretty face flushed slightly: "And if you're willing, even becoming a World Noble is..."
...
...
Griffin took a deep breath.
He hadn't planned to act so soon. While he had some interest in the so-called slave trade...
His primary intention was to memorize the faces of those slave traders for future elimination.
But Shalria was grating on his nerves.
A mere pampered swine, daring to fantasize about playing love games with me!
...
"Lord Griffin, what about that female slave? The one with blue hair—"
Shalria's voice cut off abruptly.
...
Instinct.
When creatures face threats, they exhibit three instinctive responses:
1.
Flight.
2.
Fight.
But most commonly, the third:
Freezing.
People watching surveillance footage often mock why someone would stand frozen when a truck charges toward them.
They similarly ridicule deer that freeze when facing predators like lions.
This third biological instinct is commonly called the 'freeze response.'
When the brain determines the situation permits neither fighting nor fleeing, the body triggers the freeze response - muscles tense, movements halt, breathing shallow, even brief loss of consciousness may occur.
The body does everything possible to reduce its presence, decreasing detection probability to maximize survival chances.
...
This same principle explains how Conqueror's Haki renders people unconscious.
If you cannot withstand the Conqueror's Haki impact, your body judges you incapable of opposing that person. Unconsciousness becomes the optimal survival choice.
...
Shalria now faced such a situation.
Her instincts made the choice before her consciousness could, emptying her mind.
Even if escape from certain death proved impossible, at least the end might be less painful.
—
—
When Shalria's personal guards sensed danger, the cold gleam that had appeared from nowhere was already less than half a meter from her forehead.
In moments, it would shatter the glass helmet and sever her head.
No earth-shattering wall explosions.
No brazen provocations.
No spectacular offensive displays.
Just like his name:
Kari—
A perfect hunter. Before the prey realizes, death arrives in silence.
...
"No—!!!"
Lucci could only roar out in vain, stretching out his hand helplessly.
Right at that moment...
Crackle—
The ground suddenly frosted over, a chill rapidly spreading from the earth to right in front of Shalria.
Ice crystals swiftly formed between her and the sharp blade, transforming into an ice wall in the blink of an eye.
Crunch!!—
The blade slammed hard into the ice wall, emitting a piercing shattering sound, yet it was firmly blocked by the barrier.
In that moment of the attacker's slight hesitation, several ice spikes shot out from the ice wall, forcing them back.
...
Shalria gasped for breath, still shaken, staring at the icy wall emitting cold mist before her as a firm, resolute voice sounded in her ears.
"Step back."
...
Griffin's figure moved past her, his back against the ice wall.
He stood facing off against the silver-haired, blood-eyed figure clad in a black robe that billowed as if in an unseen wind, gripping a sharp blade.
"You must be Kari."
Swish—
The long sword was drawn, and a blizzard began to spread!