Seeing that the slave beneath him remained sluggish even under his urging, still crawling slowly along the ground, the Celestial Dragon flew into a rage. Enraged and humiliated, he began to kick the slave furiously.
Around him, the kneeling onlookers kept their heads lowered, as if they were used to such scenes.
"Brother Jolarude, it's just a slave. If he's disobedient, just kill him. Why waste your energy?" A woman behind the Celestial Dragon spoke indifferently.
Trailing behind her was another Celestial Dragon, sniffling quietly and saying nothing.
"You're right, sister Philia. Getting angry at a slave—such a lowly thing—is beneath me," Jolarude muttered, trying to regain composure.
Originally, Jolarude had just been out having fun at Sabaody Archipelago with his younger siblings. Upon hearing there were mermaids being sold, they decided to head over to the auction house.
Bang!
A gunshot rang out. The slave—once a pirate—collapsed into a pool of blood. In the instant before death, his eyes lit up briefly, as if relieved to finally be free.
As the body hit the ground, Jolarude tripped and fell. "Damn slave! Even in death you dare to drag me down! Didn't any of you see that? Hurry up and help me up!"
"You filthy commoners, help my brother right now!" Philia shouted furiously upon seeing Jolarude on the ground.
...
One CP agent rushed over, only to be shot by Jolarude himself. "So slow—how worthless."
The remaining CP agents hurried forward. They brought over another slave and helped Jolarude back to his feet.
The fallen CP agent and the dead slave were quickly taken away. None of the other CPs reacted; they were used to this by now.
Even the death of a colleague didn't move them—they knew full well they could be next.
Some among them even envied those agents sent on outside missions. Unfortunately, everything worked on a rotation system. Eventually, everyone would have to serve the Celestial Dragons.
As the group walked down the street, every civilian kept their heads bowed low, not daring to glance at the Celestial Dragons above. A single look could bring disaster.
Just then, a small child, forgetting his parents' stern warnings, looked up curiously. He didn't know who the people in the center of the road were, nor why everyone had to kneel.
But that one glance...
"He looked at me! Gouge out his eyes!" the sniveling Celestial Dragon at the back suddenly yelled, as if snapping out of a trance.
The CP agents exchanged glances but stepped forward anyway. If they disobeyed, they'd be the ones to die. As members of the World Government's intelligence agency, their job was to protect the Celestial Dragons.
But who among them wanted to be near these monsters?
"Please, don't! He's just a child—he only looked once!" the boy's mother cried, clutching him tightly, pleading with the agents.
"So noisy. Just kill them both," the sniffling Celestial Dragon ordered coldly.
The crowd silently stepped further away, lowering their heads even more. Against the Celestial Dragons, they were powerless.
The mother and child, seeing the cold indifference of those around them and the approaching CP agents, fell into utter despair.
Boom!
Suddenly, from a nearby pile of ruins, a figure burst out, shouting, "You brat! I finally figured out how to deal with you!"
From a hidden spot, Jack slowly lowered his gun. A strange look flashed in his eyes. Looks like I don't need to act after all.
He had originally planned to rescue the mother and child.
...
The booming explosion startled the CPs into stopping. Even the kneeling civilians turned their heads. The Celestial Dragon, still seated atop a slave, slowly shifted his gaze.
All eyes were now on the new arrival.
Mad Wolf stood frozen under the intense stares. He wanted to be famous—he dreamed of fame—but not like this.
As a Supernova, he knew the Celestial Dragons were like a hornet's nest. Touch one, and an admiral would come swarming out.
"Let's pretend I was never here, alright?" Mad Wolf said nervously, realizing the CP agents were slowly encircling him.
Why is my luck so damn bad?
"Brother Jolarude, doesn't he look just like a dog? So ugly! But he might be pretty fierce in the arena," Philia said, walking over.
"Mmm, now that you mention it, he might make a good fighter. Looks like we've got a new tactic for our next match."
"Catch him! Chain him up!"
The CP agents exchanged helpless looks and charged forward. They had only come along for a leisurely stroll—no one expected to deal with him.
After all, this man wasn't just anyone. He was Mad Wolf, one of this year's Supernovas!
Definitely not someone they could handle.
As they were about to surround him, a tall figure stepped out from the crowd. Dressed in a long coat and wearing a mask, he stood nearly three meters tall.
"All of you, stand down."
At the sight of the masked man, the CP agents breathed a collective sigh of relief. "Yes, sir!"
"Will you chain yourself, or should I do it for you?" the masked man asked, pulling an iron chain from behind and tossing it at Mad Wolf's feet.
Supernova or not, to some people, they were just weaklings waiting to be crushed. Their reputations at sea only existed because the Navy had other priorities.
The Navy's top forces were too busy watching the New World. This "Paradise" was more like a breeding ground—where the arrogant would grow bold, only to be sent to their deaths in the New World's deadly waters.
"You're looking down on me too much!" Mad Wolf snarled and disappeared from sight, charging the masked man.
But the man simply lifted a foot—and kicked.
Mad Wolf flew through the air, crashed into a building, and vanished into a cloud of smoke.
"Trying to run?"
The man's voice was full of disdain. In the blink of an eye, he reappeared—this time with Mad Wolf dangling in his grasp.
So this is true strength... Mad Wolf thought bitterly. He'd tried to escape using the force of that kick. But he'd been caught almost instantly.
Against real power... I'm nothing.
Like a rabbit, he was tossed to the ground before Jolarude, shackled and defeated.
"Saint Jolarude, the slave has been retrieved. But he might need some training before use," the masked man said.
"No training needed! Keep him chained. Let this beast fight in the arena and win me glory. Let's see how that fool Charlos handles our next duel. Hahaha!"
Mad Wolf, hearing those words and seeing the Celestial Dragon so close, bared his fangs in rage. He lunged forward to bite.
But the masked man was faster. A single punch shattered Mad Wolf's teeth, scattering them across the ground.
"Damn lowlife! You dare resist?! Die in the arena!" Jolarude screamed and kicked him viciously, then ordered the CP agents to guard him and walked away.
Mad Wolf, knowing he couldn't escape, raised his claws and slashed his own throat.
A slave?
I'd rather die.
He died right there, in front of the masked man, whose expression remained unreadable behind the mask. As Mad Wolf's body went still, the masked man turned his gaze toward Jack's hiding place—and vanished.
"Shit!"
Jack's heart jumped. He had just turned to run when a voice echoed beside his ear:
"You tried to save them, didn't you?"
A sharp pain exploded in his abdomen. Jack was sent flying, tumbling across the ground. Gritting his teeth, he scrambled up and fled.
The masked man didn't chase immediately—he followed at a leisurely pace, like a cat toying with a mouse, curious to see where Jack would try to run.
---
📢 2 NEW STORIES AVAILABLE ON PATREON! 🎉
Hello, everyone! ❤️ I have two new stories available on Patreon! They'll also be posted on Ko-Fi soon.
📚 New Stories:
❄️ While Everyone Starved, Their Village Even Rejected Fatty Meat
🔥 In Battle Through the Heavens, Prepay to Become a Dou Di
Feel free to check them out if you're interested! Thank you for your continued support, and happy reading! 💖