Roldy's massive, giant-like frame naturally drew countless stares as he stepped into the slums.
The malnourished civilians looked at him with curiosity—but even more fear.
Roldy swept his gaze across them and ignored them.
They were merely ordinary people struggling at the very bottom of the world.
Why make things harder for them?
This place had no reason to exist. And for the first time, Roldy found himself fully agreeing with Shiki's decision to seize the Kingdom of Karl as their base.
Ironically—
Even under pirate rule, these civilians would likely live better lives than they did now.
They were pirates—scoundrels of the sea.
But they would not squeeze blood from stones.
Yes, organs could be sold. Slaves could fetch a price.
But because of Roldy, the Golden Lion Pirates had already issued a strict ban:
No human trafficking.
Roldy had no intention of interacting with the civilians. He passed through the slums and headed toward the inner capital.
The deeper he walked, the more "prosperous" the buildings became.
Compared to ragged tents, stacked stone-and-wood houses were practically luxury.
The civilians kept their distance. The faint brutality radiating from Roldy discouraged any approach.
Still—
There were always fools.
At the base of the towering wall stood a grand estate. Though technically still within the outer district, it far surpassed the surrounding dwellings—more akin to the residence of a minor noble in an ordinary kingdom.
"Who goes there?!"
Several burly men armed with rifles rushed forward, surrounding a man whose bearing clearly differed from the rest.
Beneath that man—
There was a fish-man.
His body was covered in scars. His condition was pitiful.
A slave.
A dangerous glint flashed in Roldy's eyes.
What puzzled him was this:
Fish-men slaves were rare commodities—even among the World Nobles. For someone in the outer city to possess one…
This man's identity was not simple.
Roldy walked forward slowly.
His natural aura alone caused cold sweat to bead on the foreheads of the armed men.
The noble swallowed.
"My name is Phelps Sol! I oversee the outer district. And you are…?"
Phelps.
If Roldy remembered correctly, that was the royal family name of the Kingdom of Karl.
So this was an exiled royal?
There was likely a story behind it.
Roldy did not care.
"What's your name?"
He spoke calmly.
"Uh… I am Phelps—"
"I wasn't talking to you."
His gaze was fixed elsewhere.
"Sh–Sheen. My name is Sheen!"
The voice came from beneath the noble.
The fish-man slave.
Though he had not lifted his head, he somehow knew the question was meant for him.
Two years ago, by accident, he had come to the Kingdom of Karl. Carrying admiration for humans, he had paid a painful price—falling into slavery.
At first, he resisted with fury.
Then came despair.
Then numbness.
He had believed he would die this way.
Struggle was meaningless.
Accept it.
But when even the faintest thread of hope appeared before him—
He spoke without knowing why.
"Impudent!" the noble barked.
He had thought two years were enough to tame this slave.
If not for the monstrous figure before him, he would have ordered Sheen beaten to death.
"Enough."
Roldy's voice was cold.
Nobles. Oppression. Slavery.
To put it bluntly—
These were subjects he loathed.
With a casual sweep of his arm—
The noble and his armed men were blown apart.
Half the noble's body vanished instantly. Only his legs remained draped over Sheen's back before sliding off and hitting the ground.
Silence.
Sheen trembled.
After several long moments, he slowly raised his head.
Shock filled his eyes.
His former master weighed little to a fish-man—barely two hundred pounds. Yet the weight on his back had always felt like a mountain.
Now—
It was gone.
He cautiously stood.
Instinctively, he bowed again—
Waiting for the lash.
None came.
Slowly, hesitantly—
He straightened his spine.
"You're free."
Roldy's voice was simple.
Watching Sheen struggle just to stand stirred something bitter inside him.
Long-term slaves forget how to stand upright.
That—
Was what he despised most.
Without another glance at the broken corpse, Roldy turned toward the colossal inner wall.
He kicked.
The wall—over two meters thick—
Collapsed.
The thunderous crash echoed across the district.
But it was not louder than Sheen's laughter.
"Free… I'm free! Free! The one who enslaved me is dead! Dead!"
He kicked the noble's remains wildly, laughing like a madman.
Tears streamed down his face.
Laughing—
Until he collapsed.
"Pitiful."
Roldy stepped through the shattered wall.
From hell—
Into what looked like heaven.
The royal capital was dazzling.
White walls. Blue rooftops. Uniform design. Every building at least two stories tall.
In the distance, he saw a towering castle.
"Wait!"
A voice called from behind.
Roldy turned.
Thud.
Sheen had knelt again.
"Please allow me to follow you! I… I don't know where else to go!"
An orphan.
His homeland—Fish-Man Island—felt impossibly distant.
He did not know whether he deserved to return there in his current state.
Drifting alone meant one thing.
Another master.
He did not want that life.
Instinct drove him toward the powerful man before him.
"No matter who you are. No matter what you plan to do. Even a king needs subordinates. I repay my debts. If you'll have me—take my life."
A man reborn through salvation offering his life to his savior.
Something in those words made Roldy's lips curl faintly.
A fish-man, huh?
"If you're not afraid to die," he said lightly, "then keep up."
Sheen's face lit up with ecstasy.
He scrambled to his feet, brushed off the dust, and hurried after him.
Their story—
Had only just begun.
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