"Filthy peasants! Why aren't you saving me already?!"
"Hurry up and bring me my mask!"
"The stench of fishmen here is enough to kill me!"
A furious, ear-piercing roar burst from the mouth of a man dressed in a tailored white brocade suit. His once-pristine attire was now caked with dust and splinters, and a long gash ran across his forehead. Blood trickled from the corner of his eye, staining the collar of his fine clothes red.
Before the wreckage of the luxury cruise ship, the citizens of Fish-Man Island stood staring at the human who had crawled from the debris. For a long moment, none of them spoke.
"Filthy peasants."
What an abhorrent insult. How could such words come from someone begging for help? To outsiders, it would seem as though these fishmen owed him something, as though he had leverage over them, yet he was the one groveling in the dirt.
The crowd that had moments ago been murmuring in sympathy now bristled with anger.
"Filthy peasants?"
"You're the one in need of our help, and you still insult us like that?"
"Are you out of your mind?"
A young fishman stepped forward, his voice shaking but loud. Fishmen had never held much affection for humans; the humans who came to Fish-Man Island were rarely good people to begin with.
Over the years, rumors had spread that humans captured fishmen and mermaids to sell them as slaves. Such stories had deepened the gulf of hatred and fear between the two races.
Even when Yoriichi and the Marines first arrived, they had faced clear prejudice. Only under Tiger's lead, and thanks to their alliance with the royal family of Ryugu Kingdom, had they been accepted at all. The Marines' difficulty in recruiting here was, in truth, a wound passed down through history.
And now, seeing this arrogant human act so high and mighty even after surviving a shipwreck, how could anyone's opinion improve?
"Tch!"
"I am a Celestial Dragon!"
The man didn't bother to argue or explain. He simply used what strength remained to shout his identity with pride. His blood-streaked face twisted into a smug smile.
"Celestial Dragon?"
"A Celestial Dragon?!"
Even those who had never left the ocean had heard that name. World Nobles, gods who claimed to have created the world. The isolated residents of Fish-Man Island exchanged alarmed glances.
For a moment, hesitation spread like fog.
A Celestial Dragon… anyone who offended one would be hunted down by the World Government. Should they save him?
But with such arrogance, could they even bring themselves to try?
Even if he were one of them, a fishman or mermaid, they would not tolerate someone begging in such a manner.
"Now that you know who I am, why haven't you come to save me yet?!"
As he spoke, the man reached into his belt. When his hand reemerged, it held a gleaming, golden pistol, which he raised toward the stunned crowd.
"You! Come here and help me!"
The barrel pointed straight at a beautiful young mermaid. Why her and not one of the stronger fishmen? Simple, he couldn't stand the scent of male fishmen. But a pretty mermaid? That he could "barely tolerate."
"Don't go!" someone shouted, but the mermaid froze under the gun's aim. Her tail trembled as she hesitated to step forward, until an elderly fishman seized her arm and pulled her behind him.
"Let him rot."
"He died in a shipwreck. It has nothing to do with us."
The old fishman's voice was calm but resolute. His words lit a spark in the crowd.
"That's right!"
"He's dead from a wreck, what's it got to do with us?"
"Exactly! No one can blame us, hahaha..."
They laughed, but it was forced. The laughter hid their fear.
Yes, they could claim it was a shipwreck, but would the World Government's investigators believe that? Would every witness keep their story straight? And when the CP9 investigators came, would none of them slip up?
If the World Government learned that a Celestial Dragon had vanished near Fish-Man Island, would they not simply blame the entire kingdom?
The citizens had never witnessed the horrors of the Celestial Dragons firsthand, but they had heard the stories. Those who defied "the gods" were erased, along with their nations.
"You bastards! Are you ignoring me?!"
"When I return, I'll have you all captured and made my slaves!"
"Filthy animals! If you won't save me, then die!"
Madness flashed in his eyes. The Celestial Dragon leveled his pistol at the old fishman shielding the mermaid and prepared to fire.
But before he could pull the trigger, a thick, salty scent filled the air. A massive gray-skinned fishman appeared before him, his shadow swallowing the Celestial Dragon whole. With a crunch, his sharp teeth sank into the golden pistol, shattering it to pieces.
Bits of gold scattered across the ground.
The Celestial Dragon froze, staring up at the looming figure. The fishman drew his own gun and pressed the cold muzzle to the man's forehead.
"Hey."
"Human."
"You seem to be mistaken about something."
"On land, your power…"
"Exists only because the Admirals tolerate it."
"But down here, at the bottom of the sea, if everyone stays silent, this will only be called a shipwreck."
The words stirred the crowd. Fishmen from the backstreets shouted in agreement, and the atmosphere turned feverish once more.
"You… you…"
The Celestial Dragon's arrogance melted into terror. He trembled, realizing that if this fishman pulled the trigger, he was truly doomed.
"Please, don't kill me!"
"I'm begging you! Please!"
All his pride and dignity vanished. Tears streamed down his face as he groveled for his life.
The gray-skinned fishman's expression didn't change. He cocked the gun.
Just as his finger squeezed the trigger,
"Stop!"
A flash of steel split the air. The gun was sliced clean in half.
A Marine officer stepped forward, sword in hand, blocking the shot.
"Stand down!"
The fishman turned and saw Tiger pushing through the crowd.
"Big Bro Tiger?"
He froze.
Behind him, the Celestial Dragon blinked in disbelief before bursting into laughter.
"Marines! Hahaha, the Marines are here!"
"That's right! I remember seeing Marines heading toward Fish-Man Island from Sabaody!"
"Hey! I'm Saint Mjosgard! A Celestial Dragon!"
Relieved beyond reason, he laughed maniacally, then turned to the Marine in front of him.
"Marines, kill that fishman!"
"Kill every fishman on this island! These filthy peasants dared to leave me to die, kill them all!"
"And bring me my mask! This wretched place stinks!"
His crazed voice echoed. Then, spotting the beautiful mermaids in the crowd, he changed his mind again.
"Wait, not all of them. Leave the women alive! Capture them and bring them to Mariejois!"
"With such exquisite slaves, everyone will envy me! Hahahaha!"
He grabbed the white Marine cloak in front of him and yanked it hard, tearing it from the man's shoulders.
But when the Marine turned around, Mjosgard froze.
There was no deference in that man's eyes, only rage.
"Kyros," Tiger called as he stepped forward. But before he could stop him, Kyros's sword plunged into the ground, pinning his Marine cloak.
The blade tore straight through the word embroidered across it, Justice.
Kyros's hand trembled as veins bulged across his knuckles.
"The justice I swore to protect... how could it become something like this?!"
Grinding his teeth, he ripped the cloak from the ground with one swift kick. Then, with all his strength and fury, he raised his sword high and slashed toward Mjosgard.
"You Marine dog! Do you know what you're doing?!"
"You're our servant, our pet, and you dare raise your hand against your master?!"
Kyros's fury turned to stillness. His eyes were calm now, cold and resolute.
The sword fell toward Mjosgard's head.
But before it struck, a blur of gold leapt from the crowd.
Thud.
A small figure slammed into Mjosgard, knocking him aside. The blade cut through empty air.
Kyros froze.
When he looked down, he saw a golden-haired fishwoman shielding the Celestial Dragon. As she turned her head, both Kyros and Tiger's eyes widened in disbelief.
"Q-Queen Otohime?"
Kyros whispered her name. Then, instinctively, he looked toward the crowd, and saw Yoriichi and Mihawk stepping forward, faces calm and unreadable.
When Kyros met Yoriichi's gaze, all the strength drained from his body. His sword slipped from his grasp and clattered to the ground. Kneeling, he lowered his head as tears rolled down his cheeks.
"Vice Admiral…"
Few could understand his despair. Ever since joining the Marines, Kyros had believed in justice with all his heart.
He knew what his duty was. He knew the rules.
But seeing a Celestial Dragon up close… it shattered everything he believed in.
Back on Sabaody, he had seen them before, arrogant nobles demanding that commoners kneel as they passed. He thought it was tolerable, just another ritual of status. After all, he'd been raised in Dressrosa, a kingdom that revered its rulers.
But what stood before him now was not nobility, it was rot wearing silk.
When his cloak of justice was torn away, something inside him broke.
He no longer cared about consequences. He only wanted to strike down this filth that mocked everything the word "justice" stood for.
Seeing Yoriichi, his mentor, his guiding light, Kyros couldn't hold back the tears.
Yoriichi's calm voice cut through the silence.
"What a pity, Kyros."
Kyros looked up, stunned.
Was Vice Admiral Yoriichi saying he was wrong?
But Yoriichi's gaze remained steady.
"If it were me, Queen Otohime wouldn't have reached him in time."
"She won't allow a Celestial Dragon to die on Fish-Man Island."
"You're still too weak, Kyros."
Mihawk smirked faintly behind him. Even he hadn't expected Otohime, a gentle, fragile woman, to move that swiftly. In an instant, she had crossed dozens of meters to save Mjosgard. Neither Mihawk nor Yoriichi had foreseen it.
Everyone had underestimated her.
"We've missed a chance to make justice pure again," Yoriichi murmured.
His gaze fell upon Mjosgard.
The Celestial Dragon met Yoriichi's eyes, and shuddered.
Though Yoriichi hadn't moved an inch, Saint Mjosgard felt his blood run cold.
For the first time in his life, he trembled not from fear of gods or monsters,
but from the presence of a man whose silence carried judgment.
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100 P.S = 1 Extra Chapter
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