-Broadcast-
In Franky's previous understanding, mermaids did not like to be enslaved by humans. They would definitely escape if given the chance. Most of the mermaids that were bought and sold were locked in transparent water cages all day long and treated as ornamental fish for their owners to admire.
It's amazing that Camie works in a place like La Casa de la Pasión, and her clothes are so slutty, basically she's wearing nothing at all. Even if Franky doesn't think about the dark side, he can't change the facts at the moment.
"Uncle, have you known this mermaid before?"
"I'm not too familiar with her. I've seen her near the Sabaody Archipelago. I didn't expect her to become like this now," Franky said with some emotion. The changes in these 5 years are really amazing.
"Oh, so this mermaid named Camie was indeed captured from the Sabaody Archipelago. She put up a fierce resistance when she was brought to Dressrosa, but after a few years of training, she has become a qualified employee of the La Casa de la Pasión."
"Uncle Franky, I have heard some gossip. Don't be angry. Some business groups that have dealings with the Donquixote family will specifically ask the mermaid to accompany their guests. She has created a lot of value for the family with her body. Now she is nominally considered a half-cadre."
Listening to the two hostesses' stories, Franky gradually outlined in his mind what Camie had experienced in the past few years. If such extraordinary beauty appeared on a weak person, it would only be a tragedy from beginning to end.
After Camie was captured in Dressrosa, the original intention was to sell her to the Celestial Dragons. However, Diamante had different ideas. Selling the mermaid was just a one-time deal. Building La Casa de la Pasión required this kind of top-quality stuff. He would squeeze out all the value of the mermaid and bring the greatest benefit to Doflamingo.
Under daily abuse and verbal brainwashing, Camie eventually became the most profitable tool of La Casa de la Pasión. Like the ancient courtesan, people of all races spent a fortune on this mermaid in order to have a taste of her beauty.
For Donquixote family's important partner, Camie is the best beauty tool. Enjoying the body of a mermaid is something that most people can never do in their lifetime. The entry price of hundreds of millions of berries for the merman slaves sold in the Sabaody Archipelago will discourage many people.
With such stunning temptation, how many men can resist? Even if it means doing a losing business with the Donquixote family, these old perverts will be willing to do it as long as they can sleep with Camie for one night.
"Luffy, Luffy, if you knew that Camie has become like this now, would you still be as impulsive as you were 5 years ago?"
Franky thought about what happened in the Sabaody Archipelago. There must be some unknown secret behind Camie's transformation from a good girl to a loose woman.
The first few shows are roughly the same: strippers take off their clothes one by one while dancing gracefully on the stage with psychedelic lights, until they are naked in front of the public, bringing visual stimulation to the audience in the stands.
Some of the patrons who paid a large sum of money were relatively restrained in the audience, while others who participated in the show for the first time behaved quite abnormally. Shouting and whistling at the stage were just the beginning. Some even ignored the privacy of the occasion and played poker with the women next to them, turning into beasts of desire.
Some of the strippers performing on the stage are famous celebrities in the world. Star singers and other actors were originally supported by ordinary audiences with real money. How could their fans have imagined that the things they regard as treasures are just toys for entertainment at any time in the eyes of some powerful people.
After nearly ten performances, the Show is already halfway through. After all, people get tired of just watching striptease performances, and they need more sensory stimulation. Pornography can no longer satisfy these patrons.
When it came to the part of displaying the Donquixote family's collection, the mermaid Camie pushed a small cart onto the stage. As the items on the cart were covered by a black cloth, the audience in the stands had no idea what was inside and they all looked at the host with expectant eyes.
"There is a legend about fairies in Dressrosa. Outsiders don't know what it refers to specifically, but the natives of this island know what it is. Some of these pretty little creatures have become today's exhibits. I'm going to unveil them, don't blink." Under the gaze of countless eyes, Camie slowly unveiled the black curtain.
What lay beneath was a masterpiece of horror. It was the corpse of a tiny creature, no bigger than a man's hand, its limbs posed artfully. Its back had been opened, and from it erupted a kaleidoscope of preserved butterflies—swallowtails, monarchs, and species Franky had never seen—their wings spread in a vibrant, cruel bloom. More butterflies, both large and small, were pinned around the central figure, creating a tableau that was as beautiful as it was sickening.
"I am sure some of our more worldly guests recognize the origin of this creature," the host purred. "They are a specialty of Dressrosa—the Tontatta tribe, a clan of dwarves. This magnificent work of art is titled… Chrysalis of Sorrow."
Though photography was forbidden, gasps of awe rippled through the audience. They weren't reacting to the cruelty, but to the sheer artistic depravity of the piece. To them, this was not murder; it was high art.
Franky watched, his expression unreadable. The quantum computer in his brain was already cross-referencing data, pulling up fragmented knowledge from his database. The Tontatta tribe. The Donquixote Family's history of enslaving them centuries ago, before they ascended to Mariejois. The Riku royal family's subsequent promise to protect them, creating the "fairy" legend to atone for the past. But now, Doflamingo—the "Joker," the Heavenly Yaksha—had returned, and dragged them back into the nightmare of slavery. But he hadn't stopped there. He had turned their bodies into decorations.
Humans wouldn't even spare their own kind. What hope did another race have? They weren't even considered people. In the grand, unwritten history of the world, how many genocides had been committed, passively or actively, and then forgotten?
The bestiality of humanity can never be truly erased, Franky thought, a cold fury settling in his gut. We love to destroy ourselves. To retain his own humanity, he had to accept the good, but he also had to stare into the face of the absolute worst. Coming to this show tonight was no mistake. It was a necessary evil.
The Chrysalis of Sorrow was just the appetizer. Something even more grotesque was yet to come. Camie, her voice a soft, dead monotone, read from a card. "And now… for the finale of tonight's gala. An exhibit from the White Town, Flevance… a piece that is truly one-of-a-kind in this world…"
A ripple of understanding and fear went through the older patrons. Flevance. The White Town. They knew the stories—of a mysterious plague that wiped out the entire country overnight, leaving behind nothing but the horrific legend of Amber Lead Syndrome.