Once there is appropriate profit, capital becomes bold. If there is a 10% profit, it is guaranteed to be used everywhere; at 20%, it becomes lively; at 50%, it becomes positively reckless; for 100%, it dares to trample all human laws; and at 300%, it dares to commit any crime, even at the risk of the gallows.
Furthermore, this immense interest is even bolstered by the demands of the world's rulers.
There is no better business in the world!
Zack lay lazily on the deck, soaking in the gentle sunlight of the Calm Belt.
Under normal circumstances, a sailing ship relying on wind would absolutely never—and would never dare—to enter the Calm Belt, for getting stuck here meant a complete loss of power.
However, there is one exception.
Manpower.
Along the sides of the massive ship, positioned quite close to the waterline, two dense rows of rhythmic oars were strikingly visible.
Indeed, this was a giant vessel powered by human labor. Even looking across the entire world, only a specific type of merchant like Zack would do such a thing, regardless of the cost or the loss of human life.
They were slave traders.
They would capture a batch of slaves around the edges of the Calm Belt, then use them as the initial "rowers" to strike at the unsuspecting residents living within the Calm Belt's islands.
Humans, Merfolk, Fish-men.
They were more vicious than average pirates because they didn't just plunder wealth and food; they took the inhabitants themselves.
The strong were used for hard labor, the powerful were caged like beasts to fight for sport, and the beautiful were sold to satisfy the desires of the nobles.
No matter what kind of person they were, they could always fetch a high price at the Sabaody Archipelago.
And because they operated in the Calm Belt, neither pirates nor the Navy would interfere with their business. The plan was, quite simply, flawless.
"Guhahahaha!" Thinking of his brilliance, Zack picked up a glass of fine wine and swallowed it along with the faint scent of blood lingering on the ship. That pungent aroma made him feel intoxicated with power.
The speed at which a slave-hunting group accumulated wealth made everyone gasp. Once you tasted it, you could never break free from this spiral of desire.
"Captain! There's a small boat stalled up ahead!"
"Huh?" Zack reluctantly shifted his bloated body off his custom-made lounge chair, standing up with a slight wobble. "What did you say?"
"A small boat dead ahead, Captain Zack!"
"Hmm?" Though he looked like a pampered, gluttonous waste, Zack possessed a natural, unexpected caution. This was his greatest asset in staying in business this long. "Give me the telescope, you idiot!"
"Yes, yes... here, please."
It was indeed a very small boat. Judging by its displacement, it was carrying a fair amount of cargo. Was it a transport ship from the natives carrying food? They were getting close to some small islands, after all.
No, wait.
A vivid image of a lark appeared on the stern. Zack was extremely familiar with this emblem.
The White Bird Sea Sightseeing Company of the West Blue. While such a company had no market in the Grand Line, for people living in the relatively peaceful Four Blues, these tourism companies were a necessity.
So, it's a sightseeing boat? Stopped there because it accidentally wandered into the Calm Belt?
The corners of Zack's mouth curled up—this was a gift from the heavens. He thought today would be a fruitless day.
"Boys!"
"Seize everything on that boat for me!"
"OHHH!!"
The slave-hunting crew, far more manic than common pirates, erupted into a frenzy. They howled and clamored, whipping the slaves to row faster toward the target. They brandished their steel blades and fired guns aimlessly into the air, venting a terrifying, crazed energy...
Of course, they had no inkling that a massive disaster was about to descend upon them.
...
"The smell of blood is quite thick."
Kirito and Chu Feng, who had originally stopped just to eat lunch, looked coldly at the approaching giant ship. Neither of them showed the slightest sign of distress.
To them, a threat of this level required no concern.
However... with such a heavy scent, this ship had either just finished a massacre or was very much accustomed to them.
"Is it pirates?"
"Pirate ships don't usually sail into the Calm Belt." Chu Feng lazily brewed himself a cup of tea, his half-closed eyes making it impossible to tell what he was thinking. "It might be the legendary slave-hunting ships."
In that case...
Creak. The wooden door was suddenly pushed open by the boy in black.
"Let them come alongside," the boy said.
[The "Slavers' Doomsday" Divider]
Since the moment they captured that girl, Regid had not known a moment of peace.
In truth, it wasn't just him; every slaver had been stunned when they caught her. She had been sitting quietly in the heavy snow, wearing only light clothing despite the freezing weather. If it weren't for the occasional turn of her swan-like neck, everyone would have thought she was a perfect piece of art.
Blue hair, pale skin, and red pupils that were both frightening and intoxicating.
She was God's greatest masterpiece—though Regid had never believed in God before this.
He wanted to claim her for himself, but nearly all his companions threatened him to stop—not out of a sudden onset of conscience, but because offering such a perfect creation to the Celestial Dragons would bring them profits beyond imagination!
She was a cargo more valuable than the entire ship.
Facing the disadvantage in numbers, Regid yielded. He obeyed his companions' arrangement, but in exchange, he demanded the right to guard this mesmerizing girl.
Today was a god-given opportunity.
Everyone else was feeling restless from the boredom of the past few days, and that accidentally stranded little boat would undoubtedly become the best outlet for these beasts to vent. Though Regid also craved blood, another desire ultimately made him stay behind.
This was the last chance—and the best chance!
...
"Scum."
Chu Feng remained in the cabin, leisurely sipping his tea, having no intention of lifting a finger. On the deck, the Black Swordsman had already leaped, soaring onto the enemy's deck.
"Well, he certainly is a hot-blooded youth~" Chu Feng rubbed his head as if dealing with a headache, though his expression soon turned cheerful. "But, that's not a bad thing."
BOOM!!!
It wasn't the sound of a sharp blade cutting through the ship's spine, but a much more tyrannical and direct force.
It was a form of rejection—a rejection of everything outside of one's own existence!
Whoosh.
In the blink of an eye, the man's figure vanished from the small boat's cabin. All that remained was a cup of herbal tea, still emitting wisps of hot steam...