"Alright, time's up. Everyone, get on your feet and follow me!"
"Line up, one by one. Don't resist, and don't even think about running. Anyone who dares to run will be executed on the spot!"
After a short while, the CP Agents, as if having received orders from their superiors, began to shout and warn the slaves.
Immediately after, dozens of fully armed CP Agents, whipping and cursing, herded the numerous slaves toward the royal capital.
Seeing this, Charlie immediately took action, quietly following behind the group. No matter how the procession shifted, his gaze remained fixed on Ivankov and Kuma.
About ninety minutes later, the group was brought to a jungle outside the royal capital.
...
Meanwhile,
The large Marine forces that had surrounded the Valley of the Gods were coordinating with the CP organization to control all the major ports and docks in the Valley of the Gods, and then they burned all the ships.
Scorching flames engulfed the entire coast, and thick smoke billowed into the sky as hundreds upon hundreds of ships were burned.
In an instant, the vast Valley of the Gods had been turned into an isolated island.
"Ah, my ship..."
"Marines, what are you doing? What right do you have to burn our ships?!"
For a time, the towns at the ports descended into chaos.
Faced with the public's questions and riots, the Marines offered no explanation, instead resorting to direct military suppression, even at the cost of harming civilians.
Gunshots rang out one after another as a large number of civilians were suppressed, driven away, and killed...
On this mission, the Marines had two tasks. The first was to escort the esteemed personages to the Valley of the Gods. The second was to seal off the Valley of the Gods, cutting off all contact with the outside world. No one was allowed to enter or leave without permission. Trespassers would be killed without mercy.
...
At the same time,
In the mountain forest outside the royal capital.
A pre-prepared, yellow, target-shaped pattern was stuck to the back of the clothes of several thousand slaves.
At the same time, the shackles on their feet were unlocked.
Anyone who had been a slave knew that masters would not easily unlock a slave's shackles, unless...
Suddenly, a terrified voice rose from the crowd, "Hey, are they going to use us as targets?"
"What! Targets?!"
"Goddammit, I was wondering why they were being so kind as to suddenly unlock our shackles. So they want us to be moving targets, the bunch of animals!"
"No, I don't want to die! Someone, save me!"
"I want to live! Sooner or later, I will have my revenge!"
"Even if I become a vengeful ghost, I won't let you go!"
In the blink of an eye, panic spread rapidly through the crowd. The air filled with an incessant clamor of shouting, cursing, crying, and begging.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Following several gunshots, the few slaves who had been cursing the loudest fell to the ground. The crowd stood frozen in place, their faces pale.
"Silence!"
As the voice rang out, a blond man wearing a white mask appeared on a high platform at some point. Judging by his attire, he was likely from CP0, known as the "Shield of the Celestial Dragons."
His cold gaze swept over the crowd, a cruel smile on his face, and he slowly began to speak:
"Trash, welcome to the triennial Hunting Tournament. Next up, it's hunting time!"
"All of you here are prey. I'll give you three minutes. Run as much as you want, the farther the better. Once you're discovered, you'll die, you know."
"Also, you are not allowed to tear off the patterns on your backs. Anyone who tears off the pattern will be immediately eliminated. The consequence of elimination is death, understand?!"
The CP0 agent's threatening tone echoed through the area, and the crowd was so scared they didn't dare make a sound.
Seeing the fearful expressions on their faces, the CP0 agent nodded in satisfaction and shouted, "Very good. In that case, the countdown starts now!"
As his voice fell, the entire area was silent. The people looked at each other, and then, as if waking from a dream, someone shouted:
"Run!"
Whoosh!
The crowd instantly scattered like birds and beasts, running in all directions like headless flies. People fled without choosing their paths, and the scene was utterly chaotic.
...
Meanwhile.
The CP Agents also announced the rules via broadcast, claiming it was a survival tournament organized by the king. Whoever survived to the end of this competition would receive abundant rewards: money, land, beautiful women, slaves, and more—everything one could wish for.
For a time, the island's populace was in an uproar. Some were dismissive, thinking it was a joke. Some sneered in disdain. Some were eager to try. Some loudly questioned it, while others shouted for the king to come out and explain things clearly.
Only a small portion of the people sensed the dangerous atmosphere. Adhering to the principle that it was better to be safe than sorry, they quietly slipped away.
Some of them found hidden places to hide, planning to come out after the chaos ended.
Others quickly packed their belongings, intending to take a boat and leave this place of trouble.
...
On the outskirts of the royal capital, in a temporary palace built for the Celestial Dragons.
Under the escort of CP Agents and Marines, several hundred Celestial Dragons gathered here. They were sitting, standing, lying, or leaning in lazy and comfortable postures, chatting with each other in high spirits.
"Ooh, ooh, ooh, the triennial tournament is finally about to begin. This time, I'm definitely taking first place!"
"Hahahaha, first place belongs to none other than me!"
"Garling, you think you can take first place? You're as fat as a pig. First place is mine!"
Saint Garling slammed the table in anger, the fat on his body jiggling up and down like waves. His eyes were wide with fury as he shouted:
"Bastard, you dare call me a pig? Believe it or not, I'll kill you!"
"Come at me if you've got the guts. Let's see who kills who, you fat pig."
On another side, a middle-aged female Celestial Dragon complained:
"Aiya, why is it held only once every three years? Can't it be an annual event? It's just not satisfying enough!"
"Exactly, exactly!"
"I heard it's because the number of non-affiliated nations is limited. If we held it every year, we'd kill them all off too easily, and then there'd be nothing left to play with."
"Tch, so what if we kill them all? What's there to be afraid of? This sea is lacking in everything but people. If the non-affiliated nations are gone, there are still the affiliated ones. Think about it, there are over a hundred affiliated nations. Even if we wipe one out a year, it would still take over a hundred years."
"Hey, Lika, what you're saying seems to make a lot of sense!"
Just as their discussion was heating up, a silver-haired man in a black formal suit and a mask walked in. He bowed to the numerous Celestial Dragons and said:
"Esteemed masters, the Hunting Tournament is about to begin. Please allow me to announce the rules of the competition to you all."
"For this Hunting Tournament, a total of two hundred and ten thousand prey have been prepared. Among them, there are about two hundred thousand ordinary prey, and only three thousand high-grade prey!"
"Killing one ordinary prey earns 1 point. Killing one high-grade prey earns 10 points."
"The rules of the game are simple: there are no rules. Within three days, the master who obtains the highest score will be the first-place winner of this tournament."
The masked man paused for a moment before continuing:
"The way to distinguish between ordinary and high-grade prey is simple. The prey with a target pattern on their backs are the high-grade prey. They are all high-quality goods we have transported from all over the world!"
"Next are the prizes for this tournament. The top five masters can each choose three precious prizes provided by the World Government. The first-place winner can choose five!"
As he was speaking, attendants walked in carrying more than a dozen treasure chests.
"Esteemed masters, please look. The prizes include Devil Fruits, Supreme Grade Swords, antique paintings and calligraphy, gold, silver, and jewels..."
"There are slaves from special races, three great pirates with bounties over one hundred million, and, from Amazon Lily, the world's most beautiful woman, Shakky!"
When the crowd of Celestial Dragons heard about the Devil Fruits and famous swords, their expressions remained indifferent. When they heard about slaves from special races and great pirates with bounties over one hundred million, a flicker of interest appeared.
It wasn't until the very end, when they heard that the prizes included the current world's most beautiful woman, that the passion of the Celestial Dragons was finally ignited.