"Ahem."
Is coughed lightly, suppressing the smile on his face, then said to Acnologia, "It's fine. As long as you like it."
As he spoke, he turned his gaze toward Dorac.
"Let's go. Time to head out."
Dorac paused for a moment, carefully looking Is up and down before asking,
"Saint Is… you're heading out like this?"
Is glanced at himself. Aside from not wearing the Celestial Dragons' signature bubble helmet and formal attire today, he didn't see anything wrong.
"Do I need to prepare something else?" he asked.
"You're really not going to wear formal clothes? And you're not bringing any slaves?"
"My clothes are perfectly fine," Is replied calmly. "As for slaves—we've known each other long enough. You know I've never ridden those things."
"Alright, alright, suit yourself, Saint Is."
Dorac didn't press further. He wasn't the type to meddle in others' affairs.
"That won't do, Saint Is. Acting like this damages the reputation of us Celestial Dragons. We are the descendants of the creators—if you continue like this, you'll be tainted by the filth of those lowly people."
One of the Celestial Dragons behind Dorac spoke with righteous indignation.
"Exactly! You're already considered a hero among us. You should set an example, Saint Is!" another added.
"Huh?"
Is couldn't help but laugh.
"A hero of the Celestial Dragons? Since when did I become that?"
"The battle at Mary Geoise—you drove those pirate scum away. You've even been given the title 'Guardian God,'" Dorac reminded him.
"Hold it, hold it…"
"Sorry, but I think you've misunderstood something."
"I chased him because he annoyed me. Don't overthink it—I had no intention of saving any of you."
"And besides, I'll do whatever I want. I'll wear whatever I want."
Is didn't bother being polite.
He had no need to consider their opinions.
In fact, he almost wished they'd stay away from him entirely so he wouldn't have to waste time dealing with them.
In the past, he might have held back a little.
But now—
he had no such concerns.
Not because he'd grown arrogant, but because the World Government didn't actually enforce those rigid standards.
They were nothing more than outdated traditions imposed by older Celestial Dragons.
And now that Is had strength—
there was no reason for him to follow them.
"Is… Saint Is, that's a bit too much…" Dorac said, trying to smooth things over.
Is patted his shoulder.
"Relax. You're an exception."
What the others thought, Is didn't care.
But Dorac—
he was genuinely pleased. At least it meant their friendship wasn't superficial.
"Alright, Saint Is, let's just go," Dorac said quickly.
The other Celestial Dragons, however, wore extremely ugly expressions.
"Damn that Saint Is…"
One of them cursed inwardly, though he didn't dare say it out loud.
Since they were riding slaves, their pace was slower.
But Is didn't mind at all.
He and Tatsumaki, Madara, and the others treated it like a casual stroll, chatting and laughing along the way.
To the surrounding Celestial Dragons, however, it was unbearable to watch.
In their eyes, they were beings above all others.
How could they casually laugh and talk with "lowly people"?
It was a disgrace to their dignity.
"Saint Is, are they your bodyguards?"
One of them suddenly asked.
Is paused briefly before answering, "You could say that… but not entirely."
"What kind of answer is that? Either they are or they aren't," the man said with a dry laugh.
"If you say they are, then they are. If you say they aren't, then they aren't," Is replied indifferently.
"There's still quite a distance to go. It's rather dull… Saint Is, are you interested in playing a game?"
"A game?"
"That's right."
Seeing Is nod, the man continued,
"To be honest, I prefer something a bit… bloody. How about we have our bodyguards put on a show? It'll make the journey more entertaining."
"The rules are simple—everyone chooses someone else's bodyguard to fight."
He smiled faintly, already scheming.
Is hesitated.
He personally had no interest—
but Madara and Acnologia might.
So he glanced at them, clearly asking for their opinion.
"Anything's fine. Your call," Acnologia replied.
"I don't mind either. It's up to you," Madara added.
"Same here," Tatsumaki said.
Their stance was clear—
they would follow Is's decision.
Is was about to refuse when the Celestial Dragon added with a grin,
"Don't worry, Saint Is. I won't pick the weakest woman to fight my bodyguard."
"..."
That single sentence instantly set Tatsumaki off.
If Is hadn't been there, she would have already made a move.
"Fine," Is said calmly. "Since the journey is dull and you want to play, then let them put on a show."
Dorac glanced at Is and quietly reminded him,
"Saint Is, his bodyguards were selected from the Marines. They're very strong."
"Saint Dorac, listen to yourself," the man chuckled. "Do you think my bodyguards would actually lose to his?"
The implication was clear—
he was telling Dorac to stay out of it.
"It's fine," Is said casually. "Wins and losses are normal. Since we're playing, why not make it more interesting? Let's add a wager—money, perhaps."
"Hahahaha!"
The man burst into laughter.
"Saint Is, Saint Is… your thinking is too small."
"If we're going big, we should wager their lives. What do you think?"
"After all, it's a good way to test whether they're truly capable of protecting us."
At first, Is had only intended to win some money off him.
But now—
he could only think one thing.
You're not just narrowing your path—you're sealing it completely.
"What you said… makes sense."
"So you have no objections?"
"None at all."
"Good. Then pick one of mine first."
"I think…" Is said slowly, "you should have all your bodyguards come at once."
"That's not exactly fair, is it, Is?"
"It's fine. Like you said—if they're not strong enough, how can they protect us?"
Hearing this, the Celestial Dragon was overjoyed. His excitement was written all over his face.
"In that case… I'll choose that one."
"The one wearing the black suit."
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