As Kaguya devoured her delicious dango, she absentmindedly flicked the coin in her hand, recalling the shopkeeper's terrified expression. A hint of curiosity crept into her mind.
What exactly was this coin? Why had the shopkeeper turned pale, waving off the payment as if he had just seen a ghost? He had even looked like he was about to kneel before her.
"Could this coin hold some kind of secret?" Kaguya mused, gripping it tightly in her palm.
Before she could think further, a group of men suddenly stepped in front of her, forming a circle to block her path. The bustling street quieted as onlookers quickly backed away, their gazes filled with pity. They seemed to understand what was happening, and judging by their reactions, it wasn't the first time.
Looking at the group of thugs—ugly, misshapen, and radiating ill intent—Kaguya immediately knew what they were.
"That's Peter Man's group of slavers. Up to no good again."
"Poor girl… she's in trouble."
"They're scum! Why won't the Marines do something about them?"
"The Marines? Hah, they're in on it."
"Hey, keep your voice down! You don't want to get taken too, do you?"
A thug with a greasy Mohawk spun around and barked at the whispering townspeople. "What the hell are you looking at?! Mind your own damn business unless you want to be next!"
The bystanders immediately clammed up, retreating into their homes and shops.
Satisfied, the Mohawked thug turned back to Kaguya and sneered, "Miss, you need to come with us. You've been caught stealing."
Kaguya frowned. "Move."
"Oh? She's feisty!" A bald thug chuckled. "A thief with an attitude, huh?"
"Listen, sweetheart, come quietly and we'll go easy on you," the Mohawked thug said, grinning. "Resist, and we might just have to mess up that pretty face of yours."
Kaguya glanced at their matching insignias. "You're slavers, aren't you?"
"Whoa there, miss! Watch your mouth!" The Mohawked thug grinned, spreading his hands. "We're respectable businessmen, can't you tell?"
Little did they realize, the woman they had just tried to corner was a ruthless warrior—one who had left mountains of corpses in her wake. They were standing right on the edge of death itself.
Just as Kaguya was losing patience, a sudden commotion erupted down the street.
"Run! The Celestial Dragons are coming!"
That single cry spread like wildfire. Panic seized the street as people scattered in terror, abandoning their stalls and possessions as they fled like prey sensing an approaching predator.
Even the thugs paled.
They hadn't expected a Celestial Dragon to appear at such a crucial moment. Now, their business deal was as good as ruined.
They were just small-time slavers—they might be bold, but they weren't stupid enough to cross the Celestial Dragons. Living on this island for so long, they knew exactly what those three words meant.
The Mohawked thug scowled, then spat on the ground. "Tch. You got lucky. We're leaving."
Without another word, the group turned and fled as if their lives depended on it.
Even as they fled, the thugs couldn't help but glance back longingly. A woman this beautiful was a rare commodity—she could fetch thousands, maybe even millions, at the slave market. Their hearts ached at the lost opportunity.
What they didn't realize was that the arrival of the Celestial Dragons had just saved their lives. Had they lingered even a moment longer, they would have perished without even understanding how.
Celestial Dragons.
Kaguya's eyes flickered at the mention of that name.
Even someone like her, who wasn't deeply familiar with the One Piece world, had heard of them.
Descendants of the so-called "Creators," the Celestial Dragons were infamous for their arrogance, cruelty, and complete disregard for other beings, treating all other races as slaves. They were the very embodiment of corruption and tyranny.
Yet, because they were under the absolute protection of the World Government, even the slightest offense against them would bring down the full force of the Navy—admirals included. This was why, despite the overwhelming hatred toward them, few dared to act against them.
A procession approached in the distance.
Leading the group were three figures, their heads encased in transparent bubbles. One was a middle-aged man, flanked by two younger children. Their attire resembled space suits, and their hair was styled in ridiculous, gravity-defying shapes—reminding Kaguya of a toddler's ponytail gone wrong.
Absolutely hideous.
That was Kaguya's immediate assessment.
She couldn't fathom what kind of twisted sense of aesthetics the Celestial Dragons possessed to dress in such an absurd manner—and worse, to actually be proud of it.
However, one of the children—a young girl—was undeniably beautiful. With snow-white skin and delicate features, she resembled a porcelain doll. That beauty, however, was marred by the arrogant expression on her face.
As the Celestial Dragons arrived, the townspeople immediately dropped to their knees, pressing their foreheads to the ground in reverence.
"Brother Charlos, your tastes are so strange. How can you stand riding something so ugly? Doesn't it disgust you?" the Celestial Dragon girl sneered, looking down at the slave beneath her brother.
"I thought it would be fun, but it's useless," whined the snot-nosed boy named Charlos. He furiously kicked the creature beneath him. "How dare you embarrass me in front of my sister! A so-called Fishman—ha! Just another filthy, lowly breed."
With a scowl, he kicked the Fishman again.
The enslaved Fishman was a towering figure, his body packed with muscle and his bronze skin marked with webbed fingers—a telltale trait of his kind.
But now, his body was covered in wounds, blood trickling from deep cuts. His breathing was ragged, and his face flushed with exertion. He was clearly at his limit.
"Charlos, I told you not to bother with these pathetic Fishmen," the middle-aged man sighed. "If you want better slaves, I have some Giants at home. You can pick whichever you like."
"No, Father!" Charlos immediately refused, puffing his cheeks in defiance. "I want a Fishman!"
Mid-sentence, his eyes caught a glimpse of something—or rather, someone.
His head snapped toward the figure on the street. His eyes widened in shock.
"Charlos, what's wrong?" the Celestial Dragon girl asked, puzzled by his sudden silence.
Without looking at her, Charlos pointed toward a specific person. "Father, I want that one."
Following his son's gaze, the middle-aged man turned his attention to the street.
His eyes landed on the person Charlos was pointing at.
It was none other than Kaguya, standing in the middle of the street, watching them with disinterest.
The middle-aged man's eyes gleamed as he looked Kaguya up and down. "You have good taste, son. She certainly has an exquisite appearance. Such a waste for a lowly breed."
Shalria sneered. "She's just a filthy commoner. Brother, are you actually thinking of keeping her in your chambers? That would be disgusting."
Despite her words, her eyes betrayed jealousy and resentment.
How could a mere commoner be more beautiful than a Celestial Dragon? Unforgivable.
"It's fine, Father," Charlos sniffled, wiping the snot dripping from his face. "She's just a lowly slave. But she'd make for a fine addition to my collection."
At that moment, a ragged, disheveled little girl suddenly dashed out from an alleyway. Upon seeing the Celestial Dragons before her, she froze in terror, her body locking up as fear took hold.
Her sudden appearance blocked Charlos' view.
Charlos scowled. "How dare you stand in the way of a Celestial Dragon and not kneel?"
"Oh my, an insignificant insect daring to ignore the presence of a Celestial Dragon? How bold," Shalria mocked. "Brother, it seems you've been disrespected."
The little girl stood there, paralyzed with fear, her face pale as ice. She had heard the stories of how terrifying the Celestial Dragons were.
The townspeople looked on with pity, already able to predict the tragic fate awaiting the girl. Not long ago, another child had accidentally offended a Celestial Dragon and was crushed beneath their carriage. The gruesome scene was still fresh in their minds.
"A mere ant isn't worth getting angry over," Charlos said coldly.
"Oh? Since when have you become so patient, Brother?" Shalria teased.
The crowd held their breath, silently hoping the girl had somehow been spared.
Then—
Charlos casually pulled a pistol from his coat and pulled the trigger.
Bang!
A flash of fire erupted, and a crimson bloom spread across the little girl's chest. Her eyes widened in shock, her tiny hands clutching at the wound as she collapsed to the ground.
Holstering his still-smoking pistol, Charlos smirked. "I don't get angry at ants. I simply crush them."
"Monster!"
"He just shot a child!"
"He's worse than a beast!"
"Demon!"
The crowd trembled with rage, but their clenched fists remained at their sides. They could only grit their teeth in silence. The Celestial Dragons were untouchable, far beyond the reach of ordinary people.
"Enough," Charlos said as he stepped down from the Fishman slave. Walking toward Kaguya, he announced, "From now on, you are my twelfth c—"
He never finished his sentence.
A dark blur flashed past.
A crushing force slammed into Charlos' chest, sending him hurtling backward like he had been struck by a train. He crashed into a stone wall with a thunderous boom.
Pfft!
Blood sprayed from his mouth.
Charlos spewed a mouthful of blood, his eyes rolling back as he slumped unconscious.
Kaguya retracted her foot, looking down at him with undisguised contempt. "Just a pathetic, disgusting little worm, and you dare crawl around in front of me?"
The crowd stood in stunned silence, their jaws nearly hitting the ground. Even the middle-aged man and Shalria were too shocked to react immediately.
Someone actually hit a Celestial Dragon.
No one had ever dared to treat the Celestial Dragons with such blatant disrespect. It wasn't just an act of defiance—it was a direct insult.
The event was so unprecedented that instead of immediate rage, the first emotion to surface in Shalria and her father was sheer disbelief.
"Y-You dare assault a Celestial Dragon?!" the middle-aged man stammered, pointing a trembling finger at Kaguya, his voice shaking with fury.
"How dare you disrespect a Celestial Dragon!" Shalria's face turned beet red with rage. "Seize her! I want to personally interrogate this wretch!"
"Yes, Lady Shalria!"
The guards behind them sprang into action, weapons drawn as they charged toward Kaguya. They knew all too well that allowing a Celestial Dragon to be attacked under their watch would bring severe punishment upon them. The fear of the Celestial Dragons' wrath spurred them forward.
Images of past victims—slaves tortured beyond recognition—flashed through their minds, sending shivers down their spines. They had no choice.
But just as they closed the distance—
Kaguya snapped her fingers.
"Wood Style: Spikes of Impalement."
The moment she spoke, the guards' bodies ruptured. Blood sprayed through the air as countless wooden spikes tore through their flesh from the inside out. They were dead before they could even scream.
Kaguya remained emotionless. "Serving tyrants like them… you deserved worse."
"You filthy wench! You dare harm my precious son?!" the middle-aged man bellowed, his face contorted with rage. "I'll make you regret this!"
With a snarl, he snapped his cane in half, revealing a concealed firearm within.
Bang!
A bullet fired straight toward Kaguya's head.
The Celestial Dragon's lips curled into a vicious grin, already imagining her gruesome end.
But reality rarely aligned with expectation.
Kaguya merely raised her hand, effortlessly catching the speeding bullet between her fingers. She glanced at it, unimpressed, then smirked.
"As expected. Celestial Dragons are nothing but weaklings. Is this all you can do?" With a light squeeze, the bullet crumpled in her grip like a lump of soft clay.
The middle-aged man, oblivious to his impending doom, continued his enraged rant. "You wretched filth! How dare you defy the great Celestial Dragons?! You're dead! Do you hear me?! DEAD! Guards, kill—"
He suddenly choked.
Kaguya had lazily raised her hand and clenched her fingers slightly.
Immediately, the Celestial Dragon's body convulsed as though an invisible force had wrapped around his throat. His furious screams were cut off, replaced by frantic gasps. His hands clawed at his neck, his face contorting in agony.
"Oh, don't worry," Kaguya said coldly. "I won't let you die so easily."
Her crimson eyes darkened as she whispered, "Death would be a mercy for filth like you. I'll make sure you suffer."
Then, her voice turned chillingly sharp as she uttered a single word:
"Amaterasu."
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