Mary Geoise

Mary Geoise was built atop the Red Line Continent, the highest continent in the world.

It was the brain of the World Government, as well as the place where power was most concentrated in the entire world.

After sailing for some time, Roy arrived at Mary Geoise through Red Port on the Sabaody Archipelago.

Since his mission this time was to head to Punk Hazard in the New World, crossing the Red Line Continent was unavoidable.

As everyone knew, there were only two routes from Paradise to the New World.

One was through the enormous hollow beneath the Red Line Continent, while the other was through the official channels of Mary Geoise, allowing one to legally enter the New World.

As the second-in-command of CP9, the World Government's intelligence agency, Roy naturally did not need to take the route beneath the Red Line Continent through Fish-Man Island like pirates and merchants did.

A legitimate identity should be put to legitimate use. Unlike the underwater route, which had a thirty percent casualty rate—

Mary Geoise's official route was not only safe, but also offered beautiful scenery.

Of course, if Roy had not been a World Government official, he would have had to pay a hefty passage fee to pass through here.

Leaning against the elevator railing, he leisurely drew on the cigarette in his hand.

The Red Port lift platform rapidly ascended toward Mary Geoise atop the Red Line Continent.

As the Sabaody Archipelago shrank in Roy's eyes, the magnificent scenery in the distance came into view.

Mary Geoise was the center of the World Government.

Naturally, aside from office buildings, most of Mary Geoise's structures were residences for the World Nobles, the Celestial Dragons.

Roy lightly hopped off the lift platform, glanced around, and sighed. "The scenery is as beautiful as ever, but it seems the casualties in Mary Geoise have been quite severe lately."

Through the Echo Map, Roy could clearly sense the tragedies hidden beneath the elevator and the so-called automatic structures throughout the Holy Land.

Slave after slave was driven by overseers' whips to keep the highest city in the world running.

Every face was filled with pain, yet the whips at their backs forced them to continue working.

In this city known as humanity's Holy Land, every slave who could still be exploited was made to serve their purpose.

As for the old and frail, the fate awaiting them was to be shoved into furnaces, adding another flicker of fire to maintain Mary Geoise's temperature.

This was the most beautiful city in the world, and also the ugliest place.

The evil of human nature was displayed here in its fullest form.

That was also the biggest reason Roy had never held any fondness for the World Government or this world.

Because this was a world without limits!

"Damn it, crawl faster! If you're this slow, how am I supposed to make it to the banquet?"

An arrogant voice suddenly rang out from afar.

The instant Roy heard it, he lowered the brim of his hat.

This was humanity's Holy Land, Mary Geoise, and also the place where the World Nobles, the Celestial Dragons, gathered most densely.

Roy knew that he was quite handsome.

He also knew that there were quite a few Celestial Dragons in Mary Geoise who liked men.

Looking at the pig slowly approaching in the distance—

Roy pulled his hat brim lower. Unlike the nearby merchants, whose eyes brimmed with reverence, he quickly walked toward a luxurious public restroom not far ahead.

After all, he had no intention of kneeling before these pigs. In Roy's eyes, most Celestial Dragons were nothing more than worthless trash waiting to die, and people like them did not deserve his knees.

"Hurry up! You lowly worm! If I miss the banquet today, I'll peel off your skin whole!"

The Celestial Dragon riding atop a slave slowly approached the automatic walkway.

The official merchants and guards who had been traveling all dropped to their knees and prostrated themselves on the ground.

A bloody stench wafted over along with the Celestial Dragon.

A man three or four times the size of an ordinary person was crawling forward miserably on all fours.

On his back sat an obese Celestial Dragon in a chair, repeatedly kicking his head and shoulders with sharp heels.

Blood dripped drop by drop, and the slave's crawling body had begun to sway.

The merchants prostrating on the ground all involuntarily shrank their pupils at the sight.

It was truly pitiful.

The slave's life force was rapidly weakening, but those sharp heels showed no mercy and continued their savage kicks.

"Heh, so this is a Celestial Dragon."

Disgust flashed through Roy's eyes, but there was not the slightest trace of pity.

This was a world where the strong devoured the weak. The winner took all, and the loser ate dust.

That was why Roy wanted to increase his strength more than anything else.

Without sufficient power, one would never be able to control one's own fate.

The Celestial Dragon atop the slave swayed as he headed toward another cluster of villas.

As the Celestial Dragon's back gradually disappeared into the distance—

The merchants lying on the ground dusted off their clothes and rose, while Roy happened to emerge from the public restroom.

Looking in the direction the Celestial Dragon had left, everyone wore different expressions.

Some looked utterly incredulous, as though some belief of theirs had been shattered.

Others had blazing eyes, as if that was what those above all others were supposed to look like.

The Celestial Dragon's passing was merely an interlude, but the discussions it stirred did not stop.

Roy chose to ignore the chatter at his side.

Because he was an official of the World Government, after walking for a while, he was directed into a special passage.

Before long, Roy arrived at the lift platform on the other side of the Red Line Continent.

As the lift platform slowly descended toward the ocean below—

The slaves beneath Mary Geoise began another round of grueling labor.

He looked up as the exquisite buildings were gradually replaced by red rock walls.

Leaning comfortably against the railing, he exhaled a white smoke ring and looked out at the deep blue sea.

How much longer can this extravagant way of life last?

The sea's fury can no longer be suppressed. Still, I truly look forward to the curtain rising.

As he inwardly sighed over all the extravagant sights he had seen atop Mary Geoise—

The lift slowly descended, and a patch of white cloud drifted across the Red Line Continent occupied by Mary Geoise.