Shirou's Thirty Million Avatars

Even if he was strong, dragging a bunch of dead weight meant he couldn't get away.

Coming here this time, he never planned to return.

He called it a rescue, but deep down he knew it was impossible.

So his real goal was to kill Celestial Dragons—as many as possible.

Yet, as he slipped silently from the shadows into Mary Geoise and saw a slave being dragged by a rope behind a Celestial Dragon on the street, memories of his own time as a slave surfaced unbidden.

Rage flared again.

Boom!

When he came to, the fat, ugly Celestial Dragon on the street was nothing but a pool of blood.

"You'd better run fast. I'm about to raise hell."

The slave man hesitated for a few seconds, then glanced at the collar around his neck: "With this thing on, where can I run?"

"Do you know where the key is?"

"I do. You... going to steal it for me?"

At that moment, the fire in Tiger's heart had cooled considerably. He grew calmer, and his original purpose resurfaced.

"Not you—all of you. I came to free the slaves. Even if I can't save everyone, I'll save as many as I can."

Chapter 30: I'm Commandering Your Ship

Section 30: Chapter 30: I'm Commandering Your Ship

Seaside dock.

"Is this the ship you prepared, Hyman?"

"Yes, young master."

A luxurious large ship was moored at the dock. Some beautiful young maids were carrying down comforters, cushions, tea sets, and the like.

Not far away, over a dozen CP Organization members were wrapped in white cloth, masks on their faces, standing in two neat rows as their superior gave them a lecture.

The gist was that the journey ahead was long, and they must protect the Celestial Dragon at all costs.

Shirou glanced around and nodded slightly: "Not bad. This will do. First stop is Sabaody Archipelago. We'll dock there for two days."

"Yes. Mary Geoise isn't far from Sabaody Archipelago. At full speed, we'll get there soon."

"By the way, did you find the business talent I asked for? Servants or slaves, either is fine."

"Yes. After screening, I found eight people total—five are household servants, and three are slaves."

"Bring them here. I want to meet them."

"Yes, I'll go fetch them now."

Butler Hyman had barely finished speaking when a huge explosion sounded in the distance.

Soon after, flames appeared in several places.

"What's going on?"

As he wondered, a masked CP0 member suddenly appeared beside Shirou and bowed his head: "An enemy has invaded Mary Geoise. This place is too dangerous. Please take shelter immediately."

Danger? Enemy invasion?

In an instant, Shirou understood.

It's today! Fisher Tiger is storming Mary Geoise to free the slaves.

"Instead of stopping the enemy, you're here urging me to flee. Is the enemy that strong?"

"Sir, the enemy is very cunning. They secretly released a large number of slaves, and those slaves are now burning, looting, and causing chaos everywhere. We don't have enough personnel stationed in the Holy Land..."

Shirou shook his head and didn't ask further.

Fisher Tiger was strong, sure, but not strong enough to rampage through Holy Land Mary Geoise. Someone must be helping him behind the scenes.

Still, none of my business, none of my concern.

He was about to set sail anyway, and he was taking the slaves he'd picked out. As long as Fisher Tiger didn't come looking for trouble, he'd just pretend he saw nothing.

"Say no more. I'm about to embark on the Four Seas Pilgrimage. No matter who comes, I won't change my plans."

"Sir, but—"

"Shut up. If you're not coming to the Four Seas with me, then leave."

"Well..."

Though the mask hid his face, Shirou could clearly feel the man's anxiety radiating off him.

"That's settled, then."

Shirou looked away and noticed that all the miscellaneous items on the dock had been loaded onto the ship. The maids and guards were standing together, seemingly waiting for him.

"Butler Hyman, is everything loaded?"

"Yes, young master. All the supplies needed for the trip have been brought aboard."

"Then let's set off. Have the women board first."

"Yes."

Butler Hyman strode quickly to the maids and gestured for them to get on the ship.

Watching the maids and guards file aboard one by one, a faint smile crept onto Shirou's face.

Finally, he could set sail!

Earlier, he'd actually considered going out to sea alone—walking or running across the surface using Chakra, or flying with the slime's mimicry ability.

He could even transform into the Black Dragon King and soar through the sky.

But on second thought, that wouldn't really count as setting sail. It wasn't romantic at all.

After giving the boarding order, Butler Hyman hurried over and asked, "Young master, about those people with business acumen—do you want to see them now, or receive them aboard the ship later?"

"We'll talk once we're on the ship. I don't have time right now."

As he spoke, Shirou glanced in the direction the CP0 members had come from.

Through Observation Haki, he sensed tens of thousands of people running toward this spot.

No need for explanation—Fisher Tiger was leading a slave revolt and fleeing this way.

Then again, this was the dock. Aside from his own luxury vessel, there were other Celestial Dragons' ships here too. To escape, they'd naturally come here.

"Is this fate?"

If he'd left a day earlier, he wouldn't have run into Fisher Tiger.

Of course, yesterday, without the power boosts from the Black Dragon King, the Water Shadow, and the slime, he wouldn't have stood a chance against Fisher Tiger.

If it were yesterday, he'd definitely be holed up at home, not stepping out.

After a long while, everyone who needed to board had done so. On the dock, aside from the CP agents, only Shirou and Hyman remained.

"Young master, it's time for us to board as well."

"Yeah, let's go. By the way, haven't the Marines sent their escort yet?"

"Young master, I'll call to inquire right away."

"If they can't make it in time, tell them to head straight to the Sabaody Archipelago."

"Yes, young master."

He turned and walked toward the gangplank. One step, two steps... just as he was about to board, a commotion erupted behind him.

Amid the clamor, tens of thousands of ragged men and women, led by a red-skinned Fish-Man, charged in this direction.

"Young master, it's a slave revolt! Please get on the ship quickly!"

"No, it's too late."

Shirou shook his head slightly. The moment the words left his mouth, Tiger rushed straight over, stopping barely a meter away.

As for the CP agents trying to block him, they'd all been sent flying during his charge.

From start to finish, it hadn't even taken two seconds.

Over a dozen people, and they couldn't even withstand a single punch from him. The gap was that stark.

Whether it was strength giving him confidence, or the fact that Shirou had witnessed countless grand spectacles through his other selves' memories, he felt no fear in this situation—in fact, he found it almost amusing.

"Mr. Fisher Tiger, sorry, but you're early. If you'd come a few minutes later, you might have escaped smoothly."

"A kid?"

Tiger looked down at Shirou and frowned.

"Celesial Dragons all deserve to die, but a child is an exception. You haven't grown into that kind of worthless trash yet, so I won't kill you."

"But I'm commandeering your ship. Have all your people get off. Now. Immediately."

Seeing this, the flustered Butler Hyman behind Shirou gradually calmed down and said, "Yes, I'll arrange it right away. Your goal is to leave safely—please don't harm the young master. That will help you get away."

"Stop! Don't do anything unnecessary."

Shirou turned his head to glance at Hyman, then looked back up at Fisher Tiger, his voice low and firm.

"No one takes anything from me. If you turn around and hijack another ship, I can pretend I never saw you."

"Quiet down! When adults are discussing things, children shouldn't interrupt."

Fisher Tiger reached out with his right hand, trying to grab Shirou and take him hostage.

As for the words he said—who would care about the babbling of a child?

But in an instant, his entire body was wrapped in a thick layer of snow, leaving only his head exposed.

"A Devil Fruit user?"

A flicker of surprise crossed Fisher Tiger's face as he immediately began to struggle.

But the snow grew heavier and colder. Within three seconds, it turned into ice, freezing him from the neck down.

"A Logia-type?"

"That's right." Shirou toyed with a small ice sword in his right hand, speaking casually. "So, are you going to surrender now?"

Chapter 31: What You Said Makes a Lot of Sense

"You must be joking!"

Tiger erupted with immense power, coating his body in Armament Haki and shattering the ice in an instant.

"After coming this far, how could I give up?"

As he spoke, he withdrew the Armament Haki covering his body and concentrated it all into his fist, then threw a fierce punch.

It was a punch carrying all his strength, a punch filled with endless rage.

Shirou clenched his hand into a fist and swung it with force, meeting Tiger's blow head-on.

In that instant!

Tiger was sent flying backward, his right arm twisted into a grotesque shape.