Crack!
A crisp sound rang out.
It wasn't loud, just the ordinary snap of a broken iron lock, but it spread through the entire Arena at astonishing speed.
The Explosion Collar—was broken.
Regardless of how Aiven Lindsey had managed it, the meaning of the act alone was enough to spark a massive uproar!
Today, at this very moment, a man named Aiven Lindsey had destroyed the Explosion Collar around a Celestial Dragon's slave's neck.
—And the entire Arena was thrown into turmoil!
The noblemen who had been ordered by Saint Ecowina to watch the event were no longer able to contain their fear. They turned and ran!
This Arena...
No!
The whole Sabaody Archipelago was probably no longer safe!
Aiven Lindsey's action was tantamount to directly defying the Celestial Dragons. A battle was inevitable, and it would very likely draw in a Marine Admiral or CP0!
When that happened, chaos would erupt throughout the Sabaody Archipelago, turning it into a battlefield.
They had come to the Sabaody Archipelago to enjoy life, not to get themselves killed!
So the nobles surged toward the exit, crowding together until they could neither advance nor retreat.
Nobody wanted to bear the wrath of a Celestial Dragon!
"Commoners..."
"Commoners!"
In the stands, Saint Ecowina's face had already twisted with rage. He ground his teeth and shrieked,
"I gave you a chance to live, and you're not even grateful? Is there anyone in this world more merciful than me?!"
"..."
Fisher Tiger ignored the shrill words.
The long-missed feeling of relief around his neck left the leader of the Fish-Man Race standing frozen, unable to come back to his senses for a long while.
He looked up at the man named Aiven Lindsey and saw blood on his face from the blows he had dealt him.
He could tell his punches hadn't caused any real damage—and that a good portion of the blood was probably his own—but he still couldn't help feeling guilty.
Tiger looked a little awkward. He didn't know how to speak to the human in front of him.
So he could only touch his now-bare neck and murmur, "Sorry..."
"Hahaha!"
To his surprise, Aiven Lindsey responded with a hearty laugh.
"Don't be so formal. Do I look like the kind of guy who'd hold a grudge?"
He looked toward the others nearby.
The remaining slaves were hesitating, unsure what they should do next.
Even the slaves who hadn't been brought out were pressed against the little iron windows of the Arena, watching what was happening inside.
Seeing this, Lindsey couldn't wait to try out his newly learned technique. He rushed forward excitedly and said,
"Because I'm having fun!"
Whoosh—!
He jabbed a finger, and the Explosion Collar around the portly man's neck came loose.
Then the third, the fourth, the fifth...
The Explosion Collars all had the same internal structure.
So Lindsey got faster and faster at dismantling them. Before long, even the slightest touch was enough to damage the mechanism inside and make the collars fall away.
After freeing the slaves in the Arena, Lindsey tore through the iron bars beside him and released every slave inside.
Most of them were gladiators who had been sold to the Arena, forced to live in darkness. Now, at last, they were free...
No.
There was still one step left.
A "huge" step, as impassable as a chasm!
Just as the slaves were rejoicing at the newfound ease around their necks, a figure appeared not far from them.
He was one of the two Celestial Dragon guards, and a member of the CP Organization.
He wore a black suit and held a longsword in his hand.
Both guards were swordsmen of similar strength, so one had been assigned to protect Saint Ecowina while the other dealt with the disturbance.
"Slaves should act like slaves. Don't make trouble for the World Government."
The suited man slowly drew his sword, its blade gleaming with a sharp, cold light.
His voice was low as he said,
"Know your place. Know what you're worth."
"Cross the line, and you'll pay the price..."
"And you."
The suited man pointed the tip of his sword at Lindsey.
"You've caused trouble for the World Government, so all of you will die here."
His calm tone made his absolute confidence clear.
Normally, Celestial Dragons were guarded by members of CP0, known as the "Strongest Shield." The fact that these two CP Organization members had been given the post despite not being CP0 was proof enough that their strength was beyond question.
He knitted his brows slightly and said in a low voice, "Come on. Let me cut you down."
"Sure. Let's see you try!"
Hearing this, Lindsey didn't dodge or retreat. He strode steadily toward the suited man, his massive frame moving with each step.
He stopped in front of the suited man, well within his reach.
"Nice sword."
Lindsey reached out and lightly tapped the tip of the blade with a finger.
The suited man sneered. "I'll use it to cut you down."
"Sword?"
Lindsey looked baffled. "What sword?"
"Hm?"
The suited man froze.
Looking more closely, he saw that the blade of the rare, famous sword in his hand was cracked.
The cracks spread, and then, with a sharp chime, the blade shattered!
In the blink of an eye, all the suited man had left in his hand was the hilt!
"This..."
The suited man stood frozen. Then a chill crept over him.
He looked up to see Lindsey raising his Zoan-transformed hand, fingers spread as it came straight for his head!
There was nowhere to dodge!
In desperation, the suited man had no choice but to use one of the Rokushiki techniques: Tekkai!
His body hardened in an instant, but the world still spun before his eyes.
Boom!
By the time he came to, Lindsey had already slammed his head against the ground.
"Kh..."
The suited man tried to struggle, but Lindsey's monstrous strength held him firmly down. He couldn't move!
"Shh!"
Lindsey suddenly leaned down and mouthed to the suited man, "Listen carefully."
The suited man froze for a moment, then heard a series of roars.
They were angry shouts, and yet they sounded as if the slaves were trying to encourage themselves.
One eye could just barely peer through the gaps between Lindsey's fingers. Following the sound, he saw the slaves who were roaring.
"What... is this?"
"This is life—life that should be no different from anyone else's."
Lindsey grinned. "Listen. Life is a song, and the song of these lives is especially brilliant!"
Aiven Lindsey had subdued one of the Celestial Dragon's guards, giving a small spark of hope to the slaves who had been on the verge of despair.
Life, singing like a song, shone especially bright when it sang of hope!
Boom!
Lindsey's other fist came crashing down, finishing off the guard on the ground.
Watching this, and seeing the slaves roaring, Saint Ecowina's expression in the stands grew even uglier.
He ordered the other guard to attack, and the guard immediately gripped the hilt at his waist.
Whoosh!
The guard leapt high into the air and charged at Lindsey.
Almost at the same time, Aiven Lindsey jumped up. They collided in midair, and he flipped the guard over before slamming him hard into the ground.
Aiven Lindsey landed steadily. He was now in the stands, directly opposite Saint Ecowina.
"And you—"
Lindsey reached out and grabbed Saint Ecowina by the neck. Red light glimmered deep in his pupils as he bared his mouthful of fangs and growled,
"Your life is rotten to the core, unbearably ugly, and utterly disgusting!"
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