Freedom's Clarion

"Enough! Forget the scalpels—let's go!" Sig dragged the slave doctor out of the operating room.

"W-wait... Don't pull me! My arm!" The doctor hadn't expected Sig to be so strong. His arm was almost dislocated.

They were both longtime slaves, and slaves with a certain degree of freedom at that. They couldn't claim to know all of Mary Geoise, but they knew the area around the Charlos Family well.

The Celestial Dragons had already gone to take shelter, and the doctor was heading for the refuge the guards had just told him about.

Who knew how many rioters had made their way into Mary Geoise, or how many Pirate Slaves had broken free? Some were setting fires and killing people to sow chaos, while others were simply venting their fury!

Seeing that no guards were paying attention, Sig suddenly said, "The master's favorite plates must still be there. Go back first. I'll take a look over that way."

The doctor eyed him suspiciously. Before, he wouldn't have been too wary of Sig, who was currently in favor. But Sig had almost been castrated just moments ago. Maybe he wanted to escape?

"I don't think we should, Sig. Let's... Wait! Glug..." The doctor regretted speaking as soon as he had.

But it was too late. Somehow, Sig had managed to pocket one of the scalpels that had nearly cut him moments earlier. In the blink of an eye, it sliced across the doctor's throat...

"I was going to give you a chance... You old bastard. You were the one who reported me to that fat pig last year for bringing medicine to Julia, weren't you?" Sig said coldly, then turned and left.

As a Spectator, Sig had immediately noticed the doctor's suspicion—and that he wanted to stop him.

Blood spurted from the severed artery. The doctor's throat bubbled with blood one last time, and then he was still.

Like hell he was going back to look for those fat pigs. The refuge was bound to be heavily guarded, with plenty of strong fighters. Sig wasn't foolish enough to expect revenge right away, so he looped around toward the harbor.

Mary Geoise stood on the Red Line Continent, at the point where it crossed the Grand Line. It was also the only place on the Red Line where ordinary people could live.

After all, everywhere else on the Red Line stood at least three thousand meters above sea level. It cut across the Grand Line, separating the North Blue and West Blue from the East Blue and South Blue. It was a highland continent that circled the globe...

Around Mary Geoise, the land sloped gently toward the first half of the Grand Line, where a harbor had been built. On the other side, facing the Grand Line's second half, lay cliffs thousands of meters high!

Out to sea!

Sig had already made up his mind. He ran southeast.

Then, in the distance, Sig saw a squad of guards blocking the passage ahead.

After a moment's hesitation, he slowed down instead of immediately hiding.

Only Celestial Dragons, guards, and slaves lived in Mary Geoise. The Marines had no base there, but plenty of the Celestial Dragons' lackeys were powerful fighters.

Sig's physical abilities were only on par with an ordinary combatant in a pirate crew that had crossed the first half of the Grand Line—about the level of a Marine Headquarters Chief Petty Officer. His only chance of escape was to take advantage of the chaos. He couldn't count on nobody noticing him.

"Go back! Slaves aren't allowed to escape to the southeast. Don't think we don't know what you're up to!" The guards pointed swords and pistols at the group of slaves before them.

The area in the distance was still in an uproar, but here it was relatively quiet.

Yet for the slaves, the cries of battle, the clashes, and the desperate sounds of destruction in the distance were freedom's tolling bells...

The slaves clearly had few fighters among them, and most were young women.

The guard at their head stood over three meters tall and was nearly as broad—he looked like a hulking gorilla!

Sig had long since gotten used to it. This world was full of strange human races, and powerful people grew enormous, as if their genetic locks had gone haywire—sometimes in truly bizarre and grotesque ways.

Sig noticed that some of the enslaved women facing the guards were secretly transforming into beasts. They were probably Fruit Slaves kept by Celestial Dragons with unusual tastes.

"Brother Togel! Be careful. I recommend bringing over two water cannons! These lowly slaves never know their place!" Sig called out quickly.

Fortunately, Sig knew the guard at the head of the group. He served another Celestial Dragon in the Charlos Family, and Sig had seen him many times.

The Spectator ability let Sig quickly figure out what was happening. He also knew the other man had spotted him, so there was no way to slip past unnoticed.

"Sig? Hmm... These people escaped from somewhere, and there should be quite a few ability users among them... But what are you doing here?" Togel looked at Sig with some suspicion.

The other slaves present were already glaring furiously at the lackey.

Sig said uneasily, "The master's favorite plates are in the banquet hall over there... Brother Togel, could you and the others bring them back when you get a chance?" As he spoke, Sig stepped closer, as if trying to ingratiate himself.

Seeing that Sig had no intention of going over, Togel gradually let down his guard. After all, Sig was a "high-status slave."

"Can't you hear the fighting over there? It's already been ransacked. There's no point going to look!" Togel shook his head.

"That's... such a shame."

The Spectator ability gave Sig a rough idea of what Togel was thinking. He seized the instant the guard let his guard down!

Sig lowered his head, looking worried. Togel chuckled inwardly. Knowing the Celestial Dragons, this little slave was probably about to be punished again...

But at that very moment, a wave of killing intent suddenly burst forth!

Togel had once been a seasoned veteran on the battlefield, but he had been stationed in Mary Geoise for too long. He had fewer chances to fight enemies, and his battlefield instincts had grown dull.

He was a moment too late. Sig, whom he hadn't been guarding against, suddenly sprang into action. There was no technique or finesse, just the speed and ruthlessness of a leap that drove the scalpel into Togel's neck!

"Ah! Damn it!" Togel punched at Sig in a fit of pain and fury.

Sig flew a long way like a rag doll, crashing into a low decorative wall and smashing it apart...

Sig felt that some of his ribs had broken, but even so, he never let go of the scalpel in his hand!

A huge gash had been carved into Togel's neck. He hadn't expected this harmless-looking slave to have such strength and speed... More importantly, such ruthless determination!

Blood kept pouring through the gaps between the fingers clamped over his wound. Togel's strength faded, and he sank to his knees!

"Ladies, don't just stand there! Charge!" Sig got to his feet, enduring the pain.

A layer of scales shimmered faintly beneath his skin...

That was one of the Sailor's abilities. It gave Sig some of a Fish-Man's physique, and when his blood surged, a layer of Phantom Scales protected him!

Otherwise, his ribs would have been more than just cracked...

Dongdong: During the new-book period, there'll be two updates every day: one around noon and another around six in the evening.