When Jack heard Sig ask the Captain to "take care" of him, he muttered under his breath, "I'm not a child!"
Even he sensed that Sig's emotions were off, and... his feelings for Sig deep down had already subtly changed, so he only "whispered softly."
"Alright, let's go! Your older brother has his own things to do." Shanks pulled him away.
"I'm not the eldest brother!"
When the ship entered the dock from Island 57, Red Force was no longer on the Sig.
May 31, 1509.
Today, I returned to the place I arrived at when I first traveled through time.
This morning I visited the human trafficking area.
Originally, I didn't want to reveal my "Fish-Man" side, and I preferred to appear only as a human face that few people recognized, but... I overestimated my ability to control my anger after completing the role of "the People of Fury".
Just walking here stirs up my anger, making me constantly feel like I'm on high alert.
Because of the characteristics of the Fish-Man Race, I could even sense that some people around me were eyeing me with covetous intent, but my robust physique made them just look at me—after all, male Fish-Man weren't that expensive.
This is not just about a single slave being auctioned or sold; this kind of thing happens tens of thousands of times every day in the Sabaody Archipelago.
In the original work, Luffy's recklessness only disrupted one ten-thousandth of a single day...
By the afternoon, I was curled up in a gloomy, deserted alley—a feeling of helplessness, of being unable to do anything, permeated my entire being.
As night fell, a black and red cloak appeared, and I, wearing a Vampire mask, walked in the tranquility beyond the bright lights and bustling city, and my heart finally found peace.
Like a spirit of the night, the Evernight embraces me...
Whether I was a Vampire before or used my Shadow Ascetic abilities to hide in the darkness, I have never enjoyed the feeling of being immersed in the Evernight as much as I do now.
No longer afraid of the darkness without light, because... I come from the darkness!
June 1, 1509.
Because of the tree canopy, the Sabaody Archipelago doesn't get much sunlight. However, I actually developed a photophobia here, and I didn't want to go out during the day at all, preferring to hide in a dark corner.
Until Evernight falls...
The reconnaissance was completed yesterday, tonight... let's begin the operation!
Taking advantage of a major slave trader, they used his own drugs, which were hidden on his person, to put him into a hypnotic state and then altered his subconscious.
A moment later, he came to his senses and went to the restroom, assuming he was just drunk and a little confused.
After that, using him to "fish" became much simpler. When he saw the reflection of a vampire bat in his drink, his subconscious commands would kick in, and he would call his business partners outside one by one...
They need some minor psychological therapy.
Exactly five days from now, there will be the biggest slave auction of the year in District 6. They've been having a lot of social engagements lately!
The next three days will probably be busy as well.
June 5, 1509, night.
As dusk fell, Webb, the butler of Shalria, Celestial Dragons, strode with the elegance of a nobleman to the Sabaody Archipelago. He intended to first meet with the lowly slave traders to discuss the Auction House arrangements and ensure his master would have a good time the next day.
Although in theory the butler Webb was also a slave, at this moment, in his eyes, these slave traders were the truly despicable ones...
Webb's hair has turned gray, but because he manages the affairs of the slaves so well, he is still the foreign affairs steward of Shalria.
Even her slightly balding appearance didn't displease Shalria enough to warrant her immediate execution, demonstrating her considerable skill.
He was dressed in a formal suit, with a monocle over his right eye. The lens had been rubbing against his eye socket for a long time, leaving two permanent bruises. Although he already had glasses frames, he considered himself an aristocrat among the Celestial Dragons slaves, which made him particularly fond of this uncomfortable but pretentious monocle.
For some reason, Webb felt that something was off about everyone today, from the waiters to the coachmen, and even the Pirate Slaves who served as mules and horses.
As he stepped off the carriage, trampling over those worthless Pirate Slaves, the other person actually turned and smiled at him?
However, with the banquet hall right in front of him, Webb clearly had no reason to leave.
"Lord Webb, you've finally arrived. I extend my highest respects to the Shalria." Slave trader A stepped forward and smiled obsequiously at Webb.
Webb recognized the face but didn't know this nobody.
"Well, how are the preparations for the Auction House?"
"Something went smoothly!" slave trader A said excitedly.
His expression and emotions were very natural; after all, he was going to make a fortune from this.
Upon arriving at the banquet hall, Webb saw two other Celestial Dragons' foreign affairs stewards, and with a noble air, he stepped forward to greet them.
Fortunately, the three Celestial Dragons attending the Auction House have different tastes in choosing slaves, so these subordinates don't need to worry about becoming cannon fodder in the Celestial Dragons' conflicts.
There were also hundreds of slave traders present, and about a dozen of them were able to speak with these noble Celestial Dragons stewards.
Everyone in the banquet hall was very happy, their faces beaming with joy. In fact, this overwhelming sense of happiness made Webb feel somewhat uncomfortable—shouldn't there be some competition among you?
None of the slave traders who usually wanted to speak privately with him about the auction proceeds appeared this time— the Celestial Dragons wouldn't pay, but the World Government would reimburse the expenses afterward, and these stewards were responsible for handling the transfer of funds.
The scene before him even made Webb suspect that two other guys had conspired with these slave traders to exclude him from the game!
However, when Webb looked over, the two butlers also looked satisfied and happy, as if they had been taken care of.
"Let's get straight to the main event! What's the grand finale? A female Mermaid? A giant? A powerful figure? Or perhaps a fallen noble from some country?" Webb felt somewhat uncomfortable with the festive atmosphere.
"Lord Webb, rest assured! Everyone will be satisfied this time. The three final items have been arranged: the first is Saint Christof, the second is Saint Garfield, and we hope the third will be the Shalria!"
"Yes, Saint Christof will be very happy."
"Praise be to Saint Garfield., what a successful Auction House!"
All the slave traders were filled with the joy of the Auction House well prepared, and the two stewards also seemed quite satisfied.
Webb:???
There seems to be something odd about the wording. Does it mean the first two items, which were the final lots, were reserved by two other Celestial Dragons, and the third item was for my master?
"So... what exactly is the third thing?" Webb felt he had missed the point, and a sense of panic kept rising within him.
"It's Shalria!"
Everyone looked at Webb with an expression that said, "This is a good idea."
"What? You... I see! It's Shalria... That's... a great idea..."
Webb frantically braced himself on the table, then his pupils gradually lost focus before returning to "normal."