The Darkness Under the Light
Even organs separated from the Op-Op Fruit can still affect living organisms, just as Law can use someone else's "heart" to threaten them.
The subordinates modified by Silver Axe, as well as the sources of materials for the assembled slaves "produced," must also be properly preserved.
To prevent these "materials" from dying, Silver Axe attached them to trees, providing them with nutrients while preventing their escape. This may be one of the reasons he chose Axe Island!
On these faces, Sig read a deep despair...
However, there are exceptions. A small number of these "faces" are feigning despair but actually serving a surveillance function.
At the same time, Sig sensed that the direction the Vivre Card was being drawn to was still pointing towards the Island Tree in front of him. It seemed... the most dangerous place was the safest place?
Or perhaps the worst-case scenario is that Fisher Tiger and his gang were also arrested?
Judging from the fact that the Vivre Card is still intact, Sig is more inclined to believe the former.
Sig observed that although the entrances were guarded and rather deserted, they were not entirely deserted.
So Sig composed himself and swaggered into the "City of Sighs." As he passed the pirates guarding the gate, he even asked with droopy eyes, "Has Lord Sitoon just returned?"
"Ah? Ah... that's right," the guard at the door replied.
"Okay, everyone, try to look your best!" Sig nodded and slowly strolled inside.
Sure enough, the tree was almost hollowed out, with streets and blocks inside. There was also a castle clinging to the tree wall directly opposite. However, because it was dark and relied entirely on some kind of fruit embedded in the tree trunk for lighting, the environment had a very eerie color scheme.
The various bizarre and grotesque modified slaves are even more psychologically disturbing.
Aside from having multiple arms and legs, many are mated with animals, used as laborers, or to satisfy certain morbid "aesthetic" desires...
What these slaves had in common was that they had very short lifespans!
Sig found a tavern and inquired about the situation.
The guests who come here are mostly people involved in the slave trade. The situation on the island is even more oppressive than usual because a month ago, the Sun Pirates "ransacked" the island—in their view, liberating slaves is tantamount to plundering their property.
Sig sighed inwardly. If the Sun Pirates, this place would be much cleaner now.
After that, the Giant Axe Pirates forbade any of their ships from setting sail!
This is why Sig felt the port wasn't very lively when he was there before.
Many distributors from the slave trade who came to "purchase" slaves were trapped here, which made them resentful, but they dared not openly confront the Giant Axe Pirates.
Upon learning this, Sig felt even more relieved. Sure enough, Silver Axe was still tense—which meant that Fisher Tiger, Jinbe, and the others were alright.
As for the reason why the Giant Axe Pirates sealed off the island, besides it being to close the door and "fish", it was also because the Sun Pirates had rescued many slaves who had not been reformed!
A large portion of them are illegal slave hunters. The Giant Axe Pirates don't care if one or two escape— the World Government isn't unaware of their activities.
Even if someone escapes and starts talking nonsense, it's easy to suppress the rumors. In fact, if it's a naval territory with good relations with Giant Axe, they can even send the escaped guy back!
However, if there is a large-scale exodus and the events here are publicized throughout the ocean, then it will become known not only to the World Government, but also to everyone else.
Silver Axe isn't Celestial Dragons. If things really escalate to that point, the World Government will have no choice but to take action against him.
Therefore, Silver Axe immediately ordered the blockade of Axe Island. Although the blockade wouldn't have much effect on those damned Fish-Man who wanted to leave, at least the escaped slaves had no chance to leave.
Meanwhile, Silver Axe was also sending people to search for the escaped slaves, and to facilitate identification, he forcibly gathered all the others in the City of Sighs...
This is why Sig didn't see any signs of human habitation on his way from the port to the Tree of Sighs.
But now it seems that Fisher Tiger has at least made it into the City of Sighs!
Sig's demeanor allows him to blend perfectly into his environment and identify who among his entourage are the pirates secretly investigating the Giant Axe. However, venturing deeper into the core castle would make him too easy to be discovered.
So even though they had already discovered that Arlong and his group had been taken to the core castle, Sig still first scouted the outskirts of the City of Sighs.
After circling around for most of the day, Sig finally followed the guidance of the Vivre Card and found Fisher Tiger...
A Fish-Man themed bar, where Fisher Tiger works as a bartender— Sig was also startled when he first saw him, not expecting that Boss Fisher Tiger could hide so well, right under Silver Axe's nose.
Indeed, no one would believe that Fisher Tiger would actually be "working" here with such a new hairstyle.
When he saw Sig enter, Fisher Tiger was slightly surprised. He then secretly gave him a look, and the two of them went into the back warehouse of the tavern when the other guests were not paying attention.
"Little Fei, how are the other comrades? Did you see Jinbe while you were outside?" Fisher Tiger asked anxiously as soon as he closed the door.
"The compatriots who were kidnapped in the Water Seven have all been rescued. I had Kuroobi take them to Koen Island to wait for news. However, Arlong and Chu have been captured. Makoro was indeed a traitor..." Sig recounted what he had seen at the port.
Fisher Tiger fell silent upon hearing this. Sig could tell that Fisher Tiger was extremely annoyed, but he was controlling himself from venting his anger so as not to alert the enemy.
"I didn't see Jinbe. I came here with the men escorting Arlong ... Jinbe is outside? Fisher Tiger, what are you doing here?" Sig asked as well.
Fisher Tiger briefly explained his situation...
When the Sun Pirates first arrived here, Silver Axe and the second, third, fourth, and sixth leaders were not there. Fisher Tiger was both upset that someone might have revealed their whereabouts and delighted that the raid had been successful!
The five leaders were crippled by Fisher Tiger, a large number of slaves were rescued, and even the City of Sighs was once captured by the Sun Pirates and the slaves.
However, they also encountered great resistance because... the modified slaves, either for their own survival or because they had been properly trained, joined the fight against the Sun Pirates and the rioting slaves, preventing the core castle and several important districts from falling.
Meanwhile, all the ships in the port, except for the diving Sea Bass, were sunk. Only a few ships full of slaves escaped at the beginning, which is why some news of the chaos on Axe Island got out.
Jinbe originally advised Fisher Tiger to take as many people as possible and leave as soon as possible, since Silver Axe could return at any time.
Fisher Tiger hesitated, but the number of slaves here was no less than in Mary Geoise, and the Sea Bass was simply a drop in the ocean!
Then Fisher Tiger heard some news that strengthened his resolve to completely save the slaves on the island...