"Hahaha, look at my new slave."
"He's clearly still so small, yet he's already this strong. He's practically a bull, hahaha!"
"Ooh—just as expected of Buccaneer Tribe blood. How enviable. It'd be wonderful if I could buy a slave like that too."
Before a lavish palace, a young boy with a shaved head, already sturdy despite his age, gritted his teeth and hunched over.
Crates upon crates of heavy cargo were piled onto his back. None of it even needed to be moved, but because his master wanted to show him off, he had no choice but to bear the weight.
The boy wore tattered clothes covered in patches and heavy shackles. Cold iron chains bound his freedom and led to a man dressed in extravagant clothing.
The laughter of the two Celestial Dragons was unbearably harsh, cruelly ravaging his heart like demons.
His legs began to tremble beneath the unbearable weight. The boy clenched his teeth and held back the tears threatening to spill from his eyes, not daring to relax even a little.
He knew that if the things on his back fell, he would be met with the merciless lash of a whip.
He knew he would eventually collapse, and he knew he could not escape a painful punishment, yet he still did not dare loosen his strength in the slightest.
Looking at his trembling feet, the boy's tears were filled with despair and helplessness.
"Eh? Where is this?"
Luffy stood in a corner of the hall with a puzzled look, blankly surveying the unfamiliar surroundings.
"Hey—! Everyone!"
"Where are you guys?! Old man, Bonney—!"
Luffy cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted in every direction. His clear voice echoed through the empty hall, but there was no response.
Even the people in the hall acted