The Three Sisters of Amazon Lily!

Whitebeard, in his prime, was arguably the strongest man on the seas after Roger's death.

Mermaids were already incredibly difficult to capture. Add to that the deterrence of the Whitebeard Pirates, and young female mermaids were practically rarer than rare!

When this particular mermaid was purchased by the Celestial Dragons, the transaction price reached a staggering 1 billion Beli!

Given such an outrageous sum, it was understandable that the auction house wouldn't dare to escort the mermaid themselves.

If the mermaid escaped for any reason during transit, not only would it be a massive financial loss, but they also feared the Celestial Dragons would seek retribution.

The auction house owner breathed a huge sigh of relief as Wood and Gion were escorted out.

Ever since the auction ended, he had been living in constant fear. The Celestial Dragons had paid, but they hadn't taken possession of the goods yet.

Directly beneath Sabaody Archipelago lay Fish-Man Island. He worried about potential problems with the mermaid, even going so far as to spend a fortune hiring strong individuals from the island to guard the Celestial Dragons' cargo.

"My lords, I have prepared a ship for you. It is fully equipped with all necessary supplies. This vessel is not particularly valuable, so consider it a complimentary bonus."

To get this batch of slaves out of Sabaody Archipelago as quickly as possible and avoid any responsibility should something go wrong, the slave auction owner had truly gone all out. He was giving away a medium-sized brigantine as if it were nothing.

"Thank you for the ship. We'll need you to help us load these slaves onto the boat, as there are only the two of us. Also, please ensure there's ample food and other provisions for the slaves. You wouldn't want any incidents before they reach Mary Geoise, would you?"

"Only two people are responsible for the escort this time?" The auction house owner was clearly taken aback by Wood's words.

He had initially assumed Wood and Gion were merely representatives, but he hadn't expected that the actual escorts would be just the two of them.

"Indeed, it's only the two of us. Is there a problem with that?"

"No, no. If the Celestial Dragons have sent the two of you, it means you have absolute confidence. I was just wondering if you might need any crew members or sailors. If so, I would be more than happy to assist."

Seeing Gion's fierce, emotionless gaze directed at him, the auction house owner was clearly startled. He muttered to himself that the lackeys of the Celestial Dragons were indeed a capricious bunch.

"No, thank you. The two of us are sufficient. Just ensure we have enough food. Remember, the slaves' food must also be of the highest quality. We don't want them starving to death on the way to Mary Geoise!"

After a busy morning at the auction house, the ship loaded with food and slaves was ready.

To save time, Gion and Wood had no intention of lingering on Sabaody Archipelago and set sail directly for the Holy Land Mary Geoise.

"Tch, what a bunch of crap. Just lapdogs for the Celestial Dragons, acting all high and mighty!"

Once the ship had sailed far enough, the auction house owner's smiling face fell, and he spat on the ground.

Those who worked for the Celestial Dragons were often part of the World Government's special intelligence organizations. The auction house owner had initially hoped to build a good relationship with Wood and Gion, perhaps to find a powerful patron for his auction house.

However, despite his warm welcome, offering the ship and supplies, they had treated him with cold indifference. The woman, in particular, had a gaze so chilling it could kill.

"Boss, you think it'll be alright with just those two escorting those slaves? Remember how many Fish-Men caused trouble at our auction before? They might not be strong on the island, but out at sea..."

"What's that got to do with us? The cargo has left Sabaody Archipelago and has been officially handed over to them. Even if something unexpected happens, it's their problem. The Celestial Dragons won't blame us."

On the medium-sized brigantine, Gion was at the helm, controlling the ship's course, while Wood kept watch on the deck, surveying their surroundings and guarding the slaves.

Knowing where they were being taken, the people confined in the iron cages were filled with despair. Wood could see from their eyes that they had completely given up on their future.

The infamy of the Celestial Dragons was no secret on Sabaody Archipelago. Becoming a slave to an ordinary person might offer some hope of survival. But becoming a slave to the Celestial Dragons—no one had ever heard of anyone surviving or successfully escaping. It was better to die from torture than to endure it, but unfortunately, they couldn't even end their own lives now.

With Gion at the helm, Wood, finding himself alone on deck, grew bored. He soon attempted to communicate with the people locked in the cages. Unfortunately, everyone in the ten large iron cages either ignored him completely, having given up on their lives, or glared at him with hatred and cursed him, knowing he was a lackey of the Celestial Dragons.

"Sister, I'm hungry..."

"Mary, be good. Someone will come to rescue us soon, and then we can eat lots of delicious food back on the island."

"But sister, we're hungry now. We haven't eaten in days."

Inside an iron cage, a black-haired girl, about eleven or twelve years old, with a cute and sweet appearance, was comforting a younger blonde girl who looked even younger than her. Next to them, another young girl with green hair squatted.

Watching her sister comfort Mary, the youngest, Sonia sat obediently nearby. She was a year or two older than Mary and more sensible. She knew her sister's words were just meant to comfort them.

It had been a long time since they were abducted from the Nine Snake Pirates' ship, yet no one from the Amazon Lily Kingdom had come looking for them. Or rather, the Nine Snake Pirates had no idea where they had been taken. No, since their buyer was a World Noble, the Celestial Dragons, even if the Nine Snake Pirates knew they were captured, no one could save them now.

Sonia understood these things and knew her sister was under even greater pressure. So, the only thing the sensible girl could do was not to be a burden.

"What? So you were hungry, no wonder you weren't talking. Wait there, I'll go get you some food."