Swine

"Damn it! Who the hell are you?!"

Veins bulged across Saint Rasgard's forehead, his face twisting into a ferocious grimace. Rage and fear coexisted in his heart, while unease quietly began to rise.

The armed forces assigned to protect him had long since been kicked off to who knew where. Now, the only thing that gave him any sense of security was his identity as a Celestial Dragon.

Jin An set Selena down and dug a finger into his ear. "Didn't I tell you? I'm Golden Lion's subordinate, Jack!"

"Have the Celestial Dragons been sitting so high above everyone else for so long that their ears have degenerated?"

Jin An's appearance had been disguised entirely after Queen the Plague of the future Beasts Pirates: bald, wearing sunglasses, with a golden braid hanging from his head.

He slowly walked up to the Celestial Dragon and lifted off his glasses. Though his body was not especially tall, Saint Rasgard felt as if he were staring up at a towering mountain, crushed beneath incomparably terrifying pressure.

He swung his golden braid and looked down condescendingly at the Celestial Dragon before him.

"I'm asking you a question, Lord Celestial Dragon."

Unable to bear the pressure radiating from the man before him, Saint Rasgard unconsciously staggered several steps back.

He froze at those words, then smugly straightened his back. He was a noble Celestial Dragon. No one would dare lay a hand on him.

"Lowly commoner, what gives you the nerve to stand before me?" He paused, putting on an arrogant expression. "Why haven't you disappeared from my sight yet?!"

"Noble Lord Celestial Dragon, why don't you take a look at where we are?" Jin An raised a brow. "There aren't many people left here. Killing you would be easier than killing a fish. Are you sure you want to speak to me in that tone?"

Jin An stepped up beside him and suddenly swung his hand, smashing the glass helmet with a slap and giving the Celestial Dragon's greasy face some intimate contact.

"Ah!" The Celestial Dragon covered his face as he flew backward. "You actually dared to hit me! You lowly commoner actually dared to hit me! I'll make you wish you were dead!"

The guards stared at Jin An in utter disbelief, their eyes filled with shock and fear. Their mouths hung wide enough to fit an egg, and they blankly watched what had just happened. Unease and terror flickered in their eyes as their hearts, which had been hanging by a thread, finally died.

Dragon and Donquixote Doflamingo also gaped. One was a Marine from Headquarters, while the other was a former Celestial Dragon; both knew what would happen after a Celestial Dragon was attacked.

"If I'd known, I wouldn't have stopped you. Maybe things wouldn't have turned out like this..."

Though he said that, the excitement on his face made it clear that he wanted to go up and throw a couple of punches too.

Dragon stood there dumbfounded. "All I can say is, that's Jin An for you."

"..."

"Do you know what you've done?" a guard asked in a trembling voice.

Jin An took out a tissue and wiped his hand. "Didn't I just hit a swine?"

"No! You don't understand how terrifying the Celestial Dragons are! You want everyone on this island to die with you!"

"A Marine Headquarters admiral is coming! We're all sinners! We're all going to die!"

Those words chilled everyone present to the bone, as though they had been thrown into the depths of winter. Their bodies trembled uncontrollably.

They all understood the consequences of angering a Celestial Dragon, but they could not defeat the man before them. They could only grit their teeth.

"I'd like to see which one of you has what it takes to call a Marine admiral." Jin An's Haki blanketed the entire island. "Every move you make is under my watch."

"You want to contact the Marines? I'd like to see whether you can manage it."

As long as no call got out, who would know what happened here? It was not as if an admiral could predict the future.

Jin An kicked a guard beside him. "Go serve your great Celestial Dragon already."

"I..." The guard buried his head between his knees. "I don't dare. Please spare me. I'll never do bad things again."

Everyone here had seen Jin An display his power. They were not sick of living, so they could only obediently play ostrich and pretend to be deaf and mute.

"Hey, let me tell you one more time." Jin An slapped Saint Rasgard awake as he pretended to be unconscious. "I'm taking that mermaid with me. If you want revenge, I'll be waiting for you in the Flying Pirate Crew."

"Anything Golden Lion can give you, I can give you too." Saint Rasgard covered his swollen mouth and spoke indistinctly. "As long as you spare me, I can give you anything."

He could only believe Jin An's words. With this man's lawless nature, he might change his mind and kill him outright the next moment. His brain did not work well, but he was not stupid beyond all hope.

All he wanted now was to buy his life with money. As long as he could return alive to Mary Geoise, he could resume throwing his weight around.

As a Celestial Dragon among the World Nobles, he possessed enough wealth to easily buy an entire country. That made him value his life all the more.

Otherwise, if he died, not only would he leave his money unspent, it would also be divided among the other Celestial Dragons.

"I don't want your money." Jin An spoke with disdain.

It was all filthy money squeezed from ordinary people, and he had no interest in the small amount Saint Rasgard carried anyway.

A flash of fury passed through Saint Rasgard's eyes, but he quickly concealed it. "As long as you promise not to kill me, I can fulfill any wish you have."

Jin An did not look at him again. Was this stupid pig really unable to understand him, or did he simply want to live too badly? He had clearly already been spared, yet he kept yammering on.

"I'll take you out first." Jin An scooped Selena up in his arms.

Selena looked at Jin An anxiously and leaned close to his ear. "Will it really be okay? I'm afraid they'll retaliate against you."

"It's fine. Before I leave this island, he won't dare make any move," Jin An replied.

"Lord Celestial Dragon, you and I have been through life and death together. If you ever come to the Flying Pirate Crew, I'll definitely hold a grand welcome ceremony for you."

Important things had to be said three times. Jin An gave a wicked grin and openly carried Selena out of the auction house.

"..."

"That damned lowly commoner!" Saint Rasgard cursed under his breath.

"Lord Celestial Dragon, did you seem to have something to say to me?" Jin An poked his head back in from the exit and calmly looked at Saint Rasgard.

"No, nothing at all. I was merely seeing you off," he said with a dry laugh, lowering his head.

"Then I'm really leaving this time. See you."

"..."

"Lord Celestial Dragon, what do we do now?" a guard asked cautiously.

Saint Rasgard gave that irritating face a vicious slap. "Damned beast, take me back to Mary Geoise now."

"Understood!" The person who had been slapped did not dare show the slightest dissatisfaction and answered with a beaming smile.

"..."

By the shore, waves gently lapped against the beach. Sunlight spilled across the sea and shone over the two of them as they stood together, facing their impending farewell.

"I'll see you off here. It's safe here, so you can return to Fish-Man Island without worry." Jin An set Selena down in a remote stretch of sea.

"Remember, it would be best if you don't come onto land again. That way, you won't get captured by human traffickers."

Selena was both happy and sorrowful, tears glimmering in her eyes. She tightly held Jin An's hand as if she wanted to preserve this moment forever. Her lips trembled slightly, but she could not make a sound; only a wordless sorrow surged within her heart.

After countless words, only one sentence remained. "I know. You need to be careful too. The outside world really is different from what I imagined."

She made up her mind that, besides fortune-telling, she would learn skills to protect herself and others someday!

"Then, goodbye." Selena turned and dived into the water. Moments later, her figure disappeared into the deep sea.