Sabaody Archipelago.
The moment the lightning descended, the entire island fell silent for an instant.
This had once been a chaotic place of slave markets, auctions, human traffickers, Underworld merchants, pirates, bounty hunters, nobles, Celestial Dragons...
Every kind of filthy desire had once been available for a price on this bubble-covered archipelago.
But many years ago, Rock had left behind a single decree here.
"No slave trading."
"Anyone who violates this will be treated as a pirate."
From that day on, the slave auction houses of the Sabaody Archipelago had their backs broken.
No one dared raise a bid in public anymore. No one dared chain living people to a stage and call out prices for them like merchandise.
But Rock knew very well.
What had been smashed was only the table set out beneath the sun.
Beneath that table, hands were still making deals.
There were the gray channels the World Government turned a blind eye to, as well as the filthy desires certain Celestial Dragons refused to abandon.
Those things had not vanished completely. They had merely learned to bow their heads and hide in deeper shadows.
In Sabaody's most prosperous district, an enormous Gold Palace stood amid the bubble trees.
Its golden walls reflected blinding sunlight. Fountains, staircases, domes, and reliefs were all piled high with gold and jewels.
This was the business center of Gild Tesoro.
On the surface, it was the Sabaody Archipelago's most luxurious entertainment palace.
But those who truly knew what went on inside understood that it was far more than a casino.
It was a financial hub, an intelligence hub, and a filter for Underworld transactions.
It was also one of Rock's most important hidden assets, used over the years to bypass the World Government's financial restrictions and support Punk Hazard,