Hoof of the Soaring Dragon

The moment Ye Chen stepped onto the deck, a burst of piercing laughter drifted into his ears. The shore was packed with people—guards, Marines, and quite a few Dragon People riding atop slaves. At that moment, the Dragon People were staring at the slaves on the deck and discussing them nonstop.

Dragon People were rarely seen on Sabaody. Normally, seeing even one was considered fortunate, but here, Ye Chen was astonished to find that there were simply too many to count. Each one held their head high with an arrogant expression, wearing bubbles over their heads and long white robes. Not a speck of dust touched them; even the air they breathed seemed different from that of ordinary people.

"That girl is nice. Her skin is so delicate, and she has such a pretty face. She's much better than the twenty-odd women I have at home."

"Mm, that burly man is quite appealing. He looks so wild. It's about time I replaced the slave I'm riding. He can barely walk steadily and almost threw me off several times. How hateful."

"That boy is mine. None of you better fight me for him. I want him as my male slave."

A fat, big-eared Dragon Person pointed at Ye Chen. His companions immediately burst into laughter. "Rambo, everyone knows you like men. He's so small—could he withstand you pressing down on him a few times?"

"It's too early to say that. These people have only just arrived. Whether they can survive is still unknown." An elderly Dragon Person suddenly spoke, interrupting everyone's laughter.

Rambo turned to the old man. "Saint Charles, are you saying they'll all be taken to the coliseum?"

Saint Charles nodded and explained, "All newly arrived slaves must be taken to the coliseum for the island's residents to watch. It is also a festival everyone eagerly anticipates. This has been the rule for hundreds of years. Only those who survive the coliseum may be freely selected by us. For now, their ownership does not belong to any of you, but to all the Dragon People of Mary Geoise."

Ye Chen glared fiercely at Rambo, his eyes burning blood-red. He wished he could tear him into pieces with the Eagle Claw Technique. But Rambo did not mind at all. He even deliberately whistled at Ye Chen and thrust his hips forward.

The Dragon People here spent their days pampered and privileged. They stood above all others, never lacking food or clothing, enjoying the utmost reverence of the world. Their only hobby was torturing slaves, finding every possible way to conquer all kinds of slaves and satisfy their twisted desires.

Some liked girls, some liked boys, and some liked collecting powerful pirate captains... There were people with every kind of preference. In their spare time, the Dragon People on the island gathered in small groups, and their favorite game was showing off their slaves to one another.

Elsewhere, people flaunted wealth, power, or women. Here, they only flaunted slaves!

Whose slaves were stronger, whose slaves were more talented, whose slaves were prettier... Such things were the endless theme of these Dragon People's amusement.

In the eyes of the Dragon People, slaves did not even count as human. Commoners were called lowly people, while slaves ranked even lower than that. They were merely playthings to be tortured at will, their status far beneath even the cats and dogs the Dragon People kept.

They would not beat, scold, or humiliate their cats and dogs. Yet when it came to slaves, they used every possible method to torment and disgrace them. Even if a slave died, these people would not so much as blink.

"Bastard, I'll remember you. Sooner or later, I'll cripple you. You dare set your sights on me? You really don't value your life." Gritting his teeth, Ye Chen carved Rambo's appearance deep into his heart. Rambo reluctantly withdrew his gaze from Ye Chen. As he watched Ye Chen being escorted toward the prison where slaves were held, Rambo looked as though he had lost something precious.

Rambo was quite pleased by the hatred and unwillingness in Ye Chen's eyes. What these Dragon People cared about more was the process rather than the result. If every slave sent here obediently did whatever they were told, the Dragon People would certainly be dissatisfied.

The more disobedient the slaves were, the more fiercely they resisted and struggled, the more satisfying it was for them to break them.

Just like animal trainers, only by taming a wild beast that refused to submit could they gain immense satisfaction.

Most of these Dragon People were this filthy. Of course, there were exceptions among them. In the original story, Doflamingo's parents were also Dragon People, yet they were kind-hearted.

In the same environment, human nature could gradually undergo all sorts of changes. Once people grew up, they might not all turn out the same.

Just like planted saplings, some could grow into timber, while others could only be cut down for firewood.

After they were thrown into prison, Dragon People guards continued standing watch in the corridor. Before long, a group of fierce-looking Dragon People arrived. They looked without the slightest pity at the slaves locked in cages. One of them waved a hand and ordered the guards in the corridor, "Line them up and take them to the torture chamber. I want the Hoof of the Soaring Dragon branded onto them."

"Yes."

The guards answered respectfully, then opened the cages and shoved two slaves out toward the torture chamber.

"The torture chamber? The Hoof of the Soaring Dragon? What is that?"

Ye Chen was puzzled, but from the malicious look in that Dragon Person's eyes, he could tell that it was definitely not a damn good thing.

Sure enough, before long, heart-wrenching screams came from the corridor. Ye Chen and the others all widened their eyes in terror. Seeing how frightened they were, the guards outside all laughed smugly.

The Hoof of the Soaring Dragon was the mark of a slave. Once it was branded onto someone's body, it meant that person had completely shed even the status of a lowly commoner and become a slave of the Dragon People. It could never be changed. Until death, they would remain slaves.

After a while, the two slaves who had been taken away were brought back. Both were grimacing in agony, their faces terrifyingly pale. Even though they were strong and sturdy slaves, the red-hot branding iron had been pressed viciously against their bodies, and the pain was nearly unbearable.

One had a brand on his forehead, while the other had been branded on his buttocks. Clearly, those disgusting perverts had done it on purpose.

Torturing people was the pleasure of these Dragon People.

The guards pushed open the door again. Without another word, they grabbed two slaves and dragged them outside. The two struggled desperately. One of them was so frightened that he began to cry. "No..."

But nothing changed. Ye Chen turned to look at Hancock. Her face had gone pale, her lips bitten until they bled. Her slender shoulders trembled uncontrollably, and her teeth chattered as she clenched them.