The system's electronic voice echoed in Roya's mind the moment he set foot in the Holy Land Mariejo.
This Devil Fruit ability suited Roya's tastes perfectly.
But he had no intention of eating it just yet.
As he strolled through the Holy Land Mariejo, Roya wanted to see if there was anywhere he could check in.
Yet all he saw along the way were flames and fighting.
Some slaves betrayed their companions just to survive, buying themselves one or two extra seconds to flee.
Others, unable to break free from the explosive collars around their necks, could not bear to watch others escape and began slaughtering indiscriminately.
Some had even killed until their eyes turned red. When they saw Roya in his cloak, they pounced on him without hesitation.
Only to be cut down by Roya's sword.
There were simply too many such incidents.
They completely ruined Roya's mood for continuing his stroll through the Holy Land Mariejo.
Just as Roya was about to leave, he heard heavy footsteps behind him.
The footsteps were incredibly weighty, with no attempt whatsoever to conceal them.
Slowly turning around, Roya saw, illuminated by the firelight, a red fish-man with thick curly hair and a broad mouth rushing toward him.
Roya narrowed his eyes slightly.
He could tell that the fish-man in the distance was already grievously wounded.
His body was covered in wounds of all sizes, blood continuously seeping from them.
If he had not been a fish-man, Roya figured he would already have been a corpse.
The fish-man had clearly seen Roya as well. He did not know who Roya was. Roya's attire looked rather strange, but as long as he was not wearing a white cloak and a mask, that was enough!
Fisher Tiger immediately endured the agonizing pain, drew a deep breath, and shouted at Roya, "Hey! You up ahead! Run! There are masked people behind you, chasing you down!"
The masked people were most likely CP0.
And if nothing unexpected had happened, the man before him was probably Fisher Tiger, the "mastermind" behind this riot.
In an instant, Roya deduced Fisher Tiger's identity.
But when Fisher Tiger saw that Roya remained unmoved, anxiety burned in his heart!
"Didn't you hear me?! Run!"
Fisher Tiger shouted another warning to Roya, but the moment he finished speaking, blood spurted from his mouth.
He had already been fleeing while dragging along his heavily wounded body. Those two shouts had only worsened his injuries!
Yet even so, he did not hesitate to warn Roya. Perhaps that was Fisher Tiger's charm.
At that moment, five figures in white cloaks and masks appeared behind Fisher Tiger.
"No matter who you are, anyone who causes trouble in the Holy Land Mariejo will not escape death!"
Upon hearing the words behind him, Fisher Tiger's heart sank to the bottom.
He had not expected CP0 to arrive so quickly.
Fisher Tiger immediately gritted his teeth and came before Roya.
Then he abruptly turned around, shielding Roya behind him.
"I think I'm almost at my limit. I'll hold them back. You, hurry... hurry and run!!!"
Fisher Tiger used nearly all his strength to shout that final sentence.
Roya looked at Fisher Tiger before him and chuckled. "You really are overbearing. But I'm not in the habit of hiding behind others."
As Roya's words fell, Fisher Tiger felt as though a gust of wind had drifted past his back.
Roya instantly rushed out from behind Fisher Tiger.
Fisher Tiger's pupils contracted sharply at the sight.
He wanted to warn Roya that these five people were extremely powerful!
But blood had already clogged his throat. Aside from coughing harder and spilling more blood, he could not make a sound at all.
Fisher Tiger did not even dare to keep watching. In his view, defeating five powerful people alone was simply impossible.
But the next second!
Blazing fire reflected in Fisher Tiger's eyes.
It was the most outrageous slash he had ever seen in his life.
Scorching flames filled the sky as they erupted from that man's blade.
With a single strike, he cut down on the spot the five people who had just inflicted grievous wounds upon Fisher Tiger!!!
Fisher Tiger stared at the scene before him in disbelief, his heart shaken. How could this be?! Who exactly is this guy?! He's... he's actually this powerful!!!
As Fisher Tiger stood there in shock, Roya had already slowly sheathed his sword and walked over to him.
As though everything had been effortless.
As though those five powerful beings had been as weak as cannon fodder in Roya's eyes.
After steadying his breathing, Fisher Tiger forcibly swallowed the blood in his mouth and quietly said to Roya, "Th-thank you."
"No need to thank me. I was just passing by."
As he spoke, Roya bent down and hoisted Fisher Tiger onto his shoulder.
"Put me down. I... I'm only a burden."
The farther he spoke, the softer Fisher Tiger's voice became.
"Stop talking. I'll take you somewhere to stop the bleeding."
Roya carried Fisher Tiger toward a nearby manor.
The manor had not yet been consumed by much fire.
Roya kicked the front door open and entered the room.
He then carefully laid Fisher Tiger on the floor and used materials from the room to give him a simple bandaging.
"Rest here for a while. As long as I'm here, you'll be fine."
Hearing Roya's words, Fisher Tiger felt warmth rise in his heart.
Just as he wanted to thank Roya, a sudden noise came from beneath the room.
It immediately put Fisher Tiger on guard.
Roya looked at Fisher Tiger and signaled that there was nothing to worry about, then found the entrance to the basement alone.
The corridor leading into the basement was pitch-black.
Roya gently pushed the sword guard with his thumb, and strands of flame flew from the sheath, lighting the corridor for him.
As Roya ventured deeper, the noise became clearer and clearer. It sounded like the voice of a girl...