Sabaody Archipelago, Grove 24 mangrove district.
Countless rainbow soap bubbles drifted slowly on the sea breeze, while the faint scent of resin mingled with the clamor of the streets, weaving Sabaody's unique prosperity.
Heavy footsteps came from the end of the street, accompanied by the grating screech of metal spears dragging across the ground. The once-noisy street instantly fell deathly silent.
Pedestrians on both sides of the street seemed to have been frozen in place. A dense mass of people dropped to their knees, burying their heads firmly against the ground. No one even dared breathe, their bodies trembling uncontrollably.
At the end of the street, a squad of Holy Land Guard soldiers clad in full silver-white armor marched forward in neat formation, holding Western-style knight lances as they cleared the way.
Their faces were expressionless and their eyes cold, like emotionless machines, their lances sweeping over both sides of the street.
Behind the guards were dozens of CP Agents in black suits, their auras icy. Spread out along both sides of the procession, they scanned their surroundings, radiating a murderous aura that warned strangers to stay away.
At the very center of the procession was a muscular male slave covered in scars.
He crawled on all fours like an animal, while an enormously fat man sat on his back.
Saint Charlos wore the Celestial Dragons' signature white bubble outfit, with a bubble helmet over his head. His greasy black hair curled upward, and his pancake-like face held a pair of tiny mung-bean eyes. His thick lips curled outward, while a string of snot hung precariously beneath his nose. He looked ugly and disgusting.
He toyed with a gilded iron ring in his hand. Five gleaming Iron Chains were attached to it, their other ends fastened to the slave collars