Watching Roger's Execution at the Start of My Life in One Piece

Kori guessed, though he wasn't entirely sure.

"Bingo! That's right. Five years ago, a woman named Stella was mauled to death by beasts in the Celestial Dragons' arena. He's been like this ever since."

At the mention of that painful memory, the vacant look in Tesoro's eyes flickered as he huddled in the corner. Obsession and madness surfaced in his gaze.

"I was a slave in the arena. I saw the whole thing. I watched him go from full of life to the numb wreck he is now. Damn it!"

The burly middle-aged man cursed, though whether he was cursing Tesoro's foolishness or the Celestial Dragons' cruelty was unclear.

Kori felt a pang of sympathy after hearing Tesoro's story and wanted to go over and comfort him. But Tesoro gave off an unmistakable stay away air, and Kori's stomach kept demanding attention. After a moment's hesitation, he sat cross-legged and resumed his battle with the food on the floor.

"Kid, finish eating and get some sleep. You've got hard labor waiting tomorrow morning. Not like me... Heh."

"What do you do in the arena?"

Kori was curious. The man had mentioned that he was an arena slave.

"Heh. What do you think people do in an arena? Kill each other to entertain those Celestial Dragon bastards!"

The man lay down on a pile of straw. An arena might sound thrilling, like every man's dream, but the one in Mary Geoise was nothing more than a bloody slaughterhouse that offered a little amusement to bored Celestial Dragons.

Every day, the man faced other slaves as opponents. Sometimes a Celestial Dragon might decide a battle between man and beast sounded entertaining. He lived on the edge of death every day. He had neither the time nor the energy to wallow in misery like Tesoro, even though his son and wife had both died at the hands of the Celestial Dragons.

As long as you're alive, there's hope...

Before long, the man was snoring. Kori soon finished his food and stared blankly at the bars of the dungeon.

Freedom?

Kori drifted into thought. He was still young. He held no deep-seated hatred for the Celestial Dragons, and he had been a slave for only a few days. He did not feel the fierce longing for freedom that the others spoke of.

Maybe spending my whole life here wouldn't be so bad...

The thought made Kori laugh bitterly at himself. He had no family, so where he went made little difference. At least Mary Geoise fed him. He might even get to see the legendary Celestial Dragons one day.

Kori came from the West Blue, a sea where gang culture flourished. A slave ship had captured him and brought him here to be sold. Like most ordinary people in this world, he had never seen a Celestial Dragon. All he knew came from scattered things others had said. Some hated them, some admired them, and some dismissed them outright.

Suddenly, as Kori sat lost in thought, a flicker of fire pierced the darkness before him. The flames spread faster and faster, as though they were about to break the night apart and sound the call of dawn!

Kori jolted awake and sprang to his feet, shouting at the top of his lungs.

"Fire! Has someone invaded Mary Geoise?"

Kori could hardly believe it. The people of the world had been taught that Mary Geoise was home to the descendants of the creators. How could anyone invade the so-called holy land?

"Hm?"

Kori's shout woke the middle-aged man, who instinctively looked around. The distant flames quickly caught his eye.

We can get out...

Hatred flashed in the man's eyes. His open hand clenched tight, veins standing out along his arm. His eyes reddened, and his body trembled beyond his control.

As though he had made a momentous decision, the man let out a long breath. The weight seemed to lift from his shoulders, but his gaze turned to the thick wall. It was as if he could see through it to a palace in Mary Geoise—the home of a Celestial Dragon.

Tesoro stirred in his corner, too. He moved his limbs stiffly, and a spark of life seemed to return to his eyes. It was the look of a man who had found a purpose—or perhaps an obsession.

Hancock

The Red Line. The holy land of Mary Geoise.

Raging flames and cries of release had become the refrain of the city that never slept.

Amid the dancing flames, a tall red Fish-Man led a throng of freed slaves, forcing open cell after cell. More and more slaves joined the swelling procession.

Kori and the middle-aged man were among them. Even Tesoro, who had looked so lifeless moments ago, had joined the crowd.

"Hey, mister! Where are you going?"

A tense Kori reached out and grabbed the man beside him. It was not fear that made him do it. The man was heading in the opposite direction from the procession!

"Where am I going? To get revenge, of course!"

The man forced the words through clenched teeth. The calm he had shown before was gone, replaced by a madness that made Kori take a step back. His grip loosened without him realizing it.

"Penny, Turner... I can finally avenge you... Waaaah..."

Sobbing, the man stumbled toward the Celestial Dragons' residence.

Kori watched him go with a heavy heart. He could not truly know what the man felt, but he knew it must have been painful.

Fisher Tiger had noticed what happened, but he did nothing to stop the man. Everyone had their own choice to make. Fisher Tiger was no reckless fool. Rescuing these people and giving them a chance to choose was all he could do.

"You useless fools! Hurry up and catch my slaves!"

The young Celestial Dragon, Saint Roswald, was furious. He kept sniffling back his runny nose. He had been looking forward to choosing a few male slaves to serve him, only to learn that someone had set them free. Even shooting several guards had done little to ease his anger.

"Saint Roswald, CP0 has already moved to capture the escaped slaves. The Five Elders have ordered you not to leave the palace. Those wretched slaves are everywhere outside. You could be hurt by accident!"

The attendant beside him was trembling, but he could not help speaking up. He had been terrified by the shootings, yet if anything happened to Saint Roswald, his own fate would be far worse. He had to keep him inside the palace.

"I'm a Celestial Dragon. As if those slaves would dare touch me."

The young Saint Roswald had clearly never been taught a hard lesson. His faith in his status as a Celestial Dragon knew no bounds. Besides, he had already made plans for a slave to attend him in bed tonight. Why should he change them? He was a supreme Celestial Dragon!

The attendant was at his wit's end. Then an idea struck him, and he put on an ingratiating smile. "Saint Roswald, with so many slaves outside, even the air has become filthy. And they haven't been properly dressed. How could they be worthy of appearing before a Celestial Dragon like you?"

"Well..."

Saint Roswald hesitated. He had always taken pride in being a Celestial Dragon, and he certainly believed those lowly slaves were unworthy of an audience with him.

"Fine. I won't go out. But you must bring my slaves back!"

"Yes, noble Saint Roswald!"

"Mero Mero Mellow!"

Kori, who had accidentally strayed from the group, froze. A guard lurking in the darkness beside him had turned into a human-shaped stone statue. His gun had been aimed straight at Kori!

When Kori saw it, cold sweat broke out across his body. If that shot had hit him, even surviving it would not have left him much chance of escaping Mary Geoise.

He turned toward the voice and saw a beautiful girl. Her slightly broad forehead was smooth, and her eyes were long and elegant, with a coolness in their almond-shaped depths. She had a straight nose with a small, delicate tip and soft-looking lips that were lovely without being garish. Her long black hair fell straight down her back—the kind of hair men dreamed of.

His gaze dropped. She wore the plain clothes of a slave, but despite her young age, her budding figure was already striking.

"Hey! You rude man, what are you looking at?"

Hancock was annoyed. She had saved him because they were both slaves, and now he would not stop staring at her. Her anger rose, and she was about to use her fruit power to turn him to stone for good.

"Ah! Sister, don't!" Sandersonia hurriedly wrapped her arms around Hancock. "We need to get out of here. If the Celestial Dragons catch us again, we'll never escape!"

Sanda Sonia, standing nearby, saw Hancock's anger and hurriedly threw her arms around her. They had already wasted too much time here. What mattered now was escaping this filthy place.

"S-sorry! I didn't mean to stare!"

Kori panicked. He could hardly help it. Hancock was young, but she already showed the beauty that would one day make her the most beautiful woman in the world. With the Love-Love Fruit adding to her allure, it would have been strange if he had managed not to look.

Hancock and her two companions ignored him and hurried toward the port of Mary Geoise. In the current chaos, boarding a ship was their only way out.

"The situation in Mary Geoise is urgent. Send more Marines at once! Those slaves must not escape. It would be an unprecedented disgrace for the World Government. Otherwise... Hmph. You know what to do!"

Saint Nazzaro's cold laugh came through the Den Den Mushi.

Click!

The call ended as Sengoku's face darkened. The good mood he had been in was gone.

"Admiral Sengoku, has Mary Geoise been attacked?"

Atlas, who had heard the entire conversation, asked the question. She did remember something like this: in Sea Circle Calendar year 1507, a Fish-Man named Fisher Tiger had broken into the holy land of Mary Geoise. Boa Hancock, the future Pirate Empress and the world's most beautiful woman, had been rescued then, too.

"Yes."

Sengoku thought for a moment, then made his decision. "Atlas, since you're here, take a warship to Mary Geoise and assist Cipher Pol. I'll have Borsalino and Tokikake follow you."

"What a pain. We're only assisting, right? Don't blame the Marines if the mission fails..."

I Just Awakened It. My Control Wasn't Great

Marineford's harbor.

A warship lay quietly on the water. More than two thousand Marine soldiers stood aboard, ready to depart. It was a large, standard-issue Marine warship.

Sengoku was undeniably efficient. He had only just given the order, and the ship and soldiers were already prepared.

Still, Atlas might have to disappoint Sengoku this time. If things went wrong, surely it would be understandable. After all, she was only a lowly Rear Admiral. Vice Admiral? What Vice Admiral? The promotion ceremony had not happened yet.

"Well, hello there. Mind giving an old man a ride? Admiral Sengoku really has some nerve, making me work overtime this late..."

A sleazy voice came from behind Atlas as she was thinking. There was no need to look. Only Tokikake and Kizaru could make every word they said sound quite that sleazy.

"Vice Admiral Kizaru, you're quick this time. I thought you'd be following us later."

Atlas turned and teased Kizaru.

"Can't be helped. My warship's still under repair, and Admiral Sengoku didn't arrange another one for me. I'll have to hitch a ride with you."

Kizaru spoke with a troubled look on his face.

"That does put me in a difficult spot... Having only one warship will seriously hurt my efficiency."

"Right? And who knows whether the Marines pay overtime? I don't work extra hours for free."

Atlas and Kizaru exchanged a glance, each understanding the other perfectly.

"All right, enough talk. Everyone, prepare to depart! Destination: the holy land of Mary Geoise!"

The great warship slowly left Marineford's harbor and sailed steadily toward Mary Geoise.

Dawn broke, and the first light appeared.

By the time the warship reached Mary Geoise, flames lit up nearly half the sky. Slaves fled in every direction while guards chased them down.

Not every slave cared only about escape, though. A few no longer cared whether they lived or died. Taking revenge amid the chaos might have been their sole purpose.

But only a handful, like the middle-aged man, dared challenge the authority of the Celestial Dragons. Others were just as furious but had nowhere to direct their anger, so they took it out on the port city below Mary Geoise instead.

"Marines? You finally made it. Why is there only one warship?"

As the ship docked, a figure wearing a black-and-white mask approached Atlas and Kizaru. The rest of the figure was hidden in shadow.

"Hm? Is a gutter rat like you telling me how to do my job?"

The questioning tone irritated Atlas, and she snapped back. She had never liked Cipher Pol. The Marines did not answer to them, so she saw no reason to show this man respect.

"You—"

"Now, now! I'll leave this place to you, Atlas. I'd better go up to the holy land and take a look. It wouldn't do to disturb the Celestial Dragons!"

Seeing the masked man about to lash out, Kizaru cut him off and used the Celestial Dragons as a shield.

The masked man had to let it go. Cipher Pol and the Marines had never gotten along, but unlike the Marines, Cipher Pol served the Celestial Dragons wholeheartedly. Its members had been taught since childhood to put the Celestial Dragons above everything else. Any grievance could wait when their needs were at stake.

"Fine by me. Leave this place to me. My Conqueror's Haki is perfect for clearing a crowd!"

"Conqueror's Haki? How frightening."

With that, Kizaru's body turned to light, and he flew toward Mary Geoise. Atlas watched him go, looking rather put out. If she had not known he always spoke like that, she might have thought he was mocking her.

"Conqueror's Haki..."

The CP0 agent stared in surprise. He had heard that Sengoku was the only Marine known to possess Conqueror's Haki. He had not expected this young Marine to have that potential as well. As far as he knew, people in the Marines and Cipher Pol almost never awakened it—especially those in Cipher Pol.

"What a frightening bunch."

Atlas's Observation Haki covered the entire port city. The movements of countless people appeared to her in the finest detail. Whether she meant the Celestial Dragons or the rampaging slaves was anyone's guess.

"Marine, please stop this riot as soon as you can. Sorry for the trouble."

The CP0 agent's tone was much better this time. Perhaps spending too long around the Celestial Dragons had made him think he shared their freedom to do as they pleased. An air of superiority still lingered in his voice.

"Honestly, quit rushing me!"

Atlas rubbed her brow impatiently. Her pupils trembled, and a powerful wave of Haki burst forth!

BZZZ!