"Are you all right?"
Lin Yuan glanced at the Celestial Dragon, who had nearly passed out beside him, then looked at the girl before him. Her delicate features and deep blue eyes made him want to take another look.
He knew the girl before him was the future most beautiful woman in the world, Amazon Lily Empress Boa Hancock.
Hancock also seemed terrified by what had happened. She had thought she was about to be branded, but instead, she had seen the Celestial Dragon sent flying and all those cruel CP agents killed.
Not knowing what was going on, she looked at Lin Yuan without saying a word, afraid he would kill her too.
"Uh, don't worry. I'm here to save you. As for that dead fatso over there, the one you call a Celestial Dragon, there's nothing scary about him."
Seemingly wanting to prove it, Lin Yuan walked over to the Celestial Dragon, who was struggling on the ground, and picked up a knife and the still-smoking branding iron along the way.
"Who ah oo? How dah oo..."
The Celestial Dragon, whose teeth Lin Yuan had knocked out with a single slap, looked at him in anger and terror, unable to speak clearly.
Lin Yuan listened for a while before he understood what the man was saying. With a cold sneer, he picked the fat man up and, without giving him a chance to react, pinned him to the wall with the knife.
Even as he died, the Celestial Dragon had never imagined that anyone in this world would dare kill him, much less in the slave prison of Mary Geoise.
A second before the Celestial Dragon breathed his last, Lin Yuan pressed the branding iron against his face without hesitation.
"Sizzle..."
The Hoof of the Soaring Dragon was branded onto the Celestial Dragon's face. His eyes were wide with terror, anger, and unwillingness to accept his fate.
"Hmph, I'm in a hurry, so you got off easy. The Hoof of the Soaring Dragon slave brand, stamped on a Celestial Dragon. I wonder what expressions the Five Elders will make when they find out!"
No one dared breathe. The man before them had not only killed CP agents and struck a Celestial Dragon, but had even killed the Celestial Dragon in the end and pressed the Hoof of the Soaring Dragon slave brand onto his corpse.
Was he a madman or what? None of them knew how they felt.
Hancock looked at the man before her in shock, and his towering figure was also branded into her heart.
After doing all this, Lin Yuan did not go to save Fisher Tiger and the others. Instead, he opened the boxes the Celestial Dragon had brought, examined them one by one, then packed them up and slung them behind his back.
"This is for you. Eat it now."
After some thought, Lin Yuan decided to give the Love-Love Fruit to Hancock. Powerful as it was, it was nothing compared to the future empress of a country.
He used his body to block it from the others' view. Hancock seemed to sense Lin Yuan's goodwill. She took the Love-Love Fruit and bit into it without a word.
"Blech..."
"Don't spit it out. Eat all of it!"
Hancock's pretty face nearly scrunched up, but she gritted her teeth and finished the fruit in her hands.
"In a little while, follow that red Fish-Man and flee toward the edge of the Red Line!"
With that, Lin Yuan walked over to the slaves. His blade flashed, and their shackles were severed.
He then went to the cells where slaves were being held and smashed their door locks one by one.
"You're Fish-Men, right? I hear you're pretty strong. Lead these people toward the edge of the Red Line. With your abilities, you should be able to escape once you reach the sea, right?"
Lin Yuan spoke to a red-skinned Fish-Man. He knew the man before him was Fisher Tiger; after all, he was far too obvious.
"You really are here to save us!"
Lin Yuan looked at him as if he were an idiot. One look at Lin Yuan's expression, and Fisher Tiger immediately realized he had spoken nonsense in his haste.
"My lord, I understand. Rest assured!"
"Remember, I want you to save everyone, not just the Fish-Men!"
With that, Lin Yuan headed for the remaining cells. His Famous Sword flashed out, and before long, every cell was open.
"Everyone, flee toward the edge of the Red Line now. As long as you reach the sea, you'll have a slim chance of survival. Fish-Men, protect the elderly and the weak. Ability users, form a separate group and hold off the World Government's forces."
"Fisher Tiger, I'm leaving these people to you. I'll hold off the strongest enemies for you first."
Lin Yuan quickly laid out the retreat plan. As for how many would survive in the end, he did not know. It would not be surprising even if they all died.
Fisher Tiger looked at him with reverence and nodded firmly.
"Rest assured, my lord. I'll do my best to get them out. If anything happens, I'll be the first to die."
"Mm. Help me protect those three."
Lin Yuan glanced at Hancock, who was not far away, and said this to Fisher Tiger before heading outside.
"Brothers, our lord saved us this time, so I hope you can put aside the hatred between Fish-Men and humans and escape this hellish abyss together."
"Big Brother Fisher Tiger, don't worry. Our lord not only saved us, but even dared to kill a Celestial Dragon. He's practically my idol. If he ever needs me, my life is his."
"That's right, ours too!"
All the Fish-Men present voiced their agreement. The moment Lin Yuan killed the Celestial Dragon, his imposing bearing had won everyone there over.
In their hearts, Celestial Dragons were beings no one could harm. Yet this man had not only dared to strike one, but had even killed him. More brutal still, he had pressed the Hoof of the Soaring Dragon slave brand onto the Celestial Dragon's corpse.
The moment Lin Yuan killed the Celestial Dragon, he became a walking savior in these people's eyes.
Under Fisher Tiger's command, everyone headed out of the hellish prison. The ability users and Fish-Men surrounded the weaker people, leaving no one behind.
Thanks to Lin Yuan's special request, Fisher Tiger also assigned two powerful Fish-Men to protect Hancock and her two sisters.
The moment they stepped out of the prison, everyone greedily breathed the outside air, even though it was night. Many had tears in their eyes; even if they died at that moment, it would have been worth it.
"Everyone, stay quiet. Head in the direction our lord told us. Pain, take a few brothers and the ability users to clear the way. Kill anyone you encounter. If you spot a large force, everyone will charge with me."
Fisher Tiger lived up to his reputation as the hero of the Fish-Man Race in the original story. He had real leadership ability, quickly formulating an escape plan, and everyone listened to him. After all, the savior had chosen him.
Pain nodded and immediately led more than a dozen people away, quickly disappearing into the darkness.
"Everyone, stay quiet. Follow me, and we'll escape together."
Fisher Tiger also knew it was unrealistic to expect so many people to escape, and that even hiding their tracks was impossible. The World Government would likely move against them soon.
But he still did his best to save more people. After all, this was the task his lord had given him.
By now, Lin Yuan had retrieved the things he had left outside. He put his cloak back on and disappeared into the darkness.
He had not left. He wanted to see how these people escaped, while standing by in case the other side sent out someone as strong as an Admiral.
Although he was no match for one, Lin Yuan could still hold out for a while. If he wanted to run, he was even somewhat confident he could get away unless two Admirals ganged up on him.
By Lin Yuan's estimation, no one but Borsalino could come. And with Kizaru being such an old actor, Lin Yuan felt this was in the bag.
Soon, the commotion at the slave prison fully alerted the guards of Mary Geoise. After Pain and the others dealt with several CP guards, more and more guards swarmed toward them.
At that moment, a piercing bell rang throughout Mary Geoise, and countless guards rushed in their direction.
"Brothers, follow me! Charge..."