Fisher Tiger let out a roar, and all the slaves roared with him. Apart from a few who stayed to protect the children, they all charged forward.
Although the guards of Mary Geoise were strong, the slaves who had survived this long had fought through life-and-death battles, and many of them were Devil Fruit Users.
Though their long years as slaves had left them all sallow and gaunt, their longing for freedom filled their eyes with a murderous intent that showed they were ready to face death.
"Kill..."
Led by Fisher Tiger, hundreds of men radiating terrifying killing intent met the Mary Geoise guards who had come to stop them head-on.
The two sides clashed in an instant.
"Don't get caught up in the fight! Charge straight for the exit!"
"Understood!"
Fisher Tiger noticed that there were not many CP agents trying to stop them. If they kept fighting, they could definitely wipe them out.
But he chose not to. Instead, he decided to break through quickly. If the World Government had time to react, they would have no chance of escaping.
The others knew what kind of situation they were in, so they did not linger in battle either. The Devil Fruit Users and Fish-Men fighting the CP guards at the front unleashed their full strength.
The Zoan users in particular transformed into enormous beasts and charged out ferociously. The CP guards who had come as reinforcements were driven back again and again.
"Three Thousand Brick Fist..."
Fisher Tiger kept a close eye on the battle. As the Zoan users scattered the enemy formation, he unleashed a powerful technique unique to Fish-Men.
A gap was torn open in the path ahead. Seeing this, the others did not linger, and the slaves protecting the children rushed toward the exit.
Although they had gained the upper hand over the World Government's guards, these people who had suffered oppression for years had not escaped without casualties.
But even in death, they dragged CP guards down with them. Before long, the streets of Mary Geoise were stained red with blood.
Fisher Tiger and the others had no time to grieve for the fallen. In these circumstances, casualties were inevitable, especially for people like them who had long since grown indifferent to life and death.
"Charge with me..."
Fisher Tiger casually dispatched a CP guard who tried to block him, then let out a roar and led everyone toward the edge of the Red Line.
At the same time, many people fought while using torches they had found somewhere to set fires. Thick, billowing smoke soon shrouded all of Mary Geoise.
This left the guards stretched thin. The buildings here were all Celestial Dragon properties and residences.
Although capturing the escaped slaves was their responsibility, their first duty was to protect the Celestial Dragons. If the fires endangered them, the guards would all be purged.
With no other choice, the guards had to send some of their men to put out the fires. The situation immediately improved, and Fisher Tiger and the others seized the chance to charge through.
They set fires as they fled. Although guards kept coming to block them, flames were raging all over Mary Geoise, and many guards immediately went to protect the Celestial Dragons and put out the fires.
This gave Fisher Tiger and the others their chance. Although people were dying every moment, the main group finally broke out of Mary Geoise.
Lin Yuan stood in the corner of a building, watching the battle below coldly, with no intention of intervening.
For now, it was only a slave revolt. But if he, a top-tier combatant, intervened, he might draw out an Admiral-level powerhouse early. If that happened, everyone would probably die.
Fortunately, Fisher Tiger and the others held out and led the main group out of Mary Geoise. Although more than a hundred had been killed or wounded, the hundreds who remained made their way toward the edge of the Red Line.
It was only a few minutes after Fisher Tiger and the others broke out that Mary Geoise fully reacted. Large numbers of CP guards arrived and immediately split into two groups: one went to put out the fires, while the other pursued Fisher Tiger and the others.
By this point, Lin Yuan had not seen a single Celestial Dragon appear. There were only CP agents arriving as reinforcements everywhere.
"Hmph, a bunch of filthy trash. All they ever do is indulge in cruelty and pleasure, and now they've all gone into hiding. From now on, I'll kill every one I see."
Lin Yuan spat in disdain, then vanished from where he stood and set off after Fisher Tiger.
After escaping Mary Geoise, everyone was moved to tears at once, even though pursuers were still behind them. This was the feeling of freedom.
"Pick up the pace! We won't be truly free until we reach the sea."
"Pain, bring the brothers and cover the rear with me."
"Yes, big brother!"
Once outside Mary Geoise, they were not far from the place Lin Yuan had designated. Although the Red Line was very high, there was a waterway leading down there, and with so many Fish-Men among them, quite a few people would still be able to escape.
As for how many would ultimately survive, even Lin Yuan could not guarantee it, but it would definitely be more than Fisher Tiger had saved in the original story.
Fisher Tiger truly had the bearing of a Fish-Man hero now. He had been the first to charge, and now that they had escaped, he had chosen to lead the Fish-Men and Devil Fruit Users in covering the rear.
Everyone knew they could not stop now, so they all fled quickly toward the designated location. The young children were carried on the backs of strong slaves, allowing them to move faster.
Not a single person entertained the thought of abandoning the children. Some even chose to die together with the Celestial Dragons' lackeys to protect them.
This was not merely because of Lin Yuan's instructions. They had been through hell and did not want the children to experience it too. Besides, many of them had never expected to survive.
By the time they were captured and enslaved, many had already lost their families and even their hometowns. More than escape, they wanted revenge.
While they were enslaved, they had lost the courage to resist, but ever since Lin Yuan had tortured a Celestial Dragon to death, the seeds of revenge had begun to sprout in their hearts.
Although they still did not dare kill Celestial Dragons, they had no qualms about killing their lackeys. After all, these were the people who usually tortured them so cruelly.
So when these men blocked their path, the slaves who had lost their families charged at them without hesitation, determined to drag their enemies down with them even if they died.
Even if they failed to kill their enemies, they would bite off a piece of them, so that when they died, they could give their families an account.
"Look, I've avenged you. These are the spoils I brought back from Mary Geoise."
Every slave who had resolved to die held the same thought, and quite a few of them were Devil Fruit Users.
"Fisher Tiger, take the others and go. We don't need you to cover the rear here. If you make it out, tell my lord for me that I had no chance in this life, but in the next, I'll repay his kindness even if I have to work like an ox or a horse."
A middle-aged man with several scars on his face stopped Fisher Tiger and the others, who had intended to stay behind. Behind him stood dozens of men with the same determination to die on their faces.
"Lot, you..."
Fisher Tiger was shocked. He knew the man before him, and he knew many of the men behind him as well. They were all ruthless fighters from the arena, and not one of them cared whether he lived or died.
"Cut the nonsense. Remember what my lord said and bring everyone back."
"Brothers, follow me! Let's carve out a path to survival for the children. We'll meet again in the next life!"
"Hahaha, see you in the next life!"
A faint smile seemed to appear on Lot's scarred face, but it suddenly turned savage. He abruptly transformed into a gigantic black bear ten meters tall and roared as he charged the CP guards pursuing them.
The others charged forward without fear as well. Some transformed like Lot, while others took up weapons and launched a countercharge toward Mary Geoise.
The two sides soon collided, and blood sprayed everywhere. Lot, in his giant bear form, slapped two men to death, then opened his bloody maw and bit another to death.
Although he too was slashed in an instant, he seemed to feel no pain and charged fiercely once more.
A trace of sadness appeared on Fisher Tiger's face as he stared at them. He knew that once he left, it would be farewell forever.
"Pain, take everyone and retreat."
The Fish-Man named Pain also glanced sadly behind them. For the first time, he felt admiration for humans.
"Yes, big brother!"
With that, Fisher Tiger glanced once more at Lot and the others in the distance, then began to retreat without hesitation.
"Farewell, my human brothers!"