The Gladiatorial Spectacle

Rosward frowned. "Who brought this slave in?"

"I picked her up. You could say she's mine."

Lu Ye turned to Jessica and gave her an encouraging look.

Jessica looked utterly ill at ease as she knelt reverently on the ground:

"Merciful Saint Rosward, I'm Jessica, a gladiator in your service. Hector is my father, and he's already brought you nineteen consecutive victories.

"My whole family is grateful for your kindness. I'm so glad I can tell you that in person!"

Rosward rubbed his chin with his golden scepter. "Do I have a slave that young?"

"Father, I know her! She's my slave!"

Charlos jumped down from his slave's back and waddled over to Jessica, belly jutting out. He squatted down and petted her head as though she were a dog:

"She called me the merciful and great Charlos. Hee hee hee hee... I gave her special permission to hide in the colosseum's side chamber.

"Hey, Longinus, that's where you picked her up, right?"

Shalria looked disgusted. "Charlos, why did you take in such a useless lowlife? And you're even touching her with your hand! She might have some dreadful germs. That's absolutely disgusting!"

Charlos sniffled and grinned foolishly. "Heh heh... Come pet her too. This slave is very well-behaved."

Freck stepped forward and bowed slightly. "She's only a little slave. Since Longinus picked her up, I don't suppose you'd begrudge giving her to him, Charlos? It's time he learned about our Celestial Dragon traditions."

Charlos hesitated. "But she's mine..."

The corners of Freck's mouth rose. He leaned over and whispered a few words in Charlos's ear, and Charlos immediately clapped his hands in excitement:

"That sounds fun! That sounds fun! I'll give this slave to Longinus!"

Freck walked over and placed a hand on Lu Ye's shoulder. "Now Longinus has a slave of his own. Didn't she just call herself a gladiator? Why not let her take part in the next match too?"

Lu Ye said nothing. He chewed on his sugarcane and met Freck's gaze with a smile.

Freck smiled as though he had everything under control:

"The next match will be a large-scale battle with a hundred participants in all. My royal father's gladiator, Polo the Mountain, will be taking part too. It's a gladiatorial spectacle rarely seen even at the North Star Colosseum, and I arranged it especially for you, Longinus.

"You may not know this yet, Longinus, but Polo is the strongest slave in the North Star Colosseum, with over three hundred consecutive victories. The prize for defeating him has accumulated to 3.5 billion Beli!

"Of course, under normal circumstances, a master must pay an entry fee of three million Beli to enter a slave in a gladiatorial match. But since this is your first time, and in the name of our friendship, the North Star Colosseum will let you try it for free this once."

Rosward urged him on from the side. "This is a rare opportunity, Longinus. Unfortunately, I don't have a suitable slave to enter right now. Otherwise, I'd certainly have my captain slave protect your little girl and at least keep her alive until the very end."

Charlos chuckled. "That's right, Longinus. Do you know how long Doffy saved his Beli to take part in this match?"

"Shut up, Charlos."

Doffy shot Charlos a displeased glare. "I have a captain slave, so I have a chance to win 3.5 billion Beli. What's the point of Longinus entering with a worthless slave?"

Freck shrugged and smiled. "What does it matter? He won't lose anything either way. Perhaps fortune will smile on him again...

"If a weak, useless slave dies, that's all there is to it. You can buy boatload after boatload of that sort whenever you like.

"If you need any, Longinus, just give the slave ships my name. Buy through my channels, and you can even get an additional discount."

Lu Ye rubbed his chin. "Does your promise hold good at the North Star Colosseum?"

Freck spread his hands and smiled confidently. "Of course. The Gladiator King Family never lies!"

"Then, Amin, let's make a deal!"

Lu Ye nudged Doffy and chuckled. "Lend me your captain slave for the match. If we win, we split the 3.5 billion Beli prize. If we lose, we split your three-million-Beli entry fee."

Lu Ye didn't care whether the captain slave survived the match. A wicked pirate deserved to die.

"Fuffuffuffu-"

Doffy looked at Freck with a wicked grin. "This is the first time Longinus has been so much to my liking. Of course I'd be delighted!"

Freck sighed. "You really are worthy of Lord Garling's favor. You're clever indeed..."

With that, Freck immediately resumed his easygoing, elegant manner. "It's only three million Beli. Let it serve as a gesture of goodwill from the Gladiator King Family to Mad King Longinus."

Freck walked over to the railing and clapped twice beside his ears:

"Gentlemen! Our honored guests have all arrived. The battle for 3.5 billion Beli begins now. Let the contestants enter!"

The stands of the circular colosseum erupted in thunderous cheers.

Dozens of iron gates around the colosseum slowly rose. One muscular gladiator after another emerged from the shadows and crossed the floating bridges to the circular fighting area in the center.

There were members of the Longarm Tribe whose hands reached past their knees, members of the Longleg Tribe with long, slender legs, members of the Snakeneck Tribe with thick necks, members of the Fish-Man Race who retained fishlike features, and even a black bear in leather shorts, clutching a spiked club in its paw-

Doffy explained that the bear was a member of the Mink Tribe.

Freck turned around and rested his elbows on the railing, a meaningful, confident smile on his face:

"Longinus, Lord Garling thinks highly of you. He even gave you the Hoffman Squad. Everyone in the Holy Land says you've been able to read since birth and that your only hobby is reading. So, do you know the origins of gladiatorial combat?

"The first country to hold gladiatorial matches was called Dressrosa, and its king's surname was Donquixote...

"That's right, your ancestors!

"But the Donquixote Family has given all that up now. Without question, the family most closely associated with slave gladiatorial combat today is our Gladiator King Family!

"Do you see the stands down below? Those are all powerful figures in the World Government!

"And if you just become friends with me, you can sit in the highest viewing box, enjoy fine wine, and look down on them from here."

Lu Ye scratched his ear with his pinky, looking quite impatient. He pulled Jessica over to his side and handed her a strawberry milkshake, then opened a box of mango cake for himself.

"First, I'm not as impressive as the rumors say. Nobody is born knowing everything. I'm just an ordinary person who studied diligently for three whole days after birth before barely managing to read.

"Second, whatever the Donquixote ancestors did, and whatever your family has turned gladiatorial combat into, have nothing much to do with me. I don't take pride in it.

"Of course, if you want to pay me copyright fees, I'd be happy to make time to sit down and talk.

"Third, I'm a Celestial Dragon, a World Noble. I don't understand what difference there is, as far as I'm concerned, between the powerful World Government figures you're talking about and the lowlifes fighting in the colosseum.

"Isn't it only natural that I look down on them? I can't relate to your sense of accomplishment.

"Fourth..."

Lu Ye slowly raised his head and fixed his intense gaze on Freck. He waved a silver spoon in his pitch-black right hand, and with a grating creak, the spoon was swallowed into his palm bit by bit...

A moment later, Lu Ye opened his hand.

Clack!

A twisted lump of silver fell onto the carpet.

"Fourth, you're standing in front of me, so I can't see what I'm supposed to be watching at all.

"Since you're the young master here, could you tell me where your ticket refund window is? I'm taking my three-million-Beli ticket and going home."