Dreams Come True and Dreams Shattered

"It's true! It's all true!"

Jessica's eyes went wide. Gripping the railing, she slowly slid down until she was kneeling on the ground, sobbing too hard to speak:

"Daddy didn't lie to me! The honor is real, the prize money is real, and so is the freedom! The merciful Gladiator King will heal every gladiator who fights with all their might!"

In the arena, a hundred slaves erupted in deafening cheers, all of them shouting the names of Augustus, the Gladiator King, and Freck.

Hector raised his shield and watched the enemies around him warily, but he couldn't stop the corners of his mouth from rising.

He would risk his life, finish this fight, and take his daughter home!

"There's no holding them back now... Even if Uncle came here himself, people would still throw themselves at Hector without a thought for their lives."

Lu Ye sighed. When he looked at Freck again, there was more regard in his eyes.

Lu Ye could go down there himself, break through the iron net, and charge in to snatch Hector away. But that would also mean escalating his conflict with the Gladiator King's family. He himself would surely be fine, but Hector and Jessica would most likely never make it out of the arena.

Just then, Sullivan and Hoffman saluted Freck and took their leave.

Freck lowered the microphone, ignored Sullivan, and walked straight up to Hoffman. Holding his right hand loosely against his chest, he said in a mild tone:

"Mr. Hoffman, I trust you don't mind my rudeness just now. In that case, please allow me to extend another olive branch...

"If one day you've had enough of that spoiled, willful brat, please remember that I, too, will always have a place for a suitable captain of my personal guard."

Hoffman said calmly, "I'm honored. If you can please Saint Garling, the Hoffman Squad will gladly serve you...

"But Lord Saint Freck, if you have nothing else planned, Butler Sullivan and I really must return and report."

"Hmm... Go on, Mr. Hoffman. Give the Mad King my regards."

Freck's face darkened, but he reluctantly let the two leave. When he looked back at the stands where Lu Ye sat, his eyes were full of venom.

On the way back, Sullivan glanced at Hoffman's stern face, scratched his cheek, and gave an awkward laugh. "Mr. Hoffman, the weather is lovely today..."

Clunk!

Hoffman suddenly stopped and looked coldly at Sullivan. "My orders weren't to guard Lord Saint Longinus, but to eliminate every threat to his life when it is endangered!"

Sullivan averted his gaze and scratched his cheek hard. "I-is that so? That's wonderful..."

Hoffman nodded and said calmly, "As Lord Saint Garling instructed, when Lord Saint Longinus has given no instructions, our squad will give priority to your orders."

"Listen to me... Huh! Did you say me?"

Flattered and astonished, Sullivan's eyes went wide, and he nearly fell on his backside.

"Surprised?"

Hoffman was as direct as a cold-quenched steel blade. "That was the same expression I had at the time. A pack of wolves taking orders from a rabbit-how ridiculous! But I'll obey it strictly, because it's the lion's order."

Sullivan couldn't even muster a retort. Where did this poker-faced man get the confidence to think he could make other expressions so vividly?

As for Hoffman calling him a rabbit, he had no objection.

In fact, if Hoffman's level of life was a wolf's, Sullivan thought that at best he was a slug that would burst into a puddle of goo when stepped on.

"Mr. Hoffman, why did you suddenly bring all this up?"

Sullivan asked carefully.

Hoffman said calmly, "I thought you were wondering why you were able to stop me in the passageway today. That was my explanation."

Sullivan scratched his head and said sheepishly, "Then I really must thank you for the explanation. Otherwise, I'd be afraid of overestimating my own strength and getting far too full of myself."

Hoffman nodded and gave Sullivan a long look:

"Actually, I have a very personal question of my own. According to Cipher Pol's investigation, your background is clean, so why do you know Observation Haki?"

Sullivan blinked blankly. "If I understand correctly, I shouldn't know how to use it at all."

Hoffman frowned. "You're saying you don't know Observation Haki at all, but you still managed to put your hand in front of me before I'd confirmed that little girl's strength?"

Probably because I've been rehearsing that move in my head for over three years, to stop a killing fiend like you from slaughtering innocent people!

Almost the instant the dark figure appeared, his hand had shot out on instinct.

Sullivan scratched his head and smiled awkwardly. "It was probably... probably an accident?"

Clang-

With the deep, lingering toll of a bell, the gladiatorial spectacle officially began.

Hector, a favorite to win the championship, was surrounded by a group of slaves as soon as the fight began.

Greed or fear filled the eyes of the dozen or so slaves wielding all manner of weapons. The instant the bell rang, they shouted and charged at Hector to kill him!

"Kill!"

Hector roared, holding his shield in front of him as he swung his battle-axe and met the enemy.

Jessica, who believed gladiatorial combat was sacred, soon saw with her own eyes her father clash with his enemies at close quarters, neither side showing any intention of holding back.

Bang, bang, bang, bang!

Swords and blades rained down on the shield with a chaotic series of rapid blows. Hector seized his chance and swung his axe out from beneath the shield, its blade whistling through the air.

"Ah... ah... ah!"

A bloodcurdling wail rang out as crimson blood spurted into the air like a fountain. The wounded man writhed desperately on the ground like a beaten dog, while an arm arced through the air and landed among the others fighting, but not a single person stopped because of it.

Scenes like this were unfolding in more than one place in the arena.

Farther away, the Mountain swung a huge blade with both hands, looking for all the world like a human siege engine. Every one of the twenty or thirty enemies in his path was brutally hacked flying by his brute force.

The stands erupted in hysterical cheers, with the names "Polo the Mountain" and "Hector" mixed among them.

Jessica pressed both hands to her chest, her pupils trembling. She was completely stunned. Forcing an ugly smile, she struggled to say, "It's all right. The G-Gladiator King will use sacred medicine to save the wounded gladiators..."

"Idiot..."

Lu Ye placed a hand on Jessica's shoulder and shook his head. "There's no miracle medicine in the world that can heal every external wound."