One Piece: The Celestial Dragons' Self-Cultivation

Page 13

"To form an organization similar to CP?"

"If that's the case, why not just use CP?"

"Unless... Your Highness has a secret that the World Government cannot know..."

"That's right, the information about this Devil Fruit definitely wasn't brought back by CP. Your Highness must have other sources of information."

"What should I do next? Should I tell the World Government?"

"But Your Highness is, after all, a Celestial Dragon. What if I have misunderstood?"

For a moment, Huang Mu's thoughts were churning.

Chapter 19 Mary Geoise Kindergarten

Although Blake did not open his eyes, he kept an eye on Aramaki's condition using his Observation Haki.

This was Blake's third test of the wasteland.

Taking advantage of the fact that Wildwood has not yet come into contact with many secrets, Blake decided to test his loyalty.

If Aramaki didn't reveal Black's little secret to the World Government this time, it means that the other party at least wouldn't actively leak information.

Blake can trust him to a certain extent.

If Aramaki leaks the information, Blake can use various excuses to cover it up, and Aramaki can even continue to stay by his side as a henchman.

But it's still a bit of a pity.

As Huang Mu's heartbeat gradually calmed down, he bowed slightly: "As you wish, Your Highness."

Blake smiled and shook his head:

"No rush. You've just returned from the sea. Rest well in the holy land for a while, and set off again in a month."

"Yes, Your Highness."

Huang Mu himself knew that what he had just been thinking was nothing but self-deception.

However, he didn't necessarily have a reason to betray Blake; he only needed a reason that could convince himself.

After Aramu left, Stella behind her asked softly:

"Your Highness, is this alright?"

Blake knew exactly what she meant, but instead of explaining his thoughts, he pinched her cheek.

"Do not worry."

During this time, most of the Celestial Dragons were trapped in Mary Geoise, bored out of their minds.

Fortunately, most of the Celestial Dragons were not particularly interested in the mortal realm, so no major trouble ensued.

However, some guys couldn't stay still and made a fuss about leaving after only a few days in the holy land.

These people are oblivious to the changing situation at sea, and they don't take these matters to heart.

In principle, unless a Celestial Dragon betrays their race and is dealt with by the Knights of God, no other person or thing can restrict the behavior of the Celestial Dragons, not even the Five Elders.

So theoretically, if Black were determined to go down to the mortal realm, no one would forcibly stop him.

However, Blake didn't want to stand out too much, so he has been just wandering around the Holy Land lately.

As Celestial Dragons, they can enjoy everything on this ocean without leaving the Holy Land.

Where there is demand, there will be a market.

Some well-informed slave traders have learned that the Celestial Dragons are unable to leave the country, so they have transported the finest slaves to Mary Geoise, which has led to an unusually booming slave market in Mary Geoise recently.

Blake led Stella on a winding journey to the slave market in Mary Geoise.

This place is even better than Area 16 in the Sabaody Archipelago.

The main entrance to the slave market features Mary Geoise’s signature pure white marble and gold reliefs, while the shop entrances are designed with semi-circular arches with miniature replicas of the World Government flag hanging above them.

The interior features a "roaming" spatial design, resembling a large shopping mall.

Mary Geoise is not only the residence of the Celestial Dragons, but also the office of the World Government.

Inside the mall, many world government officials and their relatives were also selecting slaves.

The slaves were placed on suspended display racks, like mannequins in a high-end clothing store, ensuring they could be viewed from every angle.

These "merchants" would even arrange for slaves to perform trained talents to showcase the "added value" of their goods.

Stella exclaimed in surprise, and Blake followed her gaze to see a woman in armor standing on a shop shelf, holding a rapier.

"Wow, even slave traders are starting to cosplay now?"

Sighing inwardly, Blake's interest was piqued, and he walked toward the display stand.

The shopkeeper immediately came forward to greet the Celestial Dragons upon their arrival.

Before the other person could speak, Blake preemptively asked:

"What's the deal with this slave?"

The butler wore a fawning smile.

“Your Highness, her name is Sweet Mandy. She was originally a princess from a non-member state called the Kingdom of Wobukangding in the South China Sea.”

"However, since non-member states are not protected by the World Government's laws, pirates attacked the Kingdom of Wobconding."

"Sweet Mandy was a swordsman who also participated in the battle against pirates, but was defeated and captured."

"It took several detours to finally arrive here."

"But don't worry, we had a specialist examine her thoroughly, and she is absolutely clean."

The butler gave a brief overview of Sweet Mandy's background, and Blake was fairly satisfied with his behavior.

"You said she's a swordsman? What level of skill does she possess?"

"This... Your Highness, we don't have any highly skilled testers here. I only know that ordinary naval soldiers are no match for her."

Blake nodded. For someone her age to be able to do that meant she was at least not mediocre.

Blake circled Mandy, scrutinizing her closely.

The breastplate uses a modified scale-armor structure, which is quite in line with the "dangerous aesthetics" of medieval women's armor in the previous world. The surface of the armor is engraved with rose vine patterns.

The shoulder pads feature a Gothic spike design.

The waist area features a combination of chainmail and plate armor, with a leather corset sewn with gold thread visible at the slit in the skirt armor.

Her facial features combined coldness and gentleness, and her gray-blue eyes were like frozen ice.

Her slightly wavy, flaxen-colored long hair was styled into a neat ponytail.

What's most striking is the pale gold scar above her left eyebrow.

What would normally be considered an eyesore was transformed into a unique aesthetic by a merchant who inlaid mother-of-pearl into the shape of the World Government emblem.

Blake was quite satisfied with Mandy and waved his hand.

Stella understood and went to the side with the shop manager to hand over the work.

At the butler's beckoning, two servants came out of the shop and took Mandy down from the display shelf.

After the procedure, Mandy had a collar around her neck, while Blake had a rope in his hand.

Mandy maintained a completely expressionless face throughout.

Blake was unaware of her original personality; she had been trained by slave traders to appear as an ice queen.

However, as long as the other party is obedient, Blake doesn't care that the other party is a block of ice.

His choice of Mandy was certainly influenced by her appearance, but he also had other motives.

First of all, Mandy looks to be about the same age as Blake.

While their abilities aren't particularly outstanding, they do have their merits and are relatively easy to train.

Secondly, she is a princess of a non-member state.

As Black's forces grew, it became impractical for them all to gather in Mary Geoise; a suitable place to reunite was needed.

If Mandy is worth nurturing, she can be sent back to the Kingdom of Wobucondin to take charge of various matters in the future.

Compared to these, Mandy's looks and personality are merely icing on the cake.

When Stella returned, Blake took the two of them for another stroll.

Blake's gaze suddenly paused as it swept over a display stand in a corner.

"Hmm? Looks like today really is my lucky day."

"But... why does it feel like this place is turning into Mary Geoise Kindergarten?"

Chapter 20: There are still talented people in this other world.

As Blake interacted more with the characters in the story and encountered opponents in the card space, he gradually figured out the changes in the characters' appearances after they transitioned from two-dimensional to three-dimensional.

The little girl we saw this time was only five or six years old.

Her orange hair was messy and unkempt, like thorns swept by a storm.

A faint blue light gleamed in his jet-black eyes.

The corners of the mouth twitch involuntarily, and the tip of the tongue presses nervously against the roof of the mouth, maintaining a "survival fake smile" at all times.

She wore a dirty yellow linen tank top; the rough fabric had yellowed and pilled from repeated washing, and the shoulder straps were haphazardly secured with hemp rope.

The worn-out trousers were patched with different colors, and the hem was worn irregularly from working.

"Huh? What's going on with this store? They put a dirty little girl on the shelf."

Noticing Blake's gaze, Stella turned her head and saw this somewhat incongruous scene.

"Just go and take a look and you will know."

Having said that, Blake walked ahead first.

Before they even got close, they discovered the reason.

Blake's eye twitched.

"Urgent Notice! Our store lease expires at the end of the month. We are closing down and all items are being sold at rock-bottom prices!"

He never expected to see this familiar scene in Mary Geoise.

It must be said that there are still talented people in this other world.

Blake was particularly impressed by this scene.

Back then, there was a shop on the pedestrian street near his high school that was decorated in a war-damaged style and then advertised that the lease was expiring. Every time he passed by, he could hear urgent sales calls coming from the loudspeaker at the shop entrance.

However, the clothing store, whose lease was about to expire, remained standing until he graduated from high school and left the city.

Blake could understand that it was a sales tactic, but he still felt like he was being treated like a fool.

He was curious: it was okay to do things this way in their past lives, because a harmonious society saved them.

This shop in front of us dares to pull this stunt in Mary Geoise. Isn't the shop owner afraid of being killed by some Celestial Dragon?

"Forget it, let's just see how long this store can last."

Shaking his head, Blake lost interest in pursuing the matter and went to the blonde girl.

Noticing Blake's gaze, the little girl immediately flashed a sweet smile.

"Amazing! I've developed muscle memory from laughing so much, it's a shame I'm not an actor."

After making a comment, Blake instructed Stella to buy the little girl.

Before long, he had another rope in his hand.

The little girl was none other than Kella, who would later become an important member of the revolutionary army.

It's worth mentioning that Blake's ability to recognize Kella is somewhat similar to Stella's situation back then.

She also left behind a world-famous painting.

It was on the ship that Fisher Tiger was taking her home that Aaron, who hated humans, found an excuse to berate Kella.