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“Hey, who’s that guy?”
“Is that… a flower on his back?”
At that moment, outside the Forest of Fairy Tales…
The survivors, who had finally escaped that nightmarish forest, stared at the figure slowly descending from the sky.
It was a man.
He was tall and powerfully built, with high-set eyebrows, thick lips, and dark, curly, green hair.
He wore sunglasses and had a cigarette in his mouth. His upper body was bare, and a sword hung at his waist. Four words were tattooed on the left side of his body:
[Death River Within the Heart].
“Tap!”
His body slowly landed on the ground.
Only then did everyone clearly see that the object spinning behind him was indeed a flower. The moment he landed, the flower withered and shattered into dust.
“A Devil Fruit User!?”
They immediately realized that the other party was probably a Devil Fruit user.
And at that moment…
“Oh, so this is the place… sunlight after such a long time really does feel nice.”
They noticed the man was holding a miniature Den Den Mushi and speaking into it with a cigarette dangling from his mouth.
“Cough, cough… As long as you seize the Fountain of Youth for me, Aramaki (Future Admiral Ryokugyu)…”
An aged voice came from the other side of the Den Den Mushi:
“I will pardon the sin of killing so many people, destroying the business of the kingdom’s important partners, and causing the nation’s decline.”
“Hah?”
But after hearing that, the man called ‘Aramaki’ let out an annoyed sound.
“Human lives? Business partners?”
“Hey, hey, Your Majesty, don’t get it twisted…”
He sneered.
“How can crushing a few bugs from non-Allied Kingdoms count as a crime? They aren’t even human. If you really want to talk about it, the only reason I willingly went to prison was because that incident involved the Celestial Dragons. Don’t misunderstand me!”
As he spoke, he stretched his body casually.
“As for the Fountain of Youth, I can share some of it with you since your nation is also part of the World Government. But most of it will definitely be handed over to the Celestial Dragons. The noblest people with the most precious resources, that is how this world should be ordered.”
As he spoke, he ignored the voice from the Den Den Mushi shouting, ‘Aramaki, you…” before hanging up.
Then his gaze swept towards the survivors who had escaped from the forest.
“As for you people…”
He spoke calmly.
The instant those words fell, almost every survivor could feel the terrifying killing intent rushing towards them.
“Careful, this guy isn’t an ally!”
They realized this immediately.
“Take him down first! Then escape this island, otherwise, whatever is inside that forest might come out again at any moment!”
The hot-tempered Kelly roared and charged at the man, swinging his fist.
Not only him, but every other survivor rushed at the man too.
But at that moment…
“No…”
Only Baby 5’s expression stiffened slightly.
“Aramaki… I feel like I’ve heard that name before…”
She had even forgotten her usual verbal tic, merely muttering inwardly. She desperately tried to remember where she had heard the name before.
“Young Master… I think Young Master mentioned him before…”
As a maid and Hitman Officer of the Donquixote Family, she had encountered a great deal of information. She was certain that if the name had made an impression on her, it was most likely because of the young master who had raised her since childhood… Doflamingo.
Once she realized this, the memory quickly surfaced.
It was a conversation from several years ago.
“Fufufufufufu… There really are terrifying monsters hidden everywhere.”
Back then, before he became the King of Dressrosa, when he was merely a pirate, Doflamingo had sighed like that while looking at a newspaper.
“Young Master? What monster? An enemy?” BABY 5 had naturally asked curiously at the time.
“Fufufufu… a policeman from the Tayami Kingdom.” Doflamingo had replied.
“Tayami Kingdom? I remember that country… doesn’t it cooperate with us? It’s not considered a particularly strong nation, right?”
“Exactly, and because it isn’t strong, it needs even more help from the underground world.” Doflamingo had spoken casually.
“The slave trade, arms trade, organ trafficking… the most profitable industries in this world all require an ‘umbrella.’ Tayami Kingdom is one of the allied nations, so it can play that role.”
BABY 5 hadn’t understood those words back then, but now she did.
Why did countless countries long to become members of the World Government’s allied nations?
It wasn’t merely because the status of an allied nation discouraged most pirates from raiding or harassing them.
More importantly…
The status of an allied nation itself was profit!
Countless black-market trades in this world require “goods” sourced from non–World Government allied nations… arms, wars, people, organs… those non-allied nations were the hunting grounds of the underground world’s criminals.
And once they obtained the goods, they needed an “umbrella” to distribute them.
The status of an allied nation was precisely that umbrella, using it as an intermediary platform for trade ensured that the World Government would not interfere.
Countries like the Tayami Kingdom relied on their status as an allied nation to cooperate with numerous dark organizations, maintaining their national power while earning enormous profits.
From the hunted to the hunters.
From the exploited to the beneficiaries.
That was why countless nations desperately longed to join the World Government.
But…
“What this guy did probably enraged his king to the extreme.”
“Members of underground organizations, slaves being sold, even rare-race merchandise already reserved by the Celestial Dragons… fufufufu, I can’t believe he dared to do something like that.”
Back then, Doflamingo had shown the newspaper to BABY 5.
And now, BABY 5 also recalled the image printed on that paper.
“Wait, don’t charge in! This guy is…” She wanted to shout, but it was already too late.
The man named Amaraki raised a hand, removed the cigarette from his mouth, and tossed it onto the ground.
He lifted his foot and crushed it.
Or perhaps… What he crushed was not merely a cigarette butt.
And then…
Something burst forth from beneath his feet.
Crack! Crack! Crack!
They were plant roots.
Spreading outwards from Amaraki’s feet like a centre point, they grew wildly, sending out vines, branches and leaves.
It was as though another vast forest lay hidden beneath him.
“Again!?”
The sight filled all the survivors with terror.
First the horrifying ‘Forest of Fairy Tales,’ and now this forest!
In the next moment, they heard the answer:
“Forbidden Hatred Forest.”
Pierce! × N
Countless branches instantly impaled everyone nearby. Even Bobby Vanku, whose monstrous physique far exceeded that of ordinary humans, failed to put up any meaningful resistance.
“Urgh!”
“Aaah!”
The intense pain made them erupt into miserable screams.
But after a short while, the screams gradually faded, like the dying embers of cigarettes.
Vanku, Jet, and the other powerful figures hired by various kingdoms watched in horror as their skin visibly shriveled before their eyes.
Their once full cheeks instantly caved inwards, their eye sockets sinking deeply.
“Ghh… ghh…”
Whether they were begging for mercy or roaring in anger, they no longer had the strength.
Within a short space of time, they had become dried corpses, their skin clinging tightly to their bones.
Correspondingly, the branches piercing through them became increasingly thick and robust.
“Assassins, bounty hunters, pirates… trash who try to seize precious treasures from others. Becoming nourishment for nature is the most fitting destination for your worth.”
Beneath the countless corpses hanging from the trees, Amaraki remained calm.
Then, with his hands in his pockets, he slowly walked forward.
“Hah… Hah… As expected…”
Seeing this scene, Baby 5’s entire body tensed. The horrific spectacle of corpses and trees was exactly the same as the image she had seen in the newspaper.
[Major Incident in Tayami Kingdom — 3,300 Dead]
That report once caused a huge stir before being deliberately erased by the underground world.
The people involved came from various nations and organisations that were not allied with the World Government and traded with the Tayami Kingdom.
Including the slaves they had captured and transported, as well as their own members, there were a total of 3,300 people.
All of them had been turned into ‘nutrients for the trees’ by the man standing before her.
The only survivors were certain members from World Government-allied nations, along with some female slaves.
He had been imprisoned because of that incident.
The event had an enormous impact, and the entity known as ‘Amaraki’ became infamous because of it.
And now, Baby 5 was facing such a man directly.
She could almost feel the sensation of death.
Not to mention, even if she were in peak condition, she knew perfectly well that victory was impossible given her severe injuries.
“Woman, you’d better not attack me.”
Yet the next moment, she heard Amaraki say exactly that.
Then he walked straight past Baby 5.
“Otherwise, you will no longer be ‘Doflamingo’s property,’ but an ‘enemy.'”
“…”
Baby 5 froze upon hearing those words, subconsciously stopping her attack.
“Property?”
“You… what do you mean by that!?”
She didn’t know where the courage came from, but she actually shouted the question aloud.
“‘Property’? What kind of way is that to describe someone? You bastard…”
“Hm?”
After hearing this, Amaraki turned around and lowered his sunglasses.
“Isn’t it obvious?”
Baby 5 saw the eyes hidden beneath the sunglasses.
“Beasts fight over mating rights, and only the strong have the right to possess. Humans are no different. Beautiful females are the same as money… valuable resources, the ‘property’ of the strong and noble.”
There was not the slightest emotion in those eyes.
“I’ve seen information about you. You are a maid in the service of the Donquixote Family and the ‘Heavenly Yaksha’. He is the King of Dressrosa and a government-appointed Warlord, part of the ‘Order’.”
“I won’t destroy or steal his property. That would be rude.”
Those were his genuine thoughts.
“This is the law of nature. I have always respected nature, so I also respect your ‘value’.”
Baby 5 understood now.
He hadn’t killed the female slaves in the news, and he wasn’t attacking her now out of mercy.
From the very beginning, he had never regarded them as ‘human’ at all!
In fact, perhaps the reason he attacked those underground organizations was also very simple.
It wasn’t because of justice or anything like that. He simply believed that those underground criminals weren’t part of the ‘World Government’ and therefore had no right to seize resources!
“Monster…”
At that moment, Baby 5 understood.
The man before her was a monster, just like her young master. Not just in strength, but a monster with a twisted heart, but Amaraki no longer paid attention to her.
“Run away on your own, woman. I still have to find the Fountain of Youth. But what exactly is this forest? My ability has no effect on it.”
He clicked his tongue twice.
“They’re clearly trees, yet they don’t belong to nature. What a precious thing. Offering this island, together with the forest, to the Celestial Dragons would make an excellent gift.”
“You…”
Baby 5 gritted her teeth and raised her hand.
Click!
She didn’t understand why she felt so furious.
But she knew one thing:
“I’m not anybody’s ‘property,’ you tree bastard!”
The moment she spoke, her hand began to transform into artillery.
Sensing the killing intent behind him, Amaraki turned his head.
“What a stupid woman… hm?”
He didn’t manage to finish speaking before his expression abruptly changed.
And in the next instant…
BUZZZ!
An overwhelming gravitational force suddenly descended, instantly cracking the earth apart.
“This is…!”
Amaraki’s expression sharpened. Because at this moment, even his own body was unable to move under the immense gravity.
And then, an instant later, he heard the sound of wooden sandals from behind him.
“I believe there are two things wrong with what you just said, sir.” A steady voice rang out, and Amaraki saw a figure walking out from the side.
Though his blindness had already healed, he still carried a cane sword. Though his shackles had been removed, he still remained true to his nature.
That figure was none other than Issho!
“First, I believe no person in this world should regard another as merchandise. Those who do so will one day themselves be treated as merchandise by others. Your words are truly unpleasant to hear.”
“On the contrary, this young lady, though an intruder, possesses courage that I admire.”
He slowly stepped forward.
His tiger-sharp eyes stared directly at Amaraki.
At the same time, the intense repulsive force had already blasted BABY 5 far away.
“Second, the owner of this island and this forest is my benefactor and friend. You speak of offering this island and forest to the Celestial Dragons… such a thing…”
At this point…
Click.
Amaraki heard the sound of a blade returning to its sheath.
And then…
BOOM!
A tremendous roaring sound came from directly above him.
Enduring the crushing gravity, he slowly raised his head.
And then…
He saw the gigantic meteor falling from the heavens.
At the same time, Issho’s calm yet solemn voice echoed into his ears.
“I will not stand by and allow it.”
(End of Chapter)
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