One piece: Establishing a Pirate Family

Chapter 144: Valley of the Gods (Slaves)

"Quick, quick! We can escape while the Celestial Dragons haven't come back yet!"

A middle-aged man with a rugged appearance and scars all over his body shouted loudly.

"Who can steer the boat? Who can steer the boat? Is there a navigator?"

Following the middle-aged man's cry, a large number of ragged people began moving swiftly across the deck.

"Fools! You're all slaves of Saint Rosseld, and you dare to think about escaping? Go to hell!"

The middle-aged man's shouting was overheard by a group of masked agents. They quickly drew their weapons and aimed them at the man and the other slaves.

Many slaves had planned to take advantage of the chaos to escape. With no one paying attention to them during the battle between the Rocks Pirates and the World Government, they gathered and hid on a ship, hoping to flee.

The pirates were too focused on the treasures being unloaded to notice the slaves, who were too poor to even wear proper clothes.

This gave the slaves a glimmer of hope.

In the eyes of some quick-witted slaves, the chaos offered a rare opportunity for freedom. They gathered together and made plans to seize the ships.

"Damn it! You want to stop me from running towards freedom? I'd rather die than go back to that hell!"

The middle-aged man in the lead raised a pirate's sword and shouted at the Celestial Dragons' agents.

Encouraged by his words, the slaves suppressed their fear and pointed their makeshift weapons at the agents.

A fierce confrontation ensued as the slaves surrounded the remaining agents, who were already weakened from fighting pirates earlier.

"Assholes! Are you rebelling?"

The leading agent barked, his voice trembling.

At that moment, a massive shadow loomed over the agents and slaves.

The agents instinctively looked up, their eyes widening in terror as a massive object descended from the sky.

"No! Run!"

The leading agent screamed, but it was too late.

Bang!

A huge package dropped by Charlotte smashed into the ground, instantly crushing the agents into a bloody pulp.

Standing atop the package, Charlotte looked down at everyone.

"Blood! It's the bloody great swordsman, Charlotte!"

The middle-aged man's jaw nearly dropped when he saw Charlotte standing there.

Charlotte raised an eyebrow at the man's exclamation.

"Oh? You know me?"

"Of course! I've read your reports! You're a hero!"

The middle-aged man looked at Charlotte with excitement, tears almost streaming down his face.

Charlotte was taken aback. "Hero? Me? And you're a middle-aged man… This feels awkward."

Before Charlotte could say more, the man suddenly knelt down.

"Thank you, Lord Charlotte, for saving my life! Please let me follow you!"

The man bowed his head repeatedly, his forehead striking the deck.

"Um…" Charlotte stared at the man, confused.

Seeing Charlotte's hesitation, the man quickly explained, "Lord Charlotte, I was one of the slaves you rescued two years ago! At the time, I returned to my hometown, but my village couldn't pay the Heavenly Tribute. The slave traders captured me again, and I ended up as a gladiator for the Celestial Dragons. I didn't expect to meet you here again!"

Hearing this, Charlotte finally understood.

"Get up."

Charlotte reached out to help the man stand. At the same time, she activated her Observation Haki to confirm his sincerity.

After reading snippets of the man's experiences, Charlotte was convinced he wasn't lying or harboring ill intentions.

"Alright, you can join me."

The man's face lit up with gratitude. "Thank you, sir!"

Charlotte nodded and looked around. "Are you all trying to escape?"

"Yes, Lord Charlotte! Everyone here has suffered like me. We're all slaves of the Celestial Dragons."

The man revealed the hoof mark of the Celestial Dragons on his arm. Others followed suit, showing their own slave marks.

Charlotte fell silent, his gaze sweeping over the group.

"I'll get you out of here," he finally said.

His words brought hope to the crowd.

"Thank you, Captain!" the middle-aged man exclaimed, his voice filled with emotion.

Charlotte shook his head. "Are there others who haven't been rescued? Gather them all. This island is about to sink."

At that moment, the boat they were on shook violently, signaling the island's imminent collapse.

A little girl pointed toward a small hill. "I saw some people being taken there!"

Charlotte followed her gaze and nodded. "Wait here. I'll check it out."

With a swift Moon Step, Charlotte disappeared into the sky, leaving the treasure-laden package behind.

Others exchanged confused glances as they watched him leave.

Charlotte quickly arrived at the hill, his Observation Haki picking up numerous life signatures.

As he landed on the other side, a group of World Government agents dressed in black suits surrounded him.

"Who are you?"

Charlotte smirked and drew his sword, ready for battle.

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