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The grand mansion of Saint Rolviff was ablaze with lights. Numerous arrogant Celestial Dragons, clutching their invitations, arrived to attend the engagement party.
Despite their lavish attire, their appearances were, to put it mildly, unpleasant. The feast, set against the backdrop of the Celestial Dragons' bizarre and often repulsive features, proceeded in an unsettlingly surreal atmosphere.
Noir, choosing not to assume Rolviff's hideous form, stood at the entrance, clad in a black trench coat, his sword Devil Blade held casually at his side. He observed the scene with keen interest.
At Celestial Dragon gatherings, the Government's guards usually served as a safety net. However, the World Nobles' conceit wouldn't allow them to share the same space with outsiders during a feast.
As a result, all the guards had been stationed outside the perimeter of Rolviff's mansion, leaving only the useless Celestial Dragons inside.
Enel scoffed, pointing at the people inside. "Just these weaklings? Do we really need all of us to make a move?"
Noir nodded. "Lucci and Blueno will assist you. They know where the ship is."
"Wyper and I might cause a bit of a commotion. Be quick with your operation."
Lucci crossed his arms. "Are we really going to rescue those slaves? It will be a significant burden on our mission."
Noir's eyes gleamed with determination. "The greater the challenge, the more fun it is. Think of it as recruiting some new crew members."
Lucci often voiced opposing opinions to Noir, but in the end, he never disobeyed his captain's orders.
This was what set Lucci apart from the others. He had his own independent thoughts and methods but ultimately respected Noir's decisions.
His relationship with Noir was similar to Zoro's with Luffy, but Lucci's obedience was colder and more rigid.
With a simple plan in place, they set their plan into motion.
Lucci and Blueno, former CP9 agents specializing in assassination and kidnapping, wouldn't have much trouble abducting the Celestial Dragons, especially with Enel's help.
The real challenge lay in escaping Mary Geoise without being surrounded and intercepted, while also successfully transporting the Celestial Dragons.
Noir, accompanied by Wyper, headed towards the darkest corner of Mary Geoise.
Their destination was the underbelly of the Holy Land, where all the slaves were kept, imprisoned like livestock.
The Celestial Dragon families, too proud to sully their own estates, had collectively confined their slaves in several prisons in this area, saving Noir the trouble of searching far and wide.
They arrived at a tall gray wall. Two guards, slumped against the entrance, were on the verge of falling asleep in each other's arms.
A cold wind swept through. The guards, lost in their sweet dreams, suddenly felt a chill on their necks. Their eyes closed forever.
Noir, his sword dripping with blood, strode into the prison.
Wyper followed closely behind. A group of guards inside spotted the two intruders and immediately raised their rifles, shouting,
"Alert! Intr.."
Their voices were abruptly cut off. The guards' eyes widened in horror as they froze, their rifles pointed aimlessly at Noir.
Noir smirked, raising one hand while the other covered his mouth. "Shh... keep it down."
Wyper stared at the bizarre scene, his jaw dropping. He looked down at the ground.
One shadow was particularly deep and elongated. From Noir's shadow, several tendrils snaked out, connecting to the shadows of the guards.
"Now... let's put on a little shadow puppet show!"
Noir's fingers twitched. The guards, connected by the shadow tendrils, began to struggle violently. But soon, they lowered their weapons.
They then drew their standard-issue daggers and pointed them at their own comrades.
"N-no...!"
The guards desperately fought against the involuntary control of their bodies, their blood-stained mouths barely managing to form the words.
But Noir was not a merciful man. His shadow flowed and manipulated the guards, forcing them to plunge their daggers into their fellow guards.
Swish!
Thud! Thud!
Blades pierced flesh, blood splattered. The guards' eyes remained wide open in death, their expressions filled with terror and disbelief.
Wyper witnessed the horrific suicide squad in its entirety, a chill running down his spine.
The Captain's strength has reached a level I can't even comprehend…
"Now, let's continue inwards," Noir said, turning to Wyper with a gentle smile.
Under normal circumstances, Wyper would have found the smile comforting. But now…
"Yes, sir!" Wyper quickly replied.
Noir nodded in satisfaction and continued down the dimly lit corridor.
The powers of the Kage Kage no Mi, while sinister, could be incredibly intimidating when used effectively.
The usefulness of a Devil Fruit was primarily determined by its functionality and combat potential.
In terms of functionality, the Kage Kage no Mi and the Soru Soru no Mi could manipulate shadows and souls, respectively, and both could create life. Their combat potential was undeniable.
The two fruits had excellent compatibility, which was why Noir planned to fuse them.
Furthermore, Noir wanted to use this fusion to explore the concept of immortality.
Among the three Devil Fruit types, Zoan represented the physical body, Logia represented elements, and Paramecia represented the laws of the world.
Paramecia abilities were essentially supernatural powers that defied the laws of physics. They allowed the user to create new rules and principles within their own sphere of influence, essentially saying, "My rules are the rules."
Both the Kage Kage no Mi and the Soru Soru no Mi possessed the ability to create and take life. Combining them with research on the Yomi Yomi no Mi might actually achieve true immortality.
Of course, Noir was still young. He had plenty of time to plan for that.
His current priority was rescuing these slaves and then luring the Marines to provide support.
Kizaru's Pika Pika no Mi represented light. Among the Logia types, there were few elements that could counter it. Like Kizaru himself, it was a carefree and elusive element.
What about the Yami Yami no Mi's darkness? It could counter light, right?
But that thing counters everything…
A thought suddenly struck Noir. If light and darkness were fused, what kind of element would his System create?
His mind raced with possibilities. Noir shook his head, bringing his thoughts back to the present, and entered the prison with Wyper.
The dark and damp prison was eerily silent, unlike the usual cacophony of a prison holding criminals. Countless slaves were locked in sturdy cages lining the corridors.
They huddled in the corners, their eyes devoid of light, seemingly unaware of Noir's approaching footsteps. They lay on the ground, silent and unresponsive.
The slaves didn't care who was coming. No matter who it was, some slaves would be dragged out and tortured…
In this life of unending suffering, death had become a merciful release.
But today, true mercy had finally arrived.
"Hello there."
A simple greeting, yet it was like a pebble dropped into a stagnant pond that had been undisturbed for centuries.
A few slaves, those who still had some strength left, looked up. Their bloodshot eyes met the figures of two men.
The man in the lead held a blood-stained sword, and his smile… was incredibly gentle.
At that moment, all the slaves in the prison struggled to lift their heads, their gazes fixed on the young man who exuded an aura of warmth, mystery, and immense power.
Their minds flashed back to the great fire of Mary Geoise years ago.
It was a dream for all slaves, a dream they dared not even imagine. But now, they heard this man whisper,
"If you don't mind… I'd like to cause some chaos with you! And then take you to the vast open sea!"
Shattered hearts were illuminated by a beacon of hope. Crushed spirits and extinguished wills reignited.
The slaves fought back tears, their eyes fixed on this man who seemed like a radiant sun. They choked back sobs and roared in unison,
"Yes!!"
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