Chapter 32: Love Within Reach, Yet Unattainable

Not far away, at the third-floor window of the hotel, Seven took in the entire scene.

In this ruthless pirate world, compared to the doomed lovers, Seven felt he had been extraordinarily lucky.

Though an orphan, he was luckily taken in and raised by the old village chief; after the chief’s death, villagers often gave him aid, and even though he was frequently bullied by local thugs, he survived.

Later, by sheer fortune, he met Captain Roger, awakened his personal system, was invited aboard the ship, and gathered all the items needed to activate it.

In just seventeen years, his life had become even more vibrant than his previous one.

Now, Seven possessed a physique far stronger than that of the giants, a Super Supreme Grade Sword, and was a top-tier Natural Logia Thunder-Thunder Fruit user.

He was also the god of the Sky Island, and the future Lightning General of Wano, known as Daoqi .

“Praise Brother Tongzi!”

Even though the system was neither intelligent nor possessed independent will, it did not diminish Seven’s devotion to it—he was no trash who’d smash the pot after eating his fill.

For two consecutive days, Tazolo arrived punctually at dawn and night to the iron cage, using his clumsy jokes to make Stella laugh.

“Just hold on one more night, Stella.”

Tazolo pressed his face against the iron bars, his voice low but bright, “Once I get paid tomorrow morning, I’ll take you away.”

“Mm, take care of yourself.”

Tazolo came from the slums—his father was a gambler, his mother an alcoholic, and he himself had developed a gambling addiction in his youth. Life was like a bottomless murky pond, the path ahead dark, almost no light penetrating.

Yet in his most chaotic years, Stella became a beacon, dispelling the black fog that enveloped him and illuminating his lost direction.

For her, Tazolo quit all his vices, worked day and night without rest, all he wanted was to save enough money to buy her freedom.

Now, hope was within reach.

Tazolo had never wished so desperately for time to pass faster—once tonight’s work was done, Stella would be free of her cage.

The long-awaited happiness was within grasp.

That night, Stella tossed and turned in her cage; Tazolo worked with boundless energy.

But at dawn…

The ransom money, though nearly complete, fell short due to the heartless boss’s embezzlement.

“Boss, please, have mercy…”

“Please, I beg you, please…”

A man’s knees hold gold—only when pushed to the brink.

Tazolo knelt on the ground, begging for the heartless boss’s pity, yet he seemed to have forgotten why the boss was called “heartless.”

“Someone, throw him out.”

Like discarded trash, Tazolo was flung from the heartless workshop, rolling to a roadside stall, right before a pair of white sneakers.

“Sorry!” Tazolo hurried to apologize.

Those shoes looked expensive—he only wanted to quickly save money, not invite trouble.

“It’s fine.” Seven left the breakfast money, then rose and walked away slowly.

These past two days’ observations confirmed a saying: rope snaps at its weakest point, misfortune targets the wretched—misfortune, this bitch, seemed especially fond of tormenting those already fallen into the abyss.

Indeed, weakness was the original sin.

The strong would draw their blade and pierce the heavens.

Tazolo might think lack of money was the hardship—he could never imagine the greater, unstoppable suffering just arriving.

The Celestial Dragons—late, but here.

The Celestial Dragons, world nobles, resided permanently in Mary Geoise, enjoying endless wealth and supreme privileges without lifting a finger.

They considered themselves descendants of gods.

Believing breathing the same air as commoners would pollute them, they isolated themselves with glass domes.

With the Celestial Dragons’ arrival at Island No. 1 of Sabaody Archipelago, the entire island was instantly shrouded in deathly silence.

Large numbers of Marines blocked streets, maintained order, CP agents served as security, and the Celestial Dragons’ personal guards stood close at hand.

On both sides of the street, every man, woman, and child lay prostrate, not daring to breathe.

Elderly men trembled as they crawled on the ground; children had their mouths clamped shut by parents, faces flushed red but silent; even pet dogs were held down by their owners, heads pressed against cold stone.

The divine majesty could not be looked upon directly.

In the center of the street, a fat Celestial Dragon with purple hair sat atop his slave carriage, studying Stella inside the iron cage.

Golden hair, dazzling; long, snow-white legs—such women were nothing new to the purple-haired Celestial Dragon.

But he had never seen a slave, locked in an iron cage, whose eyes burned with such bright light—

A longing for the future, a thirst for freedom, a vibrant hope never crushed by suffering.

The purple-haired Celestial Dragon grinned, his fat lips splitting into a cruel, excited smile.

Crushing such hope, extinguishing it with his own hands, brought far greater pleasure than merely stealing a beautiful body.

“Take her back.”

A casual utterance, yet carrying absolute authority—that was the worth of a Celestial Dragon.

“Yes, Lord Ilaen.”

Under such circumstances, no one dared approach; even the Marines dared not show anger—ten thousand Berries a month wasn’t worth dying for.

Only Umit, the Maritime King watching from the slave auction house, felt a chill.

“Damn, that slave’s been marked by Barzab Seven.”

Umit panicked, but soon calmed: even a man like Barzab Seven wouldn’t dare defy a Celestial Dragon, right?

Shouldn’t… he?

“This place is unsafe—I must leave immediately.” Umit already saw the coming storm sweeping across the entire Sabaody Archipelago.

He dared not defy a Celestial Dragon—not even by association. He still had too much wealth left to spend.

Umit slipped away without looking back.

At the iron gate of the slave auction house, Tazolo was pinned face-down on rough stone by two CP agents, his shoulder blades nearly crushed.

Yet he could only watch helplessly as chains wrapped around Stella’s neck, dragging her away.

“Thank you, Tazolo.”

“Just knowing you care makes me happy,” Stella smiled brightly, “I truly feel very happy, Tazolo.”

“No!!!”

Tazolo thrashed wildly, but could not break free from the CP agents’ grip, could not break free from this damned, cruel fate.

“Stella!!!”

Why?

Tazolo’s eyes bulged with rage as he screamed silently in his soul again and again.

He had almost touched the light of freedom, had nearly gathered the ransom, had been just one step away from taking her out of this hell!

Why?!

Why?!

“Oh～” Seeing this, Lord Ilaen dragged out his tone, his excitement rising further, “So they’re lovers.”

“Hohoho, take him too.”

Lord Ilaen had thought of a better game—not only to destroy hope, but to crush that damned hope bit by bit, right before this man’s eyes.

“Hohoho～ quickly take them aboard.”

Tap… tap… tap…

Suddenly, footsteps interrupted Ilaen’s laughter.

From a side alley, Seven, his silver hair gleaming like snow, a black cloak billowing behind him, walked slowly forward, hands in his pockets.

“Stop!”

Marines raised their guns, aiming ahead, shouting orders.

Whirr～

Crimson-black Haki surged like ripples across the entire island; the Marines and CP agents, moments ago poised and alert, rolled over with white eyes, unconscious.

Seven appeared like a phantom before Tazolo: “Oi, want to save her?”

Tazolo gritted his teeth, eyes bloodshot: “If I can save Stella, I’ll do anything.”

“Including your life?”

“Including my life!”

Hearing the answer, Seven nodded approvingly and patted Tazolo’s shoulder: “Watch closely—I’ll show you how.”

He took two steps, then suddenly turned back.

“Say thank you.”

Tazolo froze in shock for two seconds, then hurriedly said: “Thank you, thank you, thank you…”

In Tazolo, Seven saw his former self.

He saw the version who worked nine-to-five, numb and aimless, who had done nothing wrong yet lived a miserable life.

He saw the eight-year-old boy selling fish balls at the market in Housha Town.

He saw the weak, powerless version of himself who could only hide behind the captain’s back.

Without the system, he too would have been powerless against fate’s oppression, like Tazolo.

Since fate had changed…

Then let’s overturn this world.

“Oi, you masked pig.”

The shorter the words, the greater the damage.

Especially when Seven precisely described the World Noble Tenglongren as pigs, pigs wearing masks.

From Seven’s appearance to the Marine and CP agents being stunned, only a few dozen seconds had passed; the Noble Elaine Sheng had already been shielded behind his family guards.

“Kill him! Kill him quickly!”

Elaine Sheng’s face flushed red—he clearly could not bear being called a pig wearing a mask. So what if I’m fat? Did I eat your rice?!

The two Noble guards wore grim expressions.

“Do you truly intend to oppose the World Government? Elaine Sheng is from the Nairo Na family, a noble among the Tenglongren.”

Seven’s eyes lit up: “Ah↗ ha↘”

He had assumed this was just another ordinary pig like Charlos Sheng, but never expected it to be such a big fish: the Nairo Na family… Could they be Im’s descendants?

Then this windfall, Seven claimed for himself.