Chapter 32: Love Within Reach Yet Untouchable

Not far away, before the third-floor window of the hotel, Saint Saint Saiwen took in the entire scene.

In this pirate world where the strong devour the weak, compared to this pair of ill-fated lovers, Saint Saint Saiwen felt he was extremely fortunate.

Though an orphan, he was luckily picked up and raised by the old village head; after the old village head passed, villagers often provided aid, and even though he was frequently bullied by local hooligans, he successfully survived.

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

In just seventeen short years, his life had turned out even more exciting than his previous life.

At this moment, Saint Saint Saiwen possessed not only a physique far surpassing that of the Giant Tribe, but also the Super Great Wazamono, and was a top-tier Logia-type user of the Goro Goro no Mi.

He was also the God of Skypiea and the future Raiden Shogun of Wano Country, that is, Inazuma.

"Praise Brother Tongzi!"

Even though the system was neither intelligent nor possessed an independent will, it did not affect Saint Saint Saiwen's devotion to it; he was not the kind of scum who kicks the pot after eating his fill.

For two consecutive days, Tashigoro always arrived punctually at the iron cage in the morning and evening, using clumsy jokes to make Shi Daila happy.

"Just endure one more night, Shi Daila."

Tashigoro pressed his face close to the iron bars, his voice low but carrying a glimmer of light, "Once the wages are settled tomorrow morning, I will take you away."

"Mm, you rest well."

Tashigoro was born in the slums, with a gambling-addicted father and an alcoholic mother; he himself had fallen into a gambling addiction in his youth. Life was like a murky pool with no visible bottom, the path ahead dim, letting in almost no light.

Yet in his most chaotic years, Shi Daila was like a bright lamp, dispelling the black fog that clung to him and illuminating his lost direction.

For her, Tashigoro quit all his bad habits and began working day and night, with Mengxiang Yixin solely focused on saving enough money to buy her freedom.

Now, hope was right before his eyes.

Tashigoro had never desired time to pass faster; as long as he finished tonight's work, Shi Daila could escape the cage.

The long-awaited happiness was within reach.

That night, Shi Daila tossed and turned, unable to sleep in the iron cage, while Tashigoro worked with boundless energy.

However, at dawn.

The ransom money that should have been gathered was, due to the black-hearted boss's deductions, ultimately short by a portion.

"Boss, please have mercy..."

"I beg you, I beg you..."

A man's knees hold gold, but only when he is not at the end of his road.

Tashigoro knelt on the ground, hoping to receive the black-hearted boss's pity, but he seemed to have forgotten why the boss was called a black-hearted boss.

"Someone, fork him out."

Thrown out like garbage, Tashigoro was tossed from the black-hearted workshop, rolling onto a roadside stall, right before a pair of white canvas shoes.

"I'm sorry." Tashigoro hurriedly apologized.

Those shoes looked expensive; Tashigoro only wanted to gather money quickly and hoped not to create unnecessary trouble.

"It's fine." Saint Saint Saiwen left money for breakfast, stood up, and left at a leisurely pace.

What he had seen and heard over the past two days perfectly confirmed a saying: the hemp rope always breaks at the thinnest point, and misfortune always seeks out the unfortunate; this little bitch of misfortune seemed particularly keen on bullying those pitiful people who had already fallen into the abyss.

Indeed, weakness is the original sin.

The strong will simply draw their swords and pierce the sky.

Tashigoro might think that insufficient money was the ordeal, absolutely unable to imagine that an even greater, insurmountable suffering was just arriving.

The Celestial Dragons, though late, have arrived.

The World Nobles, the Celestial Dragons, reside year-round in the Holy Land of Mary Geoise, enjoying wealth beyond measure and privileges above all without needing to labor.

The Celestial Dragons view themselves as descendants of the gods.

Believing that breathing the same air as commoners would pollute themselves, they isolate the outside air through glass helmets.

With the arrival of the Celestial Dragons at the first island of the Sabaody Archipelago, the entire island was instantly shrouded in deathly silence.

A large number of Marines blocked the streets and maintained order, CP members acted as security, and guards from the Celestial Dragons' families stood close by for personal protection.

On both sides of the street, men and women, old and young, all prostrated themselves on the ground, not daring to even take a deep breath.

An elderly man trembled as he crawled on the ground; children had their mouths covered by their parents, their faces turning red from holding their breath but daring not to cry out; even pet dogs were held down by their owners, their heads pressed firmly against the cold stone slabs.

The majesty of the gods does not allow for direct gaze.

In the center of the street, a fat Celestial Dragon with purple hair and a glass helmet sat on the back of a slave carriage, eyeing Shi Daila in the iron cage by the roadside.

With dazzling golden hair and snow-white long legs, such a woman was something the purple-haired Celestial Dragon had long grown accustomed to seeing.

Yet he had never seen a slave imprisoned in an iron cage whose eyes burned with such bright light—

It was longing for the future, a desire for freedom, and the vitality and hope that had never been extinguished by suffering.

The purple-haired Celestial Dragon split his fat mouth, revealing a cruel and excited smile.

Compared to plundering a beautiful body, personally snuffing out such hope was even more exhilarating.

"Take her back."

A casually spoken sentence, yet carrying an undeniable authority; this was the weight of a Celestial Dragon.

"Yes, Saint Elaine."

In such a situation, no one dared to step forward; even the Marines did not dare to show an angry expression; a few tens of thousands a month was hardly worth risking one's life.

Only Umit, currently watching from within the slave auction house, muttered that things were bad.

"It's over; this is the slave Barzab Saint Saint Saiwen has set his sights on."

Umit was somewhat panicked, but soon calmed down: even a man like Barzab Saint Saint Saiwen would not dare to defy a Celestial Dragon, right?

It should... not be the case.

"This place cannot be stayed in; we must leave immediately." Umit seemed to already see the storm about to strike, sweeping across the entire Sabaody Archipelago.

He dared not defy the Celestial Dragons, not even get close to them; so much wealth remained unspent.

Umit slipped away secretly without looking back.

Before the iron gates of the slave auction house, Tezolo was pinned hard against the rough stone slab by two CP agents, his shoulder blades nearly crushed.

Yet he could only watch helplessly as chains wrapped around Shi Daila's neck and dragged her away.

"Thank you, Tezolo."

"Your sentiment alone makes me happy," Shi Daila said with a brilliant smile. "I truly feel very happy, Tezolo."

"No!!!"

Tezolo thrashed like a madman, but he could not break free from the CP agents' grip, nor from this damn, cruel chain of fate.

"Shi Daila!!!"

Why?

Tezolo's eyes nearly burst as he roared over and over in his heart.

He had already touched the faint light of freedom; he had already gathered the ransom; he had... he had only one step left to take her away from this hell!

Why?!

Why?!

"Oh~" Seeing this scene, Elaine Saint drew her words out long, feeling inexplicably more excited inside. "So they are lovers."

"Ho ho ho, take him away too."

Elaine Saint had already thought of a better game: not only destroy hope, but in front of this man... destroy that damn hope bit by bit.

"Ho ho ho~ Bring him back to the ship quickly."

Step~ step~ step~

The sudden sound of footsteps interrupted Elaine Saint's laughter.

In the alley by the street, Saint Saint Saiwen, with silver hair brighter than snow, his black cloak fluttering in the wind behind him, walked forward slowly with both hands in his pockets.

"Stop right there!"

The Marines aimed their guns ahead and shouted sternly.

Buzz~

Red-black Haki surged like layered ripples across the entire island; the Marines and CP agents who had been on high alert just a second ago all rolled their eyes back and collapsed unconscious.

Saint Saint Saiwen flashed before Tezolo like a ghost: "Oi, want to save her?"

Tezolo gritted his teeth, his eyes bloodshot: "As long as I can save Shi Daila, I am willing to do anything."

"Including your life?"

"Including my life!"

Receiving the answer, Saint Saint Saiwen patted Tezolo's shoulder contentedly: "Watch closely; I'll teach you how to do it."

After taking just two steps, Saint Saint Saiwen suddenly turned around.

"Say thank you."

Tezolo stood stunned for two seconds in surprise, then hurriedly said: "Thank you, thank you, thank you..."

In Tezolo, Saint Saint Saiwen saw those past versions of himself.

He saw the self who worked nine-to-five, muddled through life, who had done nothing wrong yet lived such a bitter life.

He saw the self who was only eight years old, selling fish balls at a stall in Back Sand Town.

He saw the self who was once weak, could do nothing, and could only hide behind the captain.

Without the System, he would have been just as powerless against the oppression of fate as Tezolo.

Since fate has already changed,

then overturn this world.

"Oi, pig with a mask."

The shorter the words, the greater the damage,

especially as Saint Saint Saiwen precisely described the World Nobles, the Celestial Dragons, as pigs, as pigs with masks.

From the moment Saint Saint Saiwen appeared to knocking out the Marines and CP agents, only a few dozen seconds had passed; the Celestial Dragon Elaine Saint had already been shielded behind her family guards.

"Kill him! Kill him quickly!"

Elaine Saint's face flushed red; she clearly could not bear being called a pig with a mask. What's wrong with being a bit fat? Did you eat my rice?!

Two Celestial Dragon guards, their Expression Grows Serious.

"Do you truly intend to make an enemy of the World Government? Elaine Saint hails from the Neron family; she is a noble among the Celestial Dragons."

Saint Saint Saiwen's eyes lit up: "Ah↗ ha↘"

He had thought she was just an ordinary pig like Saint Charlos, but he never expected she would be a big fish: the Neron family... could she be a descendant of Imu?

Then this windfall, Saint Saint Saiwen would take it.