The Celestial Dragons are the descendants of the twenty kings who founded the World Government 800 years ago. Residing atop the Red Line in the Holy Land of Mary Geoise, they regard themselves as the "descendants of the creators" and claim to be gods.
Under the protection of the Marines and CP0, they enjoy unparalleled privileges, acting with utter disregard for others while viewing people of different races as mere slaves.
Due to the proximity of the Sabaody Archipelago to the Red Line, Celestial Dragons from Mary Geoise occasionally descend to what they call the "lower world."
Their primary objective? Purchasing slaves that pique their interest.
Whenever a Celestial Dragon arrives in the Sabaody Archipelago, even the most ruthless pirates scramble to avoid them.
They neither wish to bow in servitude nor risk being hunted by an admiral.
It's no exaggeration to say that in Sabaody, the Celestial Dragons are an unstoppable force—no one dares to cross them.
That's why Udyr's suggestion for Brook to disguise himself made perfect sense.
After all, a walking, talking skeleton was the rarest commodity imaginable in the slave market.
If a Celestial Dragon were to take an interest, Udyr believed that even the infamous, lawless, and merciless Maude would have no choice but to surrender the skeleton without resistance.
And that was a scenario Udyr did not want to witness.
Not out of reverence for Maude, but because he wished to avoid unnecessary risks.
For someone like him, even being glanced at by a Celestial Dragon was a perilous ordeal.
That was the sheer weight of the Celestial Dragons' influence.
Maude, well aware of their history and power, knew that if he injured a Celestial Dragon in Sabaody, the Navy Headquarters would dispatch an admiral at lightning speed.
That would be far from ideal.
It would also interfere with his plans to become a Warlord of the Sea.
Thus, unless absolutely necessary, Maude had no intention of provoking the Celestial Dragons.
After all, he wasn't Luffy—he didn't have that kind of plot armor or backing.
"Lead the way to Shakky's Rip-Off Bar."
Maude rejected Udyr's suggestion outright. While he wouldn't go out of his way to provoke a Celestial Dragon, he saw no reason to cower either.
Udyr's eyes twitched, his lips quivering as he contemplated pushing his point further. But the moment Maude shot him a glance, he wisely shut his mouth and obediently took the lead.
Lafitte cast a fleeting look at Brook, then turned his gaze to Maude, hesitating to speak.
At a time like this, eliminating potential risks before they could manifest was a prudent choice.
Having Brook wear a disguise was hardly a big deal.
Yet Maude had brushed off the matter completely.
Lafitte found this puzzling.
"Yohohoho! If I disguise myself, do you think I'll shine even brighter than a superstar?"
Brook trailed behind Maude, making an ambiguous remark.
Before setting sail, his greatest concern had been the conspicuous nature of his skeletal body.
He had mentally prepared himself to endure odd stares, but he hadn't anticipated the existence of the Celestial Dragons.
If his appearance put his crewmates in danger, he would be beyond redemption.
Maude turned his head slightly, glancing at Brook with a smirk. "No need for a disguise. But if it's just dressing up, you'd definitely outshine any superstar."
"Ah..."
Brook was momentarily stunned. Just as he was about to say something, Maude had already turned his gaze forward.
"..."
Brook fell silent, vaguely sensing Maude's stance on the matter.
Despite his confusion, he chose to respect Maude's decision and refrained from mentioning disguises again.
Lafitte, observing these subtle exchanges, took note of it.
Forget it.
Maude's decisions were more important than anything else.
Lafitte mused quietly.
The group pressed forward, and before long, a massive Yarukiman Mangrove bearing the number 16 loomed ahead.
"Lord Maude, Shakky's Rip-Off Bar is on Grove 13. We just need to pass through here and cross two more groves to reach it," Udyr explained, glancing at the towering tree.
"Mm."
Maude nodded, his peripheral vision scanning the surroundings.
Someone was watching them.
And it wasn't just one or two people—it was a sizable group.
Lafitte and Gaya also sensed the growing hostility closing in from all directions.
Some of it was overt, some poorly concealed.
"That's him—Maude, the one with a 500-million bounty! And Lafitte at 120 million… plus Gaya at 30 million… Tsk, tsk, their combined bounties exceed 600 million."
"Hey, what's the deal with that skeleton?"
"A moving skeleton?!"
"Maude's crew never had someone like that before, right?"
"Who cares! If we capture it and sell it at the auction house, it'll fetch a fortune!"
From various corners, fierce-looking men locked their greedy eyes onto Maude and his crew as they walked down the main street.
Among them were slave hunters, but the majority were bounty hunters.
If there was one place in the world with the highest concentration of bounty hunters, it was undoubtedly the Sabaody Archipelago.
Every time a pirate with a bounty exceeding 100 million set foot on Sabaody, they received a "warm welcome."
"Let's do this!"
Lured by the prospect of high bounties, the bounty hunters revealed themselves, emerging from all directions to surround Maude's crew.
A sea of heads stretched as far as the eye could see—at least a thousand men.
Udyr, leading at the front, was utterly dumbfounded.
He had expected to encounter some reckless bounty hunters and rival slave hunters en route to Grove 13.
But never in his wildest dreams had he anticipated this many.
In his decade-long career on Sabaody, this was the first time he had witnessed such an overwhelming display—a reception of the highest order…
Then again, it made sense.
Among all the rookie pirates who had ever arrived in Sabaody, Maude was the only one with a 500-million bounty.
Even last year, when Fire Fist Ace caused a sensation in Sabaody, his bounty had been lower than Maude's.
Still…
This was excessive.
"L-Lord Maude…"
Udyr's face stiffened, and his subordinates' legs had already begun to tremble.
"It's fine. They're just garbage."
Maude patted Udyr's frozen shoulder and stepped forward, unbuckling the pristine white pistols at his waist—once mere Bailey, now lethal weapons.
"Garbage, huh…"
Udyr and his men were at a loss for words.
These so-called "garbage" had sent countless pirate crews to their graves in Sabaody.
Brook raised his cane sword, holding it before him with excitement. "A long-awaited battle! It makes my blood boil—even though I don't have any! Yohohoho!"
Eager to prove himself as a new recruit, he was all too ready to fight.
Lafitte and Gaya sensed Brook's determination and remained still, choosing not to engage.
The bounty hunters, their eyes filled with greed, closed in, seeing Maude's crew as a mountain of cash.
"Kill them!"
A voice roared.
The bounty was "dead or alive."
They had no intention of taking Maude alive.
Weapons drawn, they charged.
Maude stood unmoved, guns in hand, watching them coldly.
And then—
Without a single gunshot, without a single movement—
The bounty hunters collapsed like dominoes, unconscious.
In less than three seconds, over a thousand men lay sprawled across the ground, their weapons scattered.
The sudden turn of events left Udyr, his men, and the onlookers in utter shock.
"What… just happened?"
They looked at the fallen hunters, then at Maude's expressionless face.
Was it him?
Just what… had happened?
-------
Want to read waaaay ahead of schedule?
Join here: patreon.com / emperorgarus
There are more than 200 advance chapters available for you!