"You coward. Shut up!"
Normally silent, Elvis finally exploded in fury after hearing Nick's words. Years of suppressed anger suddenly erupted.
"Calm down, Elvis! The Celestial Dragons are not people we can afford to offend!
Amelia is my daughter, do you think I don't hate myself every day? But I just don't want to lose you too!"
Nick clutched his face and crouched in the corner of the cell, tears falling freely as his frail body curled in on itself.
He knew exactly why Elvis was so angry. There had been several times Elvis had tried to sneak away, intent on rescuing Amelia.
If Nick hadn't threatened to kill himself, Elvis would've acted long ago.
Over the years, Nick had treated him like a son, and Elvis had always been grateful. Seeing him so helpless now, Elvis said no more and simply sat beside him in silence.
The other villagers, aware of what had happened to Nick's family, offered quiet condolences before settling down themselves. The prison cell fell into an eerie silence.
….
Hearing approaching footsteps, the brooding Elvis lifted his head and saw a tall figure standing before him.
"Do you need something?"
Elvis recognized the man, one of the guests from the restaurant, dragged into this mess by Harvey's orders.
Though he was in a foul mood, Elvis still spoke politely. After all, these people were only imprisoned because of him.
"I've heard your story. Nick is right. With your strength, you wouldn't even get close to a Celestial Dragon, let alone rescue Amelia."
Ashen spoke bluntly, showing no mercy in his assessment.
Elvis opened his mouth to retort but said nothing. Deep down, he knew Ashen was right.
For the past year, aside from helping at the restaurant, he'd done nothing but gather information on the Celestial Dragons. His room was plastered with clippings about them and Mary Geoise.
But being from a backwater village like Rose Village, all his intel was publicly available, no secrets, no classified insights.
Still, even through those shallow reports, he could see the sheer gap between himself and the Celestial Dragons. To them, he was no more threatening than an ant.
"What's wrong, Elvis? Why so quiet?
Have you given up? Are you really not going to save Amelia?"
Ashen prodded him, but seeing Elvis still mute, he lost interest and turned to leave. "I thought you had the guts to defy fate. Looks like I was wrong. You're just another coward."
"I'm not a coward! One day, I'll kill every last one of those Celestial Dragons, and burn this filthy kingdom to the ground!"
Elvis roared, voice hoarse with emotion, startling the half-asleep prisoners around him.
Buzz!!
Ashen unleashed his Conqueror's Haki, knocking the villagers and Nick unconscious once more as they tried to rise.
"No need to wait for 'one day.' How about the day after tomorrow?"
Ashen stopped mid-step, lips curling into a smirk. "If I bring a Celestial Dragon right to your feet, would you have the guts to kill him?"
"Of course!"
The words shot out of Elvis's mouth before he even thought about them. Strangely, he didn't doubt Ashen's claim one bit.
"Good. Then it's a deal."
The next afternoon, Harvey arrived at the prison. Seeing Elvis looking so worn down only made him feel even more smug about his choices.
"Hehehe! Elvis, good news. The Celestial Dragon visiting tomorrow is the same one who took Amelia.
I hear he's very pleased with her, and this time, he's using her as the standard to pick more beauties! Hahaha!"
Harvey laughed triumphantly, then left without waiting for Elvis to reply.
Bang!
Elvis punched the wall in rage. "That bastard… I'm going to kill him!"
He understood the threat, loud and clear. If he didn't perform as expected tomorrow, the Celestial Dragon might take it out on Amelia.
"Just wait for tomorrow, Elvis. Our deal still stands."
The next day came quickly. As dawn broke, the entire Perfume Kingdom capital burst into activity.
The streets were scrubbed spotless.
All plainly dressed citizens were locked in their homes. Flowers were laid out in thick layers along the roads, from the city gates all the way to the royal palace.
King Ross and his nobles waited nervously for hours before the Celestial Dragon's entourage finally arrived.
"O Great Saint Quentaro! To honor your visit, I've prepared a special performance just for you!" King Ross said obsequiously to the seated Celestial Dragon.
"Oh? Let's see it, then."
Saint Quentaro wasn't expecting much. As a Celestial Dragon, there wasn't much he hadn't seen, but he had a decent impression of Ross, so he allowed it.
Ross gave Harvey a look. Harvey understood immediately and left his seat.
Soon after, guards carried in a mobile stage. On it stood a young man, his ankles chained, a brand-new guitar in hand.
It was Elvis.
When Elvis saw the woman behind Quentaro, he froze, it was Amelia.
But then he remembered his promise to Ashen. Swallowing his emotions, he began to play.
Dun~ Dun-dun!
As the guitar chords rang out, the palace filled with a heady fragrance.
"That's the smell of roses… now it's jasmine! Incredible!"
The gathered nobles beamed, enchanted by both the music and the drifting floral scents.
"I want this one."
Even Quentaro took an interest in Elvis. Behind him, Amelia trembled slightly, eyes wide with fear, on the verge of tears, but she dared not cry. She simply stared at Elvis, worried sick.
"No problem! He's a slave prepared just for you!" King Ross grinned, casting a look of approval at Harvey. Clearly, he was pleased.
"This next song," Elvis said after the first performance ended, turning toward Harvey, "is dedicated to my dear brother Harvey. I hope he enjoys it."
For some reason, Harvey felt a twinge of unease under Elvis's gaze.
🎵
"You ain't nothin' but a hound dog!Cryin' all the time!"
"You ain't nothin' but a hound dog!Cryin' all the time!"
"Well, you ain't never wrote a song….."
🎵
As Elvis twisted and danced onstage, his voice rich with mockery and fire, Harvey's face contorted with rage.
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