Month XX, Day XX
Our number of "wives" has increased.
When I was told I'd be made a "wife" and was brought here, I was labeled the 27th Consort and locked up. Now, the 28th Consort has arrived at the mansion.
This newcomer, who's kind of my junior(?), seems to have been brought here through some rather unpleasant circumstances. She's been utterly despondent since her first day.
As usual, she's quite beautiful, but she's radiating an overwhelming sense of tragic despair. The atmosphere around her is oppressively gloomy.
Well, considering we were all practically kidnapped—or outright abducted, for that matter—and brought to this place, it's hardly surprising she's in such a state.
I haven't asked about the details (the atmosphere wasn't conducive to such inquiries), so I don't know much. But I sincerely hope she manages to pull herself together soon.
I know it's awful to tell someone who's been kidnapped to "just get over it," but... still, that's what I think.
After all, as a "wife" in this mansion, she needs to be at least glamorous enough to please Saint Banosakka's eyes. Otherwise, things will only get worse for her.
I just hope she can at least refrain from giving him those resentful looks.
I don't even know her name, so I'm not sure what to call her. But as her senior "wife," even if by just one rank, I'd like to look out for her a bit.
Though, of course, only to the extent that it doesn't bring trouble down on me.
Even I have my limits when it comes to sacrificing myself for others.
I value my own well-being too much.
Month XX, Day XX
I've often heard that Saint Banosakka, our "husband," is considered one of the better Celestial Dragons.
He's not as absurdly kind as Donquixote Homing from the original One Piece, but he doesn't needlessly torment slaves or servants either. Though we're treated more like pets, he still provides us with a decent life.
The extent to which Celestial Dragons indulge in "abusive" hobbies—or find their kicks elsewhere—seems to vary greatly.
When other Celestial Dragons visit the mansion, they often bring slaves bearing clear signs of abuse. I've even witnessed such acts firsthand a few times, though thankfully only through the window.
It's strange, isn't it? Even though we're hardly treated like human beings, a part of me can't help but feel lucky to have been taken in by him.
Still, Saint Banosakka often reminds us that he's a Celestial Dragon.
He throws his slaves and "wives" around on a whim, without a second thought for our feelings.
Today was one of those days.
As I've said before, we "wives" are essentially ornamental pets, here to amuse Saint Banosakka. That's why we're usually given sexy dresses or similar outfits to wear.
But today, for some reason, all our clothes had been replaced with... something even more revealing than usual, like dancers' costumes.
It was practically naked, a design that barely covered the essentials. Dancing in it would almost guarantee a wardrobe malfunction with the slightest movement—it looked like something straight out of a strip club.
It was even more revealing than the outfits Nami and Vivi wore in the Alabasta Arc of the original One Piece. Each costume seemed custom-made to fit the individual's body, with subtle design variations.
The senior staff wore expressions that said, "Oh, here we go again." When I asked what was going on, they explained that this happened occasionally. Saint Banosakka would sometimes dictate our attire based on his mood or current obsession. Past examples included bunny girl outfits, swimsuits, cheongsams, and nurse uniforms.
We've had some strange themes before, like Amazonian barbarian furs or Marine uniforms.
But this time, for some reason, Saint Banosakka's latest obsession seemed to be dancer's costumes.
Honestly, they were a bit restrictive, but I couldn't really complain, so I just resigned myself to it.
Some of the more robust senior wives immediately started dancing with seductive, dancer-like movements, swaying and writhing to entertain Saint Banosakka, who was watching from the window below.
...Then I noticed one person who wasn't just "dancer-like" but looked strangely authentic. Turns out she used to be a professional dancer, which was a bit of a surprise.
Since we had her here, I asked her about her experiences and even got a dance lesson. Several of us wives, including me, took the lesson half-jokingly and tried out some moves.
It was a nice change of pace, and surprisingly fun.
Month XX, Day XX
I woke up with sore muscles.
It must be from the dance lesson—I used muscles I never normally use, and in ways I'm not used to.
Goddamn it.
...Or maybe it was forcing those improvised martial arts commercial-style moves into the routine that did it.
...I wonder if anyone even gets that reference.
Still, even though I was using my muscles in unfamiliar ways, I thought I was in pretty good shape... Has this sedentary lifestyle been making me sluggish?
I need to find a way to work out... It's a waste to have gotten this strong and let it fade away.
Month XX, Day XX
Today was unusually tense and unpleasant.
Saint Banosakka visited the Separate Residence, accompanied by another Celestial Dragon.
They'd all gathered to gawk at us in our dancer costumes.
I'd heard this kind of thing happened, but if they had to stare, couldn't they at least do it from behind a window? Stressing out pets too much is bad for their health, both body and mind.
This Celestial Dragon's face was even uglier than Saint Banosakka's—downright hideous, to be honest. He was staring at us with this lecherous glint in his eyes, and it was hard to keep a poker face and not look disgusted.
My strong-willed wives didn't let it bother them. They just kept up their usual routine with practiced smiles.
We hid the wives who were too mentally fragile to handle it or who couldn't hide their discomfort. Poker faces don't come naturally to everyone.
Normally, their reactions wouldn't be a big deal. But with a Celestial Dragon other than Saint Banosakka this close, it could have been fatal.
Fortunately, we managed to get through this time without any major incidents.
I was half-expecting him to pull some stunt like, "I want that woman! Hand her over!" But nothing like that happened.
I always thought Celestial Dragons were completely unchecked in their cruelty, but maybe they're more restrained when dealing with each other?
After the Celestial Dragon entourage left, we all let out massive sighs of relief, congratulating each other on surviving and offering comfort. "Good work..." we muttered, exhausted.
Month XX, Day XX
My wives have dwindled.
Apparently, Saint Banosakka divorced them because he "got bored." Three of my senior wives have been returned to the status of commoners.
But this isn't something to mourn—just a little lonely. It's actually something to celebrate. They managed to escape Mary Geoise without any serious trouble.
Considering I'll never set foot in my homeland again, and slaves are constantly dying in this Holy Land, I suppose I'm lucky enough. I just hope I can return to my family someday and live happily.
By the way, this incident changed my ranking... I became the 24th Consort.
Well, technically, everyone else's ranking changed too, not just mine.
...So this happens every time the senior consorts "graduate," huh? It's going to be a pain trying to remember who's the nth consort each time...
Month XX, Day XX
Several of the wives from the Separate Residence were summoned to the Main Residence.
But not for any actual work. We were simply told to stand around and act as decorations, like living ornaments or interior design pieces.
...It seems they've completely abandoned any pretense of treating us like human beings.
Apparently, this happens occasionally. We just have to stay put until the guests leave.
Standing perfectly still like a statue was surprisingly difficult.
The Saint Banosakka dancer craze seemed to be over, as the girls had already returned to their usual sexy dresses.
Still, I figured if all I had to do was stand around, it would be an easy gig... or so I thought.
Unexpectedly, I was the only one assigned a small task.
It all started when a Celestial Dragon came to visit and decided to make his slaves perform for entertainment. And what kind of entertainment? Devil Fruit abilities, of course.
These sea treasures, worth at least 100 million Berries—sometimes hundreds of millions or even billions on the market—were reduced to mere party tricks in the hands of a Celestial Dragon.
One Ability User, transformed into a cat-human hybrid, jumped through flaming hoops.
Another, whose body hardened like steel, endured a barrage of knives and iron balls hurled relentlessly against him.
Two human girls had been transformed into snakes and were dancing alongside a beautiful black-haired girl, putting on a show like a snake charmer's act. They were basically using Ability Users as living entertainment.
Then Saint Banosakka suddenly remembered I was an Ability User too and dragged me into the performance.
My "act" was simple: I removed my Sea Stone accessories, a burly male slave swung an axe at me with all his might, everyone thought I was dead, but then I turned into paper and was perfectly fine—just a one-trick gag.
Even though I knew I'd be okay, watching that slave wind up with the axe right in front of me was still a little terrifying.
And seeing the Celestial Dragons watching with bright, gleaming eyes, clearly enjoying the spectacle... that was genuinely unsettling.
Well, at least the day ended without any further incidents.
...Ever since that bizarre hidden talent show, I'd been wondering about something. During the snake act, there was this black-haired beauty and two other girls... Could they be the Gorgon Sisters?
The two performers playing the snakes even looked like a King Cobra and an Anaconda...
Hancock, Marigold, and Sandersonia... Had they already been captured?
...If I ever get the chance, I thought, maybe I could help them somehow. After all, Shakky and the rest of the Kuja had always been good to me.
Month XX, Day XX
One of my wives "graduated."
Unfortunately, this time it wasn't as smooth a departure as the last one.
It was also another painful reminder that Saint Banosakka was, after all, a Celestial Dragon.
What happened? The "gift" I'd been dreading all along.
Saint Banosakka was close to another Celestial Dragon family, and their son had just celebrated his birthday. For his gift, the boy had apparently asked for one of the "wives" from this Separate Residence.
Feeling generous on the special occasion, Saint Banosakka granted the boy his wish.
I wasn't the one chosen; it was one of the senior wives.
She preferred solitude, so we hadn't spoken much.
When she learned she was being given away as a "gift," her face twisted in despair. But she had no choice. Urged by the servants, she left the Separate Residence.
There was nothing we could do. We simply stood there in silence and watched her go.
If only she could be treated well, if not as well as we are here... At least not be mistreated. I hoped she would be cherished.
I knew it was unlikely, but I tried not to dwell on it.
To be continued...