https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-215-The-Strongest-in-Paradise-in-800-Years/12611164/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-217-How-Will-This-Debt-Be-Settled-/12611173/
Chapter 216: Slaves? Talent?
Chapter 216: Slaves? Talent?
The place where Sag was currently located was a slave trading post.
After disembarking, the cadres acted separately, and Sag also began to look for the professional dancer he had been thinking about.
In the lawless zone, there were slaves for sale under every tree on the archipelago, and it didn't take long for Sag to discover one.
It was hard to find crew members, and even harder to find professionals, but when it came to slave traders, they had everything!
"Welcome!" The boss, sitting on a central sofa, lit up at the sight of his visitor, immediately standing up and rubbing his hands together in a greasy smile. "What kind of slave might this esteemed customer be looking for? What talent do you seek?"
"Talent?" Sag scoffed.
"Of course," the boss continued, "this is the talent agency, 'House of Humans.' We have all sorts of talented individuals here."
He sized up Sag from head to toe, his smile widening. "I assure you, you won't be disappointed."
The white-haired man before him was clearly wealthy!
As someone who mingled at the midpoint of the endpoint, aside from slave trading, he had a keen eye for people.
Or, more accurately, he had a keen eye for money.
The red coral bead necklace adorning the guest's neck was from the South Sea, and its vibrant shade indicated that it was a top-notch piece.
The golden engraved bracelet on his left wrist boasted intricate carvings unique to the North Sea and a long-lost crafting technique, making it priceless.
The gems and gold jewelry on his fingers were also of fine make, including a black jade ring with a dragon carving—a masterpiece from the Grand Line with a rich historical heritage.
Even the beads embellishing his leather belt were individually valuable.
Regardless of their origin, it was clear that this man had money!
Sag paid no heed to the obsequious boss and instead began browsing the glass cabinets that lined the walls.
The space was divided into two levels, with glass cabinets separated by partitions. Each compartment held a person, and a price tag hung outside.
The leftmost compartment held a man in a white coat, priced at...
Seventy-nine thousand berries.
That was incredibly cheap.
The purchasing power of berries varied across islands, even under the jurisdiction of the World Government, due to the lack of inter-island communication.
Some places had high prices, while others were more affordable, but there was a degree of uniformity, especially with weapons.
A lousy sword cost fifty thousand berries, and that price didn't fluctuate much from place to place.
Seventy-nine thousand berries—not even enough for a decent sword.
"Sir, this one is from a non-member country, with no human rights to speak of. But he's a doctor, and he could be useful if you fall ill."
"A doctor? A rare talent indeed, and yet so affordable?"
Sag peered at the man in the display window, dressed in a white coat, his face a mask of terror mixed with pleading and desperation, and lost interest.
This person was too weak; just by looking at him, Sag could tell he lacked fortitude. Buying him would serve no purpose.
As Sag continued his perusal, he found no one of interest.
The people here seemed ordinary, with a few pirates among them, but none stood out. After all, the highest price here didn't exceed one hundred and fifty thousand berries.
So, in terms of pirates, they were worthless, with no bounty to their names.
Most importantly, Sag couldn't see any spark of determination in their eyes.
"Nothing here that catches your eye? You're looking for a dancer, a professional dancer who isn't afraid of the high seas and possesses a strong will, am I right?" The boss, who had been trailing Sag, inquired.
"Your talent pool emphasizes affordability, and I'm sure each person's expertise is worth the investment. But as for dancers, may I suggest the woman in the upper row? She has a splendid figure and could be trained as a dancer."
"The boss was keen on making another sale."
His shop was just an ordinary slave store, with fixed prices, and while he might not have had any truly exceptional merchandise, it was certainly sufficient if one merely wanted to purchase a slave for use.
"So there's nothing for you here, huh? You seem quite poor yourself, only having a few tens of thousands of berries. Since you don't have anything, how about satisfying a request from my subordinates instead?"
"A request?"
The boss paused for a moment, then broke into a greasy smile again as he asked, "What kind of 'talent' are my esteemed underlings looking for?"
"Not—"
Sag flashed him a smile. "What I want is heads."
Whoosh!
In that instant, a sword glinted in the air, causing the boss to feel an itch on his neck. He didn't pay it any mind, however, and just as he was about to continue speaking, his vision began to tilt, looking down at the man before him whose eyes now seemed to be gazing at the ground. His vision spun in dizziness before he lost consciousness.
That fleeting sword glint swiftly darted about, causing the head of another man sitting on the sofa to roll off his shoulders. It then flashed through each of the display cabinets in an instant.
Clink!
In just a moment's work, Lily reappeared behind Sag, sheathing her thin sword back into its scabbard with a soft sound. Along with that sound, the glass of the display cabinets shattered, breaking into fragments with smooth cuts that caused the people inside to widen their eyes in shock.
At the same time, Mio and a dozen or so Demon Clan members broke through the central door of the display cabinets, rushing inside to begin their pillaging.
As for the people inside the cabinets, aside from the man in the white coat who, after staring blankly for a moment, quickly took off running, the rest acted as if they hadn't seen a thing, continuing to curl up or lazily lean against the walls within the shattered cabinets.
"Aren't you going to run?" Lily asked in a low voice.
"It's pointless," a somewhat burly man among them replied, glancing at her. "We're all just going to get recaptured. Even without the collars, we'd be found, and then we'd just be caught again."
"I see. So you've lost the will to resist."
Lily nodded, falling silent.
When she had seen the slave traders, she had known that they employed 'oppression'. But she also knew that people had to rely on themselves.
Even when presented with the opportunity to resist or escape, if they didn't cherish it, Lily wouldn't offer a second chance.
She didn't have time to waste here dealing with these people who wouldn't seize the opportunity presented to them. There were plenty more out there who would value such an opportunity and were worthy of having that chance offered to them.
"Wuwuwu, wuwu."
Soon enough, Mio walked out from the door, a small sack slung over his shoulder, clearly filled with berries. There seemed to be a few million worth in there.
"Not bad."
Sag chuckled. "A few million berries from one shop. With twenty-nine shops in total, we should be making off with a hundred million or two."
"Sag."
Lily's eyes narrowed at that moment, a red dot appearing within them as she subconsciously glanced towards the door. "We've got company."
Outside the wide-open door, a cloud of dust kicked up, carrying with it a group of people with vicious weapons and malevolent expressions, drawing steadily nearer.
The Shabondy Archipelago was never short of bounty hunters eager to make a name for themselves and strike it rich. It was only natural that Sag's arrival on the islands wouldn't go unnoticed.
And now, they were here.
"There are just too many people out there who don't understand their place in the world."
Without even glancing towards the door, Sag pulled out a cigar from within his cloak. Mio, for his part, produced a lighter from his pocket, kneeling on one knee as he lit it for him.
"Lily, give me two minutes."
"You won't need that long."
Lily's grip tightened on the hilt of her sword as she eyed the door. "Thirty seconds will do."
(End of Chapter)
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