At the heart of the Hyaku-Rui Fruit plantation.
Karel Heins, the butler from the Celestial Dragon of the Holy Land, Mary Geoise, sat leisurely on a chair made of redwood, toying with a crystal-clear glass in his hand.
"I took a considerable risk this time to remind Saint M'amaya Florence about the Hyaku-Rui Fruit," Karel said, his voice unhurried yet carrying an undeniable pressure. He tilted his head slightly, his hawk-like gaze sweeping over the Crown Prince Nix standing nearby.
This prince, usually arrogant and high-handed, now resembled a humble attendant, fine beads of sweat already dotting his forehead.
Nix immediately plastered on an ingratiating smile, his voice dropping very low. "Understood, absolutely understood. Please rest assured, Lord Karel. When you return, a token of our gratitude that will satisfy you will be presented." As he spoke, he pulled out a handkerchief embroidered with gold thread from his pocket, constantly dabbing at the sweat on his brow.
Amid this delicate atmosphere, a sudden commotion came from the treetops in the distance.
A picker's foot slipped, and the basket brimming with Hyaku-Rui Fruit teetered, about to fall. Each one of these fruits was priceless, a delicacy reserved exclusively for the Celestial Dragons.
"Worthless fool!" Karel sprang to his feet, slamming the crystal glass down on the redwood table with a sharp crack.
Nix's face instantly turned ashen, his lips trembling involuntarily.
At the critical moment, a white figure flashed by like lightning. The CP agent who had remained silent the entire time moved with astonishing speed, catching the falling fruit basket with a breathtaking precision. His figure traced a graceful arc in the sunlight, landing without disturbing a single fallen leaf.
"M-My lord, please calm your anger!" Nix's voice became shrill with tension. "This month's yield is a full thirty percent higher than last year's, certainly enough for Saint M'amaya Florence to enjoy..."
Karel coldly cut him off. "I don't want quantity." His voice was low and dangerous, like the calm before a storm. He walked slowly toward the worker now slumped on the ground, his black leather boots leaving clear imprints in the soft soil, each step seeming to land on the hearts of everyone present.
"Do you know the value of these fruits?" Karel asked from his superior height, his voice terrifyingly soft. "A single one is worth more than your miserable life."
The worker trembled, not daring to look up, sweat already soaking through his coarse cloth shirt. Karel suddenly leaned down, using his white-gloved fingers to pinch the man's chin, forcing his head up. The worker's eyes were filled with terror, his lips quivering incessantly.
"Tell me," Karel's voice was like a snake's hiss, "what was it you nearly destroyed just now?"
"It... it is the sacred fruit to be offered to the Celestial Dragons..." the worker stammered in reply, his voice as faint as a mosquito's hum.
"Good." Karel straightened up coldly and, without hesitation, kicked the worker in the head. After the dull thud of impact, unsatisfied, he delivered several more kicks.
Then he turned to Nix, his expression calm as usual, but the icy chill in his eyes was bone-chilling. "Continue working," he commanded curtly, then added in a lowered voice, "As for this waste... You know what to do."
The workers fell silent as cicadas in winter, mechanically continuing their tasks. No one dared to glance at the curled-up figure on the ground.
Nix nodded repeatedly, another layer of cold sweat beading on his forehead. He gestured for the guards to drag the worker away, his movements clean and efficient—clearly not the first time he had handled such matters. The worker made no sound as he was dragged off, just stared vacantly into the distance, as if already foreseeing his own fate.
The harvesting work continued, but the atmosphere had clearly grown even more tense. The workers picked each fruit with extreme care, terrified of making any mistake. Karel sat back down in his chair, his gaze sinister as he scanned the entire harvesting area. Nix stood to the side, occasionally wiping sweat from his brow but not daring to utter another word.
It was amid this tense atmosphere that the situation abruptly changed.
A guard stumbled over from the distance, his face as pale as paper, covered in a sheen of fine sweat. He gasped for breath, shouting, "Crown Prince Nix, something terrible has happened!" His voice betrayed unconcealed panic.
Nix frowned, a flash of displeasure in his eyes. "What's with this panic? Calm down!" he barked sharply, his voice cold as ice, carrying an air of unquestionable authority.
However, before his words had fully faded, an ear-shattering explosion suddenly rent the sky.
A cannonball trailing a long tail of flame came whistling in, landing with pinpoint accuracy right at the feet of the running guard. With a deafening BOOM, blinding flames shot skyward, and billowing black smoke instantly swallowed the guard's figure.
When the smoke cleared, only a charred crater remained. The air was thick with the acrid smell of gunpowder.
"Mmmahahaha!" Accompanied by a burst of arrogant laughter, Queen descended from the sky, landing solidly not far away. The burly pirate wielded a peculiarly shaped rifle, firing several shots into the air. The bullets cut through the sky with sharp shrieks, as if heralding the start of war.
"Listen up, all of you! This is now a robbery!" His voice boomed like thunder, echoing across the grounds.
"Kill them!" Before Queen could finish, Urouge, Sebastian, and Gavin, leading a swarm of pirates, surged forward.
They brandished all manner of weapons, the glint of blades and swords flashing coldly in the sunlight. Cries of slaughter shook the heavens, surging like a tidal wave toward Nix's position. The pirates' faces were ferocious, their eyes gleaming with a bloodthirsty light. The scene instantly descended into chaos.
"You bastards! This is my time to shine!" Queen cursed loudly, seeing Urouge and the others interrupting his grand entrance. The air grew thick with the heavy smell of gunpowder and a murderous aura, suffocating in its intensity.
Nix's face changed drastically. He immediately drew his sword, the blade gleaming coldly in the sun. "Guards, assemble!" he commanded loudly, his voice carrying unshakable authority. The soldiers quickly formed ranks to meet the enemy, shields interlocking, spears forming a dense forest, creating a solid defensive line.
Karel frowned as he watched the charging pirates, a flicker of disdain in his eyes. He turned to the CP agents behind him. "You, go assist. Don't let the fighting affect the Hyaku-Rui Fruit yield." His tone was flat, as if discussing a trivial matter.
In Karel's view, these pirates from the Four Blues were nothing but rabble, utterly incapable of standing up to the rigorously trained CP. Thinking this, Karel's gaze fell upon the leaders—Queen, Urouge, Sebastian, and the others. When he saw the pure white wings on Urouge's back and the distinct Fish-Man features of Sebastian, a brilliant gleam immediately lit up his eyes.
"Be careful," Karel instructed in a low voice. "I want those leaders alive." The corners of his mouth lifted slightly into a meaningful smile.
Karel was overjoyed in his heart, secretly thinking that if he presented these individuals as slaves to Saint M'amaya Florence, his own position would be absolutely solidified. This thought made his heart beat faster involuntarily, his eyes gleaming with greed.