"A reservation? I don't recall having a reservation service here."
Ross calmly asked, as if slaves had any right to choose for themselves.
Either this woman had been booked by some important person, or she was too naive to believe that the slave shop would sell her off easily.
The items displayed in the shop window were basically unsellable stock from slave shops, with price tags just for show.
"Tesoro said he wanted to buy me three years ago, and he should be able to save up the money in the next few days."
After the woman finished speaking, she seemed relieved.
"Tesoro..."
A knowing glint flashed in Ross's eyes; he knew who this woman was.
Gild Tesoro, the future owner of the Gold-Gold Fruit and the future Golden Emperor, would be the richest man besides the World Government.
This person's rise to power was quite dramatic. He was originally a thug who stole money and gambled, but he met his ideal woman in the human trafficking market and was thus reformed. He worked hard to earn money so that his ideal woman could be freed.
Unfortunately, just as he was about to save enough money to buy his beloved, a Celestial Dragon appeared and easily bought her away.
From then on, Tesoro began to turn to the dark side, believing that money could buy everything. He even stole Doflamingo's Gold-Gold Fruit and eventually became the future Golden Emperor.
Tragically, even though Tesoro became the Golden Emperor and one of the richest people in the world, he still couldn't buy revenge against the Celestial Dragons.
If nothing unexpected happened, the blonde beauty in front of him was Stella, Tesoro's ideal woman in the story.
"It is indeed very beautiful."
Stella truly possessed a unique charm that made her worthy of being fought over by future powerful figures and Celestial Dragons.
Aside from her excessively bold and dramatic appearance, her smooth, golden hair, snow-white skin, and overall delicate demeanor all contributed to an irresistible urge to win her over.
It's no wonder that a woman like that could become the star attraction of this slave shop, standing there for three years just to attract customers.
"Guest, what did you say?"
Stella didn't quite hear Ross's words, but Ross's attire, demeanor, and the entourage beside him all indicated that he was a guest who needed to be treated with respect.
"It's nothing, I just wanted to make a bet with you."
"Guest, what kind of bet would you like to make?"
Meeting Ross's ambiguous smile, Stella felt a chill creep into her heart.
But this was a distinguished guest, and Stella had to serve him with a smile.
"How about we bet on whether Tesoro can buy you?" Ross said with a smile.
"Guest, please don't make things difficult for him. I'm willing to go with you!"
Stella's expression changed drastically; before she could think any further, she misinterpreted Ross's meaning.
To her, Ross's words sounded like a threat to Tesoro's life, threatening her to follow Ross.
"No, no, no, whether he's involved or not, you're coming with me today. But before we go, I want to show you a good show."
"If Tesoro can buy you with that money without the slave shops interfering, then I will take you from him and teach him a lesson he will never forget."
"If Tesoro can't buy you even with his money, then you should come with me in front of him. It'll be best if you leave him with an unforgettable memory in front of him—how about that?"
Stella fell silent after hearing Ross's words.
She ignored the part about forcibly taking her away; she had heard such things far too often.
Because she had heard so much, she seemed to have overlooked many details before.
It had been three years. She had been in the slave shop for a full three years.
Over the course of three years, countless people had been attracted to her beauty and charm, including powerful pirates and wealthy businessmen.
But none of these people had been able to take her away.
Was it because they didn't have the money? Or were they not capable enough?
Since neither of those was the case, then it must have been her problem.
Perhaps the slave shop never intended to sell her.
"Why..."
After Stella figured all this out, her face was filled with pain.
Why? She had been captured, enslaved, and forced to leave her home.
Why was there such a bottomless despair behind so-called hope?
Who would... release her from this...?
At that moment, even though Tesoro hadn't brought the money yet, she already knew the answer.
As Ross predicted, even if Tesoro saved up enough money, he wouldn't be able to take her away.
From the very beginning, she was not an ordinary commodity.
At this moment, Stella felt a slight hatred for her appearance. If she didn't have this face, perhaps she wouldn't have been targeted by human traffickers in the first place.
"Yo, Saint Ross?"
Just then, a lazy voice came from the side.
Ross? Was that his name? Stella's mind stirred slightly.
But why include the word 'saint'?
Stella hadn't quite figured it out yet when she looked up and saw a scene that left her stunned.
The once bustling street had become completely silent. A Celestial Dragon wearing an isolation suit walked down the street, and people around him knelt down.
Throughout the entire area, apart from that esteemed Celestial Dragon, only she, Ross, and Ross's entourage did not kneel.
Furthermore, the voice just now had come from that Celestial Dragon.
"Saint..."
Stella seemed to realize something, her breathing became rapid, and her gaze towards Ross turned to fear.
The guest she had just been chatting with was actually a Celestial Dragon!
Thinking of the Celestial Dragons' past reputation and Ross's unquestionable tone, Stella's heart was in complete turmoil.
"Saint Philemon."
Ross simply nodded slightly to the newcomer, as if to acknowledge him.
Saint Topman Philemon was one of those Celestial Dragons who fell somewhere between a lazy bum and an elite, stuck in the middle—not elite enough for top roles, not lowly enough for bottom ones. If it weren't for his grandfather being one of the Five Elders, Saint Topman Warcury, he wouldn't have been much different from Saint Rosward.
Ross used to be on par with his opponents.
Saint Topman Philemon
Overall Rating: A
"I just heard Saint Rosward mention you. I'm leaving now. I'll wait for you to return to the Holy Land so we can fight slaves together. I hope you can pick some good slaves this time."
Philemon laughed heartily, glanced at Stella briefly, then looked away and continued walking deeper into the slave market.
Although Stella's appearance and temperament had been attractive to him, he was a noble Celestial Dragon and a descendant of the Five Elders. How could he possibly compete with another Celestial Dragon for a female slave in public?
She was just a female slave; she wasn't worth his time.
Even after Philemon had gone far away, the entire street remained eerily quiet.
One Celestial Dragon had left, but there was still one Celestial Dragon left.
"So I'm not the blond one after all."
Ross looked away with some disappointment. He had thought he was the blond Celestial Dragon from the Tesoro story, but he hadn't expected there to be someone else.
But thinking about it, it made sense. If Ross hadn't awakened his memories, he wouldn't have come to Sabaody Archipelago in the near future.
"Your Excellency..."
Stella glanced cautiously at Ross. Facing a Celestial Dragon, she didn't dare to even breathe loudly, let alone act as naturally as before.
"Just keep your previous attitude, or I'll kill you."
Ross snapped out of his reverie, raised an eyebrow slightly, and gave Stella a meaningful look.
"Ah...yes, sir!"
Stella immediately sat up straight, kneeling on the display stand, her body tense. It was clear that even if she tried her best to relax, she couldn't be as natural as she had been at the beginning.