The Holy Land Mary Geoise.
Whoosh whoosh whoosh!
Stella was panting heavily, sweat dripping onto the ground.
At that moment, she could barely move a single finger.
[System]: E-Rank conquest achieved!
[...]
"Not bad, your physique is alright."
Ross stroked Stella's hair with unusual tenderness.
A smile remained on his lips, and he became even happier when he saw the extra blood on the ground.
Ross didn't expect that slave shop to treat Stella so well; they must have prized her highly as their star attraction.
Fortunately, he appeared in time and became her destined master.
Ross easily lifted Stella into his arms; her body seemed light and supple. Stella was already tall, easily over 1.8 meters, and usually had a slender figure and a commanding presence when standing.
However, compared to Ross's average height of over two meters, she instantly appeared petite, like a docile kitten nestled in the giant's arms, looking exceptionally delicate and endearing.
Ross was always willing to offer tenderness afterward to women who satisfied him during the process.
Holding Stella, Ross sat on the newly delivered ten-meter-long bed and let her lean against him.
"Stella, have you ever met the owner of that slave shop?"
"I've met him a few times."
Stella spoke breathlessly, still recovering from her lack of experience and the fact that Ross had lasted so long.
"He was a tall, thin man covered in slime. I heard the person in charge call his name, I think it was Trebol."
Stella answered almost all of Ross's questions without reservation.
Having spent so long in the slave shop, she already knew that her future fate was entirely dependent on the master who bought her.
Becoming a Celestial Dragon's slave had both advantages and disadvantages.
She lacked the wisdom and ability to consider these things; all she wanted was to serve Ross well.
Since realizing that freedom was a luxury for a woman like her, Stella's only hope had been to simply live a good life.
"Trebol... So it was him. I was wondering who had such a grand vision."
Ross raised an eyebrow, somewhat understanding.
Trebol was one of Doflamingo's executives, and almost half of the future slave industry in the Sabaody Archipelago would be related to Doflamingo.
But that was more than ten years later. Ross never imagined that Doflamingo would already be setting up his scheme in the Sabaody Archipelago.
However, given Doflamingo's ruthless nature, it wasn't surprising that he did this.
Ross actually admired Doflamingo quite a bit; he was skilled and intelligent, and if Luffy hadn't interfered, he would have fared pretty well.
Unfortunately, this was a world where strength and birth mattered. Doflamingo had a good background, but unfortunately, he had stupid parents, which led to his Celestial Dragon status being erased.
With Doflamingo's talent, coupled with a relatively weak String-String Fruit, he could only become a Shichibukai or a local tyrant in a member country; becoming one of the Four Emperors was simply out of the question.
However, Doflamingo could make use of this time period, at least his connections were still quite good.
Ross held Stella in his arms, his mind preoccupied with the possibility of collaborating with Doflamingo.
The Celestial Dragons possessed almost everything in the world, but they did so through the World Government.
If the Five Elders or Im were to strip them of these privileges, the Celestial Dragons would be nothing more than lambs to the slaughter, and Ross certainly didn't want to live such a miserable life.
Now that they had become Celestial Dragons, they couldn't possibly be worse off than the other Four Emperors who started as pirates.
You needed influence, and you also needed strength.
The task was arduous and the road ahead was long.
...
Three days later.
Ross was practicing his swordplay.
The system only provided skills and physical strength; when to use which move was up to him to figure out.
Moreover, he wouldn't rely entirely on the system; he would improve as much as he could on his own.
At that moment, Stella, dressed in a smart secretary's uniform, rushed in. She was wearing black stockings and a bodycon skirt, and her figure was graceful.
"Master, CP0 Instructor Zephyr requests an audience."
Stella bowed respectfully, her tone slightly awkward.
Her long, straight legs, clad in stockings, were exceptionally alluring. The tight-fitting design of her secretary's uniform accentuated the full curves of her chest, making it seem as if she might break free from the constraints of her clothing at any moment.
"Let him in."
Ross was delighted to hear that Zephyr had arrived. He stood up and casually patted Stella on the shoulder.
After changing her environment, Stella became even more charming than when they first met, radiating an indescribable allure.
Previously, in the slave shop, Stella could only obtain basic life protection.
But with Ross, everything got the best treatment.
"Yes, Master!"
Stella looked at Ross with tenderness in her eyes and hurriedly left the palace.
For the past three days, she had basically become Ross's mouthpiece and had tried on various outfits, something she would never have dared to imagine before.
This kind of life was already better than the life she most desired.
She would cherish her current life and the love Ross had for her!
Soon, Stella led Zephyr in, and behind them, a dozen or so women were struggling to drag several large suitcases.
"Put your things down and stand to the side."
Zephyr casually remarked, and the women quickly put down their suitcases and stood obediently to the side, their every move filled with nervousness.
They were the families of the Marines who had been bought by Ross, and now they were considered cleaning staff in Ross's palace.
"Here is 5 billion Berries, and I've brought the person with me."
Zephyr, dressed in a white CP0 suit, didn't show Ross much respect, speaking to him in a normal tone.
Ross didn't care. No matter how high the Celestial Dragons' status was, it only worked on law-abiding people. Strength was the key to making people bow down.
"Just leave it there. The Marines should have made quite a haul this time."
Rosward alone cost 4.1 billion Berries, and the Marines were willing to round it up to 900 million, which only showed that the Marines made even more money.
"About 3 billion Berries in cash, mainly various kinds of slaves. If we hand them over to the World Government, they'd probably be worth 4 billion Berries," Zephyr said calmly.
Zephyr spoke of slavery without any sense of guilt.
Ross had initially been somewhat confused and worried about potential conflicts with the Marines, but after reviewing his memories, he no longer had any concerns.
The Marines represented justice, that was true, and Zephyr certainly had justice in his heart too.
But the moral standards in this world were really not very high.
In a world where strength determined everything, talking about equality was a joke.
In almost everyone's mind, the slave trade was something that everyone encountered from birth, and there was no question of justice or injustice about it, just like working as a beast of burden for a boss was considered normal.
This kind of understanding had existed for hundreds of years.
The justice that most Marine personnel believed in was merely to combat pirates, prevent large-scale burning, killing, and looting, and consolidate the rule of the World Government, rather than to combat human trafficking and build a harmonious society.
This was similar to how ancient government offices would regulate murder and arson but not ordinary people buying concubines or maids.
Standing alongside these non-modern people from the One Piece world, Ross felt he was a moral paragon.