The woman wore a light blue, off-the-shoulder dress, her long golden hair flowing over her shoulders, seemingly unaware of her current predicament, a faint smile still gracing her face.
"Bring her out for a look."
Blake gestured, and the shop owner, who had been kneeling at the storefront, hastily ran in, brought the blonde woman out, and both knelt before Blake.
"What is your name?"
The woman lowered her head, not daring to look Blake directly in the eye:
"Celestial Dragon Lord, my name is Stella."
"Stella, huh…"
Blake repeated softly, having already recalled who the woman before him was.
Although Stella only appeared in the theatrical version, and that too in a flashback, Blake had a deep impression of her, so it was no wonder he found her familiar even after transitioning from 2D to 3D.
The young Gild Tesoro and Stella became acquainted through music. Tesoro desperately earned money to rescue her from a Slave trader, but just as he was about to save enough, he encountered a Celestial Dragon who also wanted to purchase Stella.
After Stella was bought by the Celestial Dragon, she was treated as his personal property and subjected to inhuman torture, dying an untimely death in just three years.
Before her death, Stella told Tesoro that she "felt happy because of his existence."
This experience propelled Gild Tesoro down a path of darkness, eventually leading him to become the Golden Emperor, who controlled 20% of the world's wealth.
Of course, this was not the main reason Blake had such a deep impression.
The reason she felt familiar was because Stella left behind a world-renowned painting when she was taken away.
At that time, Stella was dressed in a soft blue gown, its skirt rippling like water, appearing cool and melancholic, forming a stark contrast with her pale face.
Her golden hair was gently lifted by the sea breeze, with faint warm light subtly emerging from its tips, as if gilded with an amber hue by the afterglow of the setting sun.
A collar was around her neck, the other end of the rope held in the Celestial Dragon's hand, the collar constricting her throat, yet the corners of her mouth were still upturned.
It was a smile of almost devout reverence, her eyes slightly closed, as if murmuring some prayer, or like the sensation of wind brushing past her ear.
There was no resentment on her face, only a gentle smile that was almost sacred, as if pain, humiliation, chains… none of it mattered.
When Blake saw this picture back then, the sense of brokenness brought a very strong psychological impact, and even after so many years, it remained vivid in his memory.
The Stella before him still kept her head down, her expression unseen.
Blake slowly spoke:
"This Slave is good. She'll do."
Saying this, he waved his hand behind him, and immediately a maid stepped forward, pulling the overjoyed owner to discuss the price.
For the shop owner, even the slightest connection with a Celestial Dragon could bring him immense benefits.
"Untie her collar."
Blake gave the order, and a CP agent swiftly made a move, causing the collar to immediately fall to the ground.
Although the CP agents in the original work seemed like comedic characters, in reality, all CP agents are carefully selected cultivation geniuses; a pirate with a bounty of over a hundred million might not be able to defeat them in a one-on-one fight.
It's just that the opponents they usually encounter are monsters, which makes the CP agents seem like minor characters, like background props.
Having acquired a Stella on this outing, Blake was already content. He planned to return to Mary Geoise before dark.
Blake was well aware of the Celestial Dragons' image in this world. Before his strength reached the level of a Marine Headquarters elite Vice Admiral, Blake had no intention of loitering on the high seas, as it would make him feel very insecure.
Once he possessed the strength of an elite Vice Admiral, only a few individuals like the Four Emperors and the Shichibukai could harm him.
And pirates of that caliber usually weren't hotheads; they clearly understood that opposing a Celestial Dragon was a thankless task and would consciously steer clear… Just after Blake's sanctuary left Sabaody Archipelago.
In Area 16, Tesoro stood blankly before the floor-to-ceiling window, watching an unfamiliar Slave take Stella's former place.
"Congratulations, Raoul, I didn't expect the quality of your Slaves to be so high that it would attract a Celestial Dragon Lord personally."
"Oh, no, no… you flatter me, you flatter me…"
Listening to Raoul's feigned reserved laughter, Tesoro's heart sank to rock bottom.
He rushed frantically to Raoul, grabbing his collar, and shouted loudly:
"What did you just say? Where is Stella?"
Raoul was startled by his actions and, seeing Tesoro's bloodshot eyes, felt a panic.
Immediately, Raoul's anger surged. A lowly fellow dared to shout at him and make him lose face in front of so many peers.
"Men! Seize him!"
Slave traders were all sinister and ruthless individuals, employing a group of Slave dealers.
No sooner had Raoul's words fallen than a group of burly men rushed out from behind him, immediately pinning Tesoro to the ground without a word.
Raoul stepped on Tesoro's head with his foot:
"You want to know where that female Slave went? I'll tell you. She was bought by the esteemed Celestial Dragon Lord. You lowly fellow, you can never imagine the greatness of the Celestial Dragon Lord, but you can experience what it feels like to be a Slave! Take him away!"
...Even without encountering a Celestial Dragon, Tesoro still returned to his original fate.
Fate works in mysterious ways.
Blake, who had already returned to Mary Geoise, naturally did not know what happened afterward.
Even if he knew, he wouldn't care.
Due to some experiences in his previous life, Blake had an almost extreme obsession with the idea of "everyone sweeps the snow from their own doorstep and doesn't bother with the frost on others' roofs."
He was well aware that his empathy was slightly weaker than that of an ordinary person, which was also an important reason why Blake was able to quickly adapt to the identity of a Celestial Dragon.
Even after two lives, his fundamental character had not changed.
Similarly, Blake only thought about taking advantage after the Nika War against Imu and never considered changing this world.
"There isn't much in this world that needs changing; it would be perfect if the person on the throne were replaced with me."
...Upon returning to his residence, the maid took Stella away to brand her with the Slave mark known as the "Heavenly Dragon's Hoof." Blake enjoyed his hundred-dish dinner while watching song and dance.
Regarding Stella, Blake was still very interested.
To him, the people around him were all nameless NPC passersby in the original work. It was rare for a named character to appear, so he naturally paid more attention to her.
But there was no rush. Although Stella always wore a smile, her heart must be anxious right now. He would let her calm down for a while first.
After all, Blake was not entirely like those brutal Celestial Dragons; at least, he didn't intend to find pleasure in torturing Slaves… After dinner, Blake exercised in the courtyard, instructed the guards to temporarily house the newly purchased mermaids in the swimming pool, and then had them inform the artisans to build a giant fishbowls (helmets).
Blake felt that his estate would have many mermaids in the future.
After giving all the instructions, Blake finally returned to his room and lay on the bed.
"System! Activate!"