Passing through the spatial gate, Eli Winters and his group arrived at Madame Kelly's territory. To their surprise, even though it was well into the night, the district was still ablaze with lights, bustling with activity.
Looking at the busy streets and hearing the constant din of people, Big Pan scratched his head. "Boss, what do we do now? Do we take them all out?"
Eli shot him a glare. "Killing everyone is out of the question. Most of these people are ordinary civilians. If we slaughter them all, the weight of our guilt will be unbearable."
"What should we do then, Eli?" Fiona asked, a hint of uncertainty in her voice.
"We'll seal off this place first, then rescue the civilians who have been captured, and afterward, we'll identify and deal with the gang members," Eli said thoughtfully. "As for distinguishing the gangsters, that's easy. The Judgment Eye will do the work anyone with a red mark above their head, take them out."
Madame Kelly's underground market specialized in human trafficking. Young women of attractive appearance were abducted, trained, and then sold to satisfy the desires of wealthy clients, bringing in immense profits.
Because Eli and his team were covered in blood, they did not appear openly in the streets. Eli first located the exact positions, then used spatial teleportation to arrive directly at the holding area for the civilians.
The moment they arrived, their expressions darkened. They were immediately met with the sounds of girls' screams, pleas for mercy, and the vile laughter and threats of men.
The fury of Big Pan and the others erupted like a volcano, and they stormed in without hesitation. Eli, though equally enraged, remained calm. As the others charged, he quickly used his spatial magic to completely seal off the area, ensuring no word of the situation could leak and jeopardize their plan.
Once that was done, Fiona's angry voice rang out. "You beasts! All of you deserve to die!"
"And you too, how can women be so cruel?" another voice added.
"Don't waste words on them! Kill them all!" Fiona shouted, seething.
Eli entered the building and saw row after row of cages holding naked women. Outside the cages, men and burly women wielded instruments of torture.
Eli's eyes burned with murderous intent. With one hand, he grabbed a man attempting to flee. A single squeeze sent the man collapsing limply to the floor.
After Fiona and the others handled the scum, Eli said, "Fiona, stay here to look after them and find some clothes for them. We'll go to the next location."
There were multiple holding areas, so Fiona would remain behind to care for the rescued women.
"Understood, Eli. I'll take good care of them," Fiona said earnestly.
Eli nodded and led the others to the next site.
Madame Kelly had three main detention sites. At each, after killing the gang guards, one girl from the rescued group was left behind to assist. Once all the captives were freed, Eli transported them to Dragon's territory.
Arriving at Dragon's, Eli paused. "These women have suffered severe physical and mental trauma. Make sure someone helps them recover emotionally."
Dragon nodded seriously. "I'll take care of it. Don't worry."
"Good. Take these as well," Eli said, handing over the treasure they had recovered from the gang. He didn't need it himself, but for someone like Dragon, leading a revolution, such resources were invaluable.
Dragon's eyes widened at the sight of so much gold and treasure. Joy spread across his face as he realized the scale of what he had received. Feeding hundreds of thousands required enormous resources.
"Saint Master, you are too generous!" Dragon exclaimed, shaking Eli's hand vigorously, a broad smile lighting his face.
Eli waved his hand dismissively. "Just take care of them. Consider the treasure my payment for your efforts."
"Rest assured, none of them will suffer under my watch," Dragon said, placing a hand over his chest.
Eli nodded, satisfied. He trusted Dragon, which was why he had left the civilians in his care.
As Eli prepared to use spatial teleportation back to the Sabaody Archipelago, a figure dashed toward him. Focusing, he saw a girl, around fourteen or fifteen, just rescued, tears welling in her eyes.
She ran straight to Eli, fell to her knees with a thud, and trembled as she begged, "Sir, please! You have to save my sister! Please!"
Eli gently lifted her up and spoke soothingly. "Calm down first. Tell me exactly what happened so I can help you properly."
The girl took a moment to regain composure, sniffling as she spoke. "Thank you, sir. My name is Carly, and my sister is Kaya. We were both captured by those villains and held together. Three days ago, they suddenly took my sister away, and I haven't seen her since. I heard they sent her to some special place to serve rich people. Sir, please save my sister!"
Eli's heart ached at her words. He patted her shoulder reassuringly. "Don't worry. I'll find a way to rescue your sister."
With that, Eli's body twisted and vanished instantly, leaving Carly behind, eyes full of hope as she watched him disappear.
Back in Sabaody, Big Pan approached. "Boss, everyone's been rescued. What's our next move?"
"Leave it to me. You don't need to do anything," Eli said quietly. He was the only one who could quickly distinguish the innocents from the guilty. His sharp senses made the task possible.
The others paused, surprised that Eli would act alone, but they said nothing. They trusted his judgment.
Without hesitation, Eli rose into the air, covering the entire District Three with Observation Haki.
His expression calm, his heart burning with killing intent, he struck. Those with red marks above their heads fell one by one. Space blades sliced through the lives of these guilty men and women without mercy.
Chaos erupted as the criminals fell, screams ringing across the district. Civilians flooded the streets, shouting in terror, but Eli ignored them, continuing his ruthless purge.
Madame Kelly, enraged, climbed from her bed. "Ann, get in here!" she shouted.
When no one came, her anger flared. A man on the bed grabbed her, his expression grave. "Something's wrong."
"What do you mean?" she asked, frowning.
"The smell of blood… it's too strong."
Madame Kelly paused, sensing something. "Could it be… them?"
"Possibly. We should check on your sister first. If they're here, she could be in danger," the man said, quickly dressing.
Yet Madame Kelly remained calm, doing nothing.
"Come on, what are you waiting for?" the man urged.
Kelly glared, her voice icy. "You worry about her? Ha. If they come, they'll look for her anyway. Going now would be rushing to death."
The man froze. But isn't she your sister?
Seeing his hesitation, Kelly's tone sharpened. "She caused this mess. If her death will satisfy them, then so be it. Or will you die for her?"
Ashamed, the man relented. "Then we won't check on her. What do we do now?"
Kelly lowered her head, thinking, then raised it, her eyes cold and resolute. "Right now, we only have guesses. First, we need to figure out what's happening."
The man nodded, worried. Together, they carefully stepped out, wary of every sound.
The stench of blood hit them immediately, making their faces pale. They exchanged a glance, seeing terror mirrored in each other's eyes. Despite their fear, they moved quietly toward the source of the screams.
Soon, they saw the horrifying scene: panicked crowds ran through the streets, shouting, "They're dead! Someone's dead! Help!"
Kelly and the man realized from the screams that the dead were more than one, and their deaths were grotesque, heads severed as if by blade.
A single thought struck them both: Run!
They sprinted toward the edge of District Three, but escaping Eli's Observation Haki was impossible. He had deliberately spared them until finishing the others, aware that they were Devil Fruit users with powerful abilities.
As more fell, the streets filled with terrified, sobbing people. It was no wonder they had witnessed heads falling randomly around them. Anyone would break down in such circumstances.
Eli shouted from above, "Quiet, all of you!"
The terrified civilians looked up and fell silent, gazes fixed on him.
Eli spoke again, calm and commanding. "I am Eli Winters, also called the Sky Master. Some of you may have heard of me. For those who haven't, know this: those I have killed were the worst of the criminals. You have nothing to fear. Tomorrow, you will be free."
The civilians murmured, some relieved, reassured by Eli's reputation for fearlessness and justice.
Seeing the crowd finally calm, Eli returned to his team. "The criminals are mostly eliminated. Gather all civilians in District Three, separate the abducted ones, and I'll send them to Dragon."
Big Pan and the others nodded, ready to carry out the instructions.
With that settled, Eli used spatial teleportation to confront the two Devil Fruit users.
Meanwhile, Madame Kelly and her companion, hearing Eli's voice, panicked. Though they suspected it might be Eli due to the earlier commotion, they hadn't believed he dared act until now.
"Damn Shirley," Kelly muttered. She still blamed Shirley for bringing Eli's wrath upon them.
Unbeknownst to her, her death was inevitable, regardless of Shirley.
Suddenly, Eli appeared before them, teasing, "Where are you two going?"
"Eli! How… how are you here?" Kelly shrieked.
Eli didn't answer, unleashing a flawless sequence: spatial confinement, neutralizing Devil Fruit powers, snapping necks, and ending the threat.
Afterward, he sent the remaining rescued women to Dragon. Carly's sister, Kaya, was among them, fulfilling Eli's promise.
"Everyone, back to the ship to rest," Eli said, smiling.
Exhausted, the crew nodded, faces relaxing with satisfaction.
The spatial barriers in District Three and other areas would remain until tomorrow, ensuring no one could escape and compromise their plans.
Back on the ship, after a quick wash, everyone retired to their rooms.