"Angelina, I'm definitely going to win first place at the ball!"
On the eve of the grand performance, a girl who had always harbored a small grudge against Angelina deliberately provoked her, hoping to shake her confidence before the competition.
"…"
Angelina gave no response.
She simply stood there in silence, her beautiful eyes unfocused as though her thoughts had drifted far away from the luxurious hall surrounding her.
The orchestra began to play.
Elegant melodies echoed throughout the magnificent ballroom as the young girls stepped onto the stage one after another.
None of them had yet reached sixteen years of age.
They were all in the brightest years of their youth.
Beneath the dazzling crystal chandeliers and golden lights, every dancer appeared radiant.
They smiled gracefully.
They twirled effortlessly.
To the nobles watching from below, they resembled blooming flowers arranged solely for their entertainment.
"What's her name?"
Saint Casrot narrowed his eyes the moment he noticed one particular dancer standing out from the rest.
Even among dozens of beautiful girls, she was impossible to ignore.
He casually questioned the official responsible for organizing tonight's performance.
"Yes, Your Excellency Saint Casrot."
The official immediately lowered his head respectfully.
"Her name is Angelina."
He had memorized the names of every one of the sixty girls performing tonight, fearing that even the smallest mistake before a Celestial Dragon would cost him his life.
On the stage, Angelina moved like an elegant white swan gliding across a tranquil lake.
Every turn…
Every graceful step…
Every gentle movement of her arms…
It all flowed together with the music so naturally that she appeared less like a human dancer and more like a celestial fairy descending into the mortal world.
The audience was captivated.
For a brief moment, countless eyes were fixed entirely upon her.
Bathed beneath the spotlight, she seemed brighter than anyone else.
Yet no one noticed the faint trails of tears that had already dried upon her cheeks.
"I will do everything I can to escape this place."
For the first time since arriving at the Holy Land, Angelina's determination had become completely unwavering.
Everything around her appeared magnificent beyond imagination.
The luxurious palace…
The priceless decorations…
The endless feasts…
The extravagant clothing…
None of it belonged to ordinary people.
Everything existed solely for the pleasure of the World Nobles.
Those arrogant Celestial Dragons…
Those depraved monsters…
Those men who treated women as nothing more than collectibles…
Their greedy gazes were never concealed.
Their eyes wandered shamelessly across the girls dancing before them.
To them, these young lives were nothing more than possessions.
Nothing more than toys.
Nothing more than disposable objects meant to satisfy their desires.
Hidden behind the dazzling lights, it felt as though countless ghostly green eyes watched from the darkness.
They mocked them.
They laughed at their ignorance.
They celebrated the fact that every beautiful performance brought another innocent girl one step closer to despair…
One step closer to destruction…
One step closer to death.
My name is Angelina.
I come from the North Blue.
Ever since I was little, I have loved music.
I loved dancing even more.
My mother was a dancer.
Because of her, I fell in love with performing on stage.
My dream was simple.
One day…
I wanted to stand before countless people and bring happiness through my dancing.
But fate was cruel.
When I was only twelve years old, I was kidnapped by human traffickers while playing near the beach.
That single day destroyed my entire life.
I was separated from my family forever.
I was taken across the sea.
Eventually…
I was sold into slavery on the Grand Line.
Ironically…
The dream I had cherished my entire childhood had finally come true in this terrible place.
She now danced upon the grandest stage she had ever seen.
She wore a gorgeous crimson dress that required almost no decoration because her own elegance surpassed every ornament.
Every movement drew applause.
Every graceful spin captivated the audience.
Yet every step also pushed her deeper into the nightmare from which there seemed to be no escape.
As the final note faded away, the applause echoed throughout the ballroom.
Angelina slowly lowered her head.
Then she heard someone call her name.
"Are you called Angelina?"
"Yes… Saint Casrot."
Inside the luxurious manor.
"Sister, besides a few maids, there's only a single guard watching the entrance."
"I'll enter through the window."
Hancock moved with astonishing agility.
Like a graceful cat, she silently leaped through the open window and entered the enormous mansion.
Months of careful observation had allowed her to memorize the patrol routes throughout the estate.
She avoided every guard with incredible precision.
Before long, she reached the room where the Celestial Dragons stored their extravagant clothing.
Without hesitation, she gathered three luxurious outfits along with several transparent bubble helmets worn by the World Nobles whenever they left the Holy Land.
After bundling everything together, she lowered the package with a rope before climbing down herself to reunite with Marigold and Sandersonia.
"It seems living such comfortable lives has made these Celestial Dragons careless."
Everything had gone far more smoothly than Hancock expected.
Almost too smoothly.
At nearly the same time, Angelina quietly obtained the key to her explosive slave collar from Saint Casrot without raising suspicion.
Hancock had successfully stolen the disguises they desperately needed.
"Hancock! Here's the key!"
"You were right…"
"Everything he said was a lie."
"You have no idea what Saint Casrot has done."
Angelina's eyes had turned bloodshot.
She refused to describe everything she had witnessed during tonight's banquet.
Those horrifying scenes…
Those memories…
She wanted to erase them forever.
"These are the clothes we stole."
"Everyone, hurry and change."
Hancock spoke quickly.
There was no time for unnecessary conversation.
Their escape depended upon speed.
Using the stolen clothing and bubble helmets, they intended to disguise themselves as Celestial Dragons and leave the Holy Land unnoticed.
"Miss Hancock."
"I have to admit…"
"Your plan is brilliant."
Tesoro finished changing clothes before looking toward Hancock with admiration.
However, the admiration quickly disappeared.
His expression gradually became cold.
"You should leave now."
"…"
Hancock frowned.
"Tesoro…"
"What are you planning?"
She immediately sensed something was wrong.
There was no time to create unnecessary complications.
She had spent three entire months planning every detail of tonight's escape.
Failure meant there would likely never be another opportunity.
"It's nothing."
"I simply want revenge."
"If I can buy all of you a little more time, then it'll be worth it."
Without waiting for anyone to stop him, Tesoro turned around and began walking toward the ballroom.
His destination was obvious.
He intended to assassinate Saint Casrot.
Even if it meant sacrificing his own life.
Suddenly—
A calm voice echoed through the corridor.
"You people are far too naive."
Everyone froze.
Several figures dressed entirely in immaculate white suits slowly emerged from the shadows.
Each wore a mask that concealed their face completely.
Their identities were impossible to determine.
Yet none of that mattered.
"White suits…"
Tesoro's expression instantly darkened.
"CP0…"
His heart sank.
Having lived in Mary Geoise for years, he knew exactly what the World Government's strongest intelligence agency represented.
These were the direct shields of the Celestial Dragons.
The strongest assassins serving the World Nobles.
"I thought tonight would be entertaining."
"But in the end…"
"The weak remain weak."
"You rely on childish tricks."
The leader lazily flexed his fingers before casually walking toward Hancock and the others.
"Angelina!"
"Take everyone and run!"
Hancock clenched her teeth.
Using every ounce of speed she possessed, she charged toward the masked CP0 operative.
Unfortunately…
The gap between them was simply overwhelming.
Before Hancock could even react—
The masked agent disappeared.
A fist coated in overwhelming force slammed directly into her abdomen.
Boom!
The tremendous impact instantly sent Hancock crashing backward.
Her vision blurred.
The air left her lungs.
Darkness swallowed her consciousness.
Tesoro remained where he stood.
He knew resistance was meaningless.
From the very beginning, he had never intended to escape.
His goal had always been different.
He wanted to kill Saint Casrot.
Even if both of them died together.
Unfortunately…
He possessed neither the strength nor the opportunity to accomplish it.
"You ungrateful little brat!"
"I feed you."
"I clothe you."
"And you still dare think about escaping?"
Saint Casrot viciously kicked Hancock after she collapsed onto the floor.
Even so, he deliberately restrained his strength.
To him…
Hancock remained an exceptionally valuable slave.
Damaging such a beautiful collectible would simply lower her value.
He truly hadn't expected a child to orchestrate such an elaborate escape.
If CP0 hadn't noticed their suspicious movements in advance…
He might have become the laughingstock of every Celestial Dragon in Mary Geoise.
"Saint Casrot."
The CP0 agents respectfully bowed.
At the same time, the manor guards dragged Angelina, Marigold, Sandersonia, and the others back in chains.
"Good."
"Take all of them to the basement."
"As for these children…"
Saint Casrot slowly smiled.
"Let's begin with Angelina."
When Hancock regained consciousness, she found herself imprisoned inside a heavy iron cage.
Marigold and Sandersonia were chained beside her.
The room was dimly lit.
Unlike the damp slave cells they had endured before, this underground chamber was strangely dry.
Cold.
Silent.
The atmosphere itself felt suffocating.
"Saint Casrot!"
"What are you planning?"
Hancock slammed both fists against the iron bars.
She watched as Saint Casrot calmly prepared something upon a nearby table.
The strange sensation returned.
An indescribable pressure filled the room.
It was almost as if an invisible darkness was slowly pulling her deeper into an endless abyss.
"Your name is Hancock, correct?"
Saint Casrot smiled pleasantly.
"I remember you."
"You've become even more beautiful over these past four months."
"Although I don't understand why you've misunderstood me…"
"I consider myself a kind person."
"The only reason all of this happened is because that little bitch Angelina offended me."
"Leaving without permission deserves punishment."
"That is simply the consequence of trying to abandon your master."
He calmly picked up a polished scalpel and admired its gleaming edge.
Hancock glared at him with undisguised hatred.
"You can't fool me anymore."
"I can already see the truth in your eyes."
Saint Casrot's smile gradually became colder.
"You've learned far too much."
"And people who know too much…"
"…always bring trouble upon themselves."
Hancock no longer believed a single word he spoke.
"What a pity."
Saint Casrot sighed softly.
Among the Celestial Dragons, he was famous for considering himself an elegant artist rather than a cruel noble.
To him…
Everything was merely another work of art.
"Where's Angelina?"
Hancock suddenly realized Angelina was nowhere to be seen.
Her expression immediately changed.
Her heartbeat accelerated uncontrollably.
An overwhelming sense of dread flooded her mind.
It wasn't merely fear of the darkness.
Nor was it fear of the underground prison itself.
It was something far worse.
Something instinctive.
Everything about this place felt wrong.
Every wall.
Every shadow.
Every faint sound echoing through the basement.
It all filled her with indescribable terror.
She desperately tried to suppress the growing panic inside her heart.
Then she raised her voice once more.
"Where is Angelina?!"
Saint Casrot smiled pleasantly.
"Since you asked…"
"The star of tonight's performance will be making her appearance very soon."
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