One year later…
Mary Geoise remained as magnificent as ever.
To the people of the world, it was still known as the Holy Land, the sacred residence of the World Nobles, a place where unimaginable wealth and authority converged.
Yet behind that dazzling facade existed another world entirely.
A world of cruelty, slavery, corruption, and darkness.
The Celestial Dragons who lived in Mary Geoise all knew what kind of man Saint Casrot was.
Some feared him.
Some despised him.
But among certain idle World Nobles, Saint Casrot had become an unusually popular figure.
The reason was simple.
Whether they were young women imprisoned within his manor or slaves who had long since lost their freedom, Casrot enjoyed giving his victims a glimmer of hope before crushing it completely.
He loved watching their expressions change.
He enjoyed their screams.
He delighted in the moment when hope disappeared from their eyes and was replaced by absolute despair.
To Casrot, that was art.
That was entertainment.
That was the purpose of his existence.
"Casrot, I've waited so long for this!"
"Couldn't you have done it a few more times?!"
"How rude!"
"Beautiful things must be carefully selected before an artist can truly appreciate them."
"One year is already the limit of what I can do."
"Sorry, sorry."
One year had passed since that terrible night.
Once again, the Celestial Dragons gathered at Saint Casrot's manor.
The decorations had barely changed.
The luxurious ballroom remained exactly as extravagant as before.
The same magnificent chandeliers illuminated the hall.
The same golden ornaments decorated the walls.
The same arrogant World Nobles occupied the most prestigious seats.
Even the atmosphere seemed familiar.
Only one thing had changed.
The girls standing upon the stage were no longer the same.
"Is the performance ready?"
"Saint Casrot, everything is prepared."
"Then let's begin."
"Music!"
The orchestra immediately began to play.
The dancers stepped onto the stage and began moving gracefully to the rhythm.
Their beautiful smiles concealed the fear buried deep within their hearts.
They had no idea what awaited them after the performance ended.
Saint Casrot sat among the Celestial Dragons, quietly watching the dancers.
A strange smile gradually appeared upon his face.
What had happened one year ago was no longer important to him.
He didn't remember the girls as people.
He remembered them as possessions.
As works of art.
As collections.
As objects that could be displayed and discarded whenever their value diminished.
The first half of the ball passed without incident.
The dancers continued performing.
The Celestial Dragons drank, laughed, and discussed their various pleasures.
Then the performance entered its second half.
Yet this time, something was different.
The dancers suddenly disappeared from the stage.
The music stopped.
The ballroom fell strangely quiet.
Then the stage lights suddenly converged upon a single point.
The curtain slowly rose.
Behind it stood a large black iron cage.
Inside the cage were three young women.
The Boa sisters.
Boa Hancock.
Boa Sandersonia.
Boa Marigold.
Their bodies were thin and visibly weakened.
Their once-brilliant eyes had lost their former vitality.
Their complexions were pale.
Their movements were sluggish.
The sisters had endured an entire year inside the Celestial Dragons' world.
No one among the spectators knew everything they had suffered.
Perhaps some didn't care.
Perhaps others simply preferred not to know.
"Look at that."
"I heard Saint Casrot had obtained something interesting from the outside world."
"But I never expected to see three beauties at once."
"Three of them, no less."
A Celestial Dragon familiar with Casrot stared at the three sisters.
"But Casrot…"
"This isn't like you."
"Indeed."
Saint Casrot smiled.
"This is an imperfect work of art."
"So after you've finished judging them…"
"Feel free to discard them."
His eyes slowly moved toward the cage.
Then they stopped on the black-haired girl.
Hancock.
Her once-proud eyes were dull.
There was almost no emotion within them.
She stared forward without reacting to the countless gazes surrounding her.
She looked like a puppet whose strings had already been cut.
Saint Casrot sighed inwardly.
Hancock had once been one of his most prized possessions.
Beautiful.
Strong-willed.
Rare.
Everything about her had made her an exceptional "work of art" in his twisted eyes.
But after the events of the previous year, something inside her had broken.
She had remained in this condition for far too long.
Casrot feared that if things continued this way, Hancock might eventually die.
And that would be a waste.
He still intended to extract whatever value remained from the three sisters.
Suddenly, a guard's voice echoed through the entrance.
"Saint Victor has arrived!"
The announcement immediately caused the atmosphere inside the ballroom to change.
"Victor?"
"What is he doing here?"
"Does Saint Casrot really have that much influence?"
The Celestial Dragons began whispering among themselves.
They all knew Saint Victor.
He was a fellow World Noble and held considerable authority within the World Government's financial administration.
However, his position and interests were quite different from Casrot's.
More importantly, the others had rarely seen Victor participate in this kind of gathering.
Rumors had circulated for years that after the death of his wife, Victor had shown no interest in marrying again.
He was known for spending most of his time dealing with governmental affairs and financial matters.
So why would someone like him suddenly appear at a place such as this?
"Am I late?"
A hearty voice suddenly came from the entrance.
"Greetings, fellow clansmen."
A large, heavyset man walked into the ballroom with a smile on his face.
His presence immediately attracted the attention of everyone around him.
Although he appeared friendly, his status alone was enough to make the surrounding Celestial Dragons take notice.
"Victor."
Saint Casrot glanced toward the newcomer.
"I didn't expect to see you here."
The two men had known each other since childhood.
After all, the circle of the World Nobles was extremely small.
"Nothing special."
"I simply happened to have some free time today."
"So I decided to take a stroll."
Victor smiled.
But beneath that smile, his eyes quietly swept across the ballroom.
He observed the guards.
The exits.
The stage.
The cage.
And finally…
The three sisters.
His gaze lingered on them for only a moment before he looked away.
"Victor, you've come at exactly the right time!"
"Come and see my three newest toys."
Casrot's expression brightened.
He interpreted Victor's behavior as simple curiosity.
After all, Victor had never attended one of his gatherings before.
Perhaps his old friend had finally decided to loosen up.
How could a Celestial Dragon spend every day buried beneath government documents?
Shouldn't someone of their status enjoy the privileges of being a World Noble?
"Oh?"
"Then let me have a look."
Victor walked closer.
"Indeed."
"Quite beautiful."
His gaze settled upon the three girls inside the cage.
The black-haired girl immediately stood out.
Even after everything she had endured, Hancock's beauty remained extraordinary.
Victor had never personally purchased slaves.
He had never needed to.
A World Noble of his standing could acquire almost anything he wanted through the authority of the World Government.
But even he could recognize that Casrot had chosen exceptionally beautiful captives.
"There is still more fun to come."
"Everyone…"
"Prepare yourselves."
Seeing Victor's apparently cheerful expression, Casrot immediately clapped his hands.
"Begin the next part of the show."
"Yes, Saint Casrot!"
The servants immediately obeyed.
Several maids soon entered the stage carrying ornate trays.
Upon those trays were several strange fruits.
Their surfaces were covered with unnatural swirling patterns.
Even from a distance, their bizarre appearances immediately attracted attention.
They were Devil Fruits.
The most mysterious fruits in the world.
Fruits said to grant supernatural abilities to anyone who consumed them, while taking away that person's ability to swim.
The Celestial Dragons immediately became interested.
"Distinguished guests."
"As you have probably heard, one year ago, I acquired several beautiful girls from the outside world."
"At first, I believed they would become exquisite works of art."
"Unfortunately…"
"Things did not proceed according to plan."
Casrot's smile widened.
"So today, let's make them disposable."
"Why not play something more interesting?"
"Let us add a little entertainment to this otherwise boring world."
The Celestial Dragons laughed.
Casrot gestured toward the Devil Fruits.
"Today, we're going to conduct an interesting experiment."
"Let them eat Devil Fruits."
"Raw."
The room immediately erupted into murmurs.
Casrot clearly enjoyed the attention.
"Place the fruits before them."
"Make them eat every bite."
"Devil Fruits are famous for their terrible taste."
"So I wonder…"
"What will happen when weakened prisoners are forced to consume them?"
He spoke as though he were describing a harmless game.
But everyone present understood the cruelty behind his words.
Victor's eyes narrowed slightly.
He immediately understood what Casrot was attempting.
The three Boa sisters were already severely weakened.
Casrot intended to force them to eat Devil Fruits despite their condition.
The disgusting taste would torment them.
Their weakened bodies would be pushed even further.
Their minds would be tested.
Their willpower would be tested.
And most importantly…
Their hope would be tested.
It was not merely a game of endurance.
It was another attempt to prove that they had no control over their own lives.
"An excellent idea, Casrot."
"Indeed."
"A test of both body and spirit."
"Imagine being forced to swallow something with such a horrible taste while already weakened."
"That would certainly be entertaining."
The Celestial Dragons laughed among themselves.
Casrot walked toward the iron cage.
He crouched down in front of Hancock.
"Your name is Hancock, correct?"
He studied her expression.
"Whether you can hear me or not doesn't matter."
"If you eat this Devil Fruit…"
"I'll let you go."
Hancock remained motionless.
Her eyes barely moved.
Casrot smiled.
"However…"
"You must finish the entire fruit."
"Every bite."
"If you cannot finish it and lose consciousness…"
"Then your sisters will continue in your place."
His voice became colder.
"And if they cannot finish it either…"
"Then I'm afraid I'll have no choice but to apologize."
Casrot slowly turned his head.
"Open the cage."
The guards immediately obeyed.
The heavy iron door creaked open.
Hancock did not react.
She simply stared ahead.
A maid approached and placed one of the strange Devil Fruits before her.
Its surface was covered in intricate spiral patterns.
Hancock stared at it.
But she wasn't really seeing the fruit.
Her thoughts had already drifted somewhere else.
Far away from Mary Geoise.
Far away from the Celestial Dragons.
Far away from this cage.
She remembered a girl.
A girl whose name had become a precious fragment of the life she had lost.
Angelina…
For the first time in a very long time, something flickered faintly within Hancock's otherwise empty eyes.
It was not fear.
It was not despair.
It was a memory.
And somewhere deep within that broken heart…
A single thought remained.
Angelina…
Are you still alive?
✦ [SYSTEM] ✦
[SYSTEM: Quest Update]
[Primary Objective: Survive the Celestial Dragon Slave Estate]
[Current Status: Critical]
[Time Elapsed: One Year]
[Hancock's Willpower: Severely Damaged]
[Hidden Objective: Preserve the lives of Boa Sandersonia and Boa Marigold]
[Warning: Devil Fruit consumption detected]
[Warning: The current situation has triggered an unknown variable.]
[System analysis incomplete.]
✦ [SYSTEM] ✦
Hancock's fingers slowly tightened against the cold floor.
For the first time in years…
A faint spark returned to her eyes.
Angelina…
She had not forgotten her.
She would never forget her.
Even if her body had been broken…
Even if her spirit had been buried beneath a year of suffering…
There was still something inside her that refused to die.
The will to survive.
The will to protect her sisters.
And the promise she had made to escape this place.
Casrot smiled as he watched her reach toward the Devil Fruit.
"That's right."
"Go ahead."
"Eat it."
"Show everyone how much hope remains inside you."
Hancock slowly raised the strange fruit toward her mouth.
But no one in the ballroom noticed the subtle change in her eyes.
The spark was small.
Almost invisible.
Yet it was there.
And sometimes…
The smallest spark was enough to ignite a flame that could consume an entire world.