Chapter 26: You Are Free

"Someone's been killed again. Is it newcomers causing trouble on the Sabaody Archipelago?"
"Hey, there’s no need to report every minor incident to me. Just take care of it yourselves!"
Yawning lazily, Aokiji—still a vice admiral like Akainu—had not a shred of enthusiasm; he rolled over, fully intent on getting some more sleep.

But in the next instant...

With a sudden, sharp sound, Aokiji shot upright; the indolence vanished from his expression, replaced by a grave intensity in his eyes. As if needing to confirm what he had heard, he asked Tia again, "Tia, who did you just say was killed?"

"Tia said it was Saint Charisky! The esteemed Celestial Dragon himself!"

"Saint Charisky?" Aokiji repeated in disbelief, turning to Smoker, who was stubbing out his cigar. He pressed again, "Smoker, are you sure that's true?"

"Yeah, it's true."

"Ah, looks like... my nap will have to wait," Aokiji sighed deeply, using the gesture to mask the shock roiling inside him, unwilling to lose his composure in front of Tia and Smoker.

How many years had it been since any news broke of a Celestial Dragon being killed—or even bullied—within these seas? Not even Gol D. Roger, the Pirate King himself, would dare provoke the Celestial Dragons. The current strongest man alive, Whitebeard, would always take a detour upon encountering them.

No matter how he tried, Aokiji could not fathom just what kind of troublemaking upstart this new arrival to Sabaody could be. To kill a Celestial Dragon? Was this person truly preparing to stand against the entire world?

Steadying his nerves as he made his way to the scene of the murder, Aokiji began to consider, with cold clarity, how best to minimize the fallout from the death of a Celestial Dragon.

The perpetrator had to be apprehended—there was no question of that. If they failed even in that, the Celestial Dragons would certainly bring immense pressure to bear on the Navy, pressure even the current Fleet Admiral Sengoku would be unable to withstand.

As for everything else... that could wait until the culprit was caught.

With this in mind, Aokiji—usually the very picture of laziness, even being suspected of half-heartedness during the war at Marineford—now became utterly serious.

And with Aokiji’s seriousness came the price for Tia and Smoker: they had to endure the biting cold radiating from him. It was, after all, the power of his Devil Fruit—the Chill-Chill Fruit! Though he was not yet as powerful as in the original story, even the likes of Tia and Smoker, top among the Navy’s new generation, could not withstand that frigid aura. As they hurried along behind Aokiji, they quietly increased their distance from him.

At that moment, Aokiji thought the murder of a single Celestial Dragon on Sabaody was calamity enough.

But just as he, Tia, and Smoker were about to reach the park where the Celestial Dragon had died, a navy messenger came running up, shouting the true catastrophe:

"Vice Admiral Kuzan! Vice Admiral Kuzan! Something terrible has happened!"

"The one hosting the... the auction, Lady Rayasmogong... has been killed!"

What?

Aokiji, stunned by the sailor’s report, momentarily lost his composure before Tia and Smoker for the first time, murmuring, "Two Celestial Dragons killed in one stroke? Is the world’s balance... finally about to shift?"

………………

Rewind a little: before Tia even received the first report of a Celestial Dragon’s death, Chu Yi, together with Hancock, Tiger, and Lucci, had already arrived at their next target—the eighth district of Sabaody Archipelago, where the auction was being held.

While accompanying Hancock around the Sabaody Archipelago, Chu Yi was not merely sightseeing. During their stroll, he questioned the locals and gathered intelligence. That was how he learned that a grand auction would take place that afternoon in the eighth district.

And the mastermind behind this auction was none other than the second Celestial Dragon on Sabaody.

If there was a second Celestial Dragon present, then the madness would have to go all the way.

It went without saying that Chu Yi’s real target this time was precisely the "Lady Rayasmogong" mentioned by the Navy.

"Security is tight," Chu Yi remarked, surveying the perimeter of the auction hall, where untold numbers of Navy personnel stood guard. The officers stationed at the two entrances gave off such an oppressive aura that Chu Yi felt stifled just looking at them; no doubt, they were all at least of officer rank.

Tiger’s expression shifted slightly at the sight of such heavy security.

But since they’d come this far, retreat was not an option. Not for Chu Yi, nor for Tiger.

"Kid, I’ll handle those tough ones. The rest are yours. Think you can handle it?"

"Of course," Chu Yi replied with a faint smile. Pressing his palms together, he silently increased the "gravity field" on Lucci, then instructed Hancock, "Hancock, for now, it’s best you don’t show yourself. Stay here and keep an eye on Lucci. Don’t worry, with the gravity field I’ve placed on him, it’ll be easy for you to keep him in check. Please wait here for Tiger and me, all right?"

"All... all right," Hancock replied, a hint of disappointment in her voice. "Chu Yi, you and Tiger—be careful!"

Though she couldn’t join Chu Yi and Tiger in their rampage, Hancock felt a mysterious sense of loss. But she knew Chu Yi had her best interests at heart.

Among the three, Hancock was by far the weakest. Chu Yi, knowing that she might one day become a Warlord like in the original story, was determined not to let her be involved in slaying a Celestial Dragon. Otherwise, not only would her dream of guarding Amazon Lily be dashed, but the moment she showed her face there after such an act, the wrath of the Celestial Dragons would likely raze the entire island to the ground.

Unaware of Chu Yi’s true reasoning, Hancock simply assumed her own strength was lacking, that she might become a burden to Chu Yi and Tiger. Clenching her small fists, she silently vowed to train even harder, to one day catch up to that boy she admired, as she watched Chu Yi and Tiger stride forward.

As for Chu Yi...

No sooner had he and Tiger advanced than Chu Yi transformed into a demon of war.

His form expanded dramatically—not to conceal his identity, but to annihilate the auction’s guards in a single move.

With the transformation, his Asura eyes snapped open. As his palms pressed together and his fingers intertwined, a strange violet light flared within those demonic pupils.

"Gravity Field: Hundredfold!"

"Rin!"

Boom!

The moment his fingers locked together, the gravity field descended; a terrifying hundredfold gravity crashed down upon the surrounding navy forces. Not even Lucci, top among the Navy’s new generation, could withstand such force—how could anyone of lower rank?

With Chu Yi unleashing the full range of his gravity field, nearly ninety percent of the navy posted around the auction were incapacitated. The remaining tenth, even if they could resist the crushing pressure for a moment, had no hope of moving freely.

Seizing the opportunity, Tiger’s eyes narrowed as he unleashed a devastating punch.

"Fish-Man Karate: Karakusa Straight!"

Bang!

With a single indiscriminate strike—backed by Chu Yi’s support—Tiger wiped out the remaining guards and smashed open the auction doors. Striding inside, the two were greeted by a scene that filled them with fury.

Why did the Celestial Dragon attend the auction in person? The answer was at the center of the hall: a giant aquarium.

This was no ordinary auction. It was a massive slave market.

The audience, composed of the rich and powerful, pointed and commented on the alluring figures within the tank, discussing which one to purchase as their plaything.

To be able to display so many enchanting mermaids at once—brought from Fish-Man Island—the female Celestial Dragon, Lady Rayasmogong, showed not a shred of sympathy. Instead, she seemed faintly proud.

But that pride was destined to end at this moment.

For when Tiger saw that the auctioned "items" in the tank were mermaids from Fish-Man Island, he acted before Chu Yi could. In a flash, he leaped to the tank, shattered it with a single punch, and with lightning speed, broke the slave collars from the necks of the mermaids.

The auction guards, seeing their cargo freed and the Celestial Dragon’s property released, rushed forward with weapons drawn.

But before they could reach Tiger, a sudden scream threw them into chaos.

Their eyes followed the sound—and beheld an image they would never forget.

Chu Yi stood impassively before Lady Rayasmogong, fingers clamped around her throat without an ounce of mercy. As her face turned red, then purple, and her pupils rolled back, Chu Yi slowly opened his hand and declared in a ringing voice:

"This world has no need for slaves! So you—"

"Are free!"