Chapter 3: The Burning of the Holy Land

Chapter 3: The Burning of the Holy Land

"What is he doing?" Marigold was utterly confused.

Hancock and Sandersonia were just as puzzled, both staring blankly at Chu Yang.

Suddenly, the uneven dungeon floor began to crack. From the gaps, trees and vines sprouted wildly, growing rapidly and engulfing the dungeon like a flood.

The normally indestructible prison doors were now as fragile as tofu, bursting open after being squeezed by the fast-growing trees.

The sudden change left the three sisters dumbfounded. They stood rooted in place, afraid to move, thinking that some monster had appeared in the dungeon.

Under Chu Yang's control, the trees left a clear path for people to walk through. He stood outside the prison door and shouted, "Hurry, come out!"

Hancock, snapping out of her daze, squeezed through the dense forest and asked in confusion, "Are you a Devil Fruit user?"

"There's no time to explain that now!" Chu Yang avoided the question and urged, "Quickly, lead everyone to escape!"

"Thank you!" Hancock gave Chu Yang a deep look, as if trying to etch his face into her mind, before leaving with her two sisters.

Chu Yang used the Wood Release technique to break open all the prison doors in a short time.

The long-imprisoned slaves rushed out in a frenzy, fleeing towards the outside of the dungeon.

A mass of people formed a black tide, terrifying to behold from afar. But that was exactly the effect Chu Yang wanted.

Once the last person had escaped, Chu Yang set the sinful place ablaze. With the abundance of trees serving as fuel, the fire spread rapidly.

Taking advantage of the night, Chu Yang set fires along the way, using Wood Release to spread the flames across various parts of Mary Geoise.

However, what Chu Yang didn't know was…

On the other side of the city, someone else was doing the exact same thing.

In the darkness, a tall figure stood illuminated by the firelight, appearing especially imposing.

His unusual red skin and appearance marked him as something other than an ordinary human.

Fisher Tiger!

Tiger had always admired freedom, and his dream was to become a traveler. But not long after starting his journey, he was captured by slave traders and became a slave.

For three whole years, Tiger endured inhuman torture and witnessed the depths of human greed and evil, leaving him utterly disillusioned with humanity.

Yet, more than hatred, Tiger wanted to liberate those of other races who had suffered the same fate as him.

That's why, after successfully escaping the Holy Land, he returned once more.

Tiger was determined to free all the slaves here.

Just after liberating some slaves and setting the cages on fire, Tiger noticed that the other side of the city was already ablaze!

Who could it be?

Someone beat me to it?

Seeing the increasingly uncontrollable fire, Tiger realized that if he didn't hurry to rescue the remaining slaves, they would all be burned alive.

"Who the hell started this fire?!" Tiger cursed angrily as he ran, chased by the flames.

Fortunately, during his time as a slave, Tiger had memorized the layout of the Holy Land. Despite the urgency, he managed to free most of the slaves.

The remaining slaves fled on their own amidst the chaos.

Having achieved his goal, Tiger was about to leave the Holy Land.

But not far away, a group of Marines approached, surrounding Tiger.

"How dare you! Releasing so many slaves without permission!" The Marine captain, clad in his coat, roared in fury.

Tiger, with righteous indignation, responded, "They were innocent people, kidnapped and sold here by traffickers. As Marines, not only did you fail to protect the weak, but you also aided the tyrants. You're a disgrace!"

The Marine captain sneered, "I don't care to argue with you. Freeing the slaves is one thing, but setting the Holy Land on fire is a far greater crime. You're a dead man walking. Surrender now!"

Tiger was stunned for a moment and then yelled, "I didn't start the fire!"

"Still lying on your deathbed! If you won't surrender, don't blame me for being rough!" The Marine captain ignored Tiger's explanation and ordered his men to attack.

In an instant, dozens of rifles were aimed at Tiger, and a volley of shots was fired.

But Tiger calmly used Fish-Man Karate.

Grabbing the air in his hands, Tiger manipulated it into a violent current. With a powerful sweep, the air burst out in all directions.

Countless bullets were knocked off course by the shockwave, falling to the ground like raindrops.

The Marine captain's face turned grim. Tiger's skills were far beyond his expectations.

The captain coldly remarked, "To dare sneak into the Holy Land and set it ablaze, you're no ordinary Fish-Man."

Seeing that the other side was so certain, Tiger didn't bother explaining anymore. After all, he had come here to liberate the slaves, and the job was nearly done.

Since long-range attacks didn't work, the captain ordered his men to engage in close combat.

As a Fish-Man, Tiger's physical capabilities were ten times that of a normal human. The captain knew his soldiers couldn't take down Tiger.

But that didn't matter. All he needed to do was stall for a little while longer, and stronger Marines would come to deal with this problem.

The captain wasn't planning to risk his life—he just wanted a piece of the credit.

On the other hand, Tiger noticed that the main commander hadn't yet made a move and only sent small fry to deal with him. He immediately understood the captain's plan.

"End this quickly!"

Tiger gathered all his strength to break through the encirclement but kept getting bogged down in the sea of soldiers, as if his feet were stuck in a swamp, unable to move.

Standing outside the crowd, the Marine captain smiled smugly. "Stop resisting. It's better for everyone this way."

Tiger's face darkened. The longer this dragged on, the worse it became. The fire was growing stronger, and powerful Marine officers were undoubtedly on their way.

"If I'm to be enslaved again, I'd rather die here!" Tiger gritted his teeth, glaring at the Marines. Even if he died, he'd take a few down with him—especially that smug Marine captain.

Just as Tiger was about to make a desperate move, the ground beneath him began to shake violently.

Suddenly, thick, gnarled trees erupted from the ground, flipping the Marine forces over and sending countless soldiers flying.

The Marine captain, now surrounded by trees, panicked and shouted, "What the hell is this?!"

The next second, he was swallowed by the forest!

The sudden, terrifying scene had everyone on edge, and Tiger couldn't help but warily eye the strange trees.

"What are you standing around for? Why aren't you leaving?"

At that moment, a human boy emerged from the forest, glanced at Tiger, and hurried off in the opposite direction.

Tiger froze for a moment, then quickly followed the boy, weaving through the trees.

At the same time, in the World Government, the Five Elders were in a rage!

"How dare they! Someone actually dares to murder and set fires in Mary Geoise! They're trampling on the Celestial Dragons' dignity!"

"Who is this reckless scoundrel? Have we found out yet?"

"According to the patrol reports, it seems to be a Fish-Man releasing slaves in the chaos!"

"That damned Fish-Man! They've been getting more and more brazen in recent years!"

"Where's Sakazuki? Get him over here immediately and capture these slave criminals!"

"The whole city is on fire! Sending Sakazuki will just make things worse. Better send Kuzan to handle it!"