Chapter 28
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Chapter 28: Meeting Mr. Shields Saint
"I want her!" Shields Saint's excited laughter echoed in the deserted street. Gion and Kake's faces turned pale in an instant. At that moment, a man covered in mud and dirt hurriedly emerged from the bowing crowd and knelt before Shields Saint with a thud. He pulled his daughter close, shielded her behind him, and said with a trembling voice and pale face: "My lord, I apologize, my daughter has obstructed your path, we'll leave now."
The panic on her father's face made the young girl Liya realize her mistake. Her face drained of color, and she clutched her father's clothes tightly. "Blocking the way? No, no, she's not in the way," Shields Saint chuckled disturbingly, unable to take his eyes off the girl. "This is your daughter, isn't it? Lovely. From today, your daughter will experience the greatest fortune of her life by becoming my eighteenth wife, the great Shields Saint! Hahaha!"
The middle-aged man's knees gave way, and his eyes filled with dread. He bowed repeatedly, his eyes red as he pleaded, "Please, Lord Shields Saint, don't take my daughter away. She's all I have left in this world." The sound of his forehead hitting the floor was jarring, and the impact was so forceful that a faint bloodstain appeared.
Too frightened to speak at the sight, tears streamed down the little girl's face. Shields Saint snorted with dissatisfaction, stamped on the man's head, and said fiercely, "Aren't you pleased? My interest in your daughter is the greatest honor of your lives. You should be immensely thankful! Do you know how many people dream of marrying their daughters to a noble Celestial Dragon? As my wife, your daughter will secure a life of luxury for you both."
His face pinned beneath the Celestial Dragon's foot, the man's skin scraped raw, he managed to squeeze out a strained smile: "Master Shields Saint, I truly appreciate your offer, but Lia is still young. All we want is to live together in peace."
Enraged, Shields Saint kicked the man in the face so hard that he rolled several meters away, his face swelling instantly and blood pouring from his mouth. "Dad…" The little girl cried out.
Gion's face was ashen, his hand resting instinctively on her sword's handle. Kake clenched his fists tightly. The surrounding civilians knelt, shaking in fear, none daring to express anger or utter a word, secretly relieved that they were not the target of such misfortune.
The Celestial Dragons, descendants of the founders of the World Government, call themselves "creators' heirs" and enjoy supreme privileges. Defying them can incite severe retaliation from the World Government, necessitating protection by Marine Admirals or CP0 agents. Being taken by a Celestial Dragon is a fate worse than death, reduced to an object of their twisted desires. Commonly referred to as "wives," these victims are merely playthings to the Celestial Dragons, who consider others nothing more than vermin.
Generally, becoming a Celestial Dragon's plaything means that death is the only escape. And as Shields Saint's eighteenth wife, what unspeakable fate had befallen the previous seventeen?
The answer is obvious. "Hahaha, come on, follow me back to the Holy Land Mariejois." Shields Saint didn't even glance at the man who had vomited blood and fallen to the ground. Laughing, he walked toward the little girl, preparing to reach out his hand.
"No, you are a bad person! I don't want to go with you!" The little girl, tears in her eyes, bit hard on Shields Saint's hand and struggled free.
Shields Saint let out a cry of pain, and his eyes grew more excited. "That's right, those are the eyes... really nice eyes..." He licked the corner of his mouth, looked at the little girl trying to fortify herself, and smiled with satisfaction.
Despite being obviously frightened and defeated, she was still stubbornly resisting... It was quite thrilling. It was a magical experience, one he doubted he'd tire of for a long time.
"Catch her and be careful not to hurt her, or I'll chop you up and feed you to the dogs," he said with a grim smile, giving orders to the two CP members behind him.
The CP members, without hesitation, acted quickly and closed in on the little girl.
"Damn! No!" The man on the ground finally caught his breath, stood up with bloodshot eyes, roared, and charged toward Shields Saint. A CP member stepped forward, punching the man hard in the stomach. The man doubled over, his eyes bulging as if he were suffocating, then slowly fell to the ground, coughing up bright red blood.
"He really doesn't know what to do," muttered Shields Saint, a flash of impatience in his ruthless eyes as he pulled out a golden pistol.
"Damn," he grunted, bending his knees slightly. Gion tightened his grip on the sword at his waist. Just as they were about to strike, a figure appeared between them like a phantom, grabbing Kake's shoulder with one hand and pushing back Gion's sword with the other.
Kake and Gion were startled, their pupils constricting as dense blood vessels surfaced in their eyes.
"Die, you unrecognizable pariah!" Shields Saint sneered impudently. In the man's desperate eyes, to the heart-wrenching cries of the little girl, he pulled the trigger.
Boom! The gunshot rang out. The world fell eerily silent. Everyone's eyes widened; the CP members and Shields Saint froze. The man and the little girl were also stunned.
A slight buzzing sound, as if containing the ultimate power, emerged from in front of the man. Kneeling blankly, he hardly breathed. A rapidly spinning bullet vibrated and hummed just in front of his forehead, as if held in place by an invisible force.
One second... Two seconds... Three seconds...
"Damn it! Who the hell is it?" Shields Saint roared in fury, blue veins popping on his forehead.
A dark and intimidating figure slowly walked out from the crowd of Marines. Short black hair, deep facial features, and lines as sharp and cold as a cliff. He stood unusually tall, nearly three meters, with a broad snow-white cloak billowing behind him as if stirred by windless flutters.
He walked calmly up to the man, his face expressionless and bloodied, and plucked the hovering bullet from the air.
Turning around, his tall frame cast a shadow over Shields Saint like a mountain, an oppressive force weighing on the latter.
The black-haired Marine looked down at the Celestial Dragon before him. Only when Shields Saint couldn't help taking a fearful step back did the Marine smile and say, "North Blue Admiral, Marine North Blue Supreme Commander, Naval Headquarters Rear Admiral Darren, at your service, Lord Shields Saint."