Chapter 71: Nami’s anger!

"Pikachu! Use Volt Tackle!!!"

Boom!!!

A golden flash suddenly illuminated a castle in the Kingdom of Hyde, accompanied by a sharp cry.

From a distance, it resembled a lighthouse in a harbor, shining brightly in the dark night. Immediately following, anguished screams echoed through the air.

"Ahhhhh~"

"Help!!! Aaaah!!"

The rhythmic shouts mixed with powerful electronic sounds, creating a new genre of music.

"Nami, can't you calm down!?"

Carina, struggling with a massive pack on her back, helplessly complained to Nami as she trudged through the castle passageway, weighed down by the burden.

But...

Nami's eyes were resolute, her expression solemn. Seeing another row of soldiers with guns at the intersection ahead, she coldly commanded:

"Go, Pikachu!"

"Use Thunderbolt!!!"

"Pika!"

Pikachu, running at Nami's feet, responded like a soldier obeying an order. A flash of lightning erupted beneath its feet, transforming into a straight beam of light that shot toward the soldiers ahead.

"Shoot quickly! Don't let them escape!!!" 

The captain of the soldier squad spotted his targets and shouted urgently. But before he could finish, a dazzling golden flash swept past his eyes.

It was Pikachu, the electric mouse Pokémon, leaping into the air!

Its body tensed, fur bristling as sparks flew from its body like twinkling stars.

"Piii-ka-chuu!!!"

Sizzling—

Like a wild, dancing snake, the electric current surged out!

In the blink of an eye, a violent current coursed through the soldiers' bodies, forcing them to join in the dance of life and electronic music once more!

The scent of charred flesh filled the air.

Nami, however, stepped over the soldiers' bodies with a calm expression and continued toward the exit.

The candle flames on both sides of the wall flickered in the wind.

"..."

Carina glanced at Nami, noticing the coldness still lingering on her face. She sighed softly.

"Alas..."

She knew that no matter what she said, Nami wouldn't listen. She was too lost in her thoughts.

But who could blame her?

After witnessing such a scene, who wouldn't be shaken?

...

After dealing with several more waves of soldiers, Nami and the others finally escaped Gordon's castle.

Reaching the gate and finding a secluded corner, Nami suddenly stopped and turned to look at Carina and the massive treasure-filled pack behind her.

"There are no more pursuers."

Nami said abruptly.

Carina scanned their surroundings cautiously before grabbing Nami's hand and holding it tightly.

"Nami, let's escape from this country before anyone else finds us!"

Carina's eyes were filled with worry and concern as she spoke.

She knew Nami's character all too well.

She understood, even anticipated, what Nami would say next...

"No..."

As expected.

Under Carina's helpless gaze, Nami gently shook her head and released Carina's hand.

"You go first, Carina."

"Sail our ship away. I'll find my way out later."

"Are you crazy, Nami?!"

Seeing that Nami was truly intent on staying, Carina quickly grabbed her, speaking with rising anxiety.

"That's the power of an entire country! We can't possibly contend with that!!!"

"Even with Pikachu and Butterfree, we can't solve this!"

"Not to mention..."

"Behind them stands the power of the Navy..."

Carina's voice trailed off, her tone laden with despair.

Just this evening, with the help of a butler, they had successfully infiltrated the bedroom of Gordon, the Duke of the Hyde Kingdom, as planned.

Everything went smoothly!

When they confronted Gordon, Nami didn't waste any time and immediately unleashed Pikachu to incapacitate him.

Then, using their expert thieving skills, they quickly unlocked the secret door in Gordon's bedroom and entered the castle's treasure room.

However...

The moment the treasure room was opened, their expressions changed drastically!

What lay inside wasn't gold, silver, or jewels.

It was "artwork" created from the bodies of young girls!

These "art pieces" were framed in ornate frames, with dozens on display.

Nami and Carina even saw several girls who were still breathing but had lost their faces, hands, and feet, nailed to wooden boards.

At that moment, Nami had only one thought:

Even if there was a hell in this world, it wouldn't be crueller than what lay before her!

On this day, they finally understood:

The human heart is the bloodiest hell!

Everything in front of them shattered the worldviews of the two young girls.

Seeing the girls, who were about their age, subjected to such horrors...

Nami couldn't believe that what she was witnessing was real.

After a moment to collect herself, Nami, with tears in her eyes, mercifully ended the suffering of the girls who were still breathing.

Then, enraged, she woke Gordon and interrogated him under electric shock.

Perhaps it was the terror of the thunder and lightning or the paralyzing effect of the shock, but with Pikachu's help, Gordon confessed everything.

It turned out he did run a small slave auction and several slave-hunting teams in his name.

But he was merely a puppet, a front for a much larger scheme.

The real masterminds were the royal family of Hyde— the Wilsons!

Even more terrifying, the Wilson royal family was only a pawn in a much larger game.

Everything they did was to appease a Celestial Dragon!

This particular Celestial Dragon had a bizarre hobby, a preference for the kind of "artwork" found in Gordon's treasure room.

But due to this strange preference, the Celestial Dragon often received strange looks from others...

Not because his behavior was too cruel, but because other Celestial Dragons thought his affection for these things made from mortals was beneath them.

So, in secret, the Celestial Dragon controlled the Kingdom of Hyde to produce and transport these "artworks" for him.

To facilitate this, the Wilson family had even bribed several nearby naval bases.

The goal was to keep the slave market in the Kingdom of Hyde running as long as possible.

With just a few hundred lives each year, they could both please the great Celestial Dragon and profit from the slave trade...

This was an opportunity the Wilson family could not pass up!

From Gordon's confession, they generously supported the slave-hunting teams, and with the "disappearance" of some of the kingdom's population each year, the Wilson family grew wealthier by the day.

Until...

Two girls with plans to steal arrived in the capital.

...

Gordon's fate, of course, was sealed.

Under Nami's wrathful gaze, he met a swift end.

But what Nami and the others didn't know...

The Wilson family had prepared life cards for Gordon and were always on alert.

When Gordon's life card weakened, a large number of Hyde Kingdom soldiers immediately surrounded the castle!

This led to the scene where Nami and Carina made their daring escape.

(End of this chapter)