Chapter 48: The Three Gorgon Sisters of Amazon Lily!
Capturing a mermaid was already a difficult task, but with the added deterrence of the Whitebeard Pirates, young female mermaids became exceedingly rare!
This particular mermaid was sold to the Celestial Dragons for a whopping 1 billion Berries!
With such an outrageous price, it made sense that the auction house would be too afraid to transport her themselves.
If something happened to the mermaid during transport, not only would they suffer a huge financial loss, but they would also fear the Celestial Dragons coming after them for retribution.
As Wood and Gion left the auction house, the auction house owner let out a huge sigh of relief.
Ever since the auction ended, he had been living in constant fear. The Celestial Dragons had already paid, but they hadn't yet received their "goods."
Since Sabaody Archipelago is directly above Fish-Man Island, he was also worried that something might happen to the mermaid. He even spent a fortune hiring strong guards to watch over the Celestial Dragons' purchase.
"Sirs, the ship is ready for you, fully stocked with all the necessary supplies. The ship itself isn't anything valuable, so consider it a gift from us."
The auction house owner was willing to go to great lengths to ensure the slaves left Sabaody Archipelago as quickly as possible, so he wouldn't be held responsible if anything went wrong. He even gave away a medium-sized, two-masted sailboat as if it were nothing.
"Thank you for the ship. Please have these slaves loaded onto it for us, as we are only two people. Also, make sure the slaves have enough food and other supplies. We wouldn't want them dying before we reach Mary Geoise, would we?"
"Only the two of you are responsible for transporting them?" The auction house owner was surprised by Wood's statement.
He had assumed that Wood and Gion were just in charge, not that they were the only ones handling the transport.
"Yes, it's just the two of us. Is there a problem with that?"
"No, no problem at all. If the Celestial Dragons entrusted this task to you two, then it means you must be more than capable. I was just wondering if you needed any sailors or crew members. If so, I'd be happy to provide them."
Seeing Gion's cold and emotionless gaze, the auction house owner was frightened. He thought to himself that the Celestial Dragons' subordinates were indeed unpredictable and dangerous.
"No need, the two of us are sufficient. Just make sure there's enough food. Remember, the slaves' food should be of the highest quality. We don't want them starving to death before reaching Mary Geoise!"
After a busy morning at the auction house, the ship was loaded with food and slaves, ready to depart.
Not wanting to waste any time, Gion and Wood decided to set sail for the Holy Land of Mary Geoise without lingering in Sabaody Archipelago.
"Humph, acting all high and mighty just because they're working for the Celestial Dragons!" The auction house owner, who had been all smiles, spat on the ground as soon as the ship was far enough away.
Working for the Celestial Dragons often meant being part of a special intelligence organization under the World Government. The auction house owner had hoped to curry favor with Wood and Gion, perhaps gaining a powerful ally for his business.
But despite his efforts—offering them a ship and supplies—he was met with cold indifference, especially from the woman, whose gaze was cold enough to kill.
"Boss, do you think something might go wrong with just those two transporting the slaves? There have been plenty of Fish-Men causing trouble at our auction house. They might not be strong on land, but at sea…"
"What do we care? The slaves have left Sabaody Archipelago, and they've officially taken over. If anything happens, it's their problem, not ours. The Celestial Dragons can't blame us."
On the medium-sized two-masted sailboat, Gion steered the ship while Wood kept an eye on the surrounding seas and guarded the slaves on deck.
The slaves, knowing where they were being taken, were filled with despair. From their expressions, Wood could tell they had completely given up on their futures.
The Celestial Dragons' reputation for cruelty was no secret on Sabaody Archipelago. Becoming an ordinary person's slave might leave some hope for survival, but becoming a Celestial Dragon's slave meant certain death, with no chance of escape or survival.
Many of them would have preferred to end their lives rather than suffer, but they were too powerless to do even that.
While Gion focused on steering the ship, Wood, feeling bored on deck, tried to engage the slaves in conversation.
Unfortunately, most of them either ignored him, having given up on life, or glared at him in anger, seeing him as a lackey of the Celestial Dragons.
"Sister, I'm hungry…"
"Don't worry, Mary. Someone will come to rescue us soon. When we return to the island, we'll have plenty of food to eat."
"But Sister, we're hungry now. We haven't eaten anything for days."
Inside one of the iron cages, a sweet-looking girl with long black hair, about eleven or twelve years old, was comforting a younger blonde girl. Nearby, a green-haired girl of a similar age sat quietly.
Sonia, the green-haired girl, sat obediently beside her older sister, knowing that her sister was only trying to comfort them.
Since they had been abducted from the Kuja Pirates' ship, a lot of time had passed, but there was no sign of rescue from Amazon Lily.
Or perhaps the people of Amazon Lily didn't even know where they had been taken.
Or worse, since the World Nobles had bought them, even if the Kuja Pirates knew they had been captured, they might not be able to save them.
Hancock understood all this, and she knew her sister was under even more pressure. The only thing she could do now was not to add to her sister's burden.
"Oh, I see. You're hungry! No wonder no one was talking. Wait here, I'll get you some food."