Chapter 23: "The World’s First of a Kind Death Match"

The tension in the palace was thick as William and the Boa sisters stood over the two Celestial Dragons. The flames from the chaos outside flickered through the window, casting eerie shadows across the room. Master Callen and his wife were still gasping from the torment William had inflicted, but they were far from broken. At least, they thought so.

"Get dressed," William ordered, his voice a deadly calm.

Master Callen blinked, trying to make sense of the demand. "Wh-what are you talking about, slave?"

William's eyes flashed with rage, but he didn't react to the insult. He merely gestured to the grand closet in the corner of the room. "Put on your *official* attire," he said, a mocking grin twisting his lips. "You're about to become the stars of a very special event."

Callen and his wife exchanged bewildered glances, still too arrogant and ignorant to understand the gravity of the situation. Nevertheless, they stumbled out of bed, dressed themselves in the ridiculous white robes and fish tank helmets that Celestial Dragons were so proud of, still believing their status protected them. 

William, with a chilling calm, moved to the nightstand beside the massive bed and opened the drawer. Inside was a **Den Den Mushi**—a video recorder used to capture memories and messages. William's face twisted with disgust as he saw it, his mind racing through what kind of vile activities this couple had probably recorded. He didn't want to know. 

He pressed a button, deleting whatever was previously stored on it, clearing the Den Den Mushi for what would be the most horrific recording ever made in Mary Geoise.

Once Callen and his wife were dressed in their ceremonial outfits, their ridiculous fish-tank helmets perched upon their heads, William gestured toward the large couch on the other side of the room. He and the sisters made themselves comfortable, sitting as if they were about to watch a lighthearted performance. 

"Now," William said, turning on the **Den Den Mushi** and facing the camera toward himself. His grin widened, dark and dangerous. "Today, I, Kael D. William, am going to give you something the world has never seen before: the first-ever death match between two Celestial Dragons, straight from the heart of Mary Geoise." He turned the camera toward the terrified Callen and his wife, zooming in on their pale faces.

"On the right," William continued, his voice mocking and filled with venom, "we have **Master Callen**, a pathetic excuse for a human who loves to buy slaves and make them fight to the death in his precious arena." He swung the camera over to Callen's wife. "And on the left, we have his equally pathetic and stupid wife, whose disgusting habits I don't even care to know."

The Boa sisters sat quietly, their eyes dark and unreadable, but inside, they were seething. The slave marks burned on their backs, a constant reminder of the cruelty these two people represented. 

With a flick of his wrist, William tossed a knife onto the floor between the Celestial Dragons. The blade clattered to the ground, shining in the dim light. Both Callen and his wife stared at it in horror, realization finally beginning to creep into their minds.

"The rules are simple," William said, his tone turning almost cheerful. "The two of you are going to fight to the death, and I promise I won't kill the one who survives."

Callen's eyes widened in disbelief, his breath catching in his throat. "Y-you can't be serious," he stammered. "You're mad! We are Celestial Dragons! You can't—"

"I'm dead serious," William interrupted, his voice dropping back to that chilling calm. He gestured to the knife. "Pick it up. Fight. Or I'll make this a whole lot worse for you."

For a moment, both Celestial Dragons just stood there, trembling and staring at the knife. Then, with a sharp intake of breath, Callen's wife lunged for it. Callen tackled her to the ground, and the two of them began a frantic, ridiculous struggle.

William leaned back on the couch, a dark grin on his face. "And here we go, folks!" he announced in a voice that mimicked the excited tones of an arena commentator. "The first-ever Celestial Dragon death match, brought to you live from the heart of Mary Geoise! Who will come out on top?"

The sisters exchanged glances, a mixture of disbelief and grim amusement on their faces as they watched the two Celestial Dragons claw and scratch at each other like animals. Callen managed to wrestle the knife out of his wife's hand, but she retaliated by pulling at his hair, scratching at his face with her long nails. Their fish-tank helmets cracked and shattered as they rolled on the ground, their arrogant personas unraveling into sheer desperation.

William chuckled. "Oh no, she's biting him! That's got to hurt!"

The Celestial Dragons were a mess—slapping, pulling hair, poking eyes, and biting like children in a playground scuffle. But this was no game. This was life or death.

"Ouch, he's going for the eye... annnnnd he got her!" William called out with a mocking laugh. He was thoroughly enjoying the show, his sadistic side on full display.

Callen's wife let out a high-pitched scream as her husband gouged her in the eye. Blood trickled down her face as she stumbled back, dazed. Callen, with desperation etched on his face, lunged forward and, in a final burst of strength, drove the knife deep into her chest.

There was a sickening silence as she gasped, her body collapsing to the floor. Callen stood over her, panting, his once-pristine robes now soaked in blood. He dropped the knife and turned to William, a grotesque, pleading smile stretching across his face. 

"Don't worry, wife," Callen whispered to her as she bled out. "I'll call an Admiral to avenge you..." Then, as if remembering the situation he was in, he looked back at William. "You promised," he said, his voice shaking. "I killed her. You said you wouldn't kill the survivor."

William's face twisted in disgust as he stared at the miserable creature before him. "I did promise, didn't I?" he muttered, his tone dripping with disdain. 

For a moment, Callen looked relieved, his pathetic smile returning as he imagined himself walking out of this nightmare alive. But then a sharp, pink light shot through the air, and a small, heart-shaped bullet pierced his chest. 

Callen gasped, his eyes widening as he looked down at the hole in his chest. Slowly, he turned toward Hancock, who still had her finger outstretched, her expression cold.

"Why?" Callen whispered, his voice barely audible as he collapsed to his knees.

Hancock shrugged, her face devoid of any emotion. "I didn't make any promises."

Callen's body fell lifeless to the floor, the last of his breath leaving him in a ragged sigh. William stared down at the scene, his eyes dark with satisfaction. The room was filled with the silence of death.

The Boa sisters exchanged glances, their expressions unreadable. There was no joy in this victory, only a grim sense of justice. These two Celestial Dragons had lived their lives inflicting pain and suffering on others. Now, they had paid the price.

William stood up, his eyes cold as he looked down at the two corpses. He reached over and turned off the Den Den Mushi, the recording now complete. The world would see this footage one day, but not today.

"Let's go, girls," William said, his voice calm once more. "Let's get all of his treasure and get out of this rotting place."

The sisters nodded, silently following him as they made their way toward the vaults. There was no time for rest, no time to reflect on what they had just done. The fires of Mary Geoise still raged outside, and their window of escape was closing fast.

But for the first time in years, they felt something other than the fear of the unknown future. They felt the stirrings of freedom, of vengeance. And they knew this was only the beginning.

With one last glance at the bodies of the two Celestial Dragons, they left the bedroom behind, stepping toward a future that, for the first time in years, belonged to them.