Tashigi once heard stories about the Celestial Dragons during her time in the Marines. Back then, she thought it was outrageous that the World Government and the Marines were so dedicated to protecting such people.
However, as she embraced the Marines' brand of justice, she started to believe that the stories were just rumors. Yet, seeing them now, she realized the truth was far worse than any of the rumors she'd ever heard.
How could anyone treat another human being like a mount? Such a thing hadn't been seen since the days of ancient slavery.
While it was still rare to find people treating others as slaves in this modern age, a so-called creator was a slave-master! This was all wrong.
It went against everything she had been taught. Why would the World Government and the Marines condone this behavior?
Tashigi's mind fell into a deep contradiction once more, and she couldn't help but doubt the very justice of the Marines. Was the organization that protected the rule of the Celestial Dragons truly righteous?
Suddenly, a little girl broke from the crowd, running directly in front of the Celestial Dragons' procession. She cried as she stared at the man crawling on all fours, "Daddy! Daddy, what happened to you?!" The little girl's voice was filled with shock and disbelief.
"You fool! Get away from here!" The man roared, his eyes pleading with his daughter to leave quickly.
The little girl shook her head. "No! I won't go! I'm taking you home, Daddy! Mom and I have been looking for you for a long time. We waited for you forever. Now that we've finally found you, I have to take you back to Mom!"
The man grew even more frantic. "Just go! You'll get killed!"
Crack! The female Celestial Dragon whipped the man's head, instantly drawing blood. "Be still, you piece of trash! How dare you squirm and almost make me fall? I'll beat you to death! And who is this little brat? Throw this little thing blocking our path into the sea!" As she spoke, the woman continued to whip the man without mercy.
The little girl, in a fit of rage, rushed forward. "Don't hit my daddy!"
The Celestial Dragon became even more enraged and aimed her whip at the little girl.
"Stop!" Tashigi couldn't take it anymore. She grabbed the hilt of her sword, ready to charge forward.
But Zoro was even faster. He leaped in front of the little girl and, with two swift strikes, sliced the Celestial Dragon's whip into several pieces. The woman was startled and immediately fell to the ground. The little girl ran to her father, holding him and crying, her sadness obvious to all.
The bodyguards, finally reacting, immediately surrounded Zoro.
"Straw Hat Pirates... Pirate Hunter Roronoa Zoro?" one of them recognized him, and his expression turned grave. "Oh no, he's with a member of the Five Emperors!" The other bodyguards' faces also fell. It was a disaster to run into a member of the Five Emperors' crew.
Zoro's expression was grim. "Hey, woman! You just hit a child!"
"How dare you, you lowlife, scare me?" the female Celestial Dragon shrieked in a fury. "Come on, beat this filthy lowlife to death for me! And that useless slave and little girl, kill them both! We, the Celestial Dragons, are the creators of this world. These untouchables dare to defy our majesty? They all deserve to die!"
"Oh? Deserve to die?" Zoro's eyes narrowed dangerously. "We'll see who dies today." To Zoro, the Celestial Dragons meant nothing. If they got in his way, he'd cut them down with his three swords, no matter who they were.
The bodyguards protected the female Celestial Dragon but were hesitant to act. They knew they were no match for Zoro and that attacking would only lead to their own deaths, and likely hers as well.
"What are you useless wastes just standing there for?! Attack now, or I'll have you all killed!" the Celestial Dragon shrieked.
The bodyguards hesitated for a moment before reluctantly pointing their weapons at Zoro.
"Please, wait!" Tashigi shouted. "You are the descendants of the creators, the Celestial Dragons who rule the sea! Why do you treat your people like this?! That man is just an ordinary citizen, and this little girl is so young! How can you be so cruel as to take their lives on a whim?!"
Zoro glanced at Tashigi but didn't say anything. In his eyes, Tashigi still didn't understand the true nature of this Celestial Dragon. It was obvious from her eyes that she saw all humans as ants and slaves, killing them for fun or to vent her anger. She was used to it, which was why she could say such terrible things without a second thought.
"Another untouchable questioning me," the female Celestial Dragon screeched, glaring at Tashigi. "Kill her too!"
This time, Zoro was truly enraged. He held the hilt of his sword, Sandai Kitetsu, and shot forward, reaching the female Celestial Dragon in an instant. The bodyguards were startled, but as they tried to move, they felt as if they were being stared at by a wild beast. They all collapsed to the ground, their bodies riddled with stab wounds.
Zoro slowly sheathed his sword.
Tashigi, meanwhile, had gotten on top of the female Celestial Dragon and plunged her black sword, Shusui, right next to the woman's neck. For the first time in her life, the Celestial Dragon felt a killing intent, and she was terrified.
The crowd erupted in an uproar. Though they were happy, they didn't dare stay, fearing they would get caught up in the coming chaos. In no time at all, the street was empty.
"You... you... what do you want to do?!" the female Celestial Dragon stammered, her voice weak.
"I want you to feel the fear of being killed," Tashigi said loudly. "And for you to know the value of life!"
Zoro found the key from one of the bodyguards and tossed it to the little girl. The girl's father was freed and quickly bowed to Zoro and Tashigi to thank them. But Zoro just waved them away, telling them to leave quickly.
Tashigi's words reached Zoro's ears, and he couldn't help but smile slightly. This fake Zoro was pretty cool sometimes!
The female Celestial Dragon was too scared to speak. Tashigi just maintained her stance, staring at the woman and radiating her murderous aura. After a while, the Celestial Dragon fainted from sheer terror.
Tashigi sighed in relief, believing this would be a lesson the woman would never forget. The next time she thought about harming a slave, she would surely remember the fear she felt. Tashigi felt like she had done the right thing.
"Oh, what's this? A Marine traitor, Tashigi?"
Suddenly, Kizaru's voice rang out. "Well, what a surprise. I arrive to see you fighting with a Celestial Dragon. That's a very dirty thing for a pirate to do, isn't it?"
Tashigi didn't panic. She slowly straightened her back and looked at the Marine Admiral.
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