Oguro quickly understood the situation.
If he didn't deal with the scum above, the people in the cages wouldn't dare follow him.
"Wait here! Don't worry! From today onward, you're free!"
He said this, then turned and strode toward the deck.
The victims seemed to feel a spark of hope in their eyes.
On the deck, Oguro's expression turned icy as he faced the approaching group.
The leader of the slaver gang was slightly overweight, his face full of coarse muscle, with a long scar stretching from the corner of his left eye down to his neck.
"Kid, you know who this cargo belongs to? And you dare lay a hand on it?" the scar-faced man growled fiercely.
Oguro spoke calmly. "I don't care who it belongs to. Today, you're not taking these people!"
"Shit! Don't know who you're dealing with, huh? Fine! I'll settle this myself! Kill him!"
The gang charged at Oguro, shouting.
Oguro glanced at them. Their strength was impressive, almost at the level of million-berry-class pirates.
Not surprising. In the slave trade, powerful pirates were considered prime commodities.
No strength, no capture.
Yes, you heard right—in this screwed-up world, even pirates weren't safe from the slave trade.
And yes, it was strictly forbidden by the World Government.
Yet the biggest slaveholders were none other than the Celestial Dragons, protected by the World Government—a cruel irony.
Their excuse? Ridiculous.
The Celestial Dragons are gods, so they're exempt from human laws.
Truly arrogant, boundless bastards.
Oguro silently drew his Zanpakutō and swung it casually.
Shua shua shua!
Thin silver lines shot through the air like a giant net, fully ensnaring the slaver gang.
Fsh!
Blood erupted from each of them, and they collapsed a meter away from Oguro, screaming in agony.
"Trash! Die!"
Oguro flashed in front of the gang leader, slashing his Zanpakutō viciously toward his neck.
"Wait! We're Joker's men! Kill us and you'll ruin Joker's business!" the scar-faced man screamed wildly.
Oguro paused, a faintly odd expression crossing his face.
Why did he always run into this flamingo?
He thought for a moment, then pulled out a Den Den Mushi and dialed Doflamingo.
"Fufufu…" came the familiar chuckle.
"Well? Ready to accept my offer, Oguro?"
Oguro glanced disdainfully at the Den Den Mushi. Coldly, he said, "Doflamingo, your people are in my hands!"
"My people?"
Doflamingo was taken aback, glancing toward his castle and noticing a lot of his men were missing.
"Whose people?" he asked, puzzled.
Oguro tapped the scar-faced man with his sword, signaling him to speak.
The man's face looked like someone constipated for a week—ugly and conflicted.
On the other end, Doflamingo's expression darkened.
"I'll give you one last chance. Explain yourself! Or I'll personally make you experience the most excruciating torture in this world!"
The scar-faced man collapsed.
"My name's Tack! I supply the Sabaody auction house for Joker! I've been working for you all along!"
Doflamingo finally understood.
"These aren't my men! At most, they're my long-time clients. If they've offended you, handle it as you see fit."
Tack panicked, shouting, "Joker! I've supplied you for almost ten years! You can't just abandon me!"
But Doflamingo didn't even bother replying. He hung up the Den Den Mushi.
"No one's saving you now!"
Oguro's smile was cold as he drew a beautiful arc with his Zanpakutō.
Tack's head flew high into the air and landed on the deck, his expression frozen in terror.
Inside the Dressrosa castle, Doflamingo chuckled coldly.
"What a fool. Just a small-time supplier, and he thinks I'd risk offending Oguro?"
He had already checked Tack's accounts with Trebol.
Compared to the slaves Tack could supply annually, the weapons Oguro sold alone were worth five years' worth of Tack's profits.
Add Oguro's underlings—his greatest dreams might even need their help. What could Tack possibly compete with that?
"Trebol!" Doflamingo called.
"Yes, boss?" Trebol slouched over, sniffing.
"Go to the Sabaody Archipelago and notify the auction houses there: from today, no more slave trading!"
"No—cancel all slave trading entirely!"
Doflamingo thought a moment and decided to cut it clean.
Trebol was shocked. "Boss, is that really necessary? That's a huge business!"
"Fufufu…" Doflamingo laughed, "Do you really think the slave trade in Sabaody can continue?"
Trebol blinked. "You mean… Oguro will take action against the slave traders there?"
"Fufufu… Haven't you heard? Even through the Den Den Mushi, I could feel his killing intent. He hates slave traders to the core! I guarantee he'll act in Sabaody."
"Better to cut off the problem now than have him destroy the auctions later and sour our relations."
Truly, Doflamingo was a cunning sea tyrant.
From a few words, he had guessed Oguro's thoughts—and even his next move.
...
Meanwhile, in Water 7, Oguro summoned his trusted subordinates.
"I'm heading to the Sabaody Archipelago!" he announced bluntly.
"Oguro-sama, is this a vacation? I heard Sabaody is a top tourist destination!" Nami exclaimed excitedly.
Oguro smiled. "A little fun wouldn't hurt. But the main goal this time is to clean up some trash."
Everyone froze for a moment, then understood.
Just minutes ago, Oguro had rescued six captured slaves and hung a slaver's head at the main dock of Water 7.
He had sent a clear message: no slave traders in Water 7.
One comes, one dies.
Now Oguro was heading to Sabaody to clean up more trash—the biggest slave auction house in the world.