Near the sacred land of Mary Geoise grows a vast expanse of the world's largest red mangroves, known as the Yarukiman Mangroves. Their roots, perpetually exposed above the sea's surface, have, over time, formed an archipelago. This archipelago is called the Sabaody Archipelago.
The most distinctive feature of the Sabaody Archipelago is undoubtedly the bubbles formed from the natural resin of the Yarukiman Mangrove roots. Countless bubbles rise from the ground, floating gently into the sky, creating a scene straight out of a fairy tale, utterly dreamlike.
Amusement parks, shopping streets, hotels, grand theaters… the Sabaody Archipelago is undeniably a paradise for lavish indulgence. Yet, due to the existence of the slave market, it has also long been a frequent haunt for royal nobles and even Celestial Dragons.
As the final stop in the first half of the Grand Line, the Sabaody Archipelago is a gathering place for ambitious pirates. Fortunately, its proximity to Marine Headquarters keeps it from becoming a lawless haven for criminals.
Seventeen years ago, in GR No. 1 of the Sabaody Archipelago, on a bustling pedestrian street…
Suddenly, chaos erupted on the street. Pedestrians dropped to their knees in panic, and the entire thoroughfare fell into a deathly silence, as if something terrifying was about to arrive.
Tap, tap, tap. The crisp sound of footsteps echoed as two figures, one tall and one short, approached from a distance.
The taller figure was a beautiful woman with golden hair. Her sleek, tailored women's suit hugged her curvaceous figure, and a pair of oversized sunglasses obscured her face, making it impossible to discern her features.
She moved like a shadow, following closely behind the other.
The shorter figure was a girl, roughly ten years old, undeniably adorable. She wore a large bubble over her head and a bulky, moon-white outfit resembling an astronaut's suit. Her striking silver hair was styled into an antenna-like shape, and her crimson eyes were vacant, almost lifeless. Paired with her expressionless, poker-like face, she resembled an exquisitely crafted, oversized doll.
(What a cute little girl, such beautiful silver hair…) The thought echoed in the minds of many.
Seeing the stunning beauty beneath the bubble, the kneeling civilians couldn't help but stare in awe. But as soon as they realized the silver-haired girl's identity, they broke into cold sweats and lowered their heads, not daring to look again.
After all, the crime of offending a World Noble, a Celestial Dragon, was not something ordinary people could bear.
The girl's ruby-red eyes swept over the kneeling crowd. Her delicate lips parted slightly, as if she wanted to say something, but in the end, she let out only a soft, wistful sigh.
From initial anger and confusion to numbness and resignation, over the past three months, the silver-haired Celestial Dragon girl had come to a painful realization: some things were beyond her power to change.
At that moment, a soccer ball rolled over from a distance, followed closely by a black-haired girl, about six or seven years old. The reckless child seemed oblivious to the tense atmosphere.
Thud. The ball rolled right to the Celestial Dragon girl's feet, brushing against her finely crafted leather boots and leaving a small smudge.
At this sight, everyone's hearts skipped a beat.
"Oh, I'm so sorry!" The careless girl bent down to pick up the ball. When she looked up, she was met with the dark barrel of a gun, and she fell to the ground in fright.
"Shall I execute the one who offended you, Lady Lisanna?" the blonde woman asked coldly, her pistol raised.
"She drew that gun so fast!"
"Is this kid asking for death?!"
"She's done for—offending a Celestial Dragon is a death sentence!"
The onlookers whispered among themselves. Some softer-hearted individuals lowered their heads, unable to bear the sight, for they had witnessed the consequences of offending a Celestial Dragon more than once.
But what they didn't expect was that this Celestial Dragon was… different.
"Mayne, put the gun away," Lisanna said calmly, glancing at the terrified girl who had wet herself in fear. With a gentle kick, she expertly flicked the soccer ball back into the girl's arms.
"Be more careful next time." The Celestial Dragon girl gave a faint smile before turning and walking away with Mayne in tow.
Silence…
It took a long while for the onlookers to recover, and then the street erupted into chaos.
"Did I not sleep well today? Since when are Celestial Dragons so reasonable? She's not a fake, is she?!"
"Idiot! Who would be crazy enough to impersonate a World Noble?!"
"Could it be… there are kind Celestial Dragons?"
"Kind? That bunch of trash could never…"
"Shh! Keep your voice down, do you want to die?!"
Amid the crowd's murmurs, the little girl sprawled on the ground stared blankly at the soccer ball in her hands, then turned to look in the direction Lisanna had gone, her face a picture of utter confusion.
(Lady Lisanna?)
At the Human Auction House, in a luxurious private box…
"Do I really have to do this, Mayne? I don't want to buy slaves. I don't want to become like them."
Lisanna sat on a wide, comfortable sofa, gazing down at the frenzied slave auction below. Her delicate brows furrowed tightly. "This makes me sick."
Mayne bowed slightly, her tone respectful. "This is Saint Bartholomew's order, Lady Lisanna."
"If you continue to refuse to own slaves like a proper Celestial Dragon, Saint Bartholomew will be furious."
At this, the silver-haired Celestial Dragon girl's expression darkened instantly. "Tch, what do I care if that old man is happy or not?!"
Lisanna could hardly muster a kind word for the man responsible for shattering her former life.
"No, no, Lady Lisanna, think of it this way," Mayne said after a moment's thought, her tone coaxing. "Even if you don't buy those slaves, someone else will. If they become your slaves, you can treat them as you see fit—short of setting them free. But if they fall into someone else's hands…"
Mayne paused, then continued, "Do you remember Saint Bartholomew's Blood Arena?"
"…"
The memory of that hellish scene, the unrestrained laughter of the Celestial Dragons, flashed through Lisanna's mind, and her face paled instantly.
(If they become someone else's slaves, they might suffer a fate worse than death…)
Lisanna closed her eyes, deep in thought. Then, as if coming to a realization, her eyes gleamed with determination, and she nodded silently.
"I understand, Mayne."
"And Mayne, stop calling me by that name. I hate it."
(This stubborn little girl isn't so hard to handle after all.) The blonde CP0 agent let out a quiet sigh of relief in her mind before bowing. "As you wish, Lisanna."
Beyond protecting Lisanna's safety, Mayne's other task was to mold her into a "proper" Celestial Dragon. But so far, aside from her attire and that iconic silver hair of the Sarsalian lineage, this girl was no different from an ordinary person.
(Speaking of which, the Celestial Dragons in Mary Geoise haven't discriminated against this outsider. On the contrary, they pity her as a "compatriot who suffered ten years of torment in the mortal world" and treat her with surprising kindness. Yet this girl scorns her World Noble status, her eyes red from constant crying, and she's even tried to escape several times. My goodness, are these Celestial Dragons all mad?)
As Mayne mused to herself, a sudden commotion erupted from the auction floor outside the box.
"And now, the grand finale of today's auction!" a garishly dressed auctioneer shouted passionately into the microphone.
"Three beautiful maidens from the Kuja Tribe of Amazon Lily!"