Chapter 42: Captain of the Golden Lion's 6th Ship

"Am I seeing this right?" Doflamingo rubbed his eyes. "Why is that guy coming back with a woman in his arms?"

Dragon's jaw dropped. "Is that a mermaid?"

He had never seen a mermaid before in his life, and the first time he did, she was being carried by Renji.

Mermaids were born with extraordinary beauty, often targeted by human traffickers. Fish-men, with their strong physiques, were also favored by slave owners, leading to strained relations between merfolk, fish-men, and humans.

As a result, it was rare to see them in populated areas.

"A hero saving a beauty?" the two said in unison.

Dragon looked at Doflamingo and suddenly asked, "I heard the Celestial Dragons amass the wealth of the world, but you seem like you've never seen a mermaid before?"

Doflamingo: "..."

"..."

The Celestial Dragon, who had stayed behind to watch the commotion, was about to leave. After all, the fun was over, and there was no point in staying.

"A mermaid... it's a mermaid!"

But just as he reached the exit, he caught sight of the mermaid in Renji's arms and immediately shouted.

Others might not know, but as a Celestial Dragon, he was aware of the most attractive slave at this auction.

For profit, someone had leaked information about a mermaid being sold at this auction. However, he had forgotten about it while enjoying the spectacle.

Now that he had seen his target, he naturally chose to seize her.

"You, go and bring that mermaid to me!" Roswald Saint pointed a chubby finger at the mermaid in Renji's arms and commanded.

"And kill that man. I don't like trash touching my property!"

Roswald Saint felt extremely uncomfortable seeing a man holding the mermaid. Combined with the frustrations of the auction, he was now furious.

To him, the mermaid was his toy. How dare a lowly commoner lay hands on something belonging to a god? This was an insult to divinity!

"How dare he..."

The golden-haired Roswald Saint barked orders angrily.

The CP2 agents had no objections. Their duty was absolute obedience to the Celestial Dragons. Upon hearing the command, they immediately sprang into action.

"What are you staring at? Get over there too!" Roswald Saint pointed at the guards and shouted.

The guards hesitated. Their job was to protect the Celestial Dragon at all costs.

"But Lord Roswald Saint, if we all leave, what about your safety?"

Roswald Saint smirked confidently. "There's only us and those three lowlifes here. They're the ones who should be worried!"

"I am a World Noble, a Celestial Dragon!"

In a foul mood, he kicked the guard in front of him to the ground and glared at the others, signaling them to hurry up and carry out his orders.

As subordinates of the Celestial Dragons, they were a cruel and cold-hearted group. Their eyes were fixed on power and loyalty, and they had nothing but disdain for a nobody like Renji.

"Since it's your command, we will obey!" The guards ultimately chose to follow the Celestial Dragon's orders and quickly moved into action.

"..."

"It looks like the people around the Celestial Dragon are about to attack Renji," Dragon said anxiously. The Celestial Dragons had authority over the Marines, and he worried about how Renji would be treated.

Doflamingo, on the other hand, looked like he was enjoying the show. "Looks like he's in trouble. Being targeted by those pigs is no good."

In his eyes, the status of a Celestial Dragon no longer held any appeal. What he wanted was to surpass those foolish pigs who only knew how to eat, drink, and play, and to trample them underfoot.

Though Dragon didn't know Doflamingo's background, he was curious about his attitude toward Renji and the Celestial Dragons. From their interactions, he sensed that this kid had grown up twisted, fearless and reckless.

"Let's go help Renji," Dragon said, seeing Renji surrounded by those people. He wanted to join the fray.

Doflamingo blocked him. "We're slaves now. Slaves don't dare to upset the Celestial Dragons."

"Besides, don't you want to see how Renji handles the Celestial Dragons?"

Doflamingo's words echoed in Dragon's ears like a devil's whisper. Did he want to see Renji's attitude toward the Celestial Dragons? After a moment of thought, Dragon concluded that he did!

After learning more about the Celestial Dragons during this time, he understood just how bizarre they were.

If he had to make a choice, he would definitely stand against the Celestial Dragons.

"..."

As Renji and the others were surrounded by the Celestial Dragon's men, Selina realized that her presence might bring more danger to Renji.

She knew her beauty and race had always attracted the attention of the Celestial Dragons, so she decided to sacrifice herself to let Renji escape.

"Put me down and run!" Selina whispered in Renji's ear. "They're only interested in me. Let me go, and you can escape."

Renji glanced at the mermaid in his arms. "Do you think I'm the kind of person who fears death?"

"Of course not!" Selina retorted. "If you were, I'd still be in that cell waiting to be auctioned."

She glanced at the distant Celestial Dragon. "And I'd still end up in their hands."

"I just... don't want you... to get hurt."

"You're the best person I've ever met—not just among humans, but in the whole world."

"If I came here, I was prepared for the worst," Renji said with a faint smile. "These people aren't enough to threaten me. Just relax."

"I always keep my promises. You'll see me take you to the sea."

Renji's words were filled with determination and resolve. Once he set his mind to something, not even Jesus could change it.

Selina felt Renji's determination and warmth, and a wave of comfort washed over her.

In this treacherous world, she had finally found someone who was truly willing to give everything for her. She silently closed her eyes, nestling deeply into Renji's embrace, feeling the safety and protection he offered.

"I'll listen to you..."

At that moment, Renji suddenly roared, his voice echoing throughout the auction house:

"Do you know who I am?"

"I'm the infamous pirate with a bounty of 250 million Berries, Jack!"

"Currently, I'm the captain of the 6th ship under the Golden Lion's Flying Pirate Fleet!"

"Have you thought about the consequences of attacking me?"

Everyone in the auction house froze, staring in shock at the man holding the mermaid and standing fearlessly in the center.

Dragon and Doflamingo's jaws nearly hit the floor. They had never seen someone as shameless as Renji. The Golden Lion was minding his own business, and now this trouble had fallen into his lap.

Selina looked up with her sparkling eyes, catching the mischievous smile on Renji's lips.

"He's so bad... but it feels kind of nice..."

...