"Everyone, please—come in. This is my home."
At the head of the group, Musgarud smiled and gestured warmly, guiding Neptune, Cobra, and the others behind him.
When Rorschach and the rest looked up, a vast estate came into view—spanning over two thousand square meters.
There were rock gardens and streams, carefully trimmed greenery shaped into elegant patterns, and countless vibrant flowers blooming in vivid colors.
In the center stood a thirty-meter-tall, pointed-roof castle, weathered by the ages. Though the outer walls bore signs of repair, one could still see the faded elegance of ancient statues adorning its structure.
In front of the castle stood a circular fountain—and at its center, a statue.
It depicted a knight in full armor, face hidden beneath a visor, holding a long spear and poised mid-charge.
The craftsmanship was exquisite, brimming with life and motion—clearly the work of a master sculptor.
But as everyone gazed upon it, their expressions turned strange.
They wanted to laugh… but didn't dare.
Because the valiant knight's steed was not a majestic stallion—but a dull-eyed donkey.
Musgarud seemed unfazed by their reactions and chuckled as he explained.
"This," he said, "is our Donquixote family ancestor—the one who lived eight hundred years ago. One of the original Twenty Kings who created the world."
He turned to Cobra and added with a smile, "They say he was good friends with your ancestor, Queen Lily of the Nefertari family."
With that, he led everyone forward toward the massive castle doors.
As they walked, the group noticed something peculiar—there were no slaves wearing explosive collars in Musgarud's estate. Only a few maids in uniforms and black-suited CP personnel could be seen.
Then came another surprise—the castle doors were locked.
Everyone watched as Musgarud pulled a key from his chest, inserted it into the heavy door's keyhole, and turned it with a click.
Frissis, using his remaining arm, pushed the massive half-meter-thick carved stone doors open, revealing a grand hall beyond.
And when Neptune, Cobra, and the others at the front saw what was inside, they froze in disbelief.
"This…" Neptune's eyes widened, his lips trembling.
Shirahoshi, Hibari, and Vivi all covered their mouths in shock.
Even Rorschach, Enel, and Law raised their eyebrows in astonishment.
Inside Musgarud's castle, there were no golden treasures, no jeweled ornaments, no luxurious paintings or priceless pearls adorning the walls.
Instead—
It was filled with slaves.
Yes.
Dozens upon dozens of slaves, of all shapes, races, ages, and genders, crowded the great hall.
Rorschach immediately recognized long-armed people, long-legged tribes, long-necked folk, minks, fish-men, dwarves—
And, of course, humans.
All of them wore explosive slave collars around their necks—but their clothes were not tattered, and they appeared far healthier—both physically and mentally—than the broken slaves outside in the streets.
When the doors opened and the crowd of visitors appeared, panic spread through the slaves. They recoiled, crying, some collapsing to their knees and kowtowing in terror.
Neptune's massive frame trembled.
Among the crowd, he spotted several mermaids and fish-men.
When those enslaved fish-men and mermaids recognized Neptune and Shirahoshi, their despair turned into joy and disbelief. Tears welled in their eyes as they rushed forward, crying incoherently.
"It's… it's His Majesty Neptune! And Princess Shirahoshi! Gods, am I dreaming? I see King Neptune!"
"Princess Shirahoshi! Prince Shark Star! It's me—Nia, from the Fish-Man Dance Troupe! Waaaah—!"
Neptune and Shirahoshi rushed forward to embrace their kin. Tears streamed down their faces as they clung to one another.
Rorschach took a deep breath, turning toward Musgarud, whose swollen face still managed to hold a faint smile.
"Saint Musgarud… this is…?"
Given what Musgarud had done earlier on the road—risking punishment from his own kind to save Shirahoshi—neither Rorschach nor Cobra believed these slaves were captives of his.
If Musgarud were truly like other Celestial Dragons, he would never have defied Garling and the Five Elders, taking a beating and losing his Heavenly Tribute share in the process.
That annual tribute, Rorschach knew, must have been a staggering amount of money.
His gaze softened.
This man… this Celestial Dragon… had done far more than anyone could have imagined.
Indeed, the truth was just as he suspected.
All the slaves crowding this hall had been bought by Musgarud—purchased out of his own pocket from other Celestial Dragons.
And these were only a fraction of the ones he'd saved.
Many others had already been secretly transported to Bubble Port below the Red Line or released at Sabaody Archipelago.
Musgarud stepped up onto the stairs overlooking the hall. His bruised face twisted into a humble smile as he said,
"My friends, I brought you here because of them. I wish to ask your help—to take these poor souls to the sea below… and set them free."
He rubbed his fingers awkwardly, looking embarrassed.
"I know this is asking much of you, but… I'm afraid I've run out of money. The Five Elders have reduced my annual Heavenly Tribute share. I used to receive around five billion Berries a year, but it's been cut down to two billion.
"All of it went toward buying slaves to free them. I'd hoped to use this year's tribute to rescue more… but after today's punishment… sigh. Plans rarely keep up with fate. So now, I can only beg for your help—to return these people to the ocean."
"What?"
Everyone was shaken.
Neptune and the freed slaves fell to their knees in tears, bowing deeply to Musgarud.
"Saint Musgarud! Please don't worry! Even if it costs me my life, I will see that they are all brought home safely. What you've done—we will never forget it."
Hibari, Vivi, and the others were deeply moved.
They never imagined that in this corrupted Holy Land, a Celestial Dragon could possess such compassion.
Their impression of the entire race wavered—especially for Rorschach, Law, and Hibari.
Even Rorschach found himself admiring Queen Otohime more deeply.
It was her unwavering belief in equality, her courage, and her teachings that had inspired Musgarud's transformation—leading to this act of mercy.
A woman with such strength of spirit… perhaps she was the true predecessor of the revolutionaries.
"Doesn't the castle seem a bit empty to you?" Frissis said, glancing around the bare walls. He sighed. "This place used to be filled with treasures—gifts from nobles around the world. Even heirlooms passed down by the Donquixote family for eight centuries. But over the years, Saint Musgarud traded them all away—to buy slaves, to shelter them here, and to secretly free them by the dozens."
Everyone's hearts trembled. Their eyes turned toward Musgarud with newfound respect.
Even as one of the Celestial Dragons, his actions commanded honor and gratitude.
Rorschach looked at Frissis. "As a CP agent, didn't you ever think to report this? To stop him?"
Frissis just smiled. "I am merely Saint Musgarud's servant. I have no right to interfere with my master's choices—or to betray him. My duty is to obey. Whether my master enslaves people like Rozwald Saint did, or frees them as Musgarud does—it isn't my place to question. My loyalty is absolute."
Rorschach studied Frissis's expression and felt something strange stir in his chest.
This man was… pure. Not good, not evil—just purely loyal.
He wasn't driven by morality, but by devotion.
To him, good and evil didn't matter. Only his master did.
"So," Rorschach said quietly, "what do you want me to do?"
He already had a feeling what Frissis was about to ask.
Frissis said nothing at first. He disappeared briefly into the crowd—then returned holding a notebook, which he solemnly handed to Rorschach.
"Take this. And whatever you do, don't let anyone else see it—it could bring you serious trouble."
Rorschach felt the weight of the book as Frissis tapped it and continued,
"This contains everything about how Zoan-type Devil Fruit users can rapidly develop their abilities and achieve awakening—the culmination of eight hundred years of data collected by the World Government from awakened individuals. It also includes information on the Six Powers' ultimate techniques and advanced martial arts training methods."
Rorschach took a deep breath, suppressing his urge to open it immediately, and looked at Frissis, waiting.
"My request," Frissis said earnestly, "is that you find a way to provide Musgarud Saint with money each year—enough for him to continue his work. It won't be cheap. The slaves sold to the Holy Land fetch enormous prices. And with his tribute reduced again, he'll only have about 1.5 billion Berries a year to use. He can't possibly sustain this alone."
He sighed. "As his servant, I can't stop him. So the least I can do is help him achieve his dream—by finding people who can support him. My life was saved by his kindness.
"I know this request may put you in a difficult position, Rorschach. But among all the people I trust, you're the only one I believe capable of helping him."
He looked Rorschach in the eyes, his expression firm and sincere. "Please, Rorschach—help me. Help Saint Musgarud."
For a long moment, Rorschach was silent. Then a slow smile spread across his face.
He placed a firm hand on Frissis's shoulder and said with conviction,
"Don't worry, Frissis. Leave the money to me. I'll make sure Saint Musgarud can fulfill his wish."
"Thank you." Frissis smiled, relief in his eyes. He extended his remaining hand, and Rorschach shook it firmly.
"No," Rorschach said softly. "The ones who should be thanking you… are us."
Cobra, Popla, and Neptune stepped forward beside him, bowing deeply.
"Rorschach is right," Cobra said. "We'll also provide funds to Saint Musgarud. What he's doing is truly noble—and it deserves our support. We only fear the Five Elders might grow displeased."
Frissis waved a hand dismissively. "It's fine. As long as the slaves are purchased legally, the Five Elders won't interfere—whether they're released or killed afterward doesn't concern them. Just avoid freeing too many at once. That's what draws attention."
(End of Chapter)
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