In the heart of the Hundred Pistil Fruit plantation.
Carel Hines, the butler of a Celestial Dragon from the Holy Land of Mary Geoise, sat leisurely on a mahogany chair, toying with a crystal-clear glass in his hand.
"I took a great risk this time to make Lord Saint Florence Manmayer remember the Hundred Pistil Fruit." Carel's voice was unhurried, yet it carried an undeniable sense of pressure. He tilted his head slightly, his hawk-like gaze sweeping over Prince Nix, who stood to the side.
This usually arrogant prince now resembled a humble attendant, with fine beads of sweat already forming on his forehead.
Nix immediately plastered on a fawning smile, his voice lowered to a whisper. "Understood, understood. Rest assured, Lord Carel. A satisfactory gift of gratitude will be presented to you upon your departure." As he spoke, he pulled a silk-embroidered handkerchief from his robes and repeatedly wiped the sweat from his brow.
Amidst this delicate atmosphere, a sudden commotion came from the distant treetops.
A picker's foot slipped, and a basket full of Hundred Pistil Fruit was about to fall. Each of these fruits was worth a fortune, a treasure offered exclusively to the Celestial Dragons.
"Useless!" Carel shot to his feet, slamming the crystal glass down on the mahogany table with a sharp crack.
The color instantly drained from Nix's face, and his lips began to tremble involuntarily.
In the nick of time, a white figure flashed past like lightning. The CP agent, who had been silent all this time, caught the falling basket with astonishing speed, his precision breathtaking. His figure traced a graceful arc through the sunlight, and he landed without even stirring a single fallen leaf.
"My-my lord, please calm your anger!" Nix's voice grew shrill with nervousness. "This month's yield is a full thirty percent more than last year's. It's definitely enough for Lord Saint Florence Manmayer to enjoy..."
Carel cut him off coldly. "I don't care about quantity." His voice was low and dangerous, like the calm before a storm. He walked slowly toward the worker who had collapsed on the ground, his black leather boots leaving clear prints in the soft soil. Each step seemed to land on the hearts of everyone present.
"Do you know the value of these fruits?" Carel asked, looking down at him, his voice terrifyingly soft. "A single one is worth more than your life's wages."
The worker trembled, not daring to look up, his coarse clothes already soaked with sweat. Carel suddenly bent down, pinching the man's chin with his snow-white-gloved fingers and forcing his head up. The worker's eyes were filled with terror, his lips quivering nonstop.
"Tell me," Carel's voice was like a hissing snake, "what was it you almost destroyed?"
"It... it was the sacred fruit... for the Celestial Dragon lords..." the worker stammered, his voice as faint as a mosquito's buzz.
"Very good." Carel straightened up coldly and, without hesitation, kicked the worker in the head. After the dull thud, he still wasn't satisfied and followed up with several more kicks.
He then turned to Nix, his expression as calm as ever, but the iciness in his eyes was chilling to the bone. "Continue the work," he commanded curtly, then added in a lower voice, "As for this piece of trash... you know what to do."
The workers were silent as cicadas in winter, mechanically continuing their tasks. None dared to spare a glance at the figure curled up on the ground.
Nix nodded repeatedly, another layer of cold sweat breaking out on his forehead. He waved his hand, signaling the guards to drag the worker away. The action was clean and efficient; it was clearly not the first time he had handled such a matter. The worker made no sound as he was dragged off, his eyes just stared blankly into the distance, as if he had already foreseen his fate.
The harvesting continued, but the atmosphere had clearly grown more tense. The workers picked each fruit with extreme care, terrified of making any mistake. Carel sat back down in his chair, his gloomy gaze sweeping across the entire harvesting site. Nix stood to the side, occasionally wiping the sweat from his forehead, but he didn't dare say another word.
In the midst of this tense atmosphere, disaster struck. A guard came staggering from the distance, his face as pale as paper and covered in fine beads of sweat. He gasped for breath as he shouted, "Prince Nix, something terrible has happened!" His voice was filled with unconcealable terror.
Nix's brow furrowed, a flash of displeasure in his eyes as he barked, "What are you panicking for! Calm down!" His voice was as cold as ice, carrying an unquestionable authority.
But before he could finish, a deafening explosion suddenly tore through the sky.
A cannonball, trailing a long plume of fire, came whistling through the air and landed precisely at the running guard's feet. With a tremendous "BOOM," a blinding light shot into the sky, and billowing smoke instantly engulfed the guard's figure.
When the dust settled, only a scorched crater remained, the acrid smell of gunpowder filling the air.
"Mwahahaha!" Accompanied by a burst of arrogant laughter, Queen descended from the sky, landing steadily not far away. The burly pirate held a strangely shaped rifle and fired several shots into the air. The bullets shrieked as they tore through the sky, as if declaring the start of a war.
"Listen up, you bastards! This is a robbery!" his voice boomed like thunder, echoing across the battlefield.
"Kill them!" Before Queen could finish, Urouge, Sebastian, and Gavin were already leading a large group of pirates in a swarming charge.
They brandished all sorts of weapons, the cold glint of blades flashing under the sun. The battle cries shook the heavens, surging like a tide toward Nix's position. The pirates' faces were ferocious, their eyes glinting with bloodlust, and the entire scene instantly descended into chaos.
"You sons of bitches, this is my performance time!" Queen cursed loudly, seeing Urouge and the others interrupt his show. The air, thick with the smell of gunpowder and a murderous aura, was suffocating.
Nix's expression changed drastically. He immediately drew his sword, its blade gleaming coldly in the sunlight. "Guard squad, assemble!" he roared, his voice filled with undeniable authority. The soldiers quickly formed ranks to meet the enemy, their shields interlocking and spears forming a forest of steel, creating a solid line of defense.
Carel frowned as he watched the charging pirates, a trace of disdain in his eyes. He turned to the CP agents behind him and said, "Go help them. Don't let the fighting affect the Hundred Pistil Fruit's yield." His tone was flat, as if he were discussing a trivial matter.
In Carel's eyes, these pirates from the Four Blues were nothing but a disorderly mob, utterly vulnerable against the rigorously trained CP agents. With this thought, Carel's gaze shifted to the leaders: Queen, Urouge, and Sebastian. When he saw the pair of pure white wings on Urouge's back and Sebastian's distinct Fish-man features, a sharp glint flashed in his eyes.
"Be careful," Carel ordered in a low voice. "I want those leaders alive." The corner of his mouth curved upward into a meaningful smile.
Carel was overjoyed, thinking that if he presented these people as slaves to Lord Saint Florence Manmayer, his own status would surely become even more secure. The thought made his heart involuntarily beat a little faster, his eyes gleaming with greed.
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