Orochimaru was half-reclining lazily on the sofa, his body sinking softly into its cushions, his long fingers resting casually on the armrest, tapping intermittently.
He tilted his head slightly, gazing at the Colosseum in the distance, a few strands of black hair falling to partially obscure his narrow eyes, which held a hazy, enchanting gleam.
A few buttons of his shirt were undone, revealing a large expanse of fair yet firm-lined chest, which rose and fell gently with his shallow breaths, as if silently beckoning.
His location was extremely secluded, like a forgotten private corner, impossible for ordinary people to find.
One leg rested casually over the other, his trouser leg slightly slipped, revealing a small section of his beautifully sculpted calf, the skin at his ankle gleaming faintly in the shadows.
That hidden place seemed to be his exclusive, ambiguous territory, difficult for others to glimpse.
Below the terrace was where the fish tank, housing the fighting fish, was located.
In the clear water, a small fighting fish, strikingly similar to Dellinger, was happily flicking its agile tail, its chubby little body wiggling, as if completely captivated by Orochimaru's unique and alluring aura.
It seemed to blush, with a hint of shyness, slowly inching towards Orochimaru, looking as if it couldn't wait to cuddle with him.
Seeing this, Orochimaru's lips curved into a subtle, meaningful smile, then he slowly extended a long, well-defined finger and gently placed it on the little fighting fish's head, rubbing it back and forth with a touch of indulgence.
Then, he lazily raised his eyes, casually looking at the farce unfolding in the stands, a playful glint in his eyes.
Sabo, who was constantly thinking of his younger brother, could no longer hold back; the little flame in his heart suddenly flared up.
He wanted to cuddle too! How could he just stand by and watch a tiny fighting fish steal the intimate spot that rightfully belonged to him?
Anyway, finding Luffy after the D-block battle ended wouldn't make much difference.
And he always felt that Orochimaru in this state seemed to be in a not-so-good mood.
Sabo secretly activated his ability, and in the blink of an eye, transformed into a cute little white dragon, entirely snow-white.
It cautiously flew along the edge of the Colosseum, silently, as if afraid of being discovered.
Flying in front of Orochimaru, Sabo truly cast aside all decorum, vigorously squeezing into Orochimaru's arms, thinking:
What a joke! His brother had been 'raided,' if he still acted reserved here, he probably wouldn't even get any benefits later, perhaps not even a'sip of soup.'
Orochimaru was first startled, then full of surprise, looking down at the fellow who had suddenly appeared in his arms. This was Sabo, right? Had he mutated? He asked, puzzled:
"Sabo? Weren't you investigating the situation? Why are you here?"
"Seeing you lying here bored, I came to keep you company."
Sabo's gentle voice came from the little white dragon's mouth, its tone soft and soothing, like a babbling brook, full of concern.
"Anyway, in my current form, others won't recognize me for a while, so you don't have to worry about me causing you any trouble.
Weren't you looking for someone? Are you tired and want to rest? I'll rest with you for a bit."
The little white dragon tilted its head slightly, looking up at Orochimaru, its eyes full of thoughtfulness and care. Its dragon tail swayed slowly, as if silently conveying comfort.
"It's rare to have such a leisurely time; I can't bear for you to be bored alone."
With that, the little white dragon snuggled closer into Orochimaru's arms, its movements gentle and natural, as if to transmit all its warmth and care.
Orochimaru looked at the little white dragon in his arms, his previously lazy expression softening, a faint smile gracing his lips. He raised a hand and gently stroked the little white dragon's head, his voice also much softer.
The little white dragon rubbed against Orochimaru's hand, tucking itself into his arms like a pillow.
Orochimaru's eyes were full of warmth, his fingers slowly tracing the little white dragon's spine, as he softly said:
"Mm, with you accompanying me, let's watch the game. I'm too lazy to look for that person; let him live his life by chance. Anyway, it's just a conversion between harmful waste and recyclable waste, not important."
The two of them leaned against each other quietly, the surroundings seemingly filled with this warm atmosphere, and time itself seemed to slow down at this moment.
And just as this warm atmosphere permeated, in the lively and bustling D-block, Cavendish had already become the focus of attention for the entire arena.
He was seen sitting tall on his pure white steed, the horse's hooves kicking up gusts of wind and dust, its hooves clattering.
Cavendish's golden hair flew wildly in the wind, his handsome face bearing a confident and flamboyant expression. His sharp gaze swept around, the long sword in his hand reflecting a chilling glint in the sunlight.
Cavendish's brows were tightly furrowed, his deep eyes filled with displeasure and indignation. He coldly watched the spectators in the stands who were wantonly spewing insults and curses.
Those spectators were all baring their fangs and claws, the malicious words spewing from their mouths like sharp blades, constantly stabbing at people's hearts, making the originally passionate and exciting arena atmosphere murky.
"Enough of this!" Cavendish suddenly raised his voice, his voice echoing throughout the entire arena.
"What a bunch of barbaric and unreasonable spectators! Look at your disgusting faces, such behavior is truly shameless!!!"
The ill-mannered spectators in the stands, seeing Cavendish's righteous display, immediately became angry and embarrassed, their faces filled with displeasure, muttering curses.
Immediately after, they all bent down and picked up various kinds of trash around them—leftover fruit peels, old bottles, crumpled waste paper, and so on—and hurled them viciously into the arena.
For a moment, trash rained down towards Cavendish, a scene exactly like what Bartolomeo had encountered before; Cavendish instantly received this "same treatment."
Cavendish, riding on his white horse, frowned even more deeply. He gripped the long sword in his hand tightly, the veins on his arm subtly protruding, as if in the next second he would use the sword in his hand to cut through all the indecency and ugliness in the arena. Cavendish raised his arm, pointing his sword at the audience.
"All of you, shut up! I don't know what grudges you have between you! But facing such a young, vulnerable woman standing in the ring with a suicidal resolve, you rats are simply not qualified to hurl insults!!
If you want to kill this girl! Then pick up your weapons and come to the stage to fight it out!"
Rebecca looked at Cavendish in astonishment, and the arena instantly fell silent.
Luffy looked at the spirited Cavendish on the screen and broke into a brilliant smile.
Only the warriors in the arena next to Cavendish looked bewildered.
Isn't this guy's stage entrance a bit too loud with that megaphone? It's deafening!"
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