The Grand Line, an uncharted sea.
A luxurious three-masted cruise ship, escorted by two massive Marine battleships from Headquarters, sped forward.
At the top of the cruise ship, a flag bearing a magnificent golden shield in its center fluttered in the wind.
It was evident at a glance that this ship was neither a pirate vessel nor a merchant ship.
On the deck at the bow of the luxurious cruise ship, a roughly ten-year-old brat in exquisite attire excitedly rode on the back of a burly man who was crawling on all fours.
The burly man's back was covered with a thick, ornate blanket, upon which the brat sat. He held a rope extending from the man's neck in one hand, a whip in the other, and urged the man forward with his legs, shouting loudly.
He looked like a valiant knight on horseback.
*Crack—!*
*Crack—!*
*Crack—!*
"Giddy up!"
With every swing of the child's hand, the man beneath him trembled.
However, the trembling was not pronounced enough for the child to notice.
Soon, the exposed skin on the man's back and buttocks was covered in bloody red marks, some of which were still seeping blood.
These wounds were actually minor considering the man's entire body.
More prominent on the man's back and chest were long, jagged scars resembling centipedes.
Despite being covered in wounds, the man's eyes held no trace of pain.
It was as if his body was not his own.
Though his body trembled slightly under the lash, the pupils of his eyes were as calm as a deep, dark well, devoid of emotion.
*Swish-swish!!*
*Swish-swish!!*
The man's hands and feet were bound by chains, their heavy links dragging across the deck, producing a sound like flowing water.
Though gentle, to a discerning ear, it was exceptionally grating.
However, those on the ship's deck at this moment could not hear it.
"Your Highness, is this mount satisfactory?"
Beside the man stood a slender man in a black butler's suit.
The man, stooped over, looked up and fawned over the young boy on the man's back, "This mount was specially reserved for you by the King. I heard he was once a town guard!"
As he spoke, the butler extended his right foot and kicked the man. He lowered his head, glancing at the man's bulging muscles, a flicker of disgust in his eyes.
He disliked muscular men, considering anyone with muscles to be a brute.
"A guard?"
The young boy's interest was piqued. He stopped wielding his whip, turned his head to look at the butler, "Butler, tell me quickly. If this fellow was a guard, their village should have had more slaves. Why is he alone?"
Upon hearing this, the man's body tensed slightly. A ripple, a faint glimmer, spread across his lifeless pupils. But after a moment of thought, the ripple quickly subsided, and the light vanished as if it had never been there.
The butler lowered his head, stared at the man, and kicked him again.
"This fellow's village was found to be harboring fugitives. When the King learned of this, he demoted all the villagers to slavery. Naturally, everyone else except this one was sold off!"
After speaking, the butler looked up at the child and sneered, "Your Highness, this fellow is quite amusing. He actually tried to resist and was severely disciplined by the King for a long time before he became obedient."
"Oh..."
The young boy's interest flared as quickly as it died. He only cared about slaves. Upon hearing there were no other slaves, he lost all interest.
He turned his head and continued to swing his whip.
*Crack—!*
...
The butler watched the child's retreating back, then looked down at the man, a strange smile playing on his lips.
Not all the slaves had been sold, of course!
Some things were too complex for His Highness, who was still too young. Without the King's permission, he dared not speak of such matters concerning women to His Highness.
...
Below deck, in a luxurious room, a group of elegantly dressed individuals stood behind a middle-aged man wearing a crown.
They all stared excitedly at the large revolving disk in front of them.
"I bet it'll be the head this time."
A胖子 (fat man) withdrew his gaze, turned to stare at the back of the crowned man, and loudly flattered, "With His Majesty the King's accuracy, this throw will surely hit."
"Hahaha!! Why even say it? The King's throwing skills are the best in the nation!"
The crowd immediately echoed him loudly.
The King himself stared maniacally ahead, raised a small knife in his hand, and threw it forward with force.
*Whoosh—!*
The flying knife shot forward rapidly.
*Thwack—!*
It plunged without hesitation into the arm of a masked man tied to the large revolving disk.
"Ah..."
The extreme pain made the masked man cry out involuntarily.
"Hahahaha... Didn't hit!"
The King scratched his head, listening to the masked man's cries as if they were the most beautiful sound in the world. His eyes gleamed with pathological pleasure, his face flushed red.
"Bring me more knives."
The serving maid kneeling beside him quickly stepped forward, holding up a tray.
The tray was filled with small knives.
"Haha! The disk must have moved just now, causing the King to miss. This time, it will surely hit."
"Mhmm, mhm!"
Everyone nodded in agreement.
The King reached out, picked up a small knife, and threw it casually without even aiming.
*Whoosh—!*
"Ah..."
This throw still missed.
Upon hearing the cry, the King's pleasure intensified.
"Kill me."
The man on the disk could no longer bear the extreme torture. He leaned forward, struggling wildly.
"Kill me, I beg you to kill me."
"Ah..."
"Wants to die!"
The King and his ministers watched the man on the disk with frenzied eyes and flushed faces.
"We're only at the beginning. There's still a long way to go!"
"Hahahaha..."
The King reached out, picked up another knife, and threw again.
Soon, the man was covered in knives, and his cries grew weaker, eventually ceasing altogether. His head drooped, and he slumped onto the disk.
*Plunk—!*
Another knife plunged into the man's thigh.
This time, without the cries, the frenzy in their eyes receded.
"Uninteresting."
The King put down the knife in his hand, turned around, walked through the parting crowd behind him, and headed towards the door.
"Let's move on to the next act."
The guards flanking the disk stood impassively throughout. Only when the King put down his knife did they quickly untie the man from the disk and carry him out of the room like a dead dog.
Evidently, they were long accustomed to such scenes.
Their movements were professional and practiced.
After the guards left the room, the serving maids quickly picked up basins of water from the side and knelt on the floor, efficiently cleaning the bloodstains.
In a short while, the luxurious room returned to its original appearance, as if the inhumane events that had just transpired had never occurred.
However, the thick smell of blood emanating from the room served as a reminder that what had happened was no illusion.
And this room was merely one of many on this ship.
Outside the room was a brightly lit corridor lined with more rooms.
Each room represented an act.
The King, leading his ministers, emerged from the previous room. After a moment's hesitation in the corridor, he unhesitatingly pushed open a door and entered.
The room inside was pitch black, like a gateway to hell.
And the King and his ministers were clearly not heroes here to slay demons.
The door closed.
Soon, screams echoed from within, but this time, they were not the cries of a man, but of a woman.
...