He sensed the sharpness emanating from the old man.
Kouta's face lit up with excitement.
"Let's free these slaves first, then find a place to have a good fight."
Meeting Kouta's excited gaze, Rayleigh's face also broke into a smile.
He nodded and continued, "Alright! Today I will get a good look at the strength of you, who has become renowned throughout the world in just half a year, and is hailed as a legend of the new generation."
"Haha!! You will see."
Kouta smiled faintly, turned to the fish tank, and clenched his fist with force as he reached out towards it.
Then, under Rayleigh's curious and Disco's astonished eyes, the fish tank exploded with a "bang."
Water splashed outwards, surging in all directions. However, as it passed by Kouta, it was as if it encountered an invisible wall and was blocked, only flowing to the sides and beneath the stage.
Paying no mind to the mermaids' fear mixed with grateful gazes, Kouta stepped forward and directly grasped the iron ring around the mermaid's neck.
"No."
The mermaid looked at Kouta, her body trembled, and then she exclaimed, "This is a slave collar. There's no key, and if force is used, it will explode instantly."
"It's fine."
Smiling gently at the mermaid, Kouta's eyes narrowed. The hand gripping the collar, along with the collar itself, was enveloped in a layer of pink-hued gas.
Then, with a forceful squeeze, Kouta instantly crushed the collar. He held the collar in his right hand and moved it away from the mermaid's neck, casually tossing it towards the vast sky behind him.
Boom—!
The explosion's fire instantly illuminated the entire sky.
"It really came off."
The mermaid touched her neck, her face filled with joy and excitement. She then looked at Kouta, her eyes filled with extreme gratitude.
She stepped forward, bowed to Kouta, and said gratefully, "Thank you, thank you, benefactor, for saving my life."
"Mhm!"
Kouta nodded. With a thought, he helped her up. "Alright, you are free now. Go back! There should be no one guarding outside now. Don't get caught again next time!"
"Mhm mhm mhm!!"
The mermaid nodded repeatedly. Then, she produced a piece of coral from somewhere, put it in her mouth, and blew a bubble.
The bubble grew larger and larger, eventually enveloping her entire body. She cast one last look at Kouta, slapped her tail on the ground, and rode the bubble as it flew out through the broken roof.
"Truly magical."
Kouta watched the bubble and the disappearing mermaid, marveling inwardly.
It would be amazing if this kind of bubble could be used elsewhere, but unfortunately, it could only be used in the Sabaody Archipelago and Fish-Man Island.
Shaking his head, Kouta withdrew his gaze and looked down at Disco, who was standing by.
Sensing Kouta's gaze, Disco's body trembled violently, and then yellow liquid dripped from between his legs. Clearly, he had wet himself from fear.
Looking at one of the owners of this auction house, Kouta's eyes showed extreme disgust.
It was because of these kinds of people in the world that there were so many human traffickers and slave catchers. Although the biggest reason was the nobles, the Celestial Dragons, these individuals were also inextricably linked.
With a narrowed gaze, Kouta reached out and flicked his finger at Disco.
Bang—!
This flick of his finger in the air produced an extremely powerful shockwave.
The invisible shockwave, like a speeding train, slammed directly into Disco's chest.
Crack.
Disco's chest instantly caved in, bone-cracking sounds echoed, and his body shot into the air, arching as he left a trail of blood across the auction house's right side.
With a "boom," he crashed through the wall and disappeared from Kouta's sight.
Rayleigh had watched Kouta's entire process of rescuing the mermaid. Apart from his astonishment at Kouta's completely unfamiliar abilities, he also harbored doubts in his heart.
"What kind of ability is this?"
If he wasn't mistaken, the kid's ability to move rapidly earlier was teleportation. Not speed-based teleportation, but spatial movement.
Now he could attack from a distance, suggesting he had other abilities as well.
He was extremely curious about these abilities he had never seen before.
Having traveled the seas for so long, he had seen Devil Fruits that allowed short-distance teleportation and even true teleportation Devil Fruit users.
While those teleports were powerful, they were not without traces.
Unlike Kouta, whose teleportation seemed as simple as walking or eating, he had no idea where his next move would be, nor any pause or trace.
"It's definitely not a Teleportation Devil Fruit, so what kind of fruit could it be?"
Although curious, Rayleigh did not ask. After all, they were not yet familiar enough to probe each other's secrets.
As if sensing Rayleigh's curiosity, Kouta glanced at him, smiled faintly, said nothing, withdrew his gaze, and walked towards the back of the stage.
Next, he quickly dealt with the guards behind the stage, found the keys from them, opened the doors of many rooms where slaves were held, and tossed the keys inside.
As for what happened afterward, he did not personally participate.
Soon, when he returned to the stage, a small follower was behind him: Coco Kingdom's little princess, Coco—Fiso, whom he had initially put up for auction.
They were heading to the New World. Since they had saved Sofia, and that was Indigo's hometown,
They might as well see the rescue through and send her back. It would also be an opportunity to see what Indigo's hometown looked like now.
"Go! Go there."
Kouta pointed at Indigo and said to Fiso, "That person is Indigo. He is from near your kingdom. You go and stay with him first. When we leave the island, follow us, and we will take you home."
Fiso looked at Kouta gratefully, bowed to him, and then turned to walk towards Indigo.
As she approached and saw Indigo's appearance clearly, she was momentarily stunned.
Because she had seen Indigo's appearance before, in their country's library.
However, that was decades ago.
According to the books, decades ago, near their country, there was an island with highly developed medical care, inhabited by a peculiar race of scientists who studied biology.
But later, due to their inability to pay the Heavenly Tribute, they were expelled from the World Government's加盟国. The island was immediately engulfed in war and eventually became a pirate's paradise.
The peculiar race and that small medical country had completely disappeared, with only scattered records remaining in history books.
Seeing Indigo reminded her of her own country. Coco was currently experiencing the same events that Indigo's country had undergone.
Otherwise, how could she, a princess of a kingdom, be abducted and brought to the Sabaody Archipelago, only to be put on stage for auction?
Therefore, as she reached Indigo's side, the joy of being rescued vanished, replaced by restlessness and a sense of urgency.
As if sensing Fiso's anxiety, Indigo, who was usually cheerful and playful, became serious for once.
He reached out, gently petted the little girl's head, and said in a soft tone, "Don't worry, Fiso. Since we've decided to send you back, we will definitely ensure your country is stable. Believe me, believe my captain, and believe your benefactor."
Indigo's large hand was warm, and his tone was equally so. This warmth seemed to give Fiso confidence, instantly calming her uneasy heart.
She looked up, smiled slightly at Indigo, and nodded.
There was no point in rushing now. Heaven had been so kind to her, allowing her to be rescued when she had already despaired. She felt she was already fortunate enough.