Chapter Twenty-Four: You Have No Right to Look Down on Others

“Kid, you…” Chu Yi had barely finished his words before Tiger found himself at a loss. Was there really any need? From the moment Chu Yi and Tiger escaped the Celestial Dragons, the conflict between them and those so-called nobles became irreconcilable. Their current goal was to rescue Hancock’s two sisters from the Celestial Dragons. No matter whether they succeeded or failed, their relationship with those tyrants was now one of life and death.

If that was the case, why hide? Was it simply because the Celestial Dragons were the world’s aristocrats, their identities untouchable?

As Tiger stood there, stunned, Chu Yi gently removed Tiger’s hand from his shoulder and, after giving Hancock a reassuring look, prepared to walk straight toward the grotesque figure ahead—an ugly man, bloated as a pig, face shrouded by a hood.

But just as Chu Yi had taken two steps forward, a sudden thud echoed out! The arrogant Celestial Dragon, too heavy for the slave beneath him to support, toppled from his perch and crashed to the ground.

“Useless vermin!” barked the Celestial Dragon.

A servant hurried to help the fallen noble to his feet, while another lashed the slave savagely with a whip. Each strike left bloody welts across the slave’s back. Yet the slave, shackled with a collar, dared not show anger; he grit his teeth and endured the pain, terrified that a cry might further enrage his master.

The crowd around them listened to the crack of the whip and the sound of flesh splitting, yet none dared show even a flicker of outrage. One by one they knelt, holding their breath, cowed and silent.

Perhaps they had become numb, or perhaps they were simply used to it. So, when the Celestial Dragon dispensed punishment, fear alone kept them from even entertaining thoughts of resistance.

With his servants’ aid, the battered Celestial Dragon rose to his feet, his face bruised and swollen. Without a second thought, he drew his pistol, eyes glinting with malice as he leveled it at the slave before him.

“Chu Yi…”

For most, witnessing a Celestial Dragon commit violence in broad daylight was nothing unusual. But for Tiger and Hancock, it was different. They had both once been slaves to these monsters, and the sight of a Celestial Dragon poised to execute a slave struck at the most tender corners of their hearts.

Not long ago, Tiger and Hancock had been nothing more than playthings for the Celestial Dragons, their lives hanging by a thread. Many of their companions had perished for the simple crime of displeasing their masters. Because of these memories, the instant the Celestial Dragon raised his pistol, tears welled in Hancock’s eyes. Only by clinging tightly to Chu Yi’s tattered sleeve could she find a trace of security.

Lucci, on the other hand, saw things differently. He knew all too well the Celestial Dragons’ cruelty, and as a Marine, he had, in truth, abetted their unchecked arrogance. Noticing Hancock’s tearful gaze and Tiger’s ashen face, Lucci assumed it was merely ignorance. A sneer curled at his lips—a rare display of emotion for him. In a cold, uncharacteristic voice, he explained, “The Celestial Dragons are the descendants of the twenty kings who founded the World Government eight hundred years ago. They call themselves ‘Creators’ and stand as the world’s nobility. They possess countless privileges. They disdain breathing the same air as us; that’s why they always wear masks when in public.”

“To the Celestial Dragons, whether it’s the wretch at his feet or people like us, we’re all beneath them. So, I really don’t see why you two are so shaken.”

“Because these are the rules of the world. We all need to get used to it, don’t we?”

Lucci finished, certain he had spoken wisely.

But before Lucci’s words had even faded, Chu Yi’s fist crashed into his face.

“Shut up!”

“Shut up?” Lucci spat out a mouthful of blood, looking at Chu Yi with mockery. “You tell me to shut up, but what will it change? The great Celestial Dragons will do as they please. If we can’t stop them, what good is silence?”

“When I say shut up, just do it.” Chu Yi took a deep breath. It was hard to believe that even someone as powerful as Lucci could still harbor such a mindset.

So what if they were Celestial Dragons? Who gave them the right to stand above others? They were filth among filth, the least deserving of privilege.

Chu Yi inhaled deeply. Seeing Tiger and Hancock remain silent under Lucci’s logic, he clenched his fists and, for the first time, addressed them in a solemn tone. “Those who have suffered under Celestial Dragon oppression for generations have had servility etched into their bones. They believe the Celestial Dragons are always right, no matter what they do. Such people aren’t just useless; they’re incomplete. They’ve forgotten their own dignity—something far more precious than any title of nobility.”

“Tiger, Hancock. You two are the people closest to me. From today onward, I hope you can become whole human beings. At the very least…”

“Forget the servility in your bones. Never let yourselves be trampled into worthless husks!”

No sooner had the words left his lips than—bang!—a sharp sound rang out.

Lucci’s pupils contracted, his eyes fixed on Chu Yi. He never expected that, at this moment, Chu Yi would use the Navy’s Six Powers technique: “Shave.”

Indeed, Chu Yi, having unlocked the secrets of “Shave” and “Paper Art,” had spent the past month training relentlessly. Despite receiving no guidance from Lucci, Chu Yi, like a character from an ancient martial tale, relied on an abundance of inner strength gained from his three awakenings to master these techniques through sheer effort and repeated failure.

Now, his toes tapped rapidly against the ground, drawing on the rebound force to propel himself forward with a speed more than ten times his own. With a whisper of displaced air, Chu Yi vanished from before Tiger and Hancock, reappearing beside the Celestial Dragon in an instant.

“Oh? And who might you be?” The gun in the Celestial Dragon’s hand now aimed at Chu Yi, his fear long since eroded by years of unchecked power.

Yet what truly alarmed Hancock and Tiger was not the pistol pointed at Chu Yi; they both knew well enough that a man capable of wiping out pirate crews in an instant would never be threatened by an ordinary firearm.

What chilled them was the sight of Chu Yi, standing before the Celestial Dragon, calmly raising his own palm to the noble’s masked head.

A heartbeat later—

Bang!

Almighty Push!

Chu Yi’s cold voice echoed down the silent street as, under the crushing force of his attack, the Celestial Dragon’s masked head burst like an overripe melon.

“The Celestial Dragons are not superior to anyone. At least before me…”

“They are nothing!”