A bloated Celestial Dragon, his beer belly straining against his clothes and a bubble helmet covering his head, lounged lazily as he ordered a slave to fan him.
The moment he noticed Cassian’s group, especially the respectful attitude of the God’s Knights toward Cassian, his expression darkened with displeasure.
“Hey!
Who are you?
Why are you walking around so arrogantly?”
The fat Celestial Dragon shouted in a haughty tone.
Cassian had been in a good mood, but the interruption made him frown instantly.
He stopped, turned toward the man, gave him a once-over, and clicked his tongue.
“You fat pig, looking like that, are you trying to leave the pen early?”
The Celestial Dragon’s face twisted with fury.
“Who are you calling a fat pig?!
I am Saint Jan!”
“You filthy commoner, how dare you insult me?!”
Cassian stepped forward, tilting his head slightly as he looked at him.
“I’m talking about you.
What are you going to do about it?”
“What, not happy?
Want to try me?”
Saint Jan trembled with rage and pointed at Cassian while shouting at the guards nearby.
“Seize him!
I want him fed to the sharks!”
The guards were about to move when Shepherd Somaz shot them a cold glare.
It felt like a venomous snake had locked onto them.
Their bodies stiffened instantly, and none of them dared to take another step.
Offending someone from the Shepherd family was not something they could survive.
“What?
No one dares to move?”
Cassian raised an eyebrow and walked straight up to Saint Jan, stopping right in front of him, separated only by the transparent bubble helmet.
“Still not satisfied?
I’ll slap you if you keep this up.”
He lifted his hand, mimicking the motion of his so-called Invincible Whirlwind Slap.
Saint Jan staggered backward in fear, his helmet trembling.
“Y-you… don’t come any closer!
I am a Celestial Dragon!
My uncle is…”
Cassian cut him off immediately.
“In Mary Geoise, I’m the one in charge right now.”
“Forget a nobody like you.
Even if the Five Elders showed up, they would still have to answer to me.”
The moment those words left his mouth, even the God’s Knights could not help but twitch slightly.
Only this man would dare to say something like that so casually.
Saint Figarland Garling coughed lightly, stepping forward as he spoke in a low voice.
“Lord Cassian, this is not a place to linger.
It would be better to return soon.”
He was worried that if things escalated further, Lord Imu might end up suffering again.
Cassian glanced at him.
The old man appeared calm and steady.
Was this really Shanks’ father?
Still, he knew when to stop.
“Fine.
I’m in a good mood today, so I won’t waste time on this pig.”
He reached out and tapped Saint Jan’s bubble helmet lightly.
“Next time I see you acting arrogant, I’ll rip that helmet off and toss you straight into the slave pens.”
Saint Jan nearly collapsed from fear as he watched Cassian walk away, not daring to utter another word.
The surrounding Celestial Dragons were stunned, whispers spreading among them.
“Who is that kid?
He’s insanely bold.”
“Didn’t you see the God’s Knights following him?
He must be someone important.”
“That’s impossible.
We are the highest nobles.
How could anyone outrank us?”
Hancock walked beside Cassian, her emotions in turmoil.
She had always believed Celestial Dragons were untouchable, the absolute rulers of the world.
But now, seeing Cassian treat one like a toy while the God’s Knights acted as his escorts…
That belief began to crack.
She hesitated for a moment before asking softly,
“Aren’t you afraid they’ll retaliate?”
Cassian let out a dismissive scoff.
“Do they dare?”
He stretched casually, his gaze sweeping across the luxurious yet rotten grandeur of Mary Geoise.
A sense of superiority rose within him.
To hell with the Celestial Dragons and the World Government.
If anyone had a problem, they could try surviving his slap first.
“Come on, little maid.
I’ll take you somewhere good to eat.”
Cassian grabbed Hancock’s hand and led her toward the gourmet district.
“My treat today.
Order whatever you want.
Someone else is paying anyway.”
Hancock’s cheeks flushed slightly, but this time she did not pull her hand away.
As she looked at Cassian’s back, arrogant yet strangely reassuring.
Behind them, the God’s Knights followed silently, each lost in their own thoughts.
Figarland Garling stared at Cassian’s back, his expression thoughtful.
There was a hint of the same wildness that once belonged to Rocks, but the way this boy acted was far more absurd.
A shadow of gloom flickered in Saint Limosif Ghiringham’s eyes.
Manmaia Gunko walked quietly, the corner of her lips hidden beneath bandages curving into an eerie smile.
Through her, Imu perceived everything, a tangle of complicated emotions stirring within.
Cassian, however, could not care less.
Right now, he just wanted to enjoy this unfair advantage.
As for the future, that was a problem for another day.
Not everyone got to walk around Mary Geoise with the God’s Knights as bodyguards and Imu taking the consequences.
This was a massive win.
Inside the Flower Room of the palace.
“Getting hurt just from the recoil of hitting someone… is this body made of paper?”
Imu shook her head lightly and walked toward a stone platform stacked with scrolls.
She picked up a worn piece of parchment.
It detailed the training methods for the three types of Haki.
Nearby were several booklets labeled Basic Physical Techniques and Secret Methods for Strengthening Vital Energy.
With a light tap of her finger, the scrolls rolled themselves up and floated out of the palace.
“If you’re this weak, then get stronger before causing more trouble.”
“At the very least, don’t let me suffer such ridiculous recoil next time you act.”
As for the Celestial Dragons Cassian had slapped, Imu did not care in the slightest.
To her, they were no different from stones on the roadside.
Cassian could beat them as much as he pleased, as long as it did not inconvenience her.
After all, there was a vast difference between her status and theirs.
Between herself getting hurt and the Celestial Dragons suffering, the choice was obvious.
She would always let the Celestial Dragons take the pain.