One Piece: The Legend of Beasts

The Human Hunting Conference, as the name suggests, is a slaughtering competition targeting humans of all races.

Every three years, the Five Elders, who represent the highest authority of the World Government, will randomly select a non-member country as the venue for the event through a lottery, and send government agents to investigate. If the island is found to have valuable resources that can be developed, the island will unconditionally belong to the World Government after the event.

As for the specific targets of the hunt, they were nothing more than the local aborigines and slaves who were deemed to have lost all their usefulness. If there were any rare species among these people, they would be considered high-quality prey for this conference and would become the priority targets for the hunt.

In addition, after communicating with the navy high-level in advance to ensure that the news would not leak out, all Celestial Dragons were forcibly summoned as contestants. One of the Five Elder Stars and the best carefully selected from each family, the Knights of God, led the team to the destination.

Of course, the word "force" does not bring any burden to most Tianlong people. On the contrary, they are extremely eager for the excitement and fun that can only appear in competitive games. Facing slaves who have no power to resist and only know how to escape desperately, they can more effectively arouse the violent desire hidden in their hearts.

This is a game, a game in which those in power can decide the life and death of the weak according to their own preferences.

"I hope all the contestants will stay calm! Now, please invite Lord Satan and Lord Helle Edmund to give a speech for this conference!"

When the host's loud voice spread from the Den Den Mushi to every corner of the square, the Celestial Dragons who had been discussing the topic of "Which method can make Tuo Tu die faster" gradually quieted down, turned sideways, and all their eyes were fixed on the high platform above the palace.

Tuk-tuk-tuk——

dong dong dong-

Two footsteps sounded one after another with varying degrees of heaviness, as well as the heavy sound of the crutch hitting the ground. The rhythm was perfectly coordinated, as if they had been rehearsed hundreds or thousands of times beforehand, and they were quite tacitly in sync.

As the sounds got closer, two tall figures slowly walked out from the dark corridor, walked along a straight line to the carved railing, and stood side by side, one on the left and one on the right.

The man on the left leaned on a long wooden cane with both hands, and his gray curly hair was covered by a black noble flat hat. It was not difficult to tell from the wrinkles all over his face and the fluffy white beard that he was old, but his straight body and a pair of bright eyes showed that he had a physical fitness that was not inferior to that of a young man. There was a deep and long scar on his left cheek, which seemed to be a mark left by a fierce war in the past.

The other man was more sturdy and robust, with long, black and smooth hair parted in the middle and laid neatly on his head, with the ends slightly curled up. A strand of light gray hair hung in front of his broad forehead, making his facial features appear more distinct.

The man looked to be about forty years old, with a short beard on his chin and no expression on his bronze face. He wore a large brown eye mask on his left eye, with a pattern of the hoof of a soaring dragon printed on it, symbolizing the supreme authority of the Celestial Dragons. Only his right eye, as deep as the sea, could see. The wrinkles evenly distributed on his face did not make him look old, but instead made him look more calm and serious.

He was wearing a thick, pitch-black armor with a metallic texture and a cold luster on the surface. The cloak behind him fluttered in the strong wind, making him exude an inviolable aura of a superior from top to bottom, as if he was a god standing in the clouds, looking down on the common people in the world below with an air of dominating the world.

The God of Science Defense of the Five Elder Stars, Saint Jaigolucia Satan, and the Commander-in-Chief of the Knights of God, Saint Nerona Heleedmond. These two people usually don't show up easily.

The great man who reigns at the top of the world is now arriving on this remote island.

The moment the two of them appeared in their field of vision, most of the Celestial Dragons in the audience widened their eyes and held their breath involuntarily. Even their usual rebellious demeanor was gone, replaced by an indescribable surprise and awe.

Sally, who was standing in the front row, cast her gaze towards her direct superior with shining eyes, her hands clasped tightly in front of her chest, and the aho-hair on her head trembled like grass blown by a strong wind.

"The number of participants this year is several times greater than in previous years..."

Looking at the vast sea of ​​people below, Satan narrowed his eyes slightly, his thick beard moving constantly as his mouth opened and closed, "Everything is thanks to those coveted prizes, and to you and your knights who proposed the surprise attack plan on Beehive Island and put it into practice." At the end, his eyes slowly moved to the face of the man next to him, as if he was very curious about how the other party would react next.

If it were an ordinary Celestial Dragon who had no self-awareness, he would hardly realize the thorny meaning in his words, and even if he did, he would have to adopt a humble attitude.

However, Hele Edmund not only heard it immediately, but there was no change in expression on his stern face. He just looked calmly at the cloudless blue sky in the distance.

As if after half a century of silence, a voice without a trace of human breath sounded in Sartan's ears: "If it is just boring and polite words, forget it. I won't brag about the unworthy achievements everywhere."

"Your speaking style is really merciless."

Sartan was not surprised by his arrogant and indifferent answer, and asked with interest, "Is it because you didn't meet the real master?"

"No comment."

"I see. As a soldier, I can understand your feelings."

Sartan stared at the pair of right eyes that showed a trace of regret, and pulled the corner of his mouth, "Don't let the contestants wait too long. Just like in previous years, you should say something in person."

"...a troublesome fellow."

After leaving behind a few words with a hint of dissatisfaction, Hele Edmund's gaze swept through the crowd below the stage one by one, from the fully armed Knights of God, to the Celestial Dragons who were uniformly dressed in white robes and hoods, and finally landed on the people who were locked in iron cages outside the square.

All of them were wearing handcuffs and had a conspicuous target pattern painted on the back of their clothes. Among them were old and young, men and women, and even a shivering baby in his mother's arms.

There is no doubt that they are the slaves called "rabbits" in the hunting competition. Everyone's face is filled with despair that cannot be described in words, and they seem to have accepted the irreversible tragic reality that is about to happen.

Helle Edmond just glanced at them casually, as if he had completely lost interest in them. He then turned his gaze back to the center of the square, moistened his throat, slowly opened his arms to both sides, and his originally cold voice turned into an impassioned tone: "Everyone! Citizens of the privileged class of the World Government, before the game begins, there is an indisputable fact that you need to keep firmly in mind!"

The moment he opened his mouth, all the contestants straightened their backs as if by reflex and pricked up their ears to listen carefully to what he was going to say next.

"Everyone is destined to be unequal from the moment they are born! Some people are born to be respected by countless people and live a life of luxury! Others are endlessly despised and abused throughout their lives, and can only survive in the shadows!

"Is this an injustice created by the world? No! It's not! It's all due to those humans whose existence is wrong!

"Whether they are a special race that once committed a great crime, or a non-member country that is not recognized by the world, among the criminals active on the sea today, there are more or less such people! In order to show their so-called specialness, they are willing to bring thousands of disasters to the world!

"Backwardness, ignorance, arrogance, greed... all the characteristics that represent the bad nature of human beings can be found in those people! They don't deserve to enjoy the most basic human rights at all!"

At this point, Helle Edmund's emotions became even more excited. Veins bulged on his forehead, and his clenched right hand creaked. "As people who share the same blood as the Creator, we need to hold this conference of great significance to eliminate all factors that hinder human progress! This will be the first step towards creating a new world without disputes and equality for all!"

As soon as the words fell, the crowd suddenly erupted in earth-shaking cheers. The Celestial Dragons raised their weapons high and shouted the name of the current head of the Nerona family. Only Greengu was disdainful. He looked at Sally, who was spinning like a top and couldn't help being excited, and unconsciously pulled the corner of his mouth.

——A new world? There has to be a limit to boredom... Is there any reason to clean up the garbage?

Fortunately, the man who he regarded as a thorn in his side was turning his attention to the frightened slaves and did not pay attention to his own behavior of singing a different tune.

"Sinners who have a special affinity with this hunting tournament, you have nothing to fear or lament. Fighting and betraying each other is the deepest nature of human hearts. But only struggle can make the world continue to evolve and gradually move towards a future full of unknowns!"

Helle Edmund raised his right hand covered with dark golden armor and stretched it forward. His powerful voice drowned out the cheers on the field, "Struggle as hard as you can in this trial to clear your name, and then try your best to survive! Those who survive in the end will have the honor of becoming part of the new world! This is the most generous mercy I bestow upon you!"

His words seemed to contain some kind of magic, clearly reaching the ears of every slave. After a brief moment of shock, a middle-aged man with a dirty face trembled with his hands, tears streaming from his eyes: "Did you all hear it... He said that as long as we survive... he will let us go..."

The other slaves seemed to be moved by him as well and began to cry loudly one after another.

"Dad! That's great! Our family of three is saved!"

"I can't believe that there is such a good thing in the world..."

"No matter what means I have to use, I will survive to the end! Then I can regain my freedom! Maybe I can even become a member of the new world!"

"Wooooooo! Finally I can escape from my days of slavery!"

Looking at the criminals who were moved to tears, Azrael couldn't help laughing, and a mocking smile appeared on his face: "Your Excellency the Commander is really mean. It's obvious that you didn't intend to let them go back alive from the beginning."

As he spoke, he did not forget to glance secretly at Sally who was nearby, fearing that the troublesome girl would be irritated by a certain word and start arguing with him regardless of the occasion.

Fortunately, she was gazing at the middle-aged man who was talking nonstop on the stage with admiration. Her pretty face was flushed due to excessive excitement, and saliva was dripping from the corners of her mouth. She was obviously deeply intoxicated by her idol's long speech: "Hehe... Mr. Heller is really kind-hearted... His voice is also very nice... I have never seen a man who is one-tenth as perfect as him..."

Azrael looked at her nympho face and felt a little amused. He stretched out his right hand and gently poked Garingu's waist and whispered, "Hey, look at Sally's stupid face..."

He stopped talking halfway, and Galingu stared at the platform with an unprecedented serious look.

Unexpectedly, Galingu was not looking at Hele Edmund, whom he wanted to bring down, but at Satan, who had not spoken for a long time.

To be precise, it was his constantly shaking beard covering his mouth and his increasingly nervous expression. If you look closely, you can even see beads of sweat on his forehead.

Azrael followed Galingu's gaze and soon realized something was wrong.

——That look... is he talking to someone? But there is no one beside him except the commander, and I don't see any Den Den Mushi in his hand.

——Could it be the legendary telepathy? It's unlikely. How could such a thing appear in the world? But it seems like there is some trouble?

He thought about it over and over again but still couldn't figure it out, so he simply didn't take it seriously, and his mood immediately felt much better. At the same time, Helle Edmund's speech had also come to an end.

"That's all I want to say. I'll leave the rest to the host to explain. Of course, the customary polite words are still indispensable."

Helle Edmund took a deep breath, and the next moment, a resounding shout spread throughout the island. Even the navy stationed outside the island could hear it clearly: "We hereby announce that the hunting competition of the 'Valley of Gods' is officially opened at this moment! I hope everyone can get the prizes they desire!"