One Piece: Talent Copy System!

Chapter 115: Freeing the Sl*ves

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Under the watchful eyes of all the slaves, Noir slowly raised his long, dark blade.

A flash of inky light swept down, severing the thick iron chains of the prison cell with a clean slice.

The heavy iron door creaked open, and the reality of their rescue finally sank in for the slaves. Someone had come to save them!

Bang!

The slaves, still in disbelief, pushed open the door, stepping out of their living hell.

Men and women, old and young, tall and short, of every race imaginable, supported and embraced each other as they emerged from their cells.

"Are we... truly free?"

A young woman, her body covered in bruises, whispered the question, her hand covering her mouth as tears welled up in her eyes.

Her trembling voice reached everyone's ears. When they saw Noir's gentle smile, they finally broke down, sobbing and crying out with joy, "We're free!"

After years, even decades of enslavement, they had abandoned all hope. Now, freedom had finally come.

They embraced, regardless of race or gender, shedding tears of relief and releasing the pent-up emotions they had endured for so long.

Imprisoned for countless days and nights, they had lost their families and friends, lost everything, even their dignity as human beings. To each other, they had become family.

An elderly marlin fish-man, his spirit still unbroken despite his age, hobbled forward on a wooden cane and dropped to his knees before Noir.

Tears streamed down his face as he cried out, "Savior! Thank you!"

The others, who had been weeping individually, seemed to receive a signal from the old man's cry. They fell to their knees in unison, echoing his words,

"Thank you, Savior!"

Wyper, witnessing the mass of kneeling figures, felt the knot in his heart loosen. Noir, leaning on his sword, roared impatiently, "Get up!"

The freed slaves flinched, but Noir's voice continued, "I didn't save you so you could continue acting like slaves!"

"No more kneeling! Escape first!"

The slaves gazed at Noir with gratitude, but they remained on their knees, only shifting to a half-kneeling position, their heads bowed stubbornly.

To them, this was the only way they knew how to express their immense gratitude.

The elderly fish-man became their spokesperson, his head still bowed. "We will obey, Savior, but please forgive us. We must express our heartfelt thanks!"

Noir, realizing he couldn't change their minds, smiled wryly and relented.

There was no point in trying to impose his world's customs on them, where kneeling was reserved for heaven, earth, and parents.

Fortunately, the freed slaves weren't as unruly as Noir had feared. They all regarded him as a savior sent from heaven.

This only highlighted the extent of the mental and physical trauma the Celestial Dragons had inflicted upon them.

The slightest glimmer of hope was enough to make them cling to it with all their might, overflowing with gratitude for the one who had brought them that light.

Once Noir had managed to get the slaves to stand, he began issuing instructions.

"We have to hurry. We need to rescue as many of your fellow slaves as possible. Can you still fight?"