Not only was the mermaid breathtakingly beautiful, but the scenery of the surrounding underwater paradise was equally mesmerizing. The vibrant coral reefs, illuminated by the soft glow of the seafloor, created a dreamlike spectacle.
Caesar immediately recognized the location—this was the legendary Mermaid Cove, a sanctuary for mermaids within Fish-Man Island.
However, he did not linger. Without hesitation, he continued heading north.
Just as Caesar left Mermaid Cove and entered a more secluded part of the island, a desperate cry for help suddenly caught his attention.
"Help! Is there anyone who can help me?!"
Caesar's footsteps halted.
With a slight frown, he activated his Kenbunshoku Haki (Observation Haki), extending his perception to locate the source of the distress.
What he perceived made his expression darken.
He "saw" the scene unfolding ahead—something utterly repugnant.
A group of humans, their faces twisted with malicious grins, were in the midst of hunting mermaids.
---
[Chapter 142] Slave Hunters – Chrollo the Imitator
Upon witnessing this, Caesar's expression remained cold, but his disgust was evident.
Though he was ambitious and sought dominance, he was not one to revel in cruelty.
After all, he had once lived in a world governed by order and law. He was not the kind of person who would abandon his principles simply because he had entered a new reality.
He knew exactly what awaited these mermaids if they were captured—chains, auction blocks, and a life of suffering under the Celestial Dragons.
And now that Fish-Man Island was to become a crucial part of his influence, allowing these vile activities to continue would only hinder his greater plans.
For both personal and strategic reasons—this could not stand.
With a decisive glare, Caesar changed course and headed straight for the scene of the crime.
---
A few minutes later, Caesar leaped onto a massive coral outcrop that provided a vantage point.
He cast his gaze forward.
A group of rough-looking men were at work, their grins full of greed and malice. Among them, one figure stood out—the apparent leader.
---
Chrollo the Imitator – A Notorious Slave Hunter
At that moment, Chrollo, the captain of the Imitator Slave Hunting Crew, was feeling particularly triumphant.
As a member of the underground slave trade, he specialized in capturing and selling rare species—especially mermaids, whose value in the human world was astronomical.
His bounty was estimated to be in the tens of millions of berries, a testament to the damage he had inflicted on Fish-Man Island over the years.
Yet, what truly made him dangerous was his Devil Fruit ability.
Chrollo had consumed the Imitation-Imitation Fruit (Superhuman-type), granting him the same ability as Mr. 2 Bon Clay from the Baroque Works organization.
By touching another person's face, he could perfectly mimic their appearance, body, and voice, making him an expert in deception and infiltration.
This ability allowed him to evade capture and repeatedly invade Fish-Man Island, despite being a wanted criminal.
Time and time again, he had successfully kidnapped mermaids and sold them off to human traffickers.
It was precisely because of people like him that tensions between humans and fish-men had only worsened.
Yet, despite the island's best efforts, Chrollo had never been caught.
His crimes were well known, and he was despised by the residents of Fish-Man Island.
But his notoriety had only made him valuable to the black market.
As long as he remained active, mermaids would continue to be sold at auctions around the world, fueling the ever-growing demand of the wealthy elite.
This time, however, Chrollo was planning something even bigger.
---
He had recently heard rumors—the most recent auction at Sabaody Archipelago had been disrupted by none other than the powerful Caesar Pirates.
As a result, the demand—and price—for mermaids had skyrocketed.
With that in mind, Chrollo was determined to make a massive profit.
Rather than snatching just one or two mermaids as usual, he planned to capture multiple at once and sell them as an exclusive package.
If he could satisfy the Celestial Dragons, he might even gain their favor.
With such a powerful backer, he could build his own influence, rising above the small-time underground market.
Even if he failed to establish connections with the Celestial Dragons, he would at least make a fortune.
Smirking to himself, Chrollo imagined the sheer wealth he would soon have—the thrill of selling off his captives for the highest price, and then spending his earnings in reckless extravagance.
This was it. This was his path to the top.
---
Just as Chrollo was lost in his daydreams, a sudden stillness spread through his men.
One of his subordinates abruptly stopped moving.
"Hey, why did that guy stop?" another muttered.
"Bastard! What are you daydreaming for?! Keep working!" Chrollo snapped impatiently.
Yet, after a moment, he realized that his men were still frozen in place.
Annoyed, he turned to scold them.
"Oi! What the hell are you doing?! I gave you an order!"
No response.
Chrollo's irritation flared as he took a few steps forward and kicked the closest subordinate.
"Useless fool! Did you not hear me?!"
But as soon as his foot connected, he noticed something strange.
The subordinate—normally a strong and fearless man—was drenched in cold sweat.
His face was deathly pale.
Chrollo frowned.
That kick had been light, barely a nudge.
His men were hardened criminals, not ones to flinch over minor punishment.
Something was wrong.
"What the hell?" Chrollo muttered. "No way a little kick would do that."
For a brief moment, a twisted sense of pride crept into his mind—Had his strength improved again?
But his smugness was short-lived.
His men weren't reacting to him.
They were staring—not at him, but at something behind him.
Something that filled them with absolute terror.
Feeling an unnatural chill, Chrollo slowly turned his gaze in the same direction.
And then he saw him.
Standing atop a towering coral was a lone figure.
The sunlight filtering through the water created a silhouette effect, obscuring his face.
But the presence alone was suffocating.
And then Chrollo saw it—
Floating beside the man was a massive black blade, its length over 1.5 meters, exuding an aura of overwhelming dominance.
Chrollo's breath caught in his throat.
His body went stiff.
His blood ran cold.
For a moment, he dared not even think the name that had just surfaced in his mind.
But as the sunlight shifted, illuminating the figure's face—
The terrifying reality became undeniable.
This was no mere stranger.
This was Caesar, the Captain of the Caesar Pirates.
The man whose name sent shockwaves through the New World.
A predator had entered the den of slavers.
And now, Chrollo's fate was sealed.
Subscribe to Patreon.com/Akeyno to get 30+ chapters