[Mary Geoise]
In the land located in the heavens, home to the World nobles. Mary Geoise is the sacred home of those chosen by God and the children of the founders of the world.
Circus Maximus is the stadium that hosts the annual chariot races and games, hosted by Saint Germanicus Nero, head of the Nero family and grand host of the stadium games.
Tall, overweight, recessive chin, bent nose, and forehead that shadows his eyes.
"This year's game will be splendid –eh." Saint Nero announces.
The noble walks the halls underneath his stadium, cells on his sides, inside the cells are slaves, from humans, long-necked tribes, men, and many other unique individuals, housed like livestock.
Cells barely fit to shelter life, lacking sanitation, and the slaves themselves are dressed in rags during housing, and during racing, they are adorned in rags of the families they represent.
"Rest up, my pet. Soon, the stadium will roar with applause." Saint Nero chuckles, slamming the entrance shut, consuming the slaves in complete darkness.
By the Palentine hills, opposite to the stadium, an open area where young Knights of God, train to be full-fledged Knights–
The Devoted Blades of God.
" So this is the fruit of the navy?" A snob voice teased.
A white-haired young man with red eyes and a scar on his lip spoke. Saint Churchill Arthur. A squire of God, the eldest son of the house of Churchill.
"Yeah ~ I think they'll be fun to fight with." A curly black-haired male with a long serpentine tongue giggles. Saint Roosevelt Camelot.
Leaning by a rock is a woman with her mouth wrapped in bandages, blue hair sticking out of her newsboy cap, staring into nothing with her heterochromia eyes. Manmayer Gunko.
"..."
"You got nothing to say Gunko?" Saint Camelot asks.
"Don't speak to me unless you want to die," Gunko warns her fellow squire.
"Children, please–let's try to get along now." A feminine voice reasoned with them.
A pale-skinned woman with long flowing black hair, wearing a white kimono with red lining. Saint Onna-musha Tanoe. Calmly cleaning her katana and humming to herself.
"Tsk." Arthur spat, "These Marines send their pups here to train with us so they can reach mutt status." Arthur complains, teeth gritting at the thought of fighting surface dwellers.
"Arthur. Don't forget Saint Garling ordered our participation as Circus Maximus will commence in a few days." Tanoe reminded him.
Just a few feet away from them were the Marines–Doll, Gion, Sonya, and Aramaki. Four Admiral candidates to be put to the test against the Holy Knights candidates. The future of the world's governments is a symbol of justice.
Arthur, flashing towards Aramaki, the logia user turns his hands into roots, trying to coil around the squire.
Slash.
Arthur sends 3 projectile slashes to Aramaki, the dark blue slashes are coated in haki.
Aramaki sensing the danger, slams his arm into the ground, sprouting thick roots to form a wall to block the slashes.
Arthur's slashes easily diced the roots, Aramaki retreated into the ground like a sapling.
"Such a cowardly move." Arthur sneered at him.
"Don't underestimate me." Aramaki grins. Turning his whole body into a plant, he moves into the earth, blind to those above.
Arthur held his blade close, roaming the area for a sudden attack. "Stop hiding, Navy pupp!" Arthur barks out.
Crack.
The ground beneath him shattered, roots sprouting out, swirling like snakes, they wrap him up, every part of him restrained.
"W–What is this?" Arthur grasped, his body got weaker as he felt his energy forcefully pulled from him.
Aramaki morphed his face in front of Arthur, wide grin," Mother takes just as much as she gives." Aramaki chuckles, draining the Knight of his lifespan.
-----
In another section of the area, Sonya is fighting Gunko, the masked squire. The smoke lady faces the arrow woman. Gunko, utilising her devil fruit's long-distance advantage, shoots numerous haki-coated arrows at Sonya. The Vice-Admiral does her best blocking with her Jitte.
"You're really annoying!" Sonybitests into her two ciarshr, lower bodturnsed into smoke.
Gunko vanishes from her view, and Sonya focuses her haki to predict her attack.
Woosh.
She identified two arrows on her left, using her Jitte to strike the weapons, she broke them easily.
"Not a bad observation. " A voice compliments from her back, Sonya turns and gets a kick to the face, rocketing her to the ground, blood flying out of her nose, Jitte drops somewhere.
"Ughhh..." She groans, body disoriented by the blow.
"Get up," Gunko demands, arrows poking out of her long-sleeved shirt.
-----
Doll vs Roosevelt's is more of a brawl than an actual battle.
The pixie cut Marine landed a jab to the squire's face, knocking a tooth out. To her surprise, he just licks the spot of the missing tooth and cackles.
"Nice punch~" Camelot praises, raising his fist, he punches her gut.
"Oofff–" Air is forcibly expelled from her lungs, but Camelot continues by dragging her by her hair, throwing her to a boulder.
Bang.
The Doll's body was connected to the rock, its spine tingling with pain.
A silent scream left her mouth as Camelot walked over to her.
"Come on Doll~let's have more fun." He licks his lips with his long tongue.
Doll stands up, ignoring her body shaking and forcing herself to continue the fight.
"I'll kill you for that." She glares at him.
Roosevelt charges, "Please do try~"
-----
Gion clashes blades with Tanoe; every one of her strikes is countered by the woman, who is using only her right hand. Gion tried faster movement and heavier hits, but to no results as the swordsman dances around each move, pushing Gion back with a horizontal slash. The force of the hit left Gion panting, using ger sword for balance.
Tanoe smiles, "You're still standing? Then I'll use more power." She concluded, crimson energy flowing around her, her blade emitted a blood red aura that put Gion's hair on alert, sweat flowing down her head.
"Such power..." Gion trailed off.
------
The Marines knew why they were sent here, not just for training but to prepare themselves for the next level of being a Marine –using their strength to protect the world nobles, whether they kill people, enslave others or violate other human rights. Marines must ignore the evil of Celestial Dragons and make sure they are protected at all costs.
Walking down a residence in the Holy Land, the marine group and Devoted Blades of God monitor the city, nobles walking in round white robes with medals and not wearing their usual oxygen helmets that they travel with in the "surface" world. Some riding on humans that are badly injured or a moment from death.
Arthur looks back at them," You see the difference between noble blood and peasants."
"Nobody wants to here your sh*t!" Sonya cursed at him.
Arthur smirks at her comment," Denying it will not make it less true – the opening of Circus Maximus will show you the true powers of the hoof of the soaring dragon.
[ End of chapter]