What kind of blow must a strong person have suffered to completely collapse their spirit and energy, to be unable to even muster any other willpower?

Is it in this country?

After the soldiers dragged the woman out, they continued to break into other houses and drag people out as well.

There were men and women.

Without exception, they were all in their prime, with no children or elderly people among them.

The soldiers stopped their rampage after pulling out the tenth man and prepared to leave with him.

"Ten..."

Dick said, “Every so often, they come and take ten people to fill the ranks at the mine. Only ten, no more, no less. They never take the old or the children. It's like periodically instilling fear in the people. The king of this country, Krein Og, treats the people like toys, manipulating them at will. If we don't defeat him, this country will continue like this. So, please…”

"After you finish speaking, those people will be taken away."

Kuro then waved his hand, his eyes looking out the window, revealing a hint of red.

The storm suddenly turned blood red, and the intense killing intent almost materialized, impacting the row of soldiers.

In an instant, the soldiers froze and collapsed into the rain.

"That's it."

Kuro exhaled a puff of smoke, walked past Dick, went to the window, and shouted, "Hey, the person's passed out, aren't you leaving? Be careful not to catch a cold if you get wet in the rain."

The bound men seemed unresponsive to these words, staring blankly at the fallen soldiers.

"Mother!"

The little boy rushed out of the house of the woman who was first dragged out. It was only then that the woman reacted, ran over and hugged her child tightly, and knelt down there silently shedding tears.

"They won't leave..."

Dick said bitterly, "That's how this country is. The king's rule has numbed them. They've lost the will to resist. Even if those soldiers fall, they'll just wait for the next wave of soldiers to come and take them away. No one here can escape."

"Are you numb...?"

Kuro frowned and glanced at the ten people. "Where is the mine?"

"exist..."

"Never mind, I'll do it myself."

call!

The tavern door was suddenly flung open, and a cold wind mixed with rain rushed in, startling Dick.

The man was nowhere to be seen.

Without Dick pointing the way, Kuro was able to sense the largest gathering place of numb emotions using his Observation Haki and simply went there.

The kingdom's mines were located in a clearing among those mountains. As Kuro flew, he casually turned on his wristwatch and made a phone call.

"Mr. Kuro!"

It seemed someone had been waiting on the other end; the call was answered the instant it connected, and it was Chloe who answered.

“Kingdom of Krein, the location of the New World. Check out what’s going on here, and pick me up while you’re at it,” Kuro said.

"The Kingdom of Krein? Hey, location confirmed, the Kingdom of Krein, go check its location and information!" Kro seemed to be shouting something at someone.

Soon, the appearance of the Den Den Mushi changed, transforming from a bespectacled idiot into a lewd-looking creature with a pout.

"Oh~ Kuro, the Kingdom of Krein, I know it."

"Hmm? Grandpa?"

Kuro paused for a moment, then said, "You're with my men?"

"Yes, my lovely subordinate is injured, so of course I have to come and pick him up," the Den Den Mushi said with a chuckle.

"Ah... I feel much more at ease now that you're here. What's the situation in the Kingdom of Krein?" Kuro asked.

"Crein... I've heard of it. That country is called the 'Hunting Ground,' it has been for a long time, but it wasn't called the 'Hunting Ground' back then. It was only after the new king took office that it gradually came to be called that. However, it's not a member state of the World Government, so our Navy has no right to govern it or touch it. That country is located right in the center of the Four Emperors' power."

"The reason it hasn't been destroyed yet is because it's a haven for many pirates, and the surrounding waters are somewhat special, so nobody cares. Also, their king is quite famous. Be careful there, though, and wait for this old man to come and get you."

"A no-man's-land, huh... Alright, I got it, bye."

Kuro hung up the Den Den Mushi and flew towards the area where he sensed the gathering of emotions.

The mine is located in an open area next to the mountains of this large island.

This is an open-pit mine, and even in a downpour, you can hear the clanging and banging of metal.

Countless ragged people, wielding hoes, repeatedly hammered at the mountainside. Their figures stretched from the foot of the mountain to its waist, resembling an army of ants marching from above.

Their eyes were numb; under the onslaught of the torrential rain, their empty, mechanical movements as they wielded their hoes seemed to define their entire lives.

Snap!

In the pouring rain, a whip suddenly struck one of them.

Among these people, a tall, fat man with a shaky gait wielded a whip, almost becoming a blur in the downpour. After striking one person, he quickly lashed out and appeared on the backs of the others.

*Clap clap clap!*

The sound of the whip striking flesh was deafening.

"Too slow, you lowly commoners!!"

The obese man brandished his whip and shouted, "Faster, faster! Mining faster! How can you satisfy King Og's needs at this rate? He's waiting for the money you earn to enjoy himself!"

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