The world government's nobility. They believe themselves descendants of the Great Dragon, and therefore so much "better" than us worthless peons who live on the same planet. A tenryuubito's every whim is Law. They are the reason the slave trade even still exists. You see, every country in the world, even all of those allied within the World Government outlawed slavery, even of fishmen or giants. But the tenryuubito may do whatever they wish. So the marines have to look the other way while hundreds of fishmen and pirates or children and giants are sold as slaves. If a child goes missing, it's not pirates, it's slaver.

Oh, but let us not blame the poor marines, surely they must hunt the greater evil of pirates in the world!

[This is quite obviously not Marco's usual self. His words are true, but Marco doesn't normally speak the truth much for a reason.]

You know how the Malnosso only deign to come visit us to ask a favor and for the drafts? [He grins... kind of sadistically actually.] The tenryuubito do not deign that much. Tenryuubito have no need for lower species mortals. Except to own them as one might own a book or a carving. The tenryuubito only come into public to remind everyone that their whims mean more to the government than the entire existence of everyone's lives. And when the tenyruubito do venture out in public they dare not breathe the same air as us, so they wrap their heads in bubbles. A tenryuubito can kill a man for any reason they so please. If they decide a person should be their seventeenth concubine, it matters not whether they're married or have a family. And if someone was ever foolish enough to lift a finger against them, the entire might of a buster call could be called against them. Because a tenyruubito's whims and pride are more important than any island, of course.

[Marco's gone daaaark.]