"Fatty!!"
Little Labu froze for a split second, then immediately turned and rushed into the wooden house. She pulled out a sharp dagger hidden beneath the floorboards and pointed it with trembling hands at River the Slave Hunter, who was slowly advancing.
"Don't come any closer! I have a weapon!"
No matter how mature she tried to be, she was still just a child. Facing someone as vile as River, fear was inevitable.
"Little beast, you're not getting away."
River's massive frame blocked the doorway as he stepped forward, a cruel grin spreading across his face. His shadow swallowed the small room.
Creak…
The wooden floor groaned under his weight.
"Hmph… hmph…"
Taking advantage of his distraction, the injured little pig struggled to its feet. Trembling, it crawled across the ground, heading toward the distant farmland where Brook had been working.
...
"Pirates! Pirates are attacking!"
By the time the town raised the alarm, it was already too late.
The slave-hunting pirates had already abducted over a dozen children and fled the island of Wheat Tooth Country, vanishing into the sea with their captives.
Aboard the pirate ship, Vandead Sin
Several rusted iron cages hung from above, stained with blood and swaying with the waves.
"Wuwu... I want my Mama..."
The captured children cried helplessly as their home disappeared into the distance.
...
Little Labu said nothing.
She crouched in a corner of the cage, trembling slightly as she covered her nose, her eyes fixed on the pirates below.
The stench was unbearable.
Smack!
A whip lashed against the iron bars, striking the hands of several children who had reached out.
"Ahhh!"
Crimson welts instantly appeared on their arms as they screamed in pain.
"Hehehe..."
On the deck stood a woman dressed provocatively, her body alluring but her face covered in grotesque scars. Her expression was twisted and cruel.
"All of you behave! From now on, remember who you belong to! I am your master. If anyone dares to disobey, I will kill you myself!"
Some pirates nearby, drinking lazily, frowned in dissatisfaction.
"Captain, why didn't we just wipe out those defenseless towns? We could have taken everything."
River picked at his teeth with a dagger, glaring at them coldly.
"Idiot. How many times do I have to explain this? We are traders, not butchers."
He sneered.
"If you slaughter them all, who will we sell next year? Those weak fools will keep producing more children for us. That's profit that never ends. Nobles, Marines, even the Celestial Dragons pay well for fresh stock."
The pirates exchanged glances, reluctantly nodding.
"Fine, fine. You're the captain."
After disciplining the children, the scarred woman walked over to River, her expression softening into a sickly sweet smile.
"Captain, this haul is quite impressive. Some of these little ones will fetch a very high price."
River shoved her away impatiently.
"How many times have I told you? Put on one of your masks. That face of yours is unbearable."
...
Silently, the woman raised her hand.
A mask appeared in her palm, the face of a beautiful woman.
"Save me... save me..."
The mask muttered weakly, repeating its plea like a broken record.
"Stop whining. Lend me your face for a while."
She pressed the mask onto her own face.
Instantly, her appearance changed.
Her grotesque scars vanished, replaced by delicate features and charming eyes.
"Captain... I want a new flaying knife," she said sweetly.
River's eyes gleamed with greed as his hands began to wander.
"Of course. But you'll have to please me first."
"Oh, you're terrible," she giggled, dodging his grasp playfully.
The surrounding pirates burst into crude laughter.
"Captain, can you even handle it?"
"If not, we'll step in for you!"
The deck filled with vulgar amusement.
...
At the ship's rear, a lookout squinted through a telescope.
"Huh?"
He rubbed his eyes, lowering the bottle in his hand.
"Did I drink too much? I think I just saw... a skeleton running on the sea?"
Another pirate snatched the telescope from him.
"Idiot, you're drunk... wait... WHAT?!"
His expression changed instantly.
"Captain! He's not drunk! There really is a skeleton running across the sea!"
The pirates turned in shock.
"A skeleton?"
"What nonsense is that?"
...
"Papa Brook!"
Inside the cage, Little Labu's eyes lit up with hope.
In the distance, a white skeleton dressed in simple clothes sprinted across the ocean's surface, arms swinging as he rapidly closed the distance.
"Yohohoho! Pirate ship ahead, please wait a moment!"
River narrowed his eyes.
"A skeleton... moving like that? Is it human, or something else?"
At that moment, a boy in a nearby cage sneered.
"Hey, isn't that your weird skeleton father?"
"Shut up!"
Little Labu snapped, furious that he could not grasp the situation.
"Oh?"
River's gaze shifted toward her.
Seeing her shrink back in fear, trying to avoid attention, a sinister smile spread across his face.
"So this is our most valuable catch today."
He raised his hand and pointed directly at her.
"Bring that one down."
His grin widened coldly.
"We're going to use her to deal with that skeleton."