Davy had been in an excellent mood.
The unexpected acquisition of the Baku Baku no Mi had opened possibilities he'd only dared imagine before.
And to top it off, he had bumped into Eustass Kid, wielder of the Magnet-Magnet Fruit. If he hunted Kid successfully, his combat power would skyrocket yet again.
But that good mood didn't last.
A panicked girl came running to him—
Then came the news.
They were harassed in broad daylight?
Penny refused to drag trouble toward him and chased the culprits alone?
Clara was taken away by the security force to "contact her family" and smooth things over?
Davy stared at the trembling girl in front of him, her head bowed, too afraid to meet his eyes.
His brows knitted tighter and tighter.
He had expected the quiet, reliable girls to be the least troublesome.
Instead, one of them had done something reckless and foolish—
While the scatterbrained Clara was the one who made the correct decision.
Still too inexperienced… too sheltered… their worldview too small…
Davy sighed.
They meant well.
Every one of them, on instinct, thought first about protecting the benefactor who saved them.
None wanted to implicate him.
But they didn't understand—
It was because they acted alone that the situation became even more complicated.
"All right," Davy said calmly. "I understand. Gather everyone at the docks."
His steady voice soothed the panicking girl; she slowly regained composure.
"Davy sir… I'm sorry. We caused trouble again…"
"You did nothing wrong," Davy said gently. "The fault lies with those who desired your beauty. The fault lies with me, choosing to use my ability to conserve fresh water. The fault lies with this chaotic world. You girls were merely living as normal people."
The girl's head dropped even lower.
A sour ache rose in her chest, and her eyes stung.
Originally, they'd celebrated becoming beautiful—
Dreaming of living like noble ladies.
So eager to enjoy the admiration of a crowd.
Ignoring Davy's cautions.
And now—
He took the blame upon himself.
He didn't scold them.
Not even a hint of anger.
Because being beautiful naturally draws covetous eyes.
Because the world was cruel long before they met him.
Because they were the ones who wished for luxury without understanding the risks behind such desire.
Her heart twisted painfully.
They were wrong.
Wrong in their naïveté.
Wrong in their inability to see reality.
Wrong for wanting to benefit from society's rules while refusing to acknowledge the danger beneath.
For the first time, Heli felt something like enlightenment—
Her mind unraveling threads she had never noticed before.
Davy didn't know about her internal awakening.
He simply closed his eyes and focused.
The Ghost Ship's perception radiated from the point between his brows, extending outward with the strength of his soul.
The Ghost Servants—normally able to appear anywhere within that range—were born from this ability.
Penny had long since left that limited radius, but a full summon wasn't needed.
Even at a distance, he could sense the direction of the Chop-Chop Soul Puppet.
Once he locked onto its position, Davy said nothing more—
And launched himself forward with Soru, disappearing into the night.
Heli watched his retreating figure, opened her mouth as if to speak, then clenched her fists and ran to gather the others.
Let Clara's noble identity resolve this… please… she prayed anxiously.
…
"Let go of me! Don't touch me!"
Clara's situation was deteriorating rapidly.
She struggled with all her might—
Only to be rewarded with a merciless punch.
She gasped, doubling over like a shrimp, pain surging from her abdomen up her throat.
Not even the pirates who captured her had treated her this brutally.
Stinging pain, humiliation, fear—her eyes filled with tears.
"Be quiet, bitch! Can't you see the situation? Without your noble status, you're NOTHING!"
A scar-faced man yanked her by the hair, grinning viciously.
His breath reeked, making Clara gag.
"Filthy whore!"
He slapped her again and again, until her fair, delicate cheek swelled and bruised.
"Ptui. Look down on me now, will you? Once you're a slave, you'll learn just how 'clean' I can be."
A lackey stepped forward eagerly.
"Boss, why bother with all this? Don't you think we should have some fun first? Look at her skin—like it drips water. That little waist… that chest… that ass… Boss, just imagine her under—"
SMACK!
Scarface slapped him so hard he nearly saw stars.
"Are you crazy? One touch and she loses value! She's premium merchandise for the Sabaody auction houses. If a big noble takes interest, even crumbs from his fingers could feed us for life.
ANYONE who ruins this deal—I'll flay alive!"
"T–The boss is right! Yes, yes!"
The henchmen shrank back instantly.
Only nobles paid insane prices for novelty. Dirty goods? Worthless.
"Understand? Keep your filthy thoughts to yourselves. She's our ticket to a luxurious future."
"Understood!"
Clara listened in silence, despair settling like a heavy stone.
As a noble she had heard of slave auctions.
She had heard whispers of the fates of those caught.
She had always believed it would never concern her.
But now—
Attacking someone in public made her a criminal.
Her identity was denied; she wasn't even considered a proper world citizen anymore.
Her beauty, upbringing, and rare complexion—
She was exactly the kind of slave nobles prized most.
Darkness swallowed her hopes.
For the first time in her sheltered life, she understood even a fraction of the torment the other girls had suffered.
"Careful. Don't let her run."
"Yes, sir."
The men dragged her away.
…
Meanwhile—
Soru carved shockwaves in the ground as Davy sprinted at full speed.
Ahead, he saw a large man wearing a strange mask.
Under the man's boot—
Penny lay bruised and bleeding, blood at her lips.
Even with her head pinned to the ground, unable to move, she stared upward with those crimson eyes…
Stubborn.
Unyielding.
Defiant to the end.
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