With a sharp hiss of steam and pressure, the Storm Reaper slowed beside the slave ship.
The wake made the Black Mary rock violently. The sailors on the deck stumbled around, and their terrified screams came one after another.
"Sir, the two ships are alongside each other."
Kane stood at the bow. He frowned at the worn-out merchant ship below.
He did not understand why Aiden had chased such an ordinary-looking ship at full speed.
"Sir, pulling up with such a big commotion... is there a problem with this ship?"
Kane stepped closer to Aiden and asked carefully,
"Looking at the flag, it seems to be just an ordinary merchant ship, right?"
"Merchant ship?"
Aiden's coat flapped in the sea breeze. He looked down at the wooden ship below.
"If you ignore the smell of blood and the crying from locked cages, it does look like a merchant ship."
"This is a slave ship."
"A slave ship?!"
Kane froze. He sniffed out of habit.
Besides the salty sea breeze, he did faintly smell an uncomfortable stench.
But what shocked him more was that Aiden had noticed all this from so far away.
So this was what Aiden's Observation Haki could do?
"Kane."
Aiden waved his hand lazily and gave the order.
"Take two squads over. Secure the ship."
"Transfer all the locked-up slaves to our ship. When we reach the Sabaody Archipelago, contact the Marines there and arrange to send them back to their homes."
Aiden's smile disappeared.
"As for the slave traders on board... if they resist, kill them on the spot."
"Yes!!"
Although Kane was still shaken by the high-speed chase just now, his training as a Headquarters Marine took over the moment he heard the order.
He drew the sword at his waist with a shing and waved at the Marines behind him.
"Twenty men, follow me!"
Seeing Kane's efficient movements, Aiden nodded slightly.
There was no one truly dangerous on this slave ship. Kane had learned Rokushiki, so Aiden could leave the pirates here to him.
However.
Just as Kane led the Marines to the ship's rail, ready to jump over and board.
An angry shout suddenly came from the chaotic slave ship below.
"Hey! You up there! What are you doing?!"
Captain Bauer pushed his way through his men. Waving a musket in his hand, he rushed to the front of the deck.
He looked up at the Marine seagull flag flying above them. The moment he saw it, his fear faded, and arrogance returned.
"So it's the Marines? You scared me! Open your eyes and look! Do you know who I am?! Do you know who this ship works for?!"
He pulled over a flag hanging on the nearby mast. It had the World Government's special transit permit symbol, shining under the searchlight.
Bauer spat hard and pointed at the crew on the Storm Reaper, cursing loudly,
"Are you blind?! We are a merchant ship with a World Government special permit! What this ship carries are special goods meant to be offered to the Celestial Dragons in Mary Geoise!"
"Every piece of cargo on board is reserved by the Celestial Dragons! If even a single hair is missing, selling the entire families of you stinking soldiers wouldn't be enough to pay for it!"
Bauer grew more excited as he spoke. Hiding behind the Celestial Dragons' name, his face twisted as he shouted.
"If you know what's good for you, get out of here right now! Don't block my course! If you delay the delivery time and anger the Celestial Dragons..."
"Tsk."
An impatient click of the tongue interrupted Bauer's rambling.
Aiden stood on the deck, digging his ear with his pinky finger.
"What is all that babbling about... so noisy."
He glanced at Kane, who was hesitating to the side.
After all, it was a ship working for the Celestial Dragons. For ordinary Headquarters Marines, that identity was enough to make them hesitate.
"Forget it, Kane. Step back."
Aiden sighed and waved his hand. He suddenly thought of something else.
These people had done things like this on the sea all year round. The blood on their hands could probably fill a book. Their points definitely would not be low.
If he killed them all...
How many points would that be?
Every little bit helped.
Bzzzt—
Lightning burst at the bow of the Storm Reaper.
The next second.
Captain Bauer, who was still spitting as he talked on the deck, barely had time to move.
A tall figure suddenly appeared on the previously empty railing.
The white Justice coat flapped in the sea breeze. His back was to the moonlight, making it hard to see his face clearly for a moment.
Bauer was startled by this sudden change. He subconsciously wanted to raise the musket in his hand, still cursing,
"Who the fuck are you?! You got a death wish..."
However.
When the man turned his head slightly, moonlight caught Aiden's face.
The rest of Bauer's curses died in his throat. He only made a strange gurgling sound.
He recognized Aiden at once.
This... this face?!
For a few seconds, Bauer could not speak. Then his body began to shake.
He was too familiar with this face.
Just now, he was loudly mocking the photo in the newspaper inside the captain's cabin, saying this idiot's life was over after entering Impel Down.
But now... this "idiot" was standing alive in front of him.
"You... you..."
Bauer was so scared he could not even hold his gun steady. It dropped onto the deck with a clatter.
"Aren't you... Aiden?! You should be in Impel Down... why..."
"Why am I here?"
Aiden bent down slightly and looked at Bauer's terrified face.
He smiled faintly.
"Oh, this is trouble."
"You actually found out I broke out of prison."
Aiden reached out a finger and lightly tapped Bauer's forehead. Blue current crackled at his fingertip.
"To keep this secret... I have to ask you to die."
"No... don't!! I work for the Celestial Dragons..."
BOOM!!
Before he could say that annoying name, a pillar of lightning pierced through Bauer's body.
A violent current burst out in a flash.
He did not even have time to scream. Right in front of everyone, he turned into a pile of black ash. The sea breeze blew it away and scattered it into the ocean.
Not even a trace was left.
"Ahhh!!"
"Monster! He's a monster!"
"Run!!"
Seeing this, the other thugs on the ship panicked. They screamed and ran in all directions. Some even planned to jump straight into the sea.
Aiden stood where he was.
Bzzzt, bzzzt—
Countless thin arcs of lightning poured out from his body. They split across the deck and struck the fleeing thugs one by one.
Every flash of electricity was followed by a short scream.
In just over ten seconds, the noisy deck became completely quiet.
Over thirty charred bodies lay scattered on the ground. A strong burnt smell filled the air.
At the same time, the system notification rang in Aiden's ears.
Judgment successful x30
...
A long list of notifications appeared.
Aiden glanced at the system panel.
This alone gave him almost two hundred thousand points.
"Not bad."
Aiden shook the remaining electricity from his fingertips in satisfaction. He turned and walked toward the entrance leading to the ship's bottom level.
Bottom of the hold.
Just now, the thunder and screams from the deck above had completely broken the slaves, who were already shaking with fear.
They did not know what had happened up there.
Was it a shipwreck? Was it criminals fighting each other? Or was it some kind of punishment?
No matter which it was, it did not seem like a good thing for them while they were locked in cages.
Inside the iron cage in the corner.
Hancock tightly held her two shaking sisters. The three of them huddled together.
The youngest, Marigold, was so scared she could not even cry out loud. She just opened her mouth and sobbed silently.
Hancock's long black hair was soaked with cold sweat, sticking to her pale little face. Her body shook uncontrollably too, but she kept staring at the tightly closed cabin door.
In her hand, she tightly gripped a sharp iron spike she had broken off from the bottom of the cage during the chaos.
Suddenly.
The sounds above disappeared.
The sudden silence felt worse than the noise.
Creak—
The heavy cabin door was pushed open from the outside.
A beam of cold moonlight spilled down the stairs, lighting the doorway.
Against the light, a tall figure stepped onto the wooden stairs and came down.
Tap, tap, tap.
His boots thudded against the steps in the silent cabin.
Aiden stepped off the last stair and looked over this hellish scene.
Rotten straw, foul air, and people locked in cages like livestock, too scared to move.
The sight before him made Aiden click his tongue.
"I let that bastard die too easily just now."
Aiden frowned.
"I should have left him a breath so he could taste what it's like being locked in a cage."
He walked up to the giant iron cage.
Dozens of adult slaves were locked inside. They shrank back into the corner as Aiden approached and did not dare make a sound.
Aiden did not go look for the key.
He reached out his hands and grabbed the iron bars, which were as thick as an arm.
Screech—!!
A harsh sound of twisting metal cut through the hold.
In front of everyone, the extremely hard iron bars were pulled open barehanded by this man like soft noodles. He created a giant gap big enough for two people to walk through side by side.
"I am a Marine."
Aiden clapped the rust off his hands. He kept his words simple.
"Come out."
"Those slave traders are dead. You are... safe."
Silence.
A full five or six seconds passed.
"Wu wu wu..."
Someone in the crowd let out a suppressed cry first. Then, as if contagious, the crying quickly turned into loud wailing.
After the first wave of crying passed, the crowd rushed out of that gap like crazy. They scrambled toward the deck, toward the free air.
Aiden stepped to the side, clearing the path. He did not stop these poor people.
Soon, the packed cabin became empty.
Only in the corner of the cage, because of the isolated spot and because they did not want to be bumped by the crowd, three small figures remained huddled inside.
Aiden noticed them.
He walked over and saw the girl in the middle desperately spreading her arms to protect the sisters behind her.
At that moment, Aiden's steps paused.
Pitch-black hime-cut long hair.
Her face was covered in dirt, but Aiden still recognized her.
Boa Hancock.
Even while shaking, she refused to move away from her sisters.
Seeing the ragged state of the three little girls, Aiden's hand tightened for a moment.
In the original story, these three sisters were taken away at this age. Then they became slaves of the Celestial Dragons, suffered endless torture, and ended up with lifelong psychological trauma.
He never expected that the butterfly effect from his own actions would let him intercept the future Pirate Empress right here.
Even knowing what she would become, all Aiden saw right now was a child trying to protect her sisters.
Because Aiden stayed quiet for too long, Hancock noticed his silence.
The young girl thought this Marine had bad intentions toward her.
Not only did she refuse to step back, she bravely took a step forward and blocked her two sisters behind her.
"Don't come closer!!"
She raised the iron spike and tried to sound fierce.
Her voice shook, but she did not back down.
Aiden snapped out of it.
He realized that his silence just now might have scared her.
He did not mind the little girl's hostility. Instead, he lowered his hands and softened his posture.
He slowly crouched in front of her.
"I'm not a bad person, and I won't hurt you."
Aiden spoke carefully.
He reached out. Hancock held still, trembling, as he gently took hold of the heavy shackle on her ankle.
Dried blood was still left on it. It was clear these heavy cuffs had rubbed the skin around her ankle raw.
Aiden's fingers stopped for a moment.
Then he applied a little force.
Crack.
A crisp sound rang out.
The incredibly hard shackle broke. The broken metal rings dropped to the floor with a sharp sound.
Hancock froze.
She looked from the broken shackle to Aiden, not knowing what to do.
Aiden gave her a small smile.
"It's over, kid."
He stepped back to give her space.
Hancock did not answer. She only held her sisters tighter.
"Go on."
Aiden removed the chains from her two sisters' feet as well and stood up. He did not put any more pressure on this stubborn little girl. He just pointed to the stairs leading to the deck.
"Your sisters are about to collapse. They need fresh air and food."
Hancock's body shook, as if he had touched her weakest point. She looked back at her two pale sisters, and her tightly bitten lips finally loosened a bit.
"Th-thanks..."
The word was barely audible, but this was the greatest goodwill she could offer right now.
She helped her two sisters up and walked toward the stairs, looking back constantly. Every few steps, she would turn around to check the man standing there, as if afraid he would suddenly change his mind and show a cruel face.
It was not until those three thin figures completely disappeared into the moonlight at the stairs that Aiden turned away.
He looked toward the giant water tank in the corner.
Inside the tank, the mermaid girl with pink scales was curled up in the corner.
By the dim light of the oil lamp, Aiden saw her clearly.
She was about fifteen or sixteen years old, with long light-blonde hair drifting in the water. Although she had no visible injuries, her pink tail hung weakly at the bottom of the tank. It twitched occasionally, as if it was hard for her to even keep her balance.
Seeing Aiden walk over, the girl instinctively tried to shrink back. However, the drugs in the water left her with no strength at all. She could only press herself as far back as the tank allowed.
"Don't be afraid."
Aiden walked up to the water tank. He did not get too close, maintaining a distance that made her feel relatively safe.
"I'm a Marine. Those slave traders have been taken care of."
"Are you... a resident of Fish-Man Island?"
The girl hesitated for a moment, seemingly judging whether this human in front of her could be trusted. A moment later, she timidly swam a bit closer. Through the thick glass, she answered.
"I... my name is Coral."
"I am Queen Otohime's personal maid from the Ryugu Palace."
"Queen Otohime's maid?"
Aiden raised an eyebrow slightly. This was a bit of a pleasant surprise.
Queen Otohime...
Aiden had never met this Queen of Fish-Man Island in person, but he had a pretty good impression of her.
Although in Aiden's view, her ideal of peaceful coexistence with humans seemed a bit too naive in this twisted world, perhaps even a "foolish" idealism.
But in this twisted world where the strong eat the weak, this unrealistic foolishness appeared even more noble.
This courage to always insist on kindness in the whirlpool of hatred, willing to burn herself for the future of her race—even Aiden, who always believed that strength ruled above all, could not help but feel respect.
Being able to save someone close to Otohime made him feel that this detour had been worth it.
"How did you end up in a place like this?" Aiden asked. "As far as I know, Fish-Man Island is ten thousand meters deep in the sea. It's not close to here."
Mentioning this, Coral pressed her hands against the glass and started crying.
"It's because... because of Queen Otohime."
"The Queen has always wanted to see the plants on land. A few days ago, I accidentally saw in an illustrated book that there is a flower near the Sabaody Archipelago that only blooms under the moonlight. The Queen would definitely like it..."
"I just... I just wanted to sneak out, pick one, and bring it back to surprise the Queen."
Coral sobbed and lowered her head, ashamed.
"But as soon as I surfaced, I was spotted by this ship..."
After hearing this, Aiden shook his head helplessly.
"What a silly girl."
Daring to enter human territory alone just to pick a flower—was that naive or ignorant?
But the loyalty behind it was sincere.
After listening, Aiden no longer hesitated. He reached out and opened the small feeding flap at the top of the tank.
A strange medicinal smell rose from the tank.
His nose twitched slightly as if confirming something. He looked at the girl in the tank and said calmly,
"There's a trace amount of a neuro-anesthetic in the water. These human traffickers really do use every trick in the book to control you."
"You shouldn't soak in this water for too long. It's bad for your scales."
Aiden took off his heavy Justice coat and draped it over his arm.
"Come out. I'll take you to a clean place."
But this small feeding slot obviously could not let a person pass through, and the glass cover on top of the entire tank was firmly locked by heavy metal latches.
Aiden was too lazy to find the key.
He directly grabbed the edge of the tank cover with his right hand and gently applied force.
Crack—
With the sharp sound of metal snapping, the heavy tank cover was easily flipped off by him as if it weighed nothing.
He spread the coat over his arm and reached into the water. Avoiding direct skin contact, his movements were careful as he lifted the weak mermaid girl out along with the coat.
"Ah!"
Coral cried out in surprise and reflexively closed her eyes.
But the rough touch she expected did not come.
She felt the coat wrap around her and Aiden's arm support her carefully. The coat blocked the cold night wind and covered her body.
"Let's go."
Aiden spoke above her.
"To my ship. There is clean seawater there, and you can get some good rest."
The night was dark, and the sea breeze was cold.
But the deck of the Storm Reaper was brightly lit, busy with rescued people and Marines moving back and forth.
Lieutenant Commander Kane was directing the Marines to hand out blankets and food to the rescued slaves, while also arranging for the medics to treat the wounded.
Despite going through hellish torture, at this moment, everyone held hot soup bowls in their hands. Many of them cried while holding the bowls.
Only in a corner of the deck.
Three small figures seemed out of place.
It was on the sheltered side, in the shadows where the ropes were piled up.
Boa Hancock hid here with her two sisters, like an isolated little group.
Grumble...
A loud stomach growl broke the silence.
The youngest, Marigold, held her flat stomach. She looked at the crowd chewing on bread not far away, her mouth watering with hunger.
"Sister... I'm hungry..."
Marigold tugged at Hancock's shirt and whimpered.
Sandersonia beside her also looked longingly in that direction, swallowing her saliva repeatedly.
Hancock bit her lip hard.
She was hungry too.
Since being caught and brought on the ship, they had not eaten a decent bite for two days. The cramping pain in her stomach made her almost unable to stand straight.
But she still held onto her two sisters' hands tightly, stopping them from running over.
"Don't go!"
Hancock said it sharply.
"We are Kuja warriors. We cannot easily accept charity from others."
"But... he saved us..." Sandersonia muttered.
"That still doesn't mean we can!"
Even though the fear was gone, Hancock still kept her guard up.
She remembered the warmth of the man when he crouched down to unlock her shackles. Part of her wanted to believe him, but she could not trust him yet.
The teachings of Kuja Island, along with their experiences over the past few days, made her afraid to give her trust easily.
"All men are untrustworthy... That's what Elder Nyon says."
Hancock seemed to be warning her sisters, but also convincing herself.
"We can't let our guard down. Until we get back to Kuja Island, we can't trust anyone."
Just as the three sisters were hesitating.
Tap, tap, tap.
Footsteps stopped in front of them.
Hancock froze all over and quickly looked up.
She instinctively stepped forward, spread her arms, and protected her two sisters behind her thin body.
She raised her chin and tried to look brave.
She tried hard to look like an adult, like a fearless warrior, trying to protect the only pride she had left.
Aiden looked at the little kid in front of him. She was clearly terrified and her stomach was growling with hunger, yet she still kept her back straight to stand against him.
Aiden almost laughed, but held it back.
He had changed into clean casual clothes. After settling Coral in a guest room with a bathtub, he came over with some things.
"Don't be nervous."
Aiden did not get any closer. He sat directly cross-legged on the deck two meters away, keeping enough distance for them to talk without making them feel pressured.
He held a giant tray in his hands.
On it were three steaming cups of milk, a basket of freshly baked white bread, and large chunks of sliced roast meat. It smelled delicious.
Grumble...
This time, the sound of the three sisters' stomachs growling almost merged together.
Aiden picked up a piece of bread. Right in front of Hancock, he tore off a large chunk, shoved it in his mouth, and chewed on it in big bites.
"Mm... tastes good."
Aiden swallowed the bread and took a sip of milk. Then he looked at Hancock and smiled.
"Look, it's not poisoned."
"I'm not a kid! I'm already nine years old!"
Hancock argued back angrily. She then stared at the bread in Aiden's hand, her throat moving embarrassingly as she gulped, but she still kept her head stubbornly high.
"Who... who wants your stuff! We want to go home!"
"You need strength to go home."
Aiden pushed the tray forward a bit.
"I know you're afraid I'm a bad person. But bad people don't have the free time to warm up milk for you."
"And..."
Aiden pointed to the two sisters behind her, who were about to faint.
"You can hold back yourself, but are you going to watch them starve to death?"
Hancock looked back at them, and her jaw tightened.
"Eat."
Hancock gritted her teeth. As if she had made a painful decision, she suddenly dashed forward.
She grabbed all the bread and roast meat. She first shoved one of each into her two sisters' arms, and only then did she pick up a piece herself and stuff it into her mouth in large bites.
"Eat slower..."
Aiden looked at how she was wolfing down the food and could not help but remind her.
"Cough! Cough, cough, cough!"
Before he finished speaking, Hancock suddenly choked because she ate too fast. Her face turned red, and she started coughing hard.
Aiden could not help but laugh.
He picked up a cup of milk and handed it over. Then he naturally reached out and patted her thin back to help her catch her breath.
"I told you to slow down. No one is fighting you for it."
"There is enough food on this ship to stuff you all full, don't worry."
Hancock drank a big mouthful of milk and finally washed the bread down.
Feeling the large hand on her back, her body stiffened. She was ready to pull away.
But in the end, she did not.
Aiden took his hand back and pulled a clean white handkerchief out of his pocket.
He was not disgusted by the dirt and grease on Hancock's face. He naturally wiped away the breadcrumbs on the corner of her mouth, just like taking care of a child.
"Eat slower. Look at your face."
Aiden smiled and shook his head.
Hancock went still.
Aiden only wiped the crumbs away and handed her more milk. He did not ask for anything in return.
For the first time since she had been captured, an adult man helped her without asking for anything.
Not to sell her as goods, nor for some other motive.
Simply because... he treated her as a child who needed care.
Hancock's nose tingled, and she lowered her head.
She drank large gulps of milk to hide it.
Tears fell into the cup as she drank.
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