59Chapter 3: Sabaody Archipelago
Arriving in Sabaody Archipelago didn't feel as fulfilling as I thought it would. I felt, in a way, indifferent to the fact that we've arrived in the halfway mark of the Grand Line. Surely there should be more to this place than just stores and the overabundance of slavery. I was bored. I was extremely bored. But with the 11 Supernova's all gathered here in one place, things were bound to get exciting sooner or later.
We had planned on stopping for only a few weeks in order to stock up and repair what needed to be fixed before we headed out into the New World. Now that everything was finished, all that was left was to set sail. But my instincts led me to believe that something was going to happen today. And my instincts have never been wrong before, so why would it now?
'What's a few more days,' I thought idly.
Looking around, I watched lethargically with an eye open as my crew loitered inside the tavern trying to pick up girls and drink. As I leaned back on Bepo's fur and closed both my eyes, I overheard something that piqued my interest.
"Oi, did you know? Apparently, they've got a mermaid at today's Grove 1 auction."
"They should know better by now not to go out on land. Slavers are everywhere these days."
"Yeah, and the word is that the Marines have warships posted out at the docks. Apparently, they've got 2 Admirals placed here cause of those damn Supernovas."
"We gotta lay low now cau-"
I stopped listening in to their conversation. I've gotten all the information I needed. A rare mermaid was caught. There's a human auction at grove 1 today. And there are Admirals on the Archipelago. Although I was skeptical about 2 Admirals being in one place, I knew at least that someone strong from the Marines is coming. After all, rumors have to start from something. There had to be at least a grain of truth in there somewhere.
A lazy smirk etched itself on my face as a single thought passed through my mind, 'Things are finally getting interesting.'
I swiftly opened my eyes and reached for my Nodachi, while motioning for Bepo to stand up and free the exit.
I looked over to my two childhood friends and watched them banter for a few more moments before commanding them, "Shachi, Penguin, come."
Both males stood from the table and shouted, "Aye captain!"
OwO
With a confident gait, Law led his small group out the tavern and into the busy streets of Grove 21.
The sun threatened to pierce his eyes with its illuminating brightness. The cool air ruffled the unruly hair that escaped his spotted hat. The noises of people screaming and the beginnings of a fight filtered in his ears.
"GAAHHH! THE MAD MONK"S GONE BERSERK!"
"We've got to hurry and get away from here!"
Law scoffed at the panicked yells surrounding him.
Arranging his hat to cover his eyes, Law walked past the fleeing shoppers and proceeded to sit on a wooden crate, positioning himself right in the thick of the action. Both Shachi and Penguin arranged themselves behind off to the side of him, whilst Bepo sat on the ground, crossing his legs looking over his head.
With a slight interest showing in his gray eyes, Law noted that Killer from the Kidd Pirates and Mad Monk Urouge; both Supernova's, were his current form of entertainment. He inwardly applauded whatever petty argument started this confrontation. Because now, not only is he able to satiate his own boredom but in addition also gain information about both pirates. It was a win-win situation, or so he thought.
His infamous smirk made an appearance as Urouge used his giant pillar and used it as a makeshift mace, aiming for Killer and intending to slam him down. Never losing his amused countenance, Law watched as Killer back-flipped out of danger before pushing his foot off the ground towards Urouge and jumping with the other upwards just missing the pillar before it was to smash into his side.
Feeling pleasantly entertained, Law leaned his elbows on his thighs and crossed his fingers between each other, his thumb tapping the other every few moments.
Turning his body downwards in mid-air, Killer directed his sickles towards Urouge. The Monk's smile widened even further as he readied his pillar to swing at Killer.
Law's perceptive eyes gleamed as he followed X-Drake intercept the clash of weapons with his four-bladed axe slamming against Urouge's pillar, and his saber pushing Killer's sickle.
Landing, Drake growled out, "If you want to cause a stir, do it in the New World,"
"I see," Urouge boomed as Killer finally landed a few meters away, "The former officer Drake, huh?"
A short chuckle escaped Urouge's throat as he taunted Killer once more, "Your life was just spared, Masked Man," before he turned and led his followers away.
With the battle ended, the crowds of pirates hoping to see two Supernova's fight a serious battle dispersed off to their little hiding places in the nooks and crannies of buildings, watching the area surrounding them with gleaming eyes.
The sound of several footsteps alerted Law to Drake's close proximity.
With a sly smirk, Law stated, "It was just getting good..." Drake paused in his steps and glanced down at him, "Yo, Drake-ya," Law looked up, "How many people have you killed?"
Unfazed Drake replied, "I'm a patient man Trafalgar Law, I avoid needless violence," walking past him Drake continued, "I have no wish to be known for my recklessness."
Shachi stepped forward aggressively, "Oi! What are you trying to say? That captain is reckless!" but X-Drake had already passed them by showing no signs of responding.
Penguin while trying to calm Shachi placed both his hands oh the other's shoulder and bumped his forehead onto Shachi, "Calm down," he hissed, "Captain said not to make a scene remember!?"
Now sufficiently scolded Shachi grumbled under his breath and looked towards Law for their next move.
Law idly flickered through his memories reminding him of all the time he'd raid Marine bases because he was bored. The times when he'd operate on 'willing' patients from other pirate crews and marine soldiers...
"Hmm, it seems that we are quite the opposite aren't we Drake-ya," Law mused.
Sensing the stares of all three of his friends, Law pushed himself upwards and turned to his crew-mates with a slight grin gracing his otherwise impassive face, "Let's head for the Grove 1 Human Auction House shall we?"
OwO
The walk from Grove 21 to Grove 1 was uneventful. As we traveled through the Lawless areas; where all the rundown hotels, bars, and Inns that specially catered for the pirates, I couldn't help but succumb to the urge and taunt all these pirates. I found great amusement in the fact that a single smirk would be able to send the subordinates of several pirate crews reeling with anger as they tried to reach me, their only saving grace was their seemingly well-informed captains knowing who I was and preventing them from moving closer. And with such a satisfying expression burning their hatred into me, I nearly laughed outright, catching myself just in time.
The crowds of people in my way would separate into two, making a path for us to walk through. Leaning against my Nodachi more comfortably and placing my hands into my pockets, I could feel their eyes following us in fear, and glaring as if it would physically harm me. Having such a large bounty and a notorious epithet was such a convenience sometimes.
I could see the Human Auction House in the distance, coming closer as we neared its stairs. "Why does this place look so damn old and run-down? Wasn't the slave trade supposed to be a booming business?" Penguin asked.
Scoffing Shachi replied, "Hm, don't be a dumbass Penguin. I doubt they'd want to spend their money on something like decorations!" while smacking the other on the head.
I listened to their nonsensical banter and figured that they were right. 'Doflamingo wouldn't spend his illegal money on something like this. His new project has just started to boom in the New World.'
Lifting up a hand, I pushed open one of the doors and entered seeing a darkly lit auditorium. The seats near the stage were almost completely filled leaving the top almost bare apart from Kidd-ya's group leaning at the back wall sneering at the excited people below.
Feeling no need to engage in a useless fight, I motioned for my Bepo, Shachi, and Penguin to follow me and took a seat near the middle back row with a full side view of the large cage backstage. With Bepo behind me, I handed him my sword to hold for the rest of the auction and raised my arms to rest on the backrests of the chairs waiting for the auction to start.
Feeling the amusing sensation of a glare on me, I moved my head slightly back to the right and smirked at Kidd-ya. I could see that he didn't take that very well and readied himself to come at me. I could surmise how Eustass-ya's mind worked by just this small interaction of ours; he seemed like someone extremely hot-headed person with a prideful and fiery personality. Bringing my right hand up I raised my finger to truly mess with him, but before he could respond to my taunt, bright lights flickered on above the stage and an MC spoke, "Well then, everyone! Thank you for your patience! In a moment, the 1st grove's monthly tradition...the Great Human Auction, shall commence!"
He moved his arm to the side and introduced Disco; an underling of Doflamingo, "Our host, of course, is this man! The walking super bazaar...Mr. Disco!"
'Disco's definitely changed a lot since the last time I saw him...though that was over 10 years ago...'
As Disco twirled around and the lights positioned themselves over him, the crowd roared in delight, waving their hands up in the air. "Good day everyone! This time, we've got quite an excellent selection of slaves for you! You're all lucky! We've got a spectacular deluxe item for later in the show! The only thing on my mind is making sure everyone here leaves with the slave they've been waiting for!"
Bepo yawned behind me, placing his head on top of a chair and closed his eyes waiting for the room to quiet down. My fingers twitched as I heard the conversations happening a few rows down from us. " What kind of item should I buy my empress today?"
'Item...'
"The human slave you bought last time broke far too easily..."
While not unthinkable, the atrocities of what humans can do truly make me shiver in disgust...although it is quite hypocritical of me to say so, after all, they don't call me 'The Surgeon of Death' for no reason...
I closed my eyes at that thought and listened to Disco auctioning off a pirate musician by the name of Byron with a starting price of 480 thousand berries. The bid soon started to climb as three more people joined in the fray, the man who started the bid was getting more and more panicked as the other three continued to bid higher. Moving my right hand and placing it under my head, I opened an eye in disgust as I figured out Disco's plan. He had his men scattered around the room placing bids that are higher than what the human was worth. It was a sly plan, but a working plan.
I paid no attention to the humans being sold off from that point on. I was bored. I could only hope that someone would make this at least bearable. Humans after humans were being sold off like objects, but my mind wandered off thinking of the possibilities that perhaps I should buy someone. After all, we do need a new navigator. Bepo was working overtime, preparing for our trip to the New World. He sometimes worked until he fell asleep...I couldn't help but feel slightly worried about his health, and being a childhood friend that had known me for a long time, made the feeling all the more prominent.
Looking off to the side, slightly behind me, I glanced at Bepo's slouching form. His eyes half closed in drowsiness, but still fighting to stay awake. I sighed, and by then my mind was made up. I would buy a navigator today...but then again, I am a pirate. I figured stealing someone would be better for both my money, the crew's treasury and the planting of the seed of loyalty in the mind of whomever I 'saved'. After all, living the life of a pirate would be much better than living a slave's life. They'd know in time that their loyalties laid with me.
The creaking of the giant door and the gust of fresh air broke me out of my reverie. Several footsteps echoed from the entrance. Peering through my peripheral, I saw the most unusual looking group; a fish-man, a starfish, a yeti, and a pervert accompanied by only two normal looking humans.
I quirked an eyebrow up and thought, 'It suits that they're from Mugiwara-ya's crew.'
Leaning forward with my elbows positioned over my knees and fingers joined in front of my face, bits, and pieces of Kidd's conversation with his crew-mate filtered through the air and allowed me to listen in, "...Straw hat's captain isn't here...hoping...how dumb...for myself..."
I couldn't help but inwardly agree with Kidd-ya. Mugiwara-ya's crew was nearly always somehow on the pages of the news, angering the World Government and Marines in one way or the other. Always making a ruckus wherever he went...It would definitely have been interesting to see what kind of person he was in real life. Though the fact still remains that I still couldn't understand how exactly his thought process worked. Which is...slightly infuriating, to say the least. Now, it seems that things are bound to get more interesting with the Straw Hat pirates thrown in the mix.
"Anyone else? Anyone?!" Disco's upbeat voice rung in my ears as he tapped his mallet twice onto a wooden block to signify the closure of the deal, "Sold to number 51, for 3 million berri!"
I watched with indifference as the slave girl was led backstage into a different cage.
"Is this what will happen to Caimie too?" Considering the worry and utter desperation in the faces of both the fish-man and starfish. I could only assume that this 'Caimie' person was some type of fish hybrid- a mermaid perhaps?
"We'll definitely get her back!" I scoffed inwardly at their declaration, 'You shouldn't word your sentences as if you're making promises girl...it never ends well.'
"But how will we do that in this situation?"
"We've got a load of treasure stored on the ship. It's at least 200 million in all...What's the going price for a mermaid?" Aaand bingo, their planning to buy back their mermaid friend. I just knew that things wouldn't be so boring while the Straw Hat Pirates were around. After listening in to that little tidbit I blocked their continuing conversation from my mind and focused back onto the auction below.
"It seems like the room has been lit a-fire with our past items! Our next item, however, one of our specials today! She's a dancer of the best kind, able to make even the angels sing at her beauty, Panthea!"
A purple haired female was escorted out from the back, holding her hands to her face as she cried pitifully, the chains holding her captive dangling on her wrists. "Entry number 15, Panthea! With a splendid starting bid of 800 thousand Berri, does anyone else wish to fight for the right to own this beautiful dancer!" Disco continued to milk the girl for what she was worth in Berri's while the bidders scrambled to waste their money.
"The bid has risen to an amazing 7 million 200 thousand berri!" The door opened behind us just as Disco finished his sentence.
My eyes followed as a guard ran from behind the curtains backstage towards the entrance of the Auction House before prostrating himself on the ground in clear submission, "Oh my! Saint Charlos!"
I leaned my body back and turned my head just in time to see the abomination people call a 'World Noble' kick his bleeding slave once more before ordering the guard, "Hurry and take me to my seat!"
"Yes, right away sir!"
My eyes widened in sheer shock before narrowing as the Celestial Dragon slowly passed our row and slowly made his way down the stairs, "Please be careful," the guard said in an almost frightened whisper.
I saw people turning their whole bodies away as it descended past their rows in a mixture of fright, disgust and slight reverence. Sensing the decline in the overall mood of the bidders, Disco introduced the next to be auctioned, "Well then, it seems we're ready...Entry number 16 is...can you believe it?! A pirate captain!"
From behind the stage, Disco's men brought out a rough looking man with haunted eyes. I could tell he wasn't ready for his fate to be marked as a slave for the rest of his life. But then again...who would?
Sighing at the pitiful form of the captain-no, a man. Someone with the position of captain should never be what this man is; captured, shamed, and weak. "Take a good look at him! He's a wanted man with a bounty of 17 million berri! His name is Lacuba!" A 17 million bounty isn't something to be proud of this far into the Grand Line. It was a wonder that he even made it this far.
"He is a pirate famous for his delicate, intricate planning!" I truly doubted the extent of his infamy, "His well-built body is also worthy of note. He'd make an excellent transport, hard worker, or sandbag! A practical choice if I ever saw one," As Disco was listing off all of what he was capable of, the pirate Lacuba continued to get paler and paler as his eyes quivered.
"Now then..." Disco's sentence abruptly stopped as the man started to wobble in his spot. I sneered, "So that's his game plan...not very intricate for a man apparently 'famous' for just that."
"What do you mean by that captain," Shachi murmured behind me.
"Were you sleeping Shachi?"
"'Uh, yea...BUT SO IS PENGUIN!" I raised an eyebrow at his outburst, "We're pretty tired captain...sorry. We were helping out Hino and Takiko with the repairs all night."
Sweat dropping, Shachi grimaced as I'm sure that the thought going through his brain as of his moment was somewhere along the lines of hoping that I wouldn't punish them. Which is quite frankly bullshit, no matter how many times I've reminded them that I don't punish my crew members needlessly, they still have this mindset that I do so out of fun. While I may not torture my crew, Marines, and enemy pirates, however, are fair game. At the top of my head, I could think of only one time where I honestly truly punished someone under me, and that was still only due to him endangering the life of another crewmate, which almost led Bepo to be burned alive. Though I must admit, at the time I may have let my anger get a hold of me more than it should have. I still think of that incident with rage burning right behind the fun I had whilst I 'punished' him.
My line of thoughts was halted as Shachi stuttered, "S-S-Sorry c-captain!" It seemed that I may have directed my killing intent at Shachi unintentionally. Sighing I placated him slowly, "Shachi, I will never punish someone under me for something as minor as staying up late to help another crew-mate," Shachi gulped as Penguin continued to sleep peacefully on Bepo's fur, "I've told you this more than I can count; As long as you don't endanger the life of another under me, sell information or specifically try to sabotage me or the crew, you will never be harmed by my hand," I looked at him straight in the eyes, "But don't think for one second that you can get out of your duties Shachi-ya," I ended the conversation with a smirk before returning my attention towards the pirate below.
The moment that Lacuba dropped on his knees, a scream from a female in the front row reverberated through the walls all around the room making me cringe at the high pitch. I could see the fresh blood dripping from the man's mouth as my suspicions were confirmed.
Disco's panicked face broke through his calm facade, "Don't tell me, he...?!" Lacuba fainted with his face down on the ground.
People were in uproar at the whole situation. A man 2 rows down from me shouted, "He collapsed! What's going on?! I saw blood!"
The curtains suddenly closed as Disco tried to clean up the mess that was made, "Hey! Hurry up and pull the curtains!" The swishing of the metal railing that held the curtains up echoed through the room as yells of indignation were made from the people present.
"What's going on captain?" Shachi ventured to ask.
"He bit off his tongue."
"Ehhh...so he decided he didn't want to live his life as a slave...and figured it would be better to die right now?"
I only bothered to hum in agreement before stating, "I suppose it was the most logical choice considering the few options that he had."
An amused smile ghosted my face for a few moments, 'And so far that whole fiasco has been the only thing interesting enough in this whole auction.'
Minutes passed before Disco finally made an appearance again, this time it was clear to me that he had something up his sleeve to divert the attention of the angry crowd towards something supposedly 'better'. "Well then, about number 16! It would appear that the pirate Lacuba got a little nervous...had a nosebleed and collapsed. We'll put him up for sale again later." The crowd was successfully fooled as they collectively sighed in relief.
I scoffed at the obvious lie, it was obvious that he was suicidal and bit off his tongue to try and let himself bleed out.
"Had a nosebleed?" The Yeti from Mugiwara-ya's crew near the exit gritted out, "They're disgusting."
Trying to save face and rekindle the excited atmosphere from a few minutes ago, Disco quickly motioned for his men to bring the next human in. And with the next 'item' seen by the masses, the auditorium cheered and pumped their hands in the air.
"Now things are heating up on this Grand Human Auction! Our next entry is an instant purchase for sure!" A pale-skinned woman with midnight blue hair wearing a full black bodysuit with red ribbons accenting her whole attire was carried into the stage and place down on the ground, "Entry number 17 is a knockout female mercenary and assassin all in one!" my eyes widened slightly at that fact, "Please observe the miraculous proportions of this 23-year-old soon-to-be slave! Although we could not get her name because as you can see, she's still very much fully asleep, she's one of today's big draws!"
A/N: Ehe...yea a cliffie...ehe...Anyways sorry for missing an update yesterday, I slept through the whole day. It seemed that I was more tired than I thought. But, I am still feeling pretty good about this story, my muse has been very active so Part 2 is ready for uploading tomorrow! Though I am sorry if you feel that my chapters drag on, cause honestly, I feel the same way but...it is necessary to establish how the characters (At this time, mainly Law and Kagome really) act in certain situations, how they think, their mannerisms and habits etc. And of course to set the plot.
Don't hesitate to comment or PM me about any questions and idea's you may have, I'll do my best to answer and reply to them in the following chapters. So, until my next update then. ( ͡~ ͜ʖ ͡°)