][Malice][ =One Piece=

:: Chapter Four ::

A haughty nobleman strut down a crowded street with his hooked beak of a nose held high in the air. The passerby parted to make room for him as he made his way toward the town’s bank to drop off some precious gems in his vault as he did every Sunday. Little did he know; he was under careful watch. Three sets of vigilant eyes followed his every move from carefully selected locations.

Outside the bank stood a young woman in her early twenties with scraggly dirty blonde hair wearing a baby blue dress with a lace shawl wrapped around her slender shoulders. She kept her pale blue eyes on the purse at the man’s waist with his recently acquired gems. At the opposite end of the street a young man in his late twenties with a shaggy mane of tawny hair wearing a simple pair of black trousers with a casual grey hooded sweatshirt waited. His dark forest green eyes zeroed in on the nobleman as he greedily clung to his purse. Hidden in an alleyway next to the bank perched a young eight year old girl with bright crimson hair. Her dark garnet eyes trained in on the nobleman waiting for her signal.

The young woman began to pat at her waist as if she’d lost something. That was the signal! A splash of crimson shot through the crowded street moving so fast it was almost a blur. The young girl slowed as she was about to reach the nobleman and purposely bumped into him.

“What the devil?!” The nobleman cried suddenly as he was knocked off balance completely unaware to the child’s quick hands that had completely emptied his purse.

“I’m sorry sir.” The little girl bowed her head and turned to run once more with the goods she’d stolen.

A strong hand lashed out and slapped her hard across the side of the face causing the small girl to stumble into a nearby building. The man and woman keeping a watchful eye on the duo both muttered a curse under their breath, how had he detected the girl’s deceit, she was the best pick pocket they’d ever seen.

“Learn some manners you damn brat!” The man barked and the duo let out a sigh of relief, he hadn’t noticed his missing gems.

The young girl slowly dragged herself to her feet and grimaced at the metallic taste of blood in her mouth. She forced herself to bow her head once again, “Sorry sir.”

As she turned once more to make her escape, a gruff hand lashed out and caught her by the hair, “If you were really sorry you’d get on your knees and beg for your life you rotten brat.” The man snarled.

Something shifted in the girl’s attitude at the man’s threat. Her dark garnet eyes began to swirl with an almost black ashen grey color. The man took a step back as her body suddenly went rigid.

“Don’t lose your cool, brat, just get out of there.” The man at the end of the street muttered under his breath. He’d been a little reluctant to let the brat join in on his heist. There was just something dark and twisted about the girl. She’d asked for a big cut of the pay off and he’d agreed though he had absolutely no intention of giving the girl anything. He’d use her; then dispose of her.

“Mal! There you are! I’ve been looking all over for you! I’m so sorry if she’s caused you any trouble sir.” The blonde woman with pale blue eyes intervened.

The young woman managed to get the girl away from the nobleman without any trouble and the pair of them made their way to alleyway where their ringleader was hiding. As soon as the pair had completely vanished from sight the nobleman noticed his missing valuables, but the trio was long gone through an underground passage out to a secret cove at the back of the island behind the sheer rocky cliffs.

They counted their loot dividing it into two piles as the sun began to set. A fire roared in a stone pit giving them enough light to see each gemstone and determine its value.