"Tenryuubito, slaves and human shop." Kid scoffed as a Celestial walked in, a big chain lease trailing behind him to the former Pirate Captain Jean Bart. Charlotte pulled her scarf higher, glaring through the square goggles at the back of the Tenryuubito. "Compared with the purity of greedy nobles, the villains of the world look pretty damn humane. They don't even understand that the world is in this state because scum like them control it. We got our bad side, but we got our cute side too, right, Killer."
"No mistake..." Killer responded. The two speaking above her again. Each one was standing on either side of her and it annoyed her slightly that she was once again caught between their conversation. She ignored it though, eyes focusing on the familiar boiler suits and yellow hoodie sitting a few rows down from them.
Her target! Her eyes glimmered, happily. Why he was here eluded her thought. Actually, why were any of them in this blasted hell hole? "What are we doing here?" Charlotte asked again, arms crossed over her chest. She wasn't going to take the same wishy-washy answer as before. There seems more to it if two rookie pirate groups both decided it be worth their time to visit the same place. She doubted that they all had the same distasteful hobby.
"To buy anyone interesting who comes up." He responded as if it was obvious, then turned his direction from the huntress towards the rival. "Isn't that right, North Blue's 200 million bounty, Trafalgar Law?"
Charlotte stepped out at the name, fingers inching for her blades at the threat of battle in his voice. That was her target, but she knew better than to draw attention. Especially when there was a Celestial in the room. "What?" Kid asked, eyes drifting away from where Law flipped him and towards the woman's movements and the suddenly ominous aura around her.
"... It's stuffy in here." She responded after a moment, the killing intent somewhat quelled. Kid quirked a brow at her and refocused on the stage before him. The finger closest to her felt itchy.
She with the Kid Pirates? Law thought, recognizing the flamboyant red scarf and leather-bound arms easily. The sliver of metal where her blades had ripped through a reminder of her earlier battles. It didn't look as if they were on friendly terms earlier. He thought she was a bounty hunter.
"Ladies and gentlemen, my apologizes for the delay. Grove 1's traditional monthly human auction will open for bidding shortly!" The announcer, a man with long flamboyant hair and star-shape glasses, announced. Law refocused his attention before him along with Kid while Charlotte mood soured further.
Charlotte watched with disdain as humans and other races collected within the month were pulled onstage, hands and neck bound with the infamous bomb collar that marked an individual a slave. Murmurs and happy cheers rumbled across the auction house and starting prices were easily bid upwards and slaves were marked sold. With each gavel, her mood worsened.
Platinum eyes were about glossed over when the large auction doors next to her opened and Charlotte welcomed the distraction, happily. Her face fell at the sight of a furry mammal with a pink backpack she swore she saw on a different creature earlier.
"Boss, those guys are from the Straw Hat Pirates." Heat informed in a hushed whisper, gesturing to the new incomers: 'Cat Thief' Nami, 'Black Leg' Sanji, 'Iron Man' Franky along with a furry mammal and another person they didn't recognize.
"I don't see their captain though. I would have liked to see first-hand just how big an idiot he is." Kid chuckled and Charlotte couldn't disagree more. She rather not meet the Devil Fruit using half of the crew. Especially their idiotic captain of the crew who had been more than miraculous in their journeys so far. It was still a mystery how they managed to survive this long.
Luck. A whole shit ton of luck. Charlotte feverishly believed.
The next time the door next to them opened, Charlotte had thought it would be more of the lucky pirate crew and she found herself wishing it was even if they were cursed Devil Fruit users. She preferred them to a Celestial any day. She clenched her fist and let the cool metal of her blade pressed against her heated skin calming her slightly. Her mood souring further.
A scream brought her attention back towards the stage. There was a tall pirate standing on the stage and she yawned. What's so scary about a pirate? The archipelago was basically crawling with them. The rusty smell of iron reached her, and Charlotte narrowed her gaze, noticing the blood dripping form the man's lower lip and mixing with his black beard before staining the floor. The pirate had bit off his own tongue. Charlotte wasn't sure whether to call the action impressive or stupid.
"Uh, number 16, the pirate Rakyuba was taken to emergency care for a nosebleed. Though he collapsed, we hope to bring him back to you in a few days." Their announcer, Mister Disco, excused quickly when the curtains were drawn again after a quick intermission. The pirates and Charlotte scoffed at the obvious lie, seeing to be the only ones who caught it.
"But ladies and gentlemen," Disco continued with enthusiasm. "The item I am about to present to you will blow all your troubles in an instant!" He started and the crowd was immediately hooked, including the Straw Hat Pirates who Charlotte was starting to feel like they had a different agenda than the other two crews here. She eyed the man with the strange star-shape hair again. She felt like she had saw him somewhere before. "Our super special item! All the way from Fishman Island! Camie the Mermaid!" As soon as he finished the crowd grew wild and so did the few Straw Hats. Charlotte finally remembered where she met him before.
He was the one warned their green haired friend about her. The green haired mermaid sneaking on the island full of slave traders. The green hair mermaid who was friends with the attention-driving Straw Hat crew.
Shit! Charlotte cussed. Today was going to be so much busier than I thought.
"500 million beri!" Came a long shout that shushed the entire house into shock. "I'll pay 500 million!"
"... What was that? All of the sudden! We don't have nearly enough..." Charlotte overheard their navigator muttered, still trying to process through the shock. She looked grimly ahead, so they came here to buy their friend back.
"Charlos, you're wasting money again..." Sir Roswald, father of the bidding Celestial reprimanded lightly with no real intent in his voice. "And you're keeping piranhas in your aquarium, aren't you?"
"It'll be fun to watch them chase her. Mermaids are the fastest creatures in the water, right, Father?" He replied with a laugh.
"T-The whole audience is speechless." Disco shouted into his microphone, voice still a little light from shock. He asked the audience if there were any other bids as per protocol though everyone in the room knew there weren't any. "Today's big prize, Camie the mermaid, will go to the world Noble, Saint Carlos for the price of 500 million!"
"What a farce, and the marines hunt us." Kid scoffed, turning to leave. "They make us pirates look humane."
For once, Charlotte agreed with the pirate's words, but she remained her ground while the rest of the crew filed out after their boss. Her eyes locked onto her target still sitting a few rows down. An echoing scream pulled her attention back towards the double doors just in time to see them burst open and something shot through, narrowly missing the Kid Pirates.
Climbing out from the smoke with no grace and much noise was none other than the two supernovas of the Straw Hat Pirates: Monkey D. Luffy and Roronoa Zoro. Though the two didn't seem to have noticed exactly where they were as the two continued to argue amongst themselves and the flying fish rider they flew in on.
"That's... Straw Hat Luffy..." Kid muttered, shocked from the sudden intrusion and Charlotte cursed in acknowledgement. Things are going to get so busy.
"Ah, Camie!" Luffy shouted, spotting the giant fishbowl and mermaid in center stage. "Camie, we were looking for you! Thank goodness!" He shouted, rushing down the flight of stairs, with the man with the spikey star-shaped hair flapping behind him like a cape.
A mess, Charlotte sighed. Things were going to become a busy mess. It didn't look like the Kid Pirates were going to leave anytime soon anymore, not with their rival putting on such an entertaining show for them to watch. She glanced back down at the now revealed octopus fishman looking around frantically at the several sneering faces discriminating against him. Her face darkened. Ah. I hate this island. She took the chance to separate from the Kid Pirates
A loud bang shot through the noisy auction house and the noise was successfully silenced again by the same man as before. "I hit him! I finished off the fishman!" Charlos shouted gleefully with a dance. His chest puffed evermore, swelling from the rains of praise of his heroic actions in saving them from some unknown fishman disease.
"Is he serious?" Kid stuttered, stun when the other Captain, walked up towards the Celestial, fist clenched and anger resonating off him in waves. He wanted to see what idiotic move the boy would pull, but never had he thought that he would be stupid enough to attack a World Noble. He was proved wrong when the boy ran his fist across the other's face easily.
Kid and Law smirked at the sight. This was much more entertaining than the damn auction.
Once again, the house fell into a silent gasp as everyone watched in complete horror. Did the boy not know the audacity of the move he just pulled or who would be coming to them now?
"Sorry, guys. I heard that if I hit that guy, they'll call in a marine admiral." Luffy said, not even the tiniest bit apologetic.
The crew sighed, well used to their captain antics and quickly set into action to save their mermaid friend and get out of the place before the marines arrived. Chaos continued to resonate through the auction house as nobles and other wealthy civilians ran out and more flying fishes crashed through the roof and the rest of the Straw Hat Pirates made their appearance. One of them even using Saint Roswald as a landing cushion. They quickly fell into the flow of things as Luffy caught them up to speed.
"The marines are already here." Law corrected when Luffy told them that an admiral would be here soon. "The marines have been here since the auction started."
"Who are you? And what's with the bear?" Luffy asked, much more interested in the furry animal than the man draped across the seat casually.
"I don't know who they wanted to catch, but I'm sure they never thought that someone would actually attack a World Noble." He continued, snickering to himself while Robin introduced the man as a rival pirate captain. "You put on quite a little show here, you and your crew."
"The bear's a pirate too?" Luffy asked, ignoring the Captain's words, but their attentions were quickly to center stage again when the remaining World Noble fell unconscious and the backdrop on the stage started to rip open. An old man holding a flask chatting animatedly with the giant behind him stepped out of the rip and directly into the chaos.
"What's this? Looks like everyone's looking at us." He hummed, finally noticing the unruly stands, while the guards worried about how to recapture their loose prisoners. There weren't any hunters or kidnappers nearby.
"R-Rayleigh?!" The wounded octopus fishman shouted, shocked while the rest of the guards tried to figure out what to do with their loose auction items.
"Ohh? Why if it isn't Hacchi!" Rayleigh shouted happily. "It's been a while!" He beamed, glancing out at the crowd. His smile doubled spotting another familiar face. "Oh, and lovely Charlotte-chan!"
Said woman froze, blade curved around her target's shoulder, and she sighed, straightening her stance and ignoring the Heart Pirates glare and shouts of 'when had she gotten there'. Law scowled, looking over his shoulder and tracing up the dangerously sharp blade towards the woman who had gotten past their formation for the second time that day.
"Ray-san," She greeted, sending the man a chilly glare.
"Oh, were you in the middle of a hunt? Sorry, sorry!" He laughed easily, and Kid turned towards the North Blue pirate, insulted. Trafalgar's bounty was lower than his!
"How did you know it was me?" She asked, pointed towards the square googles she had on with her thumb.
He laughed at that, "That's not going to do anything if you're going to wear your signature scarf."
As if proving his point, one of the guards shouted, "That's scarf! It's Bloody Boa!" And all eyes fell onto the blaringly loud red muffler around her neck, clear as day. Of course, you'd be recognized! The rest do the pirates thought unanimously.
"She's best bounty hunter on the island! She can help us get the prisoners back into the cage back!" The Straw Hat Pirates turned towards the female standing on the back of the rowed seats, ready to protect their mermaid friend if need be.
Charlotte pulled off the googles, tossing them back to Kid. "Not my targets." Charlotte said. She turned towards the preppy guards with a scowl. "More importantly, I don't deal in slave trading!" She announced and Luffy laughed.
"She's just a bounty hunter." Rayleigh corrected with a smile and took another swing of his flask. Law glanced back up at the woman standing behind him and then the Kid Pirates off to the side. He was right the first time, they weren't involved. Not that it was pressing right now compared to the mysterious man. The fishman had called him, Rayleigh.
"If you're sort on cash, you could have told me, and I would have let you hand me in." He offered and Charlotte crossed her arms.
"As if I'd take a hand me down like that." Charlotte glared at the insult. "Plus, I don't care about the money."
Then why are you a bounty hunter?! The pirates thought unanimously again, while Luffy just laughed.
"If you're going for this tactic, then you're broke as well." Charlotte continued. The old fart was probably going to take the money of whomever brought him. "Though, I'm not sure who'd buy an old fart like you." He laughed at that, agreeing with the comment.
"You're funny!" Luffy commented, still giggling, and Charlotte turned to look at the seventeen years old boy. "Want to join my crew?"
"Didn't you just hear?! She's a bounty hunter!" Nami shouted from across the room. Her fist shaking next to her, and Charlotte somehow knew if she was closer, she probably would have smacked their captain with that fist.
"So?" Luffy pouted, scratching his ear. "Zoro was one too." He pointed to his swordsman next to him.
"That's different!" The man yelled, agreeing with their navigator. He eyed the huntress and the strange wrappings around her arms. She was hiding something behind them. "Why would you even ask her that?"
"Because she knows where the good foods at. We already shared a meal together!" He commented easily, and Charlotte thought back to the Gramans they had eaten side by side. She didn't even show them that! They came over themselves!
"Stop thinking with your stomach!" Nami scolded and turned towards the huntress. "Ignore him."
Charlotte met her look. "With pleasure!" She declared boldly. She had no intentions of joining any team of any sorts.
Rayleigh laughed at the interactions. "That's a good idea. You can finally get off this island you hate so much." He shot Charlotte a thumbs up. "I approve!"
"And why would your approval be required?!" Charlotte rounded with a hiss. "Don't talk as if I'm your daughter, Old Fart!"
"Eh?" Luffy picked at his nose, turning towards the female. "You're not?"
"She doesn't look anything like Shakky-san or Rayleigh-san!" Chopper shouted, surprised that their Captain could even think of such a thing.
"Why not? It'll be fun." Luffy turned towards the female ignoring Nami's cries of 'just leave it, she already said no'. "You don't like it here, do you?" As if to prove his point. He added with a giant innocent grin. "You wanted to punch that guy more than I did and you didn't even know Camie!" The group shushed, all eyes on her as the realized the dark ominous pressure they had been feeling was from her.
Charlotte stared at the kid. The pressure dissipated, replaced by an embarrassed flushed at being caught. His senses were sharp. The thought of her time on the island came to mind. The Tenryuubitos above, the marines headquarters nearby, the slave trading and discrimination right in your face. "N-no, but.."
"Why not leave then?" She turned towards the Heart Pirate. The question was asked by the one wearing a blue capette. She realized then that she was now the center of attention, and she shrunk slightly at that. Her eyes dropped to the floor before her in an attempt to forget that fact, but her eyes met the steely eyes of her target looking up at her from his position. He smirked up at her, enjoying the direct view to her embarrassed expression. Charlotte jerked her face to the side, tugging on her scarf. "... I can't swim." She muttered, embarrassed.
"Neither can I." Luffy laughed easily as if that wasn't a problem when surrounded by seawater. Charlotte blinked at him, not sure what to make of the statement. "So, it's settled!" He laughed.
"NO, IT'S NOT!" Nami shouted, slapping her palm down and pulling Charlotte back from her thoughts.
Her eyes flickered and she narrowed them at the young Captain. She had fell into his pace. "No, it's not." She repeated Nami's words, ignoring the thumbs up the thief was sending her way. "I'm busy anyway." She turned her attention back towards the captain below her. "Besides, your crew has too many Devil Fruit users." She pulled her right arm back.
"What's wrong with Devil Fruit users?" Luffy whined, tilting his head in confusion. He wasn't, but the reasoning had piqued the other users in the room.
Charlotte didn't respond, already refocused on her hunt. She grabbed the nodachi to her right, dodging a roundhouse kick from the man who had spoken early. She used the long sword as a pivot point, spinning herself to a still, perching at the top of the sword just long enough to see the captain sneer at her for touching his blade before she flipped backwards into the air. The bear had swiped at her in response. She landed a few rows back, stepping on a guard who hadn't realized she was coming in time.
"Maybe I should go back." Rayleigh debated, eyes taking in the scene before him. The unconscious Celestial. The bloody bandages around Hachi's midsection. The lone huntress focused on her hunt. "Shakky's going to be lonely." He muttered, stroking his beard. Yes, things were quite troublesome. "But first—" He lifted his gaze along with a rush of Haoshoku Haki.
There were too many pairs of eyes for the man whose been wanting a quiet life. One by one, the remaining guards fell down, unconscious. Some frothing at the mouth.
"What?! What the? What did he just do?" Ussop shouted, and if he hadn't already had the pirate's attention, he most certainly does now. "What hell is that old man?!"
"Bepo, keep her busy." Law ordered, picking up the sword from the bear's hands. His attention focused on the old geezer, now ignoring the Straw Hat pirates warning and reaching for the bomb collar on the captured mermaid. The huntress had called him Ray and the fishman said Rayleigh... and that power just now...
Rayleigh glanced up at the shellshocked huntress as the beginning of another pressure built in the air. Her platinum eyes glossed over staring at the spot where the bomb collar had exploded in mid-air, away from the captured slave's neck. His eye softened. "Charlotte-chan," he called gently, and it was enough to snap the huntress back to the present just in time to block the incoming kick.
"Damnit, and I just managed to find the keys and all." Rayleigh turned around toward the cyborg, holding up a ring full of keys. "Oh, very impressive." They actually managed to find it in all this chaos. "But, no need for that. You can carry this girl out of here." He said easily, leaving the many pirates still left confused at the mysterious things happening one after another.
Franky tossed the keys towards the other slave-to-bes much to their joy, while the rest of Straw Hat pirates wondered out loud what kind of Devil Fruit the old man had. The other two pirate crews silent, wondering the same as they continued to watch.
Rayleigh turned towards them, finally acknowledging their presence. "Hanging around to watch, eh?" Not that he blamed them. He would have done the same when he was in their shoes years ago. "If you took that blast without any trouble, I guess you're not amateurs either." His gaze drifted towards the huntress. Her target was a strong one. That's for sure.
Law followed the man's eyes towards the huntress still dodging his subordinate attack. He wondered what kind of relationship the hunter has with a legend like him. "Dark King Silvers Rayleigh... what's a legend like him doing here?" Neither of the two Captains would have thought they would meet such a notorious pirate at the edge between first half of the Grand Line and Paradise.
"Here on this island, I just go by Coating Engineer Ray." Rayleigh corrected with a haughty grin. "I wouldn't go throwing that name around too much.... I'm an old man now. I rather live a peaceful life." His words may have been light, but it was clear the troubles he would bring if his peaceful life was disturbed. Not that either pirate crew was daring to upset Gol D. Roger's right-hand man. Not yet at least.
"I won't be using that 'power' anymore, so I'll leave it to you guys. It'll just make my life harder if the marines figure out who I really am." He said after checking on his friend's health.
"Attention Criminals! Please release the Roswald Family at once!" The marine's commands came through a loudspeaker, reminding the pirates inside that they were surrounded. "Soon an admiral will arrive! I suggest you surrender now! Otherwise, who knows what will happen to you, you rookies!"
"Looks like we're involved now." Law said. "They totally think we're accomplices." He hadn't moved from his lazy posture since the start of the auction, nor did he seem at all worried at being lumped together with the other Supernovas.
"I got to see just how crazy Straw Hat Luffy is. No complaints here." Kid said, a grin on his face. He shot the Straw Hat one more look before turning. He spent enough time watching already. "But I'll pass on taking an admiral. The longer we wait the more soldiers there are. We'll be leaving first. While we're at it, we'll clean up the front for you."
The last statement irked the other Captains and in an instant they both were up and by the large double doors. The three captains argued amongst themselves as they exited while the surrounding marines fired their mortars off at them.
"Bepo, we're leaving." The one wearing a hat marked Penguin called and Charlotte took the moment the bear looked away to slip away. She clicked her tongue, her target no longer in her line of sight.
Charlotte deadpanned as she reached the doors, her face darkening slightly at the scene before her. A giant rubber hand on her left, and then similarly a metal arm in the middle, and a blue dome encircling the doctor and a marine on her right. The doctor had a talking severed marine's head in his hands while an explosion occurred on the other side of the dome.
They were all Devil Fruit users. Charlotte groaned internally. How she wished she could just be home in bed right now. Unfortunately, there were far too many marines in the way for that.
Charlotte's interest peeked as she watched the severed head float towards the other marines who had instinctively caught what the doctor had tossed to them. The man screamed, throwing the head up as soon as he realized what he had caught, only to quickly catch it again when the face asked him to not drop him. She hid her smile behind her scarf, finding the scene rather comedic.
Her attention refocused when her target reactivated his abilities. A blue dome appearing again, this time more of the marines were caught in it despite the severed marine's caution to not go into the circle. In seconds the trapped marines were sliced into pieces, and their body pieces scrambled around along with anything within his circle.
Charlotte mimicked the actions, hands shifting the way his did and lips murmuring the words 'Room' and 'Shambles'. Her eyes widened at the screaming heads and moving limbs. A low whistle slipping past her lips and muffled by her scarf. Even diced up, they're still alive and moving. She pulled back, dropping her hands to her sides when the rest of the crews appeared out the doors.
They looked at the mess their short-tempered captains had already done and sighed. The marine's formation and plan easily ruined. The rest would be an all-out brawl while the marines tried to delay them until the admiral shows up. Rayleigh laughed at the sight, fond memories resurfacing from a time long ago when he was one of the pirates causing such messes. "Not bad," He laughed as they cleared a way for him and Hacchi to cross.
"Where are you going, Captain?" The bear questioned, glancing over his shoulder after an array of impressive kicks. Where indeed? Charlotte thought, following the doctor as he turned towards the collared and cuffed ex-pirate. If she recalled properly, he was the ride dog of the Celestial Saint Roswald.
"If you free me from the Tenryuubito, I'll gladly serve under you!" The large, tattooed man declared, swiping at the marines with his now free hands. The bomb collar and cuffs already missing.
"Well, half the credit should go to that Straw Hat." Law corrected as they walked off with Jean Bart clearing the way for his new Captain. He spared a glance over his shoulder towards the huntress, wondering why she hadn't attempted to go after him so far. Wasn't now in the midst of all the chaos a great chance?
Charlotte stared dumbfounded at the yellow captain's back. He just freed a slave. She shook her head to clear her thought and ran after her target.
Were all Captains that keen on collecting new members?