ROMANCE DAWN

8

In the blink of an eye, the pirate is lying on the ground, holding his cheek. I turn my head towards the bald man. He's looking at the kid with wide, frightened eyes.

"Don't talk about her like that.

— You have no right." The fat kid says, rubbing his cheek. "You'll be in trouble with my boss."

The dark-haired man in the straw hat leans over and grabs my arm then swings me over his shoulder.

"I'm stealing her."

He turns, leaving me to take one last look at the man sitting on the ground, his eyes watering with an angry expression before he leaves. The passers-by who had stopped to watch the scene watch the dark-haired man walk down the street as if nothing had happened.

"Hey kid. You don't realise what you've just done.

— Why does a slave sell slaves?" He asks as he walks down an alleyway leading out of town.

"I don't have to explain myself." I reply.

We move away from the city and he continues to hold me on his shoulder. His physical strength is colossal. I'm amazed.

"You're really heavy, aren't you?

— Shut up!"

I hit him and a bump immediately appeared on his skull. When we can no longer see the town, he puts me down at the foot of a giant root and sits cross-legged opposite me. He crosses his arms in front of his half-exposed torso and for once he doesn't flash a goofy grin. The dark-haired man looks at me as if he's trying to read my mind.

"I've got all the time in the world." He says.

"I don't. I'm not here to have fun.

— So tell me what you're doing here and I'll let you go."

I sigh and give in to his determined look.

"I've told you. I'm accompanying the slave convoy to the auction tomorrow."

The dark-haired man is still looking at me with that serious look on his face, and I can't work out whether he's annoyed or not.

"Don't look at me like that. I'd rather do that than be in their shoes.

— Why did you let that guy humiliated you?"

I shrug. "I deserved it.

— You're not a slave." He says.

"I am, kid. Get that through your head." I tell him, flicking him on the forehead. "I'm just luckier than the others. No other slave could ever be treated the way I am now.

— And you're proud of that?"

I don't answer and ink my eyes in those of the dark-haired man in front of me. I look to the side and sigh.

"I'm proud of having a decent life despite my status as a slave.

— If you were to join my crew, I'd offer you a decent life too.

—Believe me, there's not a single thing you can offer me that Doflamingo hasn't already.

— And when he's gone, what will become of you?

— Don't ask stupid questions."

He smiles, "Anyway, you're leaving here with us.

— Kid, I don't want to go with you. I follow your adventures in the newspaper, it's all the same.