On the enemy ship and among the treasures, a pirate held a squirming toddler by the front of his onesie. "Captain, look what we found!" the pirate exclaimed.
The captain turned, his brow furrowed in disappointment, as he read the bounty poster clutched in the pirate's hand.
"Is that all? A bounty of only a few berries?" The captain growled, his disappointment turning to anger. "You expect me to be impressed by this?"
"Captain, perhaps keeping the kid could work to our advantage," suggested one of the more cunning pirates. The captain considered the suggestion.
"Perhaps we could use it as bait." The crew murmured their agreement.
Asahi squirmed in the pirate's grasp. "Hey, look at this little squirt," one of the pirates jeered, poking Asahi in the stomach with a sneer. "What's the matter, baby? Scared of us?"
Asahi's bottom lip trembled, but he refused to give in to his fear. He shook his head and tried to wriggle out of the pirate's grip. "No! Lemme go!"
The pirates erupted into mocking laughter; their amusement at the toddler's futile attempts to escape was evident. "Listen to him!" one of them cackled. "Thinks he's a tough guy, doesn't he?"
"I'm not a baby!" Asahi insisted, his voice quivering with indignation. "I'm big!"
But the pirate holding Asahi tightened his grip, his amusement giving way to annoyance. "Shut it, you little brat!" he snapped, earning a whimper from Asahi in response.
"Enough of this nonsense. Take the kid away and lock him up somewhere." The captain ordered. The pirate nodded obediently and quickly ushered Asahi away, his grip firm as he led the toddler down below deck to a small, dimly lit chamber.
Once inside, the pirate roughly deposited Asahi onto the floor, sneering down at him with contempt. "You're in for it now, kid. You better learn to behave if you know what's good for you."
Clutching his toy sword tightly in his trembling hands. "Ha! Take that!" Asahi exclaimed bravely, swinging his toy sword with all his might.
But the pirates were not impressed. With a cruel laugh, one of them lunged forward and easily disarmed Asahi, snatching the toy sword away. "Nice try, kid," the pirate mocked, twirling the toy sword between his fingers with a smirk.
"No! Give it back!" Asahi's tiny fists clenched in anger as he glared defiantly at the pirates.
The pirate holding Asahi's toy sword chuckled. "Give it back? This thing?"
"No touch my sword!" he exclaimed, his words coming out in a mix of baby talk and determination.
But the pirate only laughed, tossing the toy sword back and forth between his hands with careless ease.
Asahi charged at the pirate. "Aah!" he shouted, attempting a kick aimed at the nearest pirate's shin.
"Is that supposed to hurt?" the pirate sneered, his voice dripping with contempt.
Before Asahi could throw another kick, another pirate seized him by the back of his onesie and hurled him aside with a harsh kick, sending him sprawling across the floor.
"Ooww!" Asahi cried out in pain as he hit the hard wooden deck. The pirates loomed over him, their faces twisted with cruel amusement as they watched the toddler struggle to regain his footing.
With a mocking laugh, one of them reached down and grabbed Asahi by the collar of his onesie, hauling him roughly to his feet. "Looks like this little runt needs to learn some manners," the pirate jeered, his grip tightening on Asahi's onesie as he dragged him closer.
"No! Bad men!" he shouted, but the pirates paid no heed to Asahi's protests, their laughter ringing through the chamber as they continued to torment the helpless toddler.
"Look at him, getting all worked up," jeered the other pirate, a cruel smirk twisting his lips. "Bet he's gonna cry for his mommy soon."
Asahi struggled to find the words to express his anger. "No cry!" he declared defiantly. "I big boy!"
But his words only seemed to amuse the pirates even further, their laughter echoing in the chamber as they reveled in their power over the helpless toddler.
"Time for you to earn your keep, runt," the pirate grunted, shoving Asahi towards a pile of dirty rags in the corner of the room. "Start by cleaning up this mess."
Asahi stumbled forward, bent down, and began to gather up the soiled rags, his small hands trembling with the effort. The pirates watched him with smug satisfaction, enjoying the sight of the once-proud toddler reduced to menial labor.
Asahi's stomach growled loudly, reminding him of the gnawing hunger he felt. But when he dared to ask for food, the pirates only laughed in his face.
"You want food, kid? Fine," the pirate tossed Asahi a can from a nearby shelf. "Here's your dinner."
Asahi caught the open can, only to gag at the foul stench that wafted out. "Enjoy your meal, brat," the pirate chuckled.
Asahi stared at the can with a mix of fear and confusion. "What's the matter, kid? Not hungry? Well, you better eat if you want to survive."
The pirate said impatiently, "Quit wasting our time. Eat it!"
Asahi, looking at the unfamiliar and unappetizing contents, shook his head and whispered, "...want Papa's food."
The pirate grabbed Asahi's arm roughly. "You'll eat what we give you, understand? You're in no position to be picky."
Another pirate scoffed, "Spoiled little runt. Learn to appreciate what you get." Asahi forced himself to take a small, hesitant bite, the taste was foreign and unappealing.
The heartless pirates, satisfied with their display of cruelty, left Asahi alone in the cold and dimly lit chamber. The air was damp, and the concrete floor felt unforgiving beneath the small toddler.
Asahi, left without any comfort or warmth, glanced around the desolate space with wide, teary eyes. The absence of his crew, the laughter, and the warmth of his father's embrace made the chamber feel even colder and more isolating.
With a heavy heart, Asahi curled up on the hard floor, the cold seeping into his small body. His eyes, heavy with exhaustion, eventually drifted into an uneasy sleep on the cold floor, the tear-streaked path on his cheek glistening in the dim light.
