Death can't have her

Her Freedom, Her Parfait

Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece or anything related to it except for my OC and unrelated plots in this. I also do not own any pictures.

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It was quiet between the two woman, as Shiki made it back to grove 41, the place with the restaurants and shops. Leading the shaken woman towards a dessert shop that Shiki had her eyes on, she led her to one of the seats outside the store while she took the seat in front of her.

The slave woman had her head down, biting on her bottom lip from trembling, trying to reassure herself that everything will be alright.

While all that was happening, Shiki was ordering a parfait with apple slices in them, when she finished, she looked at the slave woman, "You're not going to order one?" she asked.

The slave woman flinched, nodding her head, afraid that she might anger her if she didn't order a... parfait?

Picking a random one on the menu, they both waited for their desserts. The slave girl refusing to look up out of fear while Shiki rummage through her pockets, looking for the things she needed.

Finally finding it in her Marine's coat pocket, Shiki was about to pull them out until their orders arrived, taking the frozen dessert, topped with apple slices, in her hands. She scooped a small amount into her mouth while her company didn't make a move to take her strawberry parfait drizzled with nuts.

Maybe she was allergic to nuts?

Shiki didn't push her to eat it, instead, she took her time finishing hers, enjoying the crunch of the apples with a blank expression.

The silence stretched on between them, every second that went by made the slave girl fidget. She didn't know what would happen now, or what her purpose would be, the Marine Vice Admiral in front of her could be just giving her a false sense of hope before crushing it when nobody was looking. She didn't know, all she did know was that she wanted to cry.

As seconds turned into minutes, the Vice Admiral gently put down her empty glass with her spoon in it, standing up from her seat, she was digging into her pockets to pay.

The slave girl closed her eyes. What was going to happen now? Her mistress never spoke, only putting something down on the table, most probably the money for the desserts. Hearing the coins jingle when placed down, she also heard something metal being put down on the glass table. Waiting for her Mistress's order, the girl waited, only to hear nothing, finding it strange, she slowly opened her eyes to see a small sack of money.

She didn't understand why there was a sack full of money, the parfait only costed a few belli, but when she looked a little to the side, she almost let out a sob. Snapping her head up to see the woman who bought her, walk away with her scythe on her shoulder.

Covering her mouth, she bowed her head as hot tears came running down her cheeks.

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"Shiki-chujo!" Leo called from afar, waving his hand at his chujo that was leaving the dessert shop. He met her half way, stopping a feet in front of her, "We had a call for backup immediately in Grove 1, we were told that the Straw Hat Pirates, the Heart Pirates and the Kid Pirates are all gathered there." he reported quickly.

Nodding at the message, they headed towards the Auction House.

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Stopping in front of the human auction house, Shiki and Leo made it just in time to see people screaming and running out of the entrance to the building, their faces full of panic.