Book 2: The Golden Tail (YoonMin FF)

IX. Pirates and Black Market

Jimin didn't know how long he had been imprisoned in the pirate ship - stuck in an aquarium with the size of a human but two times bigger and wider.

He sat in the corner burying his face on his tail with scars all over his upper torso and a stab wound on his fin. Many pirates knew that the mermaid's tear can turn into pearls so they forced him to make him cry by degrading him and torture. However, Jimin hadn't shed a single tear and just glared and hissed at them.

The sound of footsteps snapped Jimin out of his thoughts and slowly looked up to see two pirates standing before the aquarium he was in.

"We're going to be rich because of you." One of them said and the both of them carried the aquarium out of the dark basement.

It was already night time. The moon was full and shine its silver light and the stars were spread in the dark firmament.

It's been so long for the golden merman to see the beauty of the evening sky. No matter how many times he saw the night sky, he was still in awe by its beauty.

Jimin looked around more to see where he was. There were many ships parked by the pier and a wide wooden dock beside the ship he was in.

The pier was quiet and the shops were closed. No people were on the pier in the night because of curfew.

Jimin felt the tank move and was carried to who knows where.

The pirates took him to the dark alleyway and Jimin was scared of the dark. At the end of the alley, there was a single wooden door. The captain of the ship knocked on the door and the door opened slightly.

"What?" The voice sounded hoarse and low.

"We have something worth selling and I know you will like it." The captain replied.

A person stepped out of the door and Jimin gulped in fear. The man was buff and had many scars on his chest, arms and face - which made him scary. His raven hair was a rat nest and his teeth were yellow and three of them were missing.

The man looked at him up and down and Jimin felt exposed so he wrapped his arms around his chest.

The man looked at him and nodded with a smirk. "800."

"10 000."

"9 500."

"Deal."

The man gave the captain a huge bag of coins. The captain smirked and gestured his men to take Jimin inside the place.

People were bustling loudly and Jimin could've sworn he heard glasses breaking. He looked around and saw most of the men were staring at him.

He was brought to them stage and the lights were on him. Many people gasped and oohed.

Jimin could feel the hungry looks he was given and was shaking in fear.

"This right here is a lovely merman with a tail colored gold and like other merpeople, everytime they shed tears, the tears turn into pearls." The buff man looked around and smirked. "Who wants to start the bidding?"

"I've got 10 000!" One of the men yelled and it was a guy in his 40's and had a shaggy beard.

"10 000, is there anyone who can bear that?"

"10 500!"

"11 000!"

"12 000!"

"I've got 100 000!"

Then they all gasped and looked at the man who was in his 50's. He was fat and had thin white hair. He smirked as he smoked a cigarette.

"100 000! Going once!"

Everyone was silent. Jimin shook his head frantically as he swam backward until his back felt the wall of the tank.

"Going twice!"

Jimin started crying.

' NO!' Jimin thought as he stared at the old man in fear who was looking at him with lust.

"And! S-"

"200 000!"

Another gasped filled in the room. The audience looked around at the owner of the voice.

"Who said that?"

Then a hand was raised. "I do." The people looked at the right corner to see a man with his big black pirate hat with white feather on top and was slouching with his elbows resting on the table. His face couldn't be seen because of the big pirate hat casting shadows on his face.

"200 000! Going once! Going twice! SOLD!"

Everyone clapped their hands at the mysterious pirate at the corner.

"Come up here and claim your prize!"

The pirate wordlessly stood up and headed to the stage. The merman looked at the mysterious pirate with wide eyes.

"What is your name, sir?"

Everyone was silent. Some of them leaned closer to hear who he was.

Under the pirate hat, the man was smirking and tilted his head up to meet his eyes at the buff man.

Now everyone was confused when he saw the buff man looked confuse at first and then gawked at him with his skin turning pale.

"W-wait..." The buff man then pointed his shaking finger at him.

Jimin scrunched his eyebrows and looked at the mysterious pirate.

"Yes, that's right." The pirate nodded and fully looked up at him.

"The name is Commodore Yoongi Min and everyone in this room are under arrest in the name of King Namjoon Kim."

And all hell broke loose.