(Patréon - patréon/Wicked132 - 1 chapter ahead.)
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'It looks like Charles's screaming," I think to myself with a sigh as I turn around to walk towards the screaming. 'It probably has something to do with the money I gave him,'
'Might as well help the little shit since I got him into this mess,' I conclude as I reach a dark alley.
"So you really were holding back money on us, eh?" a man wearing dirty clothes said while looking down at Charles, who was collapsed on the ground, holding on the ten thousand Berry note for dear life.
"I didn't pickpocket this Berry note. I earned it fair and square," Charles said, curling himself over the ten thousand Berry note protectively as another man tried to take it from him.
"So what if you earned it fair and square?" another man said with a disdainful smile. "We took you in when you were but a child. We fed and taught you to pickpocket people so you can live," the man added.
"And you, you ungrateful piece of shit, won't even share your money with us," the man concluded, walking towards with malic in his eyes.
"It was you, bastards, who forced my friends and me into this situation in the first place," Charles said, moving quickly and biting the hand of the man trying to take the Berry note from him, forcing the man to let go.
"If you people haven't killed Old Jannette, who was taking care of us orphans, then none of us would have to steal for a living," Charles said, tears running down his eyes that were still stubbornly glaring at the men.
"Now they're all dead, and it's all because of you scum, so if you're going to take my money, then do it without spouting such bullshit!" Charles concluded, still glaring definitely as one of the men raised his leg.
"I can say whatever I want you, filthy orphan, because in the end...," The man said with a sinister smile, trailing off, his leg still raised in the air. "No matter what you do, we own you," the man concluded with a blank expression, promptly lowering his leg to stomp on Charles's back.
Still, his leg wasn't even halfway through when a loud bang reverberated in the alley, causing him to collapse on the ground, his expression frozen on his face that had an extra bloody hole in it.
"There are two things that I hate the most in this world," I said as I made my way into the alley while holding my gun, which still had smoke coming out of its barrel.
"Apples and people who bully children and elders," I said with a blank expression, tilting my head to the side to dodge as one of the two remaining thugs hastily pulled out a gun, shooting a bullet at me.
"Luckily for you people, I don't have time to play, so I'll end it quickly at least," I kept talking while swaying left and right to dodge even more bullets as the second thug retrieved a gun and began rapidly firing at me with his friend.
I didn't say anything else as I reached the first thug, holding his head and bashing it into a building's wall, crushing his skull and killing him then and there.
The last thug looked at this scene in horror and promptly turned around, trying to escape. Still, he only took one step before I shot the back of his two knees, causing him to collapse on the ground while screaming.
I made my way towards him, kicking his hand as he turned around while holding his gun, trying to take another shot, and began dragging him towards Charles, who was looking at me with wide eyes.
I picked up the gun of the second thug and put it in Charles's hand after I helped him to his feet. "Do it," I said with a blank expression while pointing at the only thug who was alive.
"B-But, I've never killed anyone before," Charles said with a shaking voice, turning to look away from the thug as he began begging for mercy. "Yea, well, do you know who killed people before?" I asked in a grave voice.
"This guy," I continued before Charles could say anything else. "He probably killed countless people, people just like old Jannette you were talking about," I added, causing Charles to return his gaze to the thug, glaring harshly.
"I saved you this time, but who will save you the next?" I asked while shaking my head. "If you want to live, then you have to rely on yourself and do it with your own power," I continued, watching as Charles's eyes turned red, tears running through them.
"So do it!" I said calmly, turning around and walking away, only to sigh at the sound of a gunshot behind me. "Come find me at the docks tomorrow morning," I instructed in a loud voice, still walking away.
"I'll take to a better place than this shit hole," I concluded, promptly disappearing with a quick Soru step.
I appeared on a rooftop nearby where Laffite was standing with a cheerful smile on his face. "Did you find that person's location?" I ask with a smile.
"I did, and I wanted to inform you of that over the transponder snail, but you didn't have yours with you," Laffite replied with a raised eyebrow, causing me to still as I began checking my pockets.
"I must've forgotten about it. This place is getting into my head," I said while shaking my head. "Good timing, Laffite," I added with a smile.
"I'm happy to help, captain," Laffite said while raising his top hat. "By the way, about that kid...," he remarked while looking down at Charles, who was hurriedly rummaging through the pockets of the dead thugs, taking everything he found.
"What about him?" I ask with a raised eyebrow as I turn to look at Laffite. "Are we taking him with us?" Laffite asked, his tone hesitant, seemingly having something to say about that.
"That, huh? We'll take him and drop him off at the first decent-looking island we come across," I say while shaking my head. "If he does show up tomorrow, that is," I added.
"I may have a soft spot for kids, but it isn't that soft, Laffite," I concluded with an amused voice while looking at my navigator with a raised eyebrow.
"Of course not, captain. My apologies," Laffite replied with a smile. "Those thugs work for a local gang. Do you want me to take care of them?" he asked after a brief second of silence.
"Leave them be. The kid can take care of them later if and when he's strong enough to do so," I reply, shaking my head with a smile.
"Now, why don't you tell me about what you found when you were digging around while we make our way back to the black pearl?" I ask as I turn away from Charles, who took everything he could carry from the thugs' corpses, promptly felling the scene.
-0-
"A guy handing out explosive apples to people, you say? I say while listening to Laffite talk about the rumors he'd heard while looking for Law as we make our way back to the black pearl.
"Now that sounds scary," I remark with a disgusted scowl, jumping from one rooftop to another alongside Laffite as I do. "I heard he's an excellent doctor too, so I thought you might want to know about it, captain," Laffite replied with a smile.
"Do you what's the only thing that is worst than an apple, Laffite?" I ask with a blank expression, still moving through the rooftops. "It's an explosive apple," I say with a shudder, causing Laffite to chuckle.
Just imagining such a thing is enough to make my skin crawl, as if apples weren't evil enough, as they were. The bastard had to go and make them explosive, too. Unforgivable!
"The bastard is on Swallow island too, so we'll see how things turn out there," I concluded with a smile.