As the ship sailed away, Reiju's eyes were fixed on the island shore where the islanders stood, their figures growing smaller with each passing moment. She felt a wave of disgust looking at the woman, who, even at the last second, was more concerned about her reward than her own child. The scene reminded her of Judge, who would abandon his own children without a second thought.
"Tell me, Reiju." A voice sounded beside her, breaking her thoughts. Doflamingo walked up next to her and stood by the railing, his gaze focused on the receding island. "When you see this island, what do you see?"
The little girl didn't fully understand what the Captain was getting at, but she responded nonetheless. "I see... I see people who are desperate and hungry. People who are willing to do anything for a bit of food."
Doflamingo nodded slowly, his expression thoughtful. "Yes, that's part of it. Hunger and desperation can drive people to do unimaginable things. When people lack the will to fight for a better life, they become animals, driven by their most basic instincts. That woman... she abandoned her own daughter, not out of cruelty, but out of a twisted sense of survival."
Reiju listened intently, absorbing his words. Doflamingo continued, his voice growing colder. "This world is cruel, little one. It's a place where only the strong survive. Those who are weak, those who lack the will to rise above their circumstances, are left behind to rot. The islanders, that woman... they are examples of what happens when people give in to despair."
He turned to look at Reiju, his eyes piercing. "But you, you have a chance to be different. To be strong. To never let this world break you. Remember this lesson, Reiju. Strength is the only way to survive in this world. And strength comes from the will to do whatever it takes."
Reiju nodded slowly, understanding dawning in her young mind. She realized that Doflamingo was not just teaching her about the cruelty of the world but also showing her the path to survival and power.
She glanced back at the island one last time, and the image of the scrawny woman seared into her memory. She vowed silently to herself that she would never become like those islanders, never give in to despair and desperation.
"So why? Why did you help that woman? Why did you reward her for abandoning her own family?" Reiju's voice cracked for the first time since coming onto the ship. The defenses she had built up shattered, tears streaking down her face.
All these years, she had believed her life was harsh, but after seeing the little girl, who was about her same age, she understood that there were always those in even worse conditions.
"Help her? Fuffufufu..." Doflamingo bellowed with laughter, an eerie sound that sent a creeping chill to everyone who heard it.
"I did not help her, Reiju. I simply sealed her fate. Her blood was too filthy for even me to have my hands stained with it, so I let nature take its course..." He laughed again while Reiju looked on in confusion.
"Tell me, Reiju, what happens when a man of abundance is surrounded by truly desperate people?" He snickered, and finally, Reiju's eyes widened in recognition. She gazed back at the island, now just a small speck in the distance.
Back on the island, the atmosphere grew tense as the islanders turned their attention to the woman clutching the crate of fruit. At first, they approached her with a veneer of civility, though their eyes betrayed their desperation.
"Please, share some with us. We've all been starving," one of them pleaded.
"This was given in exchange for my daughter," The woman defended herself, her voice wavering but defiant. "It belongs to her and me alone!"
The tension escalated as her words struck a nerve. Hunger gnawed at their insides, eroding any sense of community or compassion they might have had left. The veneer of civility cracked and then shattered completely.
"You think you deserve it more than us?" Another islander spat, stepping closer.
"You abandoned your own child!" another accused, the words like daggers.
The woman clutched the crate tighter, her eyes wide with panic. "Stay back! This is mine! It's all I have!"
But desperation had already taken hold. One of the islanders lunged at her, trying to wrest the crate from her grasp. She fought back, but she was weak, and there were many. The scene quickly descended into chaos, with the islanders turning on her like a pack of wild animals.
Cries of pain and anger filled the air as they clawed at each other, tearing at the woman and the crate. Blood was spilled, and the woman's screams pierced the night. In their frenzy, they tore her apart, leaving nothing but a lifeless body and a broken crate. The fruits scattered and trampled into the dirt.
The brutality of the scene was a stark reminder of the depths to which hunger and desperation could drive people. It was a cruel testament to the harsh reality of their existence, where survival was a brutal game, and the weak were mercilessly culled.
*********
Fishman Island, Red Line
The island, once a haven of vibrant underwater life and rich culture, had descended into chaos. More than a hundred thousand pirates with an equally staggering number of ships had besieged the island, emboldened by their recent successes in driving back the kingdom's armies and driven by greed and bloodlust, and had begun a rampage that showed no signs of stopping. The once serene coral streets were now stained with blood, and the beautiful architecture was marred by the destruction wrought by the invaders.
More than half the territories within Fishman Island had fallen under the control of the pirates. The Fishmen, desperate and cornered, fought back with all the vigor they could muster. The entire island had transformed into a war zone, with two species locked in a brutal struggle for dominance.
For the Fishmen, their very survival was at stake. Most of the kingdom's army had retreated to defend the palace, as several pirate groups were keen on getting their hands on the royal mermaids.
The first scene unfolded in Coral Hill, a district known for its picturesque homes built from living coral. Families that had lived in harmony for generations now faced the terror of the marauding pirates.
Among them, a pirate captain known as Bloodbeard led his crew through the streets, his name a testament to his ruthless nature. His crew, filled with the most savage pirates, were a picture of brutality.
Bloodbeard's eye fell on a modest home as his haki picked up life signs, the door slightly ajar. Inside, a family huddled together, hoping to avoid detection. With a cruel grin, he kicked the door open, the force of his boot splintering the delicate coral.
"No need to hide, little fishies," he taunted, his voice dripping with malice. "We're here to have some fun."
A fishman, presumably the father, stepped forward carrying a weapon, trying to shield his family. "Please, leave us alone. We have nothing of value."
Bloodbeard laughed with a harsh, guttural sound. "Oh, but you do. Your lives are the most valuable thing here."
Before the fishman could react, Bloodbeard grabbed him by the throat and lifted him off the ground, his strength far exceeding that of any ordinary human.
The fishman's family screamed, but their cries were cut short as Bloodbeard crushed the fishman's windpipe with a sickening crunch. Tossing the lifeless body aside, he turned his attention to the rest of the family, his crew following suit.
"You're mine, little mermaid. Let's have some fun before we sell you off," he said, the insanity in his eyes clear as he moved to force himself on the mermaid. Just then, a thick hand caught him by the neck and threw him off.
"Keep your hands off the little one; she needs to be unspoiled," said one of his crew members, whose cruel eyes then turned to the other mermaid huddled in the corner. "Well, you can have her, though," he added, his cruel laugh echoing.
The pirates descended upon them, and the small house echoed with the sounds of screams, breaking glass, and cruel laughter. The once vibrant coral walls, now stained with blood, bore silent witness to the horror within.
In another area, a more densely populated zone, pirates moved in packs, looting and pillaging with reckless abandon. A group led by a vicious pirate named Kuroshio targeted the local businesses. Kuroshio was known for his cruelty, and he took pleasure in inflicting pain.
He approached a bustling market stall, its owner a frail old mermaid who had spent decades perfecting her craft of weaving beautiful coral jewelry. The sight of her delicate creations only fueled Kuroshio's sadistic desires.
"What do we have here?" He sneered, picking up a necklace and yanking it apart, scattering the beads across the ground. "Pretty little trinkets for pretty little fish."
The old mermaid trembled, her hands clasped together in a plea. "Please, sir, these are all I have. They are my life's work."
Kuroshio's response was a backhanded slap that sent her sprawling to the ground. "Then your life's work is worthless."
He gestured to his crew, who began smashing the stall, overturning tables, and breaking the delicate coral jewelry. The mermaid tried to crawl away, but Kuroshio grabbed her by the hair and dragged her back, his sharp teeth glinting in the dim light.
"Where do you think you're going?" he growled. "We're not done with you yet. Though you are old and have lost all your glamour, I am sure you will fetch a decent price."
His crew closed in, and the market square, once filled with the sounds of commerce and community, now echoed with the mermaid's cries of pain and the pirates' cruel laughter.
Such horrors continued all over Fishman Island, and with each action, the hatred of Fishmen against humans deepened.
Back on the edge of Fishmen Island, in another part of Waterwheel Town, a group of pirates had cornered a young mermaid near the edge of the island. Her large, frightened eyes darted around, searching for an escape route that didn't exist. The pirates closed in, their grins predatory.
"Look at this one," one of them jeered. "Young and fresh. She'll fetch a high price."
The mermaid backed up until she felt the rough stone of the island's edge behind her. There was nowhere left to run. One of the pirates lunged at her, and in a desperate attempt to escape, she dove into the water below.
But the pirates were prepared. They threw a net into the water, tangling her up and dragging her back to the surface. Her screams were muffled by the water, but as they pulled her up, her terror was evident.
"Let's see how well you swim now," another pirate mocked as they hauled her onto the deck of their ship, her fate sealed in the hands of her captors.
Within the Fishman District, the pirates had created a temporary stronghold, and the inn had been turned into a meeting place for some of the most powerful pirates who had laid claim to Fishman Island.
"Damn!" one of the burly pirate captains smashed the table. His current bounty was worth 600 million beli. He was from the New World but had specifically come to partake in the bounty of Fishman Island. "What's the point of capturing so many mermaids and other merfolk species if we can't sell them anywhere!" he roared in anger.
"Yeah, on one side, we have the New World. Anyone who comes close to the territories of that blasted Donquixote family with the slaves is being hunted down. On the other side, in Sabaody, that new Admiral, that mad woman, has been tearing apart any pirates that get to the island with slaves," another pirate grumbled.
As they discussed their frustrations, the inn was a microcosm of the chaos outside. Pirates drank, fought, and plotted their next moves, all while the island continued to suffer under their reign of terror.
"Fuck it! We'll just control the entirety of Fishman Island. We just have to wait; sooner or later our time will come," one of the captains declared, his voice filled with grim determination.
Suddenly, a rumble echoed throughout Fishman Island. The inn, filled with rowdy pirates, fell silent. The tremors repeated, shaking the very foundation of the island. The pirates looked at each other, bewildered and alarmed.
"What the hell is going on in here?" A pirate captain wearing a bandana gulped as he looked around for an explanation.
The door to the inn burst open, and a pirate staggered in, covered in blood and bruises, one arm twisted at an unnatural angle. Many of the captains recognized him immediately. He was a notorious figure, a big shot from the New World with a bounty of 1.3 billion Beli. He had been left in charge of guarding the main port, where more than eighty percent of the pirates' massive fleet was anchored. Seeing him in such a state sent a wave of panic through the room.
"Run... Run away! It's Whitebeard!" He gasped before collapsing onto the round table, breaking it under his weight. A long gash on his back exposed his very spine, a gruesome testament to the power of his attacker. The pirate, once a terror of the New World, lay dead before them, sending shivers down the spines of everyone in the room. They knew all too well the terror of the man known as the 'Strongest Man in the World'.
*****
A/N:
Dear Readers,
First and foremost, I want to extend my sincere thanks to each and every one of you. Your support and enthusiasm have been the driving force behind my writing. It means the world to me that you've taken the time to read and enjoy my fanfiction.
If you've liked what you've read, I'd be incredibly grateful if you could leave a review or drop a powerstone. Your feedback not only helps me grow as a writer but also helps this story reach more people who might enjoy it too.
If you're able and willing, supporting me on Patreon would also make a huge difference. It would allow me to dedicate more time and energy to creating original works, something I'm deeply passionate about.
Thank you again for being part of this journey with me. Your support inspires me to keep writing, and I'm excited to share more stories with you.
With gratitude,
[Silent_stiele]
Patreon : www.patreon.com/Silent_stiele
(Get access to more than 55 advanced chapters.)