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What The...?
The room fell silent, the faint echo of Toshi's scream lingering in the air. Waltz, startled by the sudden outburst, froze mid-step, his usual smug demeanor faltering. His eyes narrowed behind his mask, trying to gauge what had just happened. The boy's unconscious body hung limply from the chains, his head drooping forward as if the outburst had drained the last remnants of everything he had.
Waltz took a cautious step forward, his whip tapping against the cold floor. "Hmph," he muttered. "Empty threats from a dog on his last legs."
He turned to leave, brushing the incident off, but for a fraction of a moment, a chill ran down his spine. It was faint...almost imperceptible, but that brief surge of power had been unlike anything he'd ever felt from a mere slave.
"Delusions from the weak," Waltz scoffed, gripping his whip tightly as he stepped out of the room. "You'll learn your place soon enough."
As the door slammed shut, the room plunged back into darkness. Toshi's body remained still, his breathing shallow but steady. The faint trace of the aura dissipated into the air, leaving no evidence of what had just happened, except for the lingering weight of something… different. Something that had begun to stir deep within him.
And though unconscious, Toshi's mind clung to a single thought, buried deep within him....Hatred.
. . . . .
Toshi weakly opened his eyes, wincing as a sharp sting shot through his body from his wounds. He quickly shut one eye, the pain a bit overwhelming. As his vision cleared, he realized he was lying on the cold floor, pools of blood spreading around him. The room was eerily silent, and for the moment, he was alone.
Toshi's breath came out in ragged gasps as he weakly propped himself up against the cold, rough wall. The pain was like nothing he'd ever felt before—every movement sent sharp pangs shooting through his body, but the most unbearable part was the overwhelming sense of weakness, of helplessness.
He slowly closed his eyes, shutting out the sight of his bloodstained hands, and let his mind wander, clinging to the one thought that had kept him alive this long.
' I can't stay like this... I'm utterly weak, it's not even funny anymore. In this world money isn't power, strength is. If you aren't strong enough to protect what's yours you'll lose it to someone stronger... ' Toshi contemplated, taking in deep breaths as he bared through the pain.
Slowly Toshi clenched his right fist into a ball, " What I need right now isn't money, but strength...power. " Toshi uttered.
Toshi's grip tightened as his knuckles turned white, the pain in his hand almost soothing compared to the feeling of utterly worthless. 'Strength... power... I need it. '
The words echoed in his mind. ' I can't keep relying on others. I can't keep running from my own weaknesses. If I want to survive, to change this... I need to take control. '
Toshi's eyes snapped open. Slowly, he weakly pushed himself to his feet, taking in a shaky breath. But as he stood, he collapsed to the floor, catching himself with his palms outstretched. He lowered himself until his core was almost touching the ground, then jerked back up in one fluid motion.
"One… two… three… four..."
Toshi gritted his teeth, his breath coming in ragged gasps as he pushed through the searing pain in his arms and chest. Sweat dripped from his brow, mixing with the dried blood on the floor beneath him.
"Five... six... seven... eight..." he counted, his voice barely above a whisper. His muscles trembled, his arms threatening to give out, but he refused to stop. Every pushup felt like his body was tearing itself apart, yet he embraced the pain.
"Nine... ten... eleven..." His counting grew fainter, but his resolve never wavered. By the time he reached twenty, his arms buckled, and he collapsed to the floor. His chest heaved as he lay there, staring at the ceiling, his heart pounding like a war drum in his chest. Every muscle in his body screamed at him, but his mind was clearer than it had ever been.
' This is just the beginning, ' he told himself, his breath still uneven. ' If I can push through this, I can push through anything. ' As cliché as it sounded, that quote was etched into his very being, a lifeline in the darkest moments. It wasn't just words anymore...it was a mantra of some sorts, a driving force that kept him moving forward, even when everything else screamed at him to stop.
He needed to get stronger...
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Torture..
Torture and Torture...
That was the daily reality for Toshi...torture, pain, and more pain. At the end of each day, Waltz would come in, and without fail, he would whip Toshi senseless until he was knocked unconscious.
As much as Toshi wished for the pain to end, it never did. After each brutal beating, he was patched up by the ship's doctor. No matter how badly he wanted to escape the suffering, death seemed out of reach. He simply couldn't die when he wanted to...
Days blurred into each other...maybe weeks had passed. The truth was, Toshi couldn't tell anymore. Time crawled by at a slow, agonizing pace, and he had lost all sense of whether it was morning or night.
But today was different. It was eerily quiet. For the first time in what felt like forever, there was no sound...no distant laughter, no creaking boards. Just an unsettling silence.
Toshi laid in his cell, surrounded by thick wooden walls and a metal door. He strained to listen, but there was nothing.
*Clank* *Clank*
The sound of grinding iron echoed through the room as the locks on the door clicked open. Toshi straightened his posture against the wall, his eyes glued to the heavy door as it creaked open agonizingly slow.
Apollo stepped through first, his gaze swept over the room before landing squarely on Toshi. His lips curled into a faint smirk, his eyes holding no sort of remorse.
Waltz followed close behind, his expression hidden behind that same red demon mask. Toshi's brows furrowed deeply, his jaw tightening as his teeth ground together. He glared at Apollo with nothing but hatred, his hands balled into fists at his sides, knuckles turning white and skin reddening from the sheer force of his grip.
Apollo paused in the middle of the room, glancing back over his shoulder at Waltz. "I thought you said you were going to break him?" he asked, but he didn't wait for a response. With a casual shrug, he added, "It's time to go our separate ways."
He reached into his back and pulled out a set of heavy iron shackles attached to a long chain. With a flick of his wrist, he tossed them at Toshi.
"Put them on," Apollo commanded, a slight grin curling at the edges of his lips. It was one thing to be captured and chained, but being forced to shackle himself felt like a deeper betrayal....humiliation.
"I'll kill you both before I let that happen," Toshi scoffed at him.
Apollo's laughter echoed coldly. "You? You couldn't even swat a fly if you tried." He stuffed his hands into his pockets, already losing interest. "I don't have time for this... Waltz, kill him if he doesn't do it himself." With that, Apollo turned and walked out the door, leaving Toshi alone with Waltz.
Waltz cracked his neck, " Happily... " Waltz said. Toshi bit his bottom lip, " Alright...fuck. " His clenched fists loosened slightly, his shoulders sagging slightly. As much as his pride burned at the thought, survival outweighed revenge...for now.
With a deep, shuddering sigh, Toshi bent down and picked up the chain shackles. Waltz tilted his head, the faintest trace of amusement flickering on his face. "Smart choice, boy. Maybe you're not as dumb as I thought."
Toshi bit back a response, focusing instead on snapping the shackles around his wrists. The loud *click* echoed in the small room, sounding like the final nail in his coffin.
As soon as the shackles were in place, Waltz reached out, gripping the chain attached to them. With a tug, he forced Toshi to stumble forward. "Don't try anything stupid," Waltz growled, his tone laced with warning.
' It isn't worth it if I'm dead...' Toshi thought bitterly. As much as he wanted to fight back...wanted to beat the living hell out of Waltz and the rest of the crew...he knew he wasn't strong enough. His life meant nothing to them, and acting tough wouldn't change a thing.
Waltz shoved him. "Hurry up!" he barked. Toshi stumbled forward once more, barely catching his balance. They kept walking, until they reached a flight of stairs.
As they climbed, the darkness of the corridor gave way to a sudden, blinding light. Toshi squinted, his eyes stinging as they struggled to adjust. Tears welled up, blurring his vision until the world slowly came into focus.
They were on the deck. A harsh wind whipped across the ship, and there, gathered in the center, were the hopeless slaves...rounded up in a tight circle, their faces hollow and utterly defeated.
Toshi's gaze shifted to the right, and his eyes widened in shock.
It was massive...
Gigantic...
The pirate ship was docked at a lively island, surrounded by a chaotic swarm of ships from all corners of the sea. The harbor was practically overcrowded. From the deck, Toshi could hear the distant screams and the relentless clatter coming from the island.
The island itself, though smaller than Loguetown, was still massive in its own right. The buildings were arranged in tight circles, most of them modest in size....except for one large Parthenon structure that took up majority of the small island. Even from the deck of the pirate ship, he could make out the bold letters painted across it: "Auction."
Crowds and swarms of people flooded the streets and docks, and among them, Toshi could see the chained and shackled figures of slaves, all with the same losted hope expression.
Toshi walked forward, unable to contain the awe he had plastered on his face. He had spent his entire life in Loguetown, only ever gazing out at the endless ocean. Even in his past life, he'd been too broke to travel, never having the chance to see the world beyond America.
' WOAHH.... ' Toshi mused.
Shielding his still-adjusting eyes from the harsh sunlight, he gasped at the sight. Until a sudden shove from Waltz sent him stumbling into the crowd of slaves gathered on the deck.
" Fucking bitch... " Toshi mumbled beneath his breath.
From the ledge, the pirates lowered a thick wooden plank, connecting the ship to the dock. One by one, the slaves began to descend, shuffling down the narrow path, Toshi among them. A group of pirates followed closely, with Waltz at the front, leading them like a shepherd.
Yet, Toshi hardly noticed. His gaze wandered in awe over the city that lay before him. It was... beautiful, far beyond anything he had ever imagined.
Yet Toshi couldn't help but notice the occasional Marine ships anchored in the harbor. ' What the hell? ' he thought, ' If the Marines are here, are they going to rescue me? ' For a brief moment, hope sparked inside him. But as he continued to walk in line with the other slaves, that hope quickly withered.
He saw Marine soldiers patrolling the docks, in their uniforms and stern faces a stark contrast to the ragged slaves. Yet they didn't even glance in their direction. The Marines walked by without a second thought, ignoring the chains, the despair, the obvious signs of captivity.
Toshi's stomach churned with a sick realization...rescue wasn't coming. The Marines weren't here to save anyone. They were part of the system that allowed this to happen.
' Even the Marines are corrupt. Great...' Toshi thought, unsurprised. In his world, corrupt cops were nothing new; the Marines here were no better than the pirates they supposedly hunted.
They continued their march forward, the Auction House growing larger with each step. As they approached, a wide flight of stairs came into view. Without hesitation, they began to climb them.
Then walking through a massive door that expanded far into the air, as if they were made for giants. But those didn't exist...did they?
Inside, the building was enormous. The floors were laid with polished blue and white marble tiles, the blue ones forming a path that led directly to a wide front desk bustling with employees...or at least, that's what Toshi assumed they were.
' I guess selling slaves is a serious business, ' Toshi thought, sweat beading on his forehead.
' Maybe a nice, rich guy will buy me... ' he mused, a flicker of desperate hope crossing his mind. But deep down, he knew the chances of that were slim. ' Highly doubt it... '
The ceiling was supported by massive white pillars, and from above hung a colossal chandelier, casting a bright light that illuminated the entire area. But Toshi wasn't interested in that...his focus was on the sheer number of people crammed inside.
Most of them were slaves, varying wildly in size, age, and appearance. ' I guess when it comes to slavery, they don't discriminate, ' Toshi thought grimly, trying to find a bright side in this very bleak situation.
"Get in the corner and wait," Waltz barked, walking past them and heading toward the desk. The pirates stayed behind, keeping a watchful eye to make sure none of them tried to make a run for it.
Waltz went up speaking to a woman at the front desk. She wore a suit that seemed a size too small, the buttons around her chest straining as if they might pop at any moment. Her long black hair was tied into a tight bun, and she wore a pair of sleek glasses that gave her a sexy, businesslike look.
Waltz chatted with her for quite a while. ' Knowing him, he's probably flirting, Toshi thought with a blank stare. ' Eventually, the woman handed Waltz a thick envelope, and he turned on his heel, walking back toward the group.
Waltz shot them a brief side glance as he passed by, his eyes fixed firmly on the envelope in his hands. He didn't say a word, and the pirates trailed behind him, leaving the slaves in awkward silence.
' Now's my chance... ' Toshi grinned to himself, already planning his escape. He turned on his heel, ready to sprint for the exit. But before he could even take a single step, he collided into something or someone.
A man in an all-black suit, wearing dark sunglasses, stood before him. The impact knocked the wind out of Toshi, and he froze, unable to move.
"Oof." Toshi fell hard on his ass, grimacing as he looked up at the man towering over him, smirking with smug satisfaction. Toshi bit his bottom lip in frustration, forcing himself to stand and fall back in line. ' I should've figured that was going to happen… ' he thought, releasing a weary sigh.
The woman from before appeared, clipboard in hand, her expression as cold and unfeeling as ever. Her eyes swept over them briefly before she spoke.
"Alright, follow me… or the men behind you will drag you. Your choice." Her voice was flat, devoid of any shred of sympathy. Without waiting for a response, she turned sharply on her heel and began walking forward.
They exchanged wary glances but offered no resistance. One by one, they fell in line, trailing after her obediently. The suited men following closely behind She led them down a narrow corridor then a sharp left turn.
Ahead stood a closed steel door, flanked by two imposing guards in sharp suits. Their expressions were unreadable, their presence as stoic as the cold metal they guarded. As she approached, they exchanged a brief glance before nodding in unison. Without a word, they began unlocking the door, the heavy mechanisms clicking.
She stepped through a smaller, caged door, its rusted hinges groaning in protest as it swung open. Directly beside it lwas a massive steel entrance that towered at least 20 feet high.
" Holy shit.... " Toshi uttered his jaw dropping slighty.
Toshi hesitated for a moment as he approached the steel door, but steeling himself, he stepped through. His breath caught in his throat as he entered a vast hallway. It stretched endlessly in both directions, lined with massive cells stacked together.
The sheer enormity of the building felt suffocating, as if Toshi had been shrunk to the size of a mere bug in a world that didn't care for his existence
"Help..." a weak voice rasped.
"Let me go!" another wailed.
"I have a family!" yet another sobbed.
Toshi's chest tightened as the weight of the place bore down on him, the magnitude of suffering impossible to ignore.
But what caught Toshi's eye the most were the... giants. As they walked through the corridor lined with giant cells, his gaze shifted to the towering figures within. Hulking beings that seemed to take up most of the space inside their cells, their massive forms almost too large for the bars that confined them. Toshi felt like an ant, dwarfed by the sheer size of them.
He couldn't help but stare, mesmerized by their sheer size.
He'd heard about them before, but to see them in real life was bit unsettling. Knowing one stop from them would be enough to splatter him like an ant.
' How can people like those exist?... ' Toshi trembled at the thought.
They continued to follow the woman down the corridor until they reached an empty cell. With a practiced motion, she unlocked the door and gestured for them to enter. Without resistance, they walked in...Toshi included.
She locked the cell behind them, giving them a brief glance before turning away. No one else seemed to notice, but Toshi caught it... just pure pity.
And just like that, Toshi realized the harsh truth...he was about to be sold off.
TO BE CONTINUED.
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