Chapter 89: Two Become One
There was no chance for Elena to resist.
"Let me go! Let me go, you despicable pirate! Let me go!"
Elena struggled frantically, trying to free her wrists, but Charlotte's hands locked them tightly like a pair of unyielding pliers.
No matter how much she resisted, it was futile.
When they arrived at the cave entrance, Charlotte realized they were on the mountainside, overlooking a steep cliff with no visible path down.
However, this posed no challenge for him.
Without a word, Charlotte scooped up the still-struggling Elena in a princess carry.
"Let me go! Let me go!" Elena shouted, flailing in his arms, but her struggles were in vain.
Charlotte's lips curled into a mischievous smile.
Without hesitation, he leapt off the cliff, sending them both plunging into the air.
"Ahhh!"
Elena's screams filled the air as she instinctively clung to Charlotte, burying her face in his chest and squeezing her eyes shut.
Charlotte chuckled softly, stepping on the air mid-descent to slow their fall.
With an effortless motion, he gently landed on the ground.
"We've reached the ground," he said softly, looking down at the trembling girl in his arms.
Hearing his voice, Elena cautiously opened her eyes, her gaze meeting Charlotte's calm expression. For a moment, her face turned crimson, and she quickly wriggled free, rolling off his chest.
"Ouch!"
The girl landed ungracefully on the ground, but this time, Charlotte didn't help her.
Looking at her disheveled state, he couldn't suppress a grin.
He extended his hand to help her up, but Elena, embarrassed and flustered, turned her nose up at him.
"Humph!"
She ignored his outstretched hand and got up on her own, refusing his help.
Charlotte shrugged, retracting his hand and brushing himself off.
Elena glanced around to get her bearings, realizing they were near the village. She started walking in a determined direction, her steps unsteady.
Charlotte followed silently, maintaining a short distance behind her.
Suddenly, Elena stopped, noticing the fainted figures of guards at the village entrance.
"Aman!"
She gasped and hurriedly stumbled toward one of the unconscious men, kneeling beside him.
Charlotte followed her, his face impassive as he observed the scene.
He instantly recognized the fainted guards as victims of his earlier unleashed Conqueror's Haki.
"Aman! Aman!"
Elena shook the man with all her strength until he groaned and slowly opened his eyes.
"The High Priestess?" Aman muttered, holding his throbbing head. "What happened to me?"
Seeing him awake, Elena didn't stop to explain. She moved to the next person and repeated the process, shaking them awake one by one.
Charlotte leaned against a nearby tree, crossing his arms and watching the scene with faint amusement.
"Does she really think shaking them like that is good for their health?" he muttered to himself.
One by one, the guards regained consciousness. When they saw Charlotte, their gazes immediately filled with fear and hostility.
Charlotte ignored them, his attention instead on Elena as she hurried toward the village.
Inside, the scene was similar. Villagers lay scattered on the ground, unconscious but unharmed.
Elena knelt by a group of villagers, tears streaming down her face.
"Everyone… what happened?"
"Relax," Charlotte said from behind her, his tone calm but firm. "They're not dead. They'll wake up soon."
Hearing his voice, Elena turned sharply, glaring at him with pure hatred.
Charlotte was taken aback by the intensity of her stare, stunned into silence.
Without a word, Elena turned and began walking toward the mountain behind the village, her steps determined.
Charlotte followed without hesitation, his crew trailing behind him.
When they arrived at the altar, Paul and Isaac called out in relief.
"Boss! Boss!"
They had been waiting anxiously after waking up to find the altar empty.
Charlotte nodded to them but said nothing, his attention focused on Elena, who approached the sarcophagus with urgency.
When she saw the empty sarcophagus, her expression crumbled. She turned to Charlotte, her eyes blazing.
"Give the Seven Star Sword back!" she demanded.
Charlotte met her glare with a calm yet unyielding gaze.
"The Seven Star Sword is mine now. There's no way I'm giving it back."
His tone was steady, leaving no room for argument.
Elena bit her lip hard, tears welling up in her eyes. Finally, unable to contain her emotions, she began to cry silently.
Seeing her tears, Charlotte felt an unfamiliar pang of guilt in his chest.
With a flick of his wrist, the green glow of the Seven Star Sword reappeared in his hand.
The moment the sword manifested, a strange, oppressive aura filled the air.
Paul and Isaac exchanged uneasy glances.
"Demon sword," Isaac whispered, his voice laced with dread.
Charlotte ignored the murmurs of his crew, keeping his eyes on Elena.
"This sword is now bound to me," he said. "As long as I'm alive, so is the sword. If it breaks, I die."
His voice was calm, but there was a strange, almost imperceptible edge to it, as if the sword's power still influenced him.
Elena looked at the glowing blade, then back at Charlotte, her emotions a whirlwind of confusion and despair.
The man before her was both the cause of her suffering and the reason she couldn't bring herself to hate him entirely.
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