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Seeing the little girl's small face full of fear, Buggy comforted her, "Yes, we're good people. We won't do anything to you. Don't be afraid. Come out. If we wanted to harm you, hiding there wouldn't help."
The little girl subconsciously nodded when she heard Buggy's words. She also knew that he wasn't lying when he said that. If the other party really wanted to harm her, hiding here wouldn't do any good.
Under everyone's gaze, the little girl crawled out from under the counter.
After coming out, she lowered her head in front of everyone. Her small hands kept rubbing her clothes.
Seeing her reaction, it was obvious that she was still very scared. But there was nothing she could do now. After all, they didn't know each other. And she was so young. It was impossible for her not to be afraid.
"Come here. We won't do anything to you."
"Understood, sir."
The little girl timidly walked towards Buggy and his crew.
When she reached them, Buggy took a closer look. She was only six or seven years old. In China, a child this age would still be a little baby hiding in their mother's arms. But in this cruel world, she had probably been living alone for several years. And to prove her worth, she was probably the chef of this ship. With her weak physique, she must have suffered a lot to survive.
"What's your name? How old are you?"
Buggy tried to sound as kind as possible. He smiled at the little girl.
Perhaps it was because of his red nose, or perhaps it was because of his appearance, the little girl looked at Buggy and even showed a slight smile. But it was fleeting. She said, "Sir, my name is Jessica. I'm eight years old."
Hearing the name Jessica, Buggy fell into his memories. He had heard this name in his previous life. It seemed like a very talented chef, but he couldn't remember who. He could only try to recall.
Seeing Buggy's reaction, the little girl unconsciously lowered her head again. She waited for Buggy's next words.
Buggy was lost in thought. He looked down at her. Seeing her yellow hair, a flash of inspiration struck Buggy.
He remembered. She was indeed a chef, but she wasn't a pirate chef. She was the head chef of the G-8 branch of the Marines. She was also the wife of Jonathan, the commander of the G-8 branch of the Marines. Her goal was to provide the Marines with the necessary nutrition every day. At the same time, she wanted to use the deliciousness of food to relieve their fatigue.
She had her own philosophy and her own convictions. She was a qualified chef. This made Buggy couldn't help but smile. They might have found their ship's chef.
"Jessica, where's your home? Who else lives there?"
Hearing this, Jessica's small face instantly filled with sadness. Tears unconsciously flowed down her face and fell to the ground.
Seeing this, Buggy knew his guess was correct. Her family might have been killed by that group. Buggy didn't bother her. He stood aside and waited quietly.
After a while, Jessica realized her outburst. She quickly wiped the tears from her face with her small hands. She looked at Buggy and said, "My home is in the Lubni Kingdom. My parents were killed by those damned beasts. They threatened me, saying that they would kill me too if I didn't obey them."
Then, Jessica recounted her experience. Jessica's parents were the head chefs of a restaurant in Lubni. She had been influenced by them since she was a child and loved cooking. She started learning cooking when she was a few years old. She ended up like this because she went out to play with her parents and encountered those Donquixote Family members. Her parents, to protect her, were brutally murdered by them. In the end, seeing her young age, they kept her and planned to sell her as a commodity.
Later, she showed off her cooking skills at a gathering and was kept by them ever since. She was also trying to find a chance to get revenge on those people. If it weren't for Buggy and his crew defeating them, Jessica might have found a chance to take revenge on them.
"Do you have any other relatives in Lubni? Our destination is there. If you have any relatives, we can send you back together."
Jessica listened to Buggy's words. A hint of sadness flashed in her eyes, and her face showed sadness.
"Sir, I have no other relatives besides my parents."
Buggy thought for a while and then said, "Then, you'll stay with us for now. If you have a place to go, you can leave anytime."
Buggy didn't immediately reveal his purpose. It was too obvious. And she had just escaped. If he said it again, she might misunderstand and become resistant.
So, Buggy decided to wait until they had gotten to know each other better. Then, he would reveal his purpose. With her current situation, she would probably agree.
After listening to Jessica's experience, everyone, including Jessica, went to the bottom of the ship.
The space at the bottom of the ship was very large. Buggy's Observation Haki had already discovered what it was. Of course, Jessica also knew what it was.
There were different iron cages. The cages didn't contain anything else or any animals. Each cage contained a person. These people were disheveled, malnourished, and their eyes were dull, as if they had lost all hope.
Buggy took a look. He knew that these people were the cargo that the Donquixote Family members had mentioned.
Buggy looked at Weevil beside him and said, "Weevil, go open all the cages and release these people."
"Understood, Cousin." Weevil raised his great sword and easily cleaved open all the cages with a few blows.
Although the cages were opened, the people inside didn't move. They all stayed in place, unresponsive.
Looking at these people, Buggy felt a bit helpless. He said, "The people who captured you have all been dealt with by us. I declare you free."
Hearing this, some of the numb people's eyes flashed with a glimmer of light. But most of them still looked at Buggy and his crew blankly.
"Jessica, talk to them."
Buggy knew that these people wouldn't easily believe his words. But Jessica was on the ship. She had almost ended up like them. She must have met these people. Perhaps they would listen to her.
"Yes, sir is right. Those nasty villains have all been dealt with by sir and his crew. Sir said you're free. He definitely isn't lying to you."
Hearing Jessica say this, the gleam in some people's eyes became brighter. Some of them began to slowly stand up, leaning against the wall.
---
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