Rat-faced man bowed repeatedly, nervously clasping his hands and trembling as he said,
"Understood! Understood! Boss, let's hurry and chase that woman down before she escapes!"
Hearing that, Derrik quickly looked in the direction she had fled—sure enough, she had already gotten quite far. Furious, he smacked Rat-faced man hard across the face.
"You damn idiot, why didn't you say so sooner? She almost got away! You're lucky she didn't, or you'd be dead meat!"
With that, he shoved Rat-faced man aside and sprinted after her. Rat-faced man rubbed his cheek awkwardly and followed.
All around them, pirates were looting shops and murdering civilians. The scene was nothing short of horrific.
After all, not all pirates were like the Straw Hats—sailing under the pirate flag but living lives of adventure.
Truthfully, calling the Straw Hats adventurers would be more accurate. They helped princes and princesses topple tyrants and restore kingdoms.
But these were real pirates.
Ann clutched Victor's hand as they ran swiftly down the street, glancing nervously behind her every few seconds.
Before long, she spotted two figures pursuing them—not far behind. One was tall and menacing, the other small and sleazy.
Realizing they were fixated on her, a chill ran through Ann's heart. She immediately veered into the narrow alleyways between the houses, pulling Victor along.
Though Ann knew these alleyways well and wove through them with agility, heading toward home, she was still no match for the speed of two grown men. Derrik and Rat-faced man were steadily closing the distance.
By now, Ann had lost all hope.
She knew those two weren't interested in a ten-year-old boy—they were after her.
She was well aware of her own beauty. And after giving birth, her figure had become even fuller—a temptation most men wouldn't resist.
At a fork in the alley, Ann suddenly pushed Victor into a side path. Tears welled in her eyes as she spoke quickly and with sorrow:
"Victor, go! Find a place to hide and don't come out. I'll lure them away. We'll meet at the forest entrance later. Just promise me—stay alive!"
Sure enough, the two men chased after Ann, completely ignoring Victor.
Ann darted through the alleys, circling around block after block, before suddenly cutting a sharp turn and sprinting away.
The pirates, blocked by the alley walls, couldn't see this maneuver. This was all part of Ann's plan.
Her house was nearby. If she could just get inside, she could gather supplies—clothes and food—and find a place to hide. Maybe she could survive this ordeal after all.
After another two quick turns, Ann slipped into her home and shut the door behind her. She collapsed against it, sliding to the floor as she gasped for breath.
Meanwhile, Derrik burst out of the alley and realized the woman had vanished.
Enraged, he smacked Rat-faced man on the back of the head so hard the man's eyes nearly rolled back.
Once he recovered, Rat-faced man grumbled internally: If you weren't so huge and kept getting stuck between buildings, we would've caught her already...
But he dared not say it aloud—he might not survive another beating.
Instead, he offered a flattering suggestion:
"Boss, this is the corner where she disappeared. With her speed, she couldn't have gotten far. She's definitely hiding nearby. If we look carefully, we'll find her."
Derrik paused. "Makes sense."
He narrowed his eyes and added, "Alright, let's split up. If you find her first, send me a signal."
Then he glared at Rat-faced man and growled, "You know what I'm capable of. If you dare lay a finger on her, I'll skin you alive."
Rat-faced man bent forward in a panicked bow. "No way, no way! I wouldn't dare lay eyes on the boss's woman. Hehehe…"
Then he scurried off to search the nearby houses.
Back inside, Ann had caught her breath and hurried to gather supplies. She packed some food in the kitchen and left it behind the dining table. Then she ran upstairs to grab clothes and blankets.
She picked out some of hers and her husband's clothes and was about to check Victor's room for anything that might fit him—only to be shocked when she opened the door.
Victor was sitting on the bed, hugging his knees, trembling in fear.
Ann rushed over, bent down, and gently placed her hand on his head. In a soft voice, she asked:
"Victor, I told you to hide! Why did you come back? It's too dangerous here—we have to go now!"
Before Victor could answer, the sound of splintering wood echoed from downstairs—the front door being kicked in.
Ann's breath hitched. Her eyes darted around the room before she quickly pulled Victor from the bed, forcing a gentle smile.
"Victor, hide under the bed. No matter what happens, don't make a sound. Don't come out. Do you understand?"
Tears welled in Victor's eyes as he nodded.
She hugged him tightly, her whisper trembling against his ear:
"Victor… survive. No matter what… you must live."
Her voice, soft as a prayer, seemed to echo from some distant place—faint yet ringing through the heavens.
---
Orens had sprinted home after alerting the town guard.
The sight of his broken front door made his blood run cold. *They're already inside.*
From upstairs, his wife's desperate protests mixed with a man's lewd laughter.
"C'mon, sweetheart—just one kiss, one little touch, and I'll let you go. Or… we can do this the hard way."
Orens saw red.
He charged upstairs and burst into Victor's room to find the rat-faced pirate pinning Ann down, his lips grazing her neck. Her wrists were bound, clothes torn.
With a roar, Orens tackled the man. Though smaller, the pirate was wiry and vicious. The two rolled across the floor, fists flying, neither gaining the upper hand.
Ann's eyes lit with fragile hope—until a shadow filled the doorway.
Derrik "Razorclaw" stepped inside.
His gaze flicked from Ann's bound hands to the struggling men. Without a word, he extended his claws—and drove them through both bodies in a single, brutal thrust.
The rat-faced man gasped, blood bubbling at his lips as he twisted to face his captain.
"B-Boss… why…?"
Derrik's voice was ice. "You touched what was mine."
Under the bed, a small boy clutched his mouth, silent tears streaming down his face. He didn't make a sound.
As the pirate died with wide, unseeing eyes, Ann staggered to her feet. One glance at her husband's body, one memory of Derrik's words—she knew her fate.
Her gaze flicked to the bed. Then, before Derrik could react—
CRACK.
Her skull met the wall with a sickening crunch.
Derrik turned to find her collapsed, the wallpaper smeared red, her forehead caved in. Disgust twisted his face. "Tch. Waste of good flesh."
He never noticed the unconscious boy beneath the bed.
Victor had passed out the moment his mother fell.
---
The Claw Pirates looted the town for a full day before sailing away, leaving ruins and corpses in their wake.
By the time the Marines arrived, all they could do was tend to the wounded—and give half-hearted chase.
---
What's done cannot be undone.
Victor buried the horror deep inside.
And began his march toward strength.