The strange turn of the battle left Artoria baffled. The supposed opponents for Da Ye ended up attacking each other.
Just as Zhang Da Ye finished his fight, he saw five men jump in unison. Shaking his head, he signaled to Artoria that they could finish it quickly.
Artoria swiftly took down the five men who had been about to focus on Tom—the cat's ability to draw aggro was extraordinary.
Meanwhile, Tom stood in front of Peterman, stabbing with lightning speed over a dozen times before sheathing his sword.
Peterman was in shock, convinced a master swordsman had unleashed a flurry on him. Frantically checking his body, he realized he wasn't injured—except for his broken bow.
Then he noticed something else: his clothes fell apart, leaving only his underwear, and his hat shattered along with his once-thick hair.
Tom's revenge was precise: "You ruin my hat, I ruin your clothes. You shave my head, I shave yours—but without touching the skin."
So when Zhang Da Ye's sword rested at Peterman's neck, he offered no resistance.
Zhang Da Ye observed Peterman's shiny bald head, musing that Tom might make a decent barber next time.
"Speak. Why target us?" Zhang Da Ye asked.
Peterman, kneeling and surrounded by nine incapacitated men, knew he had no chance. Even the "menacing" tavern owner turned out to be the weakest.
He glanced meaningfully at Zhang Da Ye but dared not speak his mind. Instead, he admitted: "We were only after your cat. Someone offered a high price three days ago. Seeing both of you today, we thought we could earn a little more."
Tom's performances had recently decreased, so it made sense someone might hire traffickers.
"Who's the buyer?" Zhang Da Ye pressed.
Peterman shook his head: "I don't know. When they contacted us, they wore a hat, sunglasses, and a mask."
Zhang Da Ye frowned: "You dared act without knowing who they were? No fear of betrayal?"
Peterman explained: "On this island, such deals are common. Many clients prefer anonymity, which is normal. They gave a million Berries as a deposit. Even if they renege, a special cat like this is easy to sell."
Tom frowned at being called "merchandise" and jabbed with his sword. Peterman quickly corrected: "I mean… a clever cat like this would be popular!"
Zhang Da Ye continued: "After you succeed, how will you contact them?"
"They left a Den Den Mushi number," Peterman replied, awkwardly inspecting the tattered clothing.
"Good," said Zhang Da Ye. "Do you know what to do next?"
"Yes. Contact them, find the trading location. But… what will you do with us?"
Zhang Da Ye pondered: "Originally, I'd kill you. Human traffickers deserve it. One dead, no injustice."
Peterman's face fell, understanding his line of work was hated, but he knew negotiation was possible.
Zhang Da Ye continued: "Since you're cooperating, you have two choices. First: I send you to the auction house. 'If you don't traffic me, I won't traffic you.' Want to sell me? I sell you."
Peterman paled. Being sold as a slave was worse than death. He knew his strength and unique appearance could fetch a high price, but also meant harsher treatment.
Slaves could be civilians, pirates, foreign princes or princesses, bounty hunters, or other traffickers. No mercy awaited him from the auctioneer.
His only option: wait for Zhang Da Ye to state the second choice.
"Second: I take a smaller loss and deliver you to the Navy for your bounties… Do you have bounties?"
"Yes! Mine is 2 million Berries. The other two are 800k and 600k!" Being turned in meant survival, a rare consolation for a criminal.
"Too low!" Zhang Da Ye muttered, comparing with the exaggerated bounties in anime. The trafficker leader's bounty was lower than even East Blue pirates.
Embarrassed, Peterman and the others quickly apologized: "S-Sorry! We'll do better!"
"Don't try to excel at wrongdoing!" Zhang Da Ye smacked Peterman's head. How could they have such pride in the oddest things?
"Fine, make the call. Don't give me trouble." Zhang Da Ye threatened like a TV villain.
Peterman scrambled to find the surviving Den Den Mushi among the clothes and dialed the buyer's number.
*Ring… Click.*
The line connected silently. Peterman spoke: "This is Peterman."
The caller, wearing an extra pair of sunglasses, replied: "Ah, it's you. How did the task from three days ago go?"
Clearly, the mention of time was to verify identity.
Under the watchful, calm eyes of Zhang Da Ye, Tom, and Artoria, Peterman obediently replied: "The 'goods' are ready. Where shall we meet for the trade?"