Waking up was the worst.
The bed was nothing like my own—hard, cold, and so uncomfortable that just lying there made my body ache. And ache it did.
Even without the bed, aches throbbed everywhere. Some felt like muscle soreness, others like bruises. I slowly sat up, trying to ignore the pain.
A metallic jangle echoed through the air.
I looked down and saw that my wrists were bound by handcuffs. A thick, sturdy chain, seemingly indestructible, clattered with every movement, its weight almost unbearable.
Then I realized that the entire view in front of me—no, the entire view—was blocked by iron bars. I wasn't just looking at a jail cell; I was in one.
For a moment, I was completely disoriented. Then it all came flooding back.
(That's right... I was fighting pirates... but I couldn't win, and then...)
I remembered the pirate captain who had appeared. He was a Zoan-type Devil Fruit user, and he knocked me out with a single blow. I even vaguely recalled snippets of the pirates' conversation while I was unconscious.
So, after that, I must have been kidnapped by the pirates while I was unconscious and brought here. I'm their "trophy" or "booty," I guess.
While I was out, they even changed my clothes. They put me in this crude, tunic-like thing... barely even worth calling clothing.
No underwear, just this single layer. It's thin, cold, and the fabric feels rough against my skin.
You're probably wondering why I'm so calm despite being kidnapped and imprisoned, right?
...Yeah, honestly, I'm wondering that myself. I feel strangely detached... Maybe my brain hasn't caught up yet, or maybe it just hasn't really sunk in.
No, of course I'm anxious and terrified. What's going to happen to me now that I've ended up like this?
Being kidnapped by pirates and transported in a cage like an animal... this can't possibly end well, right? Definitely not.
The fact that they took me alive means they intend to use me for something. Either the usual human trafficking, or... something more direct, like using me themselves for whatever they want. Ugh, I don't even want to think about either possibility...
Besides... even if I set aside my own capture, the fact that the pirate ship has already set sail—I can feel it moving through the waves—means the looting and everything else must be over.
The town that had become my second home... it's been destroyed by pirates again.
In the heat of battle, countless members of the Self-Defense Corps must have fallen—dozens, maybe more. Even within my limited view, I witnessed several familiar faces meet their end at the hands of the pirates.
Among those who fled, some surely didn't make it, cut down before they could escape. Others, like me, might have been captured. Though for some reason, I seem to be the only one imprisoned in this cell.
It's heartbreaking and infuriating, but there's nothing I can do... or even any way to find out what happened to everyone else.
All I can do is pray that at least some of them managed to survive and escape.
Lost in thought, I suddenly noticed a man who looked like a pirate standing beyond the iron bars of my cell.
"Yo, brat. How's the mood?"
"...To be honest, it's the worst."
"Hahaha! Figures. Well, we can't have you escaping or causing trouble, so you'll just have to endure the discomfort. I heard you caused quite a ruckus in town for someone so small."
"What's going to happen to me now?"
"Right, that's what I'm here to explain. Just relax and listen."
Yeah, right. How am I supposed to relax in this situation?
Well, resisting seems pointless anyway. I guess I'll just try to stay calm and hear him out.
The pirate calmly explained my situation, without any rough treatment.
I'd been taken as part of the "spoils" from the town they raided.
I'd be transported to some undisclosed location, kept locked up, and then sold as a slave.
As long as I behaved myself, I wouldn't be hurt or frightened.
But if I tried to escape or showed any signs of rebellion, I'd be "punished."
Food would be provided three times a day, as long as I remained obedient.
However, I wouldn't be allowed to bathe. I'd remain in handcuffs and couldn't even leave the cell.
Instead, they said they'd let me wipe myself down with a wet cloth.
After the pirates left, I was alone in my cell with nothing but time to think. So, I started to think things through.
First things first, given the situation, escaping seemed pretty impossible.
The iron handcuffs and the cell's bars, thicker than my fingers—there was no way I could break either of them. A little bit of training wasn't going to cut it.
I bet in the One Piece world, there were plenty of brutes who could twist metal with their bare hands or rip it apart, but I certainly couldn't. Not now, anyway.
Maybe I could slip away when they brought my food? That seemed unlikely too. The cell door had this tiny hatch, just big enough for a meal, and I figured they'd probably use that.
Even if I managed to escape this cell, I have no idea how to navigate the ship. It's probably swarming with pirates, and I'm completely unarmed, wearing nothing but these flimsy rags. I wouldn't stand a chance in a bare-handed fight against a grown man. If they caught me, I'd be recaptured instantly.
And if I failed to escape... no, worse—if they even suspected I was trying, they might "punish" me.
I don't know what that punishment entails, but it definitely doesn't sound pleasant. Painful? Humiliating? I don't even want to think about it.
If escape is impossible, should I just give up? Wait quietly to be sold?
If that man was telling the truth earlier, at least that way I might avoid any truly frightening experiences and stay relatively safe.
If you told me this situation was already terrifying, you'd be right. Things are bound to get even worse when I'm sold, or after.
It's been made perfectly clear: "slave" doesn't exactly imply good treatment, does it?
When I think of "slaves" in the One Piece World, the infamous Celestial Dragons are the first thing that comes to mind. Just from what I remember, they never treated people like actual human beings. You could be beaten or killed on a whim.
I probably won't be bought by a Celestial Dragon, but even if it's someone else, I'll probably end up doing some brutal, back-breaking work, like building a massive bridge or something. Either way, nothing good can come of this.
But even as I keep circling back to this, escaping is impossible anyway.
I couldn't think of any immediate solutions. For now, all I could do was wait. Whether I tried to escape or do something else, there was no hope without some kind of opportunity.
If such a chance came, I needed to be ready to seize it. I just had to somehow maintain my mental and physical strength.
In the worst-case scenario, I might have to brace myself for a long struggle. Even if I ended up being sold, I could endure at my destination and wait for another chance.
This world, this sea, showed no mercy to the weak. Unimaginable hardships might await me. The Original Work was full of characters who had suffered such fates—even entire countries had fallen victim to similar calamities.
But I refused to give up. At least, not as long as my spirit held strong. No matter how long I had to endure, I would wait for the day I could finally be free.
Even though I'm still young and inexperienced, this is the second time pirates have destroyed my home. I've even been on a pirate ship myself, thanks to a strange twist of fate. I like to think I'm tougher and more stubborn than most girls my age.
So, first, I'll just endure. I'll bide my time, looking for an opportunity, and if possible, gather information without arousing suspicion or raising any alarms.
***
Some time later, a different pirate came in with my meal. As expected, he didn't open the cell door, just slid the tray through the serving hatch.
The portion was just right, neither too much nor too little, and the food itself was perfectly average—neither delicious nor terrible. It smelled fine, and there was nothing obviously wrong with it.
Since there was no point in starving myself, I ate it normally.
If they feed me this much three times a day, I shouldn't go hungry. That's a relief.
When I finished and handed back the dishes, he left without a word.
A little while later, the pirate returned with a tub of water and a rag.
Ah, this is my bath. He expects me to wipe myself clean with this.
There was no point in refusing, so I used it without hesitation.
I could probably manage to wash myself while still dressed, but it would be awkward. Wet clothes would be uncomfortable, and catching a cold would be no laughing matter. So I decided to take them off.
The handcuffs made it impossible to set the clothes down properly; they just snagged awkwardly, but whatever.
Carefully avoiding getting the single, prison-like garment wet, I slipped it off and stood completely naked, scrubbing every inch of my body.
The entire time, the pirate leered at me, his gaze lingering on my bare skin.
He's not just watching me because he's on guard... This is disturbing in a different way.
*I'm still just a kid—maybe elementary or middle school age—and he's looking at me like that?* I thought. It's disgusting, but there's no use dwelling on it.
I gave up trying to hide and boldly wiped myself down. It wasn't like they could take anything away from me, and if these peewee pirates were happy with a glimpse, they could stare all they wanted.
After I finished cleaning up, I returned the basin and cloth to the pirate through the slot. He retrieved them and left.
That was the end of the day.
I could tell the time by the window in the cabin beyond the cell.
There was only one lamp in the cabin, casting a dim light, but it was enough to see my hands.
Most of the time, I was left alone. But occasionally the cabin door would creak open, and a pirate, probably on patrol, would peek in. Maybe that was why they bothered with the lamp.
With nothing else to do, I decided to go to sleep.
Before I drifted off, a blanket was slipped through the slot. I guess they didn't want me getting cold. I was grateful.
Wrapped in the blanket, my first day as a prisoner came to an end.
Lying there in the dark, quiet room, I desperately fought off the negative thoughts threatening to overwhelm me. I closed my eyes... and somehow managed to fall asleep.
To be continued...