Chapter 6
The Cruelty of the World
At the edge of the village, Luffy's small boat rested quietly, as though its silence mocked reality itself.
Nami stood staring at it in disbelief, then turned to Luffy, shock still clearly written across her face.
"Are… are you telling me this is your ship?"
Luffy smiled widely, as if the matter did not deserve such astonishment.
"Yes, it is for now. But later I'll get a big ship, put our emblem and flag on it, and we'll sail across all the seas!"
Nami sighed in confusion, then grabbed Luffy by the arm and pulled him along. After a few minutes of walking, they reached a medium-sized boat, sturdy and in good condition.
Compared to the great pirate ships, it would have been nothing more than a small vessel—but compared to Luffy's tiny boat… it was almost like a real ship.
Luffy spoke with clear amazement:
"Is this your ship, Nami?"
Nami shook her head.
"It's not mine. It's Buggy's ship. All we have to do is remove his emblem, then we'll sail with it until we get a better one."
Luffy did not hesitate. They all climbed aboard and began cleaning. The trash was removed, everything useless was thrown away, and Buggy's emblem was completely erased.
While they were busy, Arthur suddenly stopped.
There was a sound… a faint humming, barely audible, coming from beneath the boat.
His expression changed immediately.
He followed the sound with careful steps until he reached the lower deck… and there, he froze in place.
Before an iron cell, twenty-five women were confined.
Arthur shouted in a strong voice:
"Luffy! Zoro! Get down here now!"
Moments later, everyone arrived.
Nami said eagerly, without seeing what was inside:
"What is it? Did you find treasure?"
"Don't you dare come down here, Nami!"
Arthur shouted with unusual force.
Nami froze in place and stepped back, understanding from his tone that something was wrong… terribly wrong.
Luffy and Zoro entered.
Luffy was about to protest Arthur's tone, but his words died in his throat the moment his eyes fell upon the scene.
His eyes widened, filled with dark anger.
As for Zoro, his face hardened, his silence turning into open hatred.
Inside the cell, the women were naked, tortured, covered in bruises.
Their eyes were blindfolded, their hands bound, their bodies trembling from pain, hunger, and fear.
Arthur took a deep breath, anger boiling in his chest, then stepped forward and opened the cell door.
The women trembled even more, thinking another round of torment had begun.
Arthur approached one of them, untied her hands, and removed the blindfold from her eyes.
He spoke in a low, calm, uncharacteristically warm voice:
"It's over… you're safe now. There's no need to be afraid."
The woman looked at him with eyes drowned in pain, then burst into tears.
A broken sob tore through the space, its echo reaching Nami above.
Arthur removed his shirt and placed it over the woman's shoulders, then gently helped her to her feet.
Luffy and Zoro moved, beginning to untie the others.
Arthur said calmly:
"Nami, could you bring any clothes… any cloth to cover them?"
It was the first time Arthur had spoken to Nami with such gentleness.
She did not know what was happening below, but she obeyed and brought clothes… then descended.
The moment she saw the scene, she froze.
Her hands trembled, the clothes slipping from her fingers as she nearly collapsed in tears.
That was why… Arthur had not wanted her to come down.
He stepped toward her, picked up the clothes, and began covering the women one by one.
Luffy said hoarsely,
"Nami… help us, please."
Nami swallowed her tears, steadied herself, and began to help.
After a few minutes, everyone left the boat.
The women walked slowly, some barely able to stand, supported by Nami, Luffy, and Zoro.
When the faint rays of sunlight touched their faces, everyone felt something… a measure of stillness, of temporary peace.
They helped the women down from the boat and headed toward the village.
Halfway there, Zoro paused for a moment, looked back at the boat, sighed quietly… then continued walking.
Below deck, inside the cell, Arthur remained alone.
He sat on the floor, before him a small body covered with a pure white cloth.
He closed his eyes for several minutes… then slowly opened them.
She did not move.
She was a girl of about fifteen.
She had died under relentless beating, torture, and other things left unspoken.
Arthur breathed deeply and began wrapping her body carefully in the cloth.
He looked at her face one last time… her hair was blonde, her eyes green, and on her neck was an old burn mark.
He covered her completely, lifted her in his arms, and left the boat.
In the village, at the mayor's house, the door was knocked on violently.
'It seems Buggy learned that I helped them… and came to kill me.'
That was what crossed the old mayor's mind.
He opened the door, prepared to die… but he was stunned.
Before him stood Luffy, Zoro, Nami, and twenty-four women.
"What is happening, everyone…?"
Then his eyes fell upon one of the women.
"You… you're Bob's wife, aren't you?!"
He stepped forward unsteadily, recognizing her.
And soon, he understood the truth.
These women… were from the village, and from neighboring villages as well.
He brought them all inside, then went out calling for the men and families.
Everyone gathered.
Some recognized women among their relatives, while others remained strangers to this village.
Amid that scene, a beautiful-featured woman stepped forward, pale, exhausted, pain cloaking her eyes and trembling body.
She spoke in a broken voice as she looked at Luffy, Zoro, and Nami:
"Did… did you see my daughter? A young girl, blonde hair, green eyes, and an old burn mark on her neck…"
Silence fell.
No one answered her.
Heads slowly bowed, as though the words had grown too heavy to utter.
At that moment, the door opened.
Arthur entered, carrying the body of a young girl in his arms.
He walked with steady steps until he stood before the woman, then gently laid the body before her and bowed slowly.
He spoke in a low, burdened voice:
"I'm sorry… if we had arrived sooner, this would not have happened."
He did not say it because he truly bore the blame.
He was a pirate, and saving innocents or freeing captives was not an obligation imposed upon him.
But deep within, he knew…
If he had arrived just a little earlier, if he had defeated Buggy faster, perhaps… just perhaps, this girl would have survived.
But fate…
is something that cannot be predicted, nor changed.
The moment he finished speaking, slaps rained down upon him.
The woman wept and struck him with her frail hands, hitting and screaming, tears mingling with agony.
Her body was weak, barely able to stand.
Arthur, however, remained unmoving, like a solid rock before her trembling fists.
Blood began to flow from the mother's hands.
Arthur did not move, did not step back, did not raise his hand.
He endured everything in silence.
Nami ran quickly, grabbed the mother, and held her tightly.
The woman broke down in tears—the tears of a mother who had lost her daughter.
Arthur bowed once more, then turned and left the house.
Luffy and Zoro followed him outside.
Arthur stopped outside, lifted his head toward the calm sky, then released a sharp breath filled with pain.
"Damn it… wherever I go, I see this… damn it."
He said it while lowering his head.
Then he added more quietly:
"Luffy, Zoro… I'll finish cleaning the ship. Settle things here, then we'll depart."
He walked toward the ship.
Luffy wanted to follow him, but Zoro stopped him and placed a hand on his shoulder.
Luffy looked at him, but Zoro simply closed his eyes without speaking.
He understood…
not all the pain, but enough to know that words now would change nothing.
Less than an hour later, Arthur returned carrying a medium-sized bag.
He placed it inside the mayor's house, attached a note to it, then left silently.
A few hours passed.
Night fell.
Arthur was sitting on the side of the ship, for he had already finished cleaning it.
He gazed at the dark sea stretching before him.
He heard footsteps behind him and stood.
It was Luffy, Zoro, and Nami.
They all boarded the ship.
Exhaustion was evident on their faces…
not the exhaustion of the body, but the weight of the soul.
Arthur stepped toward Nami.
She was tired, hurting, not ready for conversation, but what had happened had shaken her from within.
Arthur bowed before her.
"I don't know why you love money or collect treasure…
but I apologize for taking a small portion of your treasure and giving it to the mayor.
I hope you understand."
Nami sighed softly, then gave a faint smile tinged with something like hope.
"Alright… what you did was right.
Thank you for your honesty, Arthur, and thank you for doing the right thing."
Arthur smiled, then brought four bottles of drink.
He gave each of them one, then returned to his place.
Nami took her bottle, entered one of the rooms, and closed the door.
Luffy took his bottle, drank a single sip, then poured the rest into the sea.
He moved to the front and ordered them to set sail.
Arthur and Zoro moved immediately.
The anchor was raised, the sail tightened, and the wind struck the canvas, and the ship began to move slowly.
Nami felt the motion, came out, looked at the sky, then gave a few instructions.
Arthur and Zoro smiled and followed the navigator's directions.
In less than an hour, the ship reached a spot near an uninhabited island.
Arthur dropped the anchor into the sea.
Nami had been asleep for some time.
Luffy had fallen asleep as well.
Only Arthur and Zoro remained awake.
Each sat holding his bottle, staring at the silent sea.
Arthur raised his bottle toward the sky.
Zoro raised his as well.
Arthur smiled; the bottles clinked softly.
Then they drank quietly…
Beneath a faint moonlight,
above dark, still waters.
The world is cruel…
but in some of its corners, there are still those who refuse to surrender to it.
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