Chương 75: Saving Slaves
Before the guard could regain his balance, Jack swung his bound hands, landing a solid punch on the guard's midsection. A powerful burst of energy erupted from Jack's fist, propelling the guard backwards. He crashed into a nearby wall, creating a sizeable dent before slumping down, unconscious. It wasn't Haki but his technique but to an amateur eye, it looked the same.
A silence fell over the onlookers. Jack casually dusted his hands, an air of calm radiating from him that sharply contrasted the explosive action from a moment ago.
The manager's eyes widened, both shocked and impressed. "I see you were not lying. This man certainly knows Haki."
After witnessing Jack's prowess, the manager seemed to fall into a deep contemplation. A few tense moments later, his eyes lit up with a predatory glint and he turned to Shakky with a gleeful grin.
"All Kuja Pirates know Haki too. Your crew member... Even World Nobles are coming for her, so I cannot trade her with this man," he gestured at Jack, the grin still plastered on his face. Shakky's hand twitched towards the hilt of her sword, a boiling fury evident in her eyes. However, before she could lunge at the manager, Jack's gaze met hers.
His eyes, a calm blue that contrasted sharply with the chaotic situation, held a silent message – he had a plan. Shakky clenched her teeth, swallowing her anger. Trusting Jack's silent promise, she let her hand drop, her body taut as a drawn bowstring.
The manager continued, oblivious to the silent exchange, "How about this, I will put this man before your crew member and deduct your cut from the crew member if you manage to buy her. I am sure that is a good deal, what do you say?"
Shakky turned to look at Jack, her expression questioning. Jack merely offered her a faint nod, his eyes still holding that calm resolve. Shakky turned back to the manager, a grim set to her lips as she agreed.
"Splendid!" The manager clapped his hands, his grin widening to the point where it threatened to split his face. He ordered his guards to take Jack away. They fastened an explosive collar around Jack's neck before hauling him towards the underground dungeons where the other slaves were held.
As he was led away, Jack's gaze met Shakky's one last time. His eyes, a tranquil pool of ocean blue, promised action. Shakky watched him disappear down the hallway, the knot of apprehension in her stomach unwinding slightly.
Despite the dire circumstances, Jack's composed demeanor wasn't shaken as he was led through dim, damp corridors. The guard shoved him into a cramped cell, the space teeming with the weary forms of slaves. A foul stench of sweat and fear permeated the air. Despite his surroundings, Jack maintained his composure, his eyes glancing over the desperate figures around him.
The cell Jack was thrust into was not unlike a zoo, populated with a variety of beings from different races. Jack's eyes swept over the huddled figures, taking in the disheartening scene. There were Fishmen, their skin a variety of vibrant colors and patterns, each unique, but their expressions were all identical - a bleak cocktail of fear and resignation. A few mermaids cowered in one corner, their radiant scales dulled by the harsh reality of their situation.
On the other side of the cramped cell, a hulking figure sat alone - a giant, his enormous frame crouched down to fit within the low ceiling. Despite the obvious discomfort, he was silent, his face an impenetrable mask of stoicism. Members of the long-arm and long-leg tribes were also present, their elongated limbs crumpled in the confined space. Their eyes were hollow, stripped of any glimmer of hope.
Mixed among the exotics were humans - pirates, mostly. Jack recognized a few of them from their wanted posters; some had hefty bounties on their heads. Their usual bravado was absent in this oppressive atmosphere, replaced by a grim acceptance of their fate. There were women too, their beauty faded under the strains of their captivity, their clothes tattered and their spirits broken.
The silence was punctuated occasionally by hushed whispers or low sobs, but for the most part, the slaves kept to themselves, lost in their own world of misery. It was a heartbreaking scene that ignited a spark of anger within Jack, yet he kept his face impassive, his icy-blue gaze hardening.
A chilling, detached voice echoed from the auction house. Jack could pick up the sycophantic overtones, designed to flatter the high society that was present - the World Nobles. It was showtime.
Eyeing the meager security detail - two guards, as he had predicted - he allowed himself a small grin. He reached for the slave collar around his neck, and with a flick of his hand, it vanished into thin air. The guards didn't even have time to react as he shot up, a swift blur of action. His strength, amplified by the bead, smashed the cell gate off its hinges and in a blink, he snapped their necks.
With the cell door wide open and no immediate threat in sight, Jack moved among the slaves. He made no grand promises of salvation, offered no words of solace. Instead, he just raised a hand and sent them, one by one, into the safety of the bead's dimension.
A Fishman, scales iridescent even under the pallid lighting, looked up in disbelief as Jack approached him. He barely had time to open his mouth before Jack put a finger to his lips, silencing him.
"Stay quiet," Jack murmured, his voice low but compelling. He reached out, his hand passing through the Fishman's body as if it were smoke. There was a shimmer in the air, and the Fishman vanished, appearing in the lush forest within the bead.
He continued this process, moving from slave to slave, each more dumbfounded than the last. He didn't comfort or console. He didn't need to - his actions spoke louder than any words.
As he moved towards the giant, his icy-blue eyes hardened. The creature was monstrous, far larger than Jack, but there was a sense of kindred spirit there. They were both warriors, both chained. Jack gave him a nod, a silent acknowledgement of his situation, before sending him too into the forest.
The last one he approached was a human pirate, a woman, with fierce eyes and a toughened demeanor. She looked at him, defiance and apprehension in her gaze. Jack met her stare, holding it for a moment, before sending her off too.
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