@this-is-mihawk-san {from here}
Mihawk didnât usually care what happened in the underworld, and cared even less about the slave auction business because you had to be extremely pathetic to buy people. Still she kept an ear out for anything that might interest her outside of the slave trade. When she caught wind of a certain man being sold at the auction she knew she had to act fast. Whether or not the crew had even caught tale of where their captain was uncertain, but she needed to see herself.
Luckily she hadnât been to far from the place that held him, and even luckier enough he hadnât been sold to some scum. People parted as she walked up to the man who clearly looked like he was in charge of this whole mockery, despite the fact that she could see the fear in his eyes at her approach. When she demanded to buy Shanks he looked like he would refused, but hearing her price he quickly folded to her demand. Leading her nervously to the chained and caged man she let him open the cage and lead him out. Tossing him his money she told him to get lost.
Looking at Shanks was hard, he looked so lost and tired. Gently cupping his cheek for a second she pulled out a hood from the bag she had prepared and placed it onto him, hiding his hair and shadowing his face from other. Leading him away and disguised from the public she brought him to a hotel room she had prepared before hand. Taking the hood off him now and unlocking all the restraints on him and that dreaded collar she tossed them in the direction of the garbage. âShanks, where is your crew?â
His hope of ever seeing the sun again had waned greatly as time passed. His hopes of his seeing his crew had vanished long before that. His knowledge that he had a crew constantly questioned by himself. If he had a crew, as the people there so greatly reminded him, why on Earth was he stuck in chains in a cell being sold to the highest bidder? Wouldnât they wish to find him? They werenât hidden from many as they had told him. No, the reason he was still here was because this is where he belongs. Escaping would be futile, he would only find no one except those who wish him dead or back in chains. Thatâs what they had been telling him. Thatâs what he believed- fully and completely.
So when someone did come forward to purchase the chained man, he was hardly expecting the soft touch on his cheek. In fact, his body stiffened with the fingers on his skin- as though expecting the quiet hand to turn rough and cruel at any moment. After all, last time he had been touched like this- it was after he had been bad and they took his arm. He followed without question, curiosity piqued from the kindness and gentleness in which he was being given. However, even if he were to have questions it wasnât like he could exactly protest lest he find himself in even bigger trouble.
And then, she took the chains off. His eyes widened as he was able to stretch out his body for the first time in how long? The tight chains having had brutally chaffed the skin around their cold metal. But it didnât even matter, he could move now. And that itself was absolutely amazing. He realized she was speaking and turned to her, blinking. Shanks. That name. That was his name, wasnât it? He hadnât heard it in a long, long time. And crew? Suddenly, his heart and hope started to falter. Was she taunting him too? âCrew?â He tilted his head, his voice quieter and far less confident than it had ever been before, âI⊠I donât have a crew.â
