Disclaimer: I don't own Axis Powers Hetalia or any of its characters.
I have to admit that Boa Hancock has been growing on me ever since she first appeared. First, I loved to hate her. Then, I simply just loved her, especially after reading about her horrible past. She is quite a fascinating character and I hope to see more of her in the future.
Requiem For A Caged Bird
" - see the latest slave? She's a real babe -"
" Not that one! The one coming down right now ..."
" Heard she's from the Isle of Women ..."
" - envy the man who gets her."
The voices of the Men echoed down the hall, ringing in her ears, as she walked by them. Hancock was being led down to meet her new "master", whoever that may be.
She was so scared. She was worrying fretfully about her sisters, whom she has not seen since their arrival on the island. They all screamed, begged and wailed, even as they were separately dragged away to wherever the Men deemed fit. Hancock never thought she would transform into such a violent creature, her desperation reducing her to biting, clawing and kicking her captors like a savage animal, to stay with her sisters, to protect them from these monstrous beings known to them as Men. But her vain attempts failed and she watched in horror as Marigold and Sandersonia disappeared behind doors, their voices pleading and terrified, and away from her.
How useless was she. Those were her baby sisters. Sweet, innocent Sandersonia. Inquisitive, optimistic Marigold. It has been her job as the eldest to watch over them and make sure that no harm ever comes to them, or else they would deal with her. What kind of big sister was she if she couldn't even do that? She was left sobbing as she waited alone in the suddenly large and frightfully empty room.
It was maybe only hours, maybe minutes. To her, it felt like an eternity. Being trapped in there. Biting back the horrific thought at what was happening to her sisters. Covering her ears at the sounds of screaming, fearfully praying that those didn't belong to her sisters. Wondering what will happen to her when her turn to be taken in arrived.
The Man, the first one she has ever seen before, squinted maliciously at her, a few teeth missing in his grin, as he branded a symbol onto her back, leering wolfishly as he worked. His beady eyes had roved up and down, drinking up the sight of her up. His large, disheveled hands gripped her arm tight, towing her closer towards him. She hated him, feared him, the way he hungrily looked at her, the way he laughed so wickedly at her, the way his foul breath burned in her nostrils, the way he whispered how pretty she was.
Dried tears stained her face as she fought not to cry. Her back felt like it was on fire. It hurt so much. There was no escape from the Man. She had cried out, begging him to stop, to stay away from her. Terror had suffocated her, leaving her unable to breath. He advanced on her, the red-hot poker in hand, grinning manically, as she huddled in the corner, too frozen in fear to move, to run away, to fight back. He had yanked hard on her chain, the cold steel seizing around her neck, dragging her back to him, ignoring her choked cries.
Finally, they brought her before her "master". It was another Man. His puffy lips curled in amusement as he eyed her greedily, like the Man before him. " My, my. Aren't you a pretty, little thing?" His voice was rough and harsh in a disguise of softness and kindness.
Trembling, she raised her head as high as she could. She will not show fear before the Man. She refused to. She had to be strong. For Sandersonia. For Marigold. For herself. " Where are my sisters?" she demanded, her voice unflinching and cool.
The Man laughed, a high and cruel sound. A hand snapped forward, gripping her chin, jerking her head upwards, to stare into his unrelenting, gray eyes. " A plucky one, eh?" One pudgy finger caressed her cheek, causing her to shudder involuntarily. " I like my girls like that."
She was only twelve years old.
And she wanted to die.
~.~.~
Marigold sneezed, shivering in the frigid air. The thin rags hanging over her thin frame were all she had against the cold. They clung irritably to her back, where the mark of the Tenryuubito was branded on her. It still itched, even after five months. Her stomach growled painfully. She immediately stiffened when a Man passed by, his emotionless eyes flicking towards her for a brief moment.
She quickly averted her eyes. She did not want another whipping. She wrapped her shaking arms around herself, hunching her shoulders, allowing her shaggy hair to fall over her face as to not draw attention. He walked by without a word, allowing her to breath freely. It had been five months since she had last seen her sisters. Since they had been captured and brought to this horrid place.
A Man cracked a whip in the air. " Hurry up and move, ya maggots!" he snarled, striking the unfortunate ones in the front. The slaves all flinched, shuffling forward, trudging forward to their next placement. Out of curiosity, Marigold gazed out into the city.
There were so many other women like her. And so many Men too. Those who were slaves. Tall ones. Thin ones. Small ones. Strange-looking ones. Some of them had special abilities. Like her. She wondered they were forced to eat a Devil Fruit like her as well. Did the same thing happened to Hancock and Sandersonia? Would she recognize them? Some of the slaves were covered to grisly, hair-raising scars and burns. She shuddered to think if that ever happened to her sisters.
As her line of slaves stopped to allow another precession to pass by, she caught a glimpse of long, black hair and a face that she would never forget, no matter how long or far they were apart.
There she was. Her eldest sister. Hancock trudged slowly behind the parade of fine-looking and wealthy Men, a long, pale chain producing from her neck. For some reason, her head was bowed, submissive and obedient. It stunned Marigold. Whatever happened to her proud and fiery sister? One of the Men grinned readily at Hancock, a bony arm snaking across her waist, his repugnant hand groping. Hancock shuddered, but there was no fight in her eyes. Only resigned surrender.
She refused to believe it. Hancock would never let anyone, much less a Man do something so indecent to her. What about Sandersonia? Was the same thing happening to her as well? Would she act the same way as Hancock did, simply allowing the Man to have his way with her? The thought of her sisters being violated snapped something in her. Perhaps with her starvation and desperation being another reason, before she knew it, she ran out of the line, ignoring the angry yells of the Man.
" Hancock! Hancock!" Marigold screamed, tears suddenly steaming down her face. She desperately tried to reach her sister, not caring if she received another whipping for her disobedience. She had to get to Hancock!
" Stay in rank!" the Man roared, grabbing her hair and throwing her painfully to the ground.
" Mari? Mari!" Hancock wildly turned her head for the voice of her sister, head no longer bowed in servility. " Is that you?"
Spitting out a mouthful dirt, Marigold shouted once more. " Here! Over here! I'm here!"
She let out another wail as the Man kicked her hard in the stomach. She vaguely registered that she heard the crack of a rib. Judging from the fact that the Man was trampling harshly, almost delightedly on her back, she wouldn't be surprised if another one or two would crack.
" Thought you could get away, huh slave?"
" Mari?"
" This should teach you to shut your mouth."
" Hancock ... help ..."
" No!"
" Get back here!"
" Leave her alone!"
" Looks like they need to be punished ..."
" Mari!"
Their voices faded into the darkness, leaving Marigold only with her despair.
~.~.~
Red flames greedily gobbled up buildings, trees, the streets, blackening the skies with smoke, thick smoke that choked Sandersonia as she slithered quickly through the streets. There was screams, both frightened and ecstatic. Slaves poured seemingly from everywhere, some whooping in joy, several weeping in tears, many wailing in fear. Their slave captors clumsily attempted to recapture them but to no avail. There were too many and too few of them. It would be a sight that she would never forget.
But for now, she has more pressing matters to attend to. Her sanity clung to her in a last attempt that madness and euphoria would not overtake her. She had to find her sisters first. Before savage instinct takes over and she would run away from this place forever.
" Hancock! Marigold! Where are you?" she shouted, brushing past the swarms of slaves fighting to the docks and to freedom, feverishly gazing from face to face, hoping to see her sisters'. She coughed, smoke blinding her, ash heavy in the air. Eyes blurring with unshed tears, she called out again and again, hope dying a little more with each passing moment.
A terrifying thought struck her then. What if her sisters were trapped in one of those burning buildings? What if they were already sent off with the Tenryuubito? What if they weren't even on this island anymore? Or worse, what if they were already dead?
She shook her filthy hair until it smacked roughly against her equally filthy face. If they were trapped in one of the burning buildings, she would run to rescue them. If they were already with the Tenryuubito, she would fight them to get her sisters. If they weren't even on this island anymore, she would find them. If they were already dead ... she would refuse to believe it.
" Sonia!"
And there they stood, breathless, unkempt and gaunt. But they were unmistakably Hancock and Marigold beneath all that grime and filth.
Laughing and crying, the three sisters ran towards each other, instantly becoming a tangle of tears, arms and hair.
" Oh, Hancock! Mari!" Sandersonia sobbed, burying her face into their hair. For a brief moment, she allowed herself to release them from her tight grip to look at them closely. They had grown, looking older and taller. Marigold had lines of stress and pain lined across her face and mouth. Hancock too. But it was hard to not gaze in wonder at her now adult sister, stunningly beautiful and graceful. But one thing remained the same for the both of them. Their innocence was cruelly snatched away and replaced by adulthood and the bitter knowledge of the world. As hers had been stolen away too.
" Hurry!" Hancock hissed, her beautiful face taunt with worry and urgency. " We have to get to the docks! Or else we can't escape!"
At the end of her words, they bolted, running. A captor made a reach to grab her, but they were too nimble and quick for him. Their gleeful laughter rang out as they watched him tripped, nearly trampled by another rush of slaves.
They were almost there. Sandersonia could even smell the salty waters from where she was. Giddiness bubbled and nearly erupted within her. They were going to escape! They were free!
Hancock suddenly skidded to a stop, letting out a muffled wheeze. Marigold's eyes widened in alarm, her breath hitched. Hot tears steamed down Sandersonia's cheeks. They were so close. Why was fate so cruel?
A shadowed figure stood between them and the docks, a distinct silhouette veiled by the illumination of the flames. Unfaltering, Hancock stood in front of her sisters, eyes flashing. " When I give the signal, run," she murmured from the corner of her mouth. Silently, they nodded, crouching and tensing. Like a snake hidden in the grass, readying itself to strike.
The figure gazed at them, not moving. In his eyes, there was something akin to pity.
Marigold let out a gasp. His grayish-blue skin gleamed in the firelight. They could see a hint of gills to the side of his neck. His webbed hand pointed towards the docks.
" Run!" the merman rumbled, his voice deep and vibrant. " And never get caught again!"
They ran. They ran as if their lives depended on it. They ran, feeling the heat scorching their backs and the smoke burning their lungs. They ran even when they couldn't run anymore.
But most importantly, they were free.