Please, Help Us!

"Here ya go!" The Crimson Blade Pirate grunt shouted while holding his burnt eye. He had just tossed the girl on to the floor.

"!" She grunted in pain.

"Master is not going to be happy with you!" He shouted, "I know I'm not..." He walked up to the girl and drew his sword, "But Master won't be walking in for a while, so maybe I can have some fun of before he walks in..." the man swung his sword, but quickly the girl avoided causing his sword to slam against the ground.

"Come back here!" the man shouted as he walked over to the girl with his sword in one hand, and unzipping his pants with the other.

"Aye!"

"Huh?" The man turned around to see his Captain, and was greeted with a fist to the face.

"Guah!"

"Did I say you could do this?!" the man shouted.

"N-no sir...b-but I just thought since..."

"Shut up and get out!" He ordered.

"Yes sir..." The man stood up and fixed himself as he then left glaring daggers at the girl.

"Some just can't keep their pants on..." The Captain growled, "but you do deserve what you're about to get..." the man told her, "Now...you know the drill..." The girl just looked at him and shook in fear.

"Don't worry..." The man assured pulling out a whip, "It won't take long if you hurry up!" He shouted lashing his whip out as it slammed against her arms.

"!" She gasped for air and held her arm in excruciating pain. The girl struggled to remove her scarf. By doing so a spiraling scar that started at the right side of her jawbone was revealed as it and spiraled down to the left, all the way around her throat and neck four times before it finally ended at her breastbone. She then removed the rest of her upper body clothing, eventually showing the jolly roger of the Crimson Blade pirates on her chest over her heart. The girl remained to look at the floor ashamed at this, and turned around leaving her back bare to the Captain. Many scars could be seen across her back, multiple lashings and sword slashes.

"Yup, next time...maybe you won't be such a pain when we try to do something nice for you like send you outside!" The Captain shouted as he began a relentless barrage of whip lashings. Each time the girl would gasp for air and slowly tears started to come out of her eyes. The pain was unbearable.

"Huh..." Kuroi sighed as he walked through the town, "I know I said I was going to keep watch over Leo...but eh. If anything happens he shouldn't be too hard to fine." Kuroi shrugged. As he was walking he saw a small girl in a store constantly turning her head as though she was in search for something, or someone.

"She must be lost..." Kuroi muttered. He began to approach the small girl. Once he got closer he saw how small the girl was surprisingly short. Even shorter than Leo, she was possibly under five feet in height. The small girl appeared rather lean, though other than her being small and lean what really caught Kuroi's attention was her pink hair. Her pink hair was parted down the middle, and fell down to rest on her shoulders. The young girl is wearing a shoulderless pink, short shirt with a blank tank top underneath; along with a pair of white jeans, and pink sneakers. On her back for some odd reason the girl wore a white cape, so Kuroi knew she was a young child. Possibly ten years old.

"Hey little girl, are you lost?" Kuroi asked walking up the small girl and squatting. The little girl turned to Kuroi and looked at him with her icy blue eyes and a mischievous smile.

"Little? Maybe you're just extra big." She giggled. Kuroi just looked at the girl.

"Sure, let's go with that..." He said not wanting to hurt the girls feelings.

"So Birdman, how can I help you?" The girl asked.

"Help me? I came to see if you need help." Kuroi told her confused at her statement.

"Oh you were serious? I'm not lost, but thanks anyway Mister." She smiled.

"Where are your parents?"

"I don't know I'm an orphan." She shrugged nonchalantly.

"Oh well, then lets get you back to your orphanage."

"No that's okay." She waved off, "But you're probably lost aren't you Mister? You looking for someone?"

"Yeah, but that can wait." Kuroi told her, "So where is your orphanage?"

"Mister Birdman don't worry about it." The girl waved off, "I'm an orphan, but I don't belong to an orphanage. I'm here looking for food anyway, if I don't return soon I'll be in trouble."

"Well then let me help you, yeah?" Kuroi insisted on helping her.

"You're pretty persistent..." the girl narrowed her eyes, "PERVERT!" She shouted.

"Wait...what?!" Kuroi backed away from the girl as people began to look around.

"What's the freak doing?"

"Is he trying to abduct that little girl?"

"Someone get help..."

"Damn it..." Kuroi muttered, "No it's not like that! Why would I want to abduct a ten year old?" Kuroi told the people.

"Ten year old?" the girl laughed, "You're funny Mister Birdman." the girl told Kuroi.

"My name is Kuroi, so can you stop calling me Mister Birdman."

"No." the girl said, "So why don't you go look for your friend. Thanks for the laugh though, I really needed it."

"Oi! Kuroi, what are you doing to that little girl ya perv!" Leo shouted purposely to piss off Kuroi.

"You bastard..." Kuroi looked over at Leo who walked up with his hands behind his head

"There's your friend, now you can leave me alone right?"

"Eh, I guess." Kuroi gave up on the little girl and she went back to scanning the store she was in, "Where were you?"

"I kind of tried to help some chick out."

"Hmm?"

"Well you see I was trying to ask this girl where to get something to eat, but she refused to talk to me."

"Which probably pissed you off..."

"Exactly, but then something made it even worse when some dude showed up."

"Wait...can they be talking about..." The girl though to herself.

"The dude was about to strike her, but I put my cigarette out in his eye. A waste of a cig too..." Leo sighed.

"Well what happened after that?"

"Oh after that I was going to kill the dude, but she got in the way after he spat some nonsense about their Captain having her tonight, and punishment. Crap like that."

"Really?" Kuroi raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, some crew huh? The dude said they are the Rulers of East Blue, and are the future kings of South Blue." Leo chuckled, "Some crew called the Crimson Blade Pirates." In the instant Leo uttered those last three words the pink haired girl dropped everything in her hands.

"Hmm?" Leo and Kuroi looked at the girl.

"Aye, pinkie, you good?" Leo asked.

"Did you say the Crimson Blade Pirates?!" The girl shouted.

"Yeah, what about them?"

"That was my friend! Her name is Ashley! And the Crimson Blade Pirates are a crew of pirates that have been keeping us hostage..." The girl slowly hung her head after muttering those last words.

"Wait what?" Kuroi asked.

"My name is Candice, but you can just call me Candy." She informed.

"Well, why didn't your friend say something to me then?" Leo asked, "I could've easily disposed of that guy and the rest of the crew."

"She can't..." Candy said.

"Why not?" Leo asked.

"She's mute..."

"What?" Kuroi asked astonished.

"What's that even mean?" Leo asked Kuroi.

"It means she can't talk." Kuroi sighed and shook his head, "And you're the Captain?"

"Shut up birdman." Leo growled, "Anyway...why are they keeping you hostage?"

"They've had her for a number of years, and I'm just a recent addition...but they've kept her as their play thing and to cook their food. They plan on trading me as a slave."

"But why?" Kuroi asked.

"Because I'm a Skypiean." Candy turned around and lifted her white cape revealing long white wings with feathers that were facing down.

"A Skypiean? Oh I think I fought one of them back when I was a slave too." Leo said trying to remember if he had or not.

"Wow, so they want to trade you? And keep Ashley?" Kuroi asked piecing it together.

"Yeah, they've kept her for so long...and the things they do to her..." Candy closed her fists tightly as tears began to swell up, "I'm surprised she can still move her arms...they do so much to make sure she doesn't get away and to make sure they always get their way without trouble."

"..." Kuroi and Leo just looked at each other.

"I'm tired of these guys always getting what they want! They think just because everyone is scared of them that no one will touch them!" Candy began to cry, "And poor Ashley...please..." Candy looked up at Leo and Kuroi, "Help us!" Kuroi looked at Leo who simply sighed. Leo took out a cigarette and lit it. He inhaled, them let out a puff of smoke.

"Well..." He sighed letting more smoke out before he looked at Candy with a serious look, "Seems like there's some ass that needs kicking."

Next Time: Leo and Kuroi have basically just told Candy that they are going to help her get free from the clutches of the Crimson Pirates. Along with help save and free her friend Ashley as well. So the two head for the ship preparing themselves for a battle, and upon their arrival they see the crew and meet the Captain. Leo wants to get this other with quickly, but it soon enough doesn't seem like it will turn out the way he wants.

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