Three years ago – Pluto (Age 11)

In a dark and dingy room, a lanky middle-aged man in a black suit had his back pressed up against the wall. His hair was well groomed and gelled. He had a sharp jawline and a handsome face. As a wealthy nobleman, he had clearly grown up in a luxurious and privileged upbringing in the upper class. But, his status meant nothing to those who lived outside of the laws. No amount of fame or reputation would help him against the anomalies.

"P-Please! I beg you! Spare me!" He shivered; teeth chattering from the suffocating bloodlust that lingered in the air like miasma. Two figures stood idly before him, one tall and one short, both facing him directly with a cold and calm demeanor. Their very presence alone triggered every cell in his body to scream out signals of danger.

"Alright," a tall man draped in a dark-grey cloak and hood spoke with a low tone. "I will do nothing to you." With a slight lift of his head, a pair of eyes of mystic violet gleamed from his shadowed face.

"T-Thank you," the cornered man cracked a forced, crooked smile.

"What for?" the cloaked man interrupted. "You'll die very soon anyways."

"H-Huh!?"

A hand gesticulated towards a small childlike figure to his flank, draped in the same kind of hooded cloak. "This is my son. He's only eleven-years old. He will be the one who takes your life. You have two choices: fight… or… flight."

"You're kidding," the man muttered. "He's… only eleven? And… you won't do anything? You'll just leave it up to your son?" He felt completely underestimated if a little child was all that's going to stand in his way, but he couldn't entirely trust if what the man said was true.

"You have my word," the father confirmed.

A maniacal laughter cackled from the noble as he quickly ran off along the wall, heading straight towards the door. This was a joke. Provided that the assassin kept his word, he could get out of here scot-free. There was no way that little boy could be of a threat to him. The biggest threat was obviously the boy's father.

As he turned his head around to monitor the two cloaked figures, his glance found the father still idly standing in the exact same spot, but the boy was nowhere to be seen! As his eyes returned forward, his heart skipped a beat; his feet stomped the ground to instantly halt in place. He had a visage of utter disbelief; that little boy was standing right in front of him. But, that should be impossible as he last saw him standing beside the father. How could this little rascal already be in front of him!?

Slowly, the child lifted his head up, revealing a pair of cold, detached eyes of violet. "So slow…," he spoke in an emotionless tone as he lifted his left hand, revealing what was resting on its palm.

"What!?" The nobleman's expression shifted to a look of pure horror as he saw a black hand with claws holding what appeared to be a literal heart.

"Do you not realize that you're already dead?" After saying those unsympathetic words, the youth clenched his demonic hand into a fist, crushing the fleshy organ into crimson slush that splattered across the floor and showered the nobleman in his own blood.

The last image that the nobleman saw was a gaping hole in his chest, and immediately afterwards, his corpse collapsed onto its back, motionlessly lying there as a pool of blood spread.

"That was a bit overkill, Pluto. You must've really hated that man."

"Even though he grew up wealthy and got everything he wanted, he blackmailed and manipulated those around him. He kidnapped, tortured, and murdered just for the thrill of it. Even though the marines are present on this island, he has bribed them with money. Those corrupted marines just turn a blind eye on him, letting this piece of trash do whatever he wants."

"You sure know a lot about him, don't you?"

"…," the boy took off his hood, revealing a pair of large triangular grey ears on the top of his head. "Every night…, I hear… muffled screams. I hear blood gushing out. I hear crying. The marines don't do anything; all they care about is their public appearance, indoctrinating civilians into thinking that they're heroes."

"If you hate the sounds so much, why don't you just stop eavesdropping?" The father questioned. His son's powers were high-speed transformations at will.

"Just because I can't sense something doesn't mean it isn't there. Well… it's not like you care. You only showed up because you were hired to do so; you're motivated solely on money."

"Of course. I'm not going to risk my life if I'm not getting paid for it. We're assassins, Pluto, not heroes. You should always value your life above everyone else's; nothing is more precious than one's own life. Even if it means the sacrifice of others, you must do whatever it takes to survive."

"Yes…"

"After we wrap up our business here, let's head back to North Blue. There's something you need to know."

"What is it?"

"You have a younger sister."

"EH!?" This was news to him. His father wasn't the type to joke around either.

"Surprised? She's a year younger than you, living the life of an ordinary girl."

…

Later, Pluto stood on a rooftop all alone as he dazed off at the town below. The ball of orange light slowly drowned into the horizon, casting a gradient of red and blue across the sky. He couldn't help but try to picture what his sister looked like. As he closed his eyes, he could hear the voices, the music of mankind. At first, it may sound like just a jumble of noise, messy and chaotic, filled with overlapping voices, but as he focuses, he can zoom in on one sound at a time as everything else dampens into the background.

He heard a humming that seemed to originate from a small girl. It was a sweet, happy, mellow tune, sung by a gentle and pure voice. He could fall asleep to this sound as if it were a lullaby.

I like the sound of her voice.

Opening his eyes, he traced the sound towards its origin, spotting a little brown-haired girl who appeared to be about his age. She had large brown eyes; her smooth, glossy hair reaching her upper to middle back. She looked upbeat and energetic, the cheerful, optimistic type.

"!" His eyes sharpened as they glanced further up ahead from his high up view of the town. That girl was unknowingly heading towards a very dangerous zone right now.

Wheezing and grunting from a dry throat, a skinny shirtless man crawled across the paved street on his hands and knees. He wore nothing but a pair of black shorts. His head hung low towards the ground, beads of sweat trickling off his face. A long chain extended from the metal collar around his neck. He bared the weight of an overweight man who sat on a red cushiony chair on the slave's back. Seated on his throne, the slave owner wore a white jumpsuit with a transparent bubble around his head, isolating the very air that he breathed from the plebeians bowing before him on the side. He held the reigns to his sluggish slave; the chains linked to two additional women walked from behind. These young, nubile ladies wore vibrant silky dance attires, one wore pink and the other wore purple. Their wrists were cuffed in front of them; chains linked onto the cold, metal collars around their necks.

Four bodyguards resembling knights followed closely from behind, each cladded in the same identical suit of grey armor and holding a spear in their left hand. Their heads were completely encased with their pointed helmets.

Out from a narrow alleyway, a small girl stepped into the scene. Her jubilant expression suddenly shifted into curiosity and then seriousness. Civilians on this street were kneeling and bowing at the side of the road in acknowledgement of the World Noble passing by. Being the only one standing, she stood out.

"Hmm?" The overweight man sitting on the back of a slave shifted his glance at the outlier. Pulling on the reigns made of chain, his near-broken slave halted in place as the owner slipped off his seat, standing on his own two legs. "You there!" He called out while striding towards the little brunette. "You're pretty cute. I like you. Come with me," he said bluntly.

"Eh?" The girl widened her eyes, shrinking back in response. Only now did she truly understand just how dire her situation was. Despite the numerous bystanders around her, not even one of them would speak up and stand up for her. No one would save her. The Celestial Dragon had practically one of the highest forms of authority, essentially immune to the common laws. They had the freedom to do whatever they want. If they wanted to take a girl at first sight, they had all the power to do so, and no one would dare to go against their wishes.

No… I don't… want to… please… someone… save me…

The rotund man pointed towards his prize while gazing towards his guards, "I want her! Take her away!"

Obediently, the group of armored and armed guards marched towards the youth who backed off a couple of steps. It was futile to resist. There was no hope for her. Once taken away, her freedom would be taken away. She would become a slave in chains. They could do anything to her and get away with it.

The girl stood by idly, frozen in fear. She saw a dark hand outstretched from above, reaching towards her, ready to snatch her.

Suddenly, the brunette found her legs swept off the ground as she began to fall back. Her eyes watched as she moved away from the guard's outreaching hand. Soon, she felt herself secured by someone else entirely. Her eyes saw the sky as she lied into the arms of a mysterious hooded boy with eyes of violet hue. With a rotating sweep of his extended leg, he unbalanced and caught the girl.

Black, leathery wings splayed out from her savior's body, and she found herself being carried into the air, taken away. Her time in the air lasted only a few seconds before she was let down onto a flat rooftop where she'd be safe for the time being. Without a single word muttered, the winged boy rocketed straight towards the Celestial Dragon without any hesitance; his eyes fueled with hatred and disgust.

The World Noble widened his eyes in shock, holding out his golden pistol and firing two rounds; both missed its mark as the aerial zigzagging bat-human evaded and closed the distance. "EEEK!" He flinched in terror, and immediately, five crimson gashes emerged across his torso. Blood splattered into the air. The man tumbled back, rolling and screaming in anguish as his arms covering up his torso.

"Kill him!" He shouted before a heavy boot stomped straight down onto his chest, pinning him against the cement as a shallow crater formed from where he laid. Air forcefully knocked out of his lungs along with blood and saliva. Several of his ribs were fractured. He could barely breathe at this point as his face was mixed with shock, rage, and fear.

Four guards surrounded the hooded boy, all of them thrusting their spears from four sides, but the tips of their polearms met nothing but thin air. The boy had jumped into the air as the four spears passed beneath him, and as he descended, his feet balanced on top of the intersection point of the shafts.

From the rooftop, the brunette watched in awe at the swift movements of the winged boy who moved with deadly precision and speed. It was like watching a magician. As the guards swung their shafts, the boy would vanish again, taking form of a little bat that hung upside down from their weapons. As the guards turned their helmeted heads side to side and searched for their missing target, the little assassin would ambush them from behind. As strikes were ineffective against armored opponents, he controlled their wrists and elbows, manipulating their balance like a puppet master. He dislocated and snapped some joints, rendering them all helplessly screaming on the floor.

Meanwhile, the World Noble had turned around and limped away for his life. But when his guards were down for the count, the boy would grab one of their spears and hurl it like a javelin, piercing the rotund man from the back.

It was on this day that a taboo had been made.

A boy with demonic wings and claws, cladded in a dark-grey cloak, face shadowed by a low-hanging hood, he killed a Celestial Dragon. And, the eleven-year old girl, who was saved by his actions, witnessed it all with mixed feelings. Both gratitude, awe, and fear stirred within her heart. The youth had never seen such cruelty, yet that cruelty was what saved her life. She only had a small peek, a short-lived glance at the boy's face, but she could never forget those deep, violet eyes. Those were eyes that were filled with experience and hardship, yet she couldn't help but wonder what sort of a life that boy had lived. In the eyes of all those who witnessed it, he was a demon who slayed a god. Without a doubt, this would trigger the marines to immediately respond. A mere boy killing a Celestial Dragon; this was unheard of. Even children would be taught at a very young age to honor the World Nobles; even pirates and criminals would never dare to commit such a taboo.

She wondered why he did it. For his grave sin, he will be abhorred by the entire world, hunted by the elites, and sentenced to death. He will carry a heavy burden on himself, but as all the blame and attention gets directed to him, the girl would be spared and ignored. That girl's name was Chika. She would never speak of this day to anyone; this was a memory she will never forget. Because of him, her freedom was preserved. Without him, she would have experienced a bleak, scarring, hopeless life worse than death itself.

…

Students were beginning to pour into the large auditorium, ready for another lecture by Inazuna. A myriad of disorderly footsteps swarmed in; jabbering little orphan kids echoing in the spacious room. Boys and girls began to take their seats along the curving benches, and even when all have gathered, there were still a number of openings left.

Chika stepped inside, wearing a white summer dress and sandals. Her eyes widened momentaily in surprise to find a certain someone early for class. She approached and smiled exuberantly, "Good morning, Pluto!" A part of her had worried that he'd skip class, but she was glad that he showed up again.

"Good morning, Chika," the newest member of the revolutionaries returned the greeting with a calm and mild expression.

Today is the day that I finally find out the truth.

The brunette loomed over him from the side, leaning a bit closer as if to study his demanor a bit closer. Immediately, she noticed him shrinking back and looking off to the side. She'd normally find him with a sleepy expression, constantly ready to take a nap, but today, she didn't notice any of that lethargy at all. "Let's have a contest," she proposed. "If you win, I'll give you the key." She then proceeded to take out the same silver key as before, revealing it in her hand and using it as bait to lure him into her game.

Pluto glanced at the key, knowing that there would come a time where thst silver item would be used on him again. The keeper of that key could not resist playing mind games on him. Truly, he desired his bracelet to be removed so that his former strength could be restored, but having learned from his past mistakes, he knew that being reckless and impatient with her would only be dancing in the palm of her hands. Chika was very intelligent and seemed to know how to plan several steps ahead. In order to outwit her, he needed a calm and composed mindset and analyze the situation carefully. Every word or action she speaks and makes could be part of some elaborative calculated scheme in the long run.

As I thought, every single day, she keeps proposing a contest or a game… and I keep losing to every single one of them. I'm getting tired of losing; today, I'll beat her.

"No thanks," he politely declined.

"Ehhh!? Why not?" Chika frowned with a saddened face. Her expression was like that of a kid who had just lost her beloved stuffed animal; it was enough to make the boy melt in guilt.

"For all I know, the key could be fake," he shrugged, unenthusiastic about playing a game where the prize could be fraudulent. However, despite his initial refusal, he knew that the girl wouldn't back off that easily. For too long, he had fallen for her traps; this time, he would be the one to predict her next move.

She extended an open palm, giving a warm smile, "Then, give me your left hand!"

"W-Why?" He asked cautiously, retracting his left hand defensively. Despite his acting, he anticipated this to happen. By showing relunctance, his opponent was forced to try and persuade him. Chika's only option now was to prove it to him that the key was real.

"Just do it," she urged him eagerly.

He hesitantly outstretched his left arm, and the girl gently grasped his wrist. A nervous expression grew on his face; his heartbeat taking on a faster beat. His eyes watched as the silver key was slowly inserted into his bracelet before being turned clockwise. A click sounded.

"IT'S REAL!?" He exclaimed incredulously, genuinely astonished by the authenticity of the key.

Chika immediately pulled the key out and closed the bracelet, locking it back around his wrist. "Ha-ha-ha-ha! See? I told you that it was real. You really need to trust me more."

Watching her snap the bracelet back into place shook him out of his shock.

I… I could have escaped in that split second.

"Now do you wanna have a contest? Remember, if you win, I'll give you the key."

The key was real; he now had proof that it was real. Still, he couldn't accept her offer that easily until he fully understood the rules. He had to weigh the pros and cons to figure out who had the advantage. "O-Okay…, what kind of contest?"

"A staring contest! First one to blink or look away loses."

Once again, it was another very simple game that could be easily understood. She never seemed to be the type to play games with complicated rules or strategies. He was formally an assassin who has stared down countless of dangerous criminals and ferocious monsters in the eyes without batting an eye. A staring context would be child's play for him. However, even with this calculated predication of victory, he shouldn't accept it right away. "And… what happens if you win?"

"If I win, then you'll have to do anything I say," she answered with a friendly smile.

"That's harsh…" If he lose, his fate would be uncertain. But, this was something he expected her to say.

"Come on. You don't even know what I'd have you do," she said with an easygoing, carefree tone.

You've literally made me join a massive criminal organization against my will…

Noticing the boy's hesitance, Chika adjusted the rules, "Then, how about this: if you win, you get the key and I'll have to do anything that you say?"

Gotcha… I was waiting for you to say something to that effect.

"Alright, deal," he nodded.

"Hmm~…" Chika gazed at him suspiciously. "You accepted that pretty fast. Do you already have something in mind if I lose?" She then gave him sidelong glance, placing a hand over her mouth, "Is it something perverted?"

"NO!" He protested in an instant, clearly provoked to defend himself. "If you lose, then you must tell me what you meant by me saving you." Back when Chika made him a bento box full of food, she mentioned something about thanking him for saving her. Since then, he never knew what she meant by that.

"Oh! Is that all?" She tilted her head, making it sound like his desires were trivial.

Don't give me that! You've been dodging that question every time I bring it up!

He had a sinking suspicion that figuring out the answer to that mystery would reveal other information as well. For instance, he still hadn't figured out how Chika managed to correctly guess his Devil Fruit type and power on the very first day he arrived on this island. She seemed to know something that he doesn't; he wanted to know what secrets she's hiding from him.

"Well, then," she seated to his right before leaning in towards his face, "Let's begin!" With her waist and head turned to the side, she gazed straight into pair of violet gems.

"!" Pluto tensed his brows, staring back at her with a serious and stern look. He had gazed into the eyes of countless of souls that were reaped away by his own tainted hands. He had seen countless events of atrocious acts done by mankind. All of his dark past experiences had numbed him to the most horrific scenes. So why? Why was it so hard to look her in the eyes!?

"Your eyes are pretty, Pluto." Chika commented nonchalantly. She could tell that her words niggled his concentration.

"Tch…," He clenched his fists as her compliment almost derailed him from the game. This was a lot harder than he imagined.

"Hmm…, you're lasting longer than I expected," she then slid closer towards the boy along the bench, leaning her face even closer.

"…," Pluto reflexively lurched back. He felt his cheeks heating up and his heart pounding loud and fast like a beating drum. He felt a sense of fear, but it wasn't life threatening - the kind that he was used to. This kind of fear felt different. He felt insecure and vulnerable even though he had no reason to feel that way.

W-What's happening to me?

He had no trouble in keeping his eyes open, but he was having a very strong urge to look away. It was so painfully difficult to focus whenever she's present. It felt like his own intellect and reasoning skills plummets at her mere presence.

What's going on… I have literally slaughtered countless of lives with my very own hands without batting an eye. So why… am I struggling to look at her? She's not even the slightest bit intimidating. If anything, she's… kind of… c-cute….

One of the students had just walked in; he paused and stood behind the two kids who were too busy gazing at each other's eyes to even take notice of him. Turning towards the boy, he interrupted, "Ah… you're that boy from before. You're Pluto, right?"

"…," Pluto ignored the kid, mustering every ounce of willpower to keep his eyes fixated at the girl's large, innocent brown eyes. At this point, it felt like he was staring straight into the sun, blinded by her bright smile.

"Do you like Chika?" The orphan from behind asked abruptly.

"HUH!?" He jerked his head to the side, angrily gazing at the boy who's been standing behind him.

Chika burst out laughing, "Looks like I win."

"EH!?" He turned his head back towards the front, realizing at what he had just done. He hung his head low in defeat.

I lost…

Suppressing her giggles, she teased, "You always avoid eye contact with me, so I thought you'd struggle with this game."

Eh? Do I avoid eye contact that much with her?

Although a simple game, Chika had long since taken notice of his tendency to look away from her, especially when she makes a remark such as how he seemingly could not handle a compliment. "Now, for your punishment…," she grinned.

He gulped, terrified at what she'd make him do next.

Oh dear…