Shivered Timbers
by Kaline Reine

Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece or any of the characters/settings. This is just a fanfiction story. I do own Shiori, she is my character. I also own a few other original characters in this story (not affiliated with One Piece), which will be introduced as they are needed.

WARNINGS: This story contains (or may contain) graphic adult content and language, explicit sex scenes, possible violence, gore, cursing, adult themes, etc. I do not censor my writing, but I do my best to warn people about the subject matter and potential subject matter. So if you don't like that kind of thing or can't handle it, then I suggest not reading this story. You have been warned. Also, I know this doesn't follow canon but it doesn't have to, that's why it's a fanfic. xD

Also... The beautiful cover image for this story is by my friend, EzariaUmiko on DeviantArt. All credit for the image goes to her. c:


Chapter 29: Red Death

They left the rest of them there. Some didn't really know what was going on, but they seemed to have some sort of idea that it was bad... The Captain and the girl had come in, singled people out for some unknown purpose, and they were taken away. That was all they knew. But it didn't seem to sit well with some of the former slaves.

Shiori didn't care. She was fed up with catering to what everyone else wanted. Now it was time to talk about what she wanted; to do what she wanted... And right now, that was to get some retribution for the terrible atrocities committed against her. To right the insult to her very soul, to get a little bit of closure after she'd been through such an awful ordeal. And there was nothing wrong with that.

"Remind me again why they had you whipped?" Ace asked her, while they were all walking down to the superbrig. "I mean originally..."

"I was planning an escape..." When he indicated for her to go on, she continued. "I was asked to help clean up in the war room after they were planning an attack on Drum Kingdom, where I'm from. It upset me, so I probably wasn't thinking straight. While cleaning, I was able to get some information about the coordinates of the ship. I also found several known contact numbers for the Marines. I wrote them on my arm, and stole a transponder snail. I was about to call them, when one of Alvida's guards found me."

"Wow... That was very brave."

"No it wasn't. I was taking the coward's way out. Instead of finding a way to defeat her myself, I was going to call someone who was stronger to do it for me."

"That's not cowardly at all though. Just smart." Ace patted her head and she flinched.

"Maybe..." Shiori sighed. "It was a foolish endeavor anyway... Even if they had come, they would have fought me right along with her."

"That's true, but there also would've been a chance for you to escape." He pointed out.

"Well, things happened how they happened. And I don't like talking about it anyway... Brings back bad memories."

"I understand," Ace hesitated. "There are quite a few things from my own past that still leave a bad taste in my mouth..." It seemed a bit difficult for him to even admit it.

She wondered what he meant by that... There was something about his tone that just told her she should drop the subject. She opted not to say anything else.

They'd arrived at the entrance to the superbrig anyway. Now came the truly difficult part... Actually dealing with the ones who had wronged her. If there ever was a shred of mercy left within her, it was long gone by now. The world had robbed her of so much, had taken far too much from her, without giving her even the slightest chance of restoring any of it. Now it was time for her to take back what was hers. She now had her freedom... Now it was time to earn her glory; to regain her dignity.

"Here, mates!" Rex, who had disappeared earlier, had emerged from the galley with plenty of drinks in hand. It was almost too much for him to carry alone. "Everyone drink up! Have some rum!"

"Fifteen men on a dead man's chest..." Mitch began singing a round.

The others chimed in. "Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum!"

Even Shiori had joined in their little song. She tilted up a bottle of the strong clear liquid, genuinely glad to be included in things. Even little Vanora was meowing along with her, now perched happily on her shoulder. Or maybe it was just her imagination?

She saw that they'd already had all of the men, and the one woman, strung up by their wrists. Their legs were secured by similar looking ropes, and there was more rope wrapped around their waists. She recognized them as the same kind that Mitch was able to summon. It was pretty obvious who had done most of the handiwork here...

Every one of them struggled in their bonds, trying in vain to break free. There was no escaping from the Spades' wrath. The Pirates closed in on the former slavedrivers, feeling as though they had committed far greater crimes than the Pirates had. Or probably ever could. Mitch and Rex stood on either side of Shiori and Ace came up behind her. The rest of the crew soon joined, dispersing behind them. They stared down the men who had hurt their friend, no mercy or kindness showing in their eyes. It was a chilling moment.

"H-how does this work?" Shiori asked, somewhat meekly, feeling a little uncertain.

Some of the men laughed. Ace just asked. "Who has committed the greatest crime against you? We should probably save that person for last."

"That person isn't here... She's either dead, or sailing around on her ship. But there are plenty of bad apples who are here." The Valkyrie thought about it for a moment. Her rose mauve gaze drifted toward Pierre. "He's last then."

The others only nodded. Everyone was quiet, waiting to see what she would do.

"You need to tell us what you want done," The Captain instructed, looking to the others who were ready to follow his command. "You do what she says for now! This is her time, it's her revenge. Just help her and do whatever Shiori-chan here says."

"More than happy to oblige, Captain!" Someone said. She didn't see who. It didn't matter. The others all nodded and mumbled their agreement.

"Hmm..." Her smile changed to a sadistic one, her brows slanting and her voice dropping. "The biggest challenge will be thinking of a fitting punishment."

"No, please! You have ze wrong guy! I vould never do zhat to you!" He grimaced, already fearing what was to come. "Please have mercy!"

"Did you show any mercy to me when I was being held prisoner?" He sat in a stunned silence, gaping at the ferocity of her words. "Or did you only continue to taunt me, hindering me every which way you could, making things that much worse for me?"

"Don't do anything you might regret later..." It was the tied female who spoke next, still struggling in vain to get herself free. "You'll have to live with that kind of remorse for the rest of your life."

Another of them asked. "Please oh please! Don't do this! Have a heart, miss!"

"I feel no remorse for issuing your death sentences." She spoke softly, but her words were still fierce. "Did any of you feel the slightest bit of remorse when you were doing all of those horrible things to me? When you were doing them to the rest of the countless slaves that you cruelly tortured and probably even killed? Huh?! Answer me!" Shiori was getting a bit riled up now, but Ace still let her have her say.

"..." No one said a word.

She laughed bitterly, long and hard, at their silence. "Did you feel any remorse when the shoe was on the other foot, when you were being cruel to me, when I was being whipped? Or did you sit idly by and do nothing? Or worse, participate in it?" The girl paused to glare at Pierre specifically. "No... I want all of you, every single one of you, to remember my face in hell!"

Ace raised an eyebrow. He liked this new side of her. He'd never gotten to see it before.

"Great speech." Mitch commended her. "Now let's get on with it, shall we?"

"Walter-san," She turned to the ship's doctor, first and foremost. "Are there any types of special serums or poisons that you have available?"

"I have a special medicine that makes someone unable to lie, now or in the future." He said with an air of confidence. The man seemed fairly happy to contribute in some way. "It also makes it so that they will become extremely loyal. It pretty much destroys their mind and molds them into submission... The perfect little lapdog." He chuckled sadistically.

"Very well... Please do that to... him." She pointed to the dark skinned man who had found her in the showers and first snitched on her to Alvida.

She noticed that he was already trembling with fear. But she didn't care. "M-me?" He was shaking uncontrollably now. "Why me?"

"Because I find it fitting. I don't have to explain myself to you."

As they exchanged words, Walter was already busy preparing the serum he'd mentioned. He kept many things on him, inside the many pockets of his enormous jacket. He tipped his hat out of respect, and grabbed the man's wrist, controlling his movement using Mitch's ropes. He injected a syringe filled with a blue liquid into his arm, and stepped back without saying a word.

"Please, don't hurt me... I haven't done anything wrong!" The man begged, swaying this way and that. "All I did was report something to my Captain, just as any of you would've done! My crimes were not so great..."

"Maybe so... But you have still wronged me." Shiori got right in his face, grabbing his chin and tilting his face up toward her own. "Look me in the eye when I speak to you. You are a disgrace to everything that a Pirate stands for! You make me sick, worthless maggot..."

"I haven't done anything that bad! Please... I don't want to die!" Tears streamed from his face.

"Oh, I'm not going to kill you..." She smirked with an arrogance that she didn't even truly possess. Today was her day, and she was taking control of it. "Relax. We haven't even done anything that bad to you yet."

"What do you want from me?!" He screamed, terrified of what was still to come... The others beside him struggled to escape more and more, to no avail...

Shiori took a moment to answer him, after thinking it over. "I want you to swear fealty to me. And to Ace-sama! And to this entire crew."

"My fealty?" He squinted, his eyes full of darkness and hatred, and... confusion. "What's your angle?"

"I have no angle. I want you to swear your absolute and undying loyalty to all of us, right now. If you do, we won't kill you."

"Easily done. I hereby swear my undying and absolute loyalty to all of you. To you, to the Captain, and to the crew of this vessel. That good enough?"

"Yes." She smiled pleasantly, and even giggled a little. "My, this is fun..."

"Now what?" One of the Pirates behind her asked. They sounded like they wanted to see some bloodshed. They were getting impatient now.

"Someone get me a knife."

"I don't know what you want it for," Ace asked, already taking out his big hunting knife from it's sheath. The shiny metallic green handle glimmered in the lantern light below deck. "But here, you can use mine... "

Shiori took it with glee, examining it for a brief moment before turning back to the captive man. He winced, and she slowly began inching her way closer, holding the blade right to his face. She slid it along his skin, noting how smooth and shiny it was.

"Hmm... Someone pull out his tongue." She instructed. "Now that he's sworn his loyalty to us, he has no more need of it."

One of the Spades moved forward and forcefully pried apart his jaw, pulling out the wet pink tongue and holding it by the end. It was Hiretu. His vice-like grip would not allow it to slip away. He grinned as she approached, with malice in her mauve eyes. Their victim screamed and screamed and tried to shake his head no... But it was no use and that only made it worse for him.

"Hold still..." She laughed, slicing right through his tongue. It only went about halfway through, so she had to finish it off with a sickening sawing motion. "There we go! All better! Now you can never snitch on anyone or tell them what you saw ever again! You're lucky though... Dead men tell no tales. But I've decided to let you live, so you can learn an even more powerful lesson."

And the lesson was not lost on him... His mouth was so full of blood that he began to choke, straining to swallow all of it before it drowned him. The man's eyes rolled back in his head, as the large hulking Pirate who had been assisting her held his own tongue up in front of his face, the detached muscle gleaming and dripping fresh blood. And then he fainted, out cold. He fell against the grip of the ropes, all of his limbs going slack.

"Here's your dagger. Th-thanks for letting me use it." She handed the little dagger back to Ace. Their fingers touched for a split second and she had to look away...

He wiped it on one of the remaining slaves' pants to get the blood off, before returning it to it's sheath. "No problem at all." He smirked.

Upon seeing all of this, the remaining former members of Alvida's crew were frantically begging for their lives to be spared to. They were also pleading with Shiori not to hurt them.

"Please, miss!"

"Don't do this! Spare us!"

"Someone shut them up!" She glared.

"Not a problem, boss..." Hiretu, the same one who still had the man's tongue, approached them. He gave the removed appendage to the doctor, who stashed it away. "I'll shut 'em up real good! Hehehe!" He laughed heartily. "Kaiko Kaiko no Mi!" He shouted, surprising her.

To her astonishment, he placed his hands over their mouths for a moment and crossed his fingers as he spoke the words. When he removed them, there were strange glossy silken strands holding their lips together. None of them could speak. All they do was produce muffled sounds at best. He'd been careful to leave their noses unblocked so they could still breathe, however.

"I didn't know you had a Devil Fruit ability..." Shiori stared at him, still in shock as he moved away.

"He has the powers of a silkworm," Mitch explained. "That's how he's able to be such an awesome shipwright for us. He can hang from the side of the ship even while we're moving, and do some small, quick repairs with the silk too."

"Wow... Impressive." She muttered, moving on to her next victim. "I think I'll make use of mine too this time."

Shiori concentrated, and summoned a flurry of snow. She also used her own body to aide it. As she did so, Vanora's fur bristled, standing on end. She hissed at the slavedrivers, probably remembering some of them too. The cold white powder pressed all along their arms, settling in against their exposed skin. She did this to all three of the others who had wronged her, the men and the one woman who had also mistreated her. They didn't see the harm in it at first, but after a while, their limbs started to go numb.

"What is she doing?" One of the Spades asked.

"I know you won't feel this right now..." The Valkyrie explained, her eyes cruel and heart as cold as the snow she was making use of. "But after the frostbite sets in, it will become unimaginably painful. Did you know that frostbite can even remove limbs?" She smirked as they struggled, knowing there was no way out.

Pierre was watching all of this in a stunned and forced silence, growing more and more nervous while awaiting his turn. Would she do the same to him? Or would it be worse, somehow? He could only wait and see, dreading it the entire time. But that was what she wanted... For him to feel the same sense of dread that she had when they'd begun dragging her onto the platform and securing her in the stocks to be whipped.

It took some time, but she kept making their arms more and more frigid. The snow pressed against them, all the way from their fingertips to the joint of their shoulders. Their fingers were the first to go. She cleared away just a small bit of the powder to reveal that their nails and fingertips had blackened. Their entire hands were a dark, very concerning shade of bluish purple. She continued to keep them locked in her icy grip, ignoring their struggles and muffled pleas. Eventually, their limbs were forfeit, practically rotting off. Some of the Spades took them to dispose of, even snapping them off, most likely going to toss them overboard.

'Overboard... That gives me an idea...'

The slavedrivers' eyes widened and they howled from the numbing pain, and the shock of losing their most important limbs. There was zero chance of them being able to fight back now. The Pirates secured more ropes around their torsos, to ensure they didn't try to run away. Surprisingly, everyone was still conscious. The snow had also done them a kindness; it had helped to dull the pain.

"What do we do next, honorary Captain-sama?" Mitch laughed, seeming to enjoy this.

"Do we have any kind of boards or planks lying around that we're not using for anything?"

Ace looked at her, and a mischievous grin spread across his freckled face. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" She nodded. He turned to his men. "Alright, you heard the lady! We're making them walk the plank!"

"Walk the plank, eh?" Mitch could not control his laughter. With a shake of his head, he couldn't help but smile at how sadistic she was. "That's so cruel after what you just did. They won't be able to swim..."

"That's the idea." Ace nodded, already going with the rest of his crew to help set things up outside.

"Well they still have their legs," The albino girl pointed out, with a hand on her hip and the most adorably teasing pout on her face. "They could try to kick their way to shore somewhere... If there are any nearby." She giggled.

Shiori followed them upstairs, with Vanora still perched delicately on her shoulder, unable to contain her delight. In the midst of all of this, however, she was also having to fight off pangs of guilt that hit her. She knew two wrongs didn't make a right... But sometimes they did make things right. There were some scores that just needed to be settled, and it was good for a victim to be able to have closure too.

"The key word there is 'if'..." The Captain gave a hearty laugh, and was accompanied by his men. They all knew there was no land anywhere near them at the present time.

Mitch was the last one to exit the superbrig. He used his rope Devil Fruit ability to summon the bound slaves toward him. Most of them were in shock from losing their two most valuable limbs, and now they knew they were really in for it. They'd heard everything these sadistic people had just said, including the way they'd all laughed about it after. The silken webs covering their mouths still muffled their frightened cries.

Their deaths would only be a mockery, serving no other purpose than to make Shiori feel better about what had happened. And that was as it should be, as far as the Spades were concerned.

The only one remaining was Pierre. Mitch briefly contemplated leaving him down in the superbrig to contemplate his actions. After all, he couldn't move. He had just witnessed what had been done to the others, and since he was also gagged by Hiretu's silken webs, he was unable to even call out for help. He didn't get any say in what was happening anymore. Nor did any of the slavedrivers they currently had with them. It probably wouldn't be smart to leave him down there by himself though... No sense giving him even the slightest chance to escape or pull something.

"Come on," Using his rope controlling abilities, the first mate hauled the man over to him. "You're coming with us too."

The four of the doomed ones were dragged to the middle of the ship, with all of the Spades gathering around them. The crew had just finished setting the planks up, aligning them along the port side of the ship, and letting them hang over the open water. Vicious waves chopped at the side of The Royal Flush, as if reaching for the doomed slavers...

"You," Shiori pointed to the woman. "You weren't quite as bad as the others, so you can go first. At least you won't have to suffer anymore. Now walk the plank!"

With that, she urged her forward with the heel of her boot. She stumbled forward, and caught herself, but refused to take any further steps. I was obvious that the other girl didn't want to go... But the Spades offered her no choice in the matter. When she refused to walk on her own, they picked her up and moved her. She tried to plea for mercy, but was unable to say anything. All that came out were muffled sounds.

Mitch allowed his ropes to retract from her, falling uselessly onto the ground. After all, there was little point in binding a woman with no arms. The rest of the crew surrounded her, goading her onward until Haji finally took a dagger out from his turban. He proceeded to cut into her in the back with it, not very deep, but just enough for her to feel it.

She couldn't escape the pain of the blade without walking off the edge. Eventually, sick of the remainder of her tortured existence, the girl did the only thing she could... She walked the plank. The armless Pirate landed in the water with a splash, never to be seen again.

"The blood from her missing limbs is sure to attract sharks..." He reasoned, with a careless shrug, when the others gave him a quizzical look.

"That's an interesting idea..." Ace grinned devilishly, going over to the one he knew Shiori was saving for last. "What if we use his fingers and toes as chum for the sharks? We could do it before we throw the others in. Surely that would be a fitting punishment."

"It's not exactly what I had in mind," She laughed. "But I like it! Let's do it."

Haji skipped right over and began to make short work of the task, already sawing into the man's fingers, before setting to work on his toes as the rest of the crew cheered him on. Pierre screamed and howled, but it made little difference. They continued to jeer at him. His fate was sealed.

The small Pirate grinned and laughed maniacally. It was fun taking someone down a peg, especially when they were in the habit of hurting people that he considered friends. Haji made sure to remove each joint separately, to prolong the man's agony. He was trembling and trying to get away, to do anything to stop the blinding pain, but Mitch's ropes held him in place, unwavering.

"Hmm... Not bad." The albino girl remarked, assessing his work. "I rather like you when you're in pain. You sure used to love doling them out, but it seems that you aren't very good at taking punishments yourself." Her voice was dripping with venomous honey, mockingly innocent...

"Careful," Ace said. "I'm starting to like this side of you..."

Shiori ignored him. Right now she was too focused on thinking of a punishment fitting enough for what the man had done to her. He'd been one of the main ones urging everyone on when she was whipped. And she suspected he'd had the other guards keeping a close eye on her when she was stuck on Alvida's ship. There were so many ways he'd made her life a living hell back then. But he never would again. She was certain that he was already regretting it.

'Good,' She thought. 'Serves him right!'

She motioned toward the sea, and Haji obeyed her signal, tossing the wicked man's pilfered fingers and toes over the ship's railing. Sure enough, moments later, several shark fins appeared to break the water's surface. They sailed alongside the ship smoothly, seemingly attracted by all the blood in the water. The girl they'd thrown overboard only minutes ago was nowhere to be seen.

"I have a fun idea for the next few we toss," Mitch smiled with wicked delight. "Haji-san, let me see two of your daggers. Maybe some dull and rusted ones? Make sure they're two you don't care to lose."

The shorter man shrugged, taking out two heavily chipped rusty blades from his pockets this time. They most likely weren't poisoned, since he'd been keeping them so close to his person.

"Alright, these should be rusty and dull enough for ya..." He handed them to the first mate.

Mitch made quick use of them. He actually used each one to cut the silken strands away from their mouths, not caring whether he nicked them in the process. The two men blubbered and wailed, and began to plead for their lives.

"Shut up," He commanded, shoving the handle of each weapon into their respective mouths. "You'll be wanting to bite down now. Or else you'll lose your only hope."

Shiori watched all of this go on with great amusement. It was nice that they were all participating and contributing in some way. She watched as the remaining two men were made to walk the plank too. All of the Spades seemed to join in this time, calling out obscenities to them and jeering.

"See if you can fight your way out of it!" Someone called. "To the death!"

"Yeah! Fight each other to the bitter end, you damned cowards!" Another cried out.

And still more joined. "Or maybe use it on the sharks, if you don't drown before then! Hahaha!"

The two men cast one last look at each other's disfigured armless bodies, before being driven right to the edge of their respective planks. There was no time for them to figure out any kind of plan, and they couldn't talk to each other. All they could do was make annoyed grunts at best, unless they wanted to risk losing the swords they'd generously been given.

It was impossible for them to swim like that, and their heads bobbed under the water. They had to keep arching their backs further and further to prevent themselves from drowning. Their legs kicked so much, but the sharks were swimming all around them, and that was only drawing more of their unwanted attention. The blood from Pierre's fingers and toes had permeated the water, luring far too many of them in for this tempting feast. One of the men had his leg bitten off almost right away and he howled out in pain, dropping his rusted sword and watching hopelessly as it sank into the depths.

The other appeared to be trying to fend off the beasts by making use of the sword between his teeth. But it was difficult to get a proper angle or summon enough strength to actually break their tough sandpapery skin. One lunged for him and he managed to gouge out it's eye. Another shark came along and wrenched the weapon from his grip.

Eventually, both of the men were dragged beneath the red waves, never to be seen again.

The kitten on her shoulder purred contentedly, licking her paws. When she was finished grooming herself, she let out a small mew before jumping down to rub across Shiori's ankles. She zigzagged around them in typical feline fashion.

"Looks like that just leaves you..." Without giving it a second thought, Shiori moved on to the next one with a delighted smile still stretched eerily across her pretty face. "Now what shall we do with you, Pierre-san?"

Raising a hand, she decided to remove the silken gag that prevented him from speaking, but he chose not to say anything. After all, there was no good comeback for that.

She'd never gotten a chance to truly be heartless like this... It was an empowering feeling, and she liked it. There was no remorse shown on her face, nor any true regret in her heart. She contemplated all of that while walking toward the last remaining slavedriver; the one who had continuously made her life a living hell while she was there. There was one last act of vengeance still waiting for her.

"Let's string him up by his innards!" One of the other Pirates called.

"No! Let's brand him with a hot iron!"

"Cut him open and watch him bleed!"

"Hang him by a noose!" Mitch offered, holding one up, having already fashioned it out of his rope.

"Yeah! Make him suffer for what he did to you, Shiori-chan!"

Pierre himself seemed to have something to say to her now. "I spit upon you! Huueh!"

He snarled and spat a massive glob of spit and mucus in her general direction. But it missed, going into the water and dissolving... Just like his blood soon would, as the sharks began to feast upon it. That was the only thing that comforted her. One would think she would also be a bit unnerved having the sharks so close by. Sharks in the water didn't terrify people like Shiori or Ace, however. The water was just as scary to them either way. If they fell in, with or without sharks, they knew for certain they would die.

She didn't react, but instead narrowed her eyes, appraising him up and down. With eyes as cold as the snow which emanated from her skin, she stared him down.

"Mon dieu! Le red eyes of death!" He gasped his final words in an alarmed whisper, before being silenced again by Hiretu's quick and steady hands.

"Sorry, I was tired of listening to him talk..." The silkworm Devil Fruit user murmured.

"I heard someone mention something about a branding iron earlier? I really like that idea..." Shiori mused, turning and motioning for the men to get one ready.

Ace only watched on as they did so, giving a firm nod when they looked to him for direction. "I'm sure we have some hot irons down in the storage deck. I'll get a fire started in the kitchen where it's safe." He left before anyone could protest.

Vanora leapt back onto her shoulder, launching herself off of a nearby barrel, and landing there almost like a butterfly. Shiori reached up and scratched her behind the ears. The little cat leaned into her gentle touch. She was grateful for her little companion to have made it all this way with her. She'd been with her through so much...

"The things I'm going to do to you today are going to be far worse than even your worst nightmare." The girl told her bound captive, eyeing the open wounds that now decorated his hands and feet. Only bloody stumps remained. "It's a fitting punishment for what you put me through. But it's nothing compared to what I'll do to Alvida if she's ever unlucky enough to come across my path again..."

All he could do was gape at her in silent awe. It was obvious by the remorseful look on his face, his eyebrows knitted together and his eyes desperate and pleading, that he regretted what he'd done to her. For a moment, she actually contemplated letting him go. But she knew he would never allow her to live after everything he'd already witnessed. There would only be more revenge and more hatred if he managed to escape. It was too late to go back now.

Minutes later, they came back. The Spades immediately tried to brand the man with the hot iron, but it didn't work. He kept squirming out of the way. It was a wonder that he was even still conscious after all that he'd endured thus far, but that was good. She wanted him awake for this. She wanted him to know what was happening and why.

"We need something to make him still..." Ace huffed, realizing their plan wasn't working. "Something stronger than just rope. Is there some way we can paralyze Pierre-san? I feel like it'd be smart to limit his movement so he can't escape. You know... The same way that I couldn't escape while on board the slave ship."

Haji stepped forward, nicking his face across his left cheek with a small bejeweled dagger that he'd taken from his turban. It had a golden handle that glittered in the sunlight.

"A simple paralysis poison," He muttered, taking a step back. "It's fast-acting too. It will make it easier to torture him, and it has a side-effect... Hypersensitivity. He will feel everything more and be very sensitive. I think you will be pleased."

Shiori smiled fondly at him. "Thank you for all your help." Vanora chose this moment to cuddle up to her, nuzzling her face gently. She didn't seem to notice, or if she did, she didn't mind.

"Don't mention it. Torture is my specialty." He winked.

Several minutes later, several of the Spades took the hot iron back to the kitchen to get it heated up again. It was now obvious that Pierre was having great difficulty moving. The paralysis had set in.

While he was gone, Walter approached the condemned man with a syringe. "I also have something else useful to contribute. I've been saving it for just such an occasion..." He grinned, letting his sadistic side show a bit. The needle slid under Pierre's skin with practiced ease. "I'm injecting him with a powerful stimulant to keep him awake. Just so he doesn't faint from the pain."

Meanwhile, Mitch had gone off by himself. Shiori noticed that he'd been gone for a while. She spotted him over by the entrance to the brig, fiddling with some of his ropes... She wondered what he was doing.

Once the men returned with the hot iron, they gave it to Shiori. She began to approach her final victim, but hesitated. She turned toward the Captain. "I think it's your turn to have a little fun with him..." She mumbled, as she handed him the iron.

Ace took it with glee. "Whatever you say..." He glared at the condemned man, however. "This is what you get for hurting a friend of mine. And you're damned lucky it's not something much worse." His deep copper eyes narrowed, as if already scorching him.

Without any hesitation, he pressed it to Pierre's right cheek, opposite the scratch that was on his left. His skin sizzled and crackled, but the Captain held the metal brand firmly against his face, with steady pressure. When he pulled the glowing rod away, everyone saw that it was in the shape of a spade. Shiori hadn't realized that before...

'How fitting.'

Mitch chose that exact moment to saunter over from the barrels he'd been sitting on near the brig. He didn't bother to ask for permission, just showed her what he had spent all this time working on... He held up several different whips, each fashioned out of knotted rope. Using his Devil Fruit abilities, he positioned even more ropes to string up the bound man, holding his limbs up and apart for easier access, and making him stand on his tiptoes... If he'd still had any toes, that is. He then handed one of the whips to Shiori, another to Ace, and kept another one for himself.

"Judging from the way your face is all scrunched up, it must be incredibly painful." Mitch smirked, reminding Shiori of the way Ace did sometimes. "So... You like to whip defenseless women? Let's see how you like it then!"

It didn't matter that he hadn't been the one to actually do it. He was there and did nothing to stop it, and in their eyes, that was just as bad. He proceeded to lash into the man's skin first, without any hesitation. Pierre had a look of pure agony on his face, and probably would have screamed out in terror if he could have.

Shiori noticed that the whip she'd been given in particular had many sharp spines at the end of the braided knots. She saw that the others had a few of them too, but hers had the most. The white spines were decently sized, and shaped like thin curved rods, cylindrical in shape and then coming to a point at the ends. They weren't exactly like daggers, although they did appear to be razor sharp. Given the Spades' extensive knowledge of different poisons, she knew better than to touch them to find out.

"What are these things?"

One of the Spades she hadn't paid much attention to before stepped forward. Zetsui came over and turned his back to her. He flexed his muscles, and dozens of rows of razor sharp white spines protruded from his back. He didn't appear to be using a Devil Fruit power to do this at all.

"H-how are you doing that?!" Shiori stared at him, stunned. She'd forgotten all about Pierre's plight for the moment, seeming more interested in the strange sight before her. "Is it a Devil Fruit?"

The ugly hulking man turned to her with a Cheshire smile, shaking his head. "Nope! I'm part rockfish."

"How can that be?!" The albino girl's jaw dropped.

"Haven't you ever heard of Fishmen?" Ace asked her, explaining it as if it were nothing. "They're a pretty common race out here on the Grand Line. I'm surprised you've never come across one before."

"Is that, umm..." She wanted to ask, but didn't want to seem rude. "Is that why he's so..." She trailed off, thinking it would be impolite to finish her sentence.

"Grotesque?" Ace laughed. "Yes, but only to us. The women of Fishman Island seem to have different standards than human women."

"It's alright, I don't take any offense!" Zetsui laughed merrily. "I get asked that a lot more than you'd think. I don't mind, since I'm a ladykiller where I'm from. Anyway, I can regenerate my spines. They're full of poison. I gave some to Mitch-san to use for his whips."

"They're packed with a powerful venom that can cause bad muscle spasms, as well as temporary weakness and paralysis. If he weren't already paralyzed from Haji-san's prior work, that is. Given long enough to set in, they can even cause an excruciatingly slow and painful death." Walter smiled knowingly, having already thoroughly studied the effects of his crew mate's strange properties.

Pierre's muffled screams rang out in the background. It seemed to already be doing it's job. Nice.

"So that's what these are for..." Shiori nodded, glancing at the whip she held in her hand, and dangling the spines in front of her eyes.

"Careful," Ace warned her, lashing into the man as hard as he could with his own whip. "They pack quite a punch if you even so much as touch them. Don't let the quills anywhere near your skin."

Taking his warning into consideration, she began whipping all along his exposed back. The painful spines lashed into the bound man's side, and everyone could see his muscles spasming everywhere they were hit by the little white barbs.

She laughed in his face then. "How do you like it?! Hmm?!"

Although he was currently unable to answer her, Pierre didn't seem to take too kindly to being treated the same way they'd treated her before. But then again, people rarely did.

They continued to whip him until he had enormous red welts all across his back and shoulders. Even Vanora had chosen to get in on this, by scratching her claws along his flesh, chasing after the ends of the whips, which continued to elude her reach. No one intervened because once the poison was already embedded into his skin, it was alright for others to come into contact with it. The rockfish venom was absorbed very quickly.

After the three of them seemed to tire of their whipping session, Shiori delivered a few more harsh blows to the trembling man before giving up. Mitch took the whips and gave them to Zetsui to dispose of.

"I think that about does it..." Mitch wiped the sweat from his brow and adjusted his hat.

"Not so fast," Rex, the ship's cook, approached the suffering man that they still held captive. His dark spikes hung over his face as he tied his usual bandana around his head. "I have something to contribute too."

"What is it?" Shiori asked. She was starting to wonder what else they could possibly do to this man... But every time she remembered the pain he'd caused her, it made her blood boil, and she didn't care what happened to him after that.

"Abura Abura no Mi!" He called out, making some strange motions with his hands, and a thick amber colored substance flowed forth from seemingly out of nowhere. "Boiling oil!"

The other watched on in a stunned silence as the cook made use of his Devil Fruit powers. The hot oil dripped across Pierre's back, causing him to struggle more than ever in his bonds. She could see it burning his skin, searing it with pain. It was also doing a good job of sealing in the poison from Zetsui's quills. She'd never seen anything like it. The average person would have passed out from the unbearable amounts of pain, but she recalled that the doctor had given him an injection with a stimulant to keep him conscious.

Once it was dark red and there were blisters forming everywhere, only then did Rex finally stop. He took a step back to admire his work.

Ace wore a knowing smirk, since he had already gotten used to his crew's various different abilities. It was something that Shiori was still learning, however. Before this, she hadn't even known about Rex's powers, or those of Hiretu either, or that Zetsui was part rockfish.

"That's amazing!" Shiori praised him.

"You haven't even seen the half of it," He responded with a cocky smirk, bowing to her before kissing her hand. Ace seemed to stiffen at this gesture, but no one noticed. "I can also produce many other types of oil. That is what makes me such a great chef. From pure cooking oil, various perfumes, oil used for fuel, lamp oil, petrol oil to make enemies slip, and just about any other kind of oil you could think of."

Rex was the type who seemed to pride himself in his work. That was what the rest of the Spades had always admired about him. Unfortunately, his downfall was that he was also a perfectionist. His comrades were also aware that the guy was half delusional, and completely obsessed with ninjas. That was why he always wore a headband. Ace chuckled just thinking about it. His crew sure were a strange bunch.

"I guess we're almost done here..." The Valkyrie muttered, getting back to the task at hand... She approached Pierre, who had collapsed into a tiny ball, in spite of the ropes that attempted to hold him back. He was curled up and whimpering. "Awww... Does it hurt? Would you like some relief? I could cool you off." She laughed.

He nodded, his dark eyes completely blank now. There was nothing human left in him. It was like they'd broken him all the way to the very core of his being. Deciding to let him have his say at long last, she removed the silken seal from his lips once more. The others gathered around, watching closely to see what would happen now.

"Any last words?"

Pierre didn't seem to be coherent. At first, all that came out were a series of jumbled sounds and unintelligible moans of agony. Then, one at a time, he choked out the words.

"Please end it all, Angel of Mercy..." He said, still in his thick accent, while still shaking his head no. "Ange de la Miséricorde..."

She pressed a hand gently against his scorched face, touching the side where he had been branded with the Spades' symbol. Grabbing his face, the snow Devil Fruit user looked into his cold, half-dead eyes... The snow crept from her skin along his face, the cold reaching further and creeping down his neck and along his spine until it reached the base. She was freezing him completely. And then she dug her fingers into his eyes, grabbing and twisting as if she were trying to pull his face off.

It seemed to be working. His eyes were hollow, and still, he felt none of the pain. There was only numbness from where her icy grip reached. She wrenched it away, having taken his sight from him, and then suddenly snapping his neck like a twig. And he was no more...

"Get him out of my sight." She instructed the rest of the crew, having finally satiated her thirst for vengeance.


A/N: Well hopefully that was... er... interesting? Sorry for all the violence and gore, but after this we'll be moving into some of the more lovey dovey and cute stuff for a bit. (Don't get your hopes up too high though, I've already stated many times that the romance between Ace and Shiori will be slow building and they've only just run into each other again... It'll be worth it in the end, I promise.) At least they got their comeuppance. Gotta have balance, I guess. xD

-Kaline