"Hey...wake up!"
"...I feel like shit...who's calling me?
"I said WAKE UP!" The man banged onto the bars that constrained the prisoners with his fists and growled, "Stupid bitch...you're debut is in two hours and you're still knocked out cold. Good thing I didn't put any money on ya." He walked away as the red haired woman crankily jolted awake. She looked around and tried to stand, but furrowed her brows when she found her wrists and ankles chained to the very wall she was resting on.
"You know, you should take that as a compliment. The only rookies that get chained up like that are the strong ones...or the more rebellious...eh, it goes either way," A young man in the cell beside her spoke, drawing her attention to the left. He glanced at her for a moment before turning his head back forward and leaning it back against the wall. He knew she was looking at the chains of his own, but he only smirked and closed his eyes.
"Well I see what that says about you...they're only on your feet," She kept a straight face, unamused by his attitude. He was tall and lean, but you could tell he was a fighter. He was dirty and bruised like many of the others she was seeing around her, but unlike the others he had a less dreary demeanor.
"Well..." He walked toward the bars in between them and looked at the woman, making her raise her eyebrow, "Unlike you, they have no idea who I am. I was just some random man they took off the streets. I've turned into a crowd pleaser, they love me! But, of course, who wouldn't?"
She clicked her tongue and rolled her eyes, "Sounds like I'm in some sick and demented circus. I'm sure your the dancing baboon that dresses up as a woman, right?"
"You got jokes huh...spirit too...I like you so I'll let you in on a little secret," He bent down to be at the same level as Nicole and lowered his voice, "Do you know how to fight?"
"He doesn't know who I am..." Nicole just nodded. She figured it would be best if she didn't mention her identity for the time being, just in case he was one out of many that loathed pirates.
"Good...that's a good start..." He thought for a moment before continuing to speak, "I don't exactly know what this place is, and where we are in the blue seas...all I know is they keep us all locked up down here, and when it's time they'll take us up to the top and throw us into this dome...once you there...you fight for your life...if you win you're brought back to your cell and you wait for your next fight...it's a continuous cycle."
"What?" Nicole froze, shocked for a moment before shaking her head and laughing, "You're joking right? What would be the point of that?"
He sighed, growing serious for the first time since he'd been talking to her, "The people here come watch us fight for fun. It's like a dog fight to them. They bet on who will kill the other first."
"Kill? That's fucking crazy," She seethed, not believing what was coming out of his mouth.
"It's sick, but we all do it to keep our lives," Another man from the other side of her spoke with a deep voice. When she turned to look at him, the muscular man was frowning and shaking his head, "Everyone wants to live to see the day we get out of this place."
Nicole just sat quietly, taking in what they were saying. She had defeated many opponents in her lifetime, and of course had a few close calls...but she had never killed anyone. That's what she feared the most.
"God dammit," She growled and began to pull on her chains. She attempted to use her devil fruit powers, but she only got a spark and grew tired extremely fast. The men around her gasped and began to talk. It wasn't very often they had a devil fruit user in their midst.
She was now more of an oddity than she was before...it was already unusual that they captured a women as a prisoner...they never lasted long enough.
"Young lady, you should've known by now that the chains would be made out of sea prism-stone. We can't have devil fruit users like you causing havoc," The bars to her cell opened up and a blonde headed man walked into it, swinging keys in one of his hands, "Especially you...my pretty little pirate."
The red-headed woman gritted her teeth and snapped at the man, "Who the hell are you and what business do you have kidnapping people for your sick little show you're putting on?"
The man raised his eyebrow before staring down at her fiercely, "Do not speak to me that way," He had been expecting the woman's behavior ever since he had received the news of her arrival. He was not thrilled to have to deal with her.
"I will speak to you however I want! You fuckers drugged me and chained me to a wall, and you want me to speak to you nicely?" His reaction infuriated her and she lunged forward again, "Let me out of these chains and I'll show you just how nice I can be!"
He knelt down and examined her face very closely, invading her personal space, "I am your handler, and you'll do as I say as long as you want to live."
"You disgust me..." She paused before moving her head back and headbutting the man in the forehead, making him fall back onto his behind, "I'm not anyone's dog, and I'm sure as hell not going to kill somebody for your entertainment."
He rubbed his head and blinked, shocked at the stunt the woman had pulled. He stood up and brushed himself off before growling. He placed a finger below her chin and lifted her face soit was level with his, "Being a bitch in this place isn't going to get you anywhere. You will kill for the crowds entertainment, you will be our dog, and you will behave yourself!" He brought his hand up and slapped her on her cheek, forcing her head to turn the other way, "Whether you like it or not, you will deal with it!"
Her hair shaded her face, but pure hatred was emanating from her expression. The man straightened his back and adjusted his suit before walking out of the cell and closing it behind him, "You have one more hour before you fight. I wish you good luck, Nicole." He then walked away, two guards taking his place outside of the cells.
"Well that went smoothly," The unknown man in the cell beside her laughed and snickered, "What a way to make a first impression."
"Will you shut up!" She spoke lividly, glaring at the ground, "Just shut up."
He could tell that the red headed woman was as fiery as her hair, but he knew how she felt...it was how everyone felt when they first came to be there, "So your name is Nicole...my name is Rein. I came from the North Blue way back when...where are you from?"
"...it doesn't matter where I'm from..." She sighed before looking at the man, "So..the North Blue? Is that where they picked you up at? That's a lot of trouble...especially since that's all the way across the red line."
"Yeah...but it's not like I'm the only one that was picked out of their homes...look around," He gestured for her to look up, "You see the man with the mile long beard? He's from the South Blue. The man locked up beside him is old man Hercks. He's a fisherman from the west blue...he's pretty popular around here...it is said that he used to be good friends with 'Red Haired' Shanks."
"Really?" Nicole glanced at him before giving it thought, "Shanks is a powerful man...though he is a pirate. Usually people look down on us."
"That's right...blondie did say you were a pirate huh..." Rein smirked, "I don't recognize you from any wanted posters though, so you must not be that big of a deal."
She raised her eyebrow and shook her head, "You keep believing that big shot."
"I need the young female with red hair, it says she five foot eight, approximately 148 pounds." A voice came from a man who she couldn't see, the guards were blocking her vision.
Another voice spoke up to him, then she began to hear footsteps growing closer to her cell. It was making her nervous, and for good reason.
"So, pissing off your handler, huh?" A new face appeared in front of her cell and laughed, "Stand her up boys! We need to prepare her."
Nicole's whole body froze. The uncertainty of what was going to happen next was killing her, "Rein...is this it?"
"I wish you good luck lady pirate," Rein smiled at her as the guards opened her cell and began detaching her from the wall, "Do me a favor and survive, eh? I want to see you again."
With that they walked the unwilling woman out of the cell with shackles attached to her hands and feet. She prepared herself for the worst...but she planned to do exactly what the man from the north blue told her to do...and that was to survive.
Hey guys...i'm sorry I haven't posted in forever...i've been busy :( wah...well enjoy if you're still here