"Please forgive us!"
"We'll do anything! Just don't kill us!"
The previously cocky sailors now looked like they crapped their pants as they sat all tied up by a rope on a small wooden boat.
"Don't worry,as long as you don't struggle you'll float."
He lifted his hand up as signal and the tiny boat was let loose to free fall to the sea surface.
"Ahhhh!" *splash*
Despite the pathetic pleas and cries for mercy,even offering to make him their captain but he was having none of it.
Within a few moments the ship sailed away and left the men behind.
THE young man didn't want risk such a cutthroat lot to stay on board who might backstab him later.
...
"Sir,-"
The girl now on the ship's wheel was now also guiding them towards the nearest safe port for them to disembark. She kind of became of right-hand woman and filled what had happened on that cursed ship.
She was one of few young women aboard that ship who had a calm collected head and could take responsibility,it was a plus she had some experience to operate a sailing vessel with her family.
"Please,call me Simon."
He had decided to use this name for now until he determines his true identity. They both stood on the ship's bridge which was slightly elevated and had clear view of the deck where there were some women helping run the ship,others just laid about and needed to be comforted by others. They were still processing their traumatic experience.
The about 2 dozen young women in their teens and early twenties had been lured in with a job offer and ended up being trafficked away from their families.
He was surprised when he first learned slavery was a thing but this world seemed to be medieval after all when he thought about it.
There was moment of silence as they considered how close they were to be in life of complete horror of bondage or worse.
They were about a day away from Bosco which was major trafficking hub. They turned towards nearest port where such terrible practice was forbidden. He was told that Kingdom of Fiore had banned this barbaric practice so it was their safest best. They were short of food and water so there was no time to lose.
A/N: It's kind of f***ed up that ep 1 of the show made it clear that human slavery existed in this world with main character lucy almost trafficked herself before rescued by natsu,never to be brought up again. Again Mashima has interesting ideas but never follows up on it for generic power of friendship nonsense.