Missing Piece

Chapter 32

Pain. Pain without mercy and without break was something Charlotte had long ago gotten used to.

A little pain is nothing, as long as you're still alive.

Wise words from the one teaching her not to live, but to survive.

After all, how does one live if one is dead?

Blood splattered against her blue tail fin.

The large, bloodied fin heavy and limp on the ground before the huntress. "How's that?" Kline grinned satisfied by the slight twitches of her body spasming and the tears at the corner of her tired eyes. "Now you know better than to cross me again!" He laughed and then stared at his bloodied hand, disgusted. He wiped the blood against her tail like it was some kind of germ as he walked past her. "Now be a good girl and sit still, we wouldn't want you to bleed to death."

"...d-don't..." Charlotte's defiance was barely audible. She spat out the blood in her mouth from when she instinctively chewed at her cheek to avoid screaming. "And if I don't?" She repeated, louder this time. Her body finally responding to her.

Kline paused, tilting back slightly at the noise that he originally thought he had misheard. His eyes widened in shock when he saw her, slumped over the counter, much closer than she was before. Much too close to the giant red button. The glass casing already flipped open.

"D-Don't press that!" He pulled up his hand quickly to restrict the huntress' movements again only to jolt to a stop. His body frozen; unable to move. Only his eyes which drew down towards his hand, wondering why it wouldn't listen.

"Can't move?" His eyes darted back towards the troublesome mermaid and widened. The style of the doll with coarse stitching and button eyes far too familiar, yet so bizarre. Never had he seen one that looked like him. "Looks familiar?" Charlotte grinned. She couldn't agree more. Eyes were such great storytellers of one's emotions. He hadn't realized it yet. He didn't make the doll, she did. "What does this button do?" Not that she was going to clarify that. Why would she give away the surprise of her ability? This was why she never understood chatty Devil Fruit users. "Oh, wait, you can't talk anymore can you. Here, one moment." She undid the stitches binding his lips together. "I bet it's very important if it beats you asking me how I'm able to move."

"It's the kill switch that releases all the cages door! PLEASE, I beg of you. DON'T press it!" Charlotte's eyes gleamed at his words. Those were the exact words she was hoping for.

"You know, I've always been awful at taking orders." She pressed the button down with ease.

An alarm sounded loudly, and the once quiet inspection center was doused with red and white light. "What the hell?!" Penguin flinched, grabbing his poor ear. He was standing right next to the bell when it sounded. "What in the world?!" All gates and doors flung open simultaneously and confused mermaids and humans were slowly creeping out of their crates.

"Captain! Penguin!" Even the rest of their crew was coming out fine.

"H-how did you get out?" Penguin questioned through the multiple hugs. A few of them had been separated into different crates. They were on their way to collect them.

"The door flung open by itself randomly."

What are you planning? Law thought, glancing around at his recovered crew chatting happily about their strange escape. At the mention of their only female companion, the other grew excited, hoping to see her soon. It wasn't hard to connect the dots that she was likely the one responsible for them getting out. Except only Law realized she still hadn't shown up and she had all the time to. It was almost as if they—he—weren't her priority. He blinked, realization hitting him. Is she still mad at me?