•Black Hat•

•3•

It hadn't been more that two weeks that Ace and I had been locked together when another guest arrived. But something was off with him.

He was blue. And he had pointy teeth coming out of his mandible. And he looked like a fish. And he was one of the seven warlords according to Magellan. And he was chained exactly across me.

And! What less could I expect from the... commander! that's right, of the second division, of course and he greeted the creature.

"Hello Jinbe..." he said and I kept the name in my memory.

"Ace!" The creature said and his voice, because he was masculine, was deep and croaky.

"Why are you here, my dear friend?" Ace asked and the words dear friend shocked me. Not just someone he knew but a dear friend!

Jinbe hesitated. He gave me a cautious look and I was ready to yell at him and tell him that I wasn't the suspicious looking one here, but Ace stopped me.

"She is harmless!" Ace explained but it didn't sound like the she is trustworthy, I wanted to hear coming out of his mouth, so I took matters into my own hands.

"What he wants to say is that I've been here since I was eight and I have no idea of what's going on on the surface." I added myself but it didn't seem to help much.

"Pearl..." Ace muttered and I turned to look at him. "That isn't really reassuring and it makes you look scary!"

"Pretty name..." the creature mumbled.

"Jinbe, believe me she is harmless".

"Okay... Firefist" Jimbei said after taking in a deep breath. "There's going to be a war".

"We know..." Ace muttered I couldn't help but be surprised to the sound of we. "Gramps told me. Why are you here?"

"I disagreed on fighting Whitebeard!" He said proudly like it was obvious.

"I wouldn't expect anything less from you boss!" Ace said and I noticed a bitter smile forming on his lips.

At that moment a guard stood in front of our cell and I remembered it was my bath day. It was the first time I didn't want to leave the cell for these fifteen minutes that in another day would probably be my salvation. I let him take me to the baths which as usual were empty.

"Doesn't Ace entitle to a bath?" I asked the guard that would always stood across me but I didn't get an answer back. If I was lucky the man guarding me would be polite to enough to turn around and let me shower without taking an eye. But I still considered myself lucky even if he just stood there looking at my naked body, because the times I didn't actually bathe weren't few. There weren't any den den mushis in the bathrooms and they knew that. The first time I found out was at the age of 9 and the night that followed I couldn't stop crying. Now I'm used to it and it's more surprising to me if I don't feel a hand touching my bare shoulder, or worse, pinning me against the wall, to use me for their pleasures.

This time when I got out my long red curly hair were stack all over my face and I had a huge purple bruise on my left cheek. I had barely managed to take a look at it as the guard was dragging me back to my cell. I didn't resist him, but I didn't show any emotion. That had angered him so much that he gave me a slap so strong that I fell flat on the wet floor. I was barely able to open my eyes and as they chained me back to place my head fell lifeless to the front.

"Bitch" the guard hissed as he left.

"What happened to you girl?" The creature asked me.

"Take a guess" I hissed and my voice came out gravelly.

"To my homeland he would be imprisoned for that!" Jinbe muttered.

"Where's your homeland then?" I asked not really caring.

"Under the sea".

"So you are a fish! What, did you eat the human fruit or something?" I asked and my eyes lit.

Both of them chuckled. I didn't have the courage to ask them why, so I waited for them to explain, if they would be so kind.

"I'm from fishman island. I bet you've heard of mermaids these creatures that are half fish half human. I'm the same just the top half is fish and the bottom human." Jinbe said and his voice sounded friendly to me.

I did my best to smile. "I see..." I muttered. "I would like to go there one day."

Ace seemed to read my thoughts.

"Will you take her with you when you return Jinbe?" He asked him.

"Of course..." the Fishman replied. But all of that felt like a lie. A lie two adults said to a little girl so she wouldn't cry any more. So that they wouldn't hurt her.

My eyes flooded with burning tears. But I kept my sobs for myself. I didn't want them to hear me crying, even though I was sure they noticed my tears when the light from the fires that lit the place fell on my tears and they shined shamelessly uncovering my silent pain.