"Whoa, shit, that was close! Almost didn't make it. That woman's not even human!"
"Yeah, I didn't even see her move, and suddenly we were flying!"
"Humiliating! Can't believe we got taken down by some little broad today."
The thugs who had escaped Ibes's grasp gasped for breath, reeling from their close call, immensely thankful to be alive.
"Hey, should we tell the Boss? What d'you think? Besides, she's a prime catch."
"Yeah, I think we should."
"Let's do it."
Having decided, the three turned without a backward glance and headed off to report to their leader.
Thugs like these were common sights in the North Blue, typically bullies who preyed on the weak and feared the strong. They served as the eyes and ears of underworld forces, an indispensable part of the criminal network.
Deep within the darkness lay a room where numerous young women and innocent children were imprisoned. Their fate was enslavement, destined to be sold off across the world. Those who weren't sold wouldn't be wasted either; there were always uses, even if it just meant harvesting a kidney, right? For them, it was damned if you do, damned if you don't. They had already resigned themselves to their fate, trapped in hell with no hope for the future. Some extreme cases, broken by their own suffering, even turned to help their captors torment others—a classic case of Stockholm Syndrome.
"Boss, we found a top-quality piece of merchandise. If we sell her, it'll bring in a huge sum!" the three thugs reported respectfully to the figure hidden in the shadows. "But... this woman's pretty tough. Hard to handle."
"Oh, is that so?" The figure in the darkness turned, revealing herself to face the three men. "The ones who resist are more interesting, aren't they? That's just my taste. I love breaking them in."
"Yes, yes, Boss, you're absolutely right! No matter how stubborn the resistance, after your... training... they always end up perfectly obedient!"
"The Boss is our idol!"
"If only I had half the Boss's skill!"
The three thugs showered the woman who had turned around with sycophantic praise. Indeed, the boss was female. Long, wine-red hair cascaded over her shoulders, framing brightly painted lips and a delicate face. She was beautiful, yet hideous scars marred her features, ruining the aesthetic harmony but adding a fierce, savage aura.
The woman seemed utterly unconcerned by her appearance; she had carved those marks herself, a twisted form of self-preservation.
How tragic. She had come to understand the world's harsh reality all too well: beauty, whether in a man or a woman, was a sin. Weak beauty was an even greater transgression. Living on the edge of hell in the North Blue, she had witnessed too much depravity and ugliness. A miserable childhood followed by a wretched adulthood, experiences that had nearly cost her life, forced her to plan for her future. After destroying her own looks, she used cunning and ruthlessness to gather followers and build her own gang, engaging in the very acts she once despised most.
If you couldn't escape it, you might as well join it. The entire North Blue was rotten anyway. Once dominated by Germa, now controlled by underworld powers, life for civilians was undeniably hard. In truth, civilians suffered everywhere in this world; the North Blue was merely a microcosm.
Through sheer ruthlessness and sharp intellect, the woman had successfully made a name for herself. Her growing power inevitably attracted the attention of the Eitov Family. Wisely, she didn't refuse their overtures, choosing instead to align herself with them. It was always better to have a powerful backer. Now, her gang served as a sharp blade for the Eitov Family, specializing in capturing slaves, particularly women and children. Truly, it often takes a woman to inflict the cruelest suffering upon another woman.
"Take some men and bring her to me. I want to discipline her myself," the woman ordered.
"Yes, Boss! We'll get right on it!"
Meanwhile, Ibes found her path fraught with trouble. People constantly tried to harass her, but they were all bark and no bite—weaklings who looked imposing but lacked real strength. She dispatched them with little effort.
"Quick, that's her! Grab that dame! She's our treasure, worth a fortune!"
The three thugs Ibes had previously dealt with and let go emerged from their base with a large group of reinforcements, running right into Ibes as she ventured deeper. The three immediately ordered their men to surround her.
The thugs moved efficiently, quickly encircling Ibes, leaving her no room to escape.
"Don't know if you're naive or just stupid," one of the original three sneered, growing bolder now that they had the numbers. "We were looking for you, and you walked right into our hands."
Seeing Ibes remain silent, the thugs grew even more arrogant, confident victory was assured. A little swagger wouldn't hurt.
"I came to rescue people," Ibes finally spoke, her voice calm but firm. "If you release the women and children you've captured, we can settle this peacefully."
"Hah! A joke!" another thug scoffed. "Once someone enters our turf, do you really think they can just walk out? They're money, understand? Money!" Ibes's naive words meant nothing to men like these; they would never give up their profits.
"I'm sorry, then," Ibes replied, seemingly resolved. "It seems I have no choice but to defeat you. I don't wish to fight, but I must obey God's command." She disregarded their mockery, steeling herself to take them down, rescue the captives, and complete Doflamingo's mission.
"Ridiculous! Brothers, get her!"
The mob surged forward, intent on keeping Ibes there.
"Soru!"
Ibes activated the Rokushiki technique, moving in a blur. Harnessing the force of her high-speed movement, she took down the grunts one by one with precise punches.
After eighteen months of Doflamingo's special training, these North Blue thugs were no match for her. Their bulging muscles and intimidating size might scare ordinary people, but not Ibes. She had faced far greater power and didn't give these men a second thought.
"Agh!" "Oof!"
Men lay sprawled on the ground, clutching their stomachs and groaning in pain. They'd never encountered anything like this. If their goal hadn't been to capture her alive, they would have drawn weapons long ago—though it likely wouldn't have made a difference.
"Quick! Take me to them! Release the people you've captured!" Ibes commanded the downed men sternly.
While Ibes was busy dealing with the reinforcements, a sharp-eyed subordinate had already slipped away to report back to the boss.
"Boss, they were all taken down! That woman is incredibly strong, but she's kind of naive. All she cares about is rescuing the captives," the subordinate recounted everything he'd witnessed.
The woman was no fool, nor was she kind. Her own lack of physical prowess meant she had always relied on her wits to overcome enemies.
"Go on, I understand," she dismissed the subordinate. After a moment's thought, a mysterious smile touched her lips.
Ibes forced the three pale-faced original thugs to lead the way to where the captives were held. Soon, they arrived at a heavy door secured with four or five thick locks, clearly meant to crush any hope of escape from within.
"Quick, open the door! Let them out!" Ibes demanded, her earlier softness replaced by a commanding tone.
"Okay, okay... but we don't have the keys," the thugs stammered, a bitter smile on their faces.
"Then break it down," Ibes ordered.
"Alright." Outmatched and seeing no other choice, the three thugs fiddled with the locks and managed to force the door open.
Inside the dim room, huddled figures—women and children, ragged, emaciated, and covered in wounds—shrank back as harsh light flooded in, chasing away the darkness.
The sight struck Ibes deeply. She was horrified that these beasts had captured so many people, and even more appalled by the inhuman state they'd been reduced to. For the first time, true killing intent sparked within her heart towards these criminals. They were utterly despicable!
"Don't be afraid. I'm here to get you out," Ibes said, composing herself and speaking in the gentlest, warmest voice she could manage to the traumatized group.
There was no reaction. They remained huddled, withdrawn (much like Koala's state when she was first rescued). Numbness had set in; the light had gone out of their eyes.
"Everyone, don't be afraid. I'm here to take you out. Come with me," Ibes urged again.
Perhaps the warmth in her voice finally broke through. A flicker of light returned to the eyes of those not yet completely numb.
"Really?" someone whispered.
"Of course, it's true. Come on," Ibes said softly. Sensitive to their state, she began gently helping the victims to their feet.
"Get up. You're free now."
One by one, Ibes helped them stand.
"Free? That word feels so distant..."
Finally, only one woman remained, sitting with her knees drawn up to her chest, her wine-red hair obscuring her face. Just as Ibes felt she was about to succeed, the unexpected happened.
Ibes extended her slender hand towards the woman.
Without hesitation, the red-haired woman grasped Ibes's hand firmly, using Ibes's strength to pull herself up... and straight into Ibes's embrace, her arms locking tightly around Ibes's slim waist.
"Thank you so much, my dear savior," the red-haired woman murmured from within the embrace, her beautiful eyes glinting with cunning and triumph. "Let me repay you properly."
Ibes, initially unconcerned by the woman's words, tried to gently disentangle herself so they could leave this dreadful place together.
"Alright, let's quickly—" Ibes stopped mid-sentence, sensing something wrong. A strange numbness was spreading through her body.
"Hahaha! You naive woman!" The red-haired woman pulled away from Ibes, admiring her handiwork, clearly pleased with her performance.
"What did you do?" Ibes stared in disbelief. One moment she was rescuing someone, the next, she had fallen into a trap.
"Silly girl, how can you be so naive? Haven't you figured it out yet?" The woman dropped her pitiful act, stepping forward to reveal her full appearance. The ugly scars on her face now seemed to lend her an air of dominance.
"Boss, you're amazing!" "Boss is incredible!"
The woman seemed uninterested in her subordinates' flattery. The other captives huddled fearfully, not daring to speak.
"Oh? A rare specimen," the woman mused, her interest piqued by Ibes. She reached out and touched one of Ibes's wings. "Are these real, I wonder?"
"Why? Why would you do this? Why persecute them like this?" Forgetting her own peril for a moment, Ibes demanded an answer.
"There's no 'why'. Maybe it's just my hobby! As long as I'm happy," the woman licked her red lips, looking excited. "Don't worry, the 'love' they received? I'll shower it all on you too. I'll take very good care of you."
Seeing their boss like this sent shivers down the subordinates' spines, goosebumps rising on their skin. They silently mourned for Ibes. Any woman who fell into the boss's hands was invariably tortured until broken, both physically and mentally.
"You're human too! You must have parents, siblings! How can you act like this, no different from an animal! Why commit such heinous acts? Is it just for pleasure? What kind of sickness drives you?!" Ibes wasn't intimidated, still trying to appeal to the woman's conscience with her own kindness.
"Pathetic! Stop acting compassionate here!" the woman snapped as if Ibes had struck a nerve. "I do whatever the hell I want! Human? I stopped being human long ago! Ever since I crawled out of hell, my purpose in life has been to make more people understand what pain truly is!" She grew enraged. "When I was suffering, why did no one come to help me? Since the world gave me suffering, then I shall inflict suffering upon the world! I'll make others taste the bitterness I endured, make them feel everything I went through!"
"You're insane!" Ibes cried, aghast. "Just because you were abused and tortured, you lash out and take revenge on everyone?"
"Hahaha! You're right, I am insane!" The woman laughed wildly. "Do you know how I got these scars on my face?"
Her laughter turned manic. "I carved them myself! To force myself to remember the suffering, remember the inhuman torture! I thought taking revenge with my own hands would bring me joy, but... I didn't feel happy at all. This shitty world... it's rotten to the core! And if it's already this rotten, why not make it even worse?!"
Looking utterly deranged, the woman unexpectedly poured out her sorrows, recounting her past traumas. Perhaps Ibes's inherent kindness had struck a chord within her.
Hearing their boss's tragic story, the subordinates murmured amongst themselves. "Wow, didn't know the Boss went through something like that." "If it were me, my revenge might have been even worse." "What happens to others? Who cares? As long as I get my kicks, right?"
Having vented, the woman seemed to gain a twisted sense of satisfaction.
Ibes listened, deeply affected. She hadn't expected such a complex and painful history behind this woman. While her experiences were heartbreaking, her method of lashing out at the world was repulsive, disgusting.
Perhaps it's true, Ibes thought bleakly. You can't understand someone's pain unless you've walked in their shoes, so don't preach goodness to them.
She fell silent, a whirlwind of emotions churning inside her. She knew what was coming next. Guilt washed over her—guilt towards Doflamingo. Because of her naivety, her kindness, her carelessness, she hadn't been vigilant and had fallen victim to the woman's poison. Now, paralyzed, she couldn't complete his mission. More than that, she felt a deep pang of regret for her own blind, naive kindness.
"Alright. Soon, you will experience all the evils I endured," the woman stated, her voice cold and devoid of emotion once more.
"I'm sorry, God," Ibes whispered, tears streaming down her face. "I failed your trust."
"Take her away!" The woman didn't care about Ibes's state; her sickness ran too deep.
Just as her subordinates moved to act, a voice cut through the air.
"Thinking of touching my people? Did you ask my permission?"
A bright flash of lightning gradually coalesced into a human figure, materializing before the astonished eyes of everyone present.
"Who are you?!" the woman demanded, instantly recognizing the threat and going on high alert. Her subordinates also tensed, preparing for a fight.
"Ibes," Doflamingo said, ignoring the others entirely, his gaze fixed solely on her. He paid their hostile stances no mind. "Do you understand now?"
"You're asking for death!"
Seeing Doflamingo ignore them, one of the more hot-tempered thugs couldn't restrain himself and lunged forward, fist raised to strike Doflamingo down.
It was futile. The fist passed right through Doflamingo's body.
"What the—? Why can't I hit him?" "Is he a ghost? How is this possible?!"
The subordinates, lacking knowledge, were baffled. But the woman, possessing sharper eyes, gasped in disbelief, "You're... a Devil Fruit user!"
"Everyone, run! We're no match for him!" The woman was decisive, immediately opting to flee.
"Hand over the antidote, and you can go," Doflamingo stated calmly.
The woman was smart enough to comply instantly. After tossing over the antidote, she and her subordinates fled rapidly.
Doflamingo let them go, not bothering to pursue. It didn't matter how far they ran; they were still within the range of his Observation Haki.
Seeing Ibes still hesitant, Doflamingo spoke again.
"Have you made your decision, Ibes?"
Having taken the antidote, Ibes felt the paralysis recede and her strength return. She took a deep breath. "God," she said, her voice steady now, "I understand your intentions. I was too naive, too ignorant before. My blind kindness was... laughable. Thank you for making me see all of this." She looked up, her eyes clear and resolved. "Since killing is unavoidable... then let me be the one to put an end to such ugliness."
Hearing Ibes's words, Doflamingo felt a deep sense of satisfaction.
"If that's what you want to do," he said, a familiar smirk playing on his lips, "then go do it."
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