"Listen to me. As long as you tell me where your hometown is, I'll use my Devil Fruit power to send you back there."
Shiro's firm, confident voice echoed through the prison, making the slaves raise their heads with puzzled looks. Some still couldn't quite believe he possessed such a broken ability. Devil Fruits were strange and varied, but one that could send people straight back to their homeland in an instant sounded far too outrageous. Even so, seeing the certainty in his eyes and remembering how easily he had cut down the guards, a sliver of hope stirred in their hearts. Maybe this young man really could save them.
"We're dead either way. Better to put our hopes on this guy!"
A burly middle-aged man was the first to regain his wits. Wiping the grime from his face, he strode to the front and met Shiro's gaze with unwavering resolve. "My hometown is Windmill Village in the East Blue. I'll be in your care."
Shiro nodded and carefully noted the location, then raised his right hand. A white paw-shaped pad appeared on his palm. He pressed it lightly to the man's shoulder and shoved. With a soft "whoosh," the man vanished from the prison, launched back toward his homeland.
Seeing this miracle with their own eyes, the rest of the slaves no longer hesitated. They crowded around, all clamoring to report where they came from. Shiro patiently memorized each location, then used the Paw-Paw Fruit to swat them away one by one, sending them home.
Meanwhile, in a corner of the prison, Boa Hancock found her younger sisters. The moment Sandersonia and Marigold saw their elder sister, their eyes turned red. The three girls clung to each other, and the tears they had held back for so long finally burst forth, their sobs echoing through the cell.
"Done crying yet? If you're finished, I'll send you somewhere."
Shiro's cold voice cut through their weeping.
Hancock stiffened at once. She stepped in front of her sisters protectively, eyes sharp and wary as she stared at Shiro. Her voice trembled as she asked, "W-where do you want to take us? What are you really after?"
She feared he might be another monster who planned to simply move them elsewhere to continue their life as slaves.
"I'm going to find you a teacher—someone who'll make you stronger."
A faintly amused smile tugged at Shiro's lips, but his eyes turned serious. "Don't forget why you ended up as slaves in the first place."
Hancock's body gave a small shudder. Her gaze dimmed and she slowly lowered her head, voice thick with self-blame. "It's because we snuck out to sea and didn't listen to our people… That's how those damned slave-traders caught us and turned us into this…"
"Wrong."
Shiro cut her off sternly. He stepped forward and lightly tapped her on the head. "It's because you're too weak. If you were strong enough to protect yourselves, how could those traffickers ever have captured you? Your weakness—that's the real reason you were bullied."
The three girls fell silent, his words striking them like a warning bell. If they had been strong, they would never have been taken as slaves or suffered so much pain.
Seeing them deep in thought, Shiro said no more. He activated the Paw-Paw Fruit again and flicked each of the three sisters away in turn. Then he pressed his own chest with his palm and disappeared from the prison as well.
Dim light, the smell of alcohol, the low murmur of voices—the Scamming Bar on Sabaody Archipelago was as hazy as ever. Hancock and her sisters stood in the middle of the bar, dumbfounded as they stared at the mix of pirates, merchants, and dangerous-looking types around them. They had never seen such a scene before, and nervousness made them huddle closer together. Only when Shiro's figure appeared at the doorway did they finally relax and quietly trail after him.
"Rayleigh-sensei, Shakky, ohayo~!"
Shiro waved lazily at the two familiar figures behind the counter.
Behind the bar stood a bespectacled middle-aged man holding a glass, while a woman in a red dress with an elegant air wiped another glass clean.
At the sound of that voice, Silvers Rayleigh's hand paused and his pupils shrank. He lifted his head and stared at Shiro in surprise. Shakky, meanwhile, fixed her gaze on the three little girls behind him, looking them over carefully before her lips curved into a knowing smile. "Hmm? These three girls… they've got the aura of Amazon Lily about them."
Rayleigh set his rum glass down on the wooden counter and walked out, each step slow but steady. "Little Shiro, what brings you here?" he asked, his tone a mix of curiosity and surprise.
Shiro scratched the back of his head and met his gaze. "Rayleigh-sensei, it's like this… I happened to save these three girls in Mary Geoise just now. They were being abused by a Celestial Dragon, and it was really bad."
He leaned in a little, eyes full of expectation. "I took a good look and realized they're all very talented—great material for training. So I brought them here to see you. I was hoping you could take them in and help guide them, help them grow stronger. What do you think?"
Rayleigh followed Shiro's line of sight and studied the Boa sisters. The three girls stood tightly pressed together, eyes wary and uneasy. Their distinctive hair and expressions made him frown slightly as he tapped his chin. "These three, huh…" he murmured, still unsure.
Just then, a crisp clink sounded as Shakky set a glass down. Cigarette dangling from her lips, she exhaled a lazy stream of smoke and sauntered out from behind the bar, hands tucked into her pockets. Her gaze locked onto the sisters as she spoke with quiet certainty. "Come on, Shiro, stop beating around the bush. Be straight with us—these three are from Amazon Lily, aren't they? Their aura is identical to the people from that island."
Seeing that she'd seen through him, Shiro didn't bother hiding it anymore. He nodded. "That's right. They are from Amazon Lily—and they share the same bloodline as you. Strictly speaking, they should be calling you senpai."
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