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In the four years since arriving, Rayleigh had never once felt unsettled by his new routine. Drink, gamble, work, and repaying debts. And not always in that order. The auction house hadn’t changed, unfortunately, but he still went there periodically to pay off debts and check for kids. Luckily, this was a quiet day; the auction was closed due to some problems the day before.
Leaning casually against the wall, Rayleigh surveyed the room with a half-lidded gaze, taking in every detail without drawing attention. Mostly fishmen today, and two giants. Humans were scattered about through the cages, but not as many as usual.
There was some comfort in that, at least.
A man called out, “Get caught again Ray?” There was a chuckle from some fishmen. The faint clanking of chains could be heard, but no one was wailing or crying today. In the usual loud area, the quiet was almost deafening.
Rayleigh chuckled. “No, just paying off another debt.” A bigger one than usual, but he didn’t mind.
“One day you aren’t gonna get outta this, you know,” a mako shark fishman called over. Rayleigh looked over and saw him stretched out on the bench in his cage; Rayleigh remembered seeing him here before, a couple years ago. “They figure out your tricks, you’ll be locked up for good like the rest of us.” The dejectedness stung, but Rayleigh understood where it came from.
He turned to speak but stopped as the clank of chains accompanied by footsteps sounded, the door at the far end opening. The guards led a tall girl into the cage next to his. He closed his eyes before they noticed him looking, but his haki was almost making the air vibrate. Forcing it down, he almost had to fight to keep from physically reacting.
It didn’t do this unless someone powerful was near, or someone of interest. But it hadn’t been this strong in years.
When the clanking had stopped, and the guard's footsteps were nearly silent, Rayleigh glanced over and he grit his teeth as a wave of haki threatened to overwhelm him. He recognized it immediately, a cold fury rising within him. The tattoo on her neck, small but unmistakable, marked her as N13. The metal links in his fingers gave a quiet groan as his grip tightened.
The girl herself seemed unremarkable at first glance. Her dark red-tinted hair fell in a tangled wave down her back, a long braid wrapped around her side. Her pale skin, dotted with freckles, made the red of her hair stand out even more starkly. She sat with her legs pulled to her chest, forehead on her knees, but the black ink on her neck nearly screamed out.
It was the mark of a human experiment.
“I can feel you looking,” she murmured, her quiet voice startling him. She didn’t look up, but her voice sounded hoarse. Not like she had been crying, but like she hadn’t spoken in some time.
Rayleigh waited a moment before speaking, trying to keep his haki under control. “I’m sorry, I just didn’t expect someone today.” Turning his face towards her, he studied her better. Her clothes weren’t just simple, they were bare. A thin cotton shirt, threadbare pants, and no shoes. There were holes dotting the shirt as well, revealing even paler skin underneath.
She looked up and he nearly flinched at the empty look in her eyes. “Why is someone like you here?” Even her voice sounded empty. Her expression was even blank, giving him no sign of what she was thinking.
He blinked at the question. Something about this girl unnerved him. “I had to repay a debt.”
“He gets caught every so often, kid,” someone called out.
She cocked her head. “You’ve been here before?”
Nodding, he held up one of his heavy cuffs. The chains rattled, and he set his hands back down. “A few times. That’s why I have these instead of the ones you have.” He gestured to the thin cuffs around her wrist.
She glanced at them, then pressed her legs tighter against herself. “How long might I be here?”
“Might be a few days,” he answered softly. He watched her quietly, but she didn’t say anything more. Leaning his head against the wall, he closed his eyes and tried to ignore the prickling sensation of his haki down his arms.
Teenagers being in here wasn’t that common, not compared to the amount of adults at least, but he saw them more often than kids. But he hadn’t expected to find a living lab experiment here. Not just now, but ever. He focused his haki until it was nothing more than a buzz across his skin, refusing to release it but understanding that it wouldn’t let up until he did something.
He didn’t know how long he had dozed off when the lock clicking woke him. At first he thought the guards were in his cage, then movement from the corner of his eye told him they were in the girls. It was dark outside, but the lights inside had been dimmed for a soft light. A thin breeze swirled through a window, bringing the sweet smell of the mangroves resin to the room.
“Get up,” the guard kicked the bench.
The girl sat up slowly, rubbing her eyes.
“Time for your exam,” the guard growled.
She jerked her head up, dropping her hands. “I already got one yesterday.”
The guard slapped her across the face; Rayleigh nearly jerked up. “Shut up. We have orders for you.”
She didn’t move, didn’t cry out, didn’t even try to defend herself.
Rayleigh forced himself to stay still as the guard all but dragged her out, but sat up the moment they were nearly at the end of the room.
“Something wrong, Ray?” the mako fishman called over quietly.
Rayleigh glanced at him, and sighed. “Not sure. Just seems odd they would single her out, that’s all.” And why slap her like that? The people here were hit all the time, but that seemed almost…deliberate.
A pause, then someone else called out. “You know they treat females different here.”
That was true, but this felt different. Ray leaned back, closed his eyes, and stretched out his haki as much as he could, trying to find her. He ignored the guards, the other people in the enslaved room, and nearly started as he felt a glimmer of haki he hadn’t sensed in years at the very edge of his awareness, but tried to focus on her.
She was somewhere past the exam room, but he couldn’t tell what was going on. She wasn’t being hurt, but he could tell that instead of fear, even her own haki signature felt as empty as her eyes had been.
His skin crawled. Debt be damned. He had to get her out.
It was almost an hour before she was brought back. He waited until the guards were gone, then looked over.
She was sitting on the bench, curled up again, but quickly met his gaze. “Why were you watching me?”
She knew? “You said they had already done an exam. I was curious.” He shrugged. Even in the dark, the tattoo stood out like a glowing brand against her skin. His haki threatened to flash out and again, he forced it down.
Her eyes narrowed. “But your haki never once left me.”
“How could you tell?” She couldn’t be more than 18. How did she sound like she knew how haki worked?
She rubbed an eye. “I’ve practiced my observation haki a lot,” she explained. “You also noticed something else, but I couldn’t tell what.”
Rayleigh was stunned for once. “How old are you?”
“17.” An automatic response.
She had enough practice with observation haki at 17 to not only know he was watching her, but that he noticed someone else? How long had she practiced? It had taken Roger years, and Rayleigh not much longer than him, to accomplish that. It had taken them over a decade to get as good as she seemed to be!
“I’ve been practicing since I was four,” she said unexpectantly.
That explained it, but it was still odd. “Why would you need to practice at that age?” he asked.
She shrugged. “I needed to.” Her voice, despite still sounding empty, said she would not elaborate further.
Rayleigh watched as she fell silent, then her breathes became slow and even after a few minutes. Her hair had been pulled back and he saw her braid was longer than he thought; it would almost be to her knees. But there were bandages on the end? Confused, he pushed his question aside for later.
Casting out his haki again, he tried to find the glimmer he detected earlier and was rewarded with an answering push. He pulled back his haki, wanting to rest it before he made a move. An idea was forming already of how to get her out, and maybe even away from Sabaody.
---
Daylight streamed through the high windows when the guards came through, distributing a piece of bread to everyone. Rayleigh noticed the girl didn’t touch hers when she woke and saw it, but said nothing. The soft clamor of voices from beyond the stage door told him that the auction house was open today.
“Ray, you’re up.” The lock to his cage clicked open and a guard unhooked his chains while another aimed a gun at him. First of the day, this might work in his favor.
Rayleigh said nothing, just let them take him through the room. He didn’t pay much attention as he stood on the stage, or as they led him to the section marked “Sold”, trying to think of how he could get her out.
The sounds of the people in the seats were loud, but he could ignore with the ease of practice. Numbers were called out, more people brought on stage, and he just fixed his gaze on the floor. Luckily it was cool inside the building today.
He stayed near the back of the section, but kept an eye on the guards surrounding the roped off area. They weren’t like the ones that would come and retrieve people. They were here to make sure no one escaped before their “masters” came and got them. Long guns, probably rifles, and swords. At a glance, he knew the bullets would be seastone and cuffs hung from their belts.
He thought about the four kids he had saved since his first time coming here, but they had all been small enough he could carry them, slip them through a narrow window slot, hide them behind a crate or barrel, or fit into a small space for a short time. The girl seemed taller than him, even though he hadn't stood next to her. Despite being skinny, she would be hard to hide. And he wasn’t sure how fast she could run.
But she seemed smart. Smarter than some of the people he had met here.
He looked up in time to see her being led to the Sold section. He resisted a grin; providence must surely be shining on him today. But he didn’t expect she would be led to him. Even better.
She didn’t look at him, but he could see her shaking. Carefully, without alerting the guards, he shifted and pressed his shoulder against her. She shot him a look.
“Stay still, I can get us out of here,” he murmured, low enough the guards wouldn’t hear. She gave a barely perceivable nod. Her hands gripped the chain between her wrists and he bit back the impatience he felt growing.
He hated waiting here, but it wasn’t the first time he had escaped after being taken away. Slowly, the roped-off section filled until noon hit. The announcer called out that refreshments would be provided and the currently sold slaves would be collected by those who were finished.
A guard walked up to them a few minutes later. “N13, Ray, you’ve been purchased by the same Celestial Dragon.”
Fate must really be on his side today.
Rayleigh followed the guard, keeping an eye on the doors as they passed. Five doors on the left side of the hall, and two wide archways showing the stage and seats. The girl, N13, stayed close behind him as they left through the far door.
Rayleigh fought back another rising wave of haki that he wanted to let out. But if he did it now, he would cause more trouble than they could handle. And he wanted to get away without hurting anyone.
Rayleigh suppressed a sneer as he spotted the Celestial Dragon lounging in a garish cart pulled by two humans. The air was thick and humid, the oppressive heat making the bubbles from the mangroves shimmer as they rose. The Celestial Dragon’s umbrella cast a feeble shadow, doing little to ward off the sweltering sun.
No matter how many times he saw this, it always disgusted him. But he couldn’t lash out. Attacking the Celestial Dragons was something even he wouldn’t do.
“Finally! Get a move on!” The Celestial Dragon waited until the auction house cuffs had been exchanged for a lighter pair that linked Rayleigh and N13 to the cart. When they were attached, the Celestial Dragon’s guards formed a perimeter, three on each side, and the Celestial Dragon cracked out a whip.
“What now?” N13 barely breathed the question, trying not to stumble as they were pulled along with the cart.
Rayleigh kept pace easily, but glanced around. Grove 1, where the auction house sat, was among the largest groves in the entire mangrove forest. It was also the most visible. Just ahead, he could see the marker for Grove 60.
“Ray?” she hissed as they inched closer to the bridge spanning the space between the groves.
He didn’t have a choice. While the Celestial Dragon’s guards were looking elsewhere, he grabbed the rope and quietly broke the link with haki coated fingers; this would both free him from the cart, but also let him use his hands. “Can you use armament?”
N13 shook her head.
“Quickly, let me see your cuff. Hold the rope.” He waited until the guards were looking elsewhere again, then snapped her link; she grabbed the rope before anyone noticed. “Can you swim?” He didn’t think she was a devil fruit user, but sometimes people hid it.
“Yes.” She glanced at him just as they reached the bridge.
He waited until he knew they were over a clear spot, then nudged her. Without speaking, he launched himself towards the edge of the bridge; thankfully, they were only a few feet away from the bordered edge and the guards had spread out a bit more.
He moved fast enough that all he heard was a shout, then dropped himself over the edge, plummeting straight to the water. He was very glad they hadn’t put ankle cuffs on this time.
Holding his breath, he didn’t relax until he was in the midst of a large swirl of bubbles. He almost let out a breath of relief as a second cloud of bubbles appeared a few feet away, then snapped the ropes around his ankles. Grabbing N13’s hand before she sank much further, he kicked out towards the roots.
Staying under the surface was dangerous, but he didn’t dare bring them up until he knew they wouldn’t be seen.
Coughing, N13 surfaced a second after him. “Are you nuts?!”
Releasing his grip, he didn’t have time to be startled by the sudden emotion in her voice, just made for a low root nearby. “Come on, we need to get out of the water.”
Grumbling and cursing under her breath, she followed him easily. Rayleigh offered his hand and after a moment, she accepted his help getting onto the root.
“I’m sorry. Warning you beforehand would’ve made them suspicious and I didn’t want us escaping in Sector 6.” Rayleigh had no desire to escape where the marines were the bulk of the people around. He carefully wiped his glasses with his shirt, thankful he kept a light, nearly invisible chain on them.
N13 glared at him. “I don’t mean about escaping. I’m asking if you're crazy for risking your own skin to get me out of there!” The heat behind her rebuke surprised him more than the question itself.
Rayleigh paused, thinking of how to word this. He could be wrong about her tattoo, but her name had almost entirely confirmed it. “You’ve never been free a day in your life. You don’t deserve to be the pet of anyone. Especially a Celestial Dragon.”
She stared at him, her eyes wide; he was correct then.
“I saw the tattoo on your neck. I’ve seen a similar one before, years ago, and they were in a lab owned by the World Government,” he explained. Only once, and even Roger had no idea that Rayleigh had snuck into a marine base looking for information. Rayleigh hadn’t found what he had been looking for, but he saw images of someone with a tattoo likes hers; it was the same size and style, but on their arm.
He hadn’t heard of live experiments before then, and it sickened him. He never told Roger about that, fearing Roger would go on a rampage to find them.
She seemed to deflate at his words, looking down at the water. “Doesn’t mean you had to risk your neck for me.”
Rayleigh watched her, noticing the slope to her shoulders, the way she curled herself. “I won’t ask what you’ve been through, but I couldn’t leave you there.” He took a second to stretch his haki out; the glimmer from before was almost to sector 2. So he was docking at one of the 20s groves. It would take some time for Rayleigh to get himself and N13 back to Shakky’s before the unexpected guest arrived.
“Who do you keep searching for?” she asked, her gaze narrowed.
“An old friend, one who can get you out of Sabaody,” he replied absentmindedly. He stood and looked around.
They were on the lowest root he could see, and he knew it would tire them both out to swim all the way to the roots of Grove 13.
“We need to get somewhere safe. Are you okay to follow me?” Rayleigh wouldn’t leave her here, but he knew they would need to move soon. He could feel the Celestial Dragons guards looking still, steadily making their way here.
She stood quickly, nodding. “Yes. Don’t worry about me keeping up. I’m faster than I look.”
Almost reeling from the change in her perceived personality, he led them to the higher roots, then leaped, climbed, sometimes dropped to lower roots for safety, until they reached Grove 12.
It was faster than he hoped for, and they only had to hide in the water twice. She had a knack for making herself unseen; his skin prickled with anger at the thought of why she would be good at that. Crossing under the bridge connected Sectors 0 and 1 was tricky, but they made it without being seen.
He moved to climb the roots near the bar, but stopped when she grabbed his arm. She was glaring at him. “Why are you helping me? Really?” Her grip was tight, her ragged nails digging into his skin.
Meeting her gaze evenly, he knew she wouldn’t be satisfied with the answer he had given before; that he wanted to see them get home. Rayleigh could tell she was too smart, smarter than a 17-year-old should be for something like this, and said honestly, “I don’t agree with anyone being slaves, but the fact that you’ve never been free makes it worse.”
She let go, her eyes widening.
“Staying here will get you caught eventually, and I’m not going to let that happen. It’s safer for you to leave the mangroves, and the person I could sense is one of the most trustworthy people I know,” Rayleigh finished.
N13 stared at him, then shook her head. “Do you really think they can get me out?” Did she think she could get somewhere safe; that was the question Rayleigh heard. And he wasn’t sure, but maybe there was a glimmer of hope in her voice. Her face stayed neutral however, and he wondered how much she was hiding.
A flash of haki sparked around him questioningly, and he smiled. “Yes, I know he can.” Taking her hand, he helped her up the roots and led her to the back of Shakky’s Rip-off Bar just as he spotted a flash of red beneath a straw hat not far off.