"A slave?" Kairo said casually.
He stepped closer to the little girl.
Despite her face being smudged with ash, her beauty still shone through brightly.
"No wonder they caught her," Kairo muttered under his breath.
The girl flushed slightly as Kairo's gaze held her.
After all, Kairo's long dark blue hair, his solid build, and the battle-worn tears in his clothes revealing years of honed muscles made him hard to ignore.
Kairo approached the lock on the cell door and gave it a sharp tug.
Snap!
The lock broke open.
He swung the door wide, and to his surprise, more girls emerged.
Four more, one after another.
"I took care of the pirates above. You're free now," Kairo told the five young women.
Their previously dull eyes lit up instantly.
Kairo didn't linger. He moved from cell to cell, breaking locks and freeing more prisoners.
One by one, they spilled out.
With his hands in his pockets, Kairo left the gloomy cabin behind.
He didn't really care about saving them, but he hated slaves with a burning passion.
After stepping out, Kairo took a deep breath.
That moment in the cabin, he felt a wave of despair rolling off the prisoners.
And he knew it was real.
No wonder Baloric Redfield treasured someone with knowledge like his the ability to read minds and hearts.
"Hoo!"
With a light breath, Kairo grabbed the box of belly and stepped off the pirate ship.
"Wait!"
The familiar female voice called out again.
Kairo turned, frowning.
"What is it? You're free. Why call me back?"
He was impatient, all he wanted was to get away.
All 5 girls exchanged glances, then dropped to their knees before him.
"My lord, please take us with you. We're ready to work like slaves to repay you!"
The same girl from before spoke.
Kairo rubbed his temple, their sincerity gave him a headache.
"Why?" he asked bluntly.
Silence.
Then, their sadness spilled out, thick and heavy.
It irritated Kairo even more.
"Lord, we're homeless. Our kingdom, Kakna, is torn apart by pirates because we couldn't pay the sky-high taxes. Now the whole place is a dead island, were the only one remain. Those pirates kept us because they liked our looks, planning to sell us to slave traders. Please, take us in!"
The girl knelt, tears streaming.
Kairo felt a flicker of something stir inside him.
"Alright, get up," he said, stepping forward to help them.
"What are your names?" he asked.
The girl at the front spoke up without hesitation.
"My lord, I'm Nova Sinclair."
Her blonde hair and bright blue eyes caught Kairo's attention, and he gave a slight nod, almost like a salute.
The others quickly followed.
"My lord, I'm Luna Carlisle."
"My lord, I'm Nancy Fairmont."
"My lord, I'm Penelope Whitmore."
"My lord, I'm Jillian Hastings."
All girls introduces their names to Kairo.
"Nova, Luna, Nancy, Penelope, and Jillian, right?" Kairo confirmed.
"Yes, sir!"
All five girls said in unison.
"Alright, from now on, you'll follow me and be my maids. My name's Kairo Stoneheart, but you can call me Young Master," he said casually.
"Yes, Young Master!"
They repeated in chorus.
Kairo nodded with satisfaction.
Having these five beautiful girls as maids was definitely an advantage.
After all, anyone who could be sold as a slave had to be something special.
"Come on, let's move."
With that, Kairo turned and strode toward the port.
As for the others, he didn't care, he wasn't their parent. They could fend for themselves.
"Hey! Wake up, wake up!"
Kairo approached Ivan and gave him a sharp kick.
Ever since Ivan had been knocked out by Kairo's Conqueror's Haki, he still hadn't wake up.
Not just Ivan, everyone else on the pier all lay unconscious.
Kairo thought to himself, I didn't expect my first time using the Conqueror's Haki to be this powerful!
After kicking Ivan's side again, Ivan finally groaned and stand up awake.
"Boss! Where's that Guy?"
Ivan looked startled to see Kairo, then glanced around nervously.
"The sea... Where are the pirates?"
His eyes darted around the carnage, only bodies and ruined town signs remained.
Kairo pointed toward the bear's severed head.
Ivan followed his finger and his eyes widened in shock.
"The pirate captain… his head's been cut off and hung on the flagpole!"
"Did you do this, Boss?" Ivan stammered, trembling.
Kairo gave a firm nod.
Why is this guy so useless?
"Hurry up. Those five girls are all you're subordinates now, they'll be your servants. Train them well."
After saying this, Kairo dismissed the useless Ivan without another glance.
He'd trained the guy for three years, yet he couldn't even withstand a glimpse of Kairo's Haki. What was the point of raising such trash?
The more he thought about it, the angrier he got. Without looking back, Kairo headed straight to his mansion.
Night was falling after the exhausting battle.
Only when he returned did Kairo realize why the town was so eerily silent.
Everyone was unconscious.
His Conqueror's Haki had spread throughout the town, rendering people powerless.
All the towns people lay passed out everywhere along the way.
At home, no one had prepared food.
Shortly after Kairo's arrival, Ivan appeared, leading the five young maids behind him.
"Ivan, perfect timing. Go prepare something for me, I need to regain my strength," Kairo said coldly.
Ivan bowed respectfully and took the girls to the kitchen.
Though Ivan wasn't very strong, he was good at handling chores.
That was why he had stayed by Kairo's side for four years.
Kairo sank into the sofa and began to replay the battle in his mind.
He had awakened the Conqueror's Haki with ease, and it felt incredibly natural.
His thoughts sharpened, and a wave of satisfaction and calm washed over him.
That feeling, the thrill after slaughtering enemies recklessly, was like no other.
"Could it be... I enjoy killing people? Does that mean I'm becoming a cold blooded murderer? When did I get this twisted?"
Kairo stroked his chin, pondering aloud.