Part five - Koby and the "Queen of monsters" 6/6

"Merciful"? Where is she "Merciful"? The horror became so overwhelming that Koby finally passed out. But the happiness was short-lived. When he woke up, he found himself suspended by the arms. As soon as he realized this, he immediately began to look around chaotically, trying to understand what was happening and where he was.

Behind him, Koby found a large wooden shield nailed directly to a tree. On the shield, in yellow chalk, the outline of a human body was drawn. Beneath him the boy saw logs stacked in a pyramid, and in front of him were hunters lying in sunbeds, near each of which daggers were abundantly poked. The boy had no doubt what would follow, so he whimpered softly in horror.

- ABOUT! Has our bad boy woken up? - came the melodious voice of the "Queen".

The girl was the only one next to whom there was not a single dagger. And instead of beer or sake, "Queen" held in her hands a tall glass, the contents of which she sipped through an umbrella tube.

- Hey kid! - Hat waved his hand happily. - While you were fainting, I came up with a new game, with you in the lead role, so you will definitely like it, I promise! The essence of the game is that one of us pronounces the name of a certain part of the body, where exactly two seconds later the speaker will throw his dagger. We will throw at the shield after you, so if you don't dodge, you will become a corpse. So? All clear? Then let's check it out, and in order not to kill you from the first throw, I will make it easier for you and tell you ... the left shin! Keep your legs tucked in, kid!

Terrified, Koby obediently tucked his legs, and after two promised seconds, the Hat waved his hand with a dagger. The boy heard a slight whistle of air as the dagger flew under his feet, and then there was a wooden thump as the dagger plunged into shield. Fearfully twisting his head, Koby saw that the dagger had pierced where the Hat had said, that is, right into the shin of the human silhouette painted on the shield. And so it went. Someone, no more than once every couple of minutes, called some part of the body of the shield nailed behind him, after which Koby diligently tried to get out of the line of the throw. And in between the throws, the boy thought. For example, I thought that everything is really learned in comparison. And why was he even afraid of Alvida? Now she seemed to Koby almost the embodiment of good and justice, and the two years spent in her captivity were not so bad. If someone now gave him the right to choose, he would, without hesitating a single extra moment, immediately choose two more years of pirate captivity than two hours in the company of hunters.

In the end, at some point, Koby just got tired of resisting. Meaning? They'll kill him anyway. So why prolong the agony? Wouldn't it be better to just catch the dagger and not suffer anymore? Having made a decision, Koby, when the word "head" sounded, remained limply hanging in place in anticipation of his imminent death ... which never came.

- Ready! - The Hat happily told everyone.

In the next second, the boy realized that he was falling. Koby collapsed with his feet right on the logs stacked in a pyramid, and fell face down in the sand, and remained there. After all that happened, the boy had absolutely no strength left, both spiritual and physical. Then he was turned onto his back, and Kobe saw the smiling face of the "Queen" above him.

- Now you know what happens to bad little boys who decide to become pirates, - she said, cutting the ropes in his arms with a dagger. - And if in the future we again find you among the pirates, then you can not count on repeated mercy.

Kobe felt a completely uncharacteristic anger rise in his chest. Pirate? Did they think he was a pirate ?! He will never be a pirate !!!

- I… I'm not… I'm not a pirate! - despite all his anger, the boy felt so exhausted that only at the end of the phrase he was able to give strength to his voice.

- Not a pirate? - the "Queen" raised an eyebrow skeptically. - Then what did you do among the pirates? - The girl asked mockingly.

Somewhere near him, Koby heard the Hat make a toast:

- For intensive psychotherapy! May she be glorified for centuries! Campai!

- Campai! - Three more satisfied voices answered him unanimously, after which a characteristic sound was heard, made when clinking glass bottles. After spending two years with the pirates, who, most of their free time, did nothing but drink deeply, the boy heard this sound tens of thousands of times. And now he could recognize him anywhere, and in any circumstances.

- I… I was held captive by pirates for two years… I am not a pirate… I hate pirates.

The guys standing not far from the boy spat out on the ground everything that they had just put into their mouths, and then stared at Kobe in stunned gaze. In turn, Nami, kneeling beside the boy, covered her mouth with her hand in shock.

- Hey hey kid! - heard Koby the voice of the Hat. - In what sense are you not a pirate? Do you hate pirates? In captivity? What are you talking about?

Koby answered. And where did the strength come from? However, the very thought that he was equated with the pirates so hated by him, seemed unbearable to the boy. Most likely, this is what gave him strength:

- Two years ago I went fishing, but just I got into the boat when the pirates of Alvida appeared. They took my boat away and captured me myself. Since then, I have never left this island, spending days cleaning, cooking and washing for the pirates of Alvida.

- Boy, did you think that it would be worthwhile for us to tell about this, before we started throwing daggers at you?

- And they promised to dismember you, - added Yosaku.

- And burn you alive, - Johnny reminded him.

- And started talking about torture, - Zoro chuckled, looking in Nami's direction.

- Yes, - Luffy nodded, -we started talking about torture, promised to burn alive and dismember, and before we started throwing daggers at you.

- Shut up, idiots! - finally, she pulled herself together. - When would he tell us what if you immediately scared him half to death?

- If I remember correctly, it was you who scared him very first. - Luffy expectedly didn't admit his guilt.

- I think you said your name was Koby, didn't you? - completely ignoring Luffy, which the girl learned from him, addressed the boy Nami in an affectionate voice. - Let me help you to get up, and then we will go, wash you and change your clothes, after which we will decide what to do with you next.

Nami helped Koby up off the ground and, supporting his hand, led him towards the buildings, where, as she assumed, the bathroom and boy's clean clothes could be found. And so it happened. The girl easily found a large bathroom with almost a whole pool in the middle, as well as several large basins. Taking water in one of the largest basins, Nami shook the barely moving boy out of his clothes and pushed him into the water. Ten minutes to bring Kobe to the buildings and find a bathroom, fifteen minutes to wash, then another ten minutes to find things and change clothes, and five minutes on the way back. And so, forty minutes later, almost waking up, but still very tired, Kobe, again found himself in front of the terrible monsters. Monsters, which, as the boy was absolutely sure, would dream of him in nightmares for a very long time.

- Hey kid! - Johnny, being the least busy, was the first to greet Koby as he and Nami walked up to the table. - Uh-uh ... you look good! - he added, which immediately caused funny laughs from all the other guys, and the murderous look of Nami, with which she looked them over.

In the forty minutes that Kobe and Nami were absent, the guys managed to bring a large round table from somewhere, as well as a bunch of folding chairs, various foods and a lot, much, very, stunned, how much meat, which Luffy was now grilling over hot coals ... Sitting next to him, Zoro and Yosaku, strung meat and onions on skewers. Johnny, who was in charge of preparing various salads, managed to finish with them shortly before Koby and Nami returned. So he turned out to be the only one, now unoccupied with nothing.

- Now that we're back, you don't want to tell him anything? - standing behind Koby and putting her hands on his shoulders, Nami looked around the guys with a formidable look. - For myself, I have already asked for forgiveness, now it's your turn.

- Uh-uh yes ... - Johnny drawled uncertainly. - Koby, huh? So, Koby, I'm sorry I offered to burn you alive.

- And I'm sorry for coming up with a game of throwing daggers at the shield nailed right behind you, - Luffy, sitting near the fire, obeyed.

- Yes, and forgive me for talking about chopping off your head, and then chopping you apart, right in front of your severed head, until your brain finally died, - Yosaku tried to smile apologetically, but ...

- ...

- ...

- ...

- BWAHA-HA-HA-HA !!! - burst into uncontrollable laughter all the guys present.

And although Nami perfectly understood that she should not have expected anything else from them, she still could not resist making a loud facepalm. But Koby finally understood why the "Queen of Monsters" was also called the "Queen of Mercy." She was just the only one among all these monsters who knew the word "mercy" at all.