Chapter-9 Concubines

Sally.The Blonde Princess.

Argus stood on the deck, watching the sea wind toss their hair as the ship cut through the waves.

The blonde girl was quiet, her posture guarded but composed.

The other... was different.

She wasn't trembling. She was studying.

Her name was Shella.

A survivor from a race thought extinct.

Long ago, the Snake-Humans had shared the ocean's depths with the merfolk.Humanoid above the waist, serpentine below. Graceful. Deadly. Exotic.

But their history had been written in blood.The mermaids, once their kin, had turned on them. Driven them from Fish-Man Island during an ancient war for supremacy.

The merfolk had won.The Snake-Humans were exiled. Scattered. Hunted.

Now? Fewer than ten thousand might remain in the world—if that.

Which made Shella's existence more than rare.It made her mythical.

She was worth at least a hundred million Berries—About the cost of a fully armed Marine warship out of Water 7.

Back aboard the ship, both girls stood still near the mast. Silent. Tense.

They weren't naive.To be sold to nobles meant humiliation.But to be bought by pirates?

That could mean something worse.

"Argus," Newgate murmured beside him, arms crossed, brow low, "they're scared stiff."

Argus nodded. "If that fear turns to panic, it'll end badly."

He didn't fear them. But he wasn't interested in spending nights next to someone who might slit his throat while he slept.

Just then—

"Husband.""Big Brother."

Serena stepped forward, graceful and calm, her voice warm with quiet authority.

"I'll handle them," she said. "Let me talk to my new little sisters."

Argus didn't hesitate. "All right. They're yours."

He knew Serena well. She wasn't just a beauty—she was a tactician. And more than that, she was queenly.

The three disappeared into the ship's private cabins.

Up on deck, Argus and Newgate went over their current finances.

"We still solid on funds?" Argus asked.

Newgate snorted. "Gurarara~~! Solid? Brother, we're pirates."

"If money runs dry, we'll just raid some bloated kingdom sitting on a pile of gold. Three, maybe five hundred million Berries. Easy."

And it wasn't an exaggeration.

For a pirate of Newgate's caliber, wealth wasn't earned—it was taken.

They didn't need to mess with World Government territories.The Grand Line was full of rich, independent islands with fat coffers and weak defenses.

Take Serena's homeland, for example—

They'd handed over six hundred million Berries in dowry alone.

Argus grinned. "Good. I'd hate to think we emptied the treasury just for one snake girl."

He reached into his coat and pulled out the treasure map again.

"Still think this thing's real," he muttered.

Newgate raised a brow. "Why?"

"Call it instinct," Argus replied.

Newgate smirked. "Since when are you a girl, trusting your gut like that?"

Argus rolled his eyes. "Just shut up and go east when I say so."

Newgate clicked his tongue. "Fine, fine. Doesn't feel right, but I've followed worse ideas."

Truth was, Argus couldn't explain it either.The map felt… strange. Heavy in the hand. Ancient in a way that didn't match the paper.

Something about it whispered truth.

Either way—they were already sailing. No harm in checking.

That night, Serena didn't report back.No questions. No noise. Just calm.

And by dawn—

Both Sally and Shella had quietly accepted their new roles aboard the ship.

They weren't slaves.They weren't prisoners.

They had become Argus's concubines.

Argus approached the situation with care. He wasn't one to be reckless with people under his roof.

Each woman was given her own private quarters.Food, clothing, safety. Dignity.

They might not be wives, but they were part of his household now.

And he wouldn't tolerate chaos inside the harem.

That morning, a warm sea breeze blew in from the east. Serena entered the captain's quarters carrying a bowl of steaming broth.

"Husband," she said gently, offering the bowl with a soft smile. "I made this for you."

Argus raised an eyebrow but accepted it.

One sip—and he paused.Savory. Balanced. Delicious.

"You made this?"

Serena covered her mouth and gave a knowing laugh.

"Of course," her expression said. "Don't underestimate your woman."

She wasn't some fragile flower groomed only to smile and bow.

She was a practical woman, trained in palace diplomacy and wartime survival.

Argus gave her a nod of approval.

A woman like this didn't just keep the harem stable—She could keep the entire ship afloat.

And as for Shella and Sally?

They'd soon realize that being part of Argus's household didn't mean submission—it meant survival, purpose, and power.