"Mom!" Ayame shouted, looking around the small crowds of people in the district roaming the streets. She dashed through them, worry etched on her face.

She would have thought her mother would have arrived by now. However, when she got home, her mother was nowhere to be found. Sweat dripped from her brow at the thought of her mother being harmed. Her mother was never late to get home; she was always on time.

Ayame turned another corner, her pigtails bouncing to the rhythm of her speed. She could ask for the Marines's help but knew that idea would be in vain. Since her family belonged on the poorer side of town, there was no way they would be helpful. Then, another thought popped into her: perhaps she could persuade Rue and the group of swordsmen to help in her search.

As she rotated on her heel, she collided with a rugged exterior. An unrecognizable person came into view. The stranger caught the little girl on her feet to prevent her from falling. Suddenly, the stranger grabbed her wrist, and Ayame began to scream; a cloth muffled her voice from escaping.

They both disappeared into the night. Without a single trace, not a soul knew Ayame's departure.

Meanwhile, the night was still young for the young couple at the restaurant, basking in their respective meals.

"If I am following, you increase taxes to those who've disobeyed you, correct?"

Alex gulped another glass of alcohol. It burned his throat once again as he replied, slurred and slow, "Duh! It's too easy! It's not like they can do anything about it."

A boisterous laughter left his lips, slamming his hand continuously on the table at the thought. Their plates and utensils rattled against the wooden table.

"I'm the only protection they got anyway."

Mentally taking notes, Rue pushed forward a glass of water, "Please don't overdrink; you might not be able to enjoy the rest of the night."

Alex's heart swelled with anticipation at her words. Thinking the woman wanted more of him after their rendezvous. He was sure she realized he was a better choice than that bastard. Surely, she must have fallen for his charms.

Shall he indulge himself and yield to her just this one time?

Rue observed how he consumed his water in one shot. Though the red hue on his cheeks dimmed slightly, his disoriented vision, clumsy gripping of his glass and incoherent mumbling, he was still drunk. Advantageous that he willingly drank like a fool, yes. However, she needed him in a stupor where he would willingly spill his secrets yet still be sober enough to process his thoughts.

Sober enough to at least have some awareness.

Throughout the night, the captain would spill the beans about his many accomplishments. A smug expression beamed on his features. Though Rue dug the hole herself, listening to this man brought exhaustion to the point she rubbed her temple. Often, she was forced to bring him back to the topic.

Alex this and Alex that... Indeed, this was exhausting.

So far, she gained numerous interesting facts about this island and its people. However, she knew some things beforehand. Gastonia was owned by a family of noble lineage centuries ago, the bloodline now diluted and certain practices abolished; Alex would flaunt it in town, ensuring no one went against his wishes.

And if they dared, their lives would turn into misery. Money, home and way of living are taken in one swoop. Accusations and false charges were created to bring ruin to their reputation.

Of course, he was foolish enough to reveal that highly taxed citizens' money went into personal funding.

Rue's stomach gurgled in hunger. She was aware she hadn't eaten much before, yet her mind had trouble wanting to consume anything at the moment. Her thoughts and body contradict her wishes. The glass of water she consumed earlier did not alleviate the rising hunger or stop the rumbling in her stomach.

As Alex continued to talk her ear off, her gaze landed on the stack of greens on her plate. Red tomatoes decorated the green forest with small purple onions glazed in an orange sauce. A garlicky, and the mix of spices didn't entice her.

Rue frowned; she was in no mood for salad. Neither for anything too heavy for her stomach. Perhaps something quick to consume.

"Why aren't you eating?"

"Hm?" Rue's gaze landed on her date, absentmindedly poking the tomatoes with her fork.  As she quickly processed Alex's words, she graced him with a docile smile, "Guess I don't like salad; I'll order something-"

"No need," Alex gestured for a waiter who rushed to his side, " She'll take a dessert."

Rue stiffened, her cheeks becoming sore at the amount of smiling she had to display for the evening. She had to eat her own words before she said something nasty.

Keeping up appearances was essential; she had come so far and couldn't stop now. "Shouldn't that be my decision?" Voice sweet, yet held a certain degree of firmness.

"Like I said," Alex gave her a smirk while leaning on his chair, "I know what women want."

Yup, it was time to put an end to this date.

With swiftness, Rue shoved her glass; it shattered near them, the two men. The silver-haired woman gave the waiter an apologetic gaze at her clumsiness. She bent to help the waiter, but their server told them they would handle it, though Rue insisted. Unknown to Alex, Rue quietly whispered to him as she helped clean the mess. Blushing at the smoothness of her voice, the waiter nodded and left with haste with the broken pieces.

As she rose to stand, Rue landed her attention, "I believe we should leave, no?"

Alex lifted a brow, "I thought you wanted dessert?"

"Don't worry about it; I got it to go."

Alex shrugged in response. Either way, he knew he was getting his dessert for the evening. Soon, their server arrived with the wrapped-up meal. Rue silently gave him a tip for his troubles despite his refusal.

As they got outside, the night's cool air soothed Rue's cheeks. Inhaling deeply as her shoulders sagged, breathing in the atmosphere brought a sense of relief. Finally, this dreadful was over.

A genuine smile spread across her face at the thought of her plans going smoothly.

She faced the captain again, "Thank you for the evening." Rue tucked a small piece of her curls behind her ears, "I'll wait for my order while you go get some rest."

The breath that pumped his heart ceased when she turned to him. Her reassurance under the flow of the restaurant lights heightened her features, from her sapphire eyes to her beautiful brown skin.

And to her gleaming lips.

Kissable lips.

A thirst to savour and defile the delicate flower.

Unconsciously, Alex began to lean forward in an attempt to kiss the woman, but a hand with a package intervened. Alex glared at the flinching waiter who had packaged the woman's meal.

Rue thanked the trembling waiter for her meal. As the server left hurriedly, she said her goodbyes to the captain. But Alex's hand gripped hers before she could leave, pulling her into his chest.

Despite his alcoholic breath, Rue met his gaze, withholding her disgust, "My daughter's waiting for me─"

She gasped as he leaned in for a kiss, to which Rue quickly whipped her head to the side in avoidance. Annoyance rose within him as he kept trying at the woman's reluctance. He grabbed her face, attempting to force their lips to collide.

Finally creating some distance between them, hands on his chest, her voice slightly cracking as she spoke, "C-captain, it's too early; we only had one date."

He didn't hear a word as he attempted another kiss on her. Yet, no matter how much he tried, the silvered-haired woman's face wasn't even an inch closer to his. He was sure that she, a woman, was no stronger than he was; he was well-built and went training regularly.

Then, what force went against him as he attempted to lay a kiss on the fair maiden?

Meanwhile, Rue's heart hammered in her chest at the captain's attempts at planting one on her. She was certain no one would come to her aid because he was the captain, and two, they were putting themselves at risk.

Though darkness consumed their surroundings, the streetlights plus the gleam of the restaurant gave everyone a good view of the outside. She shot them a look as if she was telling them not to interrupt.

Not like they could if they tried.

If she made any wrong moves here, things would get ugly. She shut her eyes as they began to glow a blue hue.

She was so close...so close to losing control. He may be drunk, but this was too much.

"How dare you to even..." Rue bit her lips, simmering down her anger; he was drunk. She stared at him blankly with a slight huff, "Good night." With that, Rue tried to flee, but he had a firm grip on her wrist.

"I love you!" Alex tightened his hold on her wrist as she struggled; he grabbed her other wrist. This made her drop her package on the dusted streets. His tone was agitated, trying to control his rising anger."Why won't you accept my feelings?! I paid for your clothes and our meal! I should get something in return!"

Despite his drunken stupor, the hue in Rue's eyes and the crystal on her neck kept glowing. She closed the lids of her eyes, trying to calm the racing of her heartbeat. Trying to steady her ragging breathing, to ease her mind.

Think, don't feel, Think, don't feel. She kept repeating those words over and over.

Gazing at Alex's drunken stupor, eyes red from the consumed alcohol and dissatisfaction and anger. Furrowed brows with a tightened grip on her wrist. Her pupils shook, memories suddenly flashing like bright lights in her mind as she froze under his form.

A face filled with affection, his gaze focused on her, lovely specks of honey roaming her form, creating bashfulness through the girl's being. She focused her attention elsewhere, but his thumbs took hold of her chin; sky blue clashed with gold. Soon, the loving smile morphed into a sinister one. Once filled with love, his eyes had a possessive gleam; his lips formed into a tight smile. His embrace no longer held the affections of lovers.

He cracked a whip. It oozed a flaming flair, darkened, but gleamed a red hue at the ends.

His lips tugged into a smile; she knew it didn't display any charity.

"Who would love you, Rue?"

His voice echoed in her mind. Her breathing was almost ceasing. The rapid ramming of her heart became louder.

"I'm all you've got."

Her specks of blue began to glow, pulsing as her pupils shook while her crystal gleamed.

"And I'm all you will ever need."

Damn it! Stop feeling and think, Rue! She screamed out to herself as she gritted her teeth. She needed to regain control pronto, immediately!

Because...

She was at her last straw.

It all happened in seconds. A breeze elapsed as a fist collided with Alex's right cheek.  He hit the ground hard, tasting the dirt instead of soft lips. Rue's widened eyes shifted to the green-haired swordsman whose glare would rival the sun. Prepared to pull out his blade, her placed a delicate hand on his shoulders to halt from causing further damage. Zoro sucked his teeth in annoyance.

Relief washed over like a calm river as she closed her eyes. Her heart's rhythm was singing at a lower pace, back to normal. Her crystal slowly dimmed back to its usual blue hue. She may not know how or when he arrived, but Rue was glad he made it.

Or else she would have had to take care of him herself.

Alex stood up, wobbly footing from the attack, vision hazy. "H-how dare you hit me!" A glare etched on his features.

With furrowed brows, Zoro clenched his fist at his side, ceasing as anger burned through him. While finding his way back, going back and forth and up the streets, he thought he had found his way back. But there stood the silver-haired woman and the marine bastard in front of the establishment. He first lifted a brow at the scene, but somehow, anger had risen within him as he watched it all unfold.

How the captain grabbed her and tried to force himself on her.

And the way she froze, her eyes wide in a fear he hadn't seen, not even in opponents he had faced in the past.

Something within him snapped at that moment.

Zoro slipped the blade at his side upwards, ready to draw it out. His glare never left his face, "Hungry for more."

"Stop!"

Both men's attention went to the silvered-haired woman, who had a hand on her chest, trying to catch her breath. When she finally did, her gaze lifted to Zoro, "Roronoa, let's just go."

Alex directed his glare on Rue, "What─"

"Captain," Rue's voice was soothing; however, this time, the firmness in her tone practically made even Alex flinched, "I held my end on the deal; it's time you did the same."

Plus, she got what she needed, so there was no use in continuing this charade.

How dare she tell him what to do!

As he was about to give him a piece of his mind, once again, Alex flinched under Zoro's piercing gaze. The marine captain gulped, and sweat began to form on his brow as the man's glare shut him up.

He gritted his teeth in frustration, soon, in a huff, the drunken marine stomped away, leaving the two alone in front of the restaurant.

Zoro glared at the silver-haired woman, "Why did you let him do that?"

While picking up her package from the ground, Rue swiped away the collected dirt at the bottom, "Do what?"

Zoro scoffed, crossing his arms, "Don't act like you don't know?"

She looked up at him with a small smile, "Everything is fine."

Zoro observed the slight tremble of her hands and the smile displayed on her features. While taking closer inspection, her smile didn't look as natural as he did when he first met her. It almost seemed...

Fake.

It became obvious that she hid her discomfort.

Rue jolted as he grabbed her wrist, but this time. There was no sensation of disgust or force. The brush of his hands on her wrist was gentle, as if she would break if he gripped her too strongly.

"You call this," As he pointed to her wrist, his voice was as gruff as usual but low with care. "being fine?"

Rue glanced at the bruise that formed on her skin. Alex's tight hold on her wrist created a blueish hue. Her gaze met the dust of the earth and then on the sandals he had brought her, distracting her momentarily to regain her composure.

She breathed in as she shut her eyes. Then, he met Zoro's brown eyes, reading into them. Seeing the worry etched through them, though, he tried not to show it. She tightened her hold on her packaged meal; it creased as it made a ruffling sound.

"Yes... " Rue repeated slowly, her gaze unwavering, "it's fine."

He unconsciously ran his thumb on her wrist, "And if I hadn't shown up─"

"But you did," She cut off.

"What if I didn't?"

"I would have handled it."

Zoro slightly softened his gaze as she looked away, focusing elsewhere. He sighed at it all; despite her kindness and care, it was clear to him that they were still strangers to each other.

Merely strangers with their own goals who so happened to cross paths. She had no reason to trust him.

Zoro frowned; for some reason, it left a bad taste in his mouth at the thought of it. He wondered how many times she had risked herself like this knowingly.

"Let's go back; I'm sure your friends have a lot on their plate handling my daughter."

The swordsman said nothing as the woman took off her sandals and tucked them under her arm. Her polite smile back on her face as usual; something etched within him every time she did.

He was beginning to dislike that smile of hers.

"Thank you, Roronoa."

A slight gleam appeared in her sapphire eyes. The tug of her lips no longer had the facade it carried earlier. A genuine smile spread on her features as she gazed at him, leaving Zoro in a daze at the woman's dazzling smile.

She may not have known what the future holds, but she was certain things would have gotten messy if he didn't show up. She knew he rang some truth when he made it clear that she might have transformed if he hadn't shown up.

And she knew that.

For a moment, time stopped for the swordsman. His eyes roamed her form; his face felt hotter than usual. His heart thumped in his chest at her attire that displayed her assets. He shook his head, stopping himself from entertaining his mind further. He rotated on his heel back to wherever he came from.

"Roronoa." Zoro turned back to her as she pointed in the opposite direction, "The boat is that."

Zoro grunted; this island was just way too big.

On the silent streets of Gastonia, the captain muttered curses as he stomped away down his path. A pulsing vein on his neck as he played back the events.

"That stupid little whore!"He yelled out to howling winds, his voice echoing in the air. Beat red from the alcohol and the burning frustration. "How could she choose that bastard over me?! I'm way better."

"I agree, you are a better choice."

Alex whipped his head to the side at the sound her voice as they walked out from the shadows. A woman in a red dress and blond tied hair came into view with a winning smile spread on her face. She walked to his side, pressing his arm, "She's crazy for not wanting you."

Alex gave her a deadpan look while tilting his head, "Who are you?"

The woman matched his expression; it left in a flicker as it came. A smile was back on her face, her emerald eyes gazing into his while she replied sweetly, "Claudette, remember?" She observed that his expression didn't change but didn't discourage her.

So she changed her strategy.

"I know a way to get what you want."

Alex scoffed, slipping his arm away from her grip, "What do you know?"

"That woman," Claudette almost spat in venom, but kept her composure, "You want her, right?"

The blonde was aware of how much he liked that woman. No, everyone knew how much he wanted her and would do anything to have her. She hated how he gave her so much attention, bought her gifts and worshiped the ground she walked on. But no matter what he did, the foreign woman never reciprocated his feelings.

And even after their date, the man she loved was left in a mess. Who does she think she was? All this for that woman when she was so much better.

Her words caught the captain's attention, but he frowned, "That whore is pain! She doesn't get that I am a better choice!"

"I agree!" Claudette shouted; she coughed to regain herself again as he raised a brow. "Which is why I prepared a little gift for you."

Alex watched as she went into an alley between significant buildings; a thumping dusted the ground as she kicked the child to the ground. Grabbing her by her pigtails, the child grunted as she raised the fearful child's head to the captain.

Alex snicked, turning his eyes away from the scene, "What am I supposed to do with this brat?"

Claudette gave him a sweet smile, "She's the key to our solution." As Alex raised his brows, Claudette harshly tugged on the child's hair, making her whimper. The little girl's pupils shook at the possible dangers ahead.

"Do you know what a mother's pride and joy is?" Claudette asked as the man cutely tilted his head, "Her child."

We reached 1k!! We did it! I'm so glad you guys are loving this! Im crying! Okay, so Alex finally got a well-deserved punch from ya boy Zo! As he should! After all that harassing our poor girl like that! Don't worry; there are more punches for him shortly, LOL!

Just a heads up, which I will add in the disclaimer! Many characters will be attracted to her (duh!), but some won't be an all-out love devotion type of thing just yet. I won't say which characters, but I will hint it here and there.

Also, I will be a slow burn; they may be attracted to her, but I want them to get to know her a little and love this girl out of the blue without having a good reason. I prefer that cause I think it makes a little more sense.

Anywho, have a great weekend and see you in the next chapter!